Agenda and minutes
PDF 90 KBVenue: CDC Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX
Contact: Democratic Services
Media
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Apologies Additional documents: Minutes: There were no apologies for absence |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members and Officers, relating to items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest from Members.
There were no declarations of interest from Officers. |
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To approve the minutes of the previous meeting on 5th December 2022. Additional documents: Minutes: A number of typographical errors had been identified and corrected by officers.
RESOLVED Subject to the amendments being made, the minutes of the Cabinet meeting 5 December 2022 were approved as a correct record.
Voting Record – For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 1, Absent 0, |
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Chair's Announcements Additional documents: Minutes: There were no announcements from the Chair.
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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 two minutes each and relate to issues under the Committee’s remit. Additional documents: Minutes: There was a question under the Public Forum from Councillor Tony Berry.
A resident in Councillor Berry’s ward was concerned that at the Cabinet meeting 5 December 2022, the Cabinet had commented that to reduce carbon emissions, the Council should not encourage visitors to take long distance international flights in order to visit the Cotswolds.
The Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Forward Planning responded stating that the comments were made in response to confirmation that post-pandemic international tourist numbers were recovering, but were still reduced from the USA and Far East. It was also stated that any ‘promotion of tourism’ undertaken by CDC should focus on attracting tourists from nearby countries across Europe and Scandinavia where transport to and from the Cotswolds would not damage the Climate with long haul international flights. |
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Member Questions To deal with written questions by Members, relating to issues under the Committee’s remit, with the maximum length of oral supplementary questions at Committee being no longer than one minute. Responses to any supplementary questions will be dealt with in writing if they cannot be dealt with at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no Member Questions |
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Exceptional Hardship Policy Purpose To consider and approve the implementation of an Exceptional Hardship Policy to ensure additional financial assistance is available to help with Council Tax payments to those residents who are in severe financial hardship
Recommendations That the Cabinet resolves to: a) Approve the implementation of the Exceptional Hardship from 1 April 2023 b) Note the additional revenue approved by Gloucestershire County Council in support of this Policy; and, c) Give delegation to the Group Manager for Resident Services to approve all payments made under the Exceptional Hardship Policy Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to consider and approve the implementation of an Exceptional Hardship Policy to ensure additional financial assistance is available to help with Council Tax payments to those residents who are in severe financial hardship.
The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report that proposed an Exceptional Hardship Policy that would permit Cotswold Council Officers to provide additional relief on Council Tax charges.
Cabinet noted that the cost of providing the additional support would be met using £20,000 from CDC Covid support fund and this had been matched funded to a total of £40,000 by Gloucestershire County Council.
Cabinet noted that this fund was to be used in exceptional circumstances (for instance) a resident already in receipt of other benefits receiving an unexpected bill that could not be met in addition to their monthly Council Tax payment
RESOLVED: Cabinet agreed to: a) Approve the implementation of the Exceptional Hardship from 1 April 2023 b) Note the additional revenue approved by Gloucestershire County Council in support of this Policy; and, c) Give delegation to the Group Manager for Resident Services to approve all payments made under the Exceptional Hardship Policy
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 0, |
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Lease of land at Station Road, Kemble Purpose Having considered the options for provision of social rented or affordable homes on this site, the substantial subsidy that would be needed to deliver these homes and the ecological constraints, it has been concluded housing development is not viable. The future use has been reviewed in the context of the Cost of Living Crisis and a particular need for more allotments in the District. Based on these factors, the report seeks support to enter into a lease with a Community Group, for the use of the land at Station Road, Kemble, as allotments and community gardens. With the land allocated in the adopted Local Plan for new homes to be deallocated to secure the continued and long term use as allotments and community gardens.
Recommendation That Cabinet resolves to (a) agree to enter into a lease arrangement on mutually agreeable terms for land at Station Road, Kemble for use as allotments and community gardens. (b) note that the terms of the lease will be agreed in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive and S.151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance. (c) agree to instruct the Forward Planning Manager to deallocate the residential site allocation K_2A Land at Station Road, contained with the adopted Cotswold District Local Plan (2011 to 2031), via the Local Plan Partial Update programme of work.
Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to seek support for the Council to enter into a lease arrangement with a Community Group, for the use of the land at Station Road, Kemble, as allotments and community gardens, and that land allocated in the adopted Local Plan for new homes should be deallocated to secure the continued and long term use as allotments and community gardens.
The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services introduced the report and provided context for the recommendation that, having considered the substantial subsidy required to build a limited number of social rented or affordable homes on part of the site, and the huge social, ecological, environmental and wildlife enhancing value of the gardens, allotments and land, it had been concluded that enabling local Community Group to protect and improve the site as a local asset was preferred.
Cabinet noted that the local community was in favour of retaining the site, gardens and allotment green area within the village.
The Forward Planning Manager stated that the site was small within the Local Plan with only 8 dwellings (originally 12) and should they not be developed at this site they would be developed elsewhere as part of the District’s 8,500 property target outlined within the Local Plan. It was also more likely that the planned properties could be developed more cost effectively at other locations within the District where economies of scale could be achieved. It was also stated that this was also the only site chosen by the inspector for a site visit, in order that the small development site could be evaluated in conjunction with neighbouring protected green areas.
Cabinet noted that the terms of the lease arrangements and any associated aspects (e.g. insurances) would be the subject of negotiations.
The Chair invited the Ward Member to comment, who stated that the Parish Council had only recently been made aware of the proposal, and there were positives and negatives with both developing much needed social housing and alternatively providing and securing a popular local amenity
RESOLVED: Cabinet agreed to: (a) Enter into a lease arrangement on mutually agreeable terms for land at Station Road, Kemble for use as allotments and community gardens. (b) Note that the terms of the lease will be agreed in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive and S.151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance. (c) Instruct the Forward Planning Manager to deallocate the residential site allocation K_2A Land at Station Road, contained with the adopted Cotswold District Local Plan (2011 to 2031), via the Local Plan Partial Update programme of work
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 0, |
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Budget Consultation Feedback Purpose This report provides feedback to Cabinet from the recent consultation on the Administration’s budget proposals.
Recommendation That Cabinet considers the feedback from the consultation. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to provide feedback to Cabinet from the recent consultation on the Administration’s budget proposals.
Cabinet noted that around 400 responses were received to the consultation, slightly lower than the previous year.
Cabinet noted four main questions were asked within the survey and the facility to make written suggestions, recommendations and comments
I agree with the Council’s Budget Making approach · Agree 46.5% · Neutral 29.6% · Disagree 23.9%
Car Parking Charges - Sundays · Remove Free Parking on Sundays 44.6% · Neutral 18.0% · Keep Free Parking on Sundays 37.5%
Car Parking Charges - Increase · Increase Parking Charges 37.8% · Neutral 18.0% · Keep Parking Charges the Same 44.3%
Increase Council Tax by £5 per year (Band D) · Agree 62.2% · Neutral 14.3% · Disagree 22.5%
RESOLVED: Cabinet considered and noted the feedback from the consultation. |
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Schedule of Decisions taken by the Leader of the Council and/or Individual Cabinet Members Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet noted the Schedule of Decisions taken by the Leader of the Council and/or Individual Cabinet Members |
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Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit Additional documents: Minutes: There were no issues arising from Overview and Scrutiny and Audit Committee meetings. |