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Andrew Hunkin DMS, FMS
Head of Corporate Services
Babergh District Council
Corks Lane, Hadleigh, Ipswich IP7 6SJ
DX NO: 85055 Exchange: Babergh
Main Switchboard: 01473 822801
Website: www.babergh.gov.uk |
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TO: THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF
BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL
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23 October 2006 |
Dear Sir/Madam
A Meeting of the Babergh District Council will be held in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Corks Lane, Hadleigh on TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2006 AT 9.30 A.M.
The proceedings will be opened with Prayer.
Yours faithfully
Andrew Hunkin
Head of Corporate Services
Members are asked to bring with them to the meeting Papers F85 and F91 which have been previously circulated to relevant Committee Members and made available on BEN.
Any Member wishing to be supplied with a hard copy of the report is asked to contact Committee Services prior to the day of the meeting.
PART I
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1 |
MINUTES
To confirm and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2006 as a correct record.
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2 |
DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
Members to declare any interests as appropriate in respect of items to be considered at this meeting.
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3 |
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
To receive apologies for absence.
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4 |
CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
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5 |
TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF PETITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULE No.13
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No.13, the Chief Executive will report the receipt of petitions as detailed below. There can be no debate or comment upon these matters at the Council Meeting.
Application No: B/06/01419 – Change of use of agricultural building to sale of equestrian equipment, Town House Fruit Farm, Hadleigh.
Petition (in support) signed by approximately 62 residents of the district which was reported to the Development Committee meeting on 11 October 2006 and will be considered in conjunction with any report.
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Paper F85 previously circulated
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RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
(a) CAST (Strategy Committee Minute No. 44)
Mr H N Todd, a Member of the CAST Programme Board, presented a report (Paper F85) relating to Customer Access and Service Transformation. Discussions with other Suffolk Councils have concluded that there are currently no meaningful partnership opportunities, in the short term, to deliver our Customer Access requirements, and there is no business case to pursue any other form of delivery partnership or outsourcing arrangement. A high level two year programme plan to develop our own internal solution is therefore proposed and that a take stock review is then undertaken to determine progress in comparison with others to determine direction from there.
RECOMMENDED
(1) That, subject to 6 monthly update reports being submitted, the High Level 2-Year Programme Plan, to implement our own long-term internal customer access solution based on the ‘Positioning Option’, including major deliverables and milestones, resource requirements, spending plans and risks set out at Appendix 2 of Paper F85 be approved.
(2) That the CAST Programme Board undertake a ‘Take Stock’ review in 2008/09, of the CAST Programme including a comparison of Babergh’s progress with other Councils (particularly in Suffolk), to determine whether any further changes, initiatives or investments need to be pursued.
(3) That an Invest to Save Fund of £50,000 is set aside, from the CAST budget, to support the Efficiencies Review. Further, that the Head of Finance, in consultation with the Member Efficiencies and Procurement Champion, be delegated authority to allocate funding from this budget.
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Paper F91 previously circulated
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(b) Member Champions (Strategy Committee Minute No.48)
The Head of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper F91) advising that the Council had agreed that a Member Champion be elected for each of the Council’s priorities where the Council considered that this would be beneficial and necessary. In accepting this Members had been aware that the intention was for a report to be submitted to a future meeting setting out proposals for Member Champions and these were contained in the report.
RECOMMENDED
(1) That Option 3 contained in Paper F91 be adopted as the framework for appointing Member Champions, and that this approach be recommended to the new Council in 2007.
(2) That the definition and the role of a Member Champion as set out at paragraph 4.2 of Paper F91 be adopted.
(3) That the appointment of new Member Champions be delayed until the new Council in 2007.
(4) That the Independent Remuneration Panel be requested to consider the introduction of a Special Responsibility Allowance for Member Champions. |
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Paper F95
attached
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(c) Gambling Act 2005: Statement of licensing principles document and Licensing Authority Delegations (Licensing and Appeals Committee Minute No. 29)
The Head of Natural and Built Environment submitted a report (Paper F95) advising that the Gambling Act 2005 places new functions and responsibilities, for the issuing of licenses and permits for gambling/gaming premises on local Licensing Authorities.
At the meeting of the Licensing and Appeals Committee held on 13 July 2006 the draft Gambling Act 2005 “Statement of Licensing Principles” attached as Appendix 1 to Paper F47 had been approved for a period of statutory consultation. A summary of the responses received during the consultation period, including suggested revisions to Version 4 of the Draft Policy was circulated prior to the meeting as Appendix 2 to Paper F95.
It was noted that the date from which Licensing Authorities will receive applications under the Gambling Act 2005 referred to in paragraph 1.1 of Paper F95 had been amended to 30 April 2007.
Members were also requested to consider a number of Licensing Authority Delegations permitted under the Gambling Act as referred to in Appendix 1 to Paper F95.
RECOMMENDED
(1) That the suggested revisions incorporated in Appendix 2 to Paper F95 be approved and incorporated in the Gambling Act 2005 “Statement of Principles” document for adoption and publication from 3 January 2007, to take effect for a three year period from 31 January 2007.
(2) That delegation be given in respect of Gambling Act 2005 functions in accordance with the table attached as Appendix 1 to Paper F95 subject to the following amendment:-
The inclusion of an additional column indicating “Full Licensing Committee” and that the matter to be dealt with “Fee setting (when appropriate)” be delegated to the Full Licensing Committee.
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Paper F96 attached
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(d) Licensing Act 2003: Review of Statement of Licensing Policy (Licensing and Appeals Committee Minute No. 30)
The Head of Natural and Built Environment submitted a report (Paper F96) advising that the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy is effective for a period of three years from January 2005 until January 2008, after which time the policy must have been reviewed and consulted upon. However, the Council had resolved that the policy should be reviewed by the Licensing and Appeals Committee after one year, in addition to the statutory three year review.
The review was subsequently postponed in anticipation of publication of an interim review of the statutory guidance, issued by the Government under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003. The interim review has now been published, a full review is ongoing and the further full review is now scheduled for publication at the end of 2006/early 2007. A summary of the interim revisions to the guidance as published in June 2006 was attached as Appendix 1 to Paper F96.
During the course of discussion, the Head of Natural and Built Environment undertook to provide an updated report on the implementation of the Act to a future meeting.
RECOMMENDED
(1) That the first formal Babergh review of the Statement of Licensing Policy now be conducted during 2007, in accordance with the statutory timescales involved with publication of a second local version Statement of Licensing Policy to be effective from 7 January 2008.
(2) That the annual policy review by the Licensing and Appeals Committee previously resolved by Council be revised to a three-yearly review in accordance with statutory requirements.
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QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
The Chairmen of Committees to answer any questions from the public of which notice has been given no later than midday two working days before the day of the meeting in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No.14.
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QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS
The Chairman of the Council and the Chairmen of Committees and Sub-Committees to answer any questions on any matters in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affect the District and which fall within the terms of reference of that Committee or Sub-Committee of which due notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No.15.4(a) and (b).
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Paper F114
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STATE OF THE DISTRICT DEBATE
Report by the Head of Corporate Services attached.
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APPOINTMENT OF MEMBER REPRESENTATION
Chilton Master Plan Joint Member Advisory Group
The Head of Corporate Services to report that in December 2003 Council established the Chilton Master Plan Joint Member Advisory Group (JMAG). Whilst not a decision making body it has responsibility for overseeing the Chilton Development in order to maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits from the development for the benefit of the local communities. The site has been allocated for mixed use development (primarily housing, employment and leisure) in the Babergh Local Plan.
Council also agreed that members from the Political Leaders Group (PLG) be nominated to represent Babergh on the JMAG and appointed Mr A C Bavington and Mr C M Spence. Suffolk County Council was invited to nominate an equal number of members to the Group.
Mr Spence has advised that since the original appointment he has been elected to Suffolk County Council and as this authority is a major landowner on Chilton Woods it would be inappropriate for him to represent Babergh on the JMAG. Hence Mr Spence has resigned as the District Council’s representative from the Chilton Master Plan Joint Member Advisory Group. Furthermore, Mr Bavington is no longer leader of the Labour Group but he has in any event indicated that he wishes to stand down.
The meetings are now likely to take place at least half yearly but meetings at short notice may be required when specific issues of an urgent nature arise.
In view of these changes, PLG has been asked to advise as to who should represent the Council on the JMAG.
The views of PLG will be reported but the Council is asked to consider appointing two Members to serve on the JMAG.
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ACTION OUT OF MEETING
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Paper F115
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Affordable Housing Scheme – Churchill Close, Lawshall
Report attached.
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For further information on any of the Part 1 items listed above, please contact Steve Ellwood on 01473 825876 or via e-mail at committeeservices@babergh.gov.uk
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