That the application fee for a Hackney Carriage (Taxi) and Private Hire Licence be reduced to £50, for 50 new applications until 31 December 2021.

That the Sufficiency Strategy 2021-2024 be approved.

i)       That Cabinet notes the endorsement of the Torquay Town Board in respect of the business cases for the Edginswell Rail Station, Harbour Public Realm and Stronger Future projects; and 

ii)      That the business cases as set out in Appendix 1 to the published report be submitted to the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government for their consideration in order to allow for delivery to begin from autumn. 

That the Cabinet resolved to ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government calling for the Government to scrap its Planning White Paper and instead

·         Undertake a wholesale review of Permitted Development Rights;

·         Make the Bristol-based Planning Inspectorate more accountable to local people; and

·         Implement stronger controls to ensure Ministers making decisions on planning applications are not connected either financially or personally with the developers or related parties to the application.

That the Cabinet resolves to;

i)       Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill;

ii)      Inform the local media of this decision including sharing information on social media;

iii)     Write to local Members of Parliament asking them to support the CEE Bill; and

iv)    Write to the CEE Bill Alliance, the organisers of the campaign for the Bill expressing our support (campaign@ceebill.uk).

That Cabinet notes the report and recommends to the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Council:

i)     the Overview and Scrutiny Board notes the final revenue outturn position makes any comments and/or recommendations to Council;

ii)    the Overview and Scrutiny Board notes the final position for the Council’s Capital outturn position and makes any comments and/or recommendations to Council;

iii)    Council notes that the following revenue outturn actions were agreed as a part of the February 2021 budget decisions:

a)    Establishing a £1.6m Covid-19 Reserve to deal with the continuing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic;

b)    Allocating £3.5m to fund the Collection Fund Deficit;

c)    Increasing the General Fund Reserve by £0.5m which moves the Council closer to having a General Fund of 5% of its net revenue budget;

d)    Additional £0.5m funding to support SWISCo;

e)    An allocation of £1.0m toward Community and Corporate plan priorities;

iv)   That the Council approves the additional carry forward of £2.8m being used as follows;

a)    A further £1.0m towards Community and Corporate plan priorities as set out in Appendix 2 to the submitted report;

b)    £1.7m towards earmarked service specific reserves to support transformation and improvement work for digital improvements for the Council’s services including the contact centre and further support for SWISCo;

c)    £0.1m towards the General Fund Reserve;

d)    Allocate an underspend of £0.960m on Concessionary Fares on travel/road related matters as set out in Appendix 3 to the submitted report.

v)    That the Council approves the use of £0.9m of the profiled capital receipt for the disposal of land at Collaton St Mary as set out in Appendix 4 to the submitted report.

(i)            That the progress being made to develop a climate partnership be noted;

(ii)          That the Council continue to explore with partners the creation of a Torbay Climate Partnership, building on the discussions at the meeting held on 4 June 2021; and

(iii)         That the Cabinet acknowledges the work already undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Climate Change Emergency Review Panel.  In light of their being no firm proposal arising from the informal meeting of partners on 4 June, the Cabinet requests that the Overview and Scrutiny Board consider acting as the facilitator for this activity until such a time that the climate partnership is in a position to lead. 

That the SWISCo Business Plan 2021-23, as set out in Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved.

The Licensing Authority is required every 3 years to review and re-publish the Statement of Gambling Principles Policy. Whilst most Licensing matters are delegated by statute to the Licensing Committee, the Gambling Policy is a Policy Framework document and must be agreed by Full Council. The Policy sets out the framework for how Torbay Council implements the Gambling Act 2005.

That the draft Gambling Statement of Principles 2022 to 2025, be approved for public consultation.

That the Prioritised Council Business Plan for 2021/2022 be approved.

That Cabinet recommends to Council;

That the TDA Director of Asset Management, Investment and Housing, in consultation with the Chief Executive, be authorised to:

a)     Grant a 25 year, full repairing and insuring lease to the Medical Tuition Service at a peppercorn rent ensuring that the lease confirms the availability of the building for community use.