Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence recorded at the time of the meeting. However, apologies had been given prior to the meeting from Councillors Campbell and York.

RESOLVED, that the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th July 2022 (circulated previously) be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair subject to the abstention of Councillor Hunt who was not present at the meeting.

(Please telephone the Corporate and Community Services team to prepare a form for your signature before the meeting. Interests must be re-declared when the item is called, and Councillors must leave the room if necessary).

There were no declarations of interest announced.

·       Presentation and update by the Head of Planning, Housing and Health.

6.       Representation from Councillor Wilkinson (attached).

The Committee received a presentation from the Head of Planning, Housing and Health regarding Coastal Deprivation to discuss issues currently being faced in coastal communities.

The Head of Planning, Housing and Health highlighted the following points to the Committee:

·         The key findings identified in the CMO’s Annual Report 2021, which were:

Ø  A higher burden of disease.

Ø  Lower life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and disability-free expectancy.

Ø  Deprivation.

Ø  Demographics and migration.

Ø  Health services.

Ø  Economy and employment.

Ø  Education.

Ø  Housing (HMO’s, coastal guest houses/hotels, exempt supported accommodation).

·         How the situation is mirrored in North Devon from the results of the Coastal Health Needs’ Assessment 2016 together with insights from public health data:

Ø  The data had been categorised under the headings of worst outcomes to best outcomes and the comparison of Ilfracombe Central and the Monkleigh area indicated and 15 year difference in life expectancy in favour of the Monkleigh area, which was 90 years verses 75 years in central Ilfracombe.

Ø  The trend went the same way for health life expectancy, which indicated an 11 year difference in favour of the Croyde area, which was 70 years verses 59 years in Ilfracombe.

·         The situation in North Devon and the number of exempt supported accommodation:

Ø  Total number of units for Exempt Accommodation in Ilfracombe – 69, which included:

o   13 units for alcohol/drug recovery.

o   17 units for young persons.

o   26 units for learning disabilities.

o   18 units for mental health.

Ø  There were a total of 225 units for Exempt Accommodation in North Devon.

·         Recommendations identified in the CMO’s report, which were particularly relevant to NDC:

Ø  Maximise the economic opportunities for coastal communities, with the Council’s response to date as follows:

o   Corporate Priority Programme of Action – Regeneration and Economic Growth.

o   Ilfracombe Regeneration Board, Devon County Council (DCC) was funding the development of an urban renewal scheme/action plan.

o   Water Sports Centre - £2.3m investment (eight new jobs, assisting 100 businesses, 23 temporary construction jobs and a further 24 indirect jobs/opportunities/apprenticeships).

·         Recommendations identified in the CMO’s report, which were particularly relevant to North Devon Council… continued:

Ø  Levelling up (Round 2): £10.1m investment proposal submitted to Gov. to revitalise the seafront and cultural offer in Ilfracombe

Ø  World Surf Reserve.

Ø  Recently published Cultural Strategies for Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.

Ø  Heart of the SW LEP coastal productivity plan.

Ø  Planning for an ageing population and mitigating a potential deficit insocialcare and health care workers.

The Council’s response to date was as follows:

o   Review of Local Plan.

o   North Devon Futures.

Ø  Better collaboration across the wider system.

The Council’s response to date was as follows:

o   One Northern Devon priority programme of action to improve population health, of which a workshop in relation to output from reducing health inequalities’ workshop held in July 2022.

Ø  Private rented sector accommodation.

The Council’s response to date was as follows:

o   Introduce new risk assessment methodology to prioritise pro action  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

Report by Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive to the Strategy and Resources Committee on 5^th September 2022 (attached), and

(a) Minute Extract of Strategy and Resources on 5^th September 2022 (to follow).

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive (circulated previously) regarding the Performance and Financial Management for Quarter 1 of 2022/23 together with Minute Extract of Strategy and Resources on 5th September 2022 (circulated previously).

The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive highlighted the following:

·         The revenue budget for 2022/23 was approved at Council on 23rd February 2022 at £13,721,640.

·         As at 30th June 2022, the latest forecast net budget was £13,718,640, which produced a forecast budget surplus of £3,000. Details were shown in “Appendix A – Variations in the Revenue Budget”.

·         The original budget for 2022/23 included a forecast to achieve £250,000 worth of salary vacancy savings. The current position anticipated this would be achieved.

·         Temporary Accommodation was under additional cost pressure due to the increase in homelessness cases; the in-year impact of this £120,000 increase in costs had been mitigated by a contribution from the Homelessness earmarked reserve. Whilst this had alleviated the pressure this year it meant that this amount from the homelessness reserve couldn’t be utilised for other homelessness initiatives.

·         Further to the report to Strategy and Resources Committee on 4th July which detailed the in-year inflationary pressures that the Council were likely to experience this year, most of these were still in line with the July forecast except the potential additional employee costs from the staff pay award being negotiated which was now being predicted at a higher cost following the National Employers pay offer to the Unions.

·         The largest variance within Appendix A was the £804,000 National pay award potential additional staffing costs over and above the £280,000 already built into the base budget; this estimate was based on the offered pay award put forward to the Unions by the National Employers pay review body for the 2022-23 year. The pay offer put forward was based upon £1,925 per full time equivalent employee.

·         Other inflationary pressures built into the forecast included additional fuel costs across the fleet of £198,000 and additional energy costs of £63,000. To date the Council had not included any further general supplies and services inflationary increases as it would endeavour to control and manage those in year through the existing budgetary framework.

·         The inflationary cost pressures mentioned above we were looking to fund in-year through utilisation of the budget management reserve; this reserve, which was set aside to deal with fluctuations within the budget and built up over the last couple of financial years, had provided the Council with the protection needed in 2022-23. Moving forwards to future years 2023-24 onwards, the Council wouldn’t have the benefit of this protection and the inflationary pressures being experienced this year would continue onto the future year’s budget gap previously highlighted to Members.

·         The other significant in-year cost pressures that hadn’t been included in the current figures yet was the award of costs claim in relation to the Yelland planning appeal; once this amount was known a report would be brought to Members detailing the award  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

Notice of Motion from Full Council to the Policy Development Committee (attached).

a)    To note the outcome of the Notice of Motion from Full Council in relation to the cost of living crisis.

The Committee considered a Notice of Motion from Councillor Topham to Full Council on 20^th July 2022 in relation to the cost of living crisis and the benefits available to the public (circulated previously) together with minute extract of Full Council held on 20^th July 2022 (circulated previously).

RESOLVED:

(a)  That the report be noted and that the Committee await further outcomes prior to proceeding; and

(b)  That benefits training be provided for all Councillors to enable Councillors to signpost ward constituents appropriately and that the types of support available be considered by the Policy Development Committee.

To note the requirement to develop the work programme for the forthcoming year.

RESOLVED, that the work programme for the forthcoming year 2022/23 be developed.

The Corporate and Community Services Officer advised that a special meeting was due to be arranged in October 2022 to meet with representatives from South West Water.

As part of initial discussions, South West Water had requested that any questions be submitted at least two weeks prior to the meeting and requested a steer from the Committee as to the kind of questions that might be asked at the meeting.

RESOLVED, that the Corporate and Community Services Officer send an email to the members of the Committee to obtain a steer regarding any questions they would like to ask to ensure that a representative from the most appropriate business area attends the meeting.

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