Agenda and decisions
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Contact: Democratic Services
Media
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Apologies To receive any apologies for absence. The quorum for Cabinet is 3 members.
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: |
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To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of Cabinet held on 5 February 2026. Additional documents: Decision: The purpose of this item was to consider the minutes of Cabinet held on 5 February 2026.
The recommendation to approve the minutes was proposed by Councillor Mike Evemy and seconded by Councillor Tony Dale.
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 5 February 2026 be approved as a correct record.
Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.
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Leader's Announcements To receive any announcements from the Leader of the Council. Additional documents: |
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Public Questions To deal with questions from the public within the open forum question and answer session of fifteen minutes in total. Questions from each member of the public should be no longer than one minute each and relate to issues under the Cabinet’s remit. At any one meeting no person may submit more than two questions and no more than two such questions may be asked on behalf of one organisation.
The Leader will ask whether any members of the public present at the meeting wish to ask a question and will decide on the order of questioners.
The response may take the form of: a) a direct oral answer; b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: |
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Member Questions No Member Questions have been submitted prior to the publication of the agenda.
A Member of the Council may ask the Leader or a Cabinet Member a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Cotswold District. A maximum period of fifteen minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for Member questions.
A Member may only ask a question if: a) the question has been delivered in writing or by electronic mail to the Chief Executive no later than 5.00 p.m. on the working day before the day of the meeting; or b) the question relates to an urgent matter, they have the consent of the Leader to whom the question is to be put and the content of the question is given to the Chief Executive by 9.30 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
An answer may take the form of: a) a direct oral answer; b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: |
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Schedule of Decisions taken by the Leader of the Council and/or Individual Cabinet Members To note the decisions taken by the Leader and/or Individual Cabinet Members. Additional documents: |
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Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit and Governance To receive any recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and to consider any matters raised by the Audit and Governance Committee. Additional documents: |
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Biodiversity Action Plan Purpose: To approve the biodiversity duty report for publication. Publication of this report is a legal requirement for all local authorities and must be completed no later than 26 March 2026.
Recommendations: That Cabinet resolves to: 1. Approve the biodiversity duty report within Annex A for publication. 2. Delegate to the Assistant Director – Planning Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to make presentational and minor editorial changes for publication.
Additional documents: Decision: The purpose of this report was to present the Biodiversity Duty report to Cabinet for approval. Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, introduced the report, noting that its publication was a legal requirement for all local authorities under the Environment Act 2021 and was to be completed no later than 26 March 2026. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Tristan Wilkinson.
Cabinet RESOLVED to: 1. Approve the Biodiversity Duty Report within Annex A for publication. 2. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director – Planning Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning to make presentational and minor editorial changes for publication.
Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions. |
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Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy Purpose: To endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Recommendation: That Cabinet resolves to: 1. Endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Additional documents:
Decision: The purpose of the report was to endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning introduced the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), a statutory strategy introduced under the Environment Act 2021 and approved by Gloucestershire County Council in January 2026. The report explained that the LNRS had been developed collaboratively with local authorities and partners, including the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership, and provided a spatial framework identifying opportunities for habitat creation, restoration and expansion at a landscape scale to support nature recovery. The report further outlined the statutory requirement for local planning authorities to have regard to the LNRS in fulfilling their biodiversity duties. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Mike McKeown. Cabinet RESOLVED to: 1. Endorse the Gloucestershire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions. |
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Infrastructure Funding - Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Project Purpose: The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge levied on development to help fund infrastructure. It is a vital mechanism for supporting the delivery of infrastructure to underpin sustainable growth across the District, while also creating opportunities for projects that enhance local communities.
The Council introduced a CIL charge in 2019; at which time a process for stakeholders to apply for CIL funding was put in place. Now, with experience of operating the process, is an appropriate time to review it for best practice.
The existing process allows stakeholders to make ‘bids’ for CIL funding once a year, during the period of March – May. Concise guidance for making bids is available on our website. Once the bid period closes, an officer panel convenes to consider the bids, applying an existing high-level scoring system.
Having now completed two strategic bid rounds under the existing process, the Council has gained valuable insights, supported by stakeholder feedback, into how the process can be further strengthened. A review by officers has identified opportunities to enhance transparency, engagement, collaboration, and ensure ongoing alignment with the Council’s strategic priorities and the Development Plan. There are opportunities to improve the effectiveness of the bid cycle, ensuring that CIL funding continues to be allocated legally, responsibly, strategically, and accountably, and in line with the CIL Regulations 2010 (as amended) support development of our area.
The purpose of this report is to seek delegated authority for the Associate Director of Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing, to implement a programme of enhancements.
Recommendation: That Cabinet resolves to: 1. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Planning Service in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing to implement a CIL Enhancement Programme detailed at Section 3 of this report.
Additional documents: Decision: The purpose of the report was to seek delegated authority for the Associate Director of Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing, to implement enhancements to the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding bid process.
The report was introduced by Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, who explained that the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), adopted in 2019, was collected from most developments to fund strategic infrastructure.
Drawing on experience from the first two funding rounds and stakeholder feedback, the report proposed enhancements to improve transparency, strengthen alignment with the Council’s Corporate Plan and Infrastructure Development Plan, introduce a year-round bidding process with assessments between October and December, and improve monitoring and reporting. It was noted that these changes related only to the allocation process and not the charging schedule
The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Juliet Layton and seconded by Councillor Patrick Coleman. Cabinet RESOLVED to: 1. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director, Planning Service in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing to implement a CIL Enhancement Programme detailed at Section 3 of this report.
Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions. |
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HomeSeekerPlus Policy Review Purpose: The HomeseekerPlus Policy has been in place since 2016 and was last reviewed in 2022. Due to legislative and other changes, the policy needs to be updated. It is considered good practice to consult the public and associated stakeholders on the new policy therefore the HomeseekerPlus partnership is seeking approval to consult and implement suggested changes. Although there are no recommended or set timeframes for how often allocations policies should be reviewed, it is anticipated that this the revised HomeseekerPlus Policy will remain in place until after the completion of the Local Government Reorganisation.
Recommendations: That Cabinet resolves to: 1. Approve the draft Policy amendments for public consultation. 2. Delegate authority to the Business Manager for Housing, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning and the Publica Executive Director – Operations, to adopt the new policy following consideration of the consultation responses. Additional documents: Decision: The purpose of the report was to present to Cabinet an updated HomeseekerPlus Policy to replace the policy which had been in place since 2016 and had last been reviewed in 2022. Councillor Juliet Layton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning introduced the report which explained that the current Homeseeker Plus Policy, had been updated to reflect legislative changes, national guidance, and operational learning. Revisions addressed statutory duties, updated case law, and clarified definitions on eligibility, priority need, and housing circumstances. The update strengthened operational processes, verification, and reassessment, supported consistent decision-making, incorporated best practice for safeguarding and vulnerable households, and aligned with national expectations. The policy was expected to remain in place until after local government reorganisation, providing a stable framework during structural change. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Layton and seconded by Councillor Mike Evemy. Cabinet RESOLVED to: 1. Approve the draft Policy amendments for public consultation. 2. Delegate authority to the Business Manager for Housing, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning and the Publica Executive Director – Operations, to adopt the new policy following consideration of the consultation responses.
Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions. |
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Delegated Approval to Award Contract (Parking) Purpose: The purpose of this report is to seek approval of delegated authority to award the contract for pay and display machines for car parks. Recommendation: That Cabinet: 1. Delegates authority to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience to award the contract for the supply, installation and on-going services to the most advantageous supplier.
Additional documents: Decision: The purpose of the report was to seek approval of delegated authority to award the contract for pay and display machines for car parks. The report was introduced by Councillor Tony Dale, Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience who explained that the existing machines were increasingly outdated, required frequent maintenance, and were difficult for users, necessitating a full refresh of the parking estate. The tender process was outlined and it was noted that procurement was being accelerated to enable the timely replacement and operation of machines within the current budget year. The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Tony Dale and seconded by Councillor Mike Evemy. Cabinet RESOLVED to: 1. Delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience to award the contract for the supply, installation and on-going services to the most advantageous supplier. Voting record: 6 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions.
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Next Meeting The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on 16 April 2026 at 6.00pm. Additional documents: |