Agenda and minutes

Venue: Bromley Civic Centre

Contact: Graham Walton  020 8461 7743

Items
No. Item

343.

COUNCILLOR MARY COOKE

Minutes:

Before the meeting started, the Leader invited all present to stand for a minute’s silence in memory of Cllr Mary Cooke, who had died a few days previously.

344.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

 

Councillors Graham Arthur, David Jefferys, Keith Onslow and Angela Wilkins joined the meeting online.

345.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

346.

QUESTIONS pdf icon PDF 494 KB

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions that are not specific to reports on the agenda must have been received in writing 10 working days before the date of the meeting - by 5pm on 23 December 2021. 

 

Questions specifically relating to reports on the agenda should be received within two working days of the normal publication date of the agenda.  Please ensure that questions specifically on reports on the agenda are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Thursday 6th January 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Five questions from members of the public had been received for oral reply at the meeting, and eighteen for written reply. In addition, there was one question from a member of the Council for oral reply and two for written reply. The questions and answers are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

347.

TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 24 NOVEMBER 2021 pdf icon PDF 358 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 24 November 2021 be confirmed.

348.

BIGGIN HILL AIRPORT NOISE ACTION PLAN REVIEW pdf icon PDF 433 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report HPR2022/001

 

Five years after the signing of the Deed of Variation on their lease with the Council, Biggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL) had submitted a Noise Action Plan (NAP) review, as required. The Council had obtained independent reports on the review. BHAL’s NAP review and comments on the review were presented in the report together with next steps for further improvements. The report also considered BHAL’s overall compliance with the NAP. 

 

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive, Resources and Contracts PDS Committee on 5th January 2022. The Chairman of the Committee, Councillor Christopher Marlow, thanked members of the public and Flightpath Watch for their submissions and stated his view that BHAL had not demonstrated full compliance with the NAP. He recognised that some Councillors had emphasised the importance of the thriving airport to the borough’s economy, but he felt that there was an issue of trust, that many people felt that the Airport had not kept to its commitments. He had therefore proposed amendments to the recommendations to require the Airport to provide further information by 30th June 2022. The PDS Committee had supported the amended recommendations, which the Executive accepted.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)  It is noted that Biggin Hill Airport Ltd (BHAL) has submitted a review of the Noise Action Plan (NAP), as required by the NAP and the Management Information Letter (MIL). 

 

(2)  The Flightpath Watch report and the work undertaken by the Council in conjunction with and following external legal advice, as requested by Flightpath Watch, is noted. 

 

(3)  The reports of RSK Acoustics dated 8 September 2021 and the Civil Aviation Authority dated 20 December 2021 be noted. 

 

(4)  It is noted that the Council has forwarded the above reports to BHAL and they have acknowledged receipt of the same.  

 

(5)  It is noted that the review of the NAP submitted by BHAL does not fully demonstrate compliance, owing to a failure to provide evidence in connection with various actions as set out in the Civil Aviation Authority report (CAA report) dated 20 December 2021, with particular reference to Appendix C of the CAA report. Reference is also made to clause 4.33 of the NAP, which requires BHAL ‘to assess performance with respect to the previously forecast noise envelope… by reference to the number of people and dwellings affected’. 

 

(6)  Officers be authorised to inform BHAL of the conclusion reached under recommendation 2.5, and to request an updated review of the NAP that addresses areas of the review that have been highlighted as requiring evidence, to be submitted to the Council no later than 30 June 2022, in order to allow for a report to be brought to the Executive as set out in (13) below. 

 

(7)  It is noted that no Executive Decision will be considered regarding the tenure of the airport until the updated review as set out in recommendation 2.5 is received by the Council, and deemed by the Executive to fully demonstrate compliance, or explain non-compliance with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 348.

349.

PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS pdf icon PDF 306 KB

Minutes:

Report HPR2021/062a

 

HM The Queen’s national Platinum Jubilee celebrations were planned to take place on 2nd to 5th June 2022. The London Borough of Bromley would be marking this through a local programme of events as well as by taking part in the national celebrations. The report set out all activity strands and asked the Executive for budget approval. 

 

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive, Resources and Contracts PDS Committee on 5th January 2022, and the Committee had added a number of recommendations to the two set out in the report to consider expanding the range of activities promoted by the Council. These included a souvenir brochure, a range of “Best Decorated” awards, a small gift for all school children, a grant programme for local businesses and community groups and waiving of the normal fees for holding events in local parks. It was acknowledged that waiving these fees could have a budget implication and this would need to be considered in more detail.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing reported that a temporary Events Manager had now been appointed, that he would be holding weekly meetings with officers to monitor progress and that he was open to any other suggestions. 

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)  The contents of the report and the borough’s Platinum Jubilee programme of activities be noted.

 

(2)  Drawdown and spend of up to £105,500 be approved from the Investment to Community Fund earmarked reserve to deliver the Platinum Jubilee programme. 

 

(3)  Consideration be given to producing a souvenir brochure, giving the history of Her Majesty’s reign, involvement in events in Bromley, and jubilee events arranged by residents across the Borough, with advertising to ensure that the publication is cost neutral. 

 

(4)  The Executive endorses that a Best Decorated Shop, Best Decorated House and Best Decorated School Award be made by the Mayor to encourage residents to decorate their premises. 

 

(5)  A small gift  be considered for Bromley School Children to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. 

 

(6)  Funding be allocated for a grant programme for local business and community groups to apply to fund decorations, events and other initiatives to commemorate the Jubilee on high streets and parades around the Borough. 

 

(7)  The waiving of fees be considered for the use of small local parks for volunteer groups wishing to hold local celebrations.

 

(8)  Any further suggestions be considered  that can be accomplished within the very pressing timeframe.

350.

DRAFT BUDGET 2022/23 AND UPDATE ON THE COUNCIL'S FINANCIAL STRATEGY 22/23 TO 25/26 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

Report FSD2022/001

 

The report sought approval of the initial draft 2022/23 Budget including the full year effect of changes agreed as part of the 2021/22 Council Tax report and savings approved during the year with the resultant impact on the Council’s medium term “budget gap.”

 

A key part of the financial strategy was to highlight the budget issues that would need to be addressed by the Council over the coming financial years, by forecasting the level of available resources from all sources and budget pressures relating to revenue spending. Details of the capital programme would be reported separately to the next meeting of the Executive.

 

PDS Committees’ views would also be sought and reported back to the next meeting of the Executive, prior to the Executive making recommendations to Council on the 2022/23 Council Tax and Adult Social Care precept levels.

 

The report provided details of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement 2022/23 which had been published on 16th December 2021 and represented a one-year settlement only. The awaited Fair Funding Review and changes relating to the devolution of business rates, which could have a significant impact on future funding, had been delayed until at least 2023/24.

 

There were still outstanding issues and areas of uncertainty remaining. Any further updates would be included in the 2022/23 Council Tax report to the next meeting of the Executive. 

 

The Portfolio Holder for Resources, Commissioning and Contract Management reported that the proposed staff pay award for 2022/23 would be 2.25%. There would also be an increased merit payment pot of £300k to recognise the hard work of staff.

 

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive, Resources and contracts PDS Committee on 5th January 2022 and the Committee had supported the recommendations.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)  The initial draft 2022/23 Budget be agreed as detailed in Appendix 7 to the report including continuation of the iBCF hospital discharge funding reserve and setting aside New Homes Bonus funding for housing investment.

 

(2) The initial draft 2022/23 Budget for each portfolio be referred to the appropriate PDS Committees for consideration.

 

(3) The financial projections for 2023/24 to 2025/26 be noted.

 

(4) It is noted that there are still areas of financial uncertainty which will impact on the final 2022/23 Budget.

 

(5) The setting of the schools’ budget, mainly met through Dedicated Schools Grant, be delegated to the Children, Education and Families Portfolio Holder, allowing for consultation with the Schools Forum (section 11 in the report.) 

 

(6) It is noted that the outcome of consultation with the PDS Committees will be reported to the next meeting of the Executive.

 

(7) The proposed contribution be agreed of £246,470 in 2022/23 to the London Boroughs Grants Committee (section 10 in the report.)

 

(8) The outcome of the Provisional Local Government Financial Settlement 2022/23 be noted, as detailed in the report.

 

(9)  The budget gap remaining of an estimated £19.5m per annum by 2025/26 and that any decisions made for the 2022/23 Budget will have an impact on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 350.

351.

COVID-19 ADDITIONAL RELIEF FUND (CARF) AND ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS GRANTS (ARG) THIRD TOP-UP pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report HPR2022/002

 

On December 15 2021, the London Borough of Bromley was notified by the Government that it would receive funding of £5,315,301 for businesses from the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF), along with initial guidance on the operation of the fund. The discretionary scheme needed to be designed and set up in early 2022, subject to further guidance and clarification on the scheme from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, including when the funding must be spent by.

The Government had also announced that the third top-up of ARG funding of £102 million would be allocated to Local Authorities in England from 30 December 2021. The funding would be allocated based on a per-business calculation and had to be spent by 31 March 2022. The allocation for Bromley was £640K.

Due to the tight timescales to spend both funds once allocation and guidance was received, the report requested approval for the delegation of decision making to a Chief Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder. Members expressed concern that the report had to be considered without the normal scrutiny process by a PDS Committee, but accepted that it should be considered as a matter of urgency due to the very tight timescales.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1) Delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal,  Recreation and Housing to determine the design of the CARF discretionary scheme for businesses.

(2) Delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal,  Recreation and Housing to determine CARF criteria and application process as required, in line with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) guidance, when further detail is received.

(3) Delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal  Recreation and Housing to distribute and move funding between any approach designed to best respond to demand and to ensure the full £5,315,301 relief for CARF is applied.

(4) Delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing to distribute allocation for ARG top-up three by increasing amounts available to any of the previous funding programmes agreed by the Executive for ARG, moving funding between any of the existing programmes to ensure the full amount is spent by 31 March 2022.

(5) Delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal,  Recreation and Housing to make any decisions required owing to unforeseen changes in Government guidance or policy relating to either fund.

352.

CONSIDERATION OF ANY OTHER ISSUES REFERRED FROM THE EXECUTIVE, RESOURCES AND CONTRACTS POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Minutes:

There were no additional items referred from Executive, Resources and Contracts PDS Committee.

353.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS AMENDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) (VARIATION) ORDER 2006 AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

The Chairman to move that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the item of business referred to below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

 

The following summary

refers to matters involving exempt information

 

 

354.

EXEMPT MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 24 NOVEMBER 2021

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 24th November 2021 be confirmed.

Appendix A pdf icon PDF 752 KB

Additional documents: