Decisions

The report of the Chief Executive set out the Community Development Grant Scheme in detail and sought approval to launch the scheme in July 2025.  The grant would support local voluntary, community and charitable groups to deliver targeted services that met residents’ needs and enhance the quality of life in the community.  

This would be the third round of the UKSPF Community Development Grant Scheme in addition to a recent TMBC 50^th Anniversary Community Grant Scheme which had just been completed.   All three previous schemes had been well received by the local voluntary, community and charity sector and many projects across the borough had been delivered, providing vital support to residents.  As the schemes had been over-subscribed, and to help manage the process, guidance and scoring criteria was set out at Annex 1 to the report, to ensure applicants were aware of funding priorities and to maintain a fair and consistent approach to grant allocation.

In terms of the implementation, the scheme would be launched on 14 July 2025 and closed on 15 September 2025. The final approval of grant allocations would be at Cabinet on 14 October 2025, with funds distributed from the end of October 2025. 

Careful consideration was given to the guidance and scoring criteria at Annex 1.  In order to support local veterans and the Borough’s armed forces community, Cllr Keers proposed, seconded by Cllr Boughton that additional points be included in the scoring criteria for any group proposing projects in support of the armed forces.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)        the priorities of the scheme, as set out in the report, be endorsed;

(2)        the Guidance and Scoring Criteria as set out in Annex 1, be endorsed subject to the inclusion of additional points for any group proposing projects in support of the armed forces; and

(3)        the launch of the scheme on 14 July 2025, be agreed;

The Warm Homes: Local Grant, a government funded scheme in England aimed to improve the energy efficiency of homes and reduce fuel poverty for low-income households was part of the broader Warm Homes Plan, which aimed to upgrade 5 million homes within the next 5 years and support the transition to net zero by 2050. 

The Borough Council had provisionally been awarded £1.5m of the Warm Homes: Local Grant funding to improve the energy efficiency of fuel poor homes in its district and help to deliver a wider net zero programme. 

Due regard was given to the financial and value for money considerations and the assessment of risk detailed in the report.  Members were advised of the scheme constraint that Administration and Ancillary (A&A) cost of delivery must not exceed 15% of the capital spend.  This presented a high financial and reputational risk to the Council which could not be fully mitigated.

Consideration had been given options for delivery of the project, however the financial modelling schemes at Annex 1 and 2 to the reports showed that the scheme was not financially viable.

On the grounds of significant financial and reputational risk in delivering the scheme, Cllr Coffin proposed, seconded by Cllr Boughton and Cabinet

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the Warm Homes: Local Grant funding be declined on the basis that the reputational and financial risk to the Council was too high; and

(2)        the Government be advised that although the Council wished to deliver these improvements in residents’ homes across the borough, the scheme set up and constraints made it too high a risk to accept the funding.

The report of the Director of Finance and Transformation presented Members with the 2024/25 Financial Outturn and the current financial position to the end of May 2025 for the 2025/26 Financial Year, in accordance with the Borough Council’s Financial Procedure Rules. 

A detailed revenue and capital outturn position for the year 2024/25 was provided in the Revenue and Capital Outturn Booklet attached at Annex 1.  Members were pleased with the positive revenue position for 2024/25, reported as a contribution to the Borough Council’s General Revenue Reserveof £1,109,493 after taking into account the additional reserve movements as set out in paragraph 4.3 of the report.  Given the outturn variation, additional reserve movements had been made to assist with the delivery of corporate priorities and future needs of the authority and these movements to reserve to account for the variation between the outturn and revised estimate were provided at paragraph 4.13 of the report.

Details of the movements in reserve balances as at 31 March 2025 were set out in Annex 2 and a summary of decisions taken by Cabinet and Committees with budget implications since the revenue budget was approved by Council in February 2025 to the end of May 2025 was attached at Annex 3.

Budgetary Control Monitoring Statements for Salaries and Incomes to the end of May 2025were attached for information at Annex 4 and Annex 5 respectively.  The 2024/25 revenue budget position was summarised in paragraph 5.8 of the report, which reflected a favourable net variance of £291,052 as at the end of May 2025.

With regard to Business Rates monitoring, particular reference was made to the variation of £198,640 below the original estimate of an overall net income of £4,011,309, due to an increased level of empty properties and the awaited valuations of business properties adjacent to Junction 5 of the M20.

Cllr Coffin proposed, seconded by Cllr Boughton and Cabinet

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the year end position for 2024/25 be noted and the reserve movements as shown in paragraph 4.13 be endorsed;

(2)        at the end of May 2025, a net favourable variance of circa £291k when compared to the proportion of the 2025/26 budget, as shown in paragraph 5.8 of the report, be noted; and

(3)        the current business rate pool position as at the end of May 2025, as set out in paragraph 6.2 of the report, be noted.

Consideration was given to the Masterplan Framework and Viability reports that were the culmination of the East of High Street (EOHS) Masterplan exercise that had been carried out by consultants Mace, Architects Periscope and Commercial Property Specialist Vail Williams since December 2024.  The consultants had presented a high-level illustrative masterplan and spatial development proposals including viability and delivery analysis, to address housing and employment growth needs.

It was proposed that a public engagement exercise be undertaken on the Masterplan Framework, informed by feedback from the Programme Board.  The consultation would run digitally for six weeks from mid-July, supplemented by information at key town centre locations and via social media to ensure broad community access.  Over the summer, further work would develop delivery routes and detail for Member consideration, including funding and procurement options.  The viability report highlighted current market challenges but noted that conditions might change.  Not undertaking public engagement or further delivery analysis over the summer were outlined as alternative options, but both were considered less effective for stakeholder involvement and strategic planning.

Due regard was given to the financial and value for money considerations, the assessment of risks detailed in the report.

To ensure that the work was shared with local stakeholders to allow them to understand the process and the potentially deliverable options, as well as being able to comment on these proposals and raise issues and questions, Cllr Keers proposed, seconded by Boughton and Cabinet

RESOLVED: That

(1)        the site development and delivery options in the Tonbridge Town Centre East of High Street Masterplan Framework Report at Annex 1, be noted and Members be invited to comment on these ahead of a more detailed report in October 2025;

(2)        the Tonbridge Town Centre East of High Street Masterplan Viability Report at Annex 2 (Part 2 – Private) and the Masterplan Viability Report Appendix 2 Market Insight & Benchmarking at Annex 3 (Part 2 – Private) be noted; and

(3)        the recommendation of the Tonbridge Town Centre Programme Board in the meeting on 23 May 2025 at Annex 4 (Part 2 – Private) that a public engagement exercise be undertaken on the Masterplan Framework document, based on the views expressed by the Programme Board, be supported.

Careful consideration was given to a proposed programme of activity to support the borough’s local economy using funding through the Business Rate Pool (Shared Growth Fund). 

Under the national business rates retention scheme, local authorities were able to come together, on a voluntary basis, to pool their business rates, giving them scope to generate additional growth through collaborative effort and to smooth the impact of volatility in rates income across a wide economic area.  Membership in the pool has enabled the Council to access the Shared Growth Fund, which is estimated to be at £1.125m by the end of 2025/26, to finance projects aligned with local and county strategic priorities. The proposed programme at Annex 1, was based on local and county wide strategies and had received approval from Kent County Council.

Cabinet had due regard to the financial and value for money considerations and noted that due to the impending business rate affects affecting local government finance, it was currently unknown as to what level of growth, if any, would be retained through the Pool after 2026/27. Furthermore, due regard was given to the potential risks across the programme.  These risks would be reviewed on an ongoing basis and plans put in place to ensure that the impact and likelihood are minimises where feasible.

On the grounds that there would be investment in the local economy to help support residents and businesses and the programme would foster sustainable growth, Cllr Taylor proposed, Cllr Betts seconded and Cabinet

RESOLVED: That the proposed Business Rates Pool (Shared Growth Fund) Programme, as set out in Annex 1, be approved.