Decisions

On the evidence before it, having considered all the circumstances, the Sub- Committeegrants theapplication for aPremises Licenceas appliedfor together with the Conditions that the Applicant has offered up through the Operating Schedule in Section M of the application and more specifically set out in Appendix 3 of the agenda papers, with the exception that Condition 5 set out in that document will be amended so that it now reads as follows –

A noise managementplan willbe createdand approved bythe Council and must be available for inspection at the premises, upon any reasonable request by any third party.

Requested that this item return in August ahead of the full business case being submitted to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in September.

The committee resolved to recommend that the Executive Committee looks at all the factors that determine taxi driver incomes, the total impact on income of the proposed changes and at comparisons across rural authorities with regard to day/time pricing and days charged at time and a half when coming to a decision.

Requested that the devolution programme and a review of service level agreements for devolved services be added to the work programme.

Requested a post Glastonbury wash up session be added to the committee work programme later in the year, with the potential to run jointly with Scrutiny Committee – Climate and Place in order to capture all of the Council’s festival activities.

Confirmed Cultural Strategy was on track for the 13^th June meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

Added item Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Availability.

Resolved that the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee – Communities held on 14^th February 2024 be confirmed as a correct record.

Resolved:

1.     To adopt the hackney carriage and private hire vehicle testing and emergency equipment policy

2.    To amend the legacy policies with the changes outlined in Appendix 2 of the report.

3.    That the Policy and amendments above come into effect on a date to be determined by the Licensing Manager/Specialist, prior to which licence holders will be given no less than 6 weeks notice, via email. To ensure that the implementation is co-ordinated with the nomination of test stations.

The Audit Committee reviewed and approved the Internal Audit Plan 2024-25 and noted the subsequent planned update to the Internal Audit Charter (Mandate) later in 2024-25. 

The Audit Committee:  

1.   Approved the Statement of Accounts as attached in Appendix 1 of the report, once any outstanding matters have been resolved. 

2.      Approved the updated Annual Governance Statement as included within the Statement of Accounts. 

3.  Noted the Audit Findings report from the external Auditors Grant Thornton UK LLP as per Appendix 2 of the report. 

4.    Approved the signing of the letter of representation as per Appendix 3 of the report. 

The Audit Committee reviewed and noted the Audit Committee  

workplan, and agreed the below items be added:

To the 30 May 2024: 

·       Aged Debt report  

·       External Audit Findings Report and Audit Conclusion for South Somerset District 

·       Executive Director Resources and Corporate Services - Strategic risks and the steps taken to mitigate and manage risks report 

To the 2024/25 Workplan:

Fraud Prevention in Somerset Council update

·       Approved the revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy attached in Appendix One of the report.

·       Agreed the case for exempt information for the Appendices 2, 3 and 4, to be treated in confidence, as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information.  

·       Noted the following fraud prevention policies in place for Somerset Council and that these are due for review by April2025:?  

-       Anti-Bribery Policy  

-       Anti-Tax Evasion Policy  

-       Anti Money Laundering Policy;  

·       Acknowledged the new provision in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act of “Failure to Prevent Fraud” that will make companies and partnerships liable for failing to stop employees, agents, or others acting on their behalf, for committing fraud for the benefit of the organisation or its customer, including Somerset Council. 

·       Approved the fraud action plan for 2024/25 and notes that an update will be presented to Audit Committee in 2024 following SWAP Internal Audit’s revised fraud baseline assessment and fraud risk register update, to be completed by September 2024. 

·       Approved the publication of information regarding the Council’s counter-fraud activities covering the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, in adherence to the requirements of the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.  

·       Noted a Fraud Officer is to be appointed on an initial 6 to 12-month fixed term contract; and  

·       Noted that data on staff completing fraud training will be provided to Audit Committee by April 2025. 

The Audit Committee reviewed the assessment against the CIPFA Financial Management Code and action plan. 

The Audit Committee reviewed the action plan and Councils response to it. 

The Audit Committee: 

1.     Noted that a risk deep dive report from an Executive Director  

          each meeting, providing a narrative of their strategic risks 

          and the steps they have taken to mitigate and manage  

          each risk, starting at the 30 May 2024 meeting, with a report 

          from the Executive Director of Resources and Corporate 

          Services. 

2.     Received information that a Workshop will be held with CLT in April/May 2024 to explore the challenges and identify solutions in continuing to improve the quality of strategic risk identification and management at Somerset, whether this is regarding governance, reporting, accountability, clarification of roles and responsibilities and any other necessary step. 

3.    Noted that a proposed revised RAG matrix will be reported to Audit Committee following the CLT workshop and presentation to Statutory Officers Board (SOB) and/or Performance, Risk & Budget Board (PRBB). 

4.    Noted that a proposed risk appetite approach will be reported to Audit Committee following the CLT workshop and presentation to SOB and/or PRBB. 

5.    Noted the current strategic risks for Somerset Council set out in Appendix One of the report. 

6.    Noted the responses to the questions raised by the Committee’s Independent person in a meeting on the 14 February 2024 that was held following the January committee.  

The Audit Committee noted the position of the 2023-24 Internal Audit Plan and consider any significant governance, risk and control weaknesses identified. 

The Audit Committee considered and noted the matters raised in Grant Thornton’s Somerset Pension Fund Audit Plan for year ending 31 March 2024 report. 

The Audit Committee  

1.     Noted the status of the ongoing audit by reviewing the latest Audit Findings report from the external Auditors Grant Thornton UK LLP, as per Appendix 1 of the report.  

2.      Noted the revised Statement of Accounts as attached in Appendix 2 of the report for South Somerset District Council for 2022/23.  

3.    Delegated approval for the final accounts to the Executive Director of Resources and Corporate Services in conjunction with the Chair or ViceChair, once any outstanding matters have been resolved provided below materiality threshold. 

4.     Delegated approval for the signing of a letter of representation, alongside point 3. 

5.      To receive the final External Audit Findings Report and Audit Conclusion for South Somerset Districtat 30 May 2024 meeting of the Audit Committee. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive agreed:

1.        To relocate services from Petters House Yeovil to Yeovil Library.

2.        To relocate services from Williton Childrens Centre, Williton Library and Beckett House to West Somerset House.

3.        To delegate authority to Service Director, Strategic Asset Management in consultation with the Lead Member for Economy, Planning and Assets to appoint professional services as required, go to tender, evaluate, and award contracts up to £700k in line with approved capital bids, to make layout changes to Yeovil library and West Somerset House to facilitate the co-location of services.

4.       The case for Appendix B of the report to be regarded as exempt information and to be treated in confidence, as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information.

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive:

1.      Recommends approval of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2025/26 to 2029/30 and the savings targets for 2025/26 to Council.

2.     Recommends that the Council continues with the aim of avoiding a section 114 notice by taking all of the necessary actions and continuing to operate as if one had been issued. 

3.     Agreed to receive an updated Medium-Term Financial Plan in September 2024 which sets out the latest forecasts of future service costs, income and funding from 2025/26 to 2029/30.

4.    Recommends to continue actively campaigning for the reform of funding of councils and greater local freedoms.

5.     Approved that the Financial Control Boards continue to operate in 2024/25 as set out in Appendix 3 of the report. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive:

1.      Approved the proposed scope of the Improvement and Transformation Programme.

2.     Noted the emerging programme timeline.

3.     Noted the progress made since February 2024 and the intention to provide regular update reports to Executive.

The committee agreed to hold an informal meeting in May once the full report from the LGA peer review was released to go over it in detail, and a full member briefing to follow.

Resolved to write to the Executive Committee to request assurance that the digital platform that ASC require to deliver this function of our data that Microsoft are working on with us is resourced and ready at an appropriate timescale, and that we have the capability to address this.

The committee agreed that the digital team working on this project would be added to the work programme to better understand the resource challenges.

During the discussion, it was agreed that a report on the overdue reviews would be added to the work programme, to enable a deeper understanding of how they work and the challenges around them, as well as a report on Intermediate Care pathways.

Resolved to add Social Care Workforce to the agenda of the next meeting on July 11^th.

The minutes of the Scrutiny Committee – Adults and Health held on 8 February 2024 were amended to include Cllr Hilary Bruce in attendance and then resolved that they be confirmed as a correct record.

That planning application 2021/2574/ADV be issued as a SPLIT decision. All signage was APPROVED for installation SAVE FOR sign number 9 which was REFUSED, contrary to the Officer’s recommendation, due to the height, scale and massing and detrimental effect on visual amenity. Also contrary to the Officer’s recommendation, conditions would be imposed to ensure that none of the permitted signs are illuminated due to the detrimental effect on visual amenity.

Votes – 8 votes in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention

That planning application 2023/1989/FUL be APPROVED contrary to the Officer’s recommendation as it was deemed that there was a demonstrated functional and essential need for the applicant to live on this site. That delegated authority be granted to Officers, in consultation with the Chair and Councillor Tony Robbins (Mendip Hills) to impose necessary conditions, including limiting the permission to a temporary period of three years and an agricultural worker’s tie.

Votes – Unanimous in favour

That planning application 2023/1275/FUL be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation.

Votes – 8 in favour, 1 against and 1 abstention

That planning application 2020/1287/FUL be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation subject to the applicant submitting a revised floor plan drawing showing the installation of blackout blinds in conjunction with the proposed roof lights.

Votes – 8 votes in favour, 1 against

That planning application 2021/1975/OTS be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation.

Votes – 10 votes in favour, 1 against

That planning application 2023/2193/FUL be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation.

Votes – Unanimous in favour

That planning application 2024/0025/FUL be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation.

Votes – Unanimous in favour

That planning application 2023/2349/FUL be APPROVED in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation with an additional condition relating to refuse collection which shall stipulate that refuse must not be placed on the public highway except on the day of collection.

Votes – Unanimous in favour