This meeting was about the adoption of new council policies, budgets, and the consideration of reports. The documents for this meeting include a summary of the previous Cabinet meeting, details of all of the decisions taken by individual cabinet members during the previous month, and a forward plan of key decisions the council is expected to make during the next two months.

Proposed Lease of Residential Apartments in Tonbridge for use as Temporary Accommodation

A proposal was scheduled to be put to the Cabinet that they approve the lease of some residential apartments in Tonbridge to increase the amount of temporary accommodation the council has available.

Debt Collection Practices - Potential Pilot with ReachOut

The Money Advice Trust, a charity that helps people manage their debts, published a report called 'Stop the Knock' that analyses each council's use of bailiffs to recover debts. It showed that Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council passed 3,593 debts to bailiffs, which represented an increase of 44% over pre-pandemic levels. A report was scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet that asks them to approve a pilot scheme of up to 500 cases with an organisation called ReachOut. They would attempt to engage with residents who are not responding to the council's attempts to recover debts and help them find support for financial, mental and physical wellbeing. If this pilot is successful, they could be asked to take on a further tranche of cases. The report also included a recommendation that the council review its Corporate Debt Recovery Policy, and consider making a statement about their efforts to reduce the use of bailiffs.

Local Plan Engagement Strategy and Estimated Local Plan Budget

The government consulted on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) during July and September 2024. A report was scheduled to be put to the Cabinet that recommends they approve the Local Plan Engagement and Consultation Strategy. The strategy sets out how the council will consult and engage with stakeholders, council members and residents as the new Local Plan progresses. It also provided an update on the budget that will be required to adopt a new Local Plan by December 2026.

Review of Fees and Charges 2025/26

The report put to the Cabinet recommended that they adopt the changes to the council's fees and charges that were recommended by the Finance, Regeneration and Property Scrutiny Select Committee at its meeting on 19 November 2024. The changes included rounding up all of the fees in the council's Street Naming and Numbering policy to the nearest £10, increasing most of the fees for hiring rooms at Tonbridge Castle, and introducing charges for commercial events on council owned open spaces.

Review of Fees and Charges for Discretionary Planning Services

The report put to the Cabinet recommended that they approve the changes to the council's fees and charges for discretionary planning services that were recommended by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee at its meeting on 3 December 2024. The changes include a 5% increase for householder, listed building, small, medium and larger developments and a 10% increase for strategic developments. The report also included recommendations for new fees to cover requests for confirmation that planning conditions have been complied with, for senior officer involvement in pre-application discussions, for hybrid applications, and for Planning Performance Agreements for condition discharges or approvals. It also recommended updating the fee schedule for Building Control and High Hedges complaints. Finally, it recommended introducing a charge for requests for confirmation of compliance with Section 106 obligations.

HMO and Caravan Site Licensing Fee Charges for 2025/26

The report put to the Cabinet recommended that they approve the changes to the council's fees and charges for licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and caravan sites that were recommended by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee at its meeting on 3 December 2024. The report set out that there were currently 27 licensed HMOs in Tonbridge and Malling. The proposed changes included a new fee for processing an application to register site rules with the council.

Community Grant Scheme

A report was scheduled to be put to the Cabinet that recommends they approve the launch of a £50,000 50th Anniversary Community Grant Scheme to support voluntary and community sector organisations. Applications could be made for up to £2,500, and would be assessed against criteria designed to ensure that they meet the council's priorities. These include helping vulnerable communities during the cost of living crisis, supporting healthy lifestyles, improving community safety, helping people gain skills to access the workplace, and supporting environmental and carbon reduction initiatives.

Review of Tonbridge Community Forum and Parish Partnership Panel

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended at its meeting on 14 November 2024 that the Cabinet consider moving the Tonbridge Community Forum from the Angel Centre to Tonbridge Methodist Church and holding all of its meetings in person. They also recommended that they formally add an open discussion section to the agenda to allow attendees to discuss each topic. The report also sought feedback on potential changes to the format of the Parish Partnership Panel.

Procurement Strategy

The report put to the Cabinet recommended that they adopt a new Procurement Strategy for the council. The strategy would be in place from 2024-2026, cover the council's participation in the Mid Kent Procurement Partnership, and focus on compliance, sustainability, localism, commercialism, stability and expansion. The strategy will be reviewed and updated at the end of the two years.

Data Protection Policy

A report was scheduled to be presented to the Cabinet that recommends they approve an updated Data Protection Policy to ensure that the council is lawfully discharging its data protection obligations.

Tree Protocol Update

A report was scheduled to be put to the Cabinet recommending they consider how best to progress the backlog of Tree Preservation Order requests. The report outlined three options: seeking a consultant to clear the backlog, continuing to work on it within the existing resource, or waiting for the outcome of the review of the Landscape Officer's workload as part of the Planning Fees Review.