Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Link to further information in the Council’s Constitution

There were no declarations of interest made.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 10 December 2024 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

To answer questions submitted by citizens on the Council or its services.

There were no citizens’ questions.

The report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)           the draft Rushcliffe Design Code Supplementary Planning Document for a six-week period of public consultation be approved; and

b)           the Director – Development and Economic Growth be granted delegated authority to make any necessary minor editing changes to the Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing, Councillor Upton presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth, which provided an update on the Rushcliffe Design Code Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

Councillor Upton confirmed that it was a legal requirement for all Council’s to produce a Design Guide, and that it must reflect the local character, to carry weight in decision making, and should be produced as either part of the Local Plan or as an SPD. Councillor Upton stated that SPDs formed a material consideration in decision making and had significant weight, providing they had been prepared within statutory procedures, and been subject to public consultation. The new SPD would replace the Rushcliffe Residential Design Guide and provide a set of rules against which planning applications would be assessed. The SPD was detailed at Appendix 1 to the report and available as an interactive web-based version, which was designed to make the code easier for everyone to navigate. Councillor Upton stated that following its publication, the draft Code would be subject to a six-week public consultation, and it was hoped that the Code would be adopted in April/May 2025. In conclusion, Councillor Upton thanked officers for their hard work and dedication, in particular the Project Manager and the Planning Policy Manager, and Harper Perry Architects for their invaluable expertise.

In seconding the recommendation, Councillor Brennan supported and welcomed this document and felt that it would be very useful to everyone going forward, with the web-based version being very helpful. Councillor Brennan referred to the considerable housing growth across the Borough, some of which had not being sympathetic to existing settlements, and she hoped that this SPD would help the Council to improve design quality. Councillor Brennan hoped that this would be a baseline, rather than an ambition and agreed with the idea of zones and hoped that any new development would be sympathetic to those areas.      

The Leader reiterated the thanks given to officers for the immense amount of work undertaken to produce this Guide.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)           the draft Rushcliffe Design Code Supplementary Planning Document for a six-week period of public consultation be approved; and

b)           the Director – Development and Economic Growth be granted delegated authority to make any necessary minor editing changes to the Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation.

The report of the Director – Neighbourhoods is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)           the approach set out in paragraph 4.17 of the report, to align the Council’s household waste collection arrangements with the ‘Simpler Recycling’ requirements be endorsed;

b)           the continuation of work with the Nottinghamshire Joint Waste Management Board to progress the wider operational planning for ‘Simpler Recycling’ implementation across the County be supported; and

c)           it be recommended that the Medium Term Financial Strategy (to be approved by Full Council) incorporates the financial implications at Appendix A to the report, and in particular the creation of a Simpler Recycling Reserve.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety, Councillor Inglis presented the report of the Director – Neighbourhoods, which provided an update on ‘Simpler Recycling’.

Councillor Inglis advised that the changes required were the biggest since the launch of the wheeled bin service in 2003, and that the introduction of ‘Simpler Recycling’ requirements was statutory and would include a weekly food waste collection and a new kerbside glass collection service. Councillor Inglis stated that whilst it had taken time for details to be finalised, officers had been working hard, and he thanked the Director – Neighbourhoods and the Head of Environment and Communities, who had played key roles in the development of the county-wide approach and the Nottinghamshire Joint Waste Management Committee. Cabinet noted that the report detailed the next steps towards the operational delivery of ‘Simpler Recycling’ for the Council as a Waste Collection Authority, in conjunction with Nottinghamshire County Council as the Waste Disposal Authority.

Councillor Inglis stated that the first target proposed was 31 March 2026, with details of the materials to be collected listed at Paragraph 4.2 of the report, with further national ambitions also detailed at Paragraphs 4.6 & 4.8.

Councillor Inglis confirmed that dry recycling would remain as a two-week collection, with the collection of additional materials as detailed at Paragraph 4.2. Glass recycling would switch to a kerbside service with a new wheeled bin, with a six-week collection cycle, which would be an opt out service, for residents that could not accommodate another bin, with work continuing to develop the best approach for communal bins. This new service would have financial implications, as detailed at Paragraph 4.26 and when the new service was in operation, the additional budget pressure was expected to be circa £190k per annum net of existing bring site budgets. Councillor Inglis was pleased that new technology would now allow mixed coloured glass to be separated at the reprocessing stage, which had always been an important factor for the Council, and negotiations were taking place with the glass processor, to hopefully generate an estimated income of £85k/annum. 

In respect of food waste, Councillor Inglis advised that a transitional arrangement had been agreed with DEFRA across the country, which would see kerbside food waste collections starting from 1 October 2027, with details of the service highlighted in Paragraphs 4.28 and 4.29. It was noted that there would be significant capital and revenue costs and it was hoped that those costs would be covered by ‘new burdens’ food waste transitional grant funding in 2025/26, expected to total £1.26m. Councillor Inglis stated that in respect of green bins, there was currently no plans to allow the inclusion of food waste into the garden waste wheeled bin, with the reasons highlighted in Paragraph 4.30.

Councillor Inglis advised that Paragraphs 4.31 to 4.39 and Appendix A to the report detailed both revenue and capital financial implications, with Section 6 detailing the various risks. 

Councillor Inglis concluded by confirming that the Council already had the highest recycling  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

To move “That under Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, 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 Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.”

It was resolved that under Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, 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 Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

To answer questions submitted by Opposition Group Leaders on items on the agenda.

Questions to Councillor J Wheeler were submitted by Councillor J Walker and Councillor Chewings in relation to Exempt Item 9 on the agenda – Parkwood Leisure Ltd Contract Variation.

Councillor Wheeler responded to each question.

Supplementary questions to Councillor Wheeler were asked by Councillor Walker and Chewings.

Councillor Wheeler responded to each supplementary question.

The report of the Director – Neighbourhoods is attached.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)           variation of the Parkwood Leisure Contract to extend the contract to 31 July 2030 and include Edwalton Golf Course facility be approved;

b)           further variation of the Parkwood Leisure Contract to include East Leake Leisure Centre within one consolidated leisure contract, subject to successful negotiations with Nottinghamshire County Council at the end of the current PFI arrangements be approved;

c)           the Council’s Monitoring Officer be authorised to execute formal legal agreements to effect these contract variation; and

d)           the Director – Neighbourhoods be granted delegated authority to explore, in consultation with Director – Finance and Corporate Services and Section 151 Officer, alternative models of contract delivery such as an agency model, which are emerging within the leisure industry and report appropriately.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Wellbeing, ICT and Member Development, Councillor J Wheeler presented the report of the Director – Neighbourhoods, which provided an update on Parkwood Leisure Ltd Contract Variation.

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Wheeler and seconded by Councillor Virdi.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)           a variation of the Parkwood Leisure Contract to extend the contract to 31 July 2030 and include Edwalton Golf Course facility be approved;

b)           a further variation of the Parkwood Leisure Contract to include East Leake Leisure Centre within one consolidated leisure contract, subject to successful negotiations with Nottinghamshire County Council at the end of the current PFI arrangements be approved;

c)           the Council’s Monitoring Officer be authorised to execute formal legal agreements to effect these contract variation; and

d)           the Director – Neighbourhoods be granted delegated authority to explore, in consultation with Director – Finance and Corporate Services and Section 151 Officer, alternative models of contract delivery such as an agency model, which are emerging within the leisure industry and report appropriately.