Agenda item

Members considered the reports contained in the District Executive Agenda for 1 February 2017 and made the following comments:

Somerset Waste Partnership – Draft Business Plan 2017-22 (Agenda item 6)

·         Scrutiny Committee request to have information with regard to timelines or the reports referred to on page 14 and 15 for the Refuse Treatment and Recycle More projects.

·         Members of the committee requested it recorded that Scrutiny Committee had representations from the public with regard to the Dimmer Waster Transfer Station - part of the Refuse Treatment project.   The outcome of this is Scrutiny will be passing the questions and concerns from the public to County Council Scrutiny and the Somerset Waste Board Joint Scrutiny Committee. Two members wished it noted that they have reservations about whether Dimmer is an appropriate transfer site as they had seen no evidence.

·         Members were pleased to note that review of the inter Authority agreement between Taunton and West Somerset will be of low risk as the breakdown of costs is based on the number of collections per area.

Loan to Somerset Waste Partnership for Waste Vehicles (Agenda item 7)

·         Members support the recommendation noting that the £29,255 interest is in addition to what is currently being received in terms of interest.

Heart of the South West Devolution Update (Agenda item 8)

·         Members were happy to support the recommendations but had concerns that they didn’t have enough knowledge yet to make formal decisions.

·         Scrutiny Committee will be discussing Devolution and the role of Scrutiny at its next meeting.

Revenue Budget 2017/18 Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme (Agenda item 9)

·         Para 37 page 50 refers to exploring fees and charges and specifically mentions car parking fees.  Where are we with the Car Parking Strategy?

·         Scrutiny Committee could consider a Task and Finish group with regard to Fees and Charges if this would be helpful.

2016/17 Revenue Budget monitoring report for the quarter ending 31^st December 2016 (Agenda item10)

·         Para 10.1 on page 81 - Members were concerned of the number of outstanding applications  for Discretionary Housing Payments(32),p articularly given the financial vulnerability of some of the applicants.

2016/17 Capital Budget monitoring report for the quarter ending 31 December 2016 (Agenda item 11)

·         A member sought clarification regarding the Market Towns Vision (page 119) – with the changes that Transformation will bring will the Market Towns Investment Group continue and is the funding secure?

·         Page 119 – New Car Parks - Some members queried the reason for delays regarding the progressing of the Millers Garage site in Crewkerne.

Public Space Protection Order for dog fouling, dogs on leads and dog exclusion (Agenda item 12)

·         Some members queried if in general such Orders for dog exclusion could only be made for  SSDC owned land or whether they could be made for any land used generally by the public e.g. recreation grounds owned by trusts or parish councils.

Allowenshay Private Water Supply (Agenda item 13)

·         Based on the report included within the agenda, members raised no comments.

Final Recommendation of the Community Governance Review of Brympton Parish (Agenda item 14)

·         No comments