Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the minutes of 4 October 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 4 October 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest to report.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit up to two questions or two statements for each meeting.  Alternatively, you could submit one question and one statement for each meeting.  

All submissions must be emailed in full to kate.critchel@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on Thursday 27 October 2022.   

When submitting your question(s) and/or statement(s) please note that: 

• no more than three minutes will be allowed for any one question or statement to be asked/read  
• a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context and this will be included within the three-minute period 
• please note that sub divided questions count towards your total of two 
• when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g. the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder) 
• Include your name, address and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting. 
• questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda 
• all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.   

Dorset Council Constitution Procedure Rule 9 

There was 1 question and 1 statement from the public.  These are attached at Appendix 1 to these minutes.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to kate.critchel@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  8.30am on Thursday 27 October 2022. 

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13 

There were no questions from councillors to report.

To consider the Cabinet Forward Plan.

The draft Cabinet Forward Plan for December 2022 was received and noted.

To consider a report of the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Capital Strategy.

(a)           That the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of Quarter 2 including progress of the work to deliver savings that were incorporated into the budget, be noted.

(b)           That the spend to date on the approved capital programme for 2022/23 and the likelihood of significant slippage alongside the risk of inflation, interest rates and delivery concerns, be noted.

(c)           That the impact of financial projections for 2022/23 on the developing budget strategy and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP), be noted.

(d)           That the commencement of a procurement process for an insurance protection contract be agreed and the subsequent decision to award the contract be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Capital Strategy, in consultation with the Executive Director, Corporate Development.

Reason for the decision

The Council has responsibilities to deliver its corporate plan priorities and it must do this within the resources made available through the revenue and capital budgets for 2022/23. This report summarises the Council’s forecast financial performance for the year at the half-way point.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Capital Strategy presented the report and proposed its recommendation. The Portfolio Holder advised that since Quarter, officers had work to reduce the rate of overspend and at the end of quarter 2, the Council was forecasting net budget pressures of £7.8m. Further measures should reduce the rate of net spend in the second half of the year.

2022/23 continued to be a challenging time for local government with inflationary and demand pressures impacting on income and expenditure. All directorates were working to make further reductions and prepare for the 2023/24 budget setting.

Cllr J Haynes seconded the motion.

In response questions, the Portfolio Holder and the Executive Director for Corporate Development advised that: -

·       In respect of the Dedicated School Grant, officers had met with the Department of Education to discuss this matter and they had asked the council to present a recovery plan and were open to whether the timescale of the agreement maybe able to be extended.

·       In respect of the contingency fund, the Executive Director confirmed that a detailed response would be forwarded to the councillor concerned.  However, he acknowledged that financial pressure had been experienced in the areas of the Pay Award and home to school transport.

·       In respect of the sundry debt, it was confirmed that other methods of collections were being considered and there would be a balanced judgement some of the debt being written off.

Decision

(a)           That the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of Quarter 2 including progress of the work to deliver savings that were incorporated into the budget, be noted.

(b)           That the spend to date on the approved capital programme for 2022/23 and the likelihood of significant slippage alongside the risk of inflation, interest rates and delivery concerns, be noted.

(c)           That the impact of financial projections for 2022/23 on the developing budget strategy and Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP), be noted.

(d)           That the commencement of a procurement process for an insurance protection contract be agreed and the subsequent decision to award the contract be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Commercial and Capital Strategy, in consultation with the Executive Director, Corporate Development.

Reason for the decision

The Council has responsibilities to deliver its corporate plan priorities and it must do this within the resources made available through the revenue and capital budgets for 2022/23. This report summarises the Council’s forecast financial performance for the year at the half-way point.

To consider a report from the Portfolio Holder for Planning.

(a)           That Dorset Council enters into a funding agreement above £500,000 (£895,034) with Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) to deliver 12.5 hectares of strategic Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) for heathland mitigation.

(b)           That authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning to enter into a contract funding agreement for DWT to deliver the Wild Woodbury SANG should be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning on terms to be recommended by the Executive Director of Place.

Reason for the decision

Cabinet was required to consider all key decisions with financial consequences of £500,000 or more. The project formed part of the Heathland Interim Mitigation Strategy for the emerging Purbeck Local Plan which was currently undergoing an examination into its soundness.

The project had been considered and approved by the Heathland Mitigation Steering Group which includes representatives from Natural England.

In the absence of the Portfolio Holder for Planning, the Deputy Leader set out the report and proposed the recommendation. The report sought a decision for grant funding £895,034.98 to Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) of heathland mitigation funds collected via the Community Infrastructure Levy to allow delivery of the SANG.

In seconding the proposal, Cllr R Bryan advised that letters had been forwarded to the central government in respect of the continuing damage to the heathland by wildfires, in relation to portable bar-b-ques. He was asking ministers to consider legislation in order to protect the natural environment.

Decision

(a)                    That Dorset Council enters into a funding agreement above £500,000 (£895,034) with Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) to deliver 12.5 hectares of strategic Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) for heathland mitigation.

(b)                    That authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning to enter into a contract funding agreement for DWT to deliver the Wild Woodbury SANG should be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Planning on terms to be recommended by the Executive Director of Place.

Reason for the decision

Cabinet was required to consider all key decisions with financial consequences of £500,000 or more. The project formed part of the Heathland Interim Mitigation Strategy for the emerging Purbeck Local Plan which was currently undergoing an examination into its soundness.

The project had been considered and approved by the Heathland Mitigation Steering Group which includes representatives from Natural England.

To consider a report from the Portfolio Holder for Planning.

That the revised timetable for the production of the Dorset Council Local Plan, the Minerals Plan, the Waste Plan and various Neighbourhood Plans within the Local Development Scheme be acknowledged and that it will come into effect as of the date of this committee (1 November 2022).

Reasons for decision

To formally make the neighbourhood plan review part of the statutory development plan for the Pimperne Neighbourhood Area. In addition, to recognise the significant amount of work undertaken by Pimperne Parish Council and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group in preparing the plan review and to congratulate the Council and Group on their success.

The Portfolio Holder for Culture, Communities and Customer Services presented the report on behalf of the Planning Portfolio Holder. Members were advised that the neighbourhood plan review had been subject to independent examination and the examiner had recommended that the Council should make (adopt) the plan with the modifications specified in his report. 

The recommendation was proposed by Cllr L Beddow and seconded by Cllr A Parry.

Members took the opportunity to congratulate Pimperne Parish Council and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group in producing a successful neighbourhood plan review.

Concerns were expressed around the delay of the new Local Plan and the consequence to the five-year land supply, which was impacting on planning committee decisions. In response, the Chairman indicated that he had written to the minister concerned seeking flexibility on the five-year plan for land supply for Dorset.

Decision

That the revised timetable for the production of the Dorset Council Local Plan, the Minerals Plan, the Waste Plan and various Neighbourhood Plans within the Local Development Scheme be acknowledged and that it will come into effect as of the date of this committee (1 November 2022).

Reasons for decision

To formally make the neighbourhood plan review part of the statutory development plan for the Pimperne Neighbourhood Area. In addition, to recognise the significant amount of work undertaken by Pimperne Parish Council and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Group in preparing the plan review and to congratulate the Council and Group on their success.

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment to present the recommendation from Place and Resources Overview Committee of 6 October 2022.

(a)           That the policy for setting the principles, criteria, and process for 20mph schemes, as amended below, be approved.

“That the wording in Appendix B, relating to the requirement to undertake a survey of residents and the requirement to have a threshold level of support of 60% from the respondents of households affected by the proposed 20mph scheme, should be removed, and changed to ‘must be able to demonstrate and quantify community support for the initiative’, to be in line with the wording of ‘criteria c’”

(b)           That the policy be reviewed 1 year after adoption.

Reason for decision

To ensure speed limit consistency across Dorset.

Cllr S Gibson, Lead Member for Highways presented the report and the recommendation from the Place and Resources Overview Committee of 6 October 2022.

The Portfolio Holder for Highway, Travel and Environment proposed the recommendation, and this was seconded by Cllr G Carr-Jones.

Members spoke in support of the proposal and the Portfolio Holder confirmed that a policy review would take place after a year by Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee. The Chairman of Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee also requested that an update report be presented to the committee after 6 months of operation.  In response Chairman suggested that this should be discussed outside of the meeting.

Decision

(a)           That the policy for setting the principles, criteria, and process for 20mph schemes, as amended below, be approved.

“That the wording in Appendix B, relating to the requirement to undertake a survey of residents and the requirement to have a threshold level of support of 60% from the respondents of households affected by the proposed 20mph scheme, should be removed, and changed to ‘must be able to demonstrate and quantify community support for the initiative’, to be in line with the wording of ‘criteria c’”

(b)           That the policy be reviewed 1 year after adoption.

Reason for decision

To ensure speed limit consistency across Dorset.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health to report.

The Portfolio Holder for Adults Social Care and Health addressed the committee on the progress in adult social care.

The written statement is attached at Appendix 2 to these minutes.

Cabinet Portfolio Holder(s) and Leader Members to report.

The Portfolio Holder updates are attached at Appendix 3.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items considered at the meeting.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x  of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.

There is no exempt business scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.