Agenda item

To consider the Executive and Cabinet Member Decisions within the portfolios of the Leader of the Council and Deputy Leader of the Council, taken since the last meeting of the Committee.

The Committee considered the Executive and Cabinet Member decisions, within its remit, taken since the last meeting of the Committee on 25 October 2017.

Members referred to decision PH58/2017 ‘Strategic acquisition at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone’ of the Helicentre for £423,500 and enquired what governance and management structure would be adopted and what would happen to staff at the existing operator. Members also referred to PH59/2017 ‘Town Centre Investment - Purchase of the Hop Public House’.  The decision involved the purchase of the Public House for £264.5k to allow wider strategic development and potentially up to £120k for conversion or demolition. Members noted that the two purchases had been funded from capital receipts and prudential borrowing and enquired what proportions were involved.

Councillor Simon Blackburn, Leader of the Council explained that the Council would be responsible for governance and management so was developing appropriate structures. An operating company and land holding and enterprise company would be formed and wholly owned by the Council. Independent directors would be appointed and the Council’s political groups would put forward their nominees as other directors. Mr Alan Cavill, Director of Place explained that staff working with the existing operator, Squire Gate Operations Limited, would continue to be contracted to undertake the same roles going forward. The Leader added that the Council adhered to the Joseph Roundtree Foundation’s Living Wage which could mean improved conditions for some transferred staff.

Mr Alan Cavill reported that £500k of capital receipts had been used to fund the two purchases supplemented by prudential borrowing. He added that significant rental income per annum was anticipated from the Helicentre site.

In response to a further question relating to the strategic use of the Hop Public House site, the Leader advised that up-to-date details of the Phase Three of the Talbot Gateway (Central Business District) development would be available publicly in due course.

Members noted decision EX32/2017 ‘Sundry debt, business rates, council tax and housing benefit overpayment write offs’ which involved large financial amounts and queried the reasons for the £424.5k of overpayments.

The Leader agreed that the housing benefit overpayments were significant but needed to be considered within the context of £85m worth of housing benefit payments in total. Mr Steve Thompson, Director of Resources explained that there were various causes resulting in overpayments but generally linked to timing of claims, e.g. a change in a claimant’s circumstances requiring entitlement re-calculation might only take effect after some overpayments had been made. The Department for Work and Pensions were responsible for providing a lot of information which often took time getting over to the Council. The Department, Council and claimants could make errors. Sometimes there would be fraudulent claims. He added that if the Department for Work and Pensions made errors then it would be possible to claim overpayments back through the Council’s annual Housing Benefit Subsidy claim to the Department. There had been overpayments going back some time which had recently been reviewed to ensure only active cases remained.

Members enquired if it was possible to comment upon the content for the Local Transport Plan (2011-16) which would be running as an extended Plan until April 2018. The Leader welcomed any comments for consideration and suggested that they were sent direct to him and Councillor Fred Jackson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services.