Policy and Resources Committee - 8 March 2021
POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
NOTICE AND AGENDA
For a virtual/remote meeting to be held on Monday 8 March 2021 at 7.30pm
Members of the Policy and Resources Committee:-
Councillors
Sarah Nelmes (Chair) (Local Plan) Chris Lloyd (Leisure)
Matthew Bedford (Vice-Chair) (Resources & Shared Services) Andrew Scarth (Housing)
Reena Ranger
Stephen Cox
Steve Drury (Infrastructure & Planning Policy) Roger Seabourne (Community Safety & Partnerships)
Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Transport & Economic Development)
Alex Hayward Alison Wall
Phil Williams (Environmental Services & Sustainability)
Paula Hiscocks
Joanne Wagstaffe Chief Executive
26 February 2021
(The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 made under the Coronavirus Act 2020 enable Council/Committee meetings to be held in a virtual format and enables remote attendance.
The meeting starts at 7.30pm and will be virtual/remote meeting in that it will be conducted at no specific location and all participants are at various locations, communicating via audio and online.
The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public to its discussion on Part I agenda items at Committee meetings. Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee. Details of the procedure are provided below:
Members of the public wishing to speak will be entitled to register and identify which Part I report they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the remote meeting. Those who wish to register to speak must do so by notifying the Committee Team by e-mail 48 hours before the meeting. The first 2 people to register (1 for and 1 against) will be sent a link so that they can join the meeting to exercise that right. This will also allow the Committee Team to prepare the speaker sheet in advance of the remote meeting to forward to the Chair of the meeting.
In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part 1 business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.
Recording and reporting the Council's meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance. This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Act and the laws of libel and defamation.
Please note that the meeting is being held virtually. The business of the meeting will be live streamed (Link archived)
The virtual meeting protocol can be found below:
protocol-for-virtual-committee-meetings-sept-2020-31. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. MINUTES
To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 25 January 2021.
21-01-25-pr-mins3. NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS
Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items.
4. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
To receive any declarations of interest.
POLICY
5. ADOPTION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION MODEL COUNCILLOR CODE OF CONDUCT 2020
The Local Government Association (LGA) has developed a Model Councillor Code of Conduct 2020, in association with key partners and after extensive consultation with the sector. This is part of its work on supporting all tiers of local government to continue to aspire to high standards of leadership and performance. It is a template for Councils to adopt in whole and/or with local amendments. All Councils are required to have a local Councillor Code of Conduct. It is not mandatory for all Councils to have the same code.
-05-21-03-08-pr-i-code-of-conduct-cover-report-05i-21-03-08-pr-i-model-councillor-code-of-conduct-2020-v2-05ii-21-03-08-pr-i-lga-summary-of-consultation-responses-05iii-21-03-08-pr-i-current-member-code-of-conduct6. NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK AND NATIONAL MODEL DESIGN CODE - DRAFT REPSPONSE TO CONSULTATION PROPOSALS
The Government is undertaking a consultation on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the National Model Design Guide. This is a technical consultation seeking views on:
- Proposed changes to the NPPF based on the recommendations of the Building Better Building Beautiful Commission
- Proposed changes to the NPPF to strengthen environmental policies, including those arising from the government’s review of flood risk with Defra
- Proposed minor changes to the NPPF to clarify policy in order to address legal issues
- Proposed changes to remove or amend out of date material
- A proposed update to reflect a recent change made in a Written Ministerial Statement about retaining and explaining statues
- Clarification on the use of Article 4 Directions
- The new National Model Design Code
This report provides a summary of the proposed changes and seeks Members’ views on the draft response set out in Appendix 1.
-06-21-03-08-pr-i-changes-to-nppf-national-model-design-code-report-06i-21-03-08-pr-i-appendix-1-draft-consultation-response7. CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 2021-2026
Three Rivers District Council heard the climate change motion on Tuesday 21 May 2019 at Council, which was put forward by the Leader, Cllr Sara Bedford and Councillors: Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Chris Lloyd, Alex Michaels, Sarah Nelmes, Andrew Scarth and Dominic Sokalski.
The motion asked for the details of the strategy to be brought for consideration by the Council. It requested the Council to work with partners in the public and private sectors and engage with residents and businesses to gain their input and support when developing the strategy.
The motion commits the Council to use all practical means to reduce the impact of council services on the environment and use planning regulations and the Local Plan to cut carbon emissions. It also calls for help from the Government to provide the support and resources needed to progress the action plan.
A draft Climate Change Strategy was presented to the LEC Committee on 7 October 2020 which was recommended by the Committee for public consultation. The Consultation was formally completed on 30 November 2020.
This report presents the revised Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy, (attached at Appendix A) which includes new ambitions in relation to climate change and sustainability, our achievements so far, and how we can lead, enable and engage individuals and businesses to adopt pro-environmental behaviours to reduce their environmental impacts. The associated action plan will be developed and used by officers to deliver the strategy once agreed.
-07-21-03-08-pr-i-climate-emergency-and-sustainability-report8. GREATER LONDON BOUNDARY CHARGE
This report is presented to Members providing details on the possible implementation of a Greater London Boundary Charge, based on the current information being reported.
-08-21-03-08-pr-i-greater-london-boundary-charge-report9. CORPORATE PLAN AND FINAL SERVICE PLANS 2021-2024
To receive the Corporate Plan
21-03-08-pr-i-corporate-framework-2021-22-report21-03-08-pr-i-corporate-action-plan-2021_finaland the following final service plans for recommendation to Council:
Legal
-09-legal-service-plan-2021-24Committee
-09-committee-services-final-service-plan-2021-24Elections
-09-elections-service-plan-2021-2024_finalFinance
-09-finance-service-plan-2021-24_final-versionCorporate Services
-09-corporate-services-service-plan-2021-2024_finalCustomer Service Centre
-09-customer-services-centre-service-plan-2021-24_finalRevenue and Benefits
-09-revs-and-bens-service-plan-2021-24_finalProperty Services
-09-property-services-service-plan-2021-24_finalEconomic Development and Sustainability (only with regard to the Local Plan)
-09-economic-and-sustainable-development-service-plan-2021-24_finalRESOURCES
10. BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 10 (January)
Budget monitoring report is a key tool in scrutinising the Council’s financial performance. It is designed to provide an overview to all relevant stakeholders. It is essential that the council monitors its budgets throughout the year to ensure that it is meeting its strategic objectives and that corrective action is taken where necessary.
This report seeks approval to a change in the Committee’s 2020 - 2024 medium-term revenue financial plan. The report shows the Council’s overall consolidated medium term financial plan for both revenue and capital.
-10-21-03-08-pr-i-budget-monitoring-period-10-cover-report-10-21-03-08-pr-i-budget-management-report-app11. WORK PROGRAMME
To receive the Committee’s work programme.
-11-21-03-08-pr-i-work-programme-report-11-21-03-08-pr-i-work-programme-app12. OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under Item 3 above
13. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-
“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”
(Note: If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items.)
1. IT SERVICES CONTRACT AWARD
To receive a report.
2. LOCAL PLAN SUB COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
To receive a report.
3. OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under item 3 above.
For any enquires on the agenda please email the Committee Team at committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk