Agenda and draft minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Atkinson.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2025

Decision Made:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2025 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director – Regeneration, Economy and Assets

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director – Regeneration, Economy and Assets indicating that as part of a competitive bidding process co-ordinated through the Combined Authority, Sefton Council would be awarded between £2-£17M of grant funding to retrofit poorly insulated homes for low-income Sefton residents. The exact final award was expected during February 2025. The Council estimated that it might be awarded in the region of £5m, and that once the award was known, officers would report the supplementary estimate accordingly. The funding had come from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of the government’s Warm Homes programme and supporting the UK Net Zero Carbon by 2050 target. A request for approval to accept this funding was sought to ensure that Sefton could benefit from the 100% grant funding. Spending this funding was time critical to ensure that residents received the benefits and that no proportion of the funding was returned due to slippage in delivery. The programme was due to be delivered between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2028 and was split into 3 annual delivery programmes. Due to the level of the grant funding, authority to accept the funding, as well as to secure permission to procure and award works, was required from both the Cabinet and the Council.

It was noted that the Portfolio for the report should be amended to reflect the Cabinet Member – Public Health and Wellbeing and that recommendations (2) and (3) should be amended accordingly.

Decisions Made:

That subject to the Council approving a supplementary capital estimate of £2-17M fully funded by grant funding:

(1)           a supplementary revenue estimate of 10-13% of the revenue amount (fully funded by grant funding) be approved;

(2)           authority be delegated to the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Public Health and Wellbeing, to sign the grant funding agreement and any associated documentation, with the Combined Authority;

(3)      authority be delegated to the Executive Director - Regeneration, Economy and Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Public Health and Wellbeing, to appoint a contractor via a direct award from a public procurement regulations compliant framework and enter into the contract once the procurement process is completed in order to undertake the required works; and

(4)      the Council be requested to approve a supplementary capital estimate in the region of £5m, the exact value of which will be confirmed as part of the regular financial reporting, pending an announcement from the Government.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The funding secured was low risk and did not require match funding from the Council. The resultant work would directly support vulnerable residents to live in a healthier and warmer home with lower energy costs. The funding would also support green job creation, a theme that Sefton Council had championed in retrofit immersive training at the Cambridge Road Adult Education Centre and would include in the National Lottery funded SCRAP (Sefton Climate and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 114.

Report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection

The Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection seeking approval to invite tenders through the appropriate procurement route for the provision of transport technical support services to assist in the preparation of business cases, funding bids and the development and management of transport investment projects.

Decisions Made:

That

(1)           the tender process to procure the provision of Transport Technical Support Services, to be published on The Chest using an Open Tender process, as outlined in the report, be approved;

(2)      the contract period of 4 years from 1January 2026 to 31 December 2029, with an option to extend on a year-by-year basis to 31December 2032 subject to performance, be authorised; and

(3)      delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection to award the Contract resulting from the procurement and any extensions, subject to consultation with the Cabinet Member - Housing and Highways.

Reasons for the Decisions:

Without the provision of a Transport Technical Services Support supplier, there would be insufficient resource to deliver the schemes, initiatives and policy development within the Transport Capital Programme. This would impact on the funding the Council was likely to secure in the future.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The provision of all the specialist skills and capabilities through an in-house team would require substantial additional recruitment which was not practicable within current budget constraints and recruitment challenges.

Support for individual schemes could be procured individually and independently through separate procurement processes. This had been rejected because it would require officer time and resources for each procurement. In some situations, the timescales imposed for submitting proposals and funding bids meant that a stand-alone procurement process was either not feasible or would substantially detract from the time available for completing the submission. This approach would also mean that there was much less potential to develop strong working relationships with an individual service provider and for them to develop local knowledge.

Report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection

Further to Minute No. 78 of 5 December 2024, the Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection indicating that a previous report to Cabinet on 5 December 2024 had sought Members’ approval in-principle to use Compulsory Purchase Powers to acquire the necessary land, outside of the ownership of the Council, to enable the construction of Phase 2 of both the Maritime Corridor and Southport Eastern Access Highway Schemes. The additional land, beyond the current highway boundary, was required to provide the additional capacity required at the junctions and the cycle and walking routes that formed an essential element of both schemes. The report now presented sought approval to the details of the Order to enable it to be made. Whilst every effort was being made to acquire the land and other interests by negotiation, it might be necessary to make a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to acquire the necessary land interest, should negotiations not be successful.

The following Appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix 1 - CPO Map for Maritime Corridor

·       Appendix 2 - Schedule for Maritime Corridor

·       Appendix 3 - Statement of Reasons for Maritime Corridor

·       Appendix 4 - CPO Map for Southport Eastern Access

·       Appendix 5 - Schedule for Southport Eastern Access

·       Appendix 6 - Statement of Reasons for Southport Eastern Access

Decisions Made:

That

(1)      approval be given to make the Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (Maritime Corridor Improvements) Compulsory Purchase Order 2025  under Part XII of the Highways Act 1980 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 to secure the compulsory acquisition of the land shown coloured pink on the plan attached at Appendix 1 of the report;

(2)      approval be given to make the Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (Southport Eastern Access Improvements) Compulsory Purchase Order 2025 under Part XII of the Highways Act 1980 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 to secure the compulsory acquisition of the land shown coloured pink on the plan attached at Appendix 4 of the report;

(3)      the draft Statement of Reasons for making both Orders, as set out at Appendix 3 and Appendix 6 of the report, be approved, and the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection, in consultation with the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer and Monitoring Officer, be authorised to finalise the Statement of Reasons for making the Order based on the draft attached to the report;

(4)      the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection, in consultation with the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer and Monitoring Officer, be authorised to make, if necessary, minor or technical amendments to both Compulsory Purchase Orders boundaries as shown on the plan at Appendices 1 and 4 of the report; and

(5)      the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer and Monitoring Officer be authorised to seal the Order and take all necessary and ancillary steps, including the publication and service of all statutory notices and the presentation of the Council’s case at any public inquiry to secure the confirmation of both Compulsory Purchase  ...  view the full minutes text for item 116.

Report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial

Further to Minute No. 93 of 9 January 2025, the Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial indicating that on 9 January 2025 the Cabinet received and considered the corporate performance report for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of 2024/25, against the Sefton Corporate Plan (2024 to 2027). The report presented the Corporate Performance Report at Annexe A to the report for Quarter 3 of 2024/25, which demonstrated performance against the commitments agreed in the Sefton Corporate Plan (2024 to 2027).

The following appendix was attached to the report:

·       Annexe A - the refreshed Corporate Performance Report, including data for operating/fiscal quarter Q3 2024/25.

Cabinet Members commended officers for the work undertaken and commented on the significant work undertaken to achieve targets.

Decision Made:

That the corporate performance report for Quarter 3 of 2024/25, against the Sefton Corporate Plan (2024 to 2027), be received.

Reasons for the Decision:

The refreshed Sefton Corporate Plan 2024 to 2027 stated the specific corporate objectives to deliver the Council’s key strategic priorities over the next period and would be used as an opportunity to ensure that underpinning strategies and plans across the organisation also reflected the key priorities of the Council over the next period. It would help to keep the Council priorities front and centre, corporately, with partners, and collectively owned.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial informing the Cabinet of:

1)    The current position relating to the 2024/25 revenue budget.

2)    The current forecast on Council Tax and Business Rates collection for 2024/25.

3)    The monitoring position of the Council’s capital programme to the end of January 2025:

·       The forecast expenditure to year end.

·       Variations against the approved budgets and an explanation of those variations for consideration by Members.

·       Updates to spending profiles and proposed amendments to capital budgets necessary to ensure the efficient delivery of capital projects.

The following appendices were attached to the report:

·       Appendix A – Capital Programme 2024/25 to 2026/27

Cabinet Members commended officers for the work undertaken.

Decisions Made:

That

Revenue Outturn

(1)      the current position relating to the 2024/25 revenue budget be noted;

(2)      the actions being taken to refine forecasts and identify mitigating efficiencies to ensure each service achieves a balanced position be noted;

(3)      the remedial action plan measures previously approved by the Cabinet on 7 November 2024, as outlined in section 3 of the report, be noted;

(4)      the intention to review and release Earmarked Reserves to support the additional in-year budget pressure and reduce the call on the Council’s General Balances be noted;

(5)      the financial risks associated with the delivery of the 2024/25 revenue budget be recognised and it be acknowledged that the forecast outturn position will continue to be reviewed, and remedial actions put in place, to ensure a balanced forecast outturn position and financial sustainability can be achieved;

Capital Programme

(6)      the spending profiles across financial years for the approved capital programme, as set out at paragraph 7.1 of the report, be noted;

(7)      the latest capital expenditure position as at 31 January 2025 of £39.105m, as set out at paragraph 7.3 of the report; and the latest full year forecast is £68.134m, as set out at paragraph 7.4 of the report, be noted; and

(8)      it be noted that capital resources will be managed by the Executive Director - Corporate Services and Commercial to ensure the capital programme remains fully funded and that capital funding arrangements secure the maximum financial benefit to the Council, as set out at paragraphs 7.7-7.9 of the report.

Reasons for the Decisions:

To ensure the Cabinet was informed of the current position in relation to the 2024/25 revenue budget.

To provide an updated forecast of the outturn position with regard to the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

To keep Members informed of the progress of the Capital Programme against the profiled budget for 2024/25 and agreed allocations for future years.

To progress any changes that were required in order to maintain a relevant and accurate budget profile necessary for effective monitoring of the Capital Programme.

To approve any updates to funding resources so that they could be applied to capital schemes in the delivery of the Council’s overall capital strategy.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

The Chair reported that this would be the final Cabinet meeting for David McCullough, Chief Legal and Democratic Officer and Monitoring Officer, as he would be leaving the Council. The Chair thanked Mr. McCullough for his dedicated service to Sefton and wished him well for the future.