SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (LIFELONG LEARNING)
Minutes of a meeting held on 10th
November, 2008.
Present: Councillor J. Clifford
(Chairman); Councillor Mrs. K.A. Kemp (Vice-Chairman); Councillors
Mrs. M.E.J. Birch, Mrs. V.L. Ellis, C.P.J. Elmore, E. Hacker, Mrs.
V.M. Hartrey, C.L. Osborne and Mrs. S.I. Sharpe.
522 APOLOGIES FOR
ABSENCE -
These were received from Councillors A.D.
Hampton and F.T. Johnson.
523 MINUTES -
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
meeting held on 20th October, 2008 be approved as an
accurate record.
524 DECLARATIONS OF
INTEREST -
The following Councillors declared the nature
of their personal interests, being Governors of schools within the
Vale of Glamorgan:
Councillors J. Clifford, Mrs. K.A. Kemp, Mrs.
M.E.J. Birch, C.P.J. Elmore, E. Hacker, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey and C.L.
Osborne.
Councillors J. Clifford, C.P.J. Elmore and
Mrs. S.I. Sharpe declared an interest in Agenda Item No. 8,
Redevelopment of Cowbridge Comprehensive School in that they were
Members of the Trust Committee and left the room whilst this item
was under consideration.
525 REDEVELOPMENT OF
COWBRIDGE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL (DLD) -
Mr. Maclean and Mr. Mitchell of Davis Langdon
were present for this item.
The Chairman vacated the room whilst this item
was considered, and the Vice-Chairman took the Chair.
Committee received an update on the School
Investment Strategy with specific reference to the redevelopment of
Cowbridge Comprehensive School.
Davis Langdon were appointed as the Council's
external design team in September 2007. They had completed
the initial design stages of the school such that a full planning
application had been submitted in the summer of 2008.
In July 2008, Carillion had been appointed as
the contractor to complete the design of Cowbridge Comprehensive
School and then subsequently construct the new school using the NEC
Engineering and Construction Contract.
The aim of Davis Langdon had been to maximise
the benefits of the new school development with clear defined
financial parameters. Whilst a creative solution had been
developed, nevertheless the availability of options as to how this
could be achieved had been restricted by the need to secure value
for money. This had been achieved by a mixture of new build
on the Aberthin Road site and retention and refurbishment of
existing buildings.
Davis Langdon had been working on the final
design to an indicative maximum budget of £21.5 million including
all relevant fees. As a matter of prudence and to ensure
deliverability within the design process, Davis Langdon had
incorporated a phased approach with the first phase costing £16.5
million, and the option of delivering the second phase at a future
date. However, under a phased option, there was a risk that
the second phase would exceed £5 million due to factors such as
inflation and the efficiencies in breaking up the construction
process and therefore would not be cost-effective. Davis
Langdon had recommended that the school be developed in a single
phase.
A report was due to be presented to Cabinet in
December that would detail robust costings for the redevelopment of
the school. Approval would be sought to commence construction
on the new school.
Planning approval would be determined in mid
November. Initial enabling works which were not dependent on
planning and which would be required whether the Council approved
the £21.5 million scheme in full or the phased delivery function,
were likely to be commenced before the end of October, 2008.
This would benefit the delivery of the school within agreed
timescales to enable co-location for the September 2010
deadline.
The representatives of Davis Langdon offered
an opportunity to Members to ask questions, whereupon it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the presentation and
report be noted.
Reason for recommendation
That Members are aware of progress on the
Redevelopment of Cowbridge Comprehensive School.
526 DRAFT
SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE ON PLANNING OBLIGATIONS (REF) -
Councillor J. Clifford returned to the room
and took the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.
The above matter had been considered
previously at the meeting of the Cabinet held on 17th
September, 2008 and latterly at the Scrutiny Committee (Economy and
Environment) on 14th October, 2008. This Scrutiny
Committee had subsequently recommended that the report be referred
to all the Council's Scrutiny Committees to obtain their
observations on those matters falling within each of the Scrutiny
Committees remits and to report their comments back to the Scrutiny
Committee (Economy and Environment) as soon as practicably
possible.
Having regard to the above, it was noted that
the Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on Planning
Obligations was appended to the report of which the document also
contained an introduction to Planning Obligations and their use
within the Vale of Glamorgan. The draft SPG also outlined
those matters that were likely to be sought for and related
processes when dealing with planning applications. The SPG
had a series of topic specific appendices detailing the Council's
approach to the following issues:
· affordable
housing
· community
facilities
· education/training
and development
· public open
space, public arts and recreation
· town centres
and regeneration
· transport
and waste and recycling facilities.
The purpose of the introduction of the
Planning Obligations SPG was to clarify for all interested persons
the Council's approach to seeking and monitoring Planning
Obligations. This approach was consistent to those taken by
other Planning Authorities in England and Wales and within the
context of recent advice sponsored by the Planning Officers Society
for Wales.
The SPG contained formulas for specific topics
covered within the guidance. Those formulas had been
calculated through an assessment of what it would cost to provide
facilities in association with developments and experience as to
what would be reasonable to seek through negotiations depending on
the scale and form of the development and the current state of the
market.
Having regard to the above and related issues
it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the draft Supplementary
Planning Guidance on Planning Obligations be endorsed.
Reason for decision
To inform the Members of the Scrutiny
Committee (Economy and Environment) of the views of the Scrutiny
Committee (Lifelong Learning) prior to the adoption of the draft
SPG.
527 VOLUNTARY ACTION
SCHEME PRIORITIES FOR FUNDING 2009/10 (DFICTP) -
Committee were informed of the amended
priorities for funding under the Voluntary Action Scheme for the
year 2009/10.
The arrangements and priorities for funding in
2009/10 had been considered by the Voluntary Sector Joint Liaison
Committee on 22nd July, 2008 and had been approved by
Cabinet on 1st October, 2008.
A part of the mechanism for consideration of
applications it was Committee's practice to seek the views of the
various Council partnerships appropriate to the
applications.
Some of the partnerships had revised their
priorities in line with the new Strategies for April 2008, for
example, the Children and Young People's Plan 2008/11 the Health,
Social Care and Wellbeing Strategy 2008/11. The new key
themes in these plans provided the priorities for the Council's
work in 2009/10.
It was appropriate therefore, that the Council
funded the voluntary sector projects which met these priorities and
which furthered the work which would benefit Vale residents under
the key themes.
The Partnership Co-ordinators had proposed
that prospective applicants for funding make contact with the most
appropriate Co-ordinators prior to completing their
applications. This would help the applicants to apply for
funding for projects in line with the Council's key priorities for
funding. It would ensure that the Council funded projects
from the scheme which were in keeping with its 2009/10 key themes
for developing services.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the priorities for
funding 2009/10 be noted.
Reason for recommendation
To progress the Voluntary Action Scheme
2009/10.
528 SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
- TRACKING OF RECOMMENDATIONS (DLPPHS) -
Members were informed of the progress in
relation to uncompleted recommendations that had been made by the
Committee during the period April 2007 to March 2008 (attached at
Appendix A to the report) and the for quarters April to June 2008
and July to September 2008 (attached at Appendix B to the
report).
The following issues were then discussed with
a number of the recommendations being agreed as being completed, as
detailed below:
|
28 July 2008 - Min. No. 199
|
Inspection of the Youth Offending Service (CX)
-
Recommended -
|
|
|
(2) That
the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong
Learning) be invited to attend the meetings of the Workshops as
identified in the Action Plan.
|
Action Completed
|
|
(3) That
further consideration be given to the possibility of the inclusion
of an item relating to the YOS within the Committee's forthcoming
Work Programme.
|
Action Completed
|
|
28 July 2008 - Min. No. 201
|
Scrutiny Committee Work Programme (DLD) -
Recommended - That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny
Committee (Lifelong Learning) be granted authority to:
|
|
|
(2)
Identify a specific issue for independent review by the Improvement
and Development Team.
|
Action Completed
|
|
(3)
Produce a timetable for the work programme.
|
Action Completed
|
|
28 July 2008 - Min. No. 204
|
Scrutiny Committee Performance Panels (CX) -
Recommended -
|
|
|
(1) That a
specialist Performance Panel to examine and evaluate performance
information on a quarterly basis be established for the Scrutiny
Committee (Lifelong Learning)
|
Action Completed
|
|
10 September 2007 - Min. No. 318
|
Revenue and Capital Monitoring for the Period
1st April to 31st July 2007 (DLD) -
Recommended
|
|
|
(3) That a
report be presented to the Scrutiny Committee in respect of issues
relating to school transport contracts and any implications as a
result of the current contractors termination of contract.
|
Action Completed
|
|
8 October 2007 - Min. No. 414
|
Revenue and Capital Monitoring for the Period
1st April, 2007 to 31st August, 2007 (DLD) -
Recommended
|
|
|
|
(2) That a
report on the operation of Breakfast Clubs within the Vale of
Glamorgan such report to also include details of the funding, be
brought before the January 2008 meeting of this Committee.
|
Action Completed
|
|
21 January 2008 - Min No. 728
|
Scrutiny Committee Action Plan (DLD) -
Recommended
|
|
|
(1) That
the Director of Learning and Development provide a report detailing
of progress on the strategic issues detailed above and that this be
reviewed on a quarterly basis by Scrutiny Committee.
|
Action Completed
|
|
|
(3) That,
in addition to the above, the Director of Learning and Development
provide information reports on Foundation Phase, 14 -19 and
Exclusions to Scrutiny Committee meetings before May 2008.
|
Action Completed
|
|
These reports would inform the post May Action
Plan of the Committee.
|
|
529 PRESENTATION ON
THE PULSE PROJECT (DLD) -
Hannah Wilcox, Co-ordinator of the Pulse
Project provided an outline of the work of the service.
Following an application to the 'Reaching Out'
stream of the National Lottery, funding had been received for a
period of three years to run a Vale wide detached youth project
working with 10-19 year olds. Pulse formed part of the Vale
of Glamorgan's Youth Service and was steered by Community Safety
Partnerships Youth Issues Group.
It was reported that Pulse:
· used
detached youth work as a means to reach and work with young people
across the Vale on their territory
· engaged with
young people on their terms, in their environment
· worked with
young people to explore their needs and provide opportunities for
self development
· provided
informed, accurate and appropriate advice and information for young
people on their terms in an informal detached setting
· aimed to meet the
needs of the young people through creative, flexible and good
quality youth work
· used positive
engagement, encouragement and support to help safeguard young
people's wellbeing.
During the period October 2007 - October 2008
Pulse had
· made 4733 contacts
with 10-19 year olds
· provided 1593
young people with local information about their area
· signposted 324
young people to specialist services
· involved 2300
young people in diversionary activities.
In addition, Pulse had targeted efforts
towards areas of specific need such as Halloween, and also had an
active involvement with in excess of 30 Vale-wide partnership
organisations including Women's Aid, Vibe Experience, Salvation
Army, MoD St. Athan and RAF St. Athan.
As far as the future was concerned, Big
Lottery Funding would continue until November 2009. Following
the conclusion of the funding, it was reported that there was a
possibility that limited Safer Vale funding could be
commissioned.
Discussions ensued on the work of Pulse
i.e.
|
How many staff are involved in Pulse?
|
Six full time
Five part time
|
|
Can areas of need be reported to Pulse?
|
Yes. Pulse will prepare a course of
action to assist areas of need.
|
|
Do you have plans for Sully?
|
All Wards of the Council will receive visits
from Pulse by the time funding ceases.
|
|
Congratulations to Pulse for achieving the
recent Team of the Year Award.
|
|
The Chairman and Members of the Committee
thanked Hannah for her presentation.