Agenda

Please find attached road closures information for the week commencing Monday 9 March, in relation to the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme.

To contact your A14 sections stakeholder manager, please use the email addresses below or the A14 helpline.

John Birchall has now left the project. For all queries in relation to Section 1 & 2: Alconbury to the East Coast Main Line & Section 3: East Coast Main Line to Swavesey, please email A14CambridgeHuntingdon@highwaysengland.co.uk

Section 4 & 5: Swavesey to Milton

John Akester - John.Akester@thea14.com

Section 6: Huntingdon town centre

Liam Heath – liam.heath@thea14.com

A14 helpline 0800 270 0114 - This will be answered by a team member during site hours 8am - 5pm and messages can be left at other times. Further updates as the scheme progresses can be found on the website.

Please find an update from the District Council regarding the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Upgrade.

Unless otherwise specified, please confirm your availability to attend any of the following briefing or training events by contacting Jonathan Malton. This will ensure your training records are kept up to date and suitable venue and catering booking can be made. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

It is proposed that Investment Partnerships will fulfil a substantial role in the delivery of the Council’s Investment Strategy, with a £170m funding allocation in this investment stream anticipated by March 2024.  It is proposed that Full Council will, on 2nd April, consider the recommendation from Cabinet on 4th March to enter into Limited Liability Partnerships with two Partners, Hill Partnerships Limited and Balfour Beatty Investments.  It is essential that members who will be scrutinising this proposal are properly informed as to the nature and extent of these Partnerships.  To this end, specific training on this issue has been organised on 12 March, timed to start and finish before the Scrutiny and Overview committee meeting.

The training will cover the following issues:

• The role of investment partnerships within the SCDC Investment Strategy
• Key ingredients for successful partnerships
• What the parties bring to the table
• Governance challenges within the investment partnerships
• Initial business case development and approval
• Exit strategies on investments
• Interaction between investment partnerships and Council policy framework
• Community engagement and public perceptions
• Case studies / experiences from elsewhere
• Legal basis (Haringey Case)

The training will be delivered by Chris Brain, an expert in the field who has previously provided member training to the Council on its Investment Strategy in April 2019. He is an expert in this field, able to easily disseminate what can sometimes seem an impenetrable subject in a highly accessible and enjoyable way.

Please advise Democratic Services if you can attend the training on Thursday 12 March from 12 noon to 4pm in the Council Chamber. Lunch will be provided.

With the introduction of the new constitution, Members will have the opportunity to participate in employment appeals within the Council. As such, we are inviting all Members to attend an Appeals Hearing training session Wednesday 18^th March from 13:30 until 16:00 in the Chamber.

The training will be delivered by Bill Kerr.

This training is designed to prepare Members to undertake appeal hearings effectively and fairly, taking into account developments in employment law and is suitable as a refresher for those who have attended previously, or for those who are undertaking this for the first time.

The training will cover the following key issues:

·         Recognising the role of the Appeal Hearing in the relevant procedure.

·         Exploring key legal and procedural points which must be understood when hearing an appeal.

·         Practising key skills for Members involved in hearing appeals.

·         Identifying the practical implications for Members in conducting Appeals Hearings.

Please advise Democratic Services if you can attend the training on Wednesday 18 March. If you have queries please contact Jonathan Malton at Jonathan.Malton@scambs.gov.uk.

Please note that lunch will not be provided.

Saturday 7 March 2020, Mail: Budget: Fly-tip fighting fund

The Chancellor is to announce a £9 million war on fly-tipping in next week’s Budget.

Monday 9 March 2020, Mail: Coronavirus: bin collections

Councils are planning to review their bin collections if they are forced to prioritise services.

Monday 9 March 2020, BBC Online: Business rates affecting high streets

Pressure is growing for changes in business rates to help struggling high streets and fill vacant retail premises.

Tuesday 10 March 2020, BBC Online: Crisis charity warn of affordable housing shortage

A chronic lack of affordable housing is “forcing homeless people on to the streets”, the charity Crisis has said.

Tuesday 10 March 2020, Mail: Coronavirus: rubbish collections

Councils are reviewing their rubbish collections under contingency efforts to manage the potential spread of the coronavirus.

A list of decisions currently within the call-in period is available on the Council’s website.

The call in procedure is set out in full in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution, ‘Scrutiny and Overview Committee Procedure Rules’. 

The Lead Cabinet Member for Finance AGREED to adopt an updated Discretionary Business Rate Relief Policy.

This decision was first published on Friday 6 March and so the deadline for call-in is Friday 13 March at 5pm.

The Lead Cabinet Member for Finance AGREED to award a number of grants to the Mobile Warden Scheme, as recommended by the Grants Advisory Committee.

This decision was first published on Friday 6 March and so the deadline for call-in is Friday 13 March at 5pm.

Cabinet

ENDORSED the proposed policy which has been developed in conjunction with the faith groups to which it will be applied.

AGREED the application of this growth sites across the district.

This decision was first published on Friday 6 March and so the deadline for call-in is Friday 13 March at 5pm.

Cabinet:

Approved the decision to transfer the sheltered community building at The Limes / Limes Close, Bassingbourn to Bassingbourn Parish Council on a long 99-yr full repairing lease with a peppercorn rent for use as a village community hall, with the costs of transfer to be split 50:50 between the district and parish councils, up to a maximum value in total of £18,000 (£9,000 each).

This decision was first published on Friday 6 March and so the deadline for call-in is 5pm on Friday 13 March.

Cabinet:

Approved South Cambridgeshire District Council as the project manager of the community-based projects listed in the confidential report;

This decision was first published on Friday 6 March and so the deadline for call-in is 5pm on Friday 13 March.

The Lead Cabinet Member for Finance AGREED the recommendation of the Grants Advisory Committee with regards to the award of Community Chest Grants

This decision was first published on Wednesday 11 March and so the deadline for call-in is Wednesday 18 March at 5pm.

Please click on the link below to find details of decisions made by officers under delegated authority:

https://www.scambs.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/access-to-information/