Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Brodie-Browne and Porter.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of interest were received:

Minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2010

RESOLVED:  

That the Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 10 June 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Cabinet considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy advising of the 2009/10 revenue outturn for the General Fund; seeking consideration of the budget implications for 2010/11, and indicating that specific guidance should be provided to Overview and Scrutiny Committees in considering departmental outturn reports.

The report indicated that the closure of the Authority's accounts had been completed and that the provisional unallocated balances at 31 March 2009 were £11.791m for schools and £3.661m for non-schools services; that there was a net underspend on General fund services of £21k and provided detailed information on the above matters, together with the budgetary position for 2010/11.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)      the 2009/10 outturn, the portfolio variations and the revised level of balances be noted;

(2)      it be noted that the statutory annual accounts were approved by Audit and Governance Committee on 30 June 2010; and

(3)      it be noted that Cabinet Members and Overview and Scrutiny Committees will receive and review individual departmental outturn reports.

Joint report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy and the Strategic Directors

The Cabinet considered the joint report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy and the Strategic Directors for Communities, Social Care and Wellbeing and Children, Schools and Families which provided details of the Council's overall capital spending in 2009/10 and reasons for major variations in expenditure on individual schemes.

The report indicated that the Authority's capital expenditure for the year was £74.098m, comprising £62.262m in respect of the service based Capital Programme and £11.836m for Government Funded and Other Programmes.

RESOLVED:  

That the report on the Capital Outturn 2009/10 be noted.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Cabinet considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy advising of the outturn position for Prudential Indicators for 2009/10 in order to comply with the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities.

The report detailed the 2009/10 outturn for the following indicators:

·                    Capital Expenditure

·                    Financing Costs/Net Revenue Stream

·                    Capital Financing Requirement

·                    External Debt

·                    Treasury Management Indicators

RESOLVED:  

That the outturn position for Prudential Indicators for 2009/10 be noted.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

The Cabinet considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy advising of the Treasury Management Activities (TMA) undertaken in 2009/10 and indicating that a decision on this matter was required to comply with the requirements of the Council's Treasury Management Policy Statement.

The report outlined the results of the TMA undertaken in 2009/10 relating to the following issues:

·                    borrowing strategy and practice

·                    the Council's current Debt Portfolio

·                    compliance with Treasury Limits

·                    compliance with Prudential indicators

·                    investment strategy and practice

RESOLVED:  

That the Annual Treasury Management Report 2009/10 be noted.

Report of the Operational Services Director

Further to Minute No. 37 of the meeting held on 10 June 2010, the Cabinet considered a further report of the Operational Services Director which sought approval to the extension of the current Bus Route Framework agreement for a period of twelve months and provided additional information on the operation of the Bus and Taxi contracts by the Specialist Transport Unit.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the progress made towards route optimisation for both bus and taxi routes in Sefton, and the timetable for combining both Bus and Taxi contracts with effect from September 2011 be noted;

(2)       approval be given to the extension of the current Bus Route framework agreement for a period of 12 months with effect from 1 September 2010; and

(3)       approval be given to a formal tendering procedure being undertaken to procure a new combined Bus and Taxi contract to operate from 1 September 2011.

Report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 13 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Children's Services held on 22 June 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families seeking approval to the implementation of schemes to be funded from the Fair Play Playbuilder Grant Allocation 2010/11.

RESOLVED:

That consideration of the issues raised in the report be deferred to enable officers to review the revenue and capital implications of the proposals and submit a further meeting to the next meeting.

Report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 14 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Children's Services held on 22 June 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families seeking approval to the implementation of schemes to be funded from Schools Access Initiative Allocation for 2010/11.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the proposed schemes be approved as detailed in the report; and

(2)       the schemes be included in the Children, Schools and Families Capital Programme 2010/11.

Report of the Strategic Director - Communities

The Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director - Communities on the tenders received for the provision of a 14-19 Diploma Delivery Unit at Stanley High School, Southport.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       approval be given to the increase of £40,000 in the Capital Programme provision for the 14-19 Diploma Delivery Unit at Stanley High School to be funded from School Reserves;

(2)       the lowest tender submitted by Thomas Wainwright of    Rainford in the sum of £ 354,392 be accepted; and

(3)       the Interim Head of Corporate Legal Services be requested to enter into a formal contract with the successful tenderer.

Report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 36 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Technical Services held on 30 June 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director on proposals for the renewal of the Service Contract No. 6 for Minor Highway Works and the Contract for the Routine Maintenance of Bridges and Structures.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the proposals for the renewal of the contracts which may include minor amendments be noted;

(2)            approval be given to the extension of the existing Service Contract No. 6 and the Contact for the Routine Maintenance of Bridges and Structures for a period not exceeding 12 months in order to provide continuity for works implementation until the new contractual arrangements are in place; and

(3)            approval be given to the waiving of Contract Procedure Rule No. 4 as regards Invitation to Tender to allow the extension of the contracts.

Joint report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director and the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy

Further to Minute No. 23 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Regeneration held on 7 July 2010, the Cabinet considered the joint report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director and the Interim Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy on the proposed operation of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Scheme which became a statutory requirement with effect from 1 April 2010.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)            approval be given for the first year of Carbon trading (2011/12), to adopt the approach of funding corporately, any penalty or reward arising from the CRC Scheme, with a view to allowing Officers time to consider future options for the distribution of penalties and rewards.  These would be the subject of a further report to Members at the appropriate time;

(2)            Officers undertake a scoping exercise to explore the skills and support required to enable future market trading of Carbon Allowances; and

(3)       the Council be recommended to give approval to a change to the Council's Constitution granting delegated authority to the Head of Corporate Finance and ICT Strategy or, if a different person, the Officer acting in a Section 151 capacity, to act as the CRC Responsible person, to enable trading of Carbon Allowances using General Fund resources, and to sign off all future carbon declarations and claims made through the Scheme to the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No. 14 of the meeting held on 20 May 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Planning and Economic Regeneration Director seeking the appointment of Council representatives on groups established as part of the Liverpool City Region governance structure.

RESOLVED:  

That the following Members be appointed to serve on the undermentioned bodies for 2010/11:

Report of the Leisure and Tourism Director

Further to Minute No. 109 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Leisure and Tourism held on 21 April 2010 and Minute No. 12 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member - Environmental held on 30 June 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Leisure and Tourism Director on the draft Leisure and Tourism Enforcement Policy for Coast, Countryside, Parks and Open Spaces.  The report also sought the delegation of powers to the Leisure and Tourism Director in respect of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005,

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the Leisure and Tourism Enforcement Policy for Coast, Countryside, Parks and Open Spaces be approved; and

(2)       the Council be recommended to give approval to the amendment of Part 3 of the Council's Constitution (Responsibility for Functions) by the addition of the following text:

            "Environmental

            Cabinet Member

            Delegations

            E. Leisure and Tourism Director

            'Power to appoint authorised officers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005'"

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided details of the proposed response to Minute No. 8 of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 24 June 2010, the impact of the recent announcement by the Government for a reduction of grants to local authorities and proposals for the management of the budget reductions by the Council.

The Chief Executive also circulated an addendum to the report on the equality impact assessment of the proposals to reduce/cease some activity funded through Area Based Grant.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report be referred to the Council for consideration;

(2)            officers be requested to review the content of the confidential report  referred to Minute No. 67 below in order to identify the information which can be made available to the public at the Council meeting to be held later that day and the information on staffing issues which should remain confidential at this moment in time and not made available to the public.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

In view of the content of Minute 65 above, the press and public were not excluded from the meeting.

Report of the Chief Executive

In view of the content of Minute No. 65 above, the second part of the Chief Executive's report which provided details of the assessment of the proposals to reduce/cease activity on projects funded through Area Based Grant was referred to the Council meeting to be held later that day for consideration.