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Council and Democracy

Agenda item

Opposition Group Leaders' Questions

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

Minutes:

Question from Councillor Thomas to Councillor Upton

 

“In light of government proposals to reduce the opportunities for consultation on planning applications, how is the Council ensuring that residents fully understand that the options for growth identified in the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan consultation could lead to huge areas for development being allocated on their doorsteps?” 

 

Councillor Upton responded by confirming that the current Growth Options consultation for the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan has been publicised as widely as is possible, subject to national restrictions on activities during the pandemic.  All statutory consultees, local stakeholders and others whose details were held by the Councils have been contacted directly.  There has been extensive use of social media to publicise the consultation.  Alongside a dedicated Twitter site for the Strategic Plan, the Borough Council has promoted the consultation on its own Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.  There was a joint press release by the Councils concerning the consultation and the Borough Council has also published its own press release at the start of the consultation.  There was a dedicated website, which provided full details for the consultation and hosted all the consultation and relevant background documents for everyone to view.  The Borough Council had written to all Rushcliffe’s town and parish councils with details of the consultation and asked them to, where possible, help publicise the consultation and its contents to their communities.  The Growth Options was the first formal stage of preparing the Strategic Plan, prior to any decisions being made as to where further development might be located, and there would be further opportunities for Rushcliffe’s communities to engage with the plan-making process as proposals emerged over the coming months.

 

Councillor Thomas asked a supplementary question to Councillor Upton.

 

“At the next stage of consultation, If Covid restrictions are still in place, will the Council consider targeted leafleting of residents or letters to particular areas, outdoor exhibitions and well publicised online events?”  

 

Councillor Upton responded by stating that going forward it would be possible to undertake outdoor events and exhibitions and online events.

 

Question from Councillor Gray to Councillor Moore.

 

In the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2020/21 – Financial and Covid Update Quarter 1. 4.5 there is mention of a loan to be agreed with the West Bridgford CIL and Special Expenses Group. For transparency and accountability, could the Portfolio Holder explain more about the details of this loan for the benefit of Councillors and the public who are less familiar with this internal borrowing process and clarify that the decision will be referred back to cabinet for ratification?”

 

Councillor Moore responded by stating that this was not something the Council would ordinarily do but these were exceptional times with the advent of Covid 19.  Given that West Bridgford was not a parished area and the Special Expense area fulfilled that function the loan was likely to replicate the terms that had been offered to parish councils, therefore being fair and equitable, as a result of the impact of Covid 19.

 

Councillor Moore quoted from the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services’ correspondence sent to Parish Council Chairmen and Clerks on 23 June 2020:

 

“To cover temporary in-year losses, loans may be provided, interest free until 31 March 2021 and thereafter a rate of 2.5% will apply (the term of the loan is to be agreed). This will help support your cash flow in the short term as you consider your future budgets and precept requirements going forward.”

 

The purpose of the West Bridgford Special Expense Group meeting would be to agree the terms of the loan given the budget implications for the West Bridgford Special Expense area.  The minutes of the meeting would be published and therefore be transparent, in the same way the Council had been transparent in the first instance that this decision needed to be taken.  The agreement of the Special Expense was ultimately taken by Full Council, on a recommendation from Cabinet, and all members were therefore involved in agreeing that as part of the budget setting process.  The new Group that had been set-up increased transparency and improved governance in the setting of the West Bridgford Special Expense and the Terms of Reference had been approved at Full Council on 16 July 2020, with amendments to the Constitution, which had again involved all Councillors.  The Terms of Reference included the important role of the Finance Portfolio Holder Chairing the Group given that the Special Expense local tax feeds into the Council’s capping limit for its overall level of Council Tax increase.  In other words, excessive increases in West Bridgford local taxation could result in the Council breaching its own Council Tax capping limit.  This was currently being reviewed, with the possibility of some future Government income, and an update would be given at the next meeting of the West Bridgford Special expenses Group.