Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 9 December 2014 (herewith).

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 9 December 2014 were confirmed and signed.

The Mayor to report apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Stella Andersen-Payne, Gillian Beel, Lynn Graffham, Jill Hargreaves, Diane James, Martin Lear, Jennifer O’Grady, Stewart Stennett, Simon Thornton, Brett Vorley, Keith Webster and Ross Welland.

To receive from Members, declarations of interest in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no interests raised under this heading and councillors were reminded that it was not necessary to declare their appointments as Waverley representatives on outside organisations, unless the organisation was specifically discussed in the debate relating to the budget or funding for voluntary sector organisations.

The Mayor informed the Council that there had been 45 duties since the last meeting, which included the opening of the newly-refurbished Rolston House, Haslemere Leisure Centre and Opthalmic Department at the Royal Surrey County Hospital.

The Mayor and councillors congratulated Cllr Richard Gates on celebrating his 20th anniversary of continuous service to Council.  She also advised of the following dates for diaries:

            21 March 2015 - Ahmadyyan Muslim Youth Community Sponsored Walk on routes around the Devil’s Punch Bowl; and

            12 April 2015 – Massed Bands Concert in Charterhouse Hall in aid of the Mayoral Charity.

The Mayor also informed councillors that she had accepted a challenge from the parachute team of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment to do a tandem parachute jump and that she would advise councillors of the dates in due course.

And finally, the annual Pancake Race had taken place earlier in the day and unfortunately Waverley had been presented with the Wooden Spoon following a win by Guildford Borough Council.  The Mayor thanked the team for participating in the event.

To answer the following question received from Mr Jerry Hyman of Farnham, in accordance with Procedure Rule 10:-

"Madame Mayor.  Crest Nicholson's contract currently requires that they provide a new Brightwell Gostrey Community Centre within the Brightwells site as a Required Element of their proposed scheme, but on 6th January Waverley's Executive agreed to pursue a 'Memorial Hall solution', which would require the sacrifice of the valuable large community hall constructed in memory of lives lost in the Great War, and gifted to the people of Farnham for their use; and although the Portfolio Holder responded to a Public Question at the 3rd February Executive Meeting by stating that other options, including a (perhaps far preferable) 'Cobgates solution' had been considered, the long-awaited Feasibility Study was not presented to the Executive Meeting and has been withheld; hence we don't know the Council's justification for agreeing to pursue an option that your papers say will cost some £1.5 million in construction costs to alter the Memorial Hall, which is worth some £1 million as it stands  -  representing  a total cost to us in the region of TWO AND A HALF MILLION POUNDS, perhaps sufficient to build a veritable palace on the Brightwells site or solve all of Cobgates' problems - and given that a stand-alone newbuild Community Centre could be constructed for a fraction of that princely sum, it is difficult to believe that there is not a more appropriate and less expensive alternative to the proposed loss of public use of valuable facilities (for Crest's benefit); and so Madame Mayor, in the absence of the Feasibility Study, will you please now inform Members and the public of the estimated costs of each of the alternative solutions considered, including in particular the likely costs of reconstruction of the Gostrey Centre on its existing site, and at Cobgates ?"

[NB.  Questions from members of the public express personal views of the questioners and Waverley does not endorse any statements in any way and they do not reflect the views of Waverley Borough Council].

The following question was received from Mr Jerry Hyman of Farnham in accordance with Procedure Rule 10:-

"Madame Mayor.  Crest Nicholson's contract currently requires that they provide a new Brightwell Gostrey Community Centre within the Brightwells site as a Required Element of their proposed scheme, but on 6th January Waverley's Executive agreed to pursue a 'Memorial Hall solution', which would require the sacrifice of the valuable large community hall constructed in memory of lives lost in the Great War, and gifted to the people of Farnham for their use; and although the Portfolio Holder responded to a Public Question at the 3rd February Executive Meeting by stating that other options, including a (perhaps far preferable) 'Cobgates solution' had been considered, the long-awaited Feasibility Study was not presented to the Executive Meeting and has been withheld; hence we don't know the Council's justification for agreeing to pursue an option that your papers say will cost some £1.5 million in construction costs to alter the Memorial Hall, which is worth some £1 million as it stands  -  representing  a total cost to us in the region of TWO AND A HALF MILLION POUNDS, perhaps sufficient to build a veritable palace on the Brightwells site or solve all of Cobgates' problems - and given that a stand-alone newbuild Community Centre could be constructed for a fraction of that princely sum, it is difficult to believe that there is not a more appropriate and less expensive alternative to the proposed loss of public use of valuable facilities (for Crest's benefit); and so Madame Mayor, in the absence of the Feasibility Study, will you please now inform Members and the public of the estimated costs of each of the alternative solutions considered, including in particular the likely costs of reconstruction of the Gostrey Centre on its existing site, and at Cobgates ?"

The Portfolio Holder for Older People responded as follows:-

            “Thank you for your question Mr Hyman.  Following Brightwells Gostrey Centre’s request to move off site, the Council examined a number of locations (as I did outline at the Executive on 3 February 2015).

            The choice of site depended on two things: the suitability of the site and the cost of acquiring the site.  When taking these two considerations together, the overriding favourite was the Memorial Hall because, as you rightly point out, the cost of acquiring other sites would have required significant land purchase.

            The proposed designs in front of Council tonight ensure no loss of space for current users and seek to enhance the existing Memorial Hall building.  Subsequently, as you know, the Executive have recommended that £1.5m be invested in a fully refurbished and extended Memorial Hall, subject, of course, to Council agreeing this decision tonight.  I am sure you would wish to support the Council’s commitment to improve services for older people and other groups in Farnham and the surrounding areas.”

To receive the report of the Executive in respect of the 2015/2016 budget, set out as follows, incorporating:-

Appendix A.1 -          General Fund Revenue Estimates 2015/2016

Appendix A.2 -          General Fund Capital Programme 2015/2016

Appendix A.3 -          Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2015/2041 and Revenue Budget 2015/2016

Appendix A.4 -          Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2015/2016, New Affordable Homes Programme, Stock Improvement Programme

Appendix A.5 -          Council Tax Setting 2015/2016 (including any information received since the meeting of the Executive) – To Follow.

The recommendations included within each report are set out below:

Recommendation

The Executive, having considered the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, RECOMMENDS that

1.            the Council Tax Freeze Grant offered for 2015/16 be accepted and therefore a 0% increase for Waverley’s element of Council Tax for 2015/16 be agreed;

2.            the proposals included on the List of Reductions as shown at Annexe 4 to Appendix A.1 be implemented, including any staffing changes;

3.         the proposals included on the List of Growth Items as shown at Annexe 5 to Appendix A.1 be implemented, including any staffing changes;

4.         the changes to Fees and Charges as shown at Annexe 6 to Appendix A.1 be approved;

5.         the staff Pay Award of 1.6% from 1 April 2015 be agreed;

6.         the General Fund Budget for 2015/16 be approved, as amended by the above changes;

7.         the Executive carries out a mid-year review of the General Fund Budget and takes any appropriate action in the light of the position at that time; and

8.         the list of Revenue Projects totalling £569,775 be approved, as shown at Annexe 1 to Appendix A.2, to be included within the Revenue Estimates;

9.         the 2015/16 General Fund Capital Programme totalling £3,346,400 be approved, as shown at Annexe 3 to Appendix A.2;

10.       the financing proposals for 2014/2015 in Annexe 3 of Appendix A.2 be agreed;

11.       the budgets for schemes marked with an asterisk on the schedules be approved, but spending on these projects be subject to the agreement of the Director of Finance and Resources and Finance Portfolio Holder or the Executive if appropriate;

12.       the rent level of Council dwellings be increased by 2.8% from 6 April 2015, with an addition of up to £2/week for those properties below their historic target rent;

13.       the weekly charge for garages rented by both Council and non-Council tenants be increased by 2.8% from 6 April 2015;

14.       the service charge in sheltered accommodation be increased by 50p/week from 6 April 2015;

15.       the recharge for energy costs (as appropriate) be increased by 50p/week from 6 April 2015 with a review being carried out in 2015/16 to assess changing energy prices;

16.       the fees and charges be increased in line with the proposals at Annexe 6 to Appendix A.3;

17.       the proposals included on the List of Growth Items be implemented as shown at Annexe 3 to Appendix A.3, including any staffing changes;

18.       the resultant HRA Revenue Budget and Business Plan updated  ...  view the full agenda text for item 51/14

The Chairman of the Executive presented the reports at Appendices A.1 – A.5 to the agenda, and following this, both the Chairman of the Executive and the Portfolio Holder for Finance delivered Budget Statements to the Council, copies of which are attached as Annexe 1 to these minutes.

General Fund Revenue Estimates 2015/16 (Appendix A.1)

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the report of the Executive at Appendix A.1 be approved and recommendations 1-8 contained therein adopted.

General Fund Capital Programme 2015/16 (Appendix A.2)

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the report of the Executive at Appendix A.2 be approved and recommendations 1-5 contained therein adopted.

Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2015/2041 and Revenue Budget 2015/16

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the report of the Executive at Appendix A.3 be approved and recommendations 1-8 contained therein adopted.

Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2014/15, New Affordable Homes Programme and Stock Improvement Programme (Appendix A.4)

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the report of the Executive at Appendix A.4 be approved and recommendations 1-4 contained therein adopted.

Council Tax Setting 2015/16

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that

25.1    The following amounts having been calculated by the Council for the year 2015/2016 in accordance with the Regulations made under Section 31B (3) of the Act be approved:

(a)       52,831.2 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) as its Council Tax Base for the year;

(b)         Part of the Council’s area – Tax Base Band D Equivalents

25.2    The following amounts have been calculated for the Council for 2015/2016 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

(a)          £77,842,637           being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A 2(a) to (f) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils;

(b)          £66,710,610            being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) (a) to (d) of the Act;

(c)          £11,132,027            being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51/14

To receive the minutes of the Executive held on:-

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive held on 6 January 2015 be approved and the recommendations contained therein adopted.

It was moved by the Chairman of the Executive and duly seconded that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive held on 3 February 2015 be approved and adopted.

i.          Funding for Voluntary Sector Organisations 2015/16 (Minute No.133)

            It was moved and seconded that the following words be added to the end of the existing Recommendation 60:-

            “…and that Waverley Borough Council receive full and transparent accounts detailing income, expenditure and a balance sheet for Rowleys (excluding other AGE UK Waverley activities)”.

            Upon being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED.

            RESOLVED  that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive held on 3 February 2015 be approved and the recommendations contained therein adopted, as amended.

To receive the minutes of the meetings of the Joint Planning Committee held on:-

It was moved by the Chairman of the Committee, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the Minutes of the Meetings of the Joint Planning Committee held on 5 and 26  January and 2 February 2015 be approved.

To consider the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Panel, held on 26 January 2015 (herewith – coloured buff).

It was moved by the Chairman of the Panel, duly seconded and

RESOLVED  that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards Panel held on 26 January 2015 be approved and the recommendations contained therein adopted.

[NB. Cllr Bryn Morgan asked that his vote against the recommendations be recorded].

To consider the Minutes of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 29 January 2015 (herewith - coloured bright green).

It was moved by the Chairman of the Committee and duly seconded that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 29 January 2015 be approved and adopted.

i.          Waverley Borough Council – Designated Streets Review (Minute No. 25)

            It was moved and seconded that Recommendation 5 be amended to delete “and Godalming” and add at the end “and the designation of streets in Godalming be referred back to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for further consideration.”

            Upon being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED.

RESOLVED  that the Minutes of the Meetings of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 29 January 2015, as amended, be approved and the recommendation contained therein adopted.