Agenda and minutes

Ian Curryer

John Kelly

None

Last meeting held on 16 December 2014 (for confirmation)

The Board confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2014 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and Voluntary Sector

The Board considered the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and Voluntary Sector’s report seeking approval to demolish 12 vacant sites and award new build tenders for 11 of those sites.

The City Council’s bid to the Homes and Communities Agency Affordable Homes Programme 2015-18 Grant was confirmed as successful in August 2014. This has provided the opportunity to develop sites that have been identified as suitable for affordable housing. The report supports the Council’s pledge to continue to build Council Houses and to bring all social housing up to the Decent Homes standard.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  delegate authority for the awarding of the demolition tenders for all sites and the signing of the contracts, subject to tenders being returned within the funding envelope of £93,000 to the Deputy Chief Executive/Corporate Director for Development and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and the Voluntary Sector and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services;

(2)  delegate authority for the awarding of the new build tenders for 8 sites and the signing of the contracts, subject to tenders being returned within the funding envelope of £4,166,000 to the Deputy Chief Executive/Corporate Director for Development and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and the Voluntary Sector and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services;

(3)  delegate authority for the appointment of Nottingham City Homes (NCH) as the new build contractor for 3 sites (Trinstead Way, Hopedale Close and Colwick Woods Court), subject to costs being returned within the funding envelope of £3,968,000 and the demonstration of value for money, to the Deputy Chief Executive/Corporate Director for Development and Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and the Voluntary Sector and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, and to grant dispensation from Contract Procedure Rule 5.1.2 in accordance with Financial Regulation 3.29.

Reasons for decision

There is an opportunity on these sites for the Council to realise its ambition to provide high quality housing and actively regenerate the neighbourhoods within the 7 wards identified.

The awarding of the contracts will allow new homes to be delivered within the timescale laid down by the Homes and Communities Agency grant conditions.

Other options considered

Not redeveloping the sites, or selling the sites for market housing developments was rejected as the City Council has ambitions to provide high quality housing and actively regenerate Nottingham’s neighbourhoods, and to continue to build Council Houses.

Disposing of the sites to a Registered Provider partner for a reduced receipt in order for them to provide new affordable housing was rejected as the sites are not marketable, and the Homes and Communities Agency grant is critical to the delivery of the housing and regeneration programme.

Report of Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The Board considered the Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration’s report seeking approval of the tax base of £61,047 for 2015/16, and agreement of a collection rate of 96.25%.

The Council Tax base is used in the calculation of Council Tax, which provides resources for delivery of the City Council’s vision, values and objectives. Council Tax revenue funds service delivery.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  approve a tax base of £61,047 for 2015/16;

(2)  agree that a collection rate of 96.25% be used in the determination of the 2015/16 tax base.

Reasons for decisions

To estimate future changes to the current tax base during 2015/16 and apply an appropriate anticipated collection rate. This is required in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) regulations 2012.

Other options considered

None. The Council is legally required to set a Council Tax Base using objective calculations.

Report of Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture

The Board considered the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture’s report seeking approval to accept Arts Council England revenue funding, and authorise further fundraising activities.

The award of substantial revenue funding for the Museums & Galleries Service to 2018 will support a range of community programmes, improvements to sites, schools learning, and community volunteering activity. Programme funding will also make collections and sites more accessible to users through digital engagement and other activity.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  accept Arts Council England revenue funding for the Museums & Galleries Services 2015-2018 of £1,393,527 (£461,135 for 2015-16, £461,196 for 2016-17, and £466,197 for 2017-18) and to authorise expenditure for the approved purposes included within appendix A of the report within the Arts Council England standard conditions of acceptance;

(2)  authorise further fundraising activity in support of the agreed purposes to increase the scale and impact of programmes, having regard to the need to co-ordinate all external fundraising with the Castle Development Project.

Reasons for decisions

The Museums & Galleries Service has been awarded this substantial revenue grant for its work by Arts Council England. The grant will enable the Museums & Galleries Service to support a range of community programmes.

Other options considered

Not accepting the grant was rejected as it awards 100% revenue support for a range of activities that would not be possible without it.

Applying independently for grant funding was rejected as the Museums & Galleries Service was not eligible to apply for the grant funding independently.

Report of Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The Board considered the Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration’s report seeking approval (subject to the agreement of Council in relation to non-Executive matters) of a joint submission with other Nottinghamshire Councils, requesting the establishment of a Combined Authority for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Combined Authority would cover the local authority areas of Ashfield District Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Mansfield District Council, Nottingham City Council, Newark & Sherwood District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Rushcliffe Borough Council.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  agree (subject to the agreement of Council in relation to non-executive matters) to the City Council making a joint submission, with the other Nottinghamshire Councils, to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government requesting the establishment of a Combined Authority for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire under the relevant provisions of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 (and other such provisions as are necessary to ensure the authority has a range of functions to match expectations);

(2)  endorse the governance review, authorised by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Economic Prosperity Committee, into the effectiveness and efficiency of transport and arrangements to promote economic development and regeneration within the geographic county, including consultation on proposals for a Combined Authority and its range of functions;

(3)  approve the Combined Authority governance arrangements proposed in the scheme, including arrangements for the City Council holding some powers and functions concurrently with the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Combined Authority;

(4)  recommend that in respect of non-executive functions, Council approves the joint submission requesting the establishment of a Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Combined Authority;

(5)  approve the City Council’s share of the administration costs of the Combined Authority;

(6)  delegate authority to the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration, to make appropriate changes to the scheme and governance review prior to submission to Government, arising from the results of the public consultation process, the need for consistency across the Councils and generally.

Reasons for decisions

The nine local authorities have an informal history of collaboration on matters which impact on the economic success of the area, which was formalised through the Economic Prosperity Committee. The Councils recognise the value of leading and shaping the debate on devolution, and have taken this opportunity to establish a more formal governance structure in the form of a Combined Authority.

Other options considered

Retaining the current arrangements of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Economic Prosperity Committee, or enhance the existing arrangements was rejected as it does not meet central government’s expectations around the need for enhanced governance, and does not delivery a statutory body.

Establishing an Economic Prosperity Board as a statutory body was rejected as this model is unproven and would not include transport matters.

To consider excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining item(s) in accordance with section 100a(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information

The Board decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the next agenda item in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and the Voluntary Sector

The Board considered the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Housing and the Voluntary Sector’s exempt report.

RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report.

Reasons for decisions

As detailed in the report.

Other options considered.

As detailed in the report.

Report of the Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration

The public were invited back into the meeting for the remaining agenda item.

The Chair of the Board agreed that this item, although not on the original agenda, could be considered as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, because the proposals need to be released for formal public consultation.

This decision is not subject to call-in as Councillor Brian Parbutt, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, has agreed that the decision is reasonable in all the circumstances and should be treated as a matter of urgency, as any delay will impact on the public consultation period.

The Board considered the Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources and Neighbourhood Regeneration’s report detailing phase 2 proposals for the revenue element of the Council’s draft Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2015/16 to 2017/18, comprising new savings of £3,297,000 in 2015/16 and accelerated savings of £166,000.

An additional £1,862,000 of corporate and technical changes have been made in relation to previous MTFP assumptions. The final MTFP proposals will be considered by Executive Board in February 2015 for recommendation to Full Council in March 2015.

RESOLVED to note, endorse and release for formal public consultation the proposals as set out in paragraph 2.3 and tables 2 and 3 of the report. Further details relating to individual savings are in appendices 1 and 2 of the report.