Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

14.

Order of Business

Minutes:

It was agreed that the order of business be varied so that Agenda Item 12 (Housing Stock Compliance) be considered before Agenda Item 8 (Social Housing Regulator Voluntary Undertaking) as the items of business are related.

15.

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Trevor Bartlett.

16.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 143 KB

To receive any declarations of interest from Members in respect of business to be transacted on the agenda.

Minutes:

Councillor C A Vinson declared an Other Significant Interest in Agenda Item 11 (‘Planning for the Future’ – Planning White Paper 2020 Consultation Response) by reason that his wife was the co-owner of a specialist planning consultancy. 

17.

Record of Decisions pdf icon PDF 228 KB

The decisions of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 7 September 2020 numbered CAB 1 to CAB 13 (inclusive) are attached.

Minutes:

It was agreed that the decisions of the meeting held on 7 September 2020, as detailed in decision numbers CAB 1 to CAB 13, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

18.

Performance Report - First Quarter 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 91 KB

To consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (to follow).

Minutes:

It was agreed that the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, made at its meeting held on 14 September 2020 (Minute No 9), be accepted as follows:

 

(i)             That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s concerns be noted in respect of the low levels set as targets for performance indicators EKS02d.1 (percentage of incidents resolved within one working day) and EKS02d.2 (percentage of incidents resolved within three working days), and that these be reviewed.  As part of this, a comparison with the targets for other local authorities is proposed.

 

(ii)            That the appropriate Portfolio Holder and Officers be requested to work with East Kent Services to improve performance in respect of EKS02d.1 and EKS02d.2 through smarter working practices.

 

(iii)           That performance indicator KPI03-d (percentage of Council taxes due for the financial year which were received in year by the authority) have a trend and RAG status indicator added for future editions of the Performance Report.

 

19.

Affordable Housing Delivery pdf icon PDF 8 KB

To consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (to follow).

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s endorsement of Cabinet Decision CAB 4, made at its meeting held on 14 September 2020 (Minute No 10), be acknowledged.

 

(b)   That Cabinet Decision CAB 4 be reaffirmed.

20.

Council Tax Premium for Long-Term Empty Properties Directly Affected by COVID-19 pdf icon PDF 9 KB

To consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (to follow).

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s endorsement of Cabinet Decision CAB 5, made at its meeting held on 14 September 2020 (Minute No 11), be acknowledged.

 

(b)   That Cabinet Decision CAB 5 be reaffirmed.

 

21.

Cleaning of Communal Areas in Housing Blocks pdf icon PDF 8 KB

To consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (to follow).

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, made at its meeting held on 14 September 2020 (Minute No 13), be accepted as follows:

 

(i)             That the concerns of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in respect of the contractor be noted.

 

(ii)            That a monitoring report on the contract be brought back to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

(b)   That Cabinet Decision CAB 13 be reaffirmed, subject to (a) above.

22.

Approval of Revised 2020/21 General Fund Revenue Budget and Project Programmes pdf icon PDF 422 KB

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources).

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance and Digital

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed that the revised General Fund Revenue Budget and the Capital and Special Projects Programmes be approved, including:

 

(i)             Forecast increase in the General Fund revenue budget deficit;

(ii)            Reduction in proposed transfers to reserves and the use of Government funding to offset the forecast deficit;

(iii)           Addition, removal and amendments to projects.

23.

Dover District Council's Safeguarding Vulnerable Children and Adults Policy and Procedures pdf icon PDF 224 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Community and Digital Services.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Transport, Licensing and Community

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the updated Safeguarding Policy be approved, with an agreed review programmed for every three years.

 

(b)   That the Head of Community and Digital Services be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Transport, Licensing and Community, to make any minor changes as necessary relating to legislation or process during the policy period.

24.

Dover District Council's Process for Unauthorised Encampments pdf icon PDF 214 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Community and Digital Services.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Transport, Licensing and Community

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed that the new policies and procedures for unauthorised encampments, as set out at paragraph 4.2 of the report, be approved.

25.

Housing Stock Compliance pdf icon PDF 338 KB

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Operations and Commercial).

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Housing and Health

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed that the current compliance status relating to the various aspects of statutory Health & Safety compliance associated with managing the housing stock, currently managed by East Kent Housing, be noted.

26.

Social Housing Regulator Voluntary Undertaking pdf icon PDF 364 KB

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources).

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Housing and Health

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the report be received and noted.

 

(b)   That the Council’s planned response to the regulatory notice served upon it by the Regulator for Social Housing be agreed.

 

(c)   That the Leader of the Council and the Head of Paid Service be requested to enter into a Voluntary Undertaking on behalf of the Council. 

27.

Sandwich Guildhall Forecourt Improvement Works pdf icon PDF 394 KB

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Operations and Commercial).

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Environment and Corporate Property

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the improvement works to the Sandwich Guildhall Forecourt, using the £400,000 allocated in the Medium-Term Financial Plan towards a total project budget of £1.05 million, be approved.

 

(b)   That the advance purchase of Yorkstone paving, at a cost of approximately £70,000 to £100,000, be approved.

 

(c)   That the Strategic Director (Operations and Commercial) be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Corporate Property, to take all necessary actions to deliver the works that are the subject of this report, including, but not limited to, the awarding of contracts.

28.

'Planning for the Future' - Planning White Paper 2020 Consultation Response pdf icon PDF 1 MB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Planning, Regeneration and Development.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regulatory Services

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the proposed response to the first consultation, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

 

(b)   That the response to the consultation on changes to the existing system, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report, be noted. 

29.

EU Transition - Dover Port Health Authority pdf icon PDF 239 KB

To consider the attached report of the Head of Regulatory Services.

 

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Housing and Health

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was agreed:

 

(a)   That the additional resource required to support the recruitment of three additional Port Health staff from the 2020/21 budget, to support the first phase of the EU end of transition, be approved.

 

(b)   That the submission of a letter to the Right Honourable Michael Gove MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, seeking urgent clarity and commitment to funding, be approved.

30.

Exclusion of the Press and Public pdf icon PDF 104 KB

The recommendation is attached.

 

MATTERS WHICH THE MANAGEMENT TEAM SUGGESTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN PRIVATE AS THE REPORT CONTAINS EXEMPT INFORMATION AS DEFINED WITHIN PART 1 OF SCHEDULE 12A OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS INDICATED AND IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE PROPER OFFICER CONSIDERS THAT THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE EXEMPTION OUTWEIGHS THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN DISCLOSING THE INFORMATION

Minutes:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000, the press and the public be excluded during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

31.

Option Agreement on a Property in Dover

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Operations and Commercial).

 

Responsibility: Leader of the Council

 

Minutes:

It was agreed that the terms of the proposed option agreement be approved, and that the Council enters into the proposed option agreement that would be exercised should the Council be successful in its application for funding from the Future High Street Fund, and the Council chooses to accept the funding.

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