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To update the Local Development
Scheme
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Made at meeting: 04/02/2021 - Cabinet
Decision published: 09/02/2021
Effective from: 13/02/2021
Decision:
The Cabinet had before it a *report of the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Economy updating the Local Development Scheme and providing a timetable for the production of a new Local Plan for Mid Devon.
The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration outlined the contents of the report stating that there was a legal requirement for the Council to have a Local Development Scheme, which must be made publicly available and kept up to date.
The adoption of the Mid Devon Local Plan in late July 2020 and decisions made by Councils not to progress the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan meant that there was a need for the Local Development Scheme to be revised.
The report sought Cabinet approval for a revised Local Development Scheme to come into effect on the 11th February. The scheme set out the timetable for preparing a new Local Plan for Mid Devon which followed the option 6b full plan review with enhanced consultation that was recommended in the preceding Cabinet report.
The revised Local Development Scheme no longer included a timetable for preparing the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan, and did not include a timetable for preparing a joint non-statutory strategy and infrastructure plan since this would not be subject to a formal process for plan making.
There was no requirement to consult on revisions to the Local Development Scheme. Once approved and brought into effect, the revised Local Development Scheme would be published on the Council’s website.
RESOLVED that the revised Local Development Scheme attached at Appendix 1 be approved to come into effect on 11 February 2021.
(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr C R Slade)
Reason for decision:A Local Development Scheme is required under section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as amended by Section 111 of the Localism Act 2011.
Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.
Lead officer: Jenny Clifford
To consider issues and options for the next
review of the Local Plan in Mid Devon
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Made at meeting: 04/02/2021 - Cabinet
Decision published: 09/02/2021
Effective from: 13/02/2021
Decision:
The Cabinet had before it a *report of the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Economy considering options available to Council for the scope, approach and timetable for the preparation of a new Local Plan for Mid Devon.
The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration stated that there was a legal requirement for the Council to complete a review of the Mid Devon Local Plan 5 years from the date of its adoption. The current Mid Devon Local Plan was adopted in late July 2020 and was examined through transitional arrangements in relation to the 2012 NPPF.
In order to meet the legal requirement for a review there was a need to start preparing a new local plan for the district now which would
· be in conformity with current national planning policy in the 2019 NPPF,
· maintain a 5 year supply of housing sites to meet future housing needs,
· provide planning policy for the Culm Garden Village proposal; and
· which could respond to the Council’s policy priorities.
There was also a need to start preparing a new Local Plan following the decisions made by Councils not to progress the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan and for a joint non-statutory strategy and infrastructure plan to be prepared instead.
The paper before members also considered the merits of 6 alternative approaches for preparing a new Local Plan. These included an option for no review needed, a partial plan review and a full plan review. These are weighed up in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. The report also highlighted:
· that a delay to plan making could risk the strategic policies for Mid Devon becoming out of date, an inability to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing land and the ‘tilted balance’ being applied to planning decisions for housing proposals on sites not identified in the Local Plan; and
· that while future planning reforms set out in the Government’s White Paper could affect a number of the options, the Government had strongly encouraged local authorities to continue the preparation and adoption of local plans and not to delay this in the expectation of those future planning reforms
He outlined the recommendation within the report stating that this could be achieved through current resourcing and budgetary provision, with a potential adoption in mid-2025.
He added that the report also recommended that a non-statutory interim policy statement on planning for climate emergency be prepared alongside the new Local Plan – Option 3. This could supplement current adopted Local Plan policies and help inform the policies in a new local plan.
Consideration was given to:
· The involvement of the Planning Policy Advisory Group in bringing the report forward
· The interim policy statement for climate emergency would act as a bridge and that the new Climate Change officer would guide this further
· The timeline for the plan and whether it would take too long and that key issues should be considered within a shorter timeframe
RESOLVED that:
The preparation of a new Local Plan for Mid Devon following the approach set
out in Option 6b: Full Local Plan (enhanced consultation) be approved together with Option 3: Non-statutory interim policy statement on planning for the climate emergency set out in Table 1.
(Proposed by Cllr R J Chesterton and seconded by Cllr D J Knowles)
Reason for Decision – There is a need to begin a review of the adopted Local Plan as soon as practicable and to prepare a new Local Plan for Mid Devon
Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.
Lead officer: Jenny Clifford
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Made at meeting: 04/02/2021 - Cabinet
Decision published: 09/02/2021
Effective from: 13/02/2021
Decision:
Following consideration of a report of the Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, the Community Policy Development Group had made the following recommendation:
1) A one year grant award be made for 2021-2022, with a review in the autumn of 2021;
2) Grants to be made on a 1 year settlement basis, to be reviewed annually each autumn;
3) The £9650 previously offered to Age UK Mid Devon be identified as a saving;
4) The grant payments for 2021 – 2022 to the Council’s other strategic partners should remain at the same levels as 2020-2021;
5) The levels recommended were:
Organisation |
2021-2022 Grant |
|
|
Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT) |
£12,500 |
Citizens Advice |
£15,500 |
Involve – Voluntary Action in Mid Devon |
£12,000 |
Mid Devon Mobility |
£22,000 |
Grand Western Canal |
£45,000 |
Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life |
£27,500 |
Tourist Information Service |
£4,000 |
|
|
Total Grants |
£138,500 |
|
|
Savings |
£9,650 |
· If the Cabinet were minded to reduce the grant payment awards in 2021-2022 the Community Policy Development Group would recommend that the organisations which directly supported vulnerable residents should have their grant payments protected, namely:
· Churches Housing Action Team (CHAT)
· Citizens Advice
· Involve – Voluntary Action in Mid Devon
· Mid Devon Mobility
The Cabinet Member for Community Well-Being outlined the contents of the report stating that many of the strategic partners had found new funding streams which could be used in addition to the grants available from the authority. He highlighted the closure of Age UK (Mid Devon) and that this money could be used as a potential saving. He explained the impact of the pandemic on many of the grant recipients and how they would be important in the future.
Consideration was given to:
· The need to consider a longer term settlement for grant recipients in the future, rather than a one year settlement
· A typographical error with regard to the 2019/20 funding for the Citizens Advice Bureau
· How vital the recipients were to the community and the role they were playing during the pandemic
RESOLVED that the recommendation of the Policy Development Group be approved.
(Proposed by Cllr D J Knowles and seconded by Cllr C R Slade)
Reason for the Decision – So that the allocation of grants could continue to support external agencies delivering services to enhance the Council’s Homes, Community and Economy priorities
Notes:
i) Cllr D J Knowles declared a personal Interest as he was a Life Member of the Tiverton Museum and a Trustee of INVOLVE;
ii) Cllr B A Moore declared a personal interest as he was the Mid Devon Representative for INVOLVE;
iii) Cllr C R Slade declared a personal interest as he was the Devon County Council representative for INVOLVE, the Chairman of the Grand Western Canal Joint Advisory Committee and a Trustee of the Tiverton Museum;
iv) *Report previously circulated and attached to the minutes
To consider the Business Plan
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Made at meeting: 04/02/2021 - Cabinet
Decision published: 09/02/2021
Effective from: 13/02/2021
Decision:
The Cabinet had before it a * report of the Chief Executive providing Cabinet with a 5 year Business Plan.
The Cabinet Member for Housing and Property Services introduced the 2 new directors that had joined the company:
· Mr Bill Yardley – Non Executive Director
· Mr John Riley – Finance Director
and welcomed them to the meeting.
A Member posed a series of questions which were answered by the Deputy Chief Executive (151) at this point in the meeting:
With regard to interest received, the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) stated that all the interest was shown in the top part of the table, monies were earned and recharged and the money came from cash balances not the PWLB.
With regard to MDDC recharges – these amounts related to costs of MDDC officer time, office accommodation, IT support etc, and whether the council recharges the company at cost, the Deputy Chief Executive (s151) stated that the Councillor was correct, all amounts were recharged at cost, but that it was a financial benefit to the Council.
With regard to loans advanced - clarity was sought with regard to the loan figures and a statement by the Chief Executive which differed in amounts and whether the loans were properly secured– the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) stated that – this has nothing to do with working capital, the loan was £9,611,100 – the difference was the timing difference on the VAT on Knowle Lane and with regard to securing the loan – this was in hand at the present time.
Repaid – if the VAT refund was £550,000 would this not have allowed 3RDL to pay the Council back the single working capital loan it was using to fund its normal operations. The Deputy Chief Executive (S151) stated that the overall loan request for the Knowle Lane site initially included the £550k VAT charged on the land purchase. This sum was fully repaid by the company once they had recovered the VAT from HMRC.
How the working capital loan had been paid off? – the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) to provide this information. (Answer supplied - The working capital advance(s) are being recharged back to the company over a 4 year period which is based on the estimated breakeven timetable).
Why impairments had been considered a direct financial benefit to the Council – The Deputy Chief Executive (S151) stated the report did not state impairments were a financial benefit, but there was a financial benefit in the table – loans and impairments could be signified at the bottom of the table.
Discussion then took place with regard to:
· impairments and how they were reported
· the need for proper scrutiny of the business plan prior to a decision of the Cabinet
· The presentations made to the informal workshop for the Scrutiny and Audit Committees and the work that was taking place to include the Audit Committee in the risk aspect of the business
· Whether there should be more information within the business plan with regard to climate change
· The business plan was a set of ambitions, the allocation of money for projects would require individual business cases which would need to be approved
· The opportunities for 3 Rivers to make money and recycle profit to protect against service cuts for the council
The Chairman then indicated the need to go into Part II to consider the Business Plan in details it was therefore RESOLVED that:
under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
(Proposed by the Chairman)
Following lengthy discussion on the contents of the Business Plan, the meeting returned to open session and it was:
RESOLVED that: the 3 Rivers Development Ltd Business Plan be approved; with the inclusion of the associated borrowing requirement of £14.74m shown for 2021/22 in the Council’s General Fund, Capital Programme and Treasury Strategy budgets. Also that the total gross funding envelope included for 2022/23 to 2025/26 of £64.69m be noted
(Proposed by Cllr R B Evans and seconded by Cllr B A Moore)
Reason for the decision: the approval of the Business Plan is required in line with the Council’s obligations under the existing shareholder agreement and in order to make appropriate provision in the Budget for 2021/22
Note: *Report previously circulated copy attached to minutes.
Lead officer: Andrew Jarrett