Agenda and minutes

Councillor Alex Norris  -  work commitments

Councillor Jane Urquhart  -  work commitments

None.

Last meeting held on 20 December 2016 (for confirmation).

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 December 2016 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Report of Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing had given her apologies, so the Portfolio Holder for Energy and Sustainability introduced the Digital Media Strategy.

The Digital Media Planning Statement identifies possible first phase locations for digital screens in the City Centre, as well as setting out the matters to be considered when siting large digital screens in Nottingham.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  adopt the City Centre Digital Media Planning Statement as appended to the report in the agenda pack;

(2)  support in principle the first phase locations for digital screens;

(3)  establish a Nottingham Digital Advertising Forum.

Reasons for Decisions

The Planning Statement will provide guidance to ensure that planning decisions on large digital screens can be made in a consistent and informed manner.

Other Options Considered

Not producing a Statement was rejected as digital media is increasingly being used for public advertising and communication, and guidance is required to allow applications for advertisement consent to be considered appropriately.

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

The Deputy Leader/Portfolio Holder for Resources introduced a report setting out the process and calculations to determine the Council Tax base for 2017/18 in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012.  Council Tax revenue funds service delivery.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  approve a tax base of 63,368 for 2017/18;

(2)  agree that a collection rate of 96.6% be used in the determination of the 2017/18 tax base.

Reasons for Decisions

To enable the Council to estimate future changes to the current tax base during 2017/18 and apply an appropriate anticipated collection rate for the period, which takes into account collection trends and the prevailing economic environment so that the tax base figure can be set and used by the City Council and precepting authorities (i.e. Police and Fire Authorities) in their budget processes in February 2017 to determine the level of Council Tax for 2017/18.

Other Options Considered

None, as the Council is legally required to set a Council Tax base using objective calculations.

Report of Portfolio Holder for Business, Growth and Transport

The Portfolio Holder for Business, Growth and Transport introduced a report outlining the renewal of the Nottingham and Derby Highway Framework Contract.

The existing contract will expire in July 2017 – the recommended procurement strategy to deliver highway improvement schemes for a four-year period between 2017 and 2021 is through procuring a multi-supplier Highways Framework Agreement.

RESOLVED to:

(1)  approve the procurement of a replacement Highways Framework Agreement in-line with Public Procurement Regulation 2015, in partnership with Derby City Council;

(2)  delegate authority to both the Director of Energy, Waste and Highways and the Director of Traffic and Transport to call off contracts under the Highways Framework Agreement up to the value of £999,999.

Reasons for Decisions

The Authority adopts a mixed approach to the delivery of highway work which utilises the Council’s own skilled workforce and fully supports the City Council’s ambitious commercialisation agenda.

Renewing the Highway Framework in partnership with Derby City Council results in the following advantages:

Renewing the Highway Framework in partnership with Derby City Council will

result in the following advantages;

·  Economies of scale by producing the contract in partnership with Derby

City Council.

·  A value-for-money delivery model with no fixed financial commitment to

use the framework.

·  Opportunities for local Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) companies to

tender for the work.

·  The potential for a local workforce either through direct employment or

through regional SME sub-contractors.

The delivery model has a number of additional benefits including:

· Strong links to our corporate value and objectives

· A highly flexible and responsive structure to accommodate short term changes to design programmes.

· Local knowledge available in the planning and assessment of proposed works.

Other Options Considered

Not renewing the Nottingham and Derby Highway Framework Contract – there would be no authorised procurement in place for the provision of services and as such would this would not be compliant with Nottingham City Council’s Financial Regulations and Public Procurement Regulation 2015.