Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor D Westley.  

To be apprised of any changes to the membership of the Committee in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4.

In accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 4, the Committee noted the termination of Councillors R Bailey N Pryce Roberts and the appointments of Councillor J Howard and P Hennessy for this meeting only, thereby giving effect to the wishes of the Political Groups.

Note:  No other business is permitted unless by reason of special circumstances, which shall be specified at the meeting, the Chairperson is of the opinion that the item(s) should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

If a member requires advice on Declarations of Interest he/she is advised to contact the Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer, in advance of the meeting. (For the assistance of members a checklist for use in considering their position on any particular item is included at the end of this agenda sheet).

The following declarations were received:-

1.    Councillors Howard and  Whittington declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to item 8 in relation to GRA Capital Q2 2024/25 Monitoring Report in view of his membership of a Parish Council.

To receive as a correct record the minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee held on the 24 September 2024.

AGREED:             That the minutes of the Policy and Resources Committee held on the 24 September 2024 be agreed as a correct record.

Residents of West Lancashire on giving notice, may address the meeting to make representations on any item on the agenda except where the public and press are to be excluded during consideration of the item.  The deadline for submission is 10.00am on Friday 15 November 2024.

There were no items under this heading.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance and Resources

(Lead Member: Councillor Pryce-Roberts).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources as contained on pages 19 to 28 of the Book of Reports. The report provided a summary of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Housing Capital Programme positions for the 2024/25 financial year based upon quarter 2 monitoring (Q2).

AGREED:     That the HRA Q2 position for Revenue and Capital be noted.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance and Resources

(Lead Member: Councillor Anderson).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources as contained on pages 29 to 34 of the Book of Reports.  The report provided a summary of the General Revenue Account (GRA) position for the 2024/25 financial year based upon Quarter 2 monitoring (Q2).

AGREED:               That the GRA Q2 revenue position be noted.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance and Resources

(Lead Member: Councillor Anderson).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources as contained on pages 35 to 44 of the Book of Reports which noted the Revised General Revenue Account (GRA) Capital Programme for 2024/25 and provided an update on progress on the capital schemes.

AGREED:   (A)      That the revised Capital Programme including the budget adjustments contained within Appendix A of the report be noted.

                   (B)     That the progress made against the Revised Capital Programme at Quarter 2 be noted.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance and Resources

(Lead Member: Councillor Anderson).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources as contained on pages 45 to 52 of the Book of Reports.  The report set out details of the Treasury Management Operations for the first six months of 2024/25 and to report on the Prudential Indicators where available.

AGREED:           That the Treasury Management activity and Prudential Indicator performance for the first six months of 2024/25 be noted.

To consider the report of the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulatory.

(Lead Member: Councillor Dowling).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulatory Services as contained on pages 53 to 72 of the Book of Reports the report sought authorisation to allocate Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding of £109,000 to spend on the delivery of footpath upgrades at Beacon Country Park.

AGREED:     That the allocation of £109,000 of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funding to spend on the delivery of footpath upgrades at Beacon Country Park as detailed in the report be approved.

To consider the report of the Director of Finance and Resources.

(Lead Member:  Councillor Anderson).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources as contained on pages 73 to 146 of the Book of Reports. The purpose of which advised on the new requirements of the Procurement Act 2023 and sought approval to implement the new Contract Procedure Rules.

AGREED:     That the report and proposed new Contract Procedure Rules at Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

To consider the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer.

(Lead Member:  Councillor Gagen).

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer as contained on pages 147 to 174 of the Book of Reports the purpose of which was to inform Members on the Council's use of its powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Power's Act (RIPA) and to present the RIPA Policy document for approval.

AGREED:       That the Council's RIPA activity and the RIPA Policy attached at Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and Environment.                     (Lead Member Councillor Pryce-Roberts).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and Environment as contained on pages 175 to 192 of the Book of Reports. The report sought approval of the newly developed Damp and Mould Strategy and the Action Plan for 2025-2028.

AGREED:           That the Damp and Mould Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2028 be approved.

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and Environment.

(Lead Member:  Councillor Parlour).

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and Environment as contained on pages 193 to 195 of the Book of Reports.

Councillor Parlour raised that there was an admin error in the title of report and that the report sought approval for the disposal of a freehold plot of land adjacent to Plantation Road and Ringtail Road, Burscough which was under the ownership of West Lancashire Borough Council.

AGREED:   That the Director of Housing and Environment be authorised to take all necessary steps to dispose of the plot of land adjacent to Plantation Road and Ringtail Road, Burscough in accordance with the terms and conditions as set out in the report.

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

(Lead Member: Councillor Parlour).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director of Planning and Regulatory Services as set out on pages 197 to 214 of the Book of Reports the report provided an update on the delivery of the Council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) investment programme.

AGREED:       That the contents of the report be noted.

There are no items under this heading.

There were no items under this heading.

There are no items under this heading.

There were no items under this heading.