Live broadcast to start at 7pm and available for repeat viewing.

There were no apologies received. 

The minutes of the Policy, Resources and Economic Development meeting held on 3^rd October 2022 were approved as a true record.

The chair gave members the opportunity to ask questions to officers based on the Chairs Update document published.

Kim Anderson gave an update on the Cost of Living Crisis and the work the Council is doing to help residents. 

The Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) sets out the key financial management principles and budget assumptions. It is then used as the framework for the detailed budget setting process to ensure that the Council’s resources are managed effectively to meet its statutory responsibilities and deliver the priorities of the Council, over the medium term.

The current draft forecast as outlined in the report is to aid Members in understanding the basis of what is known now, the financial trajectory of the Council and identifying actions that can be taken to address the continuing deficit of resources over expenditure. These actions may involve Members having to take difficult decisions to address the budget gap.

The report also provided the Policy, Resources & Economic Development Committee with an update to the 2022/23 General Fund Revenue budget, Housing Revenue Account and Capital programme as well as the Treasury Management Mid-Year Review 2022/23.

This item was for Information Only and no voting was required.

To follow.

Fees and charges made by the Council for various services are reviewed on an annual basis by the relevant Committees relating to the services provided.

Recommended amendments to the fees and charges are incorporated into the budget setting process to take effect from the following financial year.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED.

Members are asked to:

R1. Agree to the proposed charges for 2023/24 as attached in Appendix

A, B & C within the report subject to the annual budget setting process.

Reasons for Recommendation

Officers review fees and charges annually and this will be used to inform the 2023/24 budget setting process.

The report presented the draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), with associated consultation materials, and seeks approval to publish these documents for public consultation.

The draft SPD will sit alongside the Brentwood Local Plan 2016-2033. It sets out the council’s approach towards seeking planning obligations required to make development schemes acceptable in planning terms. It identifies topic areas where planning obligations may be applicable depending on the scale of development and sets out the required obligations or contributions. Once adopted the SPD will be a material consideration in respect of all relevant planning applications.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

Approve the publication of the draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document as set out in Appendix A for public consultation.

Reasons for Recommendation

The draft Planning Obligations SPD will provide more detail and clarity in respect of policies within the adopted Brentwood Local Plan 2016-2033 that refer to the circumstances where planning obligations may be appropriate. This in turn will assist the development management process when considering and determining planning applications. It will also provide consistent and clear advice to applicants on what might be required from them. Therefore, the draft SPD is recommended to be published for public consultation so that stakeholder comments can inform the final version of the document

Chelmsford City Council has recently held an Issues and Options consultation on the review of their adopted Local Plan. The consultation ran for 10 weeks, closing on the 20 October 2022. Whilst the Council is not obliged to formally respond to this consultation, doing so is an important step in ensuring effective co-operation with Chelmsford City Council as it seeks to prepare its Local Plan, including ensuring broad compatibility between it and the Council’s own Local Plan Review.

The report provided a summary of the consultation document and provided an

overview of the Council’s draft response, which has been submitted to comply with the consultation deadline and is subject to committee approval in line with the recommendation (Appendix A of the report).

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the

recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

Approve the response to Chelmsford City Council’s Local Plan Issues

and Options consultation, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

Brentwood Borough Council invited the Local Government Association to conduct a Corporate Peer Challenge in November 2021. The Peer Team issued their Feedback Report on the 23rd February 2022. Alongside a number of positive reflections, the report included a series of recommendations for the council to implement. Subsequently, at Ordinary Council on 16th March 2022, (min 367 refers), an Action Plan to deliver the Peers recommendations was agreed. This report updates members on the progress of this Action Plan.

This item was for Information Only and no voting was required.

This item has been deferred.

This item had been deferred.

The Council’s Corporate Strategy 2020-25 was agreed at Ordinary Council on the 22^nd January 2020, (min 353 refers). The Corporate Strategy sets out the council’s ambitions for a 5-year period. Annual objectives, against the strategy, are set each year.

The report sought approval from members on the Corporate Strategy Key Objectives for 2022/23 and provided an update on the progress of these objectives. The details of the objectives, including progress to date, are set out in Appendix A in the report.

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Poppy SECONDED the recommendation in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED.

Members are asked to:

R1. Approve the Key Objectives for 2022/23, as set out in Appendix A

R2. Note the progress to date against each Key Objective, as set out in

Appendix A

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on progress to date to the Committee on the progress of the OneTeam Transformation Programme.

This item was for Information Only and no voting was required.

There were no items of Urgent Business.

Members took the opportunity to thank Jacqueline Van Mellaerts for her professionalism and hard work during her time at Brentwood Borough Council as this was her last Council meeting before leaving. 

The meeting concluded at 21.15.