Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting of the council

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2021 were agreed by the members present and will be signed by the Mayor at the next available opportunity.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 February 2021 were agreed by the members present and will be signed by the Mayor at the next available opportunity.

To receive any declarations of interest

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the public of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services)

None.

None.

To receive announcements and business brought forward by the Mayor, Leader, and Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive.

4.1       By the Mayor:

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

4.3       By the Group Leaders:  Any apologies for absence

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

Councillor Williams                       Leader of the Council

Councillor Elliot                             Finance and Resources

Councillor Griffiths                        Housing

Councillor Williams                       Corporate and Contracted Services

Councillor Barrett                          Environmental Services

Councillor Banks                           Community and Regulatory Services

Councillor Anderson                     Planning and Infrastructure

4.1       By the Mayor:

The Mayor reminded members that they were required to complete and return their DBC Related Party Transaction Declaration if they hadn’t already done so.

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

C Hamilton advised that the following Elections will take place on 6^th May 2021:

Leverstock Green Ward

Tring Central Ward

Hertfordshire County Council

Police and Crime Commissioner

4.3       By the Group Leaders:

Councillor Tindall gave apologies on behalf of Councillors Hollinghurst, McDowell, Pringle and Uttley.

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

(Full details are in the minutes under Announcements of the Leader and Cabinet).

4.1       By the Mayor:

The Mayor reminded members that they were required to complete and return their DBC Related Party Transaction Declaration if they hadn’t already done so.

4.2       By the Chief Executive:

C Hamilton advised that the following Elections will take place on 6^th May 2021:

Leverstock Green Ward

Tring Central Ward

Hertfordshire County Council

Police and Crime Commissioner

4.3       By the Group Leaders:

Councillor Tindall gave apologies on behalf of Councillors Hollinghurst, McDowell, Pringle and Uttley.

4.4       Council Leader and Members of the Cabinet:

Councillor Williams, Leader of the Council

The Leader presented his update as follows:

Following the sad loss of Councillor Graham Sutton, a couple of changes have been made to the Cabinet; Councillor Anderson is the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Infrastructure and Councillor Barrett is the Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services.

There were no questions.

Councillor Elliot, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources

The Portfolio Holder presented his update as follows:

FINANCIAL SERVICES

The Financial Services teams focus has switched during March and April on the preparation and closure of the 2020/21 financial accounts and the completion of the 20/21 financial statements.

Initial discussions took place in March with the auditors of the financial statements, and these discussion were very positive with the service expecting to deliver fully signed off audited accounts by the end of September, well within the required deadlines.

The finance service as expected is continuing to lead on the financial reporting and monitoring requirements early on in the new financial year and as part of this process will report on any financial issues that arise and the direct financial impact of the ongoing pandemic.

As businesses and industries are starting to reopen the role of the accounts receivable service in working with council partners and creditors will become more challenging and the need to work hard with these partners to find short and medium term solutions that support the local business economy will be essential.

COMMERCIAL ASSETS AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic, the Estates, Building Services & Bereavement Teams continue to deliver effective services to customers, operational buildings and commercial partners in a difficult period.

During March the Commercial Assets team have been able to complete on the sale of the Maylands Gateway site, which has resulted in the Council receiving its largest capital receipt. In a period of uncertainty to complete on this deal at a price agreed prior to pandemic levels is a great achievement for the service and these funds will assist in financing the wider Council Strategies.

The Building services team are continuing to liaise with Health partners and the County Council to support the Covid testing and vaccination programme in regards to assets and locations available for vaccination and testing as required.

BUNKERS PARK CEMETERY – NEW POPPY FIELDS CEMETERY

The construction project was completed in 2020 and the building is now being fitted out with appropriate signs, furniture and IT to enable the site to be fully operational  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider questions (if any) by members of the Council of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services)

Question 1 from Councillor Symington to Councillor Anderson:

In the Dacorum Local Plan (2020-2038) Emerging Strategy for Growth Interim Sustainability Appraisal Report (November 2020) produced by TRL Limited (TRL) under a contract with Dacorum Borough Council, the Urban Capacity Option is outlined. This equates to a level of development of 608 dwellings per annum and requires no further land to be released from the Green Belt. [https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/docs/default-source/strategic-planning/dacorum-local-plan-interim-sustainability-appraisal-report-november-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=53bf0c9e_6, p32]

In his response to Cllr Williams’ letter of 30 November 2020, Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, stated that ‘Authorities should make a realistic assessment of the number of homes their communities need as the starting point of the process’.

Dacorum’s local needs are assessed at 355 dwellings per annum.

In a meeting with the Conservative Friends of India, reported in the Sunday Times 28 March 2021 https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2e76273a-8f23-11eb-af74-aabf762d9542?shareToken=5a987233be0e66a19d70aabc3465446f  the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, stressed that the government wanted to “build on brownfield sites first”.

Would the portfolio holder give the reason for the Council rejecting the TRL Urban Capacity Option in favour of a huge 750-hectare Green Belt grab to meet the government’s excessive minimum housing figures?

Response from Councillor Anderson: I have already provided Councillor Symington with a full and detailed answer and copied in all members. The first draft of the local plan involved considering options and the urban capacity option couldn’t be chosen as it was considerably below the governments required figure. The idea of the first consultation was to show the impact of meeting the full figure and how it would look in the borough. The administration is opposed the full figure and we will need robust evidence including, but not only, the consultation results. If we’re going to challenge it, as opposed to choosing hollow options, stand no chance whatsoever of succeeding. When it comes to the excessive figure and the impact it would have on the Greenbelt, we’ve had these questions for a while now and I’m afraid I have to ask the questioner to explain why the Liberal Democrats generally and Councillor Symington personally, stood for Election in support of it at the last General Election.

Question 2 from Councillor Symington: Thank you for the written response which I’ve read. Can you clarify; are you saying that the Council will use the urban capacity sites in the TRL report before using Greenbelt sites? As implied but not clarified in item 4.

Response from Councillor Anderson: The full version of the response you received made it quite clear that the Council will do everything it can to use Brownfield site before any Greenfield development is used. I can’t put it any stronger than that.

Question 3 from Councillor Symington: Notwithstanding the answer, which was unclear, do you agree that all the communities housing needs, by which I mean the actual local need assessed at 355 per annum, not the government imposed minimum quota of 1023, could be met by the urban capacity plan?

Response from Councillor  ...  view the full decision text for item 5.

Question 1 from Councillor Symington to Councillor Anderson:

In the Dacorum Local Plan (2020-2038) Emerging Strategy for Growth Interim Sustainability Appraisal Report (November 2020) produced by TRL Limited (TRL) under a contract with Dacorum Borough Council, the Urban Capacity Option is outlined. This equates to a level of development of 608 dwellings per annum and requires no further land to be released from the Green Belt. [https://www.dacorum.gov.uk/docs/default-source/strategic-planning/dacorum-local-plan-interim-sustainability-appraisal-report-november-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=53bf0c9e_6, p32]

In his response to Cllr Williams’ letter of 30 November 2020, Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, stated that ‘Authorities should make a realistic assessment of the number of homes their communities need as the starting point of the process’.

Dacorum’s local needs are assessed at 355 dwellings per annum.

In a meeting with the Conservative Friends of India, reported in the Sunday Times 28 March 2021 https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2e76273a-8f23-11eb-af74-aabf762d9542?shareToken=5a987233be0e66a19d70aabc3465446f  the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, stressed that the government wanted to “build on brownfield sites first”.

Would the portfolio holder give the reason for the Council rejecting the TRL Urban Capacity Option in favour of a huge 750-hectare Green Belt grab to meet the government’s excessive minimum housing figures?

Response from Councillor Anderson: I have already provided Councillor Symington with a full and detailed answer and copied in all members. The first draft of the local plan involved considering options and the urban capacity option couldn’t be chosen as it was considerably below the governments required figure. The idea of the first consultation was to show the impact of meeting the full figure and how it would look in the borough. The administration is opposed the full figure and we will need robust evidence including, but not only, the consultation results. If we’re going to challenge it, as opposed to choosing hollow options, stand no chance whatsoever of succeeding. When it comes to the excessive figure and the impact it would have on the Greenbelt, we’ve had these questions for a while now and I’m afraid I have to ask the questioner to explain why the Liberal Democrats generally and Councillor Symington personally, stood for Election in support of it at the last General Election.

Question 2 from Councillor Symington: Thank you for the written response which I’ve read. Can you clarify; are you saying that the Council will use the urban capacity sites in the TRL report before using Greenbelt sites? As implied but not clarified in item 4.

Response from Councillor Anderson: The full version of the response you received made it quite clear that the Council will do everything it can to use Brownfield site before any Greenfield development is used. I can’t put it any stronger than that.

Question 3 from Councillor Symington: Notwithstanding the answer, which was unclear, do you agree that all the communities housing needs, by which I mean the actual local need assessed at 355 per annum, not the government imposed minimum quota of 1023, could be met by the urban capacity plan?

Response from Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider any business referred from the previous meeting

None.

None.

To consider the following referrals from Cabinet:

7.1       CA/026/21       16 March 2021            HRA Business Plan

7.2       CA/027/21       16 March 2021            Independent Remuneration Panel 2020

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

16 March 2021

7.1       CA/026/21       HRA BUSINESS PLAN

Decision

1.    That Council approve the updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2021/24

2.     That Council to approve the revised development programme budgets as set out in Section 9.3.

A vote was held:

26 For,

0 Against,

12 Abstain,

Therefore the decision was agreed.

16 March 2021

7.2       CA/027/21       INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL 2020

Decision

That Council approves the changes to the Members’ Allowances Scheme as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in its report.

A vote was held:

34 For,

0 Against,

5 Abstain,

Therefore the decision was agreed.

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

16 March 2021

7.1       CA/026/21       HRA BUSINESS PLAN

Decision

1.     That Council approve the updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan 2021/24

2.      That Council to approve the revised development programme budgets as set out in Section 9.3.

A vote was held:

26 For,

0 Against,

12 Abstain (including the Mayor),

Therefore the decision was agreed.

16 March 2021

7.2       CA/027/21       INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL 2020

Decision

That Council approves the changes to the Members’ Allowances Scheme as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in its report.

A vote was held:

34 For,

0 Against,

5 Abstain (including the Mayor),

Therefore the decision was agreed.

The Chairman ofthe Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Suqlain Mahmood, introduced the Annual Reports of the Overview and Scrutiny groups to the Council and highlighted certain aspects of the work carried out by the individual committees.

The Chairman ofthe Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Suqlain Mahmood, introduced the Annual Reports of the Overview and Scrutiny groups to the Council and highlighted certain aspects of the work carried out by the individual committees.

To consider any proposals for changes to committee membership

None.

None.

To consider any proposals for changes to committee dates

None.

None.

The Council noted the following urgent Portfolio Holder Decision:

PH/008/21 - Business Rates Relief 2021/22

The Council noted the following urgent Portfolio Holder Decision:

PH/008/21 - Business Rates Relief 2021/22