Minute of Meeting of Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20 April 2022 for Approval
Perth and Kinross Council · 15 June 2022
Back to Finance and Resources Committee — 15 June 2022 and its agenda
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STRATEGIC POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE Minute of meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee held virtually on Wednesday 20 April 2022 at 9.30am. Present: Councillors J Duff, M Lyle, C Ahern, A Bailey, S Donaldson, E Drysdale, D Illingworth (substituting for A Forbes), G Laing, R McCall, T McEwan, Councillors A Parrott, C Shiers, L Simpson (substituting for P Barrett), C Stewart and W Wilson. In Attendance: T Glen, Chief Executive; B Renton, Executive Director (Communities), C Brien, M Butterworth, S Coyle, S Crawford, F Crofts, C France, J Dick, L Haxton, C Mailer, S Merone, B Murray, F Robertson, K Smith, D Stokoe (all Communities); S Devlin, Executive Director (Education and Children’s Services); G Boland, Education and Children’s Services; L Brady, S Hendry, C Irons, P Johnstone, S Mackenzie, S Walker, L Simpson, A Brown, K Molley, A Taylor, B Parker and A McMeekin (all Corporate and Democratic Services). Apologies: Provost D Melloy and Councillors A Forbes and P Barrett. Councillor J Duff, Convener, Presiding. 1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES The Convener welcomed all those present to the meeting. Apologies and substitutions were noted as above. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no Declarations of Interest in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. 3. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS (i) Strategic Policy and Resources Committee The minute of meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 2 February 2022 was submitted and approved. (ii) Executive Sub-Committee of Strategic Policy and Resources The Minute of meeting of the Executive sub-Committee of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 19 January 2022 was submitted and noted. (iii) Property Sub Committee The minute of meeting of the Property Sub-Committee of 10 January 2022 was submitted and noted.
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(iv) Appeal Sub-Committee The minutes of meetings of the Appeal Sub-Committee of 12 January 2022 and 24 March 2022 was submitted and noted. (v) Employees Joint Consultative Committee The minute of meeting of the Employees Joint Consultative Committee of 6 December 2021 was submitted and noted. (vi) Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board The minute of meeting of the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board of 1 December 2021 was submitted and noted. 4. REVENUE BUDGET 2021/22 – UPDATE NO.5 There was submitted a report by the Head of Finance (22/87) providing (1) an update on progress with the 2021/22 General Fund Revenue Budget based upon the January 2022 ledger and updated for any subsequent known material movements and (2) the projected financial position of the Housing Revenue Account. Resolved: (i) The contents of Report 22/87, be noted; (ii) The projected outturn for General Fund Services set out in Section 4 and Appendix 1 and 2, be noted. (iii) The projected outturn for Corporate Budgets set out in Section 5, be noted. (iv) The Health & Social Care projected outturn, which is summarised in section 5 and Appendix 3,be noted. (v) The projected outturn for the Housing Revenue Account which is summarised in Section 6 and Appendix, be noted. (vi) The adjustments to the 2021/22 Management Revenue Budget detailed in Appendices 1, 2, 4 and 5 and Section 7, 8 and 9,be approved. (vii) The adjustments to the 2022/23 Management Revenue Budget detailed in Appendix 6 and Section 10, be approved. (viii) The 2023/24 structural deficit of £10.015 million that will require to be addressed for 1 April 2023, be noted. (ix) £25,000 be approved for a project feasibility/consultancy study for the consideration of a safe pedestrian/cycle route from Scone to Perth City Centre subject to due diligence. 5. COMPOSITE CAPITAL BUDGET 2021/28 & HOUSING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2021/26 – MONITORING REPORT No.4 There was submitted a report by the Head of Finance (22/88), (1) providing a summary position to date for the 6-year Composite Capital Delivery
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Programme for 2022/23 to 2027/28 and the 5-year Housing Investment Programme 2021/22 to 2025/26, and (2) seeking approval for adjustments to the budgets. Resolved: (i) The contents of Report 22/88, be noted; (ii) The proposed budget adjustments to the seven-year Composite Capital Budget 2021/22 to 2027/28 as set out in Sections 3 and 4 of the report, and summarised at Appendices I and II, be approved. (iii) The proposed budget adjustments to the Housing Investment Programme Budget 2021/22 to 2025/26 set out in Section 5 of the report, and summarised at Appendix III, be approved. There was a comfort break and the meeting resumed at 11.25am. 6. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND 2021/22 There was submitted a report by the Head of Culture and Community Services (22/89) providing an update on the Community Investment Funding grants awarded to community groups by ward panels for the limited second round of funding 2021/22. Resolved: (i) The spend for round two of Community Investment Funding 2021/22, be noted. (ii) That a report will be brought to a future meeting of this Committee, outlining proposals for 2022/23 Community Investment Funding. 7. BUSINESS GATEWAY TAYSIDE SERVICE There was submitted a report by the Head of Planning and Development (22/90) providing an overview of the Business Gateway Tayside service together with its performance and contracting arrangements. THERE FOLLOWED A RECESS AND THE MEETING RECONVENED AT 12.25PM. Motion (Councillors Duff and Lyle) (i) The excellent performance against targets of the service delivered despite the challenging operating environment, be noted. (ii) That the Scrutiny Committee reviewed the Business Gateway services’ performance and governance arrangements at its meeting on 29 November 2021, be noted. (iii) Plans for revised governance arrangements in line with those set out in this report, be approved.
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(iv) It be remitted to the Executive Director (Communities) to develop and conclude a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dundee City Council and Angus Council that will underpin the revised governance arrangements. (v) The Head of Legal and Governance be instructed to examine the memorandum of Understanding on dispute resolution and consider the risks involved and report back to this committee at the earliest opportunity. Amendment (Councillors Stewart and Bailey) Notes that the £450,000 top-slicing of the Business Gateway has not been returned by Dundee City Council and instructs officers to instigate the dispute clause of the Memorandum of Understanding in order to pursue repayment of these public funds so that they can be properly directed towards supporting business across Tayside and to report the original redirection of funds to Audit Scotland for further investigation. In terms of Standing Order 58 a Roll Call vote was taken. 8 members voted for the Motion as follows: Councillors Ahern, Duff, Illingworth, Lyle McCall Shiers, Simpson and Wilson. 7 members voted for the Amendment as follows: Councillors Bailey, Donaldson, Drysdale, Laing, McEwan, Parrott and Stewart Resolved: In accordance with the Motion. 8. PLANNING FOR NATURE GUIDANCE There was submitted a report by the Head of Planning and Development (22/91) (1) summarising the comments received during the consultation on the non-statutory Planning for Nature guidance published in 2021 and (2) seeking approval to finalise and adopt the guidance document to support the Local development Plan as non-statutory Supplementary Guidance. Resolved: The Planning for Nature guidance to support the implementation of Policy 41 of the Local Development Plan, be approved. 9. PLANNING FEES CHARTER There was submitted a report by the Head of Planning and Development (22/92) presenting the Planning Fees Charter, noting the fee increases set by Scottish Government and seeking agreement to reducing planning application fees for specific applications to apply a surcharge to retrospective
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applications and to revise some of the discretionary charges previously agreed. Resolved: The Planning Fees Charter attached as appendix 1 to report 22/92, be approved. 10. EMPLOYEES CODE OF CONDUCT There was submitted a report by the Corporate Human Resources Manager (22/93) outlining an update to the Employee Code of Conduct to incorporate a protocol for joint working with the third sector and the Council. Resolved: The refreshed Code of Conduct attached as appendix 2 to report 22/93, be approved. 11. VALEDICTORY Prior to the Local Government Elections on 5 May, the Convener thanked all members for their contribution to the committee during this term of the Council. The Convener also referred to the upcoming retiral of Charlotte Irons, Committee Officer who had been clerk to the Committee for a number of years. Members thanked Charlotte for her support and wished her well in her retirement. ~~~~~