Agenda and minutes

Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

There was no public participation.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee held on Wednesday 17 January 2024.

Having been moved and seconded it was

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee held on 17 January 2024 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Members may make declarations of Interest at this point or may make them at any point in the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest as this point in the meeting.

Setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 22 January 2024

With no comments or questions, the Matters Arising Schedule, setting out the position of previously agreed actions as at 22 January 2024, was NOTED.

Members noted the proposed additional meeting to be held on 21 March 2024. With no further comments or questions, the Committee Work Plan was DULY NOTED.

To resolve that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Note:              The meeting entered closed session at 6.05pm

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by the Director – Planning, Regeneration & Communities and Director of Corporate Services / Section 151 Officer regarding further legal proceedings in relation to the former RAF site at Scampton.

Members heard that the December 2023 Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Direction had been received and there were two options which the Council could take. Those being to either commence Judicial Review proceedings against the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up Homes and Communities, and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in relation to the December 2023 Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Direction, or to not commence Judicial Review Proceedings.

The summary of legal proceedings to date, as well as the potential impact of either option being approved, was provided to Members, as well as estimated costings.

Note:              Councillor P. Swift arrived at 6.14pm

During the course of the debate, A Member of the Committee proposed an amendment to the recommendations contained within Option 1. That being for the word ‘legal’ to be replaced with the word ‘potential’. The recommendation would then read:

“A full update on all potential costs and timescales pertaining to RAF Scampton is brought to the March 2024 meeting of this committee.”

This proposed amendment was duly seconded with indicated support from all Members, who also expressed their thanks to Officers for all involved in the case.

The Chairman clarified that recommendations one to three, as contained within Option One in the report, subject to the agreed word change as detailed above, had been proposed and seconded, and, on taking the vote it was unanimously

            RESOLVED that

a)    delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director People and Democratic Services to commence Judicial Review proceedings against the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up Homes and Communities and the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to the December 2023 Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Direction; and

b)    the proceedings detailed in resolution (a) above be funded, up to a value of £92,000, from the Growth and Investment Reserve; and

c)    a full update on all potential costs and timescales pertaining to RAF Scampton be brought to the March 2024 meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resource Committee.