Agenda and minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 July 2016.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive on 18 July together with the accompanying decision records be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

The Executive considered the following items. The decisions are recorded in the decision sheets attached to these minutes and summarised below:

To agree the Council’s future role in the governance of South Hill Park Arts Trust following the outcome of the analysis phase of the Council’s current  “Transformation Review” of the role of the Council in the arts, and as a consequence allow South Hill Park Arts Trust to undertake and complete its governance review in the knowledge that there will be no BFC nominations to its Board.

RESOLVED that;

i)              South Hill Park Trust be informed that, for the reasons outlined in the report, the Council no longer wishes to have any nomination rights on to its Board; and

ii)             Although entirely at the discretion of South Hill Park Trust, the Council would be pleased to nominate a non- voting observer to attend Board meetings to ensure the continuation of full and transparent dialogue between both organisations.

To consider the draft Housing Strategy report as the basis for developing the Council’s Housing Strategy Statement via consultation.

RESOLVED that the Executive agreed to the draft Housing Strategy as at Appendix A providing the basis of consultation to develop the Housing Strategy Statement.

To consider changes to the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy.

RESOLVED that the Executive agreed:-

i)              to change the residency requirement before customers can join the housing register from one year to four years from the 1 November 2016.

ii)             to allow those customers who have lived in the Borough for 3 years at the time of implementation to remain on the register.

iii)            that the Council will make offers of suitable private rented sector property to homeless households so as to discharge its homeless duty.

iv)           that families whose children are taken into care by Bracknell Forest Council  can remain on the housing register upon advice of the Chief Officer: Children’s Social Care so that their housing prospects are maintained if the children are returned to them.

v)            to agree a maximum of three lettings are year are made to households under the right to move proposals.

To consider a new model of the Local Council Tax Benefit Scheme and as such to agree consultation on the new scheme.

RESOLVED that the Executive agreed:

i)              to develop a new LCTDS for working age households which provides a discount on a household’s Council Tax based on household income, rather than an assessment of needs.

ii)             that subject to agreement to the new model a consultation programme takes place so as to inform the LCTDS to be implemented for 2017/18.

To inform the Executive of the development of a new draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on planning design issues, as attached at Appendix A and to seek approval for the proposed period of public consultation set out at section 8 of the report to commence in autumn 2016.

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the draft Design SPD and approved the (Consultation Draft) Design SPD at Appendix A for public consultation for the six week period set out at section 8 of this report.

To consider the outcome of the recent consultation on the trial residents’ parking scheme around parts of Bracknell town centre and agree a way forward.

RESOLVED that the Executive agreed:

(i)            to reduce the residents parking scheme as shown in Annex A to that as shown in Annex B,

(ii)           to maintain the current rules of the scheme without alteration (Annex C),

(iii)          to advertise a Traffic Regulation Order to remove those areas, as identified in the report (Annex B), from the residents parking scheme, and to amend the charges in line with Annex D, and

(iv)         to inform the residents within the original residents parking area of the outcome.

(v)          following implementation to thereafter review the charges as part of the annual review of fees and charges to ensure that the scheme continues to be self funded.

To note the work of the Bracknell Forest Safeguarding Adults Partnership Board during 2015-2016.

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the report.

To brief the Executive about complaints made against the Council in 2015/16.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

i)              endorsed the approach taken to dealing with and learning from complaints to the Council;

ii)             noted the Annual Review letter of the Local Government Ombudsman to the Council for 2015/16; and

iii)            noted the information on other complaints against the Council in 2015/16.

To inform the Executive of the performance of the Council over the first quarter of the 2016/17 financial year (April - June 2016).

RESOLVED that the Executive noted the performance of the Council over the period from April to June 2016 highlighted in the Overview Report in Annex A.

To consider the following motion:

That pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2012, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of item 15, 16 & 17 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(1)         Information relating to any individual. (Part Item 15 – annexes only)

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). (Item 16 & 17)

RESOLVED that pursuant to Regulation 21 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) Regulations 2000, members of the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of minutes 38 (annexes only), 39 & 40 which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under the following category of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972:

(1)          Information relating to any individual. (part minute 38)

(3)        Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority). (minutes 39 & 40)

To consider a proposal to establish a joint regulatory services unit with West Berkshire and Wokingham Borough Councils to be known as the Berkshire Public Protection Partnership.

RESOLVED that in so far as the following are Executive functions that the Executive agreed:

(i)         to authorise the arrangements set out in this report including the creation of a Joint Committee for the strategic policy and oversight of the delivery of public protection services with Wokingham Borough Council and West Berkshire Council through the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) with effect from 9 January 2017,

(ii)        that the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Borough Treasurer and Director of Environment, Culture & Communities, be authorised to finalise the terms of the PPP as set out in the draft Inter Authority Agreement between the three Councils (Annex 1) and to make any necessary drafting or other amendments to the terms of the draft Agreement which are necessary to reach final agreement but do not materially affect the intent and substance of the Agreement,

(iii)       to authorise the Joint Committee to determine policy, strategy and oversee the performance monitoring and management of the new PPP and have the powers set out in the terms of reference contained in Schedule 1 of the draft Inter Authority Agreement,

(iv)      that the Council’s representatives on the Joint Committee will be the Executive Member for Culture, Corporate Services and Public Protection and the Chairman of the Licensing and Safety Committee with any Member of the Executive being able to act as a substitute,

(v)       that all existing service specific specialist equipment and the associated ongoing liability be transferred to West Berkshire from the 9 January 2017,

(vi)      that any associated existing contracts with the Council are transferred to West Berkshire to administer on this Council’s behalf until such time as they can be renegotiated,

(vii)     that, as a consequence of this proposal, the disabled facilities grants, Home Improvement Loans, home energy functions and all associated staff and budgets be transferred to the ASCHH Department, as soon as it is practical to do so.

(viii)    In so far as any of the foregoing provisions also relate to the exercise of non Executive functions, to recommend to Council to authorise the same.

(ix)      That the Executive noted that as a consequence of this proposal the disabled facilities grants, Home Improvement Loans, home energy functions and all associated staff and budgets be transferred to the ASCHH Department, as soon as it is practical to do so.

To seek approval to local delivery of the Education Funding Agency’s Priority Schools Building Programme 2 project at Edgbarrow School.

RESOLVED that the Executive gave approval for local delivery by Bracknell Forest Council of the Education Funding Agency’s Priority Schools Building Programme project at Edgbarrow School.

To consider the options available to release the land for housing development.

RESOLVED that the Executive instructs the Chief Officer; Property to proceed with the disposal route recommended in Option 1 in paragraph 5.6.1 of the exempt report.