Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors K Merrie and N J Rushton.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest, registerable interest or other interest.

There were no interests declared.

There were no questions received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2025

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2025 were considered.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 April 2025 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings.

Reason for decision: To comply with the Constitution.

The report of the Chief Executive

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

He advised in terms of his own area, he noted that two of the tenant satisfaction measures had fallen towards the end of the year, but noted that at the start of the current financial year the figures were moving in the right direction. He noted that a great deal of work had been done around the response times to customer complaints and that the Customer Services team was working with other services within the Council to seek to review the customer contact standards and handling complaints.

He then provided an update on behalf of the Finance and Corporate Portfolio Holder. He noted that the Strategic Director of Resources had taken steps to address the completion of the Statement of Accounts for 23/24. He advised members that the Council had made significant progress over the past two years in identifying savings and that the transformation programme continued to explore innovative ways of working and service delivery, which was expected to generate further savings.

The Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder advised that the services had delivered against the targets.

The Planning Portfolio Holder advised that the targets for planning service were all comfortably above target for the fourth quarter in a row.

The Communities and Climate Change Portfolio Holder advised that there was now a plan in place for moving forward with the change to the recycling system and that the Market footfall had increased. He acknowledged how well attended the event that had been organised by Coalville CAN at Marlborough Square had been on Saturday and that the Love Your Neighbourhood had had a successful first year.

Members were thanked for their comments, which would be presented to Corporate Scrutiny on 19 June 2025.

The report of the Strategic Director of Place

The Business and Regeneration Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

The Leader was very pleased to see that more money was being awarded and that recipients covered all of the district, not just one area.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     The £140,699 grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund be accepted.

2.     It is recommended to Council that £140,699 is added to the capital programme for 2025/26 for the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

3.     Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Place) in consultation with the Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder to review and amend the delivery of the North West Leicestershire Rural Business Grant Fund and where required to make changes to the funding programme to respond and adapt to the changing economic environment and/or local needs.

4.     Authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder to submit the formal reporting as required by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Reason for decision: To accept the funding award and deliver the Council’s commitment to DEFRA’s Rural England Prosperity Fund and to approve the spend of the award. Cabinet approval is required due to the value of the grant award.

The report of the Strategic Director of Resources

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by T Gillard, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     The supplementary estimates detailed in appendix 2 which are between £100k and £250k and are externally funded be approved.

2.     All supplementary estimates detailed in appendix 2 which are below £250k and council funded be approved.

3.     The movement from the development pool to the active programme for the capital schemes detailed in table 2 be approved.

Reason for decision: The Council’s Financial Procedure Rules, Section 2, paragraphs A24 to A28 stipulate the procedures for virements and supplementary estimates, whilst the Council’s Capital Strategy sets out the Governance of the Capital Programme.

The officers consider that the press and public should be excluded during consideration of the following items in accordance with Section 100(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 as publicity would be likely to result in disclosure of exempt or confidential information.  Members are reminded that they must have regard to the public interest test and must consider, for each item, whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption from disclosure outweighs the public interest in making the item available.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

In pursuance of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the business to be transacted involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Reason for decision: To enable the consideration of exempt information.

The report of the Strategic Director of Communities

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     The award of the contracts as detailed in annex A up to the identified limits be approved.

2.     Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director with responsibility for housing, in consultation with the Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder to finalise the contracts and enter into all necessary agreements.

Reason for decision: To comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules

The report of the Strategic Director of Communities

The Communities and Climate Change Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor M Wyatt, seconded by Councillor T Saffell and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     The award of a contract for car park maintenance services for up to two years up to the value detailed in the report be approved; and

2.     Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director for Communities in consultation with the S151 Officer to finalise and enter into all necessary agreements with the appointed contractor.

Reason for decision: As the value of the contract exceeds £100,000, the Council’s Constitution states that Cabinet approval is required to allow the procurement of a contractor.

The report of the Strategic Director of Communities

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.     It be agreed to enter in to contract with a private homeowner for the purchase of the property detailed within the report.

2.     The transfer of amount detailed in the report from the development pool to the active pool in the 2025/26 capital programme be approved.

3.     Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director responsible for housing to finalise and agree all necessary agreements and take appropriate procedural and process steps to deliver the above.

Reason for decision: To provide high quality housing to the district.

The report of the Head of Economic Regeneration

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

Councillor J Legrys was invited to step forward and ask the question that he had submitted in relation to the Housing Allocation figures and the Leader provided him with a response.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by Councillor R Blunt, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.

Reason for decision: As detailed in the report.