Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

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 18 August 2011

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 18 August 2011 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment on the results of public consultation on the Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Development Plan Document Preferred Options 2 (New Sites Consultation) Report which was undertaken between May and June 2011.

The report also sought approval to a final six-week consultation at the end of 2011 on the document and to the submission of the document to the Secretary of State prior to the formal adoption of the document by each of the Merseyside District Councils in late 2012.

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

RESOLVED:            That the report be referred to the Cabinet Urgent Business Committee for determination.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

Further to Minute No. 32 of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) held on 20 September 2011 the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment on the proposed revisions to the current Winter Service Policy.

The report indicated that whilst current practice ensured that the Policy was reviewed after each winter, a more detailed consultation process had been undertaken this year as a result of the extreme weather events experienced in Sefton during December 2010; that Cabinet had already approved the purchase of additional snow plough blades for both carriageway and footway gritters; and that in the light of events in December 2010 and taking into account the comments made during the consultation process, an options paper had been produced and sent to all elected Members and Parish Councils seeking their views on the options.

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

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the revised Winter Service Policy document as shown in Annex B to the report be approved;

(2)       the involvement of the Cabinet Member - Transportation and Spokespersons in influencing the response to the existing Policy be noted and the Cabinet Member - Transportation be authorised in consultation with the Director of Built Environment to deviate from policy where justified and appropriate, and any such deviation be reported back to Cabinet at its next meeting;

(3)       the options numbered 2 to 8 and 10 to 11 in Section 4 of the report be approved to enhance the Winter Service Policy; and

(4)            subject to resolution 2 above, the Director of Built Environment be authorised to make any further revisions to the Winter Service Policy and Operational Plan in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Transportation.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided an update on the current progress with the Thornton to Switch Island Link scheme; sought approval to commence the detailed design stage of the project and of the revised project management arrangements and provided details of the current scheme programme and cost profile.

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

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the progress in the preparation of the necessary statutory Orders for the scheme be noted;

(2)            approval be given to the commencement of the detailed design of the scheme in parallel to the Orders process;

(3)       the revised Project Management arrangements and Project Board representation for the scheme be approved;

(4)       the revised indicative programme for the scheme be noted;

(5)       the revised spend profile for the scheme be noted; and

(6)       the Director of Built Environment establish a liaison group with the Councillors for the Wards of Manor, Netherton and Orrell, Molyneux, Park, St. Oswald and Sudell to ensure that the Members are regularly updated on the progress made during the completion of the scheme.

Report of the Director of Street Scene

Further to Minute No. 10 of the meeting held on 26 May 2011, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Street Scene on the evaluation of the tenders received for the Green Waste Composting Service Contract.

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

RESOLVED:

That the Contract for the Green Waste Composing Service be awarded to White Moss Horticulture Ltd. of Kirkby for a two year period from 1 November 2011 with an option to extend for a further one year period from 1 November 2013 subject to satisfactory performance.

Report of the Chief Executive

Further to Minute No. 37 of the meeting held on 18 August 2011, the Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the progress made under the Transformation Programme and the implementation of the savings proposals, reviews and cessation of external funding, previously approved by the Council.

This was not a Key Decision but it had been included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:            That the progress to date on approved savings proposals, reviews and cessation of external funding as set out in the report be noted.

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the progress of the Transformation Programme in the delivery of approved budgetary savings; reviews of services and consultation processes being undertaken.  The report also set out the details of a package of budget savings options for consultation, which were set out in the following annexes to the report:

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 funding of known budget shortfalls in 2011/12 totalling £1,494,431 as detailed in Annex A of the report from the Budget Pressures Reserve established for this purpose;

(2)      that the Council be recommended to cancel its meeting on 22 December 2011 and re-schedule it to be held on 24 November 2011 in Bootle Town Hall;

(3)      the meeting of the Cabinet on 5 January 2012 be cancelled and re-scheduled to be held on 19 January 2012 in Southport Town Hall and an additional meeting of the Cabinet be held on 16 February 2012, commencing at 10.00 am in Bootle Town Hall;

(4)      the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Performance and Corporate Services) be requested to hold an additional meeting on 21 February 2012, commencing at 6.30 pm in Bootle Town Hall to consider the Cabinet’s budget recommendations prior to the Budget Council meeting on 1 March 2012;

(5)      approval be given to the changes in the Medium Term Financial Plan assumptions as highlighted in Paragraph 5.1 of the report;

(6)      it be noted that Officers are currently progressing a number of service reviews;

(7)      the ongoing business efficiencies (C1 to C4) be noted and the Council on 27 October 2011 be recommended to approve the change proposals (C5 - C8) in Annex C of the report and mandate Officers to commence consultation and implementation processes with partners, key stakeholders, employees and Trade Unions, including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications if appropriate to achieve change;

(8)      the equality impact assessments set out in Annex D of the report be noted;

(9)      approval be given to the commencement of consultation and engagement activity on the budget savings options set out in Annex E of the report;

(10)    it be noted that all figures in Annexes C and E of the report are working assumptions of proposals/options to be considered and these figures should not be seen as pre-determining any decisions;

(11)    the risks outlined in Paragraph 12 of the report be noted; and

(12)    it be noted that further options may be subsequently developed and submitted to Council for approval.  However any such options will require appropriate consultation prior to their approval and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

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 Paragraph 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.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 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;

(2)       the representatives of the Trade Unions be permitted to remain in the meeting during the consideration of Minute No. 52.

Report of the Director of Built Environment

The Director of Built Environment submitted a report on the negotiations held with Barratt David Wilson, the preferred developer for the Town Lane site on the conditional contract for the purchase of the site and the proposed submission of a formal planning application for the site.

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

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       it be noted that Barratt David Wilson (BDW) desires to enter into a conditional contract to purchase the site at Town Lane, Kew and submit a planning application;

(2)       the Director of Built Environment be granted delegated power in consultation with the Head of Corporate Legal Services, to agree the terms of the contract to sell the site; and

(3)       it be noted that the valuation impact upon the purchase price, recorded in the conditional contract of sale, will flow from the determination of BDW’s planning application in accordance with planning policy; and

(4)       the Director of Built Environment meet with a Members’ Focus Group comprising of Councillors Maher, Porter and Weavers to update them on the proposals set out in the report.