Agenda and minutes

Venue: Guildhall, Windsor - Guildhall

Contact: David Cook  01628 796560

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence

Minutes:

There were no apologies of absence received.

2.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 219 KB

To receive any declarations of interest

Minutes:

Councillor S Rayner declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in item 6 (iii) Financial Update, she left the room for the duration of the discussion and voting on the item.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 98 KB

To consider the Part I minutes of the meetings held on 28 June 2018 and 10 July 2018.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: that the Part I minutes of the meetings held on 28 June 2018 and 10 July 2018 were approved as a true and correct record.

4.

Appointments

Minutes:

None

5.

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 59 KB

To consider the Forward Plan for the period August 2018 to November 2018.

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the contents of the Forward Plan for the next four months and noted the changes made since the last team meeting.

6.

Cabinet Members' Reports pdf icon PDF 39 KB

6a

Plan-making - Borough Local Plan Submission Version (BLPSV) pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report that sought authority to ask the planning inspector appointed to examine the Borough Local Plan Submission Version to recommend modifications to the plan as she considers necessary.

 

The Lead Member for Planning and Health informed that Mrs Louise Phillips had been appointed as the planning inspector that had taken place in June 2018.  The council were awaiting the publication of the letter confirming the outcome of the inspection.  The inspector was mindful that we would succeed, however she may have to recommend modifications.   The inspector could not make any recommendations unless the council formally invited her to do so via this cabinet decision. 

 

The Lead Member for Maidenhead Regeneration mentioned that he thought the council had already received the inspectors letter and was informed that the letter had been received but not the authority to publish it.

 

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet:

 

·         Delegates authority to the Executive Director, Place to request the Local Plan Inspector to recommend such main modifications of the Borough Local Plan Submission Version as she considers necessary to enable its adoption.

6b

Parking Voucher Schemes pdf icon PDF 86 KB

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the report that proposes a number of changes to the current residential parking voucher schemes to enhance and to further protect parking spaces for residents and their visitors.

 

The Lead Member for Environmental Services including Parking informed that the proposals to change residential parking voucher scheme would be beneficial for residents, their visitors and help ease congestion.   It was recommended to keep the number of annual free visiting vouchers at 25 x 2 hours. With additional paid for visiting vouchers with 25 for 6 hours and 25 all day.  There would also be the opportunity to purchase vouchers online.  Expiry dates would be introduced on the vouchers with an amnesty of two years for current vouchers.   The recommendations would also have the benefit of reduced costs.

 

The Chairman mentioned that the proposals would be particularly beneficial in Windsor and that the current system allowed stoke piling of vouchers that could be detrimental to residents and visitors.

 

In response to a question from the Lead Member for Highways, Transport and Windsor it was agreed that the report should have made it clear that the scheme related to residential parking areas.

 

The Lead Member for Culture and Communities mentioned that the proposed scheme was still very generous, especially compared to other authorities a nd that the scheme retained free vouchers.

 

The Leader of the opposition asked if there were any residents that would be disadvantaged by the proposals and the Chairman responded that delegated authority could be given to the Lead Member and appropriate officers to review special circumstances and allow flexibility on a case by case basis.

 

The Executive Director also reported that the over 60’s received a discount.

 

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

·         Agrees to keep the number of annual free visiting vouchers at 25 x 2 hours.

·         Changes the annual allowance of additional paid for visiting vouchers to 25 x 6 hours and 25 x all day, from 1 August 2018.

·         Changes the minimum order number of paid for vouchers to ten and then in multiples of five within the same order, and introduces a 12 month expiry date on each paper voucher with a no refund policy on any unused vouchers, from 1 August 2018.

·         Agrees to the implementation of virtual visitor vouchers, from 1 October 2018, for those who wish to do this on-line.

·         Agrees that all current unused, undated visitor vouchers will expire on 31 March 2020, allowing time for proactive communication to make residents in parking zones aware of this.

·         Agrees to extend the current resident parking permits scheme period from 1-year to 2-years, from 1 August 2018.

6c

Financial Update pdf icon PDF 345 KB

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the council’s latest financial update for 2018-19.

 

(Councillor S Rayner declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest as her family trust owned land that may be affected by the Heathrow proposals, she left the room for the duration of the discussion and voting on the item.)

 

The Lead Member for Finance introduced the report and informed that this was the first substantive review of the year where we could see how the Council’s finances are doing.  Over the course of the first few months there had been initial signs of some of the very significant national pressures which the Royal Borough were not protected from.  In particular the significant pressures of growing placement costs for children in care and the importance of continuing to fully subsidise the housing benefit payments where it is not expected to fully recover certain overpayments.

 

There were also a number of less significant items within the report but the for mentioned were the two substantial issues where we were reflecting the national pressure.  As a result it was important to acknowledge, as shown in appendix A, that there could be a accumulating over the year a net pressure.  This net position had been subject to a range of mitigating measures being identified by Lead Members and officers.  This position may be subject to further mitigating action as future possible pressures arise. 

 

The Lead Member for Finance went on to explain that he was please to say that appendix B did show the council’s reserves that had variances that more than offset, at this point in time, various amounts that had been settled above that accounted for.  For example national non domestic rates (NNDR) pressure was expected to be reversed, section 31 grant of £186,000 and the adjustments to the business rates that we were confident of receiving £710,000.  Looking forward because of business rates pooling with other Berkshire authorities it was anticipated that there would be generated £1.5 million in excess of the amount in the budget.

 

Appendix B also showed a couple of minus figures.  The Berkshire Pension Fund valuation had shown that it was just below 75% funded.  Although funding levels had risen to just above 75%.  As the actuary had to use the latest valuation there had been identified additional contributions of £748,000 towards the pension deficit.

 

There was also a second figure, that was part of the report’s recommendations, for £100,000 towards a judicial review with other authorities affected by the Heathrow proposals. 

 

The Lead Member for Finance informed that as a consequence of the additional positive items the net contribution at this stage of the year exceeded the adverse variances.  As a consequence the reserves were expected to be £9,352,000 compared to the £8,947,000 at the beginning of the financial year.  This was significantly above the recommended level of between £5 to £6 million.

 

Cabinet were informed that it was expected that there would be continued pressures throughout the year which may impact on the current buffer of our reserves,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

6d

Old Windsor Library Extension pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Minutes:

The Lead Member for Culture and Communities introduced the Cabinet regarding the proposed improvements to be carried out to upgrade the Old Windsor community library. 

 

Cabinet were informed that the total amount of money required to carry out these works was £146,850 and that this would enhance the already excellent service our libraries provided.  More space would be provided for residents and staff.  The Royal Borough had the most successful loans per resident performance in the country, stock was updated and there was a new container library on order with the existing one going to be a permanent placement in Sunninghill.   Our libraries were important for the health and wellbeing of our residents. 

 

The Lead Member for Children’s Services said that this was great news especially with the planned expansion of St Peters Middle School.

 

In response to a question from the Chairman Cabinet were informed that the planned work was due to be completed in March 2019.

 

The Leader of the Opposition agreed that this was good news and she recalled an email she sent to the Chairman, who was then the Lead Member for Finance, back in 2015 requesting improvements to the library.  The Chairman replied that he was pleased the work was being scheduled and that this was great news for residents of Old Windsor along with the £259,000 highways investment at the A308 Straight Road, Datchet Road roundabout.  

 

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

·         Approves capital funding of £134,850 to enable the extension works to Old Windsor Library to proceed.

7.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 - EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

To consider passing the following resolution:-

 “That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on item 8 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act"

Minutes:

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local

Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

8.

Minutes

To consider the Part II minutes of the meetings held on 28 June 2018 and 10 July 2018.