Agenda and minutes

None.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee meeting held on 22 January 2013.

Resolved:

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2013.

The Leader noted that the sale of Urchfont Manor was progressing well and officers were thanked for their efforts. Having listened to the views of local people, the Leader was pleased that there would be a continuation of some community use in the area.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

Report of the Chief Financial Officer.

Cllr John Brady, Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Risk introduced the report which reflected the position of the 2012/2013 Capital Programme as at 31 January 2013, and which detailed changes to the budget made since the previous monitoring report.

Resolved:

That the Committee:

1.    Notes the budget movements undertaken to the capital programme in Appendix A of the report presented, including reprogramming of expenditure of £11.899 million into 2013/2014.

2.    Notes total budget increases of £1.013 million and budgets returned to the centre of £0.158 million as shown in Appendix A & B of the report presented.

3.    Notes the current spend against the budget to date in Appendix A of the report presented.

Reasons for decision:

To inform Cabinet of the current position of the 2012/2013 capital programme and highlight changes and note budget reprogramming into 2013/2014.

Report of the Director for Strategy and Commissioning.

Councillor John Thomson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Housing presented a report which sought Committee approval to transfer the Margaret Stancomb School site in Trowbridge to the Council’s Housing PFI partner, Aster Homes. This would enable the delivery of 22 new affordable homes.

Whilst it had been previously agreed not to proceed with phase 2 of the Housing PFI scheme, there was still the opportunity to use the identified sites to deliver affordable housing. The Margaret Stancomb site was currently vacant and ready to progress. If approved and subject to planning permission, it was anticipated that the first completions would be achieved by the end of 2014, possibly by Spring.

Four options were presented for the Committee’s consideration. Option 2 represented the preferred option, limiting it to transferring the site to Aster Homes with whom the Council already had a close working relationship in delivering affordable housing through the PFI project.

Resolved:

To delegate authority to the Service Director for Business Services after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control services to approve the transfer of the Margaret Stancomb School site to Aster Homes for the delivery of 22 new affordable homes including carrying out any required procurement or legal activities.

Reason for decision

To ensure the delivery of 22 new affordable homes to meet identified housing need.

Report of the Director for Strategy and Commissioning.

Public Participation

Cllr Julian Johnson and Mr Des Hobson, Deputy Chairman of Coombe Bissett Parish Council spoke in support of option 2 detailed within the report.

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services presented a report which sought Committee approval to reconsider a number of options for disposal of the former Depot Site at Blandford Road, Coombe Bissett.

Local parish councils had expressed a desire to see the site developed for affordable housing by disposing of the land to a Registered Provider for this purpose and this had been supported by the Southern Wiltshire Area Board.

The Committee noted that there was no information available on site contamination. It was anticipated that a new housing allocations policy would be in place by the time any proposed homes would become available. As a precaution in case the new policy was not in place, the Committee agreed to add a resolution that preference would be given to households with a local connection to the parish of Coombe Bissett when allocating the new homes to address the identified housing need.

Resolved:

That the Committee:

1.     Agrees option 2 – that the site be used for the development of 3 affordable housing units, either to be retained, owned and managed by the Council, or disposed of to a Registered Provider;

2.     Delegates authority to the Service Director for Business Services after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste, Property,  Environment and Development Control Services to progress the chosen option including carrying out any required procurement or legal activities; and

3.     In the absence of a new housing allocations policy, preference will be given to households with a local connection to the parish of Coombe Bissett when allocating the housing units to address the identified housing need.

Reason for decision

In December 2011 a rural housing needs survey was undertaken with the support of the Parish Council and identified 7 local households seeking an affordable home in Coombe Bissett. The Parish Council are keen to see  more affordable housing developed for local people and have suggested that the Council should be making use of its own land to meet affordable housing needs, and should be looking to develop sites which are already within the Housing Policy Boundary rather than developing exception sites which would be the only other alternative.

Report of the Director for Strategy and Commissioning.

Cllr John Thomson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Housing presented a report which sought Committee approval to use 0.15 hectares/0.38 acres of Council owned land in Hilmarton to provide some much needed new housing in Hilmarton in partnership with Guinness Hermitage.

A rural needs survey undertaken in April 2012 identified a housing need for four new affordable homes with a mix of 2 and 3 bed properties for rent and shared ownership. Substantial work with the Parish Council to identify suitable sites had concluded the land at Hilmarton to be the most suitable and preferred site.

The Committee noted that notice needed to be given to the tenant farmer as soon as possible given the issue around the single farm payment.

Resolved:

1.               To delegate authority to the Service Director Business Services after consultation with Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services to dispose of land at Hilmarton to Guinness Hermitage Housing Association to provide 5 new affordable homes, including carrying out any required procurement or legal activities.

2.               In the absence of a new housing allocations policy, preference will be give to households with a local connection to the parish of Hilmartin when allocating the housing units to address the identified housing need.

Report of the Corporate Director.

Cllr Toby Sturgis, Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services presented a report which proposed the purchase of and, if necessary, adaptation for disabled use, of a bungalow in the vicinity of St Nicholas’ Special School, Chippenham to provide a suitable property for teaching life skills for the older students at the school.

This would replace the existing provision of a house where students with disabilities which prevent them from using the stairs were unable to use it. The proposal would be funded from the New Deal for Schools Capital funds, received as Government grant.

Resolved:

That the Committee delegates authority to the Service Director for Business Services after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Waste, Property, Environment and Development Control Services to purchase a bungalow in the vicinity of St Nicholas’ Special School, Chippenham including carrying out any required procurement or legal activities. If necessary, adapt it for disabled use, to provide a suitable property for teaching life skills for the older students at the school.

Reason for decision

To replace a rented property which is not fit for purpose with a suitable freehold property.

None.

This is to give further notice in accordance with paragraph 5 (4), 5 (5) and 6(a) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 of the intention to take the following item in private.

To consider passing the following resolution:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 12 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Reason for taking item in private:

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

Further notice was given in accordance with paragraph 5 (4), 5 (5) and 6  (a) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 of the intention to take the following item in private. No representations had been received on why the matter should be taken in private.

Resolved:

That the Committee agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Number 12 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Reason for taking item in private:

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

Report of the Corporate Director.

Cllr Stuart Wheeler, Cabinet Member for Transformation, Culture, Leisure and Libraries presented a confidential report which invited the Cabinet to support the allocation of funds to deliver an artificial turf pitch in the County. This would in turn contribute towards the wider strategic funding bid to the Football Association to deliver other complementary leisure facilities in the County as detailed in the report presented.

Resolved:

1. That the Committee recommends the allocation of £800k Capital funding (£40k pa revenue impact in real terms after income is considered) to cover the provision of an artificial turf pitch in the County noting that this should only be developed if funds from the Football Association are forthcoming.

2. That the Committee supports the allocation of existing funds in the transformation programme contingency to support the development of a Hockey biased artificial turf pitch in the County in lieu of any external funding being forthcoming, noting that external funding would still be sought by officers.