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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Town Hall, Queen's Square, Priory Meadow, Hastings TN34 1QR
Contact: Michael Courts on 01424 451764 email mcourts@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item Declarations of Interest
Minutes:
Councillor
Minute
Interest
Birch
48
Prejudicial – he is a Director of Let’s Do Business and Town Centre Management
Forward
48
Prejudicial – she is a Trustee of the Education Futures Trust
Hodges
48
Prejudicial – he is a Director of Let’s Do Business
The following councillors declared an interest in the minutes as follows:
Minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2014 PDF 63 KB
Minutes:
RESOLVED – that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 November 2014 be approved and signed by the chair as a correct record.
Rocklands Caravan Park PDF 267 KB
(Cabinet Decision)
Minutes:
The Director of Regeneration presented a report which responded to two consultant reports, commissioned by the council, to examine the handling of planning and licensing issues in relation to Rocklands Caravan Park. The report also responded to comments received from the Save Ecclesbourne Glen Group on the consultant reports.
The report addressed issues regarding a partially constructed holiday let house at Rocklands Caravan Site, arrangements for caravan licensing and planning at the site as well as a landslip which had affected the south of the site and impacted upon public access to the Country Park.
The council had commissioned two independent reports to review the planning issues associated with the site and audit the caravan site licence conditions for Rocklands Caravan Park.
The consultant reports proposed a series of recommendations to address the areas of concern and ensure the council processed planning applications better and engaged with the public effectively. The recommendations would also facilitate improved communication between the Planning Department and other departments within the council. An action plan to ensure these recommendations were implemented was being drafted, and would be introduced early in 2015. The Planning Advisory Service would be invited to review the improvements, once the action plan had been implemented for six months.
The Save Ecclesbourne Glen Group had submitted comments on the consultant’s report, and these had been circulated to Cabinet Members prior to the meeting. The Director of Regeneration had provided a response to the recommendations submitted by the group.
The Director of Regeneration also explained how the council intended to deal with specific planning and other issues at Rocklands Caravan Park.
Councillor Birch moved approval of the recommendations to the report, which was seconded by Councillor Chowney.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that cabinet agrees the proposed actions in response to the consultants’ reports contained in paragraphs 43-54 and the responses to recommendations received from the Save Ecclesbourne Glen Group contained in Appendix 2 of the Director of Regeneration’s report
The reason for this decision was:
To address the areas of concern identified in the consultants’ reports in relation to both planning and licensing matters.
Combe Valley Community Interest Company PDF 137 KB
(Cabinet Decision)
Minutes:
The Environment and Natural Resources Manager presented the report of the Head of Amenities, Resorts and Leisure which recommended that the council join Rother District Council (RDC) and East Sussex County Council in forming a community interest company for the Combe Valley Countryside Park.
Groundwork South had been commissioned by the council and RDC to develop proposals for a community interest company (CIC) which would replace the previous management board in overseeing the strategic direction and management of Combe Valley Countryside Park. An interim shadow management board had been formed in February 2014, to oversee the implementation of S106 funds held for the Combe Valley Country Park and the formation of a CIC.
A CIC would ensure the countryside park could be managed effectively and expand the scope of opportunities to secure funding to improve the park environment and facilities. The council would retain full control over its land and the CIC would have the remit that its assets may only be used for the public benefit. The CIC would be governed by a board of Directors, together with a separate advisory group.
Following the meeting of Cabinet, Groundwork South would convene a meeting of the shadow management board, and following registration with Companies’ House, it was anticipated that the CIC board would be operational by the end of the current financial year.
Councillor Poole moved approval of the recommendations to the report, which was seconded by Councillor Hodges.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that: -
1) Members agree to the formation of a community interest company in partnership with Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council, and;
2) Agree that Groundwork South undertake the necessary steps to form the community interest company
The reason for this decision was:
Following the withdrawal of local authority funding for the Combe Valley Countryside Park, the management board was dissolved in February 2014. The local authority partners commissioned Groundwork South to develop an alternative governance structure for the Combe Valley Countryside Park for 2015/16 and beyond.
The formation of a Community Interest Company is considered to be the most realistic and sustainable model for future governance and one that has been approved by the partners who made up the previous Combe Valley Countryside Park Management Board.
Community Partnership Funding Main Grants Programme PDF 224 KB
- View the declarations of interest for item 48.
- View the background to item 48.
- View the decision for item 48.
(Cabinet Decision)
Minutes:
The Head of Regeneration and Planning Policy presented a report to update Members on the process in respect of the Community Partnership Funding (CPF) grants for 2015-16 and 2016-17. The application process was nearing completion and the report included recommendations on the services and organisations that should receive grant support.
The council’s corporate priorities provided the framework for CPF, grouped around the key thematic areas of job creation and employment, advice services, safer communities, active involvement of residents and digital inclusion. The CPF programme had also worked with the Department for Works and Pensions to jointly commission projects, where there was an overlap in priorities.
A two-stage application process had been adopted, and a Grants Appraisal Panel established to consider the funding requests received. Eighteen applicants had been invited to submit more detailed proposals for the final stage of the process, twelve of which had been recommended for funding by the Grant Appraisal Panel. Any grant offers approved would remain conditional until the council had completed its budget setting process for 2015-16 and 2016-17.
It was also proposed that the Town Centre Management team be supported in 2015-16 and 2016-17 with funds from the CPF budget.
Councillor Forward moved approval of the recommendations to the report, which was seconded by Councillor Cartwright.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Grants Appraisal Panel’s recommendations (excluding those organisations and projects which Members had previously declared a prejudicial interest in) as set out in the Head of Regeneration and Planning Policy’s report be approved subject to the decisions of the Budget Cabinet meeting in February 2015.
Councillors Birch, Forward and Hodges, having declared a prejudicial interest in three of the applicant organisations, left the chamber while those grants were considered. Councillor Chowney took the chair for the remainder of this item.
RESOLVED (by 4 for, 0 against) that the recommendations of the Grants Appraisal panel in respect of Education Futures Trust, Let’s Do Business (South East) Group Ltd and Town Centre Management Team be approved subject to the decisions of the Budget Cabinet meeting in February 2015, and;
2) Delegation is given to the Director of Regeneration in consultation with the Lead Member for Community Services to agree final contractual outputs, outcomes and grants.
The reason for this decision was:
The proposed allocations are based on the indicative CPF budget for the next two years, and follow the completion of a two-stage application process to determine which applications for grant most closely meet the council’s CPF priorities and offer the best value for money.
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