Councillor A Hughes in the Chair; Councillors A R Bowlas, D G R Buckle, G M Elliott, G P Horsburgh, E I Hunter, J D Lockie, C M Liddell-Grainger, D McClymont and J E Smith.
IN ATTENDANCE :
Councillor G E Miller.
157 APOLOGIES
Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors R J Patterson and L W Robson.
158 1. DECLARATION OF INTEREST 1
No declarations were made.
159 2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF POLICY (CORPORATE SERVICES AND REGENERATION) COMMITTEE HELD ON 16TH JUNE 2004 1
DECISION: To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Policy (Corporate Services and Regeneration) Committee held on 16th June.
160 3. EXTERNAL AUDIT PLAN (PLUS SHORT PRESENTATION BY THE COUNCIL’S EXTERNAL AUDITORS) 2
David Taylor, Audit Manager with Deloitte, gave a brief presentation on the key contents of the External Audit Plan.
DECISION: To note the External Audit Plan for 2004/05.
161 4. LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEK – PROGRESS REPORT 2
DECISIONS: (i) To endorse the initiatives set out in the report subject to the identification of a suitable virement; and (ii) to request that Group Leaders notify the names of participants in the proposed project with young people, to the next meeting of Group Leaders.
162 5. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE- INFORMATION SHARING AND CO-ORDINATED SUPPORT PROTOCOLS AND TOOLKITS 4
DECISIONS: (i) To delegate to the Chief Executive, Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Policy (Corporate Services and Regeneration) Committee responsibility for agreeing the protocols and toolkits on information sharing and co-ordinated support; and (ii) to organise appropriate training for relevant staff.
163 6. E-GOVERNMENT – SPREADING THE WORD 5
DECISION: To approve the training course outlined above subject to the identification of funds from the EU Budget.
164 7. COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT – AN UPDATE 7
DECISIONS: (i) To note the contents of the report; and (ii) to agree to reconsider administrative structural matters on receipt of a further report towards the end of the calendar year.
165 8. SPITTAL CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL 9
DECISIONS: (i) To consider the contents of the ‘Spittal Conservation Area Appraisal’; and (ii) to agree to consult the community on the recommendations within the ‘Spittal Conservation Area Appraisal’, particularly the proposal to extend the boundaries of the Spittal Conservation Area.
166 9. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT BRIEF SPITTAL POINT, SPITTAL, BERWICK-UPON-TWEED 13
DECISIONS: (i) To note the objectives and content of the Draft Brief and to revise and amend it where appropriate; (ii) to note the Council’s interests in the site and its environs and the contents of Guidelines which will influence consideration of those interests in the future; and (iii) to authorise its publication for consultation with landowners, authorities, agencies and organisations with an interest in the site, and the local
community.
167 10. RESPONSE TO THE NORTHERN WAY GROWTH STRATEGY 16
DECISIONS: (i) To express the Council’s reservations about a number of key aspects of the Northern Way Growth Strategy; (ii) to submit these reservations, and other observations, to One North East as part of the consultation process; and (iii) to broadly welcome any Strategy which seeks to promote the North East region.
168 11. BERWICK-UPON-TWEED BOROUGH COUNCIL’S RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT NORTH EAST TOURISM STRATEGY 2004 – 2007 PUBLISHED BY ONE NORTHEAST 18
DECISION: To approve the Council’s response to the draft Tourism Strategy by the 6th August deadline, subject to the inclusion of a request for the location of Destination Management Organisations at key points within the Borough, and an expression of concern at the absence of any photographs of Berwick-upon-Tweed in the document.
169 12. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LOCAL COMPACT AGREEMENT FOR THE BOROUGH
DECISION: To agree to support the development of a Local Compact agreement from the local area, working through the Local Strategic Partnership as the forum for partners across the Borough, and where relevant, at County level.
170 13. BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS 23
DECISIONS: (i) To note the report; (ii) to agree to an approach to stakeholders in autumn 2004, or when legislation is passed; and (iii) to agree in principle to the establishment of a BID should there be local demand.
171 14. RATE RELIEF UNDER SECTIONS 43 AND 47 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE ACT 1988 26
DECISION: To grant mandatory and discretionary relief to both applicants on the basis set out in the report.
172 15. HRA OUTTURN FOR 2003/04 27
DECISION: To note the draft Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Outturn for 2003/04.
173 16. HIP OUTTURN FOR 2003/04 28
DECISIONS: (i) To note the spending position for 2003/04; and (ii) to agree that Disabled grants are over-programmed for 2004/05 by £20,000.
174 17. SCOTTISH BORDERS LOCAL PLAN – CONSULTATIVE DRAFT 30
DECISIONS: (i) To note the Scottish Borders Local Plan Consultative Draft; (ii) to welcome the broad thrust of its strategy for sustainable growth and its recognition of the effect that the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed has on the borders area; (iii) to register concern in connection with the policies for new housing in the countryside, and their potential visual impact on the Areas of High Landscape Value designated in the Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Local Plan; and (iv) to highlight the potential impact of the plan on Berwick-upon-Tweed’s competitiveness to the Borough Council’s partners in regional planning and regeneration, and Government Office for the North East, One NorthEast, and the Northumberland Strategic Partnership in particular.
175 18. DRAFT CAPITAL PROGRAMME EXPENDITURE 2003/04 33
DECISIONS: (i) To note the outturn for 2003/04 Capital programme; and (ii) to move the following estimates to 2004/05:-
West Street Repairs
£10,000
North Road Industrial Estate Roads
£10,000
Spades Mire Works
£3,373
Northumberland On Line
£60,964
Spittal Improvement Trust
£161,180
Swan Centre
£25,960
Demolition Woolmarket Public Conveniences
£12,000
Car Park Costs Woolmarket
£14,000
176 19. GENERAL FUND REVENUE OUTTURN FOR 2003/04 33
DECISIONS: (i) To note the draft out-turn position; and (ii) to agree the carry forward of budgetary provision totalling £125,045 set out in the report.
177 20. TREASURY MANAGEMENT 41
DECISIONS: (i) To note Treasury Management activity for 2003/04 and the strategy for 2004/05; (ii) to agree that Allied Irish Bank is added to the list of approved institutions for short-term bank deposits; and (iii) to note that a further report will be necessary setting out the Treasury Management polices in September.
178 21. BUDGET CONSULTATION PROPOSAL 43
DECISIONS: (i) To agree the proposal by the Fundamental Budget Review Working Group to adopt Simalto modelling; and (ii) to enter into further discussions with the company about sampling arrangements.
179 22. BUDGET PROSPECTS REPORT 45
DECISIONS: (i) To note the report; and (ii) to take cognisance of recommendations from the Fundamental Budget Review Working Group meeting held on 15th July 2004, with recovery and improvement being acknowledged as priorities.
180 23. ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN AND CAPITAL STRATEGY 50
DECISIONS: (i) To note the draft 2004 AMP and Capital Strategy; and (ii) to delegate to the Vice-Chairman (Corporate Services and Regeneration) Committee authority to approve the final documents prior to submission to Government.
181 24. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
DECISION: To exclude under Section 100 A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and the public from the Meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that it was likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act:
Minutes 182 and 183 : Paragraph 7: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority).
182 25. MALTINGS ACCOUNTS 2003/04 52
DECISION: To note the financial results of The Maltings (Berwick) Trust for 2003/04.
183 26. BELL VIEW, BELFORD 52
DECISION: To grant an overdraft facility to the Bell View Trustees as specified in the report, that facility being subject to a 2.5% interest charge on the amount drawn.
