Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor P. Dowd.

The Chair reported that he had agreed that the Cabinet would consider the item on the Dry Materials Recycling Contract (Minute No. 122) in view of the urgent need to extend the existing contract which expires on 30 September 2010 for a period of six months.

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 2 September 2010

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 2 September 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Executive

Further to Minute No. 96 of the meeting held on 2 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the Transformation Programme, the Prioritisation and Budget Review Process and proposed actions to be taken to reduce 2011/12 – 2013/14 budget gap.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions,

RESOLVED:            That

1.         the progress made on expressions of interest for Voluntary Early Retirement/Voluntary Redundancy as part of the Transformation Programme be noted;

2.         the Prioritisation/Identification process related to external funding detailed in Annex B of the report be endorsed;

3.         it be noted that due diligence is taking place with regard to reviewing fixed term and temporary employments contracts;

4.         the commencement of negotiations with the independent nursing home and domiciliary care sectors with a view to reaching an agreement on the payment of inflation for 2011/2012 be endorsed;

5.            approval be given to the Adult Social Care Director undertaking a review of the charging policy relating to the provision of Adult Social Care;

6.            approval be given to the Adult Social Care Director undertaking a review of the thresholds associated with packages of care managed by the Community Care Panel;

7.            approval be given to officers commencing a consultation process with employees and Trade Unions to secure an agreement on the Terms and Conditions issues outlined in paragraph 4.3 of the report including the issue of relevant statutory notifications, if appropriate; and

8.         the intention to present further tactical/operations budget savings options to future meetings of Cabinet, as the prioritisation process develops, to work towards the closure of the 2011/12 – 2013/14 budget gap 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 which provided an overview of the main potential implications of proposed changes to the Formula Grant Distribution set out in a Consultation Paper published by the Department for Communities and Local Government together with details of the proposed Council response to the Consultation Paper.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)            approval be given to the submission of the response set out in Annex B of the report to the Department for Communities and Local Government; and

(2)       the report be circulated to all Members of Council for their information and for their use in lobbying on the Council’s behalf against the proposals set out in the Consultation Paper at every opportunity.

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 which provided an update on the Council’s budgetary position as at the end of August 2010.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the projected year-end position be noted; and

(2)       it be noted that further work is being undertaken by officers to ensure that all areas of identified overspend are monitored in order to manage the budget toward an overall year-end underspend position.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No. 77 of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 15 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director on the findings of the draft Green Belt Study in relation to future development in Sefton which would be the subject of further consultation.

The report also indicated that the results of the draft Study would be incorporated into the Preferred Options Stage of the Emerging Core Strategy which would be the subject of a further report.

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

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the report be deferred for consideration at a future meeting to enable the report to be considered by each Area Committee and a presentation on the draft Green Belt Study to be given to Members of the Council prior to the Council meeting on 21 October 2010; and

(2)      a report on long term empty homes in the Borough be submitted to a future Cabinet Meeting

(In accordance with Rule 18.5 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, the following Councillors requested that their vote in support of the resolutions above be recorded, namely:

Councillors Fairclough, Maher, Moncur, Parry and Porter)

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No. 47 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Regeneration held on 29 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director on the findings of further studies undertaken by Fordham Research to clarify and expand on the affordable housing statistics contained in the previously completed Sefton Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2008 published in 2009 and provide an analysis of housing search and expectations in Sefton.

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

RESOLVED: That

(1)      approval be given to the key findings of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment Technical Note and the Housing Search and Expectations Study to inform the emerging Core Strategy Process; and

(2)      approval be given to the relaxation of any Section 106 affordable housing requirement for Bootle with immediate effect.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No. 78 of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 15 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director on the draft ‘Safeguarding Employment Land’ Supplementary Planning Document.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the draft document be approved for public and stakeholder consultation; and

(2)            officers submit a further report on the outcome of the public and stakeholder consultation and the suggested way forward to secure its adoption as a Supplementary Planning Document.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

Further to Minute No. 48 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Regeneration held on 29 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director seeking approval to make a minor amendment to the Overarching Development Agreements with Bellway Homes Limited and Keepmoat Limited.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to the amendment of Paragraph 6.3 of Schedule 2 to the Overarching Development Agreements between the Council and Bellway Homes Limited and between the Council and Keepmoat Limited as set out in paragraph 4 of the report.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

Further to Minute No. 49 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Regeneration held on 29 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes which set out the reductions and other changes made in Housing Market Renewal funding from the Home and Communities Agency for Sefton in the current financial year, and the proposed changes to the South Sefton Housing Market Renewal programme and budget to account for these reductions.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to the proposed reductions in expenditure and revised budget and programme for the South Sefton Housing Market Renewal Programme detailed in the report and set out in Table 1 of the report.

Joint report of the Planning and Economic Development Director and Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 46 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Regeneration held on 29 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the joint report of the Planning and Economic Development Director and Environmental and Technical Service Directors which provided an update on the Sub-Regional Plugged-In Places Programme to introduce electric car charging points and sought approval for the Council to be the Accountable Body for the Sub-Regional bid.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)            approval be given in principle to Sefton Council being the Accountable Body for the Sub-Regional project to facilitate the submission of the bid in October 2010; and

(2)       it be noted that a further report would be presented detailing all financial, legal and operational implications prior to accepting the Offer letter should the bid be successful.

Report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 305 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 4 March 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Environment and Technical Services Director which provided details of the comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) and all Area Committees on the draft protocol to govern the lifting of the current moratorium on the siting of telephone transmission masts on Council owned land.

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

RESOLVED:

That the report be deferred for consideration at the next meeting and the report be supplemented with details of the implications of delegating the decision-making process to Area Committees.

Report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 39 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Children’s Services held on 14 September 2010, the Cabinet considered the report of the Strategic Director of Children, Schools and Families which sought approval to an investment to extend a domestic property in order to allow two children under 5 years old currently in the Interim Care of the Local Authority to be placed in the permanent care of extended family members under Special Guardianship Regulations.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to agree to the inclusion of a sum of £26,750 for the scheme within the capital programme, with funding provided entirely from the Children’s Services Fostering Revenue budget.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive which sought the appointment of the Council’s representatives to serve on the new North Western Shadow Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority with effect from 1 October 2010.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)            Councillor Glover be appointed as the Council’s Member representative on the Shadow North Western Inshore and Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) from 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011 and the new IFCA from 1 April 2011 to 31 May 2011;

(2)       the Head of Coast and Countryside Services be appointed as the Council’s officer contact for the Authority and to be an observer and substitute representative, if necessary at meetings of the Authority.

The Cabinet received reports from the Cabinet Members for Children’s Services, Communities, Corporate Services, Environmental, Health and Social Care, Leisure and Tourism, Performance and Governance, Regeneration and Technical Services.

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Member reports be noted.

Report of the Operational Services Director

Further to Minute No. 50 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member – Environmental held on 29 September 2010. The Cabinet considered the report of the Operational Services Director which provided an update on the interim agreement established with Palm Recycling Limited as a result of AbtibiBowater Recycling Europe entering into administration on 11 February 2010 and the progress on the procurement of a new service.

The report indicated that approval was being sought to extend the interim agreement for an additional six month period until 31 march 2011 to ensure the continuity of service whilst procurement of a new service provider was established.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to an extension of the Interim Agreement with Palm Recycling Limited for an additional six month period from 1 October 2010 until 31 March 2011, pending the implementation of longer term formal arrangements for future recycling collection service provision.