Decisions

(1)          Approval of Lease Renewal with BP Oil UK Limited (“BP”) at an annual rent of £120,000 for a term of 15 years, subject to a Landlord’s break option at the end of the tenth year in accordance with the requirements of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, as per the terms outlined in this report.

(2)          Approval to two associated licences for works at the property (one related to a new access and one related to improvements to the property).

Risk Management – Corporate Risk Register

(1)        That the revised Effectiveness of Controls / Actions and Required Further Management Action for Risk 2, Strategic Sites, be updated;

(2)        That the revised Key Date for Risk 4, Finance Income, be updated;

(3)        That the revised Existing Controls / Actions for Risk 5, Economic Development, be updated;

(4)        That the revised Required Further Management Action and Key Date for Risk 6, Data / Information, be updated;

(5)        That the amended Corporate Risk Register be approved;

(6)        That the revised Risk Management Strategy be adopted; and

(7)        That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and subsequent Select Committees be requested to review the Corporate Risk Register at the start of each municipal year to ascertain whether all of the risks had been identified and scored appropriately.

(1)        That the final account for the construction of Oakwood Hill Depot in the sum of £2,590,043.64 be noted.

To adopt the Council’s Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Transparency Statement & Policy.

(1)        That, in order to meet legal and moral safeguarding obligations, the Modern Slavery Transparency Statement for the Council be adopted, along with the associated Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy; and

(2)        That this item be included in the Leader’s Report to Council at the next Council meeting, scheduled for 1 November 2017, in order to raise awareness of this issue throughout the Council.

Update on the Local Plan programme, revised Local Development Scheme and budget (to include the projected spend for 2018/19 & 2019/20).

(1)        That the progress made in the production of the Local Plan be noted;

(2)        That the updated Local Development Scheme, included at Appendix 1 of the report, be agreed and published on the Council’s website;

(3)        That expenditure from the Local Plan budget to date in 2017/18 be noted;

(4)        That District Development Fund growth bids be made in the sums of:

            (a)        £706,440 for 2018/19; and

            (b)        £400,180 for 2019/20 (£1,106,620 in total over the two financial       years); and

(5)    That the Planning and Governance Portfolio Holder be authorised to report directly to the full Council at a special meeting in December 2017 on the proposed Regulation 19 Pre-Submission Local Plan for publication.

Update for the five-year Programme for planned and preventative maintenance to the Council’s  operational and commercial property.

(1)        That the progress with the Facilities Management projects during 2017/18 be noted.

To adopt a new Housing Strategy for the period 2017-22.

(1)        That, following the support and endorsement of the Communities Select Committee, the new Housing Strategy 2017-22 (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) be adopted; and

(2)        That the Communities Select Committee be requested to continue to review future Annual Key Action Plans for the Housing Strategy prior to approval each year, and to review progress with Key Action Plans every 6 months, in accordance with its previous practice.

Use of Flexible Homelessness Support Grant.

Further use of Flexible Homelessness Support Grant.

(1)        That the remainder of the Government’s Flexible Homelessness Support Grant be used as follows:

            (a)        an additional £80,000 in 2017/18 and £80,000 in 2018/19 for            further             rental and damage deposit guarantee loans;

            (b)        the re-introduction of the Preventing Repossession Fund with a        budget of £40,000 in 2017/18 and £65,000 in 2018/19;  

(c)        three additional single homeless applicant (or parent or couples with one child) placements at the Zinc Arts Project at a cost of around £3,000 for the remainder of 2017/18, and providing there were no concerns, a further 3 placements be made from April 2018 (making nine in total) at a cost of around £6,000 in 2018/19;

            (d)        a budget of £8,000 in 2017/18 and £8,000 in 2018/19 to provide       landlord incentive payments, in partnership with Genesis Housing      Association, of £2,000 per property, paid on the basis that the property was       available to the Council’s homeless             applicant for a minimum period of 2    years; and

            (e)        an additional budget of £8,000 in 2018/19 to enable the        appointment of an external company to provide specialist services to rough       sleepers in the District; and

(2)        That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet should any additional grant be received from the Government in order to provide financial support to help meet new duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

To monitor the progress of the Transformation Programme, including the definition of the People Strategy.

To monitor the progress of the Transformation Programme.

(1)        That the progress of the Projects and Programmes within the Transformation Programme for August 2017 be noted, alongside the planned actions for September 2017.

Policy on use of additional Government funding.

(1)        That, in accordance with section 47 of the 1988 Local Government Finance Act, the Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme be approved following the 2017 Revaluation as shown in Appendix 1 of the report; and

(2)        That authority be delegated to the Director of Resources, in consultation with the Finance Portfolio Holder, to enter into any Essex-wide application to become a pilot for 100% business rates retention.

To consider further funding for the two Debt Advisor posts.

(1)        That the funding of the Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau’s (CAB) two existing Debt Advisors for a further year be agreed from 1 April 2018 and funded as follows:

            (a)        £37,800 from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA); and

            (b)        £4,200 from the General Fund District Development Fund (DDF).