To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 27 February 2025.

The Worshipful The Mayor of Torbay proposed and Councillor Foster seconded a motion, which was agreed (unanimously) by the Council as set out below:

that the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 27 February 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by The Worshipful The Mayor of Torbay.

No interests were declared.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Civic Mayor, the Leader of the Council, the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator or the Chief Executive.

The Leader of the Council informed the Council that earlier in the day on 15 May 2025, the Council had received a letter from the Government on the Interim Plan Feedback for Local Government Reorganisation (Devon, Plymouth and Torbay), which would be shared in due course.

The Council was requested to consider the appointment of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator and the appointment of Scrutiny Lead Members for the 2025/2026 Municipal Year.

The Council was requested to consider the appointment of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator and the appointment of Scrutiny Lead Members for the 2025/2026 Municipal Year.

Councillor David Thomas proposed and Councillor Long seconded a motion which was agreed (unanimously) as set out below:

1.         that Councillor Long be appointed as the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator for the 2025/2026 Municipal Year; and

2.         that the following Councillors be appointed as the Overview and Scrutiny Leads for the 2025/2026 Municipal Year:

o   Councillor Law - Overview and Scrutiny Lead for Children’s Services;

o   Councillor Johns - Overview and Scrutiny Lead for Adults, Community Services, Public Health and Inequalities;

o   Councillor Douglas-Dunbar - Overview and Scrutiny Lead for Place Development, Economic Growth and Culture; and

o   Councillor Cowell - Overview and Scrutiny Lead for Housing, Finance, Corporate and Place Based Services.

To appoint the Council’s committees, working parties, Chairmen/women and Vice-Chairmen/women for the new municipal year, in accordance with Council Standing Order A1.2(x)

The Council considered the submitted report on the annual appointment of council committees, working parties, Chairman/women and Vice-Chairman/women and the allocation of seats in accordance with political balance.  A revised Appendix 3 and Appendix 4 (which included Group Leaders nominations) was circulated prior to the meeting.

Councillor David Thomas proposed and Councillor Long seconded a motion which was agreed (unanimously) as set out below:

1.         that the overall political balance of the committees as set out at Appendix 1 of the submitted report be approved;

2.         that, in accordance with the Local Protocol for Working Parties, the overall political balance of working parties as set out in Appendix 2 of the submitted report be approved;

3.         that the Terms of Reference and membership for the Council’s Committee’s and working parties be approved as set out in revised Appendix 3 of the submitted report;

4.         that nominations from Group Leaders be received to fill the seats on the committees;

5.         that the Chairmen/women and Vice-Chairmen/women of those Committee’s be approved as set out in revised Appendix 4;

6.         that a sub-committee of both the Statutory Licensing Committee and Regulatory Committee be established both to comprise three Members of the relevant Statutory Licensing Committee or Regulatory Committee;

7.         that both the Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee and Regulatory Sub-Committee be exempted from the rules of committee proportionality as defined in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and supporting regulations; and

8.         that the Head of Governance Support be authorised to empanel Members from the Statutory Licensing Committee and Regulatory Committee to serve on the Statutory Licensing Sub-Committee and Regulatory Sub-Committee as and when required.

Following the vote, the nominations for members to serve on each committee and other bodies were confirmed by the Leaders of the Conservative, Independent and Liberal Democrat Groups, as set out in revised Appendix 3 to the submitted report and circulated on 14 May 2025.

To receive details from the Leader of the Council of the composition and constitution of the Cabinet for 2024/2025, together with the record of delegations of Executive functions (in accordance with Standing Order C2).

Members noted the submitted report on the above, which provided details of the portfolios of the Cabinet Members and delegation arrangements of executive functions, as appointed by the Leader of the Council.

To receive the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2024/2025.

The Council received and noted the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2024/2025, as presented by the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinator Councillor Long.

To receive the Audit Committee’s Annual Report for 2024/2025.

The Council received and noted the Audit Committee Annual Report for 2024/2025, as presented by the Chairman of the Audit Committee, Councillor Penny.

To consider the recommendation of the Cabinet and the submitted report that requests funding in order to accelerate and extend the Accommodation Repurposing Programme.

The Council considered the recommendation of the Cabinet and submitted report on funding to accelerate and extend the Accommodation Repurposing Programme to deliver up to 75 Affordable housing units per year over a 5-year programme.

Councillor Tyerman proposed and Councillor Cowell seconded a motion which was agreed (unanimously) as set out below:

that £20 million of prudential borrowing be approved to part fund individual schemes within the Accommodation Repurposing Programme, subject to repayment of borrowing being supported by rental income from the schemes after deduction of projected management and operating costs and appropriate allowances for future maintenance cost of the properties (taking account of any grant funding that may be available for the individual site).

To consider a report that seeks to rescind a previous Council decision to borrow money for the construction of a solar farm at Brokenbury.

The Worshipful the Mayor of Torbay reported that this item had been withdrawn following the decision of the Cabinet on 13 May 2025.

To consider a recommendation of the Cabinet and a report, that seeks to include the Torbay Inclusion Strategy as part of Torbay Council’s Policy Framework.

The Council considered the Cabinet’s recommendation and the submitted report on the Torbay Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan which aimed to support the Council to embed inclusion across the organisation. It was noted the Inclusion Strategy aims to holistically bring together the Council’s work on inclusion and its equality objectives into one overarching document to support the Council to meet its Public Sector Equality Duty and it was recommended to include the Strategy in the Council’s Policy Framework.

Councillor David Thomas proposed and Councillor Douglas-Dunbar seconded a motion which was agreed (unanimously) as set out below:

that the list of Policy Framework documents set out in Torbay Council’s Constitution be updated to include the Inclusion Strategy for Torbay for 2025 - 2030 and that the Strategy be approved.

To note the schedule of Executive decisions to which the call-in procedure does not apply as set out in the submitted report.

Members noted the submitted report setting out a decision taken by the Cabinet (namely Local Government Reorganisation – Submission of Interim Plan) to which the call-in procedure did not apply.