Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of Area East Informal meetings held on 9^th March, 13th April and 18^th May 2022.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 9^th March, 13^th April and the 18^th May 2022 were approved as correct records and would be signed by the Chairman.

Before moving to the next item, Cllr.Nick Colbert interrupted the meeting saying he wished to raise a point of order. He proposed a vote of no confidence in the Chair and began to state his reasons. Having heard the first reason, the chair stepped in and asked the member to refrain from saying anything further, as she felt it defamatory.  He wished to continue but the chair reiterated she would not have inappropriate comments heard.  The member noted he felt so strongly about the matter that he did not wish to remain in the meeting and duly left.

The Director, Place and Recovery explained to members how the constitution had been correctly followed in the appointment of the Area East Chair by the Leader of the council. She was able to confirm that the same had been shared with Cllr. Winder by the Monitoring Officer via email.  Cllr. Colin Winder disagreed with the explanation given and decided to leave the meeting.

Cllr. Robin Bastable was invited to speak and said that he had heard via another member that Cllr. Dyke had acted improperly at a parish council meeting.  The Director, Place and Recovery said she thought it inappropriate to repeat things not actually witnessed by the member himself and also expressed concern that members were not behaving in line with the code, which requires them to show respect.

Cllr. Lucy Trimnell remarked that the code also requires members to foster a close working relationship with local councils.  Cllr. Dyke acknowledged that she would do so when invited by Cllr. Trimnell to attend one of her parish council meetings. 

An apology for absence had been received from Councillor Hayward Burt.

In accordance with the Council’s current Code of Conduct (as amended 26 February 2015), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also “prejudicial”) in relation to any matter on the Agenda for this meeting. 

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest.  Where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council. 

Planning Applications Referred to the Regulation Committee

The following members of this Committee are also members of the Council’s Regulation Committee:

Councillors Tony Capozzoli, Sarah Dyke, Paul Rowsell and William Wallace.

Where planning applications are referred by this Committee to the Regulation Committee for determination, Members of the Regulation Committee can participate and vote on these items at the Area Committee and at Regulation Committee.  In these cases the Council’s decision-making process is not complete until the application is determined by the Regulation Committee.  Members of the Regulation Committee retain an open mind and will not finalise their position until the Regulation Committee.  They will also consider the matter at Regulation Committee as Members of that Committee and not as representatives of the Area Committee.

There were no declarations of interest from members.

Members are asked to note that the next scheduled meeting of the committee will be held on Wednesday 10^th August 2022.

Members noted the date of the next meeting would be Wednesday 10^th August at 9.00am.

There were no questions from members of the public present.

There were no Chairmans announcements.

Councillor Tony Capozzoli asked for a planning tour to visit some recent sites that had been given planning permission. The Chairman would explore what options would be available with officers.

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

award a grant of £12,500 towards the kitchen extension and patio shelter, the grant to be allocated from the Area East capital programme and subject to SSDC standard conditions for community grants (appendix A)

Reason:

Councillors are asked to consider the awarding of a grant of £12,500 towards the village hall kitchen extension and patio shelter.

(Voting: Unanimous)

The Locality Officer presented the report which was looking to award a community grant of £12,500 to the Yarlington Club Reading Room Group for an extension to the rear of the hall and to create a patio shelter. The requested amount was 15% of the overall costs, which were £82,906.

The applicant addressed members and gave some previous renovation history of the hall. He explained that the existing kitchen was used currently but improvements to the kitchen would allow for more functions for the community and would promote more social activities. The patio shelter would allow for an undercover outdoor shelter that would also be of great benefit.

In response to a question regarding the toilet facilities, the applicant did not believe that upgrading the facilities would affect the capacity of the septic tank. There would still only be one toilet at the hall and so the capacity would not be greatly increased.

Many members expressed their support for the grant application, and it was proposed and seconded to grant the full amount. On being put to the vote the grant was awarded unanimously.

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

award a grant of £12,500 towards the kitchen extension and patio shelter, the grant to be allocated from the Area East capital programme and subject to SSDC standard conditions for community grants (appendix A)

Reason:

Councillors are asked to consider the awarding of a grant of £12,500 towards the village hall kitchen extension and patio shelter.

(Voting: Unanimous)

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

Award £10,000 to South Somerset Community Accessible Transport Bus for the delivery of the social car service from the Area East Discretionary/Project Budget

Reason:

To consider the allocation of funding to South Somerset Community Accessible Transport Bus (SSCAT bus)

(Voting: Unanimous)

The Locality Officer presented the report which asked for £10,000 to be awarded to the Community Accessible Transport bus (CAT bus) from the Area East discretionary budget. She explained that she had been having regular meetings with the transport manager for the CAT bus. It had come to light that the social car aspect was not funded, and this was a way for Area East to help fund the transport.

She updated that since the report was written, if the grant was awarded there would be £8290 left in the discretionary budget.

One member hoped there was a plan for electric vehicles in the future to support net zero obligations. As this transport support was for anyone who needed support to accessible transport and not just for the elderly or the disabled, could we make sure this was published?

In response to a members query about ongoing unitary support for the CAT bus, the chairman confirmed that she would work with the locality team to ensure that discussions about support for the CAT bus would be included in LGR workstreams as we transmission to a unitary authority.

There were no further questions and it was proposed and seconded to approve the grant of £10,000 and was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

Award £10,000 to South Somerset Community Accessible Transport Bus for the delivery of the social car service from the Area East Discretionary/Project Budget

Reason:

To consider the allocation of funding to South Somerset Community Accessible Transport Bus (SSCAT bus)

(Voting: Unanimous)

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

Review and appoint members to the outside organisations as set out in the report.

Reason:

As the Council has entered a new municipal year, the Committee is asked to review its appointments to outside organisations within Area East, having regard to the policy on the Roles and Responsibilities of Councillors appointed to Outside Bodies, which was adopted by District Executive on 1st May 2014.

(Voting: Unanimous)

The appointments of members to outside organisations report set out the representatives from 2021/22 and all members confirmed they were happy to continue with their current representations for the municipal year of 2022/23.

RESOLVED:

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive:

Review and appoint members to the outside organisations as set out in the report.

Reason:

As the Council has entered a new municipal year, the Committee is asked to review its appointments to outside organisations within Area East, having regard to the policy on the Roles and Responsibilities of Councillors appointed to Outside Bodies, which was adopted by District Executive on 1st May 2014.

(Voting: Unanimous)

RESOLVED

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive approve the following:

That, in line with the Development Control Revised Scheme of Delegation, two members be nominated to act as substitutes for the Chairman and Vice Chairman to make decisions in the Chairman’s and Vice Chairman’s absence on whether an application should be considered by the Area Committee as requested by the Ward Member(s).

1^st Substitute – Hayward Burt

2^nd Substitute – Lucy Trimnell

Reason

As the Council has entered a new municipal year, the Committee is asked to review the appointment of two members to act as substitutes for the Chairman and Vice Chairman in the exercising of the Scheme of Delegation for planning and related applications.

(Voting: Unanimous)

The Chairman introduced the report and confirmed to members that the 1^st substitute confirmed was Hayward Burt, but that a second substitute needed to be chosen.

There was support from members for the nomination of Councillor Lucy Trimnell.  Councillor Lucy Trimnell confirmed she was happy to take the role of 2^nd substitute.

RESOLVED

That Area East members recommend the Chief Executive approve the following:

That, in line with the Development Control Revised Scheme of Delegation, two members be nominated to act as substitutes for the Chairman and Vice Chairman to make decisions in the Chairman’s and Vice Chairman’s absence on whether an application should be considered by the Area Committee as requested by the Ward Member(s).

1^st Substitute – Hayward Burt

2^nd Substitute – Lucy Trimnell

Reason

As the Council has entered a new municipal year, the Committee is asked to review the appointment of two members to act as substitutes for the Chairman and Vice Chairman in the exercising of the Scheme of Delegation for planning and related applications.

(Voting: Unanimous)

The Chair asked that a report on past achievements of grants awarded be added to the forward plan for December.

The Locality manager took the suggestion of Local Community Plan Network (LCN) briefings and would feedback to the LCN Local Government Reform (LGR) group and come back to with any updates on communications.

Members noted the forward plan.

Councillor Mike Lewis commented that there had been a response from the Minister of Levelling Up in relation to the approval notice in the agenda for 200 houses in Castle Cary and wanted to know if there was to be any response from the council on this. The Chairman would seek to get a response for Cllr Lewis.

Members noted the list of appeals.