Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fines, Radley and Thompson.

Members are asked to declare any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting.

The following members declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 3 on Large Scale Voluntary Transfer of the Council’s Housing Stock, by virtue of their membership of the shadow board of South Lincolnshire Homes: Councillor Kirkman, Councillor Mrs Percival, Councillor Mike Williams and Councillor Turner. It was noted that Councillor Thompson, who had sent his apologies for the meeting, was also a member of the shadow board.

Councillors Kirkman, Mrs Percival, Mike Williams and Turner left the meeting.  

The Council to consider the recommendations of the Cabinet in relation to the potential financial implications of LSVT, the content of the Formal Consultation Document, and Offer to Tenants.

                                                                                    [Minute CO27 attached]

[N.B.  Report number CHFR11 and the draft Offer to Tenants document circulated with the cabinet agenda for its meeting on 10^th July 2006 are the background papers to this Forward Plan policy framework proposal.

Members are asked to bring these papers* with them to the Council meeting.]

*These papers can be viewed electronically via the Local democracy Link on the Council’s website: www.southkesteven.gov.uk by selecting the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on 10^th July 2006. [Note: Page 5 of Appendix B to report CHFR11 has been amended since the agenda was published.  The amended version now appears on the website.]

DECISION:

(1)               The impact of the diseconomies of scale from large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) be managed out over a five year period;

(2)               The general fund be protected by utilising interest receipts generated from LSVT capital receipts based on a phased capital programme;

(3)               The capital programme be phased over:

                                                              i.      Five years for affordable housing utilising 50% of the net useable receipt and

                                                            ii.      Ten years for developing sustainable communities using the other 50% of the net useable receipt,

with an annual review of the capital programme to ensure that the council tax payer remains protected from the impact of the LSVT;

(4)               The text within the formal consultation document Offer to Tenants with minor modifications made by cabinet on 10^th July 2006, be approved;

(5)               The Leader be delegated the authority to approve the format of the document;

(6)               The formal consultation document be issued to tenants as explained in paragraph 2.4 of report CHFR11 to cabinet.

The Organisational Development Portfolio Holder moved that cabinet’s recommendations on large scale voluntary transfer be accepted. She explained that this was not concerning the pros and cons of transfer, but approval of the offer to tenants document and consideration of the financial implications to the council. Preparation of the draft document had been undertaken by a considerable number of working group meetings and hours of work by tenant representatives. The shadow board had checked the document to ensure it matched its business plan and all members had had the opportunity for input.  Some wording that had been considered unpopular by members, was still included as the legal team had advised on its inclusion.  In response to literature circulated in opposition to transfer and in favour of the ‘fourth option’, the portfolio holder read from a letter from the former housing minister, stating that the government was not able to provide the relevant funding to the council for this option. This had been reiterated by the current minister of communities and local government, from which the portfolio holder quoted. She closed by stating that all members had had plenty of opportunities to challenge, query and understand all the documents.

The Chairman confirmed that recommendation 4 appended to the council agenda, referred to modifications made by cabinet and not the council meeting.

The Resources and Assets Portfolio Holder seconded the proposal. Having sat through a number of meetings on this, he stated that the draft offer document was an accumulation of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.

A member of the labour group asked for extended time to address the council in opposition to the motion. This was proposed and seconded but lost on being put the vote. The member made his speech, by explaining that there were five clear issues against the motion: 1) the council would have to borrow significantly less money than South Lincolnshire Homes to deliver on its promises, and yet the impression had been given that the council was not able to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The meeting closed at 2.50p.m.