Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that at the start of the meeting they should declare any known interests in any matter to be considered, and also during the meeting if it becomes apparent that they have an interest in the matters being discussed.

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting. The following declaration was made:

·        Councillor Roger Smith made a personal, non-prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of agenda item 6 (Cabinet Member Question and Answer Session - Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure, Transport and Planning) as an employee of a company involved with the review of the Local Plan.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December 2020.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December 2020 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

See explanatory note below. Please contact the Committee Officer whose details appear at the top of this agenda if you need further guidance.

During Covid-19, questions must be submitted by 3.00pm two working days before the meeting.

There were no questions submitted under this item.

The Committee received a report from the Chief Legal Officer about the Budget setting process for 2021/22.

The Chair welcomed Councillor Russell Holland, Deputy Leader of the Council, and Cabinet Member for Commercialisation, Education and Skills to the meeting.

The Chair along with councillors Emma Bushell, Jim Grant and Jane Milner-Barry, raised the following issues set out below, to which Councillors Russell Holland and Brian Ford, together with Mick Bowden, Corporate Director of Finance and Assets, and David Haley, Corporate Director, Children Services, responded at the meeting.

• The 2020/21 Local Grant settlement for Swindon.
• The position of the budget following receipt of the Local Grant settlement, the details of any proposed savings planned and how Cabinet will be able to submit a balanced budget for scrutiny at the Council meeting on the 18^th February 2021.
• The opportunity for all councillors to provide feedback on the draft budget before its submission to the Council meeting.
• How some grants received were one-off payments for this financial year, and that this would result on budget pressures in future years.
• The effect of long-Covid on demand for services.
• The array of short- and long-term pressures on the Adult Social Care budget and Children Services.
• The Dedicated Schools Grant recovery plan and how it is to be submitted for discussion at the next Schools Forum on 19^th January 2021.
• How the Covid related grant was reserved for Covid related activity and reference was made to other grants received that included the new homes bonus, social care grant and a lower tier grant.
• An overview of potential risk factors and financial impact associated with the second Covid-related lockdown.
• The financial basis utilised to calculate the draft budget. 
• Managing demand for older people and disability, learning disability and mental health services through robust dialogue and support provided to the service user and their carer and how community engagement would be essential. 
• The methods implemented to ensure Adult Social Services aligned their programme of work to operate in a more modern, efficient and effective way.
• Confirmation that the car park financial forecast was based on pre-lockdown calculations and that the forecast did not identify specific car parks.

Resolved: – (1) That the budget position update be noted and that the Cabinet Member for Commercialisation, Education and Skills’ responses to questions about the financial context within which the budget proposals have been framed along with the budget and policy framework utilised by the Council in setting its 2021/22 budget, be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director of Finance and Assets be requested to circulate the Local Grant settlement figures.

 (3) That the Corporate Director Adult Services, Health and Housing be requested to circulate:

a) Information regarding “strength based” conversations held to support service users.

b) Information regarding the methods to be used to ensure the Directorate aligned the programme of work to operate in a more modern, efficient and effective way.

(4) That the Clerk be requested to circulate Schools Forum minutes to the meeting being held  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

Councillor Gary Sumner (Cabinet Member for Strategic Infrastructure, Transport & Planning) was in attendance and presented to the Committee a report summarising progress and performance in respect of the key objectives of his role, which are to:

·        Have overview of the Strategic Spatial Planning and Development Planning Framework.

·        Provide political leadership for the New Eastern Villages programme.

·        Have overview of the Wichelstowe Joint Venture.

·        Set the direction for future strategic infrastructure programmes to support economic growth including housing and transport.

·        Ensure that the Council's agreed priorities within the portfolio are delivered.

The Cabinet Member is responsible for securing the following Vision Pledges:

·        Pledge 3: Refresh and implement the Masterplan for Swindon Town Centre, supporting our vision that Swindon is a vibrant, modern place.

·        Pledge 6

o   Deliver infrastructure in a timely way to assist in phased housing & employment delivery for the New Eastern Villages including White Hart Junction & A420.

o   Working with Barratt Homes through the Joint Venture we will deliver the District Centre facilities including a public house, the next phases of housing, a retirement complex and education facilities – whilst also delivering new sections of canal.

o   Create the Southern access to Wichelstowe via a tunnel to be constructed under the M4 to link to Junction 16.

o   Through the Local Plan review identify brownfield and green field sites for housing to deliver homes and employment land on a range of sustainable sites whilst ensuring that urban extensions are of the highest quality.

o   Continue to work with the developers at Tadpole Garden Village to bring forward facilities to ensure a sustainable community can continue to thrive.

o   Ensure that there is a range of good quality housing options in Swindon, including affordable opportunities to buy and rent.

o   Work with Nationwide Building Society to deliver homes at the former Oakfield campus.

o   Support final phases of additional housing at Badbury Park with community space and improvements to Day House Lane to link to Coate Water.

The Cabinet Member also has delegated responsibility for:

·        Traffic and Transport Forward Planning (including Local Transport Plan and Implementation of Local Transport Plan).

·        Neighbourhood Planning and Sustainability.

·        Building Control and Local Land Charges.

·        Housing Strategy.

·        Design-based consultancy.

·        Wichelstowe (Commercialisation).

·        Strategic flood and water management.

·        Street Naming.

·        Environmental Issues Landscape & Countryside.

·        Highways Strategy.

·        Local Plan – oversight and assurance around delivery of housing numbers, employment land, planning policy.

·        Strategic Infrastructure Plan.

·        Developer Contributions.

·        Transport Schemes – Delivery of existing schemes & determination of future schemes.

·        Bus & Rail network – Network Rail & GWR – Swindon Station.

Councillor Sumner introduced his report and referred to the delivery of the infrastructure programmes across Swindon, particularly at Wichelstowe and the on-going construction development at Symmetry Park that will provide significant employment opportunities.

Councillor Sumner responded to questions put by Councillors Junab Ali,Jim Grant, Jane Milner-Barry, Steve Weisingerand the Chair on the following matters:

·        The proposed timescale for the completion of the 3 and 5 year housing supply targets set in the Neighbourhood Plans and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Legal Officer setting out the topics for inclusion in the 2020/2021 Scrutiny Work Programme, as agreed by the Committee at its meeting on 7^th July 2020, and updated during the course of the Municipal Year.

The Committee received an updated report advising on the status of outstanding issues and member requests for information.

Resolved – That the report on the status of outstanding issues and member requests for information be noted.