Meeting documents

SSDC District Executive
Thursday, 25th June, 2015 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil. View directions

Contact: Angela Cox 01935 462148  Email: angela.cox@southsomerset.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

16.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the District Executive meeting held on 4th June 2015.

Minutes:

Members agreed to defer confirmation of the minutes of the District Executive meeting held on 4 June 2015, to the next meeting of the Committee on 2nd July 2015.

17.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Peter Seib and Henry Hobhouse and Mark Williams, Chief Executive.

18.

Declarations of Interest

In accordance with the Council's current Code of Conduct (adopted July 2012), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also "prejudicial") in relation to any matter on the Agenda for this meeting. A DPI is defined in The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012 No. 1464) and Appendix 3 of the Council’s Code of Conduct. A personal interest is defined in paragraph 2.8 of the Code and a prejudicial interest is defined in paragraph 2.9.

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest. As a result of the change made to the Code of Conduct by this Council at its meeting on 15th May 2014, where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council.  If you have a prejudicial interest you must comply with paragraphs 2.9(b) and 2.9(c) of the Code.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made.

19.

Public Question Time

Questions, statements or comments from members of the public are welcome at the

beginning of each meeting of the Council. The total period allowed for public participation shall not exceed 15 minutes except with the consent of the Council and each individual speaker shall be restricted to a total of three minutes. Where there are a number of persons wishing to speak about the same matter, they should consider choosing one spokesperson to speak on their behalf where appropriate. If a member of the public wishes to speak they should advise the committee administrator and complete one of the public participation slips setting out their name and the matter they wish to speak about. The public will be invited to speak in the order determined by the Chairman. Answers to questions may be provided at the meeting itself or a written reply will be sent subsequently, as appropriate. Matters raised during the public question session will not be debated by the Council at that meeting.

Minutes:

There were no members of the public present. 

20.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

There were no announcements from the Chairman.

21.

Exclusion of Press and Public

Decision:

 

RESOLVED:

that the following item be considered in Closed Session by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A under Paragraph 3: "Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)."

 

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:

that the following item be considered in Closed Session by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A under Paragraph 3: "Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)."

 

22.

Superfast Broadband Extension Programme - Decision on SSDC funding contributions (Confidential) - Updated Report

Decision:

 

RESOLVED:

That District Executive:-

 

1.

confirmed that the in-principle commitment of £640,000 to the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) Superfast (broadband) Extension Programme (SEP) remain;

 

2.

agreed to defer the final decision to a future meeting of the District Executive following the completion of the on-going negotiations and the subsequent formal signing of contracts between British Telecom (BT) and Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) in order to re-consider the in-principle commitment having regard to such additional detailed confidential information on the programme that can be provided once the contract has been signed.

Reason:

To enable Members to make a fully informed decision to commit to the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) Superfast (broadband) Extension Programme (SEP).

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economic Development introduced Mr M Ballard of the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) Superfast Broadband Extension Programme.  She reminded Members of the 3 points on page 17 of the Agenda papers which needed to be satisfied before SSDC committed to the Superfast Broadband Programme.

Mr M Ballard, Project Manager for the Connecting Devon and Somerset Superfast Broadband Extension Programme provided Members with a brief update on the progress of Phase 1 of the Superfast Broadband Programme and further confidential information on the roll out of Phase 2.   

During discussion, Members expressed concern that detailed information which they had expected to be provided on a postcode by postcode basis of the areas to benefit from superfast broadband in Phase 2 was still not forthcoming and it appeared would not be available until the final contract between BT and CDS had been signed.  Members felt it was important to have this information to be able to prove value for money to the residents of South Somerset.

Having clarified with the Programme Manager that deferring the decision would not jeopardise the project, it was proposed that the funding previously committed to the programme remain, but, the decision to commit to the programme be deferred to a future meeting of the District Executive following the completion of the on-going negotiations and the subsequent formal signing of contracts between British Telecom (BT) and Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) in order to receive additional detailed confidential information on the programme that could be provided once the contract had been signed.  This proposal was seconded, and, on being put to the vote, was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED:

That District Executive:-

 

1.

confirmed that the in-principle commitment to the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) Superfast (broadband) Extension Programme (SEP) remain;

 

2.

agreed to defer the final decision to a future meeting of the District Executive following the completion of the on-going negotiations and the subsequent formal signing of contracts between British Telecom (BT) and Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) in order to re-consider the in-principle commitment having regard to such additional detailed confidential information on the programme that can be provided once the contract has been signed.

Reason:

To enable Members to make a fully informed decision to commit to the Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) Superfast (broadband) Extension Programme (SEP).

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

23.

Date of Next Meeting

Members are asked to note that the next scheduled meeting of the District Executive will take place on Thursday, 2nd July 2015 in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil commencing at 9.30 a.m.

Minutes:

Members noted that the next scheduled meeting of the District Executive would take place on Thursday 2 July 2015 in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Brympton Way, Yeovil commencing at 9.30am.