Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Adam Grist and Steve Kirk.

At this point in the meeting Members were invited to declare any relevant interests, no such declarations were received.

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 1^st December 2021.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 1^st December 2021 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

To confirm Actions following the Meeting held on Wednesday 1^st December 2021.

The Actions of the Meeting held on Wednesday 1^st December 2021 were confirmed as in hand or complete.

Report to follow.

1.         That the proposal for the introduction of a twin stream recycling collection, across households within East Lindsey in September 2022 be approved;

2.         That the changes to the current waste collection service in relation to acceptance of glass within the grey recycling bin at the same time as the introduction of the twin stream recycling collection be approved;

3.         That the Waste Enforcement Policy Framework be approved;

4.         That the Council’s TEEP Assessment be noted.

A report was presented that enabled consideration of the twin stream recycling project which was the culmination of collaborative working with partners in the Lincolnshire Waste Partnership to meet the objectives of the Lincolnshire Waste Management Strategy, which would also meet the requirements of the national legislation contained in the Environment Act 2021, and the Council’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

The Council’s third strategic aim in the Corporate Strategy agreed on 4^th March 2020, (Council Minute No 86 refers), was ‘Adapt to meet the challenge of a changing natural environment’.  Through this priority area the Council resolved to reduce total waste collected and reduce non-target materials in its recyclate.

The paper presented recommendations to Executive Board for introducing this service for the separate kerbside collection of paper and card to residents of East Lindsey and set out the environmental benefits and operational and financial impacts.  It also presented an option for glass to be collected within the kerbside collection.

During discussion, the Portfolio Holder for Planning was fully supportive of the proposals and advised that the inclusion of glass for recycling at kerbside was a long standing aspiration.   Whilst acknowledging that a further waste bin would be a concern for some residents, the Portfolio Holder for Planning advocated that the inclusion of glass collection went someway to compensate.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance welcomed the recommendations but wished to highlight residents that lived in small or period properties would find it difficult to accommodate another bin and asked how this would be dealt with to ensure the success of the service.  The Chairman of Executive Board acknowledged this point and advised that publicity and explanation would be key in this instance. 

The Portfolio Holder for Operational Services confirmed that a major communications project would take place before the roll out of the service and work was ongoing as to how to such properties would be served to the best of the Council’s ability, which may mean provision of bags where required.

Following which, it was

RESOLVED

1.         That the proposal for the introduction of a twin stream recycling collection, across households within East Lindsey in September 2022 be approved;

2.         That the changes to the current waste collection service in relation to acceptance of glass within the grey recycling bin at the same time as the introduction of the twin stream recycling collection be approved;

3.         That the Waste Enforcement Policy Framework be approved;

4.         That the Council’s TEEP Assessment be noted.

Reasons:

To contribute towards the strategic objectives of Lincolnshire’s Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy, the Council’s Corporate Strategy, and the achievement of the Council’s carbon reduction ambitions.

To contribute to meeting the Government’s targets for recycling with our countywide partners.

To ensure compliance with legislation contained within the Environment Act 2021.

To collect a high quality recyclate, and reduce contamination, which contributes towards the Council’s recycling and composting rate.

Other options:

Do nothing - The current method of collecting paper and card in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

To consider approval of the operational arrangements for the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership delivery of the Green Homes Grants for the sub region.

1.            That the operational arrangements and eligibility criteria in Section 4.0 of the report presented for Green Homes Grants delivery be approved;

2.            That agreement be given for East Lindsey District Council to act as the lead accountable body for the Sustainable Warmth Programme;

3.            That the entering into of appropriate written agreements between East Lindsey District Council, South Holland District Council and Boston Borough Council to deliver the Programme, subject to legal advice, with delegated authority given to the Assistant Director Regulatory in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Climate Change to agree the terms be approved;

4.            That the acceptance of the grant monies, as the lead accountable body for the Sustainable Warmth Programme, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Midlands Energy Hub be approved, and that authority to agree the terms and grant conditions be delegated to the Assistant Director Regulatory;

5.            That support be given for the proposed team delivery arrangements and project resourcing as set out in paragraphs 3.6 to 3.9 of the report presented;

6.            That the inclusion of the Sustainable Warmth Programme (as set out at table 1 of the report), within the Capital Programme as separately detailed in the 2022/23 Budget report on this agenda be noted;

7.            That approval be given for £100,000 of expenditure, to support mobilisation works prior to launching the scheme in April is capitalised, and approval be given for the inclusion of this budget in the capital programme for 2021/22;

8.            That approval be given for the establishment of a Programme Board for Sustainable Warmth with the appropriate portfolio holder representation from each of the three Partnership Councils and Assistant Director Regulatory to monitor quarterly progress as outlined in paragraph 3.10;

9.            That responsibility be delegated in respect of programme delivery to the Assistant Director Regulatory in consultation with the Chair of the Programme Board including all operational matters such as determination of applications for grant funding.

A report was presented that sought Member approval for the operational arrangements for the South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Partnership (S&ELCP) delivery of the Green Homes Grants for the Sub-Region.  It was noted that funding of £7,254,966 had been secured from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy across the (S&ELCP) for the next phase of Green Homes Grants delivery which was included in the budget report detailed for consideration at Agenda Item 7 of the Agenda. 

The report set out the proposed operational arrangements and eligibility criteria for the next round of grants ahead of a proposed launch in April 2022.  The funding would be managed within the Climate Change and Environment Team on behalf of the S&ELCP.

During his introduction of the report, the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships referred to the background information set out at paragraphs 2.1 to 2.6 of the report presented, including the administration of the Grants by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

It was noted that to date East Lindsey District Council had received £2.3m of funding under Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Phase 1b, together with a further £1.3m under LAD Phase 2.  Boston Borough Council had also been successful under LAD Phase 2, securing £468,700.  It was highlighted that the LAD1b and LAD2 Schemes were administered locally by the Green Homes Grants Team based at East Lindsey District Council and were still being delivered. 

The schemes were developed to provide energy efficiency improvements to domestic properties with a rating of E, F or G and some limited D ratings for energy efficiency performance.  Grants of up to £10,000 per property were available for owner occupiers and up to £5,000 for landlords, however, a one third contribution was required towards the works.

It was noted that in August 2021, BEIS launched the Sustainable Warmth competition and invited local authorities to bid for a third phase of LAD Funding (LAD3), together with a new Home Upgrade Grant fund (HUG1).  The HUG1 grants would go beyond what LAD could deliver by providing additional funding of up to £25,000 per property.  The grants were targeted at off-gas grid properties and works must include a low carbon heating element to them with BEIS stating its preferred technology was the use of heat pumps. 

ELDC had made two bids on behalf of the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, one directly to BEIS and one as part of a consortium of Councils across the East Midlands, which was led by the Midlands Energy HUB (MEH). 

It was highlighted that secured funding of £7,254,966 had been achieved across the three Councils.  Table 1 to the report presented illustrated the breakdown of the funding and the approximate number of properties it would deliver in each local authority area and was ELDC, £3,240,000, BBC, £1,725,000 and SHDC £1,625,000.

From funding available within the grant a project to expand the team to enable delivery, along with a provision of a Project Manager to ensure delivery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69.

Report to follow.

That the following be recommended to Full Council for approval:

1.            The Revenue Estimates for the General Fund for 2022/23 (Appendices 1, 1a, 1b and 1c);

2.            The use of Reserves detailed at Appendix 1;

3.            That the Council Tax for a Band A property in 2022/23 be set at £104.46 (£3.30 per annum increase on 2021/22 levels) and Band D £156.69 for 2022/23 (a £4.95 per annum increase on 2021/22 levels);

4.         The Medium Term Financial Strategy (at Appendix 1).

5.         The Capital Strategy and Capital Programme (Appendices 1 and 2).

6.         The Fees and Charges for 2022/23 (at Appendix 5);

7.         The Treasury Management Statement and Strategy, including the Minimum Revenue Provision policy and Investment Strategy. (Appendix 3);

8.         The South and East Lincolnshire Council’s Annual Delivery Plan 2022/23 (Appendix 8);

9.         That delegated authority be given to the Deputy Chief Executive Corporate Development (S151), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, to make any necessary amendments to the budget prior to Council due to late notifications.

A report was presented that enabled consideration of the Annual Budget for 2022/23, Medium Term Financial Strategies and Council Tax for 2022/23. 

During his introduction of the report, the Portfolio Holder for Finance detailed the budget consultation process that had taken place with both the public and Members and highlighted that draft budget proposals were reviewed by Overview Committee on 25th January 2022, Overview Committee Minute 75 refers and Audit and Governance Committee on 9^th February 2022, Audit and Governance Committee Minute 54 refers.  Furthermore, the Full Council would consider the recommendations from Executive Board regarding the Annual Budget and Council Tax level for 2022/23 at its meeting on 2nd March 2022.

It was noted that the Treasury Management Strategy was also presented to Audit & Governance Committee on the 9th February 2022 and had been updated to reflect the final budget accompanying the report presented.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance wished to highlight the following points:

·         New Homes Bonus (NHB) – The Council would receive an additional one-year allocation of NHB for 2022/23 due to delays in implementing any replacement scheme, however this would be for one year only, with no further legacy payments expected in future years.  Due to the uncertainty of the future of NHB, the budget currently provided for the New Homes Bonus funds to be placed into an Investment and Growth Reserve to fund projects which maximise both income and growth.

·         The Funding Reform (potentially effective date April 2023) – The delivery of a Fair Funding Review (FFR) had been expected to set a new baseline for funding allocations to all Local Authorities and to simplify the existing system and provide an up to date assessment of Authorities relative needs and resources.  In this regard early consultations had been undertaken by DLUHC, but there was insufficient information to make informed estimates to date.  It was likely that any changes would be transitioned to mitigate the immediate impact on Authorities (positive or negative).  This budget assumed no financial changes from this review and when details become available Members would be updated.

·         The Drainage Board Levy – As part of its response to the settlement the Council had made further representations to government regarding the Drainage Board Levy.  In particular, its impact on the Councils ability to make use of the Council Tax that it raised through housing number increases and annual Council Tax rises to support services, rather than offset the annual IDB levy charge increase.

·         2022/23 Council Tax Base & 2021/22 Collection Fund Surplus – The Council Tax base for 2022/23 was 45,793 properties, an increase of 726 properties over the 2021/22 tax base giving additional income of approximately £336k.  Ongoing increases of 1.5% per annum were assumed over the MTFS period.  Each year the Council was required to calculate the balance on its Collection Fund.

·         2021/22 had been an unprecedented year and therefore balances were not in line with other years, as a result of this, Government had given Council a Section 31 Grant to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

Report to follow.

That the report and business case (Appendix A) be approved for submission to the Connected Coast Board for their approval and that once approved, be brought back for final sign off by Full Council.

A report was presented to enable consideration of the Towns Fund Business Case - Colonnade redevelopment Sutton on Sea.  The report recommended approval of the business case (Appendix A) and subject to any amendments, recommended to Council that the business case be submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), subject to approval first by the Connected Coast Board scheduled to meet on 25th February 2022.  The Business Case being approved by DLUHC was a gateway to the Council being able to draw down project funding awarded in the offer Heads of Terms from HM Government, following approval of the Town Investment Plans in March 2021.

The five case business case was based on the Towns Fund Delivery Partner Stage 2 template and was comprised of the Strategic Case, Economic Case, Financial Case, Commercial Case and Management Case.  The business case set out the required information to enable DLUHC to approve the funding allocated to this project.  Once approved the Council would be able to draw down the funding required within the overall timeframe of the Towns Fund deal.

It was noted that the business case document was not a delivery plan at this stage.  There would be further development of the business case and other project milestones before the Council committed to the building contract.  These future milestones would enable the Council to further review the overall development costs, in use revenue costs, and operating model for example.

The Business case should be read in conjunction with the following documents to provide the overriding context for investment into the project and delivery of the stated objectives:

•           Mablethorpe Town Investment Plan;

•           Connected Coast Monitoring and Evaluation Plan;

•           Connected Coast Communications and Branding Guidance.

A presentation was provided in respect of this item that summarised the Business Case and is attached at Appendix 1 to these Minutes.

The Chairman of Executive Board asked if colleagues had any questions following the comprehensive presentation.  Councillor Martin, as Chairman of Overview Committee advised that this project had been considered by the Overview Committee Projects Group, comments had been taken into account and the matter would be reported back to Overview Committee.

Following which it was

RESOLVED

That the report and business case (Appendix A) be approved for submission to the Connected Coast Board for their approval and that once approved, be brought back for final sign off by Full Council.

Reasons:

To enable the Councils to progress the project to the delivery stage and draw down the allocated project funding.

Other options:

Do nothing. This option would require the project to be withdrawn from the Towns Fund programme and seek DLUHC approval to reallocate the funding to another project within the Town Investment Plan for Mablethorpe, or lose the opportunity of the funding. The allocated match funding would also be removed from the Council’s capital programme. This option is not recommended as the project has already been widely consulted upon, has been submitted for planning permission and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

To consider a range of recommendations to improve the appearance of towns and villages.

1.            That the use of £45,500 be approved from the Repairs and Renewals Reserve for the capital purchase of a van mounted street cleansing unit, and pedestrianised sweeper with a trailer;

2.            That approval be given for an increased revenue budget of £81,100 to enable Neighbourhood Services to recruit 2 additional staff to a ‘Pride in East Lindsey’ team, provide a lead officer, and to meet vehicle maintenance costs.

A report was presented that detailed plans for improvement of the appearance of towns and villages within the district.  Members had been keen to raise the appearance of towns, and to tackle some of the more difficult cleansing tasks.  The required resources could not be contained within the current team, and due to the equipment required it was necessary to purchase a purpose-built vehicle and to deploy a dedicated team to target these areas.  This dedicated team and vehicle would require £45,500 capital funding from the Repairs and Renewals Reserve, and £81,100 revenue budget for additional staff.  The project sought to align the learning from across the Partnership to bring about benefits to all residents across the sub-region.  Experience from teams already in place across the partnership would be valuable in the delivery of the scheme.  This additional resource would support Members’ aspirations, support the recovery from the pandemic, engage the local community, and would support the work of the council’s existing Vital and Viable project.

Furthermore, it was the intention to work with trusted volunteer schemes to promote community involvement.

During discussion the Portfolio Holder for Finance applauded this as one of the best initiatives that the Council had brought forward and was pleased to support the recommendations. 

The Portfolio Holder for Planning concurred and highlighted that delivering a better place to live and work was a fundamental responsibility of councils. 

The Portfolio Holder for Communities expressed his thanks to Councillor Foster and officers for their consideration of the o points made and hoped that the market towns would also benefit.

Following which it was

RESOLVED

1.            That the use of £45,500 be approved from the Repairs and Renewals Reserve for the capital purchase of a van mounted street cleansing unit, and pedestrianised sweeper with a trailer;

2.            That approval be given for an increased revenue budget of £81,100 to enable Neighbourhood Services to recruit 2 additional staff to a ‘Pride in East Lindsey’ team, provide a lead officer, and to meet vehicle maintenance costs.

Reasons:

·         To provide a higher level of cleansing in local hot spot areas

·         To engage the local community, and stimulate behaviour change around keeping local environments clean

·         To enhance and support the work of the council’s street scene and property maintenance teams

·         To meet Councillor’s aspirations for a highly visible and effective cleansing response team

·         To support the council’s Environmental Improvements project

To support the work of the Vital and Viable project.

Other options:

Purchase a trailer mounted self-contained steam cleaner – this will require use of one of the service’s existing vans which would impact on service delivery in the remainder of the team, and therefore would require the capital purchase of an additional van. Two members of staff would still be required so there would be no saving on revenue costs. In addition, this would not provide such a high-visibility presence.

Do nothing – This would not enable the service to deliver the council’s aspirations to tackle the district’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

·         Fitness Suite refurbishment – Meridian Leisure Centre

·         Additional Restrictions Grant Revival

Members noted the following Procurement Exemptions:

·         Fitness Suite refurbishment – Meridian Leisure Centre

·         Additional Restrictions Grant Revival

The programmed date for the next Meeting of this Board will be Wednesday 23 March 2022.

The date of the next meeting was noted as Wednesday 23 March 2022.