Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are requested to give notice of any disclosable pecuniary interest, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct, before leaving the meeting room during the discussion on that particular item

No declarations of interest were made.

Minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2014

Decision Made:

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 17 July 2014 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Finance and ICT which provided details of the progress in the achievement of the approved savings for 2014/15 and any residual savings carried forward from 2013/14; identified other financial risks elsewhere within the budget; provided a forecast on Council Tax and Business Rates collection and an update on the use of NHS resources.

The Chair and other Cabinet Members referred to the continuing overspend on the Specialist Transport Unit (STU) budget referred to in the report; the need for the officer’s review of the STU service to be concluded in the near future and a report on the findings to be submitted to a future Cabinet meeting. It was also requested that officers should review the appropriate Cabinet Member portfolio for the STU service.

The Deputy Chief Executive indicated that the on-going officer’s review was examining the cost of the STU service; the processes for the commissioning and monitoring of the service; and the future operational policy for the service and that a report on the timetable for the determination of the review would be submitted to a futureCabinet meeting.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the progress to date on the achievement of approved savings for 2014/15 and residual savings carried forward from previous years be noted;

(2)       the wider financial pressures being experienced in the remainder of the Budget be noted;

(3)       the forecast position on the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates be noted;

(4)       the existing Homeless and Housing Related Support contracts referred to in Section 9 of the report be extended until 30 June 2015 to provide continuity of service until the 2015/17 two year financial plan had been considered by the Council; and

(5)       the Deputy Chief Executive submit a report to a future  Cabinet meeting on the timetable for the determination of the officer’s review of issues relating to the Specialist Transport Unit service.

Reason for Decision:

To ensure Cabinet are informed of the latest position on the achievement of savings for the current financial year and to identify wider budget pressures being experienced elsewhere in the budget and the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates.

A short extension to the existing Homeless and Housing Related Support contracts was required to avoid problems for vulnerable service users. The retendering of services was deferred until the 2015/17 two year financial plan had been considered by Council.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Older People

The Cabinet considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Older People which provided details of recent announcements about the NHS support for Social Care; the latest developments on the Better Care Fund (BCF), and proposals for the BCF submission to be signed off on behalf of the Council. 

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the funding allocation as detailed in paragraphs 1.7 (existing MTFP commitments) and 1.8 (additional investment in support of BCF programme) be approved; and

(2)       the Deputy Chief Executive be given delegated authority in consultation with the Head of Finance & ICT (Section 151 Officer), Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Cabinet Member - Older People and Health, to sign off the Better Care Fund submission on behalf of the Council.

Reason for Decision:

The deadline for submission of the Better Care Fund had been set for 19September 2014. There are linkages between the Section 256 agreement and the wider health and social care integration plans for Sefton, which also inform the Better Care Fund Plan.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No - If the Health and Well-Being Board did not agree with the implementation of the additional integration schemes identified within the report then this would delay the transfer of NHS funding to the authority and would have a significant budgetary impact in 2014/15. There would also be a knock-on impact to the larger Better Care Fund transfer anticipated in 2015/16.

Further to Minute No. 55 of the meeting held on 10 October 2013, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Street Scene which provided details of the feedback on the market testing for the investment, development and management of Southport Golf Links and Bootle Golf Courses

Decision Made:

That the response to the market testing exercise be noted and that further periodic reports be submitted to the Cabinet Member - Children, Schools, Families and Leisure on the performance of the golf courses to inform decisions on the future provision of this service.

Reason for Decision:

To enable the results of the market testing exercise to be noted.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of the proposed Animal Welfare Charter for Sefton Council.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the content of the report be noted; and:

(2)       the Animal Welfare Charter for Sefton Council be adopted.

Reason for Decision:

To define the Council’s position on a range of animal welfare issues and to provide guidance to elected members, council officials, the business sector and the general public on animal welfare issues.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Not to adopt an appropriate charter.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of proposals for the Council to become a Permit Authority and operate a Permit Scheme for the purpose of co-ordinating works in streets by all works promoters.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the formalisation of the legal agreement with the Secretary of State for Transport to enable the Council to become a permit authority and operate a permit scheme.

(2)       the Director of Built Environment be authorised to agree the final permit scheme with the Department for Transport;

(3)       the Head of Corporate Legal Services be authorised to enter into the necessary legal agreement with the Department for Transport; and

(4)       it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions. Consequently, the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because this report was originally included in the Forward Plan for Cabinet on 19June 2014, however that meeting was subsequently cancelled. The Department for Transport had now indicated a timescale for approvals which would be achievable in an effective manner should Cabinet approve the report recommendations at its meeting on 11 September 2014.

Reason for Decision:

The introduction of a Permit Scheme, to replace the existing Noticing Scheme, would give the Council greater powers to influence how and when works are undertaken by works promoters on the highway network, thus seeking to further minimise disruption.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Council to remain as a noticing authority.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of proposals for the inclusion of the £380,965 allocated to Sefton from the Department of Transport ‘Pothole Fund’, in the Councils 2014/15 Capital programme, to be allocated on the basis of priorities agreed by the Cabinet Member for Transportation.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       the Council be recommended to given approval to ‘Pothole Fund’ resource of £380,965 being incorporated into the Council’s Capital Programme for 2014/15;

(2)       the additional projects set out in Appendix A to the report be included in the previously approved Highways Maintenance Programme 2014/15 inorder to utilise the additional ‘Pothole Fund’ allocation; and

(3)       it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but had not been included inthe Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions. Consequently,the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because delayed implementation of the programme of highway maintenance would place at risk the Councils ability to fully utilise the resource allocated.

Reason for Decision:

The resources allocated are capital and thus must be incorporated into the Council’s Capital Programme.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of the proposed procurement process for the provision of a Street Lighting Installation Framework Contract for a period of three years with the option to extend for up to a further two years.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the invitation of tenders for the Street Lighting Installation Framework Contract on the basis of a 80% Cost / 20% Quality ratio.

(2)       the Director of Built Environment  be authorised to award the Contract for a period of three years (with the option to extend for up to a further two years) to the highest scoring Tenderer subject to the appropriate Cost and Quality evaluations being completed on tender return

Reason for Decision:

The inclusion of a Street Lighting Framework Contract would enable the Authority to draw upon additional resources / services when demand is high, at short notice with pre-agreed rates. It will also enable the Authority to deliver certain essential street lighting activities that cannot currently be undertaken in house due to the availability of appropriate equipment and resources.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The option to expand the existing in house work force and invest in additional plant and equipment had been been ruled out in the short term due to future uncertainty of Revenue / Capital budgets and subsequent volumes of works which would leave the Authority carrying an unnecessary overhead.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which sought approval to the inclusion of the allocation of £770,000 grant for Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme into the Capital Programme 2014/2015 and the award of a contract for Bathymetric Surveys through the Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme procurement framework from the grant allocation. The Director of Built Environment reported that the Strategic Capital Investment Group had met following the publication of the Cabinet agenda and supported the proposals set out in the report.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the addition of £770,000 ring-fenced grant for the Regional Coastal Monitoring Programme in to the Capital Programme; and

(2)       the contract for the North West Bathymetric Surveys 2014/15  be awarded to the Environmental Scientifics Group as detailed in Section 5 of the report.

Reason for Decision:

The grant of £770,000 is the 2014/2015 annual allocation of a 5 year programme of coastal monitoring and the bathymetric survey was required as part of the programme to gather data upon the North West Coastline, to establish a series of datasets to support coastal management decisions.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details of the findings of the Merseyside and West Lancashire Traveller Accommodation Assessment.

Decision Made:

That the Merseyside and West Lancashire Traveller Accommodation Assessment be approved.

Reason for Decision:

To approve the findings of the Merseyside and West Lancashire Traveller Accommodation Assessment for Local Plan purposes.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which provided details the draft revised Property Pool Plus allocations policy, and identified the following key areas of change:

·         Which applicants would be deemed non–qualifying and therefore unable to join the Housing Register

·         How the policy had been revised to give additional priority to Armed Forces personnel deemed to be in urgent housing need

·         How the policy had been relaxed to ensure that working applicants are given maximum opportunity to be awarded a Band D priority

Decision Made:

That approval be given to the implementation of the revised Property Pool Plus housing allocations policy, subject to all of the participating Local Authorities approving the revised policy.

Reason for Decision:

The adoption of the revised Property Pool Plus allocations policy will ensure that social housing continues to be allocated in a fair and transparent way, in line with current legislation and guidance, and to those who are most in housing need.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.