To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2020, TO FOLLOW

To receive any questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14.  Deadline for notification is not later than 1.00 pm on Thursday 10 December 2020

To receive any questions of which Members have given due notice, the deadline for notification for this meeting is 5.00 pm on Wednesday 9 December 2020.

Lead Member – Councillor Lezley Picton – Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure, Waste and Communications

Report of Director of Place, TO FOLLOW

Contact:  Mark Barrow 01743 258916

RESOLVED:

1. To note and acknowledge progress and actions undertaken to meet the recommendations of the Cabinet report in February 2020.

2.To agree that the new Option 4, as recommended by the Member Working Group, is the emerging preferred option for the reasons set out within this report.

3. To delegate to the Executive Director of Place, in consultation with the Leader and the Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure, Waste and Communications, the ability to progress due diligence on the emerging preferred option, to include:

I.          Design development to RIBA stage 2

II.         Soft market testing and economic impact assessment

III.        Whole-life financial appraisal: capital and revenue modelling

IV.       Management Option(s)

V.        Development of a delivery and procurement strategy

VI.       Development of programme and risk management plans

4. To agree that following the due diligence exercise, officers will report back to Cabinet for a decision on a final preferred option in June 2021 which will then be subject to a public and stakeholder consultation before a final recommendation is made by Cabinet to Council.

Lead Member – Councillor Dean Carroll, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Services and Climate Change

Report of Director of Place attached

Contact:  Mark Barrow 01743 258916

RESOLVED:

To recommend that Council approves the Corporate Climate Emergency Strategy, Action Plan and Project Pipeline 2020 (Appendices 1 and 2);

Lead Member – Councillor Lee Chapman – Portfolio Holder for Organisational Transformation and Digital Infrastructure

Report of Chief Executive attached

Contact:  Andy Begley, 01743 258675

RESOLVED:

To consider the emerging issues in this report

To review the performance portal and identify any performance areas to consider in greater detail or refer to the Performance Management Scrutiny Committee.

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED:

To note that at the end of Quarter 2 (30 September 2020), the full year revenue forecast is a potential overspend of £2.771m;

To consider the impact of this on the Council’s General Fund balance.

To approve that Shropshire Council acts as Accountable Body for the Pocket Parks programme

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED: 

To accept the position as set out in the report

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED:

to agree and recommend to full Council for approval:

In accordance with the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018 to approve the revised discretionary power to levy a Council Tax premium in relation to dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than ten years i.e. increasing the premium to 300% in relation to dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than ten years and the resulting inclusion of an additional 197.00 Band D equivalents in the taxbase.

To approve the publication of a notice regarding the new discretionary Council Tax discount policy awarded in respect of vacant properties within 21 days of the determination.

On the assumption that the changes to the discount policy in relation to vacant dwellings detailed in Sections 2.1 and 8.3 of this report have been approved, Cabinet members are asked to agree and recommend to full Council:

To approve, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Shropshire Council as it’s Council Tax taxbase for the year 2021/22, as detailed in Appendix A, totalling 113,688.99 Band D equivalents.

To note continuation of the Council’s localised Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme in 2021/22. The scheme is attached at Appendix B.

To note the exclusion of 8,917.40 Band D equivalents from the taxbase as a result of localised Council Tax Support.

To note continuation of the discretionary Council Tax discount policy of 0% in respect of second homes (other than those that retain a 50% discount through regulation as a result of job related protection) and note the inclusion of 715.06 Band D equivalents in the Council Tax taxbase as a result of this discount policy.

To note continuation of the discretionary Council Tax discount policy to not award a discount in respect of vacant dwellings undergoing major repair, i.e. former Class A exempt properties.

To note continuation of the discretionary Council Tax discount policy in respect of vacant dwellings, i.e. former Class C exempt properties, of 100% for one month i.e. effectively reinstating the exemption and the resulting exclusion of 172.56 band D equivalents from the taxbase.

To note continuation of the “six week rule” in respect of vacant dwellings, i.e. former Class C exempt properties.

To note continuation of the discretionary Council Tax discount policy to levy a Council Tax premium of 100% in relation to dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than two years (but less than five years) and the resulting inclusion of an additional 320.56 Band D equivalents in the taxbase.

 To note continuation of the discretionary Council Tax discount policy to levy a Council Tax premium of 200% in relation to dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for more than five years (but less than ten years) and the resulting inclusion of an additional 212.00 Band D equivalents in the taxbase.

To approve a collection rate for the year  ...  view the full decision text for item 12.

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED:

To pprove the savings proposals as outlined in Appendix A which will contribute towards delivery of a balanced budget in 2021/22 and the removal of £1.651m of previously approved savings now unachievable, enabling the Leader of the Council to take his proposed budget to consultation

To note the revised funding gap for the years 2022/23 to 2025/26.

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

RESOLVED:

To accept the position as set out in the report.

To note that any changes required to the Treasury Strategy including the Annual Investment Strategy or prudential and treasury indicators as a result of decisions made by the Capital Investment Board will be reported to Council for approval.

Lead Member – Councillor David Minnery – Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate Support

Report of Director of Finance, Governance and Assurance attached

Contact:  James Walton 01743 258915

To resolve that in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 (3) of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items.

RESOLVED:

that in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 (3) of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items.

Lead Member – Councillor Steve Charmley – Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Assets, Economic Growth and Regeneration attached

Report of Director of Place, attached

Contact:  Mark Barrow 01743 258916

RESOLVED:

That all recommendations made in the report be approved.

Lead Member – Councillor Ed Potter – Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services

Report of the Director of Children’s Services attached

Contact:  Karen Bradshaw 01743 254201

RESOLVED:

That the recommendation in the report be approved.