Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, Gibson Building, Kings Hill, West Malling

Contact: Committee Services  Email: committee.services@tmbc.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

PART 1 - PUBLIC

CB 14/29

Declarations of interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

CB 14/30

Minutes

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4 February 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

CB 14/31

Minutes

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on Thursday, 13 February 2014

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 13 February 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Matters for Recommendation to the Council

CB 14/32

Petition Regarding Haydens Mews and the White House Conservation Status pdf icon PDF 44 KB

Item referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 11 March 2014

 

 

 

The report advised that the Borough Council had received a petition from residents of Haydens Mews (36 signatories) requesting that the Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary be revised to include this area.

 

It was reported that the previous removal of Haydens Mews from the Tonbridge Conservation Area had been subject to a public consultation exercise, along with all other alterations to the boundary that were proposed at the time.  Objections to the proposed exclusion had been carefully considered but the Borough Council had remained of the view that the area should not form part of the Conservation Area and adopted the revised boundary accordingly. (Minute Number C 09/063 refers).

 

However, reference was made to changes in permitted development rights during the intervening period and it was considered that a review of the boundary could be justified on these grounds.

 

RECOMMENDED: The Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary in the vicinity of Haydens Mews be reviewed in the light of changes in permitted development rights since the conservation area status was removed. 

 

*Referred to Cabinet

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Item PE 14/10 referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board minutes of 11 March 2014

 

The Cabinet received the recommendations of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board at its meeting on 11 March 2014 regarding receipt of a petition from residents of Haydens Mews requesting that the Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary be revised to include that area.  The Advisory Board recommended that the boundary be reviewed with the aim of redesignating the area excluded in 2009.

 

A further report by the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health presented a review of the boundary in the Haydens Mews and White House area and proposed its redesignation as part of the Tonbridge Conservation Area.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That the Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary be modified to include the area in the vicinity of Haydens Mews and White House as shown in Annex 1 to the report.

* Referred to Council

Decisions Taken in Accordance with Paragraph 4, Part 3 of the Constitution

CB 14/33

Housing Assistance Policy 2014-2016

Item referred from Strategic Housing Advisory Board of 24 February 2014

 

 

The joint report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health and the Cabinet Member for Housing set out details of proposed changes to the Housing Assistance Policy to reflect the recent Overview and Scrutiny Committee review of the Policy.  The Board was reminded that the Policy allowed the Borough Council to encourage home owners to improve their homes while providing financial support for the most vulnerable and most in need and particular reference was made to Home Improvements funding, the Warm Homes scheme and Home Safety Assistance.  Members noted that the proposed changes aimed to target the available assistance to reflect the Council’s key strategic priorities.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That the revised Housing Assistance Policy, as detailed at Annex 1 to the report, be commended to Cabinet for approval. 

 

Minutes:

Item SH 14/4 referred from Strategic Housing Advisory Board minutes of 24 February 2014

 

Decision Notice D140039CAB

CB 14/34

Poult Wood Golf Centre - Charges pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Item referred from Leisure and Arts Advisory Board of 12 March 2014

 

 

The joint report of the Director of Street Scene and Leisure and Cabinet Member for Leisure, Youth and Arts outlined charging proposals brought forward by the Tonbridge and Malling Leisure Trust in respect of Poult Wood Golf Centre together with details of proposed membership options and booking privileges.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That

 

(1)            the proposed core charges for Poult Wood Golf Centre set out at Annex 1 to the report be approved and implemented by the Leisure Trust from 1 April 2014; and

 

(2)            the Leisure Trust’s proposed new membership options be supported and the proposed new membership priority booking status with a 48 hour advanced window for tee time bookings for Poult Wood Golf Centre be agreed.

* Referred to Cabinet

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Item LAA 14/4 referred from Leisure and Arts Advisory Board minutes of 12 March 2014

 

Decision Notice D140040CAB

CB 14/35

Peer Challenge pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision Notice D140041CAB

CB 14/36

Flood Support Schemes pdf icon PDF 50 KB

Minutes:

Decision Notice D140042CAB

CB 14/37

Retail Rate Relief pdf icon PDF 54 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Decision Notice D140043CAB

CB 14/38

Local Retail Centres - Engagement

Item referred from Economic Regeneration Advisory Board of 26 February 2014

 

The report of the Chief Executive provided an update on the engagement with traders from the Borough’s local retail centres and sought agreement for a revised process for approving applications for grant support.

 

Members were pleased to note that all meetings held to date had resulted in positive and productive discussions.  The main issues arising from these meetings were summarised in the report. 

 

In addition, the offer of grant funding had been welcomed by local traders.  However, an extension to the original deadline had been requested due to the tight timescales involved for some groups.   To enable grant decisions to be made quickly it was proposed that Cabinet grant delegated authority to the Cabinet Members for Economic Regeneration and for Finance, Innovation and Property to determine grant applications and for those decisions to be reported to a further meeting of the Advisory Board for information.

 

RECOMMENDED: That

 

(1)             the outcome of discussions with local traders held to date be noted; and

 

(2)            authority be delegated to the Cabinet Members for Economic Regeneration and for Finance, Innovation and Property to make decisions regarding applications for grant support from local traders groups.

 

Minutes:

Item ERG 14/4 referred from Economic Regeneration Advisory Board minutes of 26 February 2014

 

Decision Notice D140044CAB

CB 14/39

Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan Response to Consultation pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Item referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 11 March 2014

 

 

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health recommended a response to the Kent County Council pre-submission version of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan which was out for consultation.

 

After careful consideration Members supported the proposed responses set out and recognised that further discussion with Kent County Council on the issues raised would be constructive.

 

RECOMMENDED: That the proposed responses in the report be used as the basis for ongoing discussion with Kent County Council and inform the Borough Council’s formal response to the consultation on the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Pre-Submission, January 2014).

 

*Referred to Cabinet

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Item PE 14/8 referred from Planning and Transportation Advisory Board minutes of 11 March 2014

 

Decision Notice D140045CAB

Matters submitted for Information

CB 14/40

Matters Referred from Advisory Boards pdf icon PDF 9 KB

The notes of meetings of Advisory Boards are attached, any recommendations identified by an arrow being for determination by the Cabinet. Notices relating to any decisions already taken by Cabinet Members under the arrangements for delegated decision making have previously been circulated.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The notes of the meetings of the following Advisory Boards were received, any recommendations contained therein being incorporated within the decisions of the Cabinet reproduced at the Annex to these Minutes.

 

Strategic Housing Advisory Board of 24 February 2014

Economic Regeneration Advisory Board of 26 February 2014

Local Environmental Management Advisory Board of 3 March 2014

Communities and Health Advisory Board of 4 March 2014

Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 11 March 2014

Leisure and Arts Advisory Board of 12 March 2014

 

RESOLVED:  That the report be received and noted.

CB 14/41

Matters Referred from Advisory Panels and Other Groups pdf icon PDF 8 KB

The minutes of meetings of Advisory Panels and Other Groups are attached, any recommendations being identified by an arrow.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meetings of the following Advisory Panels and other Groups were received, any recommendations contained therein being incorporated within the decisions of the Cabinet reproduced at the Annex to these Minutes.

 

Tonbridge Forum of 17 February 2014

Parish Partnership Panel of 20 February 2014

Joint Transportation Board of 17 February 2014

 

RESOLVED:  That the report be received and noted.

CB 14/42

Medium Term Financial Strategy pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Finance and Transformation confirmed the latest published iteration of the Medium Term Financial Strategy following the 2014/15 budget setting process and the projected ‘funding gap’ identified as a result.  Reference was made to the estimated further savings of around £1.875m needing to be made over the medium term.  It was intended to divide this into a number of tranches with the first broken down into a savings target for 2015/16 of £200,000 followed by £450,000.

 

Areas for potential savings would shortly be considered by the Management Team and monitoring reports brought forward to enable the management of the process to be maintained.

 

RESOLVED:  That the report be received and noted.

CB 14/43

Local Indicators 2013/14 pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Director of Central Services presented the results for the third quarter and cumulatively for the first three-quarters of the current financial year for those local indicators monitored regularly.

 

RESOLVED:  That the report be received and noted.

CB 14/44

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman moved, it was seconded and

 

RESOLVED:  That as public discussion would disclose exempt information, the following matters be considered in private.

Decisions Taken in Accordance with Paragraph 4, Part 3 of the Constitution

CB 14/45

Debts for Write Off

(Reason: LGA 1972 Sch 12A Para 2 – Information likely to reveal information about an individual)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Reason: LGA 1972 Sch 12A Para 2 – Information likely to reveal information about an individual)

 

Decision Notice D140046CAB