Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the 13 December 2022 meeting of the Policy Development Panel (copy enclosed).

Consideration was given to the minutes of the Policy Development Panel meeting held on 13 December 2022.

AGREED:

That the minutes of the 13 December 2022 Policy Development Panel meeting be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

An update on actions arising from the 13 December 2022 Policy Development Panel meeting including the tracking of previous outstanding actions (enclosed).

Consideration was given to the update on actions which arose from the 13 December 2022 Policy Development Panel meeting and the tracking of previous outstanding actions.

AGREED:

That the update to the actions be noted.

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.

There were none.

There were none.

There were none.

There were none.

To note the current Key Decision Plan (copy enclosed). 

Consideration was given to the Key Decision Plan dated 20 February 2023.

AGREED:

That the Key Decision Plan dated 20 February 2023 be noted.

A verbal update on the future of Spalding Cemetery will be provided by the Strategic Property Manager, as requested at the previous meeting.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, Conservation and Heritage will be in attendance to answer member questions.

Consideration was given to the verbal update of the Strategic Property Manager regarding the future of Spalding Cemetery.

The Strategic Property Manager presented the update to Panel; and the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing, Conservation and Heritage was in attendance to answer member questions.

The Strategic Property Manager introduced the update by relaying the following improvements that had taken place at Spalding Cemetery:

• paths, roads and monuments had been renovated;
• signage had been updated;
• trees and vegetation had been maintained;
• circa 20 car park spaces had been made available at the far end of the cemetery which had widened accessibility;
• a new one-way system to assist navigation and parking had been implemented; and
• some roads now had restricted access for SHDC vehicles only, in order to increase the longevity of the road system.

Regarding the future of Spalding Cemetery, the Strategic Property Manager stated that:

• extra capacity for future burials/internments would need to be sought;
• the number of burials that had taken place from 2017 to 2021 were as follows:
  • 36 in 2017;
  • 35 in 2018;
  • 42 in 2019;
  • 46 in 2020; and
  • 42 in 2021.
• ashes internments ranged from 22 to 52 from 2017 to 2021;
• the clearance of vegetation had released 22 additional spaces which had resulted in a total availability of 200, plus reservations;
• at the current burial rate, it was anticipated that capacity would be reached in 5 years;
• burial prices had been reviewed and would increase; SHDC alignment with the higher fees charged at Boston and East Lindsey would be attained over a three-year period;
• burial prices for non-SHDC residents would increase significantly in order to prioritise SHDC residents;
• SHDC worked closely with Parish Councils regarding cemetery options across the district; current Parish Council burial plot capacities were as follows:
  • Gedney: 300;
  • Sutton Bridge: 750;
  • Long Sutton: 20:
  • Gedney Hill: 176;
  • Crowland: 60;
  • Whaplode: 80;
  • Holbeach: 2000; and
  • Gosberton: 60.
• the creation of a working group with membership of both officers and councillors, for the purpose of researching potential areas for expansion, would be beneficial. If approved, a working group could commence by Summer 2023.

Members considered the verbal update from the Strategic Property Manager and made the following comments:

• Members welcomed the capacity responses from Parish Councils which were mostly positive however not all Parish Councils had responded with the requested information. Members asked whether the capacity of 80 at Whaplode included the extended burial area.
  • The Strategic Property Manager believed that the stated figure for Whaplode represented the whole availability at the site, but this would be checked. Any differential would be circulated to the Panel.

• Members referred to the future extension requirements of Spalding Cemetery and stated that the lead-in period to locate and prepare a new site for burials was at least 4 years. As the estimated capacity at Spalding Cemetery was 5 years, it was imperative that the working group commenced early in the new administration.

• Members noted the 5-year estimated capacity of Spalding Cemetery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

To note the SHDC Policy Register and the S&ELCP Policy Register (copies enclosed).

The Panel gave consideration to the SHDC Policy Register and the S&ELCP Policy Register.

The Business Intelligence and Change Manager introduced the report by stating the following action undertaken for policies which were due for review:

• the Taxi Licensing Policy and Sexual Establishments Policy Statement were due to go forward to the Licensing Committee for consideration in March 2023;
• the Climate Change Strategy was in review and completion was anticipated by July 2023;
• the Freedom of Information Policy and the Unreasonable Behaviour and Vexatious Requests Policy were to be reviewed as part of a wider service review which was underway; and
• the Industrial Units Letting Policy and Housing Tenancy Management Policy were coming forward to the current Policy Development Panel meeting.

The Business Intelligence and Change Manager concluded that the SHDC Policy Register and the S&ELCP Policy Register were on schedule and up to date.

AGREED:

That the SHDC Policy Register and the S&ELCP Policy Register be noted by the Panel.

To consider the adoption of the Lincolnshire Districts Health and Wellbeing Strategy and associated action plan as a framework for improving health and wellbeing across the County and to commit to working closely with partners in the public, private and voluntary sector to implement the strategy and positively impact on health outcomes for residents of Lincolnshire (report of the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership which asked the Panel to consider the adoption of the Lincolnshire Districts Health and Wellbeing Strategy and associated action plan as a framework for improving health and wellbeing across the Country and to commit to working closely with partners in the public, private and voluntary sector to implement the strategy and positively impact on health outcomes for residents of Lincolnshire.

The Strategic Lead, Prosperous Communities introduced the item by referring members to the Executive Summary on page 59 of the agenda. The following key information was outlined within the report:

• the background of the strategy;
• the role of district councils;
• the following five key elements of the Lincolnshire Districts Health and Wellbeing Strategy:
  • housing and homelessness;
  • activity and wellbeing;
  • environment and climate;
  • economic inclusion; and
  • community empowerment.
• ongoing work since the development of the strategy; and
• conclusion and next steps.

Members considered the report and made the following comments

• Members welcomed the strategy and noted its current journey of scrutiny and subsequent adoption by all seven district councils of Lincolnshire. What was the timeline for completion of this process?
  • The Strategic Lead, Prosperous Communities stated that the process was scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2023.

• Members requested that each section of the strategy include a summary of how outcomes would be measured and reviewed.
  • The Strategic Lead, Prosperous Communities responded that Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) would be set after the current process of strategy adoption by all seven Lincolnshire districts had been completed. The implementation of action plans would follow, and governance would be overseen by a ‘Healthy Living Board’; and
  • The Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership added that the overarching strategy would enable the formation of multiple projects which would be monitored by a suite of KPIs. It was anticipated that clear examples of impact could be demonstrated after the strategy had been in place for 12 months.
• The Chairman requested that the strategy come back to the Policy Development Panel for review of initial performance against KPIs, 12 months from adoption.

• Members asked for more information regarding the formation and membership of the new strategy board.
  • The Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Community Leadership responded that:
    • the Healthy Living Board had convened on two occasions and was chaired by an East Lindsey District Councillor;
    • SHDC Portfolio Holder representation was made by Councillor E Sneath;
    • the Board was multi-agency and included representations from: Public Health England, Integrated Care Board, NHS Trusts, housing providers, mental health trusts and Active Lincolnshire; and
    • details of the work of the Board, including KPIs, would be shared with the Panel in due course.

• Members stated that residents were not satisfied with the NHS health provision in Spalding - a proposed new surgery had been delayed and subsequently postponed. Members stressed that districts in the south of Lincolnshire needed to receive equal focus to those elsewhere in the county and that improvements were required.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

To inform the Policy Development Panel of the update to the policy on letting of the industrial units within SHDC (report of the Assistant Director – General Fund Assets enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director - General Fund Assets which informed the Panel of the update to the policy on letting of the industrial units within SHDC.

The Strategic Property Manager introduced the report which outlined proposed revisions to the Industrial Units Letting Policy and encompassed planning legislation changes effective from September 2022. The following changes afforded SHDC greater flexibility with new tenants prior to the granting of longer leases:

• updates had been made to the service charge, Tenancy At Will, marketing and vetting of applicants;
• the addition of the waiting list; and
• the stipulation that the utilisation of units for storage would not be permitted and that units were required to be used for the creation of employment.

Appendix A detailed the revised Industrial Unit Lettings Policy which outlined the following areas:

• the key points of the policy;
• marketing;
• new applicants;
• rent and incentives;
• agreement of a new lease;
• yield up;
• rent arrears; and
• implementation and review;

The Strategic Property Manager stated an addition of ‘B class’ to Key Point 3 of Appendix A, which was not included within the report:

‘Tenants can only use in line with the user classes act and the following amendment in 2020. The defined use of the Council’s estates will fall under the B or E class g i, ii, iii may in some cases be permitted to apply to widen the planning use of a unit to F2 (b) local community use…’

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members requested that the first sentence of point 4 of the Key Points on Appendix A be clarified.
  • The Strategic Property Manager agreed that this would be amended as follows: ‘tenants must employ eligible local people to work in the units or from the units in order to promote the local authority’.

AGREED:

That following consideration of the key points, rent incentives and rent arrears of the amended Industrial Units Letting policy, the comments of the Panel be noted.

To consider the updated Housing Tenancy Management Policy (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director - Housing which asked the Panel to consider the updated Housing Tenancy Management Policy. 

The Housing Services Manager introduced the report by stating that the Housing Tenancy Management Policy had been adopted by Cabinet in 2020 and had been updated to reflect operational practice and changes in legislation. The key updates were stated at point 2 of the report.

AGREED:

a)    That following consideration by the Policy Development Panel, the Housing Tenancy Management Policy be noted; and

b)    That the Policy Development recommended the adoption of the Housing Tenancy Management Policy to Cabinet.

To set out the Work Programme of the Policy Development Panel and to consider the Draft Partnership Scrutiny Work Programme 2023/24 (report of the Interim Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) enclosed). 

Policy Development Panel Work Programme and Draft Partnership Scrutiny Work Programme

The Panel considered a report by the Interim Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) which set out the Work Programme of the Policy Development Panel and the draft Partnership Work Programme 2023/24

The Policy Development Work Programme consisted of two sections:

• Appendix A set out dates of future Panel meetings along with proposed items for consideration.  The Work Programme would be further populated when the 2023/24 schedule of meetings were approved.

• Appendix B set out Task Groups that had been identified by the Panel. A further meeting of the South Holland Centre Task Group had been scheduled for 13 March 2023.

The draft Partnership Scrutiny Work Programme 2023/23 was set out at Appendix C.

AGREED:

That the Policy Development Panel Work Programme and the draft Partnership Scrutiny Work Programme 2023/24 be noted.

The Chairman thanked Policy Development Panel members for the enablement of his Chairmanship during the current administration and wished members well for the future.