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.

No declarations of interest were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 September 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director on proposals for the Council to enter into a licence to allow the Council to demolish vacant properties in the Klondyke area of South Sefton in the ownership of Adactus Housing Association.

RESOLVED:  

That Cabinet be recommended to give approval to the Council entering into a licence to allow the Council to demolish vacant properties owned by Adactus Housing Association in the Klondyke area of South Sefton, subject to the financial resources being available.

Joint Report of the Strategic Director Communities and the Planning and Economic Development Director

Further to Minute No.57 of the meeting of Cabinet Member - Environmental held on 20 October 2010, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Strategic Director – Communities, on the development of a Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Network for the Liverpool City Region and seeking consent for Sefton Council to be the accountable body for the sub-regional bid.

The report indicated that funding had been offered through the Department of Communities and Local Government to support the Climate Change Local Area Support Programme (CLASP), inviting sub-regional bids by 30 September 2010.  The programme would conclude in June 2011, so all necessary outputs and outcomes would need to be delivered within that period.  Agreement had been reached across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) that there should be a single co-ordinated bid.

The project would build community, Member and officer ability in/support for renewables installations/climate adaptation through co-learning and shared services that allowed LCR to do more with less through joint action to reduce costs whilst improving performance.  The concept behind this work was to build the LCR ability to make progress on the substantial opportunities the low carbon economy offered but to do it in a way that developed an efficient approach and use of the capacity available.

It was proposed that Sefton Council act as the accountable body, given that the LCR Board for Environment and Waste would like the Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS) (who are hosted by Sefton) to be the project manager.  The project would simply be added to the existing partnership arrangements between MEAS/Sefton and the other 5 Districts by identifying this specific project as a priority within the work programmes.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      The proposal to begin to develop a Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Network for the Liverpool City Region, funded through the DCLG be supported;

(2)      detailed updates on the proposal as it develops through the Climate Change Co-ordination Group, emphasising the delivery and value for money element of the programme, be submitted on a regular basis; and

(3)      Cabinet be recommended to:

(i)       support the proposal to begin to develop a Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Network for the Liverpool City Region funded through the DCLG; and

(ii)      agree to Sefton Council being the accountable body for this sub-regional approach, to be hosted and project managed by MEAS.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that provided an update on the North Liverpool & South Sefton Strategic Regeneration Framework, and explained the next steps for consultations and strategy development.

This was a key decision and was included on the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RSEOLVED: That

(1)   the report be noted;

(2)   the Key Stakeholder Event, planned for November, be supported and invitations sent to Cabinet Member-Regeneration, Party Spokespersons and Members of  Linacre and Derby Area Committee, as well as other key partners;

(3)   the Final SRF document be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services);

(4)   the Planning and Economic Development Director be requested to conduct an appraisal of the SRF, along with feedback from Overview & Scrutiny, to be presented to a future meeting; and

(5)   the Planning and Economic Development Director be authorised to commence work with Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision and Homes and Communities Agency on a comprehensive 3 year delivery and action plan.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that advised of the submission of a Merseyside bid to establish a City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in response to an invitation issued in June by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; and to advised of the process for submitting a bid for Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted as well as the fact that further reports will be drafted when appropriate.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Director

The Cabinet Member considered the report of the Planning and Economic Development Director that provided an update on progress with preparing the Local Economic Assessment and the Sefton Sustainable Economic Development Strategy.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the report be noted; and

(2)      the Planning and Economic Development Director be requested to draft further stage reports.