Policy and Resources Committee - 13 March 2023

REVISED

POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting to be held on Monday 13 March 2023 at 7.30pm in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers, Northway, Rickmansworth.

Members of the Policy and Resources Committee:-

Councillors

Sarah Nelmes (Chair)

Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Vice-Chair)

(Infrastructure & Planning Policy)      Paul Rainbow (Transport & Economic Development)

Andrew Scarth (Housing)

Stephen Cox

Phillip Hearn

Chris Lloyd (Leisure)

Keith Martin (Resources & Shared Services)

Abbas Merali       Roger Seabourne (Community Safety &

(Partnerships)

Reena Ranger

Ciaran Reed

Phil Williams (Environmental Services,  Climate Change & Sustainability)

Joanne Wagstaffe Chief Executive

3 March 2023

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public on agenda items at the Policy and Resources Committee meetings. Details of the procedure are provided below:

For those wishing to speak:

Members of the public are entitled to register and identify which item(s) they wish to speak on from the published agenda for the meeting.  Those who wish to register to speak are asked to register on the night of the meeting from 7pm.  Please note that contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes.

In the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee.

Those wishing to observe the meeting are requested to arrive from 7pm.

In accordance with The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 any matters considered under Part I business only of the meeting may be filmed, recorded, photographed, broadcast or reported via social media by any person.

Recording and reporting the Council’s meetings is subject to the law and it is the responsibility of those doing the recording and reporting to ensure compliance.  This will include the Human Rights Act, the Data Protection Legislation and the laws of libel and defamation.

The meeting will not be broadcast/livestreamed but an audio recording of the meeting will be made.

1.         APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.         MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee meeting held on 23 January 2023.

3.      NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 30 to be announced, together with the special circumstances that justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chair to rule on the admission of such items.

4.    DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

To receive any declarations of interest.

POLICY

5.    CIL GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

This report seeks Member approval of an amended CIL Governance process. This report proposes a governance structure which will be the principal means by which CIL monies will be spent on the infrastructure necessary to support new development.

The protocols proposed will ensure that CIL is managed in an open and transparent way and in accordance with the Community Infrastructure Regulations (2010) (Regulations).

6.    NATURE RECOVERY STRATEGY

The purpose of this report is to summarise the content and implications of the Three Rivers Nature Recovery Strategy, and recommend that the final version of the Strategy is adopted by Three Rivers District Council.

Appendix A details the Three Rivers Nature Recovery Strategy.

7.   APPOINTMENTS TO THREE RIVERS COMPANIES

The purpose of the report is to note the appointment of replacement officers onto the Council companies, Three Rivers Commercial Services Ltd, Three Rivers Homes LLP and Three Rivers Homes Ltd, with the upcoming retirement of the Director of Community & Environmental Services (DCES).

8.   T0 RECEIVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONSTITUTION SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 7 MARCH 2023

To receive recommendations on minute writing standards.

The link to the constitution sub-committee reports is here

Following the sub committee the report is subject to the agreed amendments to Appendix 1

RESOURCES

9.  DEBTS TO BE WRITTEN OFF

The Council is responsible for the collection of Sundry Debts, Housing Benefit Overpayments, Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates.

The report informs Members of the debt to be written-off for these debt streams. Debts up to the value of £3,000 can be written off by s151 Officer, under delegated powers. Permission needs to be sought from the Committee to write off individual debts with a value of more than £3,000.

The total debt of Three Rivers debts to be written off is £187,521.65 (see appendix 1).

10.   BUDGET MONITORING REPORT TO 31 JANUARY 2023

Budget monitoring report is a key tool in scrutinising the Council’s financial performance and is designed to provide an overview to all relevant stakeholders.  It is essential that the council monitors its budgets throughout the year to ensure that it is meeting its strategic objectives within its resource limits and, where necessary, corrective action is taken.  A key principle of budgetary control is to align the budget holders’ financial responsibilities and their management responsibilities.

This report shows the expected financial position over the three year medium term based on the Council’s actual financial performance at the end of period ten (31 January 2023) set against the latest budget.

11.   WORK PROGRAMME

To receive the Committee’s work programme.

12.   OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under Item 3 above

13.   EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining items in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined under Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

(Note:  If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items.)

1.   LA HOUSING FUND BUSINESS CASES

The Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) was announced in December 2022 and is a project aimed at providing longer term accommodation for Afghan and Ukrainian families who have arrived in the UK via various resettlement schemes. The Government has allocated £500 million in capital funds to support Local Authorities who are facing the greatest challenges in providing ‘move on’ and settled accommodation for these particular groups.

At their meeting on the 21 February 2023, Full Council approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Levelling Up & Communities (DLUHC) to obtain LAHF Funding. Full Council also granted approval to delegate to Policy & Resources, the agreement of the detailed business case(s), the agreement to the value of TRDC’s match funding and the final structure of the bid.

The key driver of the LAHF scheme is the need to provide new homes at pace. This has resulted in the need for Officers and Partners to mobilise incredibly quickly. The usual timelines for the preparation of business cases and funding approvals have been reduced substantially, and whilst there is no question that the LAHF funding will be allocated to TRDC, it is for the Council to satisfy itself that there are viable and feasible business case or cases that can enable the Council to maximise the benefit of this funding.

In order to maintain momentum, this report seeks to obtain a delegation from the Policy & Resources Committee to enable the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Lead Member (Resources & Shared Services), The Director of Finance following approval from then Shareholder & Commercial Ventures Panel, to agree the detailed business case(s), the exact final sums of capital match funding and the final structure of any scheme.

2.   HERTS BUILDING CONTROL

This report requests an agreement on the new arrangements for the delivery of the statutory requirements of Building Control currently provided by LA1 and hosted by East Herts District Council and Three Rivers District Council and contract management of this service.

3.  TO CONSIDER APPENDIX 3 OF DEBTS TO BE WRITTEN OFF REPORT.

4.  OTHER BUSINESS – If approved under item 3 above.

For any enquires on the agenda please email the Committee Team at committeeteam@threerivers.gov.uk