An apology was received from Councillor Greer.

The Leader agreed to take the Reference from the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the Quarter 1 Performance Report 2009/10 as an urgent item.

Councillor English indicated his wish to speak on the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration – Communities in Control – Improving Community Engagement and the referred matter from the Local De3velopment Document Advisory Group regarding the south East Plan Review: Provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople.

Councillors FitzGerald and Warner indicated their wish to speak on the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration – Communities in Control – Improving Community Engagement.

Councillor Mrs Wilson indicated her wish to speak on the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration – Communities in Control – Improving Community Engagement and the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration – Regeneration Statement.

Councillor English declared a personal interest in the report of the Director of prosperity and Regeneration – Communities in Control – Improving Community Engagement as he is the Secretary for the Kent Association of Local Councils.

All Cabinet Members declared that they had been lobbied on the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration – Regeneration Statement.

RESOLVED: That the items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 2009 be approved as a correct record and signed.

1.  That the Council produces a 2010-11 update to the Strategic Plan 2009-12.

2.  That the strategic planning process and timetable be agreed.

3.  That the approach to the Strategic Plan be reviewed on an annual basis.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the Council produces a 2010-11 update to the Strategic Plan 2009-12.

2.  That the strategic planning process and timetable be agreed.

3.  That the approach to the Strategic Plan be reviewed on an annual basis.

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That the action plan (attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration), including the significant Neighbourhood Forums element, be agreed, subject to the following amendment:-

Action No. 23 – Wording to be amended to:-

Strengthen the role of Councillors to help identify and promote community issues – refer to Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

DECISION MADE: That the action plan (attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration), including the significant Neighbourhood Forums element, be agreed, subject to the following amendment:-

  Action No. 23 – Wording to be amended to:-

  “Strengthen the role of Councillors to help identify and promote community issues – refer to Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee”

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1.  That the approach set out in the Regeneration Statement (attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration) be endorsed.

2.  That the new organisational structure set out in the appendix to the Regeneration Statement attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration) be agreed.

3.   

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the approach set out in the Regeneration Statement (attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration) be endorsed.

2.  That the new organisational structure set out in the appendix to the Regeneration Statement attached as Appendix A to the report of the Director of Prosperity and Regeneration) be agreed.

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That the performance management arrangements for the Sustainable Community Strategy action plan as set out below be agreed.

DECISION MADE: That the performance management arrangements for the Sustainable Community Strategy action plan as set out below be agreed.

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1.  That the reported figures for CO₂ emissions from the Council’s operations during 2008/09 are noted as indicating a 3.48% increase from the previous year but a 10.16% decrease since the baseline year, 2006/07.

2.  That a Carbon Reduction Action Plan be established to reduce energy and fuel use in order to reduce costs and achieve at least 3% reduction in CO₂ emissions from Council operations.

3.  That bids are put forward for the new Salix Energy Efficiency Loans Scheme, to fund some early actions on carbon reduction.

4.  That the data used for the report of the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy comes from a variety of sources, and is mostly generated or collected for purposes other than carbon reporting be noted.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the reported figures for CO₂ emissions from the Council’s operations during 2008/09 are noted as indicating a 3.48% increase from the previous year but a 10.16% decrease since the baseline year, 2006/07.

2.  That a Carbon Reduction Action Plan be established to reduce energy and fuel use in order to reduce costs and achieve at least 3% reduction in CO₂ emissions from Council operations.

3.  That bids are put forward for the new Salix Energy Efficiency Loans Scheme, to fund some early actions on carbon reduction.

4.  That the data used for the report of the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy comes from a variety of sources, and is mostly generated or collected for purposes other than carbon reporting be noted.

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1.  That the council reaffirms its view that the setting of numerical pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers should be underpinned by sustainability and planning criteria and that officers request GOSE to allocate sites on an environmentally sustainable basis and that the South East Plan Policy should require that Local Authorities put forward sustainability criteria for the provision of sites in their Development Plan Documents;

2.  That the council reaffirms its view that there should be an element of redistribution of future pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers across the region and that this is best achieved through a 50% redistribution element, rather than the 25% element inherent in the Preferred Option, resulting in a requirement for Maidstone borough of 31 pitches;

3.  That, in view of Travelling Showpeople’s specific site requirements future pitch provision is best met through a needs based approach.  This would result in there being no requirement for additional pitches in Maidstone borough;

4.  That the approach of joint-working at a county level on transit site provision be supported, acknowledging that the county level advice which does not identify a need for transit provision in Maidstone borough continues to be supported; and

5.  That all advice areas (counties and county groupings) in the region be required to collect the relevant data on transit site needs and to act to address the identified requirement, as the Kent and Medway Advice area has done already.

6.  That delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy to make the Council’s case at the Examination in Public, in association with other Kent authorities as appropriate.

7.  That the Cabinet seek all opportunities to maximise public support for the Council’s position in the run up to the Examination in Public.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the council reaffirms its view that the setting of numerical pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers should be underpinned by sustainability and planning criteria and that officers request GOSE to allocate sites on an environmentally sustainable basis and that the South East Plan Policy should require that Local Authorities put forward sustainability criteria for the provision of sites in their Development Plan Documents;

2.  That the council reaffirms its view that there should be an element of redistribution of future pitch requirements for Gypsies and Travellers across the region and that this is best achieved through a 50% redistribution element, rather than the 25% element inherent in the Preferred Option, resulting in a requirement for Maidstone borough of 31 pitches;

3.  That, in view of Travelling Showpeople’s specific site requirements future pitch provision is best met through a needs based approach.  This would result in there being no requirement for additional pitches in Maidstone borough;

4.  That the approach of joint-working at a county level on transit site provision be supported, acknowledging that the county level advice which does not identify a need for transit provision in Maidstone borough continues to be supported; and

5.  That all advice areas (counties and county groupings) in the region be required to collect the relevant data on transit site needs and to act to address the identified requirement, as the Kent and Medway Advice area has done already.

6.  That delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy to make the Council’s case at the Examination in Public, in association with other Kent authorities as appropriate.

7.  That the Cabinet seek all opportunities to maximise public support for the Council’s position in the run up to the Examination in Public.

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That an eight week consultation programme on the 2010-11 budget includes:-

(i)  A Borough Update and website feature and meetings with partners and stakeholders to inform people about the Council’s budget and to encourage comments about the budget and options for spending levels and savings to remain within budget.

(ii)   A market research exercise to explore attitudes to fees and charges and elasticity of demand.

DECISION MADE: That an eight week consultation programme on the 2010-11 budget includes:-

(i)  A Borough Update and website feature and meetings with partners and stakeholders to inform people about the Council’s budget and to encourage comments about the budget and options for spending levels and savings to remain within budget.

(ii)   A market research exercise to explore attitudes to fees and charges and elasticity of demand.

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1.  That the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2010 onwards attached at Appendix B to the report of the Head of Finance be approved.

2.  That the proposed revised focus of both the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the Budget Strategy in order to assist in the development of medium term efficiency targets and the strategic plan be approved.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy 2010 onwards attached at Appendix B to the report of the Head of Finance be approved.

2.  That the proposed revised focus of both the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the Budget Strategy in order to assist in the development of medium term efficiency targets and the strategic plan be approved.

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1.  That the current financial position be noted.

2.  That the receipt of further reports, at least quarterly, during the financial year and in a similar format be agreed.

3.  That the appropriate Cabinet Member receives reports on options for mitigating the major revenue budget issues raised in the report of the Head of Finance;

4.  That the revised use of the balances set aside for KIG and LDF work be agreed.

5.  That the proposals for slippage in the capital programme to and from later years be agreed.

6.  That a further specific report on the possible solutions to the potential funding shortfall for the capital programme be received by Cabinet.

DECISION MADE:

1.  That the current financial position be noted.

2.  That the receipt of further reports, at least quarterly, during the financial year and in a similar format be agreed.

3.  That the appropriate Cabinet Member receives reports on options for mitigating the major revenue budget issues raised in the report of the Head of Finance;

4.  That the revised use of the balances set aside for KIG and LDF work be agreed.

5.  That the proposals for slippage in the capital programme to and from later years be agreed.

6.  That a further specific report on the possible solutions to the potential funding shortfall for the capital programme be received by Cabinet.

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The Cabinet considered the report of the Policy and Performance Manager setting out the progress made in the first quarter of 2009/10 against the authority’s performance indicators. 

The Cabinet also considered the recommendation received from the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee concerning the apparent increase in anti-social behaviour reported to the Council.

The Cabinet were informed that there is no evidence that there has actually been an increase in anti-social behaviour reported to the Council.  In fact, there had been fewer incidents reported to the Council in the first quarter of 2009/10 than in the same period last year.  It appears the problem lies with the quarterly profiling of the targets and this will be addressed and rectified.

RESOLVED:

1.  That the progress being made be noted.

2.  That the Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee be informed that there is no increase in anti-social behaviour and that the problem is with the profiling of the targets and this issue is being addressed by the Policy and Performance Manager.

RESOLVED: That the Forward Plan for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 December 2009 be approved, subject to the following amendments:-

Cabinet  Levels of Collection Fund Adjustment  9 December 2009

  To be taken into account in the level

  of Council Tax for 2010/11

Cabinet Member  Review of Contaminated Land  before 30 October

For Environment   Strategy  2009

Cabinet Member  Procurement of External  delayed until

for Corporate  Printing  before 30

Services  September 2009

Cabinet Member  South East Maidstone Strategic  delayed until

for  Link Road  before 30 October

Regeneration  2009

6.30 p.m – 8.56 p.m.