Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made by Members.

There were no members of the public present.

The minutes of the Economy and Development Select Committee meeting dated 13^th July 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Context:

To scrutinise the purpose, key findings and conclusions of the Local Development Plan (LDP) third Annual Monitoring Report (AMR).

Key issues:

The Head of Planning, Housing and Place Shaping provided the Select Committee with a presentation on the Local Development Plan Annual Monitoring Report 1st April 2016 – 31^st March 2017.  In doing so, the following points were noted:

·         There was a statutory requirement to produce an Annual Monitoring Report (AMR).

·         To be submitted to Welsh Government by 31 October 2017 and cover the preceding financial year from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

·         The Monmouthshire Local Development Plan (LDP) was adopted on 27th February 2014.

·         The third AMR covers the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

·         It is the basis for monitoring effectiveness of the LDP – demonstrate whether the LDP strategy and objectives are being achieved and whether the Plan’s policies are functioning effectively.

·         Determine whether any revisions to the Plan are necessary.

·         Allow the Council to assess the impact the LDP is having on the social, economic and environmental well-being of the County.

·         Identify any significant contextual changes that may influence plan implementation or review.

The conclusions of the AMR:

·         Good progress continues to be made in implementing many of the Plan’s policies and overall the strategy remains sound.

·         However, a number of the LDP’s key housing provision policy targets are not being met, indicating that these policies are not functioning as intended.

·         Continued lack of a five year housing land supply remains a matter of concern that needs to be addressed if the Plan’s housing requirements are to be met.

·         The position remains that an early review of the LDP is considered necessary to address the housing land supply shortfall.

Recommendations of the AMR:

·         Continue with an early review of the Monmouthshire LDP as a result of the need to address the shortfall in the housing land supply and facilitate the identification / allocation of additional housing land. This will involve the production of a Review Report which will set out and explain the scope of the Plan revision required. 

·         Submit the third AMR to the Welsh Government by 31 October 2017 in accordance with statutory requirements.  Publish the AMR on the Council’s website.

·         Continue to monitor the Plan through the preparation of successive AMRs.

Next steps:

·         A full statutory review of the LDP is required to commence in February 2018. It is considered appropriate to continue with a full review of the Plan to consider all aspects of the LDP at this stage in order to fully assess the nature and scale of revisions that might be required.  This will also assist in meeting the 2021 deadline for having an adopted revised LDP in place to avoid the local policy vacuum that the new Regulations threaten to create.

Member Scrutiny:

·         In response to a question raised regarding whether a short term review would be able to take into account significant issues such as the issues relating to the Severn  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Context:

To receive information on the revenue and capital outturn positions of the Authority based on activity data at month 2.

Recommendations proposed to Cabinet:

·         That Members consider a net revenue outturn overspend of £164,000.

·         Members consider a capital outturn spend, forecast by service managers to agree with budget.

·         Members note that the low level of earmarked reserves, which will severely reduce the flexibility the Council has in meeting the financial challenges of reducing settlements and consequent need to re-design services.

·         Members note the significant forecast reduction in the overall school balance at the end of 2017/18 and supports the continuing work with schools to ensure that the Council’s Fairer Funding Scheme requirements are met and that the overall schools balance reverts to a positive position at the earliest opportunity. 

Member Scrutiny:

·         In response to a question raised regarding the Authority’s procurement and potential savings that might be made through the establishment of a team to investigate this matter, it was noted that £91 million of the Authority’s spend annually goes through procurement books in terms of outside supply contractors.  One of the review pieces of work being looked at under Future Monmouthshire is around procurement which suits the needs of the Authority and whether it is cost effective. For example, under open data, the Authority’s external supplier information has been put on the County Council’s website every month outlining expenditure.  Developers have taken this information and reorganised it.  The Authority’s local spend now is much lower than in previous years.

·         Automated systems are being investigated with a view to freeing up officer time to undertake higher value work.

·         Part of the role of the procurement section is to ensure that the Authority does not fall foul of regional and national procurement requirements.

·         There is a new post that has been established specifically to look at business opportunities.  The focus of this post will be to look at the detail and depth required to ensure that there is continuous progress in place.

·         Currently, the Authority does not have the dedicated resources or the reserves to have a dedicated unit to look specifically at procurement.  The new post holder will be able to mobilise some resource to have a whole programme of activity.  Therefore, procurement will be one of the issues being looked at.

·         The Select Committee considered that a letter should be sent to the Cabinet Member with a view to consideration being given to the establishment of a team to investigate the Council’s procurement mechanisms. It was considered that such a team could pay for itself via the savings that it will likely identify.

·         The Authority does have marketable skills and these skills have been sold over previous years.  However, it was noted that the budget for the Enterprise Directorate has been significantly reduced over the previous five years whilst still being able to generate steady sources of income. The Directorate is now at the point where a boost of additional resource is required in order to tackle the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

We noted the list of actions arising from the previous meeting.

We resolved to receive and note the Economy and Development Select Committee Forward Work Programme.  In doing so, the following information was noted:

·         The Future Monmouthshire Workshop will be held on 17^th October 2017 at 2.00pm.

·         Cross border scrutiny – contact has been made with Gloucestershire County Council and Bristol City Council.  Officers will met with representatives of the Councils prior to a formal meeting taking place.

·         Select Committee Meeting – 19^th October 2017 agenda items:

-       Tourism Performance and Destination Management Plan Review.

-       Tourism Supplementary Planning Guidance.

-       Annual Planning Report.

·         October / November 2017 – A Seminar will be held, led by the Head of Planning Housing and Place Shaping regarding Education Contributions / Capacity / Section 106 Funding.

We resolved to receive and note the Council and Cabinet Business Forward Plan.

Thursday 19^th October 2017 at 10.00am.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 19^th October 2017 at 10.00am.