Issue - meetings

To consider the following recommendation from the Scrutiny Committee (6^th January 2020) following the call-in of the Cabinet Decision with regard to the Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Tender Outcome.

That the Cabinet be asked to reconsider its decision: to postpone the specific scheme that came forward in advance of the forthcoming Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan, and allow the second stage of the process to be properly completed before seeking to prioritise strategic investment opportunities.

Following the meeting on 19^th December 2019, the following *decision had been called in by members of the Scrutiny Committee:

1.            The specific scheme that came forward in advance of the forthcoming Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan be postponed, and allows the second stage of the process to be properly completed before seeking to prioritise strategic investment opportunities.

2.            The Cabinet Members for Planning & Economic Regeneration and Housing and Property Services:

a)   Consider how a Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Fund might be established to facilitate match-funding opportunities and encourage external investment into the town, with proposals to be brought back to the Cabinet. 

b)   Work with Tiverton Town Council, market traders, the Town Centre Partnership and other businesses in the town to identify a programme of works that will make a significant improvement to the Town Centre in the short term.

Following consideration of the item at its meeting on 6 January 2020 the Scrutiny Committee had recommended that the decision to defer the Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Project – Tender Outcome be reconsidered.

The Leader addressed the meeting raising the issue of the lack of consultation with Tiverton Town Council over the proposed scheme and the view that a better scheme could come forward and that it was not value for money to finance a scheme that was not supported by the town council.  He highlighted the various schemes that had come forward over recent years and the cost of those projects

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The reasons for the call in and that Article 15 (Principles of Decision making) had not been breached

·         The views of the lead member for the call-in with regard to a difference of opinion and that there were no clear plans if the project was postponed nor the amount of funding that would be required if a further project was agreed

·         The cost of the project to date

·         The meetings that had taken place with Tiverton Town Council over the last few months and whether the ideas being put forward were realistic and could be funded and that a bigger scheme would require the loss of the bank which would impact on the residents of the town

·         The concerns of local traders

RESOLVED that having reconsidered the decision to postpone the specific scheme, the original decision be confirmed. The Cabinet wishes to expedite a substitute scheme to be implemented as quickly as possible with a view to improving the Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Project.

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Notes:

i)             Cllr R L Stanley declared a personal interest as he had been involved in the initial scheme;

ii)            Cllr C J Eginton declared a personal interest as he had a business in the town;

iii)           * Decision previously circulated copy attached to minutes.

To consider any decisions made by the Cabinet at its last meeting that have been called-in.

The Chairman informed the Committee that a decision made by the Cabinet at its meeting on 19 December 2019 (with regard to the Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Project – Tender Outcome) had been called in for consideration by the Scrutiny Committee by Councillors R B Evans, R J Chesterton and B A Moore for the following reasons:

1.    The decision that was not unanimously supported by Cabinet fails to understand its significant negative impact when considering the stated council wide ambitions within the current and proposed strategy for regeneration of town centres made within the corporate plan and is contrary to the stated strategic aims of Mid Devon Council as a whole.

2.    The decision has been set against a wish to seek views from a number of sections of society, however is clearly driven by the wishes of a small number of Tiverton Town Council planning committee members in particular as stated by individual members of Cabinet on several occasions.

3.    Cabinet have failed to acknowledge documented evidence of previous wide ranging consultations that satisfied all consultation requirements.

4.    Cabinet have failed to offer a plan that can realistically off set the evident clash of priorities when full-council are asked to consider the future corporate plan at its meeting on 26th February 2020 with no measurable time line set for future decisions against this vital project, yet its delay is contrary to stated aims within the economic strategy of the MDDC plan.

5.    Cabinet have failed to recognise the reputational damage that can affect the council given their failure to show a clear economic commitment towards the town, this may possibly also manifest itself in reduced investment from other investors who may see MDDC’s Cabinets continued dither and delay as systematic across a range of future investment opportunities.

6.    Cabinet have failed to offer a viable alternative except a delay in any works towards the town’s regeneration ambitions.

7.    Cabinet have failed to consider the financial loss that is already known and continues to grow as each days delay adds to the cost of non-action set against a known budgetary challenge over the coming months and years. These losses should be clearly and openly publicised too aid a decision that is enshrined in openness and transparency to aid informed debate.

The Chairman invited Cllr R Evans who had led the ‘call in’ to address the Committee. Cllr R Evans explained that he felt that the decision made by the Cabinet on 19^th December to postpone the contract award for the Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration project should be reconsidered.

He explained that that project had been fully considered by the previous administration and that it was aligned to the Corporate Plan. He informed the Committee of the previous public consultation, the planning application in which Tiverton Town Council had commented and the full member review which had taken place. He explained that the market entrance project was part of the wider Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan. He explained that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101

To consider a report of the Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets/Deputy Chief Executive (S151) deferred from the previous meeting requesting the Cabinet to review the results of the Tiverton Town Regeneration tender.

The Cabinet had before it a * report of the Group Manager for Corporate Property and Commercial Assets/Deputy Chief Executive (S151) deferred from a previous meeting requesting the Cabinet to review the results of the Tiverton Town Regeneration tender.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report explaining the history of the project, the initial consultation process for the Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan and the decisions that had been taken to start the project within the town centre prior to the completion of the masterplanning exercise.  He explained the planning permission that had been granted and the recent discussions with Tiverton Town Council who had felt that their representations had not been considered and that there was a need to delay the proposed works for consideration of the final masterplan.  He wanted to initiate a Town Centre Regeneration Fund to form the basis for matched funding offers to regenerate the town.

Consideration was given to:

·         The views of some of the Tiverton Town Councillors who had differing views of the proposals for the town centre

·         The views of the traders in the market

·         The various schemes that had come forward over recent years

·         Whether match funding could be found

·         The consultation that had or had not taken place with Tiverton Town Council and the Town Council’s disapproval of the current scheme

·         Whether a gold star scheme could be afforded

·         The money that would be lost if the scheme stalled

RESOLVED that:

1.            the specific scheme that came forward in advance of the forthcoming Tiverton Town Centre Masterplan be postponed, and allows the second stage of the process to be properly completed before seeking to prioritise strategic investment opportunities.

2.            The Cabinet Members for Planning & Economic Regeneration and Housing and Property Services:

a)   Consider how a Tiverton Town Centre Regeneration Fund might be established to facilitate match-funding opportunities and encourage external investment into the town, with proposals to be brought back to the Cabinet. 

b)   Work with Tiverton Town Council, market traders, the Town Centre Partnership and other businesses in the town to identify a programme of works that will make a significant improvement to the Town Centre in the short term.

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Notes: 

i)             Cllr R L Stanley declared a personal interest as the previous Cabinet Member for Housing and Property Services and a Director of 3 Rivers Development Limited;

ii)            Cllr Mrs N Woollatt requested that her abstention from voting be recorded;

iii)           *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.