CABINET

 

 

MINUTES of a meeting held on 23rd January, 2008.

 

Present: Councillor Ms. M.E. Alexander (Chairman); Councillors R.F. Curtis, S.C. Egan, N.J. Gibbs, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey, G. John and C.J. Williams.

 

 

C3363                        APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE -

 

These were received from Councillors N. Moore, Mrs. M. Randall and Mrs. M.R. Wilkinson.

 

 

C3364                        MINUTES -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meeting held on 9th January, 2008 be approved as a correct record.

 

 

C3365                        DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -

 

No declarations were received.

           

 

C3366                        WALES AUDIT OFFICE REPORT: SICKNESS ABSENCE MANAGEMENT (REF) -

 

Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) on 18th December, 2007 received Mrs. G. Lewis (the Council’s Relationship Manager) and Mr. J. Verity (project manager) of the Wales Audit Office.  Both had been invited by the Committee to present its findings on sickness absence management arrangements within the Council.

 

Mrs. Lewis gave a brief overview of the findings and recommendations relating to the work undertaken by the WAO in respect of the above subject.  It was noted that the WAO had concluded that the Council had improved some arrangements for the management of sickness absence but there was much to do to develop and translate its policy aspirations into practice to improve attendance across the organisation.  The report made three recommendations as detailed in the report and outlined below:

 

·                    To improve management information on which to measure, monitor, review and report progress by developing new HR systems, by refining reports to Corporate Management Team (CMT) and Members to ensure that key issues relating to attendance were clearly identified and summarised, by developing robust target setting processes and by comparing performance with other local authorities through benchmarking clubs and other technical groups.

·                    To undertake further action to develop an appropriate policy framework which would comprise co-ordinated and complementary policies to improve attendance by developing a suite of policies which encompassed the Council’s aspiration to create a positive attendance culture and by developing an action plan.

·                    Revise the current attendance management policy.

·                    Apply further roles and responsibilities of CMT, HR and the Management of Attendance Group to become more strategic.

·                    To ensure that the Council had appropriate and targeted Occupational Health support services.

 

The Head of Human Resources commented on the recommendations and indicated that he was broadly supportive of the above WAO recommendations and referred to specific initiatives, which were currently under consideration that would take those recommendations forward.

 

Subsequent discussion focused on the fact that the WAO report related to 2006 and had concluded that the sickness absence statistics for this Council were well above the Welsh average.  It was also noted from the data subject to a report to Cabinet on 28th November that from reports from the Oracle system for the period April to September 2007 revealed that the sickness absence figures had worsened in comparison to the same period for the previous two years.

 

The Chairman enquired as to what progress had been made by the Council to develop new policies in light of the WAO findings.  The Head of Human Resources indicated that the management of absence relied heavily on the accurate flow of information from managers responsible for managing sickness absence within their own service areas.  With regard to new sickness absence management arrangements, the Corporate Management Team had approved a draft policy and this was now subject to extensive consultation with the various stakeholders.  With regard to the content of the draft new policy, the Head of Human Resources alluded to a greater pro-active culture for the management of attendance, the role of the Cabinet, Corporate Management Team and the Management of Attendance Group.  The WAO had also been providing assistance in relation to the enhancement of the current Occupational Health service provided by the Council. 

 

The new draft policy would have greater emphasis on “case intervention” regarding the management of ill health.  As regards to the existing policy, this had resulted in a reduction in short term sickness absence, however the Head of Human Resources acknowledged that long-term sickness absence had risen to 73%.  There were a number of medical initiatives now in place to assist employees to return to work as soon as practicable.  Other areas of the draft new policy were also referred to, particularly the involvement of the Corporate Management Team in relation to the setting and challenging of both short-term / long-term targets.

 

In addition to the above reference was also made to the following matters:

 

·                    slippage in respect of the current action plan;

·                    current arrangements for the reporting of sickness absence and the management of sickness absence procedures;

·                    the need to ensure consistency in respect of the application of the new policy by managers;

·                    the Council’s current counselling service and proposals to enhance this service;

·                    the causation of sickness absence;

·                    correlation between level of sick pay and sick absence;

·                    a need to promote a supportive culture in respect of the management of sickness absence.

 

Scrutiny Committee had

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T this Committee express its concern that the target completion dates attached to the Sickness Absence Management Action Plan had slipped significantly, particularly given the increase in sickness absence rates when compared to the previous two years.

 

(2)       T H A T the new / revised Sickness Absence Management Policy be submitted to this Scrutiny Committee for consideration.

 

(3)       T H A T the Corporate Management Team be requested to submit a revised Sickness Absence Management Action Plan to the Cabinet and this Scrutiny Committee by March 2008.

 

(4)       T H A T the Cabinet in liaison with the Corporate Management Team treat as a priority the consistently poor and deteriorating levels of sickness absence in the Council.

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

(1)       To make the Cabinet aware of the Scrutiny Committee’s views.

 

(2)       To ensure that this Scrutiny Committee is appropriately consulted.

 

(3&4)  To ensure adequate monitoring arrangements are in place for the management of sickness absence in the Council.

 

Cabinet, having considered the recommendations of Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the matter be referred to Corporate Management Team with a request that a further report be brought before Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) as a matter of urgency.


 

 

C3367                        WALES AUDIT OFFICE (WAO) ANNUAL LETTER 2006/07 (CX) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -

 

Cabinet received a report which advised of the views of the Wales Audit Office on the overall position of the Council in relation to audit and inspection work.

 

 

A copy of the Council’s Relationship Manager (R.M.) Annual Letter, published in December 2007, was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. 

 

In previous Annual Letters, the Relationship Manager had commented favourably on the Council’s position in relation to its improvement journey to date.  The Annual Letter was again positive about the continuing improvements being made by the Council.

 

Matters of note included the following:

 

·                    the Council’s resources were, in all material respects, properly used and accounted for;

·                    the Council had satisfactory arrangements in place to help it achieve  economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and the Improvement Plan had been delivered appropriately;

·                    the Council’s arrangements for OneVale had been effective in the short term with procurements achieving significant efficiency savings.  The impact of changes to OneVale projects needed to be fully assessed against the original Business Case;

·                    the Council had recognised the importance of project management and continued to strengthen its internal processes;

·                    the Council had engaged with the Wales Audit Office initiatives to promote improvement to shared learning and the Good Practice Exchange;

·                    the Council was making good progress in implementing the Making the Connections agenda and had created a momentum for change that augurs well for future progress;

·                    delayed transfers of care have not been tackled in a whole systems way by the Cardiff and Vale Health and Social Care community;

·                    the Council was committed to achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and was making progress to improvement the arrangements required to achieve successful delivery of improvements although some high risks still remained;

·                    the Council was making progress in developing its Business Community arrangements;

·                    the Council was making good progress in delivering its target to reduce CO2 emissions in domestic housing;

·                    the Council had continued to increase its level of compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, putting in place appropriate and robust arrangements to manage its Information Governance requirements, although there were some areas where there remained some work to be completed;

·                    the Council had developed a number of effective security measures to protect its key information systems, but some areas still needed to be addressed.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the Annual Letter be accepted.

 

(2)       T H A T the Letter be referred to the Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) and the Audit Committee.

 

(3)       T H A T officers of the Authority be thanked for their considerable efforts during the period in question.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To provide feedback to the RM.

 

(2)       To provide for scrutiny and review of the relationship manager’s Annual Letter.

 

(3)       To express appreciation for the efforts of staff.

 

 

C3368                        SPECIAL LEAVE FOR STAFF FOR ELECTION DUTIES (CX) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -

 

Cabinet received a report which sought authority to rescind the requirement that staff undertaking election duties were required to take annual leave. 

 

It was reported that difficulties had been encountered, particularly during the 2007 Assembly election, in attracting sufficient numbers of staff for polling station and count duties.  This staff shortage would be further exacerbated for the Local Elections on 1st May, 2008 as the Council had to staff the 25 Penarth polling stations, for which Parliamentary and Assembly Elections fell under the jurisdiction of Cardiff County Council, as well as providing some 25‑30 additional count staff. 

 

The Council had lost experienced polling station and count staff because of the current requirement to take annual leave for election duties which meant that the Council had to recruit from outside the Council.  This had of necessity resulted in the recruitment of less experience persons. 

 

It was reported that although there had been a move some years ago amongst local authorities to require staff to take leave for election duties, most local authorities had now rescinded that decision because of subsequent staffing difficulties. 

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the Returning Officer be authorised to use Council staff for election duties for which he was responsible whilst maintaining, as far as possible, the normal functions of the Council.

 

(2)       T H A T the decision of the Policy (Human Resources) Committee of 2nd February, 1999 be rescinded so that staff employed in polling stations and postal issuing / opening were not required to take annual leave.

 

(3)       T H A T the Returning Officer be authorised to grant special paid leave to staff employed on Count duties after taking into consideration the count requirements for individual elections.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1-3)    To enable the Chief Executive to fulfil his role as Returning Officer and enable election procedures to be conducted in an efficient manner.

 

 

C3369                        PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT: (1) THE DEFENCE TRAINING ACADEMY AND AEROSPACE BUSINESS PARK, ST. ATHAN (2) PHASE 2, THE WATERFRONT, BARRY (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Authority was sought for cross-departmental project management arrangements to be put in place by the Council to ensure a corporate approach to two major development projects within the Vale of Glamorgan: (a) the Defence Training Academy and Aerospace Business Park, St. Athan,

(b) The Waterfront, Barry (Phase 2), and to identify a Project Board, Project Manager, cross-departmental Officer Working Groups and a Cabinet Member Working Group for each project to define their strategic roles.

 

Each development project would potentially generate significant cross-cutting economic, environmental and social impacts and would require the Council and it various departments to interface with a range of external stakeholders and interested parties.  For the Council to effectively influence the positive regeneration benefits and address any potential negative impacts on the Vale of Glamorgan, would require the Authority to take a “joined up” approach when dealing with each project.

 

To ensure a corporate approach, it was recommended that for each project the following be put in place:

 

·                    Project Board

·                    Cabinet Member Working Group

·                    Project Manager

·                    Officer Working Group(s).

 

It was proposed that the Project Board be established and comprise Corporate Management Team acting in a client role.  The role of the Project Board would be to receive project progress and key issue reports from a Project Manager and where relevant officers from individual departments.  The Board would consider from a strategic perspective the progress of each project at key stages, guide officers and Members on the Council’s preferred strategic response to the issues that may arise and whether further reports and resolutions may be required by Cabinet.

 

For each project a Strategy Project Manager (from the Council’s Project Management Unit) would be appointed:

 

·                    Mark White - St. Athan Project

·                    John Dent - The Waterfront, Barry.

 

The role of the Strategic Project Manager would be to report to the Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration and to:

 

(a)               provide a strategic overview of each project and report to the Project Board

(b)            facilitate cross-departmental Office Groups

(c)            identify potential “spin off” opportunities that may not be realised by departments working in isolation or by the statutory planning process

(d)       attend to the proposed Cabinet Member Working Group established for each project, Cabinet and Scrutiny Committees and provide Members with a strategic overview of project progress

(e)       act as lead officer for the project with the promoters of the scheme and other suitable bodies.

 

For each project a Cabinet Member Working Group was proposed.  The Working Group was suggested to comprise the Leader and / or the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Members whose portfolio would be affected by the particular project.  The Group would give strategic consideration to the progress of each project and any cross-departmental issues that may arise during the course of the project.  Each Project Group would agree its own terms of reference and frequency of meetings. 

 

Cross-departmental Officer Groups would be established for each project bringing together officers from different departments and disciplines, to report on their individual aspects of each project, and to create the forum to discuss issues within the strategic context.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the project management arrangements set out in the reports be authorised including a Project Board,  Strategic Project Manager and Officer Working Groups to deal with the Defence Training Academy and Aerospace Business Park, St. Athan and the Waterfront, Barry (Phase 2).

 

(2)       T H A T the recommendation that a Cabinet Working Group be formed be rejected and that this role be assumed by the whole Cabinet.

 

(3)       T H A T the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation take the lead in consideration of matters relating to the Planning Applications in relation to the Defence Training Academy and Aerospace Business Park, St. Athan and the Waterfront, Barry (Phase 2) and report back to Cabinet.

 

Reason for decision

 

(1-3)    To obtain approval for the “project management led” arrangements for dealing with the cross-departmental issues associated with the Defence Training Academy and Aerospace Business Park, St. Athan and the Waterfront, Barry (Phase 2).

 

 

C3370                        SUBSIDISED PROVISION OF HOME COMPOSTING (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Agreement was sought for a provision of free home composters in certain circumstances in order to promote waste minimisation.

 

Cabinet, at its meeting on 17th October, 2007, had agreed to accept WAG’s provision of 1,690 compost bins to the Vale of Glamorgan for a delivery cost of only £790. 00.

 

It was proposed that the compost bins supplied by WAG would generally be provided to households at waste minimisation road shows and events such as the Vale Show etc. and at the same cost as the current compost bin scheme. 

 

As the WAG compost bins had been provided at delivery cost only to the Council, it would be possible to provide them at a lower cost than that agreed previously by Cabinet.  Given the delivery cost, the actual cost to the Council equated to approximately £0.47 per bin. 

 

Whilst constituting a loss of potential income (£10 to £12 per bin) to the Council, the selective provision of compost bins free of charge in specific cases, given the extremely low cost per bin, would be justified and would assist in promoting composting in certain areas.

 

However, it was reported that providing all bins free on request to householders in general may provide problems in maintaining an equality of service and potentially result in claims that the Council was not acting in accordance with its Equalities and / or Equal Opportunities Policies due to previous bins having been provided at a cost. 

 

The provision of compost bins within the Council Waste Programme would be outside the normal service provision and would allow the Council to introduce a scheme of free composters, in specific circumstances to promote waste minimisation. 

 

Furthermore, the free issue of composters to pensioners and residents on state benefits would also clearly assist residents who would otherwise be disadvantaged to obtain composters and carry out home composting.

 

The provision of these free composters would be via collection at the Offices or due to their size, delivery on chargeable basis (£5.99).  All residents requiring a free composter would be required to produce their proof of state pensions or benefits when either collecting their composter or arranging delivery to the stated address on the benefit book.  Provision of free composters would also be restricted to one per individual household.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the provision of the WAG compost bins free of charge to schools, community groups and residents on state pension and benefits who made application for free provision as part of the Council’s normal Waste Awareness Programme be agreed.

 

Reason for decision

 

To continue to promote composting as a sustainable method for minimising municipal waste arisings and to allow greater service access to certain specific social groups.

 

 

C3371                        CORNTOWN PLAYING FIELDS - SUB-LEASE AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Cabinet were asked to agree an appropriate sub-lease and Management Agreement for the use of facilities at Corntown Playing Fields.

 

It had come to light that Cowbridge Football Club had not been asked to agree a formal sub-lease and management agreement for the use of the above facility.

 

The property lease had been transferred to the Vale of Glamorgan Council in 1996 following local government re-organisation.  The lease was formally held by Ogwr Borough Council.  This Council did not own the freehold of the property, it only had the benefits of a transferred lease to use the site.  The land was subject to a 66-year lease from 25th March, 1978 and comprised land to be held for local authority recreation and community purposes.

 

Upon transfer to the Vale of Glamorgan Council in 1996 the existing users of the site (Bridgend Youth RFC and Ewenny and Corntown Cricket Club) vacated the premises.  The Cricket Club relocated to an adjacent property and the Rugby Club to playing fields in Bridgend.  This left the property and site unused, until the then Director of Leisure and Cultural Services entered into an informal agreement with Cowbridge Football Club to manage and maintain the property. 

 

The Community Council offered no objection to the proposal providing that any licence sub-lease protected the usage of the facilities by local groups and organisations and that improvements were made to the on-site car parking arrangements.

 

Currently no income for the building was received from Cowbridge Football Club.  It was suggested that as part of any Agreement an annual fee be charged to Cowbridge Football Club for the use of the facility.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the Director of Finance, ICT and Property negotiate and agree terms and conditions of a sub-lease with the land owner in consultation with the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services and the Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration.

 

(2)       T H A T the Director of Finance, ICT and Property negotiate and agree terms and conditions of a sub-lease and Management Agreement (to include a suitable fee for use) with Cowbridge Football Club in consultation with the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services and the Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration.

 

(3)       T H A T the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services be authorised to sign the sub-lease on behalf of the Council and register the same.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To regularise the existing situation.

 

(2)       To support the work of the voluntary group within the Vale of Glamorgan.

 

(3)       In order to execute and complete legal documentation.

 

 

C3372                        HOLTON ROAD, BARRY - TUESDAY WEEKLY MARKET (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Cabinet received a report which addressed a number of separate issues relating to Barry market:

 

·                    to regularise the status of the market in accordance with the terms of the Food Act 1984

·                    to inform of the expiry of the current Licence in March 2009 and the implications to Barry Town Centre’s regeneration programme

·                    to allow for the postponement of procuring a new Licence and to allow for variations in market days.

 

It was noted that the most appropriate legislation to deal with the current market was the Food Act 1984. 

 

The Council would act as the “market authority”.  More specifically within the Act, Section 50 allowed the Council, as the market authority, to establish a market at a suitable location.  This element was already in place i.e. the weekly Tuesday Market in Holton Road’s pedestrian area.

 

Section 52 of the Act stated that the market authority may appoint the days and set the hours when the market was to be held.  Again, this element was already in place for the current Licence but provided the Council with the flexibility to change these details in the future.  Similarly, Section 53 provided the market authority with the power to set the weekly charges or tolls as appropriate.

 

Finally, Section 54 stated that charges shall be paid to an “authorised markets officer” which was defined as an officer of the market authority who was authorised by it to collect charges.   There were no delegated powers under this Act in the Council’s Constitution so it would be a matter for Cabinet to address when the market was legalised.  However, the current market operator had a Site Manager who was available during market hours and any rentals / charges were collected on site by him.

 

M & B Markets were the current market operators and had held a Licence from 1st April, 2004 for a period of five years, which expired on 31st March, 2009. 

 

A programme of regeneration works for Barry Town Centre had been ongoing since the Town Hall and Kings Square scheme commenced in 2003.  Phase II was currently underway with the Holton Road Public realm Improvement Scheme which was scheduled for completion in 2007/08.

 

Subject to funding, Phase III works would include public realm improvements from the multi-storey car park to the eastern edge of King square.   A future market Licence and the potential disruption of the improvement works would mean that the availability of King Square would need to be considered and a postponement of a new market Licence in April 2009 was considered advisable.

 

At the outset, the Licence fee payable was set to remain the same for years 1 and 2, but increasing in years 3, 4 and 5.

 

Regeneration works impacted upon Barry market in May 2005 when King Square was fenced off to commence improvement works.  The new layout of King Square seating area and tree positions limited the use of this space which was previously available to the market operator.  Consideration of the market stalls helped to reduce loss of trade for the operator but resulted in a significant reduction of market rental income to the Council.

 

Recently, the market operators had conveyed their intention to reoccupy King Square with a cross section of traders using freestanding stalls and side opening vehicles.  However, the number of traders accommodating the Square would be minimised by the Square’s requirement that dictated a 4m wide perimeter emergency access strip was maintained at all times.  Also, use of the Square would be limited during the festive season as significant space for the town centre’s Christmas tree was required.  Furthermore, a formal mechanism to agree additional or alternative market days in December was advisable to ensure the Holton Road Traders and Market Operator were aware of the market’s schedule during the Christmas period.

 

The Head of Legal Services advised that the Food Act 1984 was an enabling Act, and the establishing of a market was in line with the Act.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the relevant area as shown on the plan marked “07 4215 REV 1” be a market pursuant to Section 50 of the Food Act 1984.

 

(2)       T H A T the Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration be authorised to appoint an authorised “Markets Officer” responsible for setting the days and hours of the market.

 

(3)       T H A T Planning Committee consider the amendment of the existing Traffic Regulation Order to allow market trader vehicles to access the market area.

 

(4)       T H A T the postponement of procuring a new market Licence in April 2009 until it is deemed appropriate in the future be endorsed.

 

(5)       T H A T any future variations of days of the week when markets are held are to be agreed between the Leader, Director of Environmental and Economic Regeneration and the Holton Road Traders’ Association.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To identify the statutory power pursuant to which Barry’s Tuesday weekly market is held.

 

(2)       In compliance with the terms and conditions of the Food Act 1984.

 

(3)               To ensure that the market operations comply with Traffic Regulation Orders.

 

(4)       To allow Phase III of the regeneration works to be completed without interruption.

 

(5)       To formalise an agreement mechanism compliant with all parties’ wishes.

 

 

C3373                        CONSULTATION BY THE SOUTH WALES REGIONAL AGGREGATES WORKING PARTY ON THE DRAFT REGIONAL TECHNICAL STATEMENT ON AGGREGATES (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Cabinet’s views were sought on the Consultation Draft of the Regional Technical Statement on Aggregates (RTS) for the South Wales region.

 

Minerals Technical Advice Note 1: Aggregates (MTAN1), issued by the Welsh Assembly Government in March 2004, had a primary objective of seeking to ensure a sustainably managed supply of aggregates that were essential for construction, by striking the best balance between environmental, economic and social costs.  To achieve that objective, the RTS had been prepared by the Regional Aggregates Working Party (RAWP) to provide a strategic basis for aggregates supply for Local Development Plans in the South Wales region until 2021.  As appropriate, Mineral Planning Authorities would then be expected to include allocations for aggregates provision in their area as part of the Local Development Plan process.

 

In accordance with the objectives of MTAN1, the RTS sought to:

 

·                    maximise the use of secondary and recycled materials and mineral wastes

·                    safeguard minerals that may be needed in the long term

·                    acknowledge that where the principles of sustainable development could be achieved, the extension of existing aggregate quarries was likely to be appropriate

·                    ensure that where there was a need for new areas of aggregate supply, these should come from locations of low environmental constraint and take into account transport implications

·                    maintain the supply of marine aggregates consistent with the requirements of the Interim Marine Aggregates Dredging Policy.

 

Following a detailed analysis of the current supply scenario, including the availability and levels of production of the various types of primary, secondary and alternative aggregates, the RTS had identified several key findings.  In summary, these were:

 

(a)               secondary and recycled aggregate use in South Wales had already reached the MTAN1 target for 2009 of 25% of all aggregate produced.  Many sources had now reached the maximum potential for supply, with the major remaining under-used secondary aggregate resources being pulverised fuel ash as produced at Aberthaw Power Station.

 

(b)               Marine aggregates would continue to make a vital contribution to sand supply in the region for the medium term, but important decisions would have to be made in the next five years concerning the implications of transferring operations to deeper water, more distant from ports.  Whilst licensing of dredging operations is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government, the future availability of marine aggregates may have implications for pressure to permit land-based sand extraction.

 

(c)               Primary aggregates (entirely Carboniferous limestone in the Vale) would continue to account for the largest proportion of aggregate tonnage for the foreseeable future.  However, the distribution of resources did not closely match the location of the main areas of consumption, with relative shortage of material in the south and east of the region.

 

(d)       An examination of resources in the region using the IMAECA (Implementing the Methodology for Assessing the Environmental capacity for Aggregates) Study carried out on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government suggested that the Carboniferous limestone outcrop (which is in any event not extensive) was particularly constrained in terms of environmental capacity for future aggregate extraction.

 

Following an assessment of likely demand trends in the region within the range anticipated by MTAN1, and having deducted the amounts expected to be provided from secondary / recycled and marine sources, the RTS assesses the future apportionment of primary aggregate supply to individual MPAs using two approaches: one using the traditional approach of studying past sales and the second using population as a proxy for demand.  By these means it was anticipated that regional primary aggregate (crushed rock) demand would be between 163 and 175 million tonnes (mt) over the period 2007-2021.  This compared with permitted reserves of 584mt at operational sites in 2005. 

 

The final section of the report assessed the ability of each of the 18 MPAs to meet anticipated requirements using the two methods above.  In respect of the Vale of Glamorgan the recommendations were, in summary:

 

·                    landbanks for limestone should be monitored particularly carefully and the possibility of allocating additional reserves to cover any impending shortfall should be kept under review. In preparing the Local Development Plan, consideration should be given to whether the technical capability of one material to interchange for another, the relative environmental cost of such substitution or the relative environmental effects of changing patterns of supply and / or maintenance of adequate production capacity to meet the required supply give rise to any requirement for resource allocations;

·                    existing and potential wharves should be protected in the LDP to ensure marine sand and gravel supply routes into the area continue to be available;

·                    additional limestone resources, particularly but not exclusively those in areas of high environmental capacity (low sensitivity), should be safeguarded for possible future use;

·                    further investigation of the potential use of the Aberthaw pfa stockpiles should be undertaken plus the possibility of establishing a wharf;

·                    land won sand and gravel resources needed to be identified and where appropriate safeguarded in the LDP.

 

Once endorsed by the various MPAs, the RTS would be a vital tool in the preparation of Local Development Plans and should achieve a consistency of approach throughout the region with a shared aim of ensuring aggregates provision is achieved at the best balance of environmental and economic cost.  From that broad strategic point of view the RTS was to be welcomed.  With regard to the Vale of Glamorgan, whilst a detailed assessment of potential future extraction areas would have to wait the preparation of the Local Development Plan, it was important to stress at this stage that identification of resources beyond those currently allocated or protected under Policies MIN2 (Release of Limestone Reserves) and MIN3 (Protection of further limestone reserves and potential resources of sand and gravel) in the adopted Unitary Development Plan would be difficult without compromising the environmental standards against which proposals for mineral extraction had been judged in the Vale of Glamorgan since 1974.

 

Regarding marine dredging wharves, the last remaining operation in the Vale ceased landing sand in 2005.  The only potential sites for any new wharf were within Barry Docks, where it may be difficult to safeguard a specific site due to the wide ranging permitted development rights enjoyed by Associated British Ports.

 

The use and disposal of pfa from Aberthaw Power Station was currently the subject of intensive development, with construction of a plant for the processing of ash for use as an alternative to primary aggregates nearing completion and expected to come into production later this year.  This would reduce by some 50% the amount of ash requiring disposal, and would produce material capable of substituting for primary aggregates in a wide range of applications.

 

All the well known land-based sand and gravel resources in the Vale were already protected under Policy MIN3 of the Unitary Development Plan, but to date there had been no expressions of interest in working any of them.  It was likely that this protection would be continued in the Local Development Plan.

 

Taking a broader view, concern was likely to be expressed by some MPAs bordering the Brecon Beacons National Park over the implications over the advice in para. 49 of MTAN1 that allocations for aggregates in National Parks were inappropriate.  The increased pressure on relatively small Valleys’ authorities and eastern Carmarthenshire to accept a gradual transfer of production from the National Park may be difficult to accommodate.  In addition, some MPAs that currently produced no aggregate (e.g. Swansea and Torfaen) were advised to assess the potential to make resource allocations in their Local Development Plans.  These were all matters for the individual MPAs to consider, but despite the extensive work that had gone into the preparation of the consultation document some concerns that issues of principle may be raised at this stage which would make the very short planned period for assessment of consultation responses and preparation of the final document difficult to achieve. Any delay would have a “knock-on” effect on LDP preparation by this Authority.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED - T H A T subject to the views of Planning Committee:

 

(1)       The conclusions of the draft Regional Technical Statement in respect of the South Wales region as a whole and the Vale of Glamorgan in particular be endorsed.

 

(2)       That a copy of the report be forwarded to the Secretary of the South Wales Regional Aggregates Working Party as the Council’s comments on the Regional Technical Statement.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To formulate a formal view on the draft Regional Technical Statement for Aggregates, which when finalised would form an important basis for the preparation of the Local Development Plan.

 

(2)       To ensure that this Council’s comments are taken into account in the preparation of the final version of the Regional Technical Statement.

 

 

C3374                        UPDATE ON MAJOR PROJECTS (DEER) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -

 

Cabinet were provided with a set of briefing notes on major projects currently managed by the Project Management Unit.  Appendix A to the report referred to the following list of project currently being undertaken by the Project Management Unit:

 

·                    Penarth Heights

·                    Thompson Street Bridge

·                    The Innovation Quarter, Waterfront, Barry

·                    Business Support Centre, part of IQ

·                    Hydraulic Pumphouse, part of IQ

·                    Medical Centre, part of IQ

·                    14-19 Learning Centre, part of IQ

·                    Barry Steam Railway Project

·                    Central Station Project: Phase 1 Barry Docks Platform

·                    Catching the Wave Initiative: Barry Marina options

·                    Nells’ Point Development Site: UWIC / Wales International Centre for Tourism and Leisure

·                    Penarth Pier pavilion and Italian Shelter

·                    Former Bus Depot, Board Street

·                    Barry Island Footbridge and Plymouth Road access

·                    Master plan for Barry Waterfront, Barry Island and Town Centre

·                    Schools Investment Strategy

·                    Barry Town Centre living study

·                    Housing Interim Investment Programme.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the report be noted.

 

Reason for decision

 

The report is for information purposes.

 

 

C3375                        GRANTS TO COMMUNITY / VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS - VALE VOLUNTEER BUREAU (VVB) (DFICTP) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -

 

Approval was sought on the award of further funding to the Vale Volunteer Bureau.

 

The Bureau were anxious to secure ongoing funding from this Council via a further Service Level Agreement. 

 

Having considered the services to be provided, it had been concluded that funding should be continued in the sum of £30,000 per annum for the year commencing 1st April, 2008.

 

The longer term funding of the organisation would be reviewed during the next financial year.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T grant funding to the Vale Volunteer Bureau in the sum of £30,000 for 2008/09 be agreed.

 

(2)       T H A T a further Service Level Agreement be entered into with the Vale Volunteer Bureau for one year from 1st April, 2008.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1&2)  To formalise funding arrangements with the Vale Volunteer Bureau.

 

 

C3376                        LOCAL HOUSING STRATEGY (DLPPHS) (SCRUTINY - COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND SAFETY) -

 

Cabinet received a report on the latest version of the Housing Strategy and which recommended its adoption by the Council for submission to the Welsh Assembly Government.

 

Local Authorities were required to submit in full a revised Local Housing Strategy by April 2007, which incorporated the Housing Strategy, the Homelessness Strategy and the Supporting People Operational Plan.

 

This was to be the last statutory Local  Housing Strategy as the implementation of plan rationalisation would mean that local housing strategic plans would form part of the future Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Strategies.

 

WAG had acknowledged that the publication of guidance documents on the Local Housing Market Assessment and Local Housing Strategy had been delayed which had significantly reduced the time available for Local Authorities to assess the condition of their housing stock and the needs and demands of their local housing system.  For this reason, the Council (along with many other Welsh authorities) had been granted a new deadline of 30th June, 2007 to submit a draft Local Housing Strategy pending receipt of the jointly commissioned local housing market assessment research being undertaken in partnership with Cardiff City Council.

 

In order to comply with WAG requirements, a draft Local Housing Strategy, based on existing housing data and up to date information from relevant service areas was subsequently submitted by 30th June, 2007.  At that time it was planned that the full Local Housing Strategy would be available for submission to WAG in December 2007. 

 

A detailed response to the draft Local Housing Strategy was received from WAG in October 2007 and this was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.  The Strategy had now been updated to address those comments and the results of stakeholder consultation had been taken into account.  The latest version of the Local Housing Strategy was attached at Appendix 2 to the report.  The Strategy document was submitted to the Corporate Management Team on 18th December, 2007.

 

The Local Housing Market Assessment however was still in draft form and some areas of the assessment required discussion, both internally and with external stakeholders.  The Joint Assessment must be agreed between this Council and the Cardiff Council together with the steering group established to oversee the assessment as it was a jointly commissioned study across both Authority areas.  Previous research carried out for the South East Wales Regional Housing Forum had identified the local market areas in South Wales.  One of these was the Cardiff area, which also encompassed the Vale of Glamorgan because of the high levels of cross migration between the two counties.  It was for this reason that a joint study had been commissioned and joint funding sought from the Welsh Assembly Government for its development.  Although the Housing Market Assessment was unlikely to be completed before the end of January, it was not foreseen that this would result in any further changes to the content of the Strategy.

 

Under the Council’s Constitution, the Strategy had to be adopted by the Council.  Consequently authority was sought for the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services following consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member to make any amendments necessary following receipt of the final Local Housing Market Assessment.  It was proposed that the Local Housing Strategy be then submitted to Council for adoption on 20th February, 2008 prior to its submission to WAG.

 

The policy framework required the Strategy to be adopted by the Council.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the updated Local Housing Strategy be approved.

 

(2)       T H A T delegated authority be given to the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services following consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member to make any amendments necessary to the Strategy following receipt of the finalised Local Housing Market Assessment prior to its submission to the Council.

 

(3)       T H A T Council be recommended to adopt the Local Housing Strategy and that the Strategy be submitted to WAG.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To ensure that the Council complies with the requirement of the Welsh Assembly Government by publishing an updated Local Housing Strategy.

 

(2)       To ensure that a fully completed Local Housing Strategy could be submitted to the Council meeting of 20th February, 2008 and the Welsh Assembly Government.

 

(3)       To comply with the requirements of the Constitution to adopt the Strategy.

 

 

C3377                        MATTERS WHICH THE CHAIRMAN HAD DECIDED WERE URGENT -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the following matters which the Chairman had decided were urgent for the reasons specified be considered.

 

 

C3378                        COWBRIDGE VIADUCT REFURBISHMENT: A48 COWBRIDGE PROGRAMME OF WORKS (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -

 

Urgent by reason of the need to let a contract in this financial year

 

Cabinet were:

 

-            advised of the proposed programme of works for the refurbishment of the Cowbridge viaduct

-            advised of the funding implications arising from the proposed programme

-           asked to support an amendment to the Capital Programme.

 

Cowbridge Viaduct had been subject to a Special Inspection in May 2001 as a result of which maintenance and refurbishment works had been identified, the estimated costs of which was £5.1m. 

 

The civil engineering consultancy Capita Symonds had been appointed in December 2005 to propose, inter alia, a programme for the execution of the said works. 

 

Works identified as high priority were included in Phase 1 of the programme and included the following:

 

·                    install traffic management

·                    take out and replace road restraint system (crash barriers)

·                    take down and replace street lighting columns

·                    take up and replace verges

·                    take up curbs, surfacing and deck waterproofing and relay

·                    remove and replace deck movement joints

·                    check existing drainage system and repair / replace if required

·                    refurbish structural bearings

·                    close gap between bridge decks

·                    renew road markings.

 

The estimated cost of the Phase 1 works was £2.1m. with a proposed start date of April 2008 and a contract duration of approximately 9 months.  Essentially this phase of the works would ensure that the superstructure of both structural decks and carriageways were refurbished and that further deterioration of the superstructure and the substructure beneath the carriageway was arrested. 

 

Phase 2 of the identified works included concrete repair and protection to the structural supports and would include the following:

 

·                    arrange access to land beneath the viaduct

·                    install access scaffold to supports

·                    carry out local concrete repairs

·                    install cathodic protection to support cross-heads

·                    remove scaffolding

·                    install access scaffold to deck beams and slabs

·                    carry out concrete repairs

·                    install sacrificial anode protection to deck repairs

·                    remove scaffolding.

 

The estimated cost of the Phase 2 works was £1.6m. plus £60k. fees.  The additional funding necessary would form a capital bid for 2009/10 and if successful, this element of the work could be carried out as a second contract to follow Phase 1 with a start date of April 2009. 

 

The programming of any contracting works would be subject to the following constraints:

 

·                    ecological - the presence of bats on the structure severely limited the timing of certain activities.  An allowance had to be built into any programme of works to deal with any potential delays to working programme should bats be encountered.  It was important therefore to ensure that sufficient flexibility be provided to ensure that delays and disruption would not adversely affect the works contract.

·                    Weather - refurbishment / repair activities such as thin concrete repairs were susceptible to low temperatures, therefore the contract would need to be let in early Spring to take best advantage of the weather.

 

Delay to the programme of works was not recommended due to the various sub-standard elements of the structure already identified, in particular the parapets and gap between the structural decks.  The continuing deterioration of the structure would also compromise the safety of the highway user and those accessing the area beneath the structure.

 

This was a matter for approval by Full Council.

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T the report be considered by Council so that the Capital Programme can be amended with £285k. being brought forward from the 2009/10 Capital Programme into 2008/09.

 

(2)       T H A T Council approve the slippage of the remaining unspent balance of £1.36m. on the 2007/08 allocation into the 2008/09 Capital Programme in order to provide sufficient funding for Phase 1 of the works to progress in April 2008.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1&2)  To provide the necessary funding for the Phase 1 works contract to be let in April 2008.

 

 

C3379                        SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTORATE INTERIM MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE (DSS) (SCRUTINY - COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND SAFETY) -

 

Urgent by reason of the need to increase and realign management capacity within the Social Services Directorate and to achieve savings within the budget

 

Approval was sought for the reorganisation, on an interim basis, of the management structure in the Social Services Directorate.

 

The current management arrangements had been put in place in January 2007 because urgent action had been required to tackle increasing overspends in the Social Services budget, which posed a serious and imminent threat to the Council’s finances.  It had been decided to create a new Directorate (separating off the housing function), to facilitate a clear corporate focus on social services.  The management structure introduced at that time was intended to remain in place only until a new and permanent Director of Social Services took up the post.

 

The Council had monitored the impact of the restructuring that took place in 2007.  It was acknowledged that there was a clear case for further reorganisation at this time.  Some of the shortfalls that had been identified included:

 

·                    inadequate capacity at senior level to support Director

·                    a lack of coherence in the allocation of responsibilities at operational manager level

·                    limited opportunities for integrated working, within the Council and with other key agencies

·                    the need for a more purposeful approach to business planning and commissioning.

 

It was recognised that management restructuring was not always a good answer to problems.  It could increase costs, cause disruption, distract attention from other priorities and fail to produce intended outcomes.  The Council would want to make sure that any substantial change in management structure was delivered in ways that realised intended benefits whilst avoiding foreseeable pitfalls.  A key requirement was to establish clear outcomes and boundaries for the process from the beginning.

 

·                    The new structure should be seen as interim, subject to review and change, until such time as it was evaluated to establish whether the outcomes sought by the Council had been achieved.

·                    Any new structure should be affordable and result in an overall financial saving.

·                    It should provide clear expectations for the Directorate and for individual managers.

·                    The underlying principles should make sense to stakeholders.

·                    It should involve as little disruption as possible.

 

The changes outlined in the report had been designed to fit within these parameters.  Also, the proposals were strongly grounded in evidence about what works best in local authority social services.

 

Attached to the report were documents which set out proposals for changed management arrangements in social services.  Appendix 1 to the report outlined the functions and outcomes which the management structure must deliver.  Appendix 2 to the report showed the proposed structure for the Social Services Directorate.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the proposals outlined in the report be endorsed for immediate implementation.

 

(2)       T H A T Cabinet receive a review of the interim structure in January 2009.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To ensure that the management structure for the Social Services Directorate delivers leadership and direction for all social services function, fulfils statutory roles and organisational requirements, and enables managers to continue tackling the need for efficiency savings within the budget.

 

(2)       To establish whether the revised and interim structure is achieving the intended outcomes.

 

 

C3380                        EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T 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 involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 4 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Act, the relevant paragraphs of the Schedule being referred to in brackets after the minute heading.

 

 

C3381                        WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS 2008 - 2013 (RECYCLING CENTRES AND MATERIALS RECYCLING FACILITY) - AWARD OF CONTRACTORS (DEER) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) (EXEMPT INFORMATION - PARAGRAPH 14) -

 

Cabinet were advised of the results of the tendering exercise for the Waste Management contracts 1st April, 2008 to 31st March, 2013 and were requested to approve the appointment of contractor(s) for the contracts.

 

This was a matter for Executive decision.

 

RESOLVED -

 

(1)       T H A T the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services be authorised to award a Waste Management Contract to Biffa for the Provision of a Materials Recycling Facility from 1st April, 2008 until 31st March, 2011 with the provision for extension until 31st March, 2013.

 

(2)       T H A T the Director of Legal, Public Protection and Housing Services be authorised to award a Waste Management Contract to Biffa for the Management of Recycling Centres from 1st April, 2008 until 31st March, 2011 with the provision for extension until 31st March, 2013.

 

Reasons for decisions

 

(1)       To enable the Vale of Glamorgan to enter into a waste disposal contract for the Provision of a Material Recycling facility to operate from 1st April, 2008 until 31st March, 2011 with the provision for extension until 31st March, 2013.

 

(2)       To enable the Vale of Glamorgan to enter into a waste disposal contract for the Management of Recycling Centres to operate from 1st April 2008 until 31st March, 2011 with the provision for extension until 31st March, 2013.