The December meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee included discussion of several capital projects as well as updates from officers about the Council's assets, commercial investments, and environmental performance. The Committee were also asked to consider proposals about public art, and how the Council should satisfy its legal obligations relating to the provision of information about gambling and the licensing of landlords.

Seven Brethren Development and the Laceworks Factory

The Committee were scheduled to receive a presentation from officers about the progress of the redevelopment of the Seven Brethren area of Barnstaple, including the conversion of the former Laceworks Factory.

Material Recovery Facility

The Committee were scheduled to receive an update from officers on the progress of the construction of its Material Recovery Facility.

Council Finances and Capital Programme

The Committee were scheduled to consider a report on the Council's finances. This included a recommendation that the Council note that its revenue budget, which was forecast to be £16,438,690, was very close to being balanced. The Committee were also asked to note the latest projections for the Council's capital programme, which was forecast to be £32,203,706 over the three years to 2026/27.

Treasury Management

The Committee were scheduled to note a report on the Council's treasury management activities. They were asked to recommend to Full Council that it approve a change to the Council's prudential indicators, increasing the amount the Council could borrow in the short term. The change related to the upper limit for borrowing under 12 months, and would allow greater flexibility for short-term borrowing, given the current interest rate forecast.

S106 Funding for Burrington, Heasley Mill, and Lovacott.

Councillors were scheduled to discuss three requests for funding from developers' contributions, known as Section 106 funds¹: Section 106 (S106) agreements are a mechanism by which local authorities can seek to mitigate the impact of new development in their area. They are a private agreement negotiated between the Local Planning Authority and a developer, which is legally binding. They can be attached to a planning permission to make acceptable development which would otherwise be unacceptable in planning terms.

• Burrington Parish Council requested £1,612.84 to install LED lighting on a pedestrian walkway in Burrington.
• Heasley Mill Village Hall requested £6,595.50 to upgrade the windows to double-glazing at the village hall in Heasley Mill.
• Horwood, Lovacott and Newton Tracey Parish Council requested £3,950 to create a formal tarmac entrance to the playing field in Lovacott.

The report noted that the three projects had been assessed, and that they met the requirements of the relevant S106 agreements.

Insurance for Brynsworthy Environment Centre

The Committee were scheduled to consider a report about the insurance of Brynsworthy Environment Centre, which is the Council's main depot. The report explained that in July 2024 the Council had been forced to buy a top-up insurance policy from a specialist provider because its main insurer had significantly reduced the amount of cover it was prepared to provide for the site, citing the fact that:

Waste and Recycling operations were increasingly being seen as a high-risk activity by insurers, who were looking to limit their exposures in this activity.

The report noted that this top-up insurance only lasted for 12 months, and that officers were asking the Committee to approve buying a second 12 month top-up insurance policy for the remainder of the period until the Council's main insurance policy was due to be renewed. This was to avoid a situation where:

there was a gap in insurance cover should a major incident occur which exceeded the first loss limit

Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles

Councillors were scheduled to consider a report on the Council's Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles, which sets out how the Council will approach its statutory duties with respect to gambling. The report included a recommendation that the Council adopt a 'no casino' resolution, which means that the Council would refuse any applications for a casino license. The report explained that this was justified by the results of a public consultation, and because the Council's Licensing and Community Safety Committee felt that:

whilst there were some economic benefits from gambling establishments they were outweighed by the social and economic costs associated with problem gambling.

Ilfracombe Pier Car Park

The Committee were scheduled to consider a report on the future of Ilfracombe Pier car park in Ilfracombe. The report explained that the Council had recently undertaken a public consultation to gather feedback on proposed resurfacing works at the car park. Although the consultation had not explicitly asked about whether the car park should be repurposed, the author of the report noted that 33.7% of respondents had indicated that they would like to see the car park repurposed, and that:

Being a Statutory Harbour, [Ilfracombe] Harbour had certain duties to uphold, one of these being the need for the shipping and unshipping of goods which entailed a road transport element

The report explained that the car park was used for storing boats over the winter, and that local businesses relied on the parking it provided. The report recommended that no changes should be made to the use of the car park, and that the resurfacing work should continue as planned.

North Devon Council Carbon Footprint

Councillors were scheduled to note a report on the Council's operational carbon footprint. The report noted that the Council had reduced its emissions by 16.8% since 2018, but that it was not on track to meet its target of being carbon neutral by 2030. The report explained that the two main areas of concern were the Council's heavy goods vehicles and the red diesel sold at Ilfracombe Harbour. The report noted that:

Currently there were no viable alternatives to diesel for either of the two elements

Selective Licensing of Landlords

The Committee were scheduled to consider a report on the feasibility of introducing selective licensing for landlords of privately rented properties in some areas of the District. The report explained that the Council had a legal duty to consider introducing selective licensing in areas where there was poor housing conditions, anti-social behaviour, high levels of crime, and other problems associated with the private rented sector. The report noted that the Council had not yet gathered evidence to decide whether selective licensing was necessary, but that officers were recommending that the Council should commission a study to assess the need for selective licensing in the District. The report also noted that if the Council did decide to introduce selective licensing, it would need to consult with landlords, tenants, and other stakeholders.

Council's Commercial, Asset and Housing Strategies

The Committee were scheduled to consider three inter-related strategies: a refreshed commercialisation strategy; an asset management strategy; and a new housing strategy.

The report explained that the Council had adopted a Commercialisation Strategy in November 2020, and that:

Members had taken the first step towards the Council’s financial security by approving the purchase of Green Lanes Shopping Centre. The purchase of Green Lanes shopping centre was a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this strategic asset and complement other significant regeneration improvements being delivered within the Barnstaple town centre through the Future High Streets project.

It argued that the purchase of the shopping centre would allow the Council to:

use our assets to optimise returns and look for new income generating opportunities.

The report asked the Committee to recommend to Full Council that it adopt the refreshed commercialisation strategy, and to approve an Asset Management Strategy that would guide how the Council managed its £143m property portfolio.

The Committee were also asked to approve a public consultation on a new Housing Strategy that was organised around three themes: preventing homelessness; increasing housing supply; and improving the quality of housing in the District.

Procurement of Public Art

The Committee were scheduled to consider a report on the procurement of public art for Barnstaple town centre. The report explained that the Council had been awarded funding from the Cultural Development Fund to commission several pieces of public art in the town centre.

The report asked the Committee to approve a process whereby the Council would directly approach ten artists and pay each of them £500 to develop detailed proposals. A panel of stakeholders would then assess these proposals. The report explains that this approach was needed because:

Arts Council guidance recommends that artists should receive payment for working up detailed designs

The report noted that although this process did not comply with the Council's usual procurement rules, which are based on the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, it had been developed in consultation with Devon County Council's procurement team, and was consistent with the Council's legal duties.