Decisions

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report seeking authority to release a Section 106 contribution to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), to facilitate improvements at the Alston Wetland nature reserve.

Members were reminded that:

·      When planning permission was granted for the erection of 34 dwellings and associated works at Spout Farm Preston Road, Longridge, the associated Section 106 Agreement included an offsite contribution of £17,000 for a predator fence around the Alston Wetland nature reserve.

·      Ten dwellings have now been occupied at the development, as a result the trigger has been reached and the developer has been invoiced for the £17,000.

The Report noted that:

·      Alston Wetland is a small (7.5 hectare) site which provides a refuge for a broad range of wildlife from surrounding intensively managed farmland and encroaching development. The entire site is designated as a Biological Heritage Site for its bird and botanical interest.

·      The predator fence is primarily designed to exclude foxes from the Wetland as research has identified these as the primary cause of breeding failure of ground nesting waders.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Authorised payment of £17,000 to the RSPB for the construction of a predator fence, following receipt of the contribution and on completion of the works.

RESOLVED that the application be DEFERRED and DELEGATED to the Director of Economic Development and Planning for approval subject to the receipt of acceptable revised landscaping details, the receipt of an acceptable legal linking agreement and subject to the following conditions:

1.    Unless explicitly required by condition within this consent, the development hereby permitted shall be carried out in complete accordance with the proposals as detailed on drawings:

·         Location Plan: HR-BTP-00-LP-DR-A-3537-100

·         Site Layout Plan: HR-BTP-00-SP-DR-A-3537-105

·         Boundary Treatment Plan: HR-BTP-00-D-DR-A-3537-113

·         Drainage layout: C-0897-01 Rev X

·         Plot 1 elevations: HR-BTP-00-E-DR-A-3537-191

·         Plots 6 and 7 elevations: 11-2019 Rev A 06-12-21

·         Grizedale elevations and floor plans: HR-BTP-23-ZZ-DR-A-3537-145

·         Plots 1 and 2 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019 Rev B 08-10-21

·         Plot 3 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019 Rev B 08-10-21

·         Plot 8 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019 Rev B 08-10-21

·         Plots 12 and 13 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019

·         Plot 14 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019 Rev A 07-10-21

·         Plot 21 garage elevations and floor plan: 11-2019 Rev A 14-04-21

·         Site cross sections (turning head): HR-BTP-00-ZZ-DR-A-3537-181-C

·         Site cross sections (houses): HR-BTP-00-S-DR-A-3537-160-H

·         Comparison street elevation: HR-BTP-00-E-DR-A-3537-183

·         Public open space reference plan: C-0897-31

·         Public open space cross sections: C-0897-30

REASON:  To clarify the nature of the details relating to the development hereby approved.

2.    The landscaping proposals hereby approved, including the replacement tree planting indicated on drawing: TBC shall be implemented in the first planting season following the issuing of this consent, and shall be maintained thereafter for a period of not less than 15 years to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority.  

This maintenance shall include the replacement of any tree or shrub which is removed, or dies, or is seriously damaged, or becomes seriously diseased, by a species of similar size to those originally planted. 

All trees/hedgerow shown as being retained within the approved details shall be retained as such in perpetuity.

REASON: To ensure the proposal is satisfactorily landscaped and trees/hedgerow of landscape/visual amenity value are retained as part of the development.  

3.    The materials to be used on the external surfaces of the development as indicated on the drawing hereby approved and within the submitted information shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

REASON:  In order that the Local Planning Authority may ensure that the materials to be used are appropriate to the locality and respond positively to the inherent character of the area.

4.    The drainage for the development hereby approved, shall be carried out in accordance with principles set out in the submitted Foul & Surface Water Drainage Design Drawing C-0897-01, Rev X - Dated 05.09.2022 which was prepared by Hamilton Technical Services. For the avoidance of doubt no surface water will be permitted to drain directly or indirectly into the public sewer.  Prior to any further occupation of any of the dwellings hereby approved, the drainage schemes shall be completed in accordance with the approved details and retained thereafter for the lifetime of the development.

REASON: To ensure a satisfactory form of development and to prevent an undue increase in surface water run-off and to reduce the risk of flooding.

The Director of Resources submitted a report:

Which sought approval of the 2022/23 revised estimate for this Committee’s capital programme and set out the outcome of the review of this Committee’s future capital programme for 2023/24 to 2027/28.

Members were reminded that:

·      One capital scheme for this Committee’s 2022/23 original estimate budget, totalling £26,420, was approved by the Policy and Finance Committee and Full Council at their meetings in February 2022 and March 2022 respectively.

·      The above scheme had been moved from the 2021/22 capital programme to the 2022/23 capital programme. As a result, the total approved budget for this Committee’s capital programme of one scheme was £26,420.

The Report noted that:

·       The revised estimate for this Committee’s 2022/23 capital programme is nil, which is a £26,420 reduction from the previously approved capital budget.

·      For this Committee’s future capital programme, there were no already approved capital schemes for 2023/24 and 2024/25 to review, no previously submitted capital scheme bids for 2025/26 and 2026/27 to review and no new capital scheme bids were submitted for 2027/28.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.    Approved the 2022/23 revised estimate of nil for this Committee’s capital programme.

2.       Approved a move of £26,420 capital budget from 2022/23 to 2023/24 for the Introduction of Planning Portal Link to the Planning Application System and Planning System Update scheme.

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking agreement to a draft Revenue Budget for 2023/24 for consideration at Special Policy and Finance Committee.

Members were reminded that:

A budget forecast was presented to Policy and Finance Committee in September 2023. At the time the forecast considered the impact of COVID-19, changes to key funding streams, the cost-of -living crisis, the impact of demand on the Council’s services and the fast-moving rate of inflation.

The Report noted that:

·      The Council had recognised early in the 2022/23 financial year that it was facing significant increases in costs due to inflation and pay increases and that for this committee this extra cost was estimated at £50,770. The Original Estimate was therefore restated from £597,620 to £648,390.

·      The difference between the Original Estimate 2023/24 and Adjusted Original Estimate 2022/23 is a further increase in net expenditure of £110,890 after allowing for transfers to and from earmarked reserves. This means that the total movement from the true Original Estimate 2022/23 to the Original Estimate 2023/24 is £245,190, or £161,660 after movements in earmarked reserves.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approved the revenue original estimate for 2023/24 and approved its submission to the Special Policy and Finance Committee.

The Director of Resources submitted a report outlining the revised Revenue Budget for 2022/23 for this Committee.

Members were reminded that:

·      The original estimate for this current financial year was set in March 2022

·      There can be numerous variations to the budget as the year progresses, particularly through the budget monitoring process.

·      At this time of year, the Council revise the estimates for the current financial year to predict the likely outturn.  In essence the Revised Estimate is the Council's latest forecast for the outturn on the current financial year's budget.

The Report noted that:

·      The Council was facing significant increases in costs due to inflation and pay increases. For this committee this extra cost was estimated at £50,770. The Original Estimate was therefore restated from £597,620 to £648,39

·      The difference between the Revised and Adjusted Original Estimate is a further increase in net expenditure of £92,880 after allowing for transfers to and from earmarked reserves. This means that the total movement from the true Original Estimate to the Revised Estimate is £281,420, or £143,650 after movements in earmarked reserves.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Agreed the revenue revised estimate for 2022/23.

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking members approval on proposals to increase this Committee’s fees and charges with effect from 1 April 2023.

Members were reminded that:

·      The annual review of the Council’s fees and charges had been undertaken as part of the budget setting process for the forthcoming 2023/24 financial year.

·      The Council’s budget forecast allowed for a 5% inflationary increase in the level of income for the 2023/24 financial year.

·      Following a further review of the forecast by Policy and Finance Committee in September 2022 it was recommended that fees and charges income should be increased by the rate of September’s CPI (10.1%).

·      This review therefore has aimed to increase budgeted fees and charges income for 2023/24 by 10.1% as a minimum when compared with this year’s original budget estimate.

The Report noted that:

·      As planning application fees are set by Central Government they fall outside of the remit of this review and at this time no increases are anticipated for the 2023/24 financial year.

·      Pre-application advice fees are however set by RVBC as the relevant Local Planning Authority and have therefore been included in the annual review set out in Annex 1.

·      Building control fees are calculated in accordance with The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 on a cost recovery basis, with any surplus or deficit from the service being held in a separate earmarked reserve and that fees were last increased in April 2022.

As a non-statutory function this service is in competition with other providers of building control services, both from other local authorities and from within the private sector. Following a review of budgeted costs and expected demand levels for next year and of neighbouring authority charges, the section had proposed that building control fees and charges are not increased in April 2023.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approved the proposed fees and charges as set out in the Annex to the report.

The Director of Resources submitted a report asking members to consider the proposed future capital programme for this Committee, covering the period 2023/24 to 2027/28.

Members were reminded that the Council usually operates a five-year capital programme, but only a three-year capital programme for 2022/23 to 2024/25 was approved last year. This was due to the Council awaiting the outcome of the Government’s fair funding review before committing to setting a longer term five-year capital programme. Committees had however submitted capital scheme bids for 2025/26 to 2026/27 as part of last year’s capital programme review.

This year, the aim is for the Council to return to a five-year capital programme, covering the period 2023/24 to 2027/28. Therefore, Heads of Service were asked to:

· Review the capital schemes already approved for 2023/24 and 2024/25

· Review any previously submitted capital scheme bids for 2025/26 and 2026/27; and

· Submit new capital scheme bids for 2027/28.

The proposed amendments to the previously approved capital programme would increase the capital programme by £64,500.

If all reviewed bids from the 2021 bidding round and those from the 2022 bidding round were approved, this would increase the proposed capital programme by £12,983,200.

If all amendments and bids were to be approved, this would result in a proposed capital programme for 2023/24 to 2027/28 for this Committee of fifty-five schemes, totalling £13,974,000.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.   Considered and agreed a future capital programme for this Committee’s services for onward recommendation to Policy and Finance Committee for the period 2023/24 to 2027/28, based on the proposals included in this report with the addition of a bandstand in Longridge at an approximate cost of £200,000.

2.   Recognise that further capital bids will be submitted to the Policy and Finance Committee by the political groups, which may impact on this Committee.

3.   Agreed that officers submit a report to the next meeting of this Committee on the return of the toilets on Berry Lane Longridge to the ownership of RVBC.

Agreed to bring the new feasibility study bid on Ribblesdale Pool forward to 2023/24.

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking Committee’s approval of the revised estimate for this Committee’s capital programme for the current financial year.

Fifteen capital schemes for this Committee’s original estimate budget, totalling £2,280,500 were approved by the Policy and Finance Committee and Full Council in their meetings in February 2022 and March 2022 respectively.  This included fourteen new schemes for 2022/23 and one scheme that had been moved from 2021/22 capital programme to the 2022/23 programme.

Five capital schemes were not completed by 31^st March 2022 and had some unspent budget available at that date.  The total unspent budget of £153,240 on those schemes, known as slippage, was moved into the 2022/23 capital programme budget, after approval by this Committee in May 2022.

The proposed revised estimate for this Committee’s 2022/23 capital programme is £671,320, which is a £1,762,420 reduction from the previously approved capital budget.

It is recommended that budgets totalling £479,440 on five schemes are moved to the 2023/24 financial year.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approved the 2022/23 revised estimate of £671,320 for this Committee’s capital programme, as set out in Annex to the report.

Approved the move of the following capital scheme budgets from 2022/23 to 2023/24:

·          Castle Keep Lime Repointing Works and Repairs, £307,600.

·          Replacement of Refuse Iveco Tipper (PO60 AYK), £46,000.

·          Replacement of High Top Transit Van PJ63 WUC, £34,500.

·          Mardale Playing Pitches Drainage, £80,440.

·          Edisford Playing Pitches Drainage Works, £10,900.

The Director of Resources submitted a report asking Committee to agree the draft revenue budget for 2023/24 for this Committee for consideration at the Special Policy and Finance Committee.

The forecast predicted a budget gap of £1,040,966 in 2023/24, £1,394,296 in 2024/25 and £2,412,914 in 2025/26.  Since the forecast was prepared, the Council has seen further cost increases particularly due to inflation and energy costs.

The difference between the original estimate of 2023/24 and the adjusted estimate of 2022/23 is a further increase in net expenditure of £705,710 after allowing for transfers from earmarked reserves.  This means that the total movement from the true Original Estimate of 2022/23 to the Original Estimate of 2023/24 is £1,130,340 or £1,101,220 after movements in earmarked reserves.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Approved the revenue Original Estimate for 2023/24 and submit this to the Special Policy and Finance Committee

The Director of Resources submitted a report outlining the revised revenue budget for 2022/23 for this Committee. Members were reminded that at this time of year the estimates are revised for the current financial year in order to predict the likely outturn.  In essence the revised estimate is the Council’s latest forecast for the outturn on the current financial year’s budget.  This also assists in preparing the original estimates for the coming financial year.

The original budget for 2022/23 included provision for pay increase at 2% and price increase at 3%.

The pay award has now been settled at £1,925 per full time employee.  It is estimated that this will add £369,000 to the base budget above what was initially allowed.

The report noted that the Council was facing significant increases in costs due to inflation and pay increases. For this committee the extra cost was estimated at £395,510.  The original estimate was therefore restated from £4,564,200 to £4,959,710.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

Agreed the revenue revised estimate for 2022/23.

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking member approval on proposals to increase this Committee’s fees and charges with effect from 1 April 2023. These proposals were the first stage in the review of this Committee’s budget for the forthcoming 2023/24 financial year.

Policy and Finance Committee have guided Committees to consider a 10.1% inflationary increase in the level of income raised from fees and charges and the review aims to increase the budgeted income for 2023/24 by this amount as a minimum.  After applying this percentage increase, proposed charges have generally been rounded up or down to minimise any problems with small change.

Following discussions, the proposed set of fees and charges for implementation from 1 April 2023 were produced for this Committee for members to consider and were set out in Annex 1 to the report.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

1.    Considered and approved the level of fees and charges to be levied for this committee for 2023/24 as outlined in the report with the exception of the up to 1 hour car parking charge which was agreed at £1.30.

A meeting of the Car Park Working Group be reconvened as soon as possible.