Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Downes and Liz Smyth.

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business to be considered at the meeting.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any urgent additional items to be considered

c)  any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

Members were requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any item on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time.

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

To consider the minutes of the last meeting held on 6 September 2021.

Moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Deborah Watson 

RESOLVED that the minutes of a meeting of the Executive held on 6 September 2021 be approved as a true and correct record.

None

None

RESOLVED that the overall performance on Customer Service Standards and Compliments, Comments and Complaints be noted.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Corporate Governance which provided information on the Council’s performance in relation to its customer services standards for the period 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021, as well as an annual summary.  The report provided a detailed breakdown of key customer services standards by quarterly period, together with the target and the cumulative performance for each standard.

The report also provided information on the number of compliments, comments and complaints that had been received during the same period along with the status of any Ombudsman complaints for 2020/21.

Moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Deborah Watson

RESOLVED that the overall performance on Customer Service Standards and Compliments, Comments and Complaints be noted.

(Assistant Director of Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The update report was to keep Members informed of volumes and trends regarding customer service standards and compliments, comments and complaints and to maintain and improve upon Customer Service targets.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

Not application for this report as it was to keep Members informed rather than to aid decision making.

RESOLVED that the report and Annual Letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman 2020/21 be noted.

Executive considered the report of the Portfolio Holder – Corporate Governance which detailed an annual summary of statistics on the complaints made about the Authority for the financial year ending 31^st March 2021.

It was noted that 6 enquiries and complaints had been made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman during 2020/21, one of which had been subject to a detailed investigation.  Seven complaints had been decided, of which two had been incomplete or invalid, two had been closed after initial enquiries and in two cases only advice had been given.  The remaining complaint had been decided as ‘maladministration and injustice’. 

Moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Clive Moesby

RESOLVED that the report and Annual Letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman 2020/21 be noted.

(Assistant Director of Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The report was to keep Members informed of overall performance and to receive the report and Annual Letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman 2020/21.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

Not applicable for this report as it was to keep Members informed rather than to aid decision making.

RESOLVED that the quarterly outturns against the Council Ambition 2020-2024 be noted.

Executive considered the report of the Portfolio Holder – Corporate Governance which reported on the quarter 1 outturns for the Council Ambition 2020-2024 targets.

Out of the 31 targets, 22 (71%) were on track, 2 (6%) had been affected by Covid-19, 2 (6%) had been achieved, 1 (3%) had been achieved but not within the target and 4 (13%) had been achieved previously.

Details of each target and the related performance, together with actions taken to address any delays, were appended to the report.

Moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Deborah Watson

RESOLVED that the quarterly outturns against the Council Ambition 2020-2024 be noted.

(Executive Director of Resources)

REASON FOR DECISION:

This was an information report to keep Members informed of progress against the Council Ambition Targets, noting achievements and any areas of concern.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

Not application for this report as it provided an overview of performance against agreed targets.

(Please note that colour copies of the Annual Report are available from the Partnerships Team and it is also published in colour on the website).

RESOLVED that the Bolsover Partnership Annual Report 2020/21 be noted.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Enforcement and Partnerships which set out the Bolsover Partnership Annual Report 2020/21.  The annual report aimed to provide an overview of the various programmes, initiatives and activities that the Leader’s Executive and Partnership Team had been involved with during the 2020/21 financial year.  The annual report was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

Moved by Councillor Mary Dooley and seconded by Councillor Sandra Peake

RESOLVED that the Bolsover Partnership Annual Report 2020/21 be noted.

(Assistant Director of Leader’s Executive)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The report was an information report which provided an overview of projects, funding and initiatives that had taken place in 2020/21.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

Not applicable for this report as it was to keep Members informed rather than to aid decision making.

RESOLVED that the North Derbyshire Rough Sleeper Strategy 2021-2023 be approved.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Housing that set out and sought adoption of a revised North Derbyshire Rough Sleeper Strategy 2021-2023.  A copy of the proposed strategy was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report set out that the Rough Sleeper Strategy was a refreshed document that outlined why it was essential to provide a package of measures to enable vulnerable members of the community, without accommodation and suffering a range of multiple complex needs, to access services and to live safely and independently.  The updated strategy continued to be rooted in a partnership approach between the Council, other statutory services, the third sector and homeless people.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED that the North Derbyshire Rough Sleeper Strategy 2021-2023 be approved.

(Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement)

REASON FOR DECISION:

There was a legal requirement to have a published Rough Sleeper Strategy in place.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

To not approve the proposed strategy would put the Council in breach of its legal requirement to have a published strategy and would have a negative impact on the health and wellbeing of considerably vulnerable individuals. 

RESOLVED that the updated Rechargeable Repairs Policy be approved.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Housing that set out and sought adoption of an updated Rechargeable Repairs Policy.  A copy of the proposed policy was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report stated that the updated Rechargeable Repairs Policy outlined the Council’s approach to recovery of charges.  It provided a definition of rechargeable repairs and the circumstances in which they may arise.  The updated policy also set out the internal procedure in terms of assessing repairs and calculating recharges as well as the recovery process that would be followed.   There was also a section regarding the use of discretion, for example when a person’s vulnerabilities might affect their ability to pay the rechargeable repairs, or where there were exceptional circumstances.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Clive Moesby

RESOLVED that the updated Rechargeable Repairs Policy be approved.

(Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement)

REASON FOR DECISION:

It was considered good practice to have a policy which set out the Council’s approach to the recovery of charges.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

None.  The updated Policy was considered necessary so that tenants were aware of the Council’s approach to recovery of recharges and in what circumstances these arise.

RESOLVED that –

1.    European Asbestos Services Ltd be awarded the contract for asbestos removals to the Council’s Domestic property stock on a responsive nature.

2.    the Assistant Director of Property Services and Housing Repairs be given delegated authority to extend the contract after the first two years.

3.    progress on the contract be reported through the Housing Stock Group.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Housing that sought approval for the award of a contract for asbestos removals for the Council’s domestic property stock on a responsive nature.

The scope of the contract was to undertake asbestos removals when instructed by the Housing Repairs Service.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED that –

1)   European Asbestos Services Ltd be awarded the contract for asbestos removals to the Council’s domestic property stock on a responsive nature.

2)   the Assistant Director of Property Services and Housing Repairs be given delegated authority to extend the contract after the first two years.

3)   progress on the contract be reported through the Housing Stock Group.

(Assistant Director of Property Services & Housing Repairs)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The current asbestos removal contractor served notice on the current contract.  This was an essential service provision and required a specialist contractor to carry out asbestos removal works.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

No alternative options were available.

To move:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the stated Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and it is not in the public interest for that to be revealed.” [The category of exempt information is stated after each item].

RESOLVED that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the stated Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and it is not in the public interest for that to be revealed. [The category of exempt information is stated after each Minute].

(Paragraphs 3 and 5)

RESOLVED that –

1.    a decision be made in principle to create a Development Company (DevCo) that would operate as a Limited Liability Partnership and establish a “Partnership Board” for the DevCo with an associated Members Agreement.

2.    delegation be granted to the Executive Director of Strategy and Development in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder and the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to incorporate a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Development Company including the establishment of a Partnership Board and/or Investment Board and a Members Agreement.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Growth/Economic Development that set out proposals to create a Development Company that would operate as a Limited Liability Partnership.  The report set out the reasons for the proposal and the matters that required consideration before such a company could be incorporated.

Moved by Councillor Steve Fritchley and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED that –

1)    a decision be made in principle to create a Development Company (DevCo) that would operate as a Limited Liability Partnership and establish a “Partnership Board” for the DevCo with an associated Members Agreement.

2)    delegation be granted to the Executive Director of Strategy and Development in consultation with the Leader and Portfolio Holder and the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to incorporate a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Development Company including the establishment of a Partnership Board and/or Investment Board and a Members Agreement.

(Executive Director of Strategy and Development)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The DevCo was closely aligned to the Council’s ambition for the District because it would make a meaningful and positive contribution to the social, economic and environmental objectives of the Council.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

A ‘do nothing’ option was rejected because the creation of a Development Company was closely aligned with achieving the Council’s ambitions and was supported by the Council’s Business Growth Strategy and Empty Properties Strategy.

[Paragraphs 3 and 5]

(Paragraph 3)

RESOLVED that –

1.    the Council continue to offer the Economic Loan Fund in its present form and the Bolsover Growth Fund should not receive additional funding and remain closed to further applications.

2.    the future funding arrangements for the Bolsover Growth Fund and Economic Loan Fund be reviewed whichever was the sooner of the end of the 2021/2022 financial year or once all funding for the Economic Loan Fund had been committed.

Executive considered a report of the Portfolio Holder – Growth/Economic Development that provided an update on the Bolsover Growth Fund (BGF) and the Economic Loan Fund (ELF).  The report provided information on the uptake and the current funding position for both schemes.

Moved by Councillor Steve Fritchley and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor

RESOLVED that –

1)    the Council continue to offer the Economic Loan Fund in its present form and the Bolsover Growth Fund should not receive additional funding and remain closed to further applications.

2)    the future funding arrangements for the Bolsover Growth Fund and Economic Loan Fund be reviewed whichever was the sooner of the end of the 2021/2022 financial year or once all funding for the Economic Loan Fund had been committed.

(Assistant Director of Development and Planning)

REASON FOR DECISION:

The existing pressure on the Council’s revenue budgets and its reserves made finding additional funds for the Business Growth Fund difficult.  It was therefore recommended that the Council should continue to offer the Economic Loan Fund in its present form and the Business Growth Fund should remain closed.

OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED:

The alternative options for the future of the Business Growth Fund and Economic Loan Fund and the reasons for rejection were set out in the report.

[Paragraph 3]