Audio Recording

The Chairman will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures.

The Chairman will inform the meeting whether there is a planned evacuation drill due to take place, what the alarm sounds like (i.e. ringing bells), where the closest emergency exit route is, and where the second closest emergency exit route is, in the event that the closest exit or route is blocked.

The Chairman will inform the meeting that:

(a) in the event of the alarm sounding, everybody must leave the building via the nearest safe available exit and gather at the Assembly points at the far side of the Car Park.  Nobody must leave the assembly point until everybody can be accounted for and nobody must return to the building until the Chairman has informed them that it is safe to do so; and

(b) the lifts must not be used in the event of an evacuation.

Any officers present at the meeting will aid with the evacuation.

It is important that the Chairman is informed of any person attending who is disabled or unable to use the stairs, so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

The Chairman outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 September 2019 (Minute Nos. 242 - 257) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 25 September 2019 (Minute Nos. 242 – 257) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to recording in Minute No. 252, Landholdings Review – Proposed Sale of Land, North Road, Queenborough, that a visiting Member said that outline planning permission should be sought for the development of a pair of semi-detached houses, and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Property confirmed that the Council would be doing that.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c)          Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the room while that item is considered.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

Updated report added to agenda 28 October 2019.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report which invited Cabinet to consider the proposals for the level of fees and charges to be levied for the next financial year 2020/21.   He explained that, as far as possible, the Council was trying to maintain the status quo.  The Cabinet Member highlighted the following: the proposal to increase the pre-application planning advice charges for large planning applications; that there was no inflationary increase proposed for burial charges; and that the long stay multi-storey car park charges in Sittingbourne would be reduced from £15 per day to £7 per day.

In response to a question as to whether the Council could increase planning fees, the Chief Financial Officer explained that the pre-application planning advice charges, as set-out on page 7 of the report, were not laid down by statute.  He advised that Swale Borough Council (SBC) were towards the top chargers within the Kent Councils, and the level of charge was down to Members’ discretion.  There had been a concern that if the charge was too high, it could cut off income coming to the Council.

A Member considered there should be an hourly charge for officers time in relation to pre-application planning advice.  The Member also sought clarification that the proposed reduction of the multi-storey car park daily charge to £7 did not conflict with any agreement previously made with the hotel or cinema operators.  The Head of Commissioning, Environment and Leisure confirmed that this did not conflict with the pre-lease agreement and the charge was in-line with other day car park charges in Sittingbourne.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing proposed the following amendment:  that the charges for pre-application advice for very large major and major planning applications be increased in-line with the highest in Kent.  The Chief Financial Officer said that officers would look into what other Kent authorities charged, prior to this report being considered by the Scrutiny Committee, and then forming part of the recommendation going to Full Council on 13 November 2019.

Members spoke in support of the proposal.

The Cabinet Member for Economy and Property also requested that an hourly rate for officers time be included on the schedule, in order to gain more income.  A Member queried the impact this could have on Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) that had been negotiated.

The Director of Regeneration confirmed that more information would be sought to clarify the impact on PPAs.

Recommended:

(1)       That the proposed fees and charges 2020/21 as set-out in the report for submission to Council be approved, subject to the following amendments:  that the charges for pre-application advice for very large major and major planning applications be increased in-line with the highest in Kent, and that an hourly rate for officers time be included on the schedule.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report which considered the award of contract to four companies to collect unpaid Council Tax, Non-Domestic Rates and Parking Fines.

Resolved:

(1)      That the decision to appoint four companies for the collection of Council Tax, National Non-Domestic Rates and Parking fine debts as per the restricted appendix be approved.

To-follow paper added 28 October 2019.

Cabinet considered the recommendations from the Local Plan Panel meeting held on 17 October 2019.

Resolved:

(1)      That the recommendations in Minute Nos. 311 and 312 be agreed, subject to the deletion of the final part of recommendation (3) in Minute No. 312, so that it now reads: 

That work on the proposed submission for Land at Ashford Road, South of Faversham (NS5) not be removed from further consideration.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report which set out the background to the current relationship between the Spirit of Sittingbourne consortium, and the Council and considered the future of that relationship.

As Members might be minded to refer to the confidential report on item 10 of the agenda, linked directly to this item, they agreed that the two items should be considered at the same time.

To decide whether to pass the resolution set out below in respect of the

following item:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press

and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of

business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt

information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the

Act:

3. Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information).

Resolved:

(1)      That under Section 100 (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act:

Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report which set-out commercially sensitive information relating to the Development Agreement with Spirit of Sittingbourne.

Members spoke in support of Option B.

Resolved:

(1)      That delegated authority be given to the Director of Regeneration and the Chief Financial Officer in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Property to determine a way forward based upon Option B in the restricted report.

There was no discussion on the Exempt Appendix – Provision of Enforcement Agents – recommendations.