Agenda and minutes

It was noted that there were no apologies for absence.

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

Councillor K Mills declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Agenda Item 4 (Provision of Interim Housing and Support for Afghan Refugees via Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme) by reason of his employment with the Home Office.

The decisions of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 3 April 2023 numbered CAB 105 to CAB 117 (inclusive) are attached.

It was agreed that the decisions of the meetings held on 3 April 2023, as detailed in decision numbers CAB 105 to CAB 117, be approved as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the attached report of the Heads of Finance & Investment and Transformation.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holders for Social Housing, Port Health, Skills & Education and Community & Corporate Property

It was agreed:

(a)  That a project to acquire the lease, refurbish and furnish fifteen Ministry of Defence properties (as affordable rent), under the terms of the Local Authority Housing Fund Programme, be approved.

(b)  That the delivery of a full support package by Dover District Council to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme and any other resettlement schemes, and the acceptance of Home Office funding to deliver the schemes, be approved. 

(c)   That it be noted that, if the project is approved, the Head of Paid Service will create the necessary structures and employment roles where applicable to deliver the programmes within the budgets available.

(d)  That the Strategic Director (Finance and Housing) be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Skills and Education, to take the necessary decisions and actions to progress the project, including (but not limited to) approving and entering into the lease and other legal agreements, appointing any necessary professional advisers, agreeing the budget and contract sum for any works required, awarding the works contract, approving variations to the project sum if required and, if circumstances warrant, cancelling the project.

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

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Transport, Licensing and Regulatory Services

It was agreed that an additional five Hackney Carriage Licences be issued to wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

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

Responsibility: Leader of the Council

It was agreed:

(a)  That the following appointments to outside bodies for 2023/24 be approved (with appointments being for one year unless stated otherwise):

Action with Communities in Rural Kent                      Cllr M Mamjan

                                                                                    Cllr M Nee

Aylesham & District Workshop Trust                          Cllr M Mamjan

Deal Fairtrade Steering Group                                   Cllr J Loffman

Dover, Deal & District                                                 Cllr H Williams            

Citizens’ Advice Bureau

Dover Fairtrade Steering Group                                 Cllr P Brivio

Dover Fastrack Advisory Board         Indefinite         Cllr J Pout

East Kent Spatial Development Co.                           Cllr K Mills

Industrial Communities Alliance                                 Cllr E Biggs

JAC Kent Downs AONB Partnership                         Cllr P Brivio

Kent County Playing Fields                                        Cllr S Blair

Association

Kent Forum                                                                 Cllr K Mills

Kent Resource Partnership                                        Cllr E Biggs

Members Board

Local Enterprise Partnership Board &                        Cllr K Mills

Executive

Local Government Association –                               Cllr K Mills

General Assembly

Local Government Association                                   Cllr E Biggs

Coastal Special Interest Group

Manston Skills and Employment                                Cllr S Beer

Board             

Municipal Charities of Dover              4 Years            Cllr S Hill

                                                                                    Cllr L Wright

PATROL (formerly National                                        Cllr J Pout

Parking Adjudication Service)

Police & Crime Panel for Kent                                    Cllr C Zosseder

River Dour Partnership                                               Cllr P Brivio

River Stour (Kent) Internal                                          Cllr M Moorhouse

Drainage Board                                                          Cllr S Blair

Saint Edmund of Abingdon                 5 years            Cllr P Brivio

Memorial Trust

Sandwich & Pegwell Bay                                           Cllr M Moorhouse

National Nature Reserve

Management Committee

South-East England Councils                                    Cllr K Mills

(SEEC)                                                                       (sub: J Pout)

Tourism South-East                                                    Cllr L Wright

(b)  That the Leader of the Council be requested to nominate an alternative Member to substitute at meetings on an ad hoc basis when the appointed Member is not available (and where the constitution of the body allows this).

(c)   That the appointment of the Chief Executive to the Kent Forum be approved.

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

Responsibility: Leader of the Council

It was agreed:

(a)  That the membership of the Local Plan Project Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows:  Portfolio Holder for Planning and Built Environment (Chairman), Chairman of Planning Committee (Vice-Chairman), Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Councillors S B Blair, D G Beaney, N S Kenton, J P Loffman, D J Parks and H M Williams.

(b)  That the Dover Town Regeneration Advisory Board be renamed as the Dover Beacon and Dover Town Regeneration Project Advisory Group, and its revised Terms of Reference, as set out at Appendix G of the report, be approved.

(c)   That the membership of the Dover Beacon and Dover Town Regeneration Project Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows: Leader of the Council (Chairman), Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Property (Vice-Chairman), Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance, Climate Change and Environment, Mayor of Dover, Councillors T J Bartlett, M Bates, D G Beaney, E A Biggs, P M Brivio, G Cowan, S Hill and O C de R Richardson, and three tenant representatives (non-voting).

(d)  That the membership of the Tides Project Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows: Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance, Climate Change and Environment (Chairman), Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Property (Vice-Chairman), and Councillors S B Blair, J P Loffman and O C de R Richardson.

(e)  That the membership of the Climate Change Project Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows: Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance, Climate Change and Environment (Chairman), and Councillors S B Blair, D R Friend, N S Kenton, K Mills, D J Parks, J L Pout, C A Vinson and H M Williams.

(f)    That the membership of the Homelessness Project Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows: Portfolio Holder for Housing, Skills and Education (Chairman), and Councillors D R Friend, S C Manion, M J Nee and H M Williams.

(g)  That the membership of the Investment Advisory Group for the Council Year 2023/24 be approved as follows: Portfolio Holder for Finance, Governance, Climate Change and Environment (Chairman), Chairman of Governance Committee (Vice-Chairman), and Councillors T J Bartlett, E A Biggs and C A Vinson.   

To consider the attached recommendation.

It was agreed that Councillor E A Biggs be appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Dover Joint Transportation Advisory Board for 2023/24.

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.

To consider the attached report of the Head of Finance and Investment.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Social Housing, Port Health, Skills and Education

It was agreed:

(a)  That a project to acquire the freehold of 20 new-build affordable homes for shared ownership at Willowbank, Sandwich be approved. 

(b)  That the Head of Finance and Investment be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Skills and Education, to take the necessary decisions and actions to progress the project and purchase the properties including (but not limited to) agreeing the purchase price, approving the sale purchase agreements and appointing any necessary professional advisers.