Agenda item

The Leader indicated that, as this was the budget meeting of Council, Councillor Coffin would be making recommendations for setting the Budget and the level of Council Tax later in the meeting.  The Leader acknowledged that the financial challenges facing the Council were familiar across the whole of local government.  He stated that the strategic approach taken by the administration to meet the financial challenge was to recommend the adoption of a Savings and Transformation Strategy by the Council to help guide decisions which would enable the delivery of the savings to be achieved by 2019/20.  He noted that this was the first occasion that the Council had taken such an approach. 

He advised that, while at a very early stage, a further strand was being developed which related to more joined up working on two key fronts.  Firstly, the Borough Council was in discussion with the County Council on a ‘District Deal’ which would seek opportunities for more local service delivery and better use of property assets.  Secondly, along with fellow West Kent district councils, discussions were being held on the development of a closer working relationship with the County Council over common issues affecting these authorities.  As an example, the Leader indicated that this built on closer working on Economic Development and Tourism through the West Kent Partnership.  He advised that he would report back on progress made in these areas in due course. 

The Leader advised Members that he had pressed for a clear timetable for the improvements to be made to the Leigh Flood Storage Area (FSA).  He recalled that, in announcing that funding would be made available to increase capacity at the Leigh FSA and to bring the programme forward from 2035 to 2017, the Government had stated that improvements would be made at key locations on the River Medway and the rivers Beult and Teise.  In response the Environment Agency had established a project team and employed consultants to undertake technical work, including catchment modelling.  The Leader expressed the belief that the works required to improve the Leigh FSA were well understood and capable of early implementation and that the Environment Agency’s position was that work on the Medway Flood Storage Areas project was proceeding on time and on budget.  He advised that the Environment Agency officials would be presenting the findings of the Initial Assessment to the project’s Executive Group on 19 February 2016.  The Leader advised that he would be attending a Flood Forum meeting hosted by the County Council in early March at which he would be making it clear that the Leigh Scheme should be progressed.

The Council was reminded that it regularly held meetings with a number of housing associations at the Housing Associations Liaison Panel which were chaired by Councillor Mrs Anderson and noted that a detailed report on the most recent round of meetings would be considered by the Housing and Environment Services Advisory Board on 22 February 2016.  The Leader indicated that two notable concerns had emerged from the meetings. Firstly, that the housing associations were looking to make substantial operational efficiencies in light of recent changes in the sector such as the 1% rent reduction announced in the Budget.  Secondly, although the housing associations continued to actively seek opportunities to provide new affordable housing within the Borough, this had become a greater challenge.  He advised that the reduction on capital funding overall and the focus on Shared Ownership could lead to a significant reduction in the provision of Social Rent and Affordable Rent.  He stated that some housing associations saw delivery for outright sale as a means to cross subsidise the provision of more units for rent and as part of a broader offer to meet housing need.

The Leader was pleased to inform the Council that the Chief Environmental Health Officer, Jane Heeley, had been nominated to the shortlist for the Better Business for All Awards.  He invited Members to join him in congratulating her on this nomination which recognised the hard work and dynamic leadership she had shown in leading the programme in Kent. 

Finally, the Leader announced that three sets of external funding had been secured for outdoor leisure projects.  The SITA Trust had made an award of £50,000 to the Borough Council for improvements to play facilities at Haysden Country Park; the Rangers at Leybourne Lakes had received confirmation of a successful bid to TESCO funded by the introduction of the 5p carrier bag charge which guaranteed a minimum of £8,000 to be used to enhance the existing dipping pond area; and a joint bid with Tonbridge Round Table to Sport England had secured funding for the construction of two concrete table tennis tables at Tonbridge Racecourse sportsground.