Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - South Cambs Hall. View directions

Contact: Ian Senior  03450 450 500 Email: democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

Link: Link to an urgency notice relating to item 13 (Response to Anglian Water)

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive Apologies for Absence from Cabinet members. 

Minutes:

While there were no apologies from Cabinet members, Councillors Anna Bradnam, Grenville Chamberlain, Dr. Douglas de Lacey and Brian Milnes sent Apologies for Absence.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 154 KB

To authorise the Leader to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2019 as a correct record.

Minutes:

Cabinet authorised the Leader to sign, as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2019.

4.

Announcements

Minutes:

There were no announcements.

5.

Public Questions

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

6.

Issues arising from the Scrutiny and Overview Committee pdf icon PDF 131 KB

Minutes:

Cabinet received and noted a report from Councillor Grenville Chamberlain (Chairman, Scrutiny and Overview Committee) and Councillor Brian Milnes (Vice-Chairman, Scrutiny and Overview Committee), informing it about the discussions at, and recommendations from the Committee’s meeting held on 17 December 2019.

 

The report related to

 

·         Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme update

·         Update on the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service

·         An Economic Action Plan and new Business Support Service for South Cambridgeshire

·         Proposed Scrutiny Review

 

Cabinet noted that neither the Chairman nor Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee was able to attend the Cabinet meeting to present the report.

7.

Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme Update pdf icon PDF 272 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Cabinet

 

(a)          Noted the outturn position of a £2.742 million underspend for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme and that, of this, £1.124 million was at that time proposed for reprofiling into future years;

 

(b)          Consider the updated HRA capital programme at Appendix B which has been re-profiled in line with the expected timing of spend and amended in line with expected levels of spend where appropriate; 

 

(c)          Noted that, in order to finance the updated Capital Programme, borrowing of around £10 million was likely to be required during 2021/22;

 

(d)          noted that, following the abolition of the HRA debt cap, a local debt cap had been calculated as £250 million at 1st April 2019 rising to £300 million as at 31st March 2022;

 

(e)          Recommended to Full Council the revised HRA capital programme for the period 2019/2020 to 2024/2025, at Appendix B, to reflect amendments to, and the reprofiling of expenditure identified in the report.  

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report updating it about the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital programme reprofiling spend in line with current expectations, and amending the programme where budgets were inconsistent with expected spending needs.

 

Those present noted that such inconsistencies sometimes arose because projects were taking longer than expected or because projects had been spread over several years whereas the budget figures represented a single year.

 

Cabinet

 

(a)          Noted the outturn position of a £2.742 million underspend for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme and that, of this, £1.124 million was at that time proposed for reprofiling into future years;

 

(b)          Considered the updated HRA capital programme at Appendix B which had been re-profiled in line with the expected timing of spend and amended in line with expected levels of spend where appropriate; 

 

(c)          Noted that, in order to finance the updated Capital Programme, borrowing of around £10 million was likely to be required during 2021/22;

 

(d)          Noted that, following the abolition of the HRA debt cap, a local debt cap had been calculated as £250 million at 1st April 2019 rising to £300 million as at 31st March 2022;

 

(e)          Recommended to Full Council the revised HRA capital programme for the period 2019/2020 to 2024/2025, at Appendix B, to reflect amendments to, and the reprofiling of expenditure identified in the report.  

8.

Collection Fund - Estimated Council Tax Surplus pdf icon PDF 250 KB

Decision:

Cabinet

 

(a)          approved an estimated surplus at 31 March 2020 in relation to the Council Tax element of the Collection Fund of £0.774 million be declared for 2019/2020 and shared between the Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge Police & Crime Commissioner and the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority in proportion to their 2019/2020 precepts on the Collection Fund;

 

(b)          agreed that, in future financial years, the determination of the estimated Collection Fund surplus for distribution to precepting bodies be delegated to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report setting out the estimated Council Tax Surplus.

 

Opposition Councillors expressed concern that, should future decisions be delegated, there would be little or no opportunity for non-Executive Councillors to consider the information.

 

Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, said that this matter was merely part of the process and, in itself, attracted little public interest.

 

The Head of Finance observed that collection details would form part of the Budget report and help to inform all precepting Authorities,

 

Cabinet

 

(a)          approved an estimated surplus at 31 March 2020 in relation to the Council Tax element of the Collection Fund of £0.774 million be declared for 2019/2020 and shared between the Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge Police & Crime Commissioner and the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority in proportion to their 2019/2020 precepts on the Collection Fund;

 

(b)          agreed that, in future financial years, the determination of the estimated Collection Fund surplus for distribution to precepting bodies be delegated to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance.

9.

Adoption of the Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction Supplementary Planning Document pdf icon PDF 219 KB

The appendices are available online at www.scambs.gov.uk. Click or tap Your Council and Democracy > Meetings and Councillor Information > Browse meetings > Cabinet > 8 January 2020

Additional documents:

Decision:

Cabinet

 

a)     Considered the main issues raised in the public consultation; agree responses to the representations received and agreed consequential proposed changes to the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as set out in the Consultation Statement and the tracked changed version of the SPD for adoption (See Appendices A and B);

 

b)     Subject to a), adopted the Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction SPD; and

 

c)     Delegated to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, in liaison with the Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, the authority to make any editing changes to the SPD prior to publication.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report on the Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which had been prepared to provide guidance on the implementation of policies related to climate change and sustainable design and construction within the adopted South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge Local Plans in order to support the Greater Cambridge growth agenda and delivery of sustainable development. 

 

The report detailed representations made to South Cambridgeshire District Council and responses given as a result of the public consultation exercise.

 

Cabinet noted comments made by Councillor Dr. Douglas de Lacey, who had been unable to attend this meeting, and by the Scrutiny and Overview Committee.

 

Those present noted that the intention underpinning the SPD would be to encourage developers to exceed the standards expected by the South Cambridgeshire Local Plan 2018.The SPD would become a material consideration in determining future planning applications.

 

Councillor Nick Wright urged measures to support the aspirations of the owners of Listed Buildings wanting to improve the sustainability of their homes. Officers said that, while the Supplementary Planning Document made no specific provision itself, South Cambridgeshire District Council was working with Historic England to find a suitable solution. The Leader said that the emerging Greater Cambridge Local Plan would present an opportunity to be radical in terms of design and sustainability.

 

 

Following further comments, Cabinet

 

a)     Considered the main issues raised in the public consultation; agreed responses to the representations received and agreed consequential proposed changes to the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as set out in the Consultation Statement and the tracked changed version of the SPD for adoption (See Appendices A and B);

 

b)     Subject to a), adopted the Greater Cambridge Sustainable Design and Construction SPD; and

 

c)     Delegated to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development, in liaison with the Lead Cabinet Member for Planning, the authority to make any editing changes to the SPD prior to publication.

10.

An Economic Action Plan and new Business Support Service for South Cambridgeshire pdf icon PDF 555 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Cabinet

 

a)    Approved the Greater Cambridge Economic Action Plan;

 

b)    Delegated authority to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development to make minor typographical/factual changes or changes to improve legibility/understanding prior to the publication of the Economic Action Plan;

 

c)    Agreed the proposal for a new Business Support Service for South Cambridgeshire;

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report on the Greater Cambridge Economic Action Plan drawn up jointly by South Cambridgeshire District Council, the Greater Cambridge Partnership and Cambridge City Council.

 

Cabinet noted several points made by Councillor Dr. Douglas de Lacey, who had been unable to attend the meeting.

 

During the ensuing debate, the Leader said that discussions had taken place between South Cambridgeshire District Council and the Chamber of Trade with regard to measures aimed at mitigating the impact of Brexit.

 

The Chief Executive highlighted the steps being taken by the Council to recruit a small Business Support Service dedicated, among other things, to working with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

 

Councillor Nick Wright welcomes the initiative and expressed the hope that it would help encourage the take up of available space in Enterprise Zones across South Cambridgeshire.

 

The Leader concluded by thanking officers, and emphasising the importance of joint-working.

 

Cabinet

 

a)    Approved the Greater Cambridge Economic Action Plan;

 

b)    Delegated authority to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development to make minor typographical/factual changes or changes to improve legibility/understanding prior to the publication of the Economic Action Plan;

 

c)    Agreed the proposal for a new Business Support Service for South Cambridgeshire.

11.

Date of next meeting

Wednesday 5 February 2019 at 9.30am

Minutes:

Cabinet noted that its next scheduled meeting would be on Wednesday 5 February 2020 starting at 9.30am.

12.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Appendices forming part of Agenda item 13 contain exempt information.  The main covering report is public.

 

The law allows Councils to consider a limited range of issues in private session without members of the Press and public being present.  Typically, such issues relate to personal details, financial and business affairs, legal privilege and so on.  In every case, the public interest in excluding the Press and Public from the meeting room must outweigh the public interest in having the information disclosed to them.  The following statement will be proposed, seconded and voted upon. 

 

"I propose that the Press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item number 12 in accordance with Section 100(A) (3) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that, if present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.”

 

If exempt (confidential) information has been provided as part of the agenda, and Cabinet chooses to discuss that information, the Press and public will not be able to view it, or be present while it is being discussed. 

 

There will be an explanation on the website however as to why the information is exempt.

Minutes:

Cabinet agreed by affirmation that the Press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Appendices 1 and 2 to the following item number 13 (but not the covering report - Response to Anglian Water) in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) (exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act). Paragraph 3 refers to information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

13.

Response to Anglian Water pdf icon PDF 237 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Cabinet:

 

a)    Noted the details of the proposed statement of community consultation

b)    Delegated to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development the submission of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s response to the proposed statement of community consultation as set out in Appendix 2 to the confidential report, subject to

 

                                          i.    Anglian Water undertaking additional public consultation as proposed at the meeting; and

                                        ii.    Ensuring enough flexibility in the proposals to allow for amendment should there be a change in circumstances as discussed at the meeting.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a publicly-available report and two confidential appendices relating to the Anglian Water project to relocate the Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Works. A similar report and appendices would be considered by Cambridge City Council.

 

On 18 December 2019, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council had received communications outlining Anglian Water’s proposed arrangements for public consultation. The project represented an important part in the two Councils’ Joint Area Action Plan for North East Cambridge, which envisaged the area becoming a major area for change. The proposed Statement of Community Consultan had been the subject of informal engagement with Anglian Water’s team prior to its submission. The Councils had until 15 January 2020 to reply with comments on the proposed consultation. A response from South Cambridgeshire District Council had been drafted and attached as a confidential appendix to the report.

 

Those present discussed several issues arising from the confidential appendices.

 

The Leader asked that proposed locations and ‘footprints’ of the Waste Water Treatment Works should be more specific.

 

Cabinet:

 

a)    Noted the details of the proposed statement of community consultation

 

b)    Delegated to the Joint Director of Planning and Economic Development the submission of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s response to the proposed statement of community consultation as set out in Appendix 2 to the confidential report, subject to

 

                                          i.    Anglian Water undertaking additional public consultation as proposed at the meeting; and

                                        ii.    Ensuring enough flexibility in the proposals to allow for amendment should there be a change in circumstances as discussed at the meeting.