Agenda item

The Committee considered a report introducing decisions arising from the Cabinet meeting held on 6^th December 2019.

Minute 48. Budget Management 2019/20

Councillors Russell Holland (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Commercialisation, Education and Skills) and Cathy Martyn (Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety)responded to questions put by Councillors Emma Bushell, Jim Grant and the Chair on the following matters:

·        The voids rents having reduced less than planned in the first half of the year, resulting in a further budget pressure of £43k on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), and the programme that has been implemented to help reduce these budget pressures and resolve issues and which has brought the voids down to below 100.

·        The potential savings to the HRA from staff vacancies, some of which relate to the current consultation on whether to retain in-house warden positions in sheltered housing. 

·        The scope for members to be involved in budget saving discussions and projects.

·        The disruption to the typical budget setting timetable caused by the General Election on 12^th December and when it is anticipated that this Committee will have consideration of the draft budget proposals prior to February 2020.

Resolved – That Minute 48 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 49. Capital Monitoring Quarterly Reports – second quarter 2019/20

Councillor Gary Sumner (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning) responded to questions put by Councillors Steve Allsopp, Jim Grant, Brian Mattock and the Chair on the following matters:

·        The potential risk to the development of the New Eastern Villages scheme from the result of the public enquiry currently taking place in to the proposals for the southern connector road.  

·        The anticipated pressures on the existing road network should the southern connector road not be built.

·        The length of time it would take the Council to build the southern connector road without government assistance. 

·        The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) having a Neighbourhood Proportion allocated to the relevant parishes with the remainder being attributed by Cabinet as a whole to agreed priorities. 

Resolved – That Minute 49 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 50. Treasury Management Performance 2019/20

Councillor Russell Holland (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Education and Skills) responded to a question put by the Chair on the changes to the Public Works Loans Board finances and the subsequent effects an increased cost of borrowing may have on planned developments by the Council.

Resolved – That Minute 50 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 51. Housing Revenue Account – Housing Development Sites

Councillor Cathy Martyn (Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety) responded to questions put by the Chair on how the carbon neutral agenda is taken into account in the design and build of properties.  

Resolved – That Minute 51 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 52. Swindon Borough Local Plan Review – Regulation 19 Consultation (submission draft) (Minute for Confirmation)

Councillor Gary Sumner (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning) responded to questions put by Councillor James Robbins and the Chair on the following matters:

·        How public responses to the consultation will be considered and acted upon. 

·        How addressing environmental concerns through the Local Plan is limited as it concerns the allocation of suitable sites for development and not the development itself.  

Resolved – That Minute 52 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 53. Corporate Customer Feedback Policy

Councillor Keith Williams (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Operational Excellence) responded to questions put bythe Chair on the reduction in the use of legal jargon within the Policy, and the availability of online / offline options for people wishing to complain. 

Resolved – That Minute 53 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 54. Amending the Diversity Impact Assessment Process to strengthen Swindon Borough Council’s role as a Corporate Parent

Councillor Keith Williams (Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Operational Excellence) responded to questions put by Councillor James Robbins and the Chair on the positive move this takes towards placing young people at the centre of policy and service decision-making, and the other initiatives planned to ensure that any potential impact on looked after children is considered and mitigated. 

Resolved – That Minute 54 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 55. Adult Community Learning Plan 2019-21 (Minute for Confirmation)

Resolved – That Minute 55 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 56. Natural England District Licensing Project for Great Crested Newts Habitats

Councillor Gary Sumner (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning) responded to questions put by Councillors Emma Faramarzi, Roger Smith and the Chair on how the Council respects and protects species and their habitats, and the potential soft changes that could be made through planning conditions to help maintain and improve biodiversity that would not require policy changes.

Resolved – That Minute 56 of the Cabinet be noted.

Minute 57. Carriage Works Regeneration – Phase II

Councillor Dale Heenan (Cabinet Member for the Town Centre) responded to questions put by Councillors Steve Allsopp, Jim Grant and the Chair on the following matters:

·        The net increase in the number of people employed as a consequence of Phase 1, and the anticipated net increase in the number of people that will be employed as a consequence of Phase 2. It was agreed that this information would be circulated following the meeting.

·        The launch of the Royal Agricultural University Cultural Heritage Institute expected in May 2020, and the numbers of teaching staff, students and ancillary staff this is expected to bring. It was agreed that this information would be circulated following the meeting.

·        The variances in payback times, which is dependent on how quickly a unit can be turned around from refurbishment and how quickly it is expected that units will be let out. It was agreed that further information would be circulated following the meeting. 

·        The certainty regarding projections on income and the guaranteed income from pre-lets so far. The Committee noted that investments are made on a managed-risk basis with no guaranteed income. 

·        The wider impact this development has had on attracting additional businesses to the area. 

Resolved – (1) That Minute 57 of the Cabinet be noted.

(2) That information requested by members during the course of the Committee’s consideration of this item be forwarded to them via the Committee Clerk.

Minute 58. Nythe Road / Oxford Road Capacity Enhancement Scheme: New Eastern Villages (NEV)

Councillors Councillor Russell Holland (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Education and Skills), Dale Heenan (Cabinet Member for the Town Centre) and Gary Sumner (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning) responded to questions put by Councillors Jim Grant, James Robbins and the Chair on the following matters:

·        How additional traffic is expected to be managed as a result of this scheme.

·        How there are no plans for a dual carriageway on Oxford Road.

·        The possibility of work being done on the network travelling from the west of Swindon to the White Hart exchange in response to increased traffic from this scheme.

Resolved – That Minute 58 of the Cabinet be noted.