Agenda and minutes

Councillor Boden welcomed Councillor Andrew Lynn to his first meeting as a Cabinet member and paid tribute to the tremendous work undertaken over the last two years by Councillor Susan Wallwork, who had now stepped down due to personal commitments.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held 12 January 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held 12 January 2021 were agreed.

This report gives an update on the progress of funding bids submitted to both schemes including any resulting capital or revenue implications for the Council should the bids be successful.

Members considered the Project Update – Growing Fenland & CCC Capital Community Fund report. 

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Hoy expressed her disappointment to receive an email stating that the Wisbech Water Park was not going to be discussed at the January meeting of the CPCA as advised in the report. This was due to an administrative error although she was unclear as to what that was; the park had been discussed at a previous meeting where a few points had been raised for clarity which had since been addressed.  She therefore asked that the Water Park be put forward to the meeting in March as a matter of urgency. Councillor Boden responded that he understands the administrative error took place within the CPCA and he has taken this up with the Mayor to understand what has happened. He confirmed that the next meeting in which the application can be considered will be March and it should only be a formality to be approved.

·         Councillor Tierney said that seeing as members of the public watch these committee meetings, it is good to highlight so many projects going forward so they can see the breadth and scope of what is happening.

Cabinet AGREED to note the content of the report and projects due to be submitted to the next CPCA Board Meeting on 27.01.21 as set out in appendix E.

CCC Capital Communities Fund:

·           No further action required

Growing Fenland:

·           Capital and/or revenue costs as set out below were approved at the FDC Cabinet meeting held on 14 December 2020.  However, Cabinet AGREED to note confirmations of CPCA funding requested in the table below.

·           The Chatteris Skills Development submission will now be deferred to the March CPCA Board Meeting as additional information has been requested. Cabinet notes that the Wisbech Water Park Project will now also be considered by the CPCA Board at their meeting in March.

·           In addition, a submission has been made to the CPCA for the £900,000 match funding element of the March Future High Street Bid as detailed in point 5.13 and 5.16 in this report and shown in the 2nd table below.  Cabinet considered and AGREED to approve this additional submission to the CPCA.

To consider the outcome of the consultation process on potential changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2021-22 and to recommend to Council the final scheme for implementation with effect from 1 April 2021.

Members considered the Council Tax Support – 2021-22 Scheme report presented by Councillor Boden.

Members made comments, asked questions and received responses as follows:

·         Councillor Hoy said this was a hard decision to make. There had been a large public response; people are struggling, and we must bear that in mind.  However, we need to balance that with the overall picture. Council tax increases affect everybody and there is no easy answer, but she is minded to support an increase to 20%. 

·         Councillor Boden thanked Councillor Hoy and said there is a very wide range of discount within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. A change from 14% to 20% will certainly have an effect but Councillor Hoy is also correct that it will reflect on what everyone within Fenland will pay.

·         Councillor Seaton agreed with Councillor Hoy saying it is a difficult decision to have to make but also bearing in mind Councillor Boden's comments he would also support an increase to 20%.

It was proposed by Councillor Hoy, seconded by Councillor Seaton and agreed that the contribution rate be increased from 14% to 20%.

·         Councillor Hoy added that within the consultation many people had commented they found the issue hard to understand and therefore asked if we could simplify the information that goes out with council tax bills. There are so many different authorities charging different amounts and it is quite a convoluted process. Councillor Boden said he had noted the public response but he thought officers had made the consultation process as simple as possible and had got the balance right between having the necessary information, which is unfortunately quite complicated, and keeping it as short as they reasonably could. He added however that if any member of Cabinet could see ways in which the consultation process could be made easier then please let him or Peter Catchpole know.

CABINET considered the report and consultation responses and AGREED to recommend to Council their preferred option for the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2021-22.

To receive the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel’s consideration of the Fees and Charges for 2021/22.

Members considered the Fees and Charges Report presented by Councillor Boden. 

Cabinet considered the recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and AGREED to approve the Fees and Charges for 2021/22 as detailed at Appendix A of the attached report.

For information purposes.

Councillor Boden presented the Cabinet Forward Plan for information.