Agenda item

IE.5/19: Council Tax Reduction for Care Leavers and Council Tax Premium for Long Term Empty Property

 

RESOLVED

 

1.       That an increase be effected in the Council Tax Premium from the current 50% to the relevant maximums set down in the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018;

 

2.     That, with effect from 1 April 2020 onwards, the Council Tax Premium be increased to 100% for properties that have been empty for 2 years or more**;

 

3.       That, with effect from 1 April 2020, the Council Tax Premium be increased to 200% for properties that have been empty for 5 years or more**;

 

4.       That, with effect from 1 April 2021, the Council Tax Premium be increased to 300% for properties that have been empty for 10 years or more**;

 

(** any period of not exceeding six weeks, where the property is not empty, shall be disregarded for the purposes of calculating the two year period).

 

5.       That the increases in the Council Tax Premium for the 2020/21 Financial Year be effective from 1 October 2020, to allow for affected Council Taxpayers to take action (independently or with assistance from the Council) to bring their property back in to use (NOTE. the increase for 2021/22 will take effect from 1 April of that year).

 

IE.8/19: Parking Permit Review

                       

In discussion, the lead Executive Member gave a number of assurances that the Council would be given a further opportunity to consider the outcome of the Public Consultation exercise.

 

It was then:

 

RESOLVED

 

1.       That the permit charges and permits be amended in accordance with Appendix A of the agenda report presented to the Informal Executive meeting;

 

2.       That the proposed Parking Permit Review be deferred at least until the Autumn (i.e. not before 1 September 2020);

 

3.       That, with immediate effect, Parking Permits be put back on sale at their existing prices; and

 

4.       That it be acknowledged that consultation has been undertaken with towns and parishes and a further 21-day public consultation will be undertaken, but will not commence before the Council has restored its parking charges in its car parks.

 

 

 

IE.9/19: Statement of Community Involvement

 

In opposition to the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), a Member made particular reference to Principle 7: ‘Responsibility and Accountability’ and her belief that this was not being upheld.  Furthermore, the Member expressed her disappointment at the lack of assurance in the SCI with regard to how community concerns and views would be taken into account in the decision-making process.

 

It was then:

 

RESOLVED

 

That, subject to West Devon and Plymouth agreeing likewise, the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) be formally adopted under Section 23 of the Planning and Compulsory Act 2004.

 

 

IE.10/19: Follaton House Strategic Accommodation Review

 

In her introduction, the Leader advised of her intention to propose an alternative recommendation that would seek to defer the decisions of the first two parts of the recommendation on the review in light of the impact of the Covid-19 Crisis.  For clarity, the Leader informed that her alternative recommendation was not seeking to reject the original recommendations generated at the Informal Executive meeting but to simply defer them for further consideration at a later date.  Furthermore, the Leader was intending to propose that part 3 of the recommendation would not be included as part of the deferral and could therefore come into immediate effect.

 

In the ensuing debate, reference was made to:-

 

(a)     a general acknowledgement that 2021 was likely to be a very busy year for weddings; and

 

(b)     the Arboretum.  In citing the success of Kingsbridge in Bloom as an example, a Member was of the view that Totnes should consider establishing a similar Community/Voluntary Group to be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the Arboretum.

 

It was then:

 

RESOLVED

 

That, in light of the current pandemic, the Accommodation Strategy Member Working Group be reconvened to consider recommendations 1 and 2 (below) as part of the Council’s future Recovery Plan to the Covid-19 Crisis, with a further report being presented back to the Executive at a future date:

 

1.       That South Hams District Council remains at Follaton House for the foreseeable future, recognising that the net accommodation costs (£150,000 as set out in paragraph 4.4 of the presented agenda report to the Informal Executive meeting) represent good value for money;

 

2.       That the Council considers developing a wedding venue in the Listed Building (with effect from 2021) and that the Accommodation Strategy Member Working Group and officers agree a plan of how the interior of Follaton House should be reshaped before officers procure a more detailed cost plan and tender for associated improvement works to the House and Garden.  (NOTE. a sum of up to £30,000 be allocated from the Land and Development Earmarked Reserve for this purpose); and

 

3.       That a sum of £25,000 be allocated from the Land and Development Earmarked Reserve to undertake infrastructure improvements to Follaton Arboretum to enhance use of the site by staff, tenants and visitors and also to support biodiversity and carbon capture in response to the Council’s commitment to tackle climate change.  (NB. this funding will enable match funding to be sought for improvement works).

 

(NOTE. Cllr Baldry requested that it be noted that he did not support the proposal at part 1 of the above resolution).

 

 

IE.11/19: Implementing a New Recycling Service

 

In light of the potential impact on the project timescales of the Covid-19 Crisis, it was confirmed that a Waste Update would be considered at the Informal Council session to be held on 21 May 2020.

 

It was then:

 

RESOLVED

 

1.       That the progress and future plan in relation to the implementation of the new recycling service be noted;

 

2.       That approval be given to the increase in the cost of building the new depot at Ivybridge, (as set out in Appendix A of the agenda report presented to the Informal Executive meeting), to be funded by internal borrowing and to build this increased cost into the Budget for 2021-22. (NB. this amounts to an increase of £25,600 in paying back the borrowing costs per year, as set out in Appendix A);

 

3.       That approval be given to the increase for the capital costs of the containers and their distribution (as set out in Appendix A of the agenda report presented to the Informal Executive meeting) to be funded by internal borrowing and to build this increased cost into the Budget for 2021-22.  (NB. this amounts to an increase of £8,852 in paying back the borrowing costs per year, as set out in Appendix A); and

 

4.       That approval be given to the increase from £125,000 to £175,000 for the one-off costs of implementation of the Devon Aligned Service. (NB. the increase of £50,000 to be funded from the New Homes Bonus Earmarked Reserve in 2020/21).