Agenda and minutes

Prior to the formal business of the agenda, the outgoing Chairman called on all present to observe a minute’s silence in remembrance of all those who had lost their lives to, or who had been affected by Covid-19.

The Chairman / Monitoring Officer will invite nominations for the election of a Chairman for the ensuing year.  A Chairman will then be elected and sign the declaration of acceptance of office.

The outgoing Chairman thanked Councillors for their support during his Chairmanship. He invited nominations for the election of Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year. Councillor P Redgate was nominated and seconded.

DECISION:

That Councillor P Redgate be elected as Chairman for the ensuing year.

(Councillor Redgate thereupon took the Chair and signed the declaration of acceptance of office.)

The Chairman will invite nominations for the election of a Vice-Chairman.

The Chairman invited nominations for the appointment of a Vice Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.  Councillor A Woolf was nominated and seconded.

DECISION:

That Councillor A Woolf be appointed as Vice Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the following meetings:

Consideration was given to the following minutes:

·         Special Council – 24 February 2021

·         Council – 3 March 2021

·         Special Council – 28 April 2021

DECISION:

That the minutes of the following meetings be signed by the Chairman as a correct record:

·         Special Council – 24 February 2021

·         Council – 3 March 2021

·         Special Council – 28 April 2021

(Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a Councillor is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of dispensation.)

The Leader of the Council declared an interest in relation to agenda items 12a, b and c,as they related to the purchase of new properties, and he had the potential to know the parties involved.  He would take no part in the discussion, and would leave the meeting for consideration of these items.

Councillors Alcock, Booth, Coupland, Seymour, Sneath and Tyrrell did not have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, but in the interests of transparency declared that, in relation to agenda item 12c, that they were on the Board of Directors of Welland Homes Ltd. 

Councillor Grocock did not have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, but in the interests of transparency declared that, in relation to agenda item 12c, he was a Shareholder Representative for Welland Homes Ltd.

The Chairman thanked everybody for their attendance and stated that, after a year of virtual meetings necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, it was good to see all members and officers together in a physical meeting.

The Chairman wished to thank the previous Chairman, Councillor Biggadike, for his service to the Council, and for his guidance whilst he had undertaken the role of Vice-Chairman.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Woolf as Vice-Chairman, and stated that they would work hard together for the Council and the communities they represented.

The Chairman announced that his Chairman’s charity was Mind, a charity of real significance, particularly over the last year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  He also stated that he wished to recognise local charities and would consider ways in which to assist them.  He asked to be advised of any projects that would benefit from the Chairman’s or the Vice-Chairman’s assistance.

Councillor Porter congratulated Councillor Redgate on his appointment as Chairman, and also thanked the outgoing Chairman, Councillor Biggadike, and his wife, for their service.

There were no Cabinet announcements.

There were none.

Question to:  Councillor Coupland

Question From:  Councillor Newton

Subject: Delivery of Welland Homes Business Plan

Councillor Newton asked whether delivery of the Welland Homes Business Plan was on track and if not, what was being done to address this.  Councillor Coupland responded that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Business Plan was slightly behind where it should be however, this was being addressed and in the last six to eight weeks, another 10 properties had been secured.  The target within the Business Plan was 60 properties and at the present time, 45 had been acquired.  New schemes were being considered, and it took time to find properties that were value for money.  However, it was stated that more properties would be considered over the next few months.

Question to:  Councillor Lawton

Question From:  Councillor Booth

Subject: Funding to provide energy efficient homes

Referring to the forthcoming decision on the Key Decision Planner – ‘Energy efficiency works to council properties’ Councillor Booth asked whether funding was available to residents of South Holland to make their homes more energy efficient?  Would there be assistance for people on benefits, and would assistance be provided as a loan or a grant?  Councillor Lawton advised that she did not have the information available but would liaise with the Assistant Director - Housing and provide members with information in due course.

Question to:  Councillor Lawton

Question From:  Councillor Brewis

Subject: Registered Social Landlords – compliance with good practice

Councillor Brewis commented that although some Housing Associations (Registered Social Landlords/RSLs) operated well, others did not, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, members had received many queries from tenants.  He asked whether the Authority had the power to require compliance with good practice, and where there were nomination rights, were these exercised and a level of competence and compliance used to ensure good practice was followed?  Councillor Lawton was not able to confirm if the Authority had powers but advised that it did have influence.  There were some RSLs that were not providing the level of service required, and this was being pursued.  The Authority did have nomination rights and influence.

To note the minutes of the following Committees and Panels:-

a)    Policy Development Panel – 2 March 2021

b)    Planning Committee – 10 March 2021

c)    Governance and Audit Committee – 11 March 2021

d)    Performance Monitoring Panel – 18 March 2021

e)    Planning Committee – 14 April 2021

f)     Planning Committee – 29 April 2021

The minutes of the following Committees and Panels were noted:

·         Policy Development Panel – 2 March 2021

·         Planning Committee – 10 March 2021

·         Governance and Audit Committee – 11 March 2021

·         Performance Monitoring Panel – 18 March 2021

·         Planning Committee – 14 April 2021

·         Planning Committee – 29 April 2021

Consideration was given to the Key Decision Plan.

DECISION:

That the Key Decision Plan be received.

To consider recommendations of the Cabinet in respect of:

a)    Acquisition of S106 affordable housing for the Housing Revenue Account – To set out details of the potential for the authority to acquire eight s106 affordable homes on a development site in the district (Cabinet agenda item 8 and exempt item 13) (Cabinet minute 80);

b)    Acquisition of housing for the Housing Revenue Account – To set out details of the potential for the authority to acquire twelve new build homes for Affordable Rent tenure, on a development site in the district (Cabinet agenda item 9 and exempt item 14) (Cabinet minute 81);

c)    Welland Homes Business Plan Update incorporating Holbeach Road, Spalding – To present a business case to Cabinet and to present to Council, as sole shareholder for Welland Homes Ltd, a proposal from the company to purchase six houses for the purposes of market rental investment and an updated Welland Homes Business Plan (Cabinet agenda item 10 and exempt item 15) (Cabinet minute 82).

Consideration was given to the report of Cabinet which sought approval for the Cabinet’s recommendations:

a)    Acquisition of S106 affordable housing for the Housing Revenue Account

The report was presented to the Council by the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning who commented that this item and the other two items for agreement at this point were positive news stories for the Authority.

DECISION:

To amend the Capital Programme to identify the project as an approved scheme in the 2021/22 Budget.

b)    Acquisition of housing for the Housing Revenue Account

The report was presented to the Council by the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning.

DECISION:

To amend the Capital Programme to identify the project as an approved scheme in the 2021/22 Budget.

c)    Welland Homes Business Plan Update incorporating Holbeach Road, Spalding

The report was presented to the Council by the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning.

DECISION:

1.    That the updated Welland Homes Business Plan be approved, and included as an amendment in the next SHDC Quarterly report to members; and

2.    That the delegated authority, granted by Council on 25^th March 2015, to the Executive Director – Commercialisation (the S151 Officer), to approve the final mix of use of reserves and borrowing in line with the business plan and Council Treasury Management Strategy, be reaffirmed.

(The Leader left the meeting at the start of consideration of this item, and re-joined the meeting following consideration of all the items on the report).

To confirm, in accordance with the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, appointments to committees and outside bodies and review of membership (report of the Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer), the purpose of which was to confirm, in accordance with the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, appointments to committees and outside bodies and review of membership.

DECISION:

a)    That the following Committees be appointed in accordance with political group regulations:

·         Planning Committee;

·         Governance and Audit Committee;

·         Appointments and Disciplinary Committee;

·         Appointments and Disciplinary Appeal Committee;

·         Policy Development Panel;

·         Performance Monitoring Panel;

·         Licensing Committee;

·         Committee of the Licensing Authority;

·         Shared Memorandum of Agreement Committee

b)    That the following Committees be appointed without being politically balanced:

·         Standards Panel;

·         Appeals Panel;

·         Settlements Agreements Sub-Committee

c)    That changes to the Committee and Panel membership, as set out in Appendix A, be agreed, subject to the following changes:

Licensing Committee and Committee of the Licensing Authority

·         Councillor McLean to be appointed to both committees

·         Councillor Worth to replace Councillor Seymour on both committees

Performance Monitoring Panel and Policy Development Panel

·         Councillor McLean to remain on both committees (seats on both committees were allocated as conservative under the Political Group Regulations.  However, the Conservative Group chose not to nominate anyone to take the seat on either of the committees).

Planning Committee

·         Councillor Redgate to replace Councillor Drury

Shared Memorandum of Agreement Committee

·         Councillors Worth, Coupland and Gibson were appointed to this new committee.

To receive, from political groups, nominations for any changes to Committees and other seats and to consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.

There were no further nominations, and there were no proposed changes to the Constitution.

There were none.