Decisions

To request formal adoption of the Conservation Area Appraisal for North Promenade.  This will complete the Conservation Area designation process for the new Conservation Area.

To designate the area of North Promenade shown on the plan attached at Appendix B as a Conservation Area, to be known as North Promenade Conservation Area.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2018/2019. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Blackburn and G Coleman of Brunswick Ward have requested £4,155 as funding to the Alley Gates Team for the purchase and installation of alley gates on Gorton Street to help prevent fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, to include £300 advertising costs.

The Deputy Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To authorise the request, as submitted.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

To request formal adoption of the Conservation Area Appraisal for Marton Moss.  This will complete the Conservation Area designation process for the new Conservation Area.

To designate the area of Marton Moss shown on the plan attached at Appendix B as a Conservation Area, to be known as Marton Moss Conservation Area.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council:

1. That a rent reduction of a minimum of 1% is implemented for all Housing Revenue account properties in 2019/20.

2. The minimum level of Housing Revenue Account balances remain protected at £1 million, as previously agreed.

3. That de-pooled services (as detailed in Appendix C, to the Executive report) and that other service charges (as detailed in Appendices D and E, to the Executive report) are charged as outlined.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council:

1. To approve the Treasury Management Strategy 2019/20 including both the Borrowing and Investment Strategies which are set out in Annex C and Annex D to the Executive report.

2. To adopt the Treasury Management Policy Statement, the three key principles and four clauses taken from CIPFA’s Treasury Management in Public Services Code of Practice and Cross Sectoral Guidance Notes (2017 Edition) and set out in Annex B to the Executive report.

3. To approve the revised Prudential Indicators and limits for 2018/19 and the new Prudential Indicators and limits for 2019/20 – 2021/22 which are set out in Annex E to the Executive report.

4. To approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2019/20, which will ensure a prudent Minimum Revenue Provision charge in the annual statement of accounts. The policy is set out in Annex F to the Executive report.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to the Council to approve the Capital Strategy 2019/20 to 2021/22 incorporating the Property Investment Strategy 2019/20.

The Executive resolved as follows:

To recommend to Council:

1.      To approve the Capital Programme for 2019/20 as set out at Appendices A and B, to the Executive report.

2. To adopt the Single Capital Pot approach as outlined in Section 4 with a top slice of 12.5% to allow for investment in key priority areas and overspends that are not otherwise fundable (reference paragraph 4.2 of the Executive report).

3. To approve the Capital Prudential Indicators as identified in Appendix C, to the Executive report.

4. To agree that Executive approval will continue to be required for all Prudential borrowing schemes (reference paragraph 3.1, of the Executive report).

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To recommend to Council the £1,544,000 Social Care Support Grant is allocated in full to Children’s Social Care (ref. paragraph 4.7 of the Executive report).

2. To recommend to Council the level of net expenditure for the draft General Fund Revenue Budget 2019/20 of £124,073,000 (ref. paragraph 6.2 of the Executive report).

3. To recommend to Council a level of budget savings of £9.0m (ref. paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 and Appendix 2 to the Executive report).

4. To recommend to Council that the Chief Executive be authorised to take any necessary steps to ensure all staffing savings are achieved (ref. paragraph 8.1 of the Executive report).

5. To recommend to Council that the Business Loans Fund is increased from £100m to £200m with immediate effect (ref. paragraph 8.3 of the Executive report).

6. To recommend to Council that the target level of working balances remains at £6m (ref. paragraph 10.4 of the Executive report).

7. To recommend a detailed review of earmarked reserves takes place at Provisional Outturn 2018/19 to reprioritise and unearmark funds to replenish working balances to their target level in 2019/20 should this be necessary (ref. paragraph 10.4 of the Executive report).

8. To recommend to Council that the 2019/20 costs of £1.188m associated with the Ofsted action plan are agreed and met from higher than anticipated returns from the Business Loans Fund (ref. paragraph 10.5           of the Executive report).

9. To note the report of the Budget Scrutiny Review Panel as attached at Appendix 3 to the Executive report and agree no direct actions arising from that review.

10. To note that the Director of Resources had attended the Blackpool Business Leaders Group meeting on the 25 January 2019 to present the General Fund Revenue Budget and that the group had made no recommendations on the proposed budget.

11. To consider any further facts and information that which subsequently come to light and report the details to the meeting of the Executive on 25 February 2019.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government (HM Treasury, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for more funding to cope with the mounting demand and new burdens presenting in Children’s Services.

3.      To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets and Parking Services.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

This report lists applications to write off outstanding balances of Sundry Debts, Council Tax, Benefit Overpayments and Business Rates where there is no prospect of recovery or recovery of the debt is inappropriate.

The Corporate Write Off Policy states that all Sundry Debt, Council Tax and Benefit Overpayments over £5,000 and Business Rates over £10,000 must be authorised by Executive.

To consider the Council Tax base for 2019/20 as outlined in the report attached at Appendix A.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To approve the calculation of the Council’s tax base for 2019/20.

2. That in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 1992 and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003, declare that the Council Tax base for 2019/20 should be 36,521 properties.

The Council as a Billing Authority is required under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to complete a National Non-Domestic Rate Return 1 (NNDR 1) each year. This provides an authority’s calculation of its non-domestic rate income for the following financial year and the sums due to Central Government and relevant precepting authorities. This information for 2019/20 must be notified to the Secretary of State and to relevant preceptors by 31st January 2019. The return is attached at Appendix A and reflects the new 75% retention rate applicable to members of the Lancashire-wide 75% Business Rate Pilot Pool in 2019/20 (Decision EX3/2019 from the Executive meeting on 21 January 2019 refers).

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To formally approve the National Non-Domestic Rate Return 1 for 2019/20 as attached at Appendix A.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2018/2019. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Hutton and L Taylor of Clifton Ward have requested:

(i)£1,080 as funding to Reclaim Our Communities group for a garden project to include purchasing a lawnmower and protective wear for the Mereside Community.

(ii)£1,000 as funding to Mereside Library for the purchase of new reading books for the library.

Councillors Ryan and Mrs Wright of Greenlands Ward have requested:

(i)£8,515.50 as funding to the Highways Department for the purchase and installation of 2 replacement bus shelters on Bispham Road and Holyoake Avenue.

(ii)£500 as funding to the Community Services Department for the purchase and installation of 4 bollards on Collins Avenue to help prevent vehicle override on the pavement.

(iii)£150.50 as funding to Lowmoor Community Centre for the purchase of a TV Licence for the community centre and local residents attending the centre.

Councillors D Coleman and Critchley of Hawes Side Ward have requested:

(i)£1,590 as funding to the Illuminations Department for the purchase and installation of a large LED lit Christmas Tree at Crossland Road Park.

(ii)£120 as funding to the Parks Department for the supply of safety barriers for the Christmas Tree at Crossland Road Park.

Councillors Cross and Rowson of Ingthorpe Ward have requested £501.38 as funding to the Environmental Services Department for the purchase and installation of a small lit Christmas Tree in Bispham Village.

Councillors Benson and Mitchell of Layton Ward have requested £870 as funding to the Highways Department to support a residents’ survey within Layton Ward to ascertain information prior to making any decisions with regard to parking restrictions within the area.

Councillors Cox and Humphreys of Squires Gate Ward have requested £500 as funding to N-Vision for the purchase of 310 pin badges to present to Volunteers working across the charity within Squires Gate Ward.

Councillors I Coleman and Smith of Talbot Ward have requested:

(i)£5,000 as funding to the Highways Department towards altering the existing Raikes Parade residents’ permit parking scheme into a Permit Parking Zone with limited waiting/loading within.

(ii)£916 as funding to the Highways Department to support a residents’ survey within Talbot Ward to ascertain information prior to making any decisions with regard to parking restrictions within the area.

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2018/2019. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Clapham and Maycock of Bispham Ward have requested:

(i)£480 as funding to the Friends of Cavendish Park for tennis coaching sessions for young people at the park.

(ii)£360 as funding to Town Centre Trees for the purchase and installation of 6 wall-mounted Christmas Trees on Red Bank Road.

Councillors Mrs Henderson MBE and Hunter of Highfield Ward have requested £1,350 as funding to Highfield Free Tennis Group for spring/summer 2019 free tennis lessons at Highfield Park.

Councillors Mrs Callow and P Callow of Norbreck Ward have requested £1,500 as funding to Anchorsholme Library and Moor Park Library for the purchase of new library books.

Councillors Cox and Humphreys of Squires Gate Ward have requested £1,590 as funding to the Illuminations Department for the purchase and installation of a large LED lit Christmas Tree on Highfield Road.

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

The Sub-Committee was informed of two Horse Drawn Hackney Carriage Licence Holders and one applicant for a Private Hire Vehicle Driver’s Licence who had been convicted of offences or given sufficient cause for concern as to be referred to the Sub-Committee for consideration.

A.T (New Private Hire)

Mr Ryan Ratcliffe, Licensing Officer, was in attendance and presented the relevant information. Mr Ratcliffe highlighted that A.T. had been convicted of drink driving with the driving ban ending less than five years ago and had been convicted of more than 2 violent offences within the last ten years and therefore the application should be considered as not in line with the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

A.T. was in attendance and made representations to the Sub-Committee. A.T. expressed remorse for the incidents but asked members to bear in mind the relatively minor nature of the offences and these had all taken place when he had a problem with alcohol. A.T. emphasised that he no longer had issues with alcohol.

The Sub-Committee considered carefully the evidence submitted by all parties. It agreed however that there were no grounds to depart from the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy given the volume of relevant offences and their recent nature.

Resolved:

That the application for a Private Hire Driver’s Licence in respect A.T. be refused on the grounds that he is not a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.

M.N (Existing Horse Drawn Hackney Carriage)

Mr Ryan Ratcliffe, Licensing Officer, was in attendance and presented the relevant information. Mr Ratcliffe highlighted that M.N. had been involved in an incident reported to the Council where the Horse Drawn Hackney Carriage he was driving had nearly collided with a pedestrian having gone through a red light.

M.N. was in attendance and made representations to the Sub-Committee. He explained that in relation to the incident he had made an error of judgement but that it was not always possible to stop a horse drawn vehicle as quickly as a car. M.N expressed remorse but asked that his previous unblemished record having been licensed for many years be balanced

The Sub-Committee considered carefully the evidence submitted. It considered the incident very seriously and noted that on the day M.N. had fallen well below the excepted standards of a licensed driver. It however took the view that the incident had been a one off so agreed to deal with by way of a warning as to future conduct.

Resolved:

That the case in respect of M.N. no action be taken other than a letter be issued warning the licence holder that in the event of any further incidents the licence may be suspended or revoked.

A.C.H (Existing Horse Drawn Hackney Carriage)

The Sub-Committee was informed that the Licence Holder had requested that the referral be deferred to enable his legal representative to attend.

Resolved:

That the referral in respect of A.C.H. be deferred to the next meeting of the Sub-Committee.