CABINET
MINUTES of a meeting held on 5th
September, 2007.
Present: Councillor Ms. M.E. Alexander
(Chairman); Councillor N. Moore (Vice-Chairman); Councillors R.F.
Curtis, S.C. Egan, N.J. Gibbs,
Mrs. V.M. Hartrey, G. John,
Mrs. M. Randall and C.J. Williams.
C3171
APOLOGY FOR ABSENCE-
This was received from Councillor Mrs. M.R.
Wilkinson.
C3172
MINUTES -
RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meeting
held on 25th July, 2007 be approved as a correct
record.
C3173
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -
No declarations were received.
C3174
PENARTH HEADLAND LINK (REF.)
-
Cabinet Minute No. C3078 of 20th
June, 2007 had been called-in by Councillor P. Church and was
considered by Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) on
24th July, 2007. The call-in had been made on the
grounds of:
·
the need to call-in the whole matter to explore clarification on
the availability of funding from other sources
·
to establish what avenues of funding had been tried
·
to clarify whether the help of Lorraine Barratt A.M. and Alun
Michael M.P. had been sought
·
to clarify the justification to terminate the project.
In confirming his reasons for calling-in the
item, Councillor Church indicated he realised that the project
could not proceed at present but felt that Cabinet should be
recommended to request approval from the Welsh Assembly Government
for the money to be retained pending the possibility of the project
proceeding at a future date. He also alluded to an
announcement earlier in the day by the relevant Assembly Minister,
Jane Davidson, regarding plans for an all-Wales coastal path by
2012. He considered that the provision of some form of
Headland Link would be perfect as part of such an overall coastal
link and also suggested that additional finance might become
available from WAG towards such a project.
The Scrutiny Committee received a further copy
of the original report submitted to Cabinet on 20th
June, 2007, together with a further report from the Director of
Environmental and Economic Regeneration responding to the specific
issues raised in the call-in request. The latter report
confirmed that, during the course of the project, there had been
regular examination of alternative sources of funding for the
scheme. However, it had become apparent when pursuing such
alternative sources that funding could not be easily achieved from
alternative bodies.
It was further confirmed that the Leader and
Deputy Leader of the Council had met with the local Assembly Member
and Member of Parliament in order to discuss the project and
whether or not it could continue due to the escalating costs.
The possibility of other sources of funding being available, either
from the Welsh Assembly Government or from Central Government or
elsewhere had also been discussed but no proposals had been
suggested or progressed.
Several Members referred to the considerable
amount of work already undertaken by Council officers and / or the
money which had already been spent on attempts to progress the
scheme. Notwithstanding this, various Members of the
Committee alluded to the fact that the number of competing
priorities which currently faced the Council meant that it was not
practical to continue to give the impression that the Penarth
Headland Link scheme was a viable project, capable of being
delivered by the Council. However, it was felt that it was
important that work undertaken to date in terms of planning /
design work should not be wasted and should be capable of being
utilised in the event of any future scheme being considered.
The Deputy Leader, having been invited to
speak, felt it would disingenuous to appear to be keeping hopes of
delivering the scheme alive. He confirmed that the Welsh
Assembly Government required a firm decision as to the future of
the project and that it was not practical to expect WAG to leave
the funding available. Notwithstanding this, he stressed that
negotiations would take place with WAG during which the Council
would be outlining the good reasons why it had not been possible to
progress this scheme and seeking to negotiate what, if any, final
payments should actually be made.
Scrutiny Committee had recommended -
(1) That
it be recognised that it is not viable to progress the Penarth
Headland Link scheme.
(2) That
Cabinet be requested to pursue the possibility, as part of the
progression by WAG of its proposals for an all-Wales coastal path,
with other neighbouring local authorities, relevant organisations,
SUSTRANS, the possibility of including within such a link provision
around the Penarth Headland of a footpath and cycle path, including
utilisation of work already undertaken in terms of design /
planning.
Cabinet, having considered the recommendation
of Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the recommendations of Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)
be noted.
(2) T H A
T the decision of Cabinet Minute No. C3078 of 20th June,
2007 be re-affirmed.
(3) T H A
T Cardiff Harbour Authority be requested to transfer the £1m.
earmarked by it for the Penarth Headland Link towards the proposed
Ely River Bridge scheme.
C3175
PUBLISHING OF FOOD
HYGIENE INFORMATION: “SCORES ON DOORS” (REF.) -
Cabinet Minute No. C3112 of 4th
July, 2007 had been called-in by both Councillors H.J.W. James and
Mrs. A.J. Moore. Councillor James’ reasons for calling-in the
item related to his view that the impact on businesses and
establishments in the tourism industry had not been properly
considered. Furthermore he felt there to be real concerns
that a scheme which classed success as 5 star and failure at 4 star
or less did not seem to be fair.
The call-ins were considered by Scrutiny
Committee (Corporate Resources) on 24th July, 2007.
Councillor Mrs. A.J. Moore felt the scheme to
require more in-depth discussion, particularly as it was to be
retrospectively applied from 1st January,
2006. She was also concerned that there appeared to be no
process of appeal and no revisits would be allowed but only a
“right of reply” granted to premises holders which would be posted
on the website. Councillor Mrs. Moore felt this could be
totally unfair if measures were subsequently taken to improve the
premises or in the event of a business changing hands. She
also referred in her call-in request to her understanding that the
process might already have been implemented and letters already
issued to proprietors of businesses indicating that the policy had
been agreed, notwithstanding that it had, in fact, been
called-in.
The Operational Manager (Public Protection)
outlined the background to the participation by the Council in the
pilot scheme which, in turn, would inform any national scheme
subsequently introduced. The aim of the Scores on Doors
scheme was:
·
to provide information about the level of compliance with hygiene
legislation to consumers in a way which was clear, easy to
understand and available at key places for reference;
·
to drive up public health standards by encouraging businesses to
comply with hygiene legislation.
At this point, the Chairman informed the
Committee that he had also invited Sir Brooke Boothby (in his
capacity as a Wales Tourist Alliance) and Peter Cole (Capital
Regional Tourism) to address the meeting.
Councillors Mrs. A.J. Moore indicated that she
was not questioning the need for effective food standard hygiene
but was concerned regarding the apparent haste in progressing the
pilot scheme and a lack of wider consultation. She was also
concerned that the pilot scheme did not provide for an appropriate
appeal mechanism in the case of premise owners who had undertaken
improvements subsequent to a rating being given. Finally, she
was concerned that the proposal included the backdating of
information to January 2006 and that premises might well have
changed ownership / improved standards since their last
inspection.
Peter Cole then addressed the meeting.
He confirmed his full support for the principle espoused by the
Food Standards Agency and the Vale of Glamorgan Council to drive up
standards. He had no problem regarding the principle of
related information being made readily available to the
public. However, he was unaware of any meaningful
consultation having been undertaken by the FSA with the tourism
industry in Wales. His experience had shown that any
successful quality grading scheme required the input of / full
consultation with the industry. He also raised concerns
regarding the proposed use of star ratings and drew a comparison
between the apparent scheme to be used which would infer some
element of failure should a rating of below five stars be granted
compared to other quality grading schemes which assumed all
premises were fit for purpose and that all ratings from one star
through to five star represented standards achieved beyond
that. He also considered there to be potential for confusion
amongst the public between rating schemes covering good hygiene as
opposed to good food and service. He concurred with the point
raised by Councillor Mrs. A.J. Moore regarding the need for a
mechanism whereby premises could seek re-inspection where they
considered this to be appropriate. He, too, had concerns
regarding the proposed use of backdated data. In conclusion,
he suggested that he felt that businesses were generally unlikely
to wish to display the Scores on Doors information on the basis of
the process undertaken to date.
Sir Brooke Boothby explained his role not only
as a representative of the Wales Tourist Alliance, but also in
terms of his wide experience within the field. He considered
the proposed scheme to be unsatisfactory in terms of its
technicality. He stressed that he had no criticism of the
Cabinet decision or of the stance taken by officers given that, in
both cases, their understanding had been that consultation had been
undertaken by the FSA. However, in quoting from an FSA
document, he alluded to limited interest on the part of the
industry in this scheme and to his view that a simple “pass / fail”
scheme would meet customers’ requirements. Whilst he
acknowledged the FSA document referred to similar systems existing
overseas, he indicated that no such system used star ratings or
inferred within the system that the minimum rating equated to a
poor standards. He was concerned that the FSA seemed intent
on progressing a scheme despite experience in Scotland indicating
that a “pass / fail” scheme incorporating an ability for
re-inspection was a more appropriate option. He would fully
support the introduction of a scheme similar to that existing in
Scotland. He felt there to be a need for the issue to be
taken up at United Kingdom government level as it appeared to cut
across attempts to harmonise grading systems generally. In
conclusion, he suggested that Cabinet consider facilitating a
meeting with all relevant parties in order to obtain a fuller
picture of the likely changes which would need to be recommended
prior to an official scheme being introduced.
Most Members of the Committee subsequently
spoke regarding this item with the issues raised including:
·
potential confusion amongst the public regarding various systems in
place;
·
possible unfairness given that published ratings could relate to a
time when premises were under a different ownership;
·
the pilot scheme’s apparent inability to provide for
re-inspections;
·
the fact that the issue had been progressed prior to the call-in
period expiring.
In addition to the above specific points,
there was a general consensus that information had come to light at
the meeting which had not been available at the time Cabinet had
considered this matter and which, in turn, was adding to Members’
general concerns regarding the scheme.
In responding to the issues raised, the
Operational Manager (Public Protection) felt that continued
involvement in the pilot project was important given that all
comments, whether supportive or otherwise, could undoubtedly be
used to inform the final scheme. She confirmed that any
change of ownership of premises would, in itself, prompt a
re-inspection. Although apologising for any haste in
progressing matters during the call-in period, she stressed that
the scheme itself had, obviously, not been implemented.
Approaches had been received from a number of businesses who were
supportive of such a scheme. Reference was also made to an
FSA document claiming that consultation had been undertaken.
In conclusion, she confirmed that it was likely that an appeal
mechanism would be incorporated within a final scheme.
Scrutiny Committee had recommended -
(1) That
Cabinet review the matter in the light of the considerable amount
of additional evidence submitted at the meeting.
(2) That
the Council continue its involvement in the pilot scheme but, in
doing so, ensure that all issues / concerns raised are fully
incorporated in feedback regarding the scheme.
(3) That
Cabinet consider the possibility of undertaking a Vale-wide
consultation exercise to establish more fully the position in the
area.
(4) That
in the light of the above recommendations, any scheme launch date
remain postponed.
Cabinet having considered the recommendations
of Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources),
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the recommendations of Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)
be noted.
(2) T H A
T the Council does not take part in the pilot scheme.
(3) T H A
T, in the event of a further pilot scheme being held, full
consultations take place locally prior to Cabinet receiving a full
and detailed report on the matter.
(4) T H A
T Cabinet reiterate its determination to ensure that all food
establishments meet the required hygiene standards through regular
and appropriate inspections.
C3176
CABINET FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2007 (CX)
(SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -
Cabinet were informed of the Forward Work
Programme for the period September to December 2007, and were
advised of those reports still to be received from the previous
Forward Work Programme which covered the period May to July
2007.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the Forward Work Programme for the period September to December
2007, together with the publication of details of availability of
the Programme be noted.
(2) T H A
T the reasons supplied by officers for the non-submission of the
items from the previous Forward Work Programme May to July 2007 be
noted.
(3) T H A
T officers be thanked for their efforts in reducing the number of
items outstanding from the previous quarter.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) To comply with the
requirements of the Local Government Act 2000, subordinate
legislation and the Council’s Constitution.
(3) To
express appreciation.
C3177
VALE OF GLAMORGAN LOCAL HEALTH BOARD: APPOINTMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE
(CX) (SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -
Cabinet was asked to further consider the
Council’s representation on the Vale of Glamorgan Local Health
Board given that the Board had informed the Council that, as he is
now an Assembly Member, Councillor Franks was no longer eligible to
be Board Member.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED - T H A T Councillor Christopher John
Williams be nominated to sit on the Vale of Glamorgan Local Health
Board.
Reason for decision
To maintain full representation on the Vale of
Glamorgan Local Health Board.
C3178
TELECARE SERVICE (IDSS) (SCRUTINY - COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND
SAFETY) -
Cabinet approval was sought for the
development of Telecare Services within the Vale of Glamorgan.
Telecare was a means whereby care and support
could be provided to people through the use of telecommunication
and technology in their homes.
People who could benefit most from Telecare
Services were:
·
older people
·
people with learning disabilities
·
people with mobility impairments
·
people with dementia.
The use of telecare was intended to reduce the
speed at which people ascend the pyramid of care and to reduce the
number of inappropriate or unnecessary admissions to hospital,
especially as a result of falls or other accidents in the
home.
The Telecare Partnership Board had been
established which met for the first time in February 2007.
The membership included representation from the Council, the Local
Health Board, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust and the Vale Centre for
Voluntary Services. The Partnership Board was chaired by the
Council.
A key role of the Partnership Board was to
develop a Telecare Service, including infrastructure and
management, that met the needs of the local Authority and the Local
Health Board in terms of reducing unnecessary demand for Council
services and unscheduled care.
It was proposed that Telecare Services be
developed in a two stage approach as outlined below:
Tele-V
Tele-V represented an enhancement to the
current community alarm service by adding to the existing
infrastructure one or more smart sensors which could automatically
raise an alarm in the event of an emergency such as fire, flood or
an abnormal temperature being detected.
Such packages of low level telecare could be
provided quickly and without formal assessment to anyone who wished
to receive the service and pay the appropriate charge.
Tele-V Plus
Tele-V Plus was a more specialist service that
managed, for example, the risk of falls, medication mis-management,
accidents due to dementia.
This level of telecare would be based on an
assessment of un-met needs and risks to independence, with
appropriate consideration of the responses required in the event of
emergency being detected through the telecare equipment.
This type of service would provide support to
those people recently discharged from hospital, those requiring
rehabilitation or re-ablement services and those who have long term
conditions.
Every Tele-V Plus package would be different
according to the user’s needs, utilising various sensor components
and responses according to the assessed needs and the available
information network for that individual. Examples of items in
this package were:
·
bed occupancy monitor;
·
nocturnal epilepsy monitor;
·
enuresis detector; and
·
fall detector.
The introduction of this service would reduce
expenditure for Social Services in the long term by:
·
reducing the level of home care support required and admissions to
residential care
·
reducing the number of responses to emergencies
·
enabling the development of a cost effective way to manage risk in
the community.
The introduction of a Telecare Service would
enable individuals to remain within their own homes and maintain
their independence for as long as possible.
It was proposed that a Tele-V Service should
start in October 2007. All current VCAS users would be
offered the opportunity to upgrade their current service to the
Tele-V Service. From October 2007 the Tele-V package would be
the basic service offered to any new applicants.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the proposed development of the Tele-V and Tele-V Plus Services
be approved.
(2) T H A
T the proposals for charging for the service as outlined in the
report be approved.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
develop services and promote independence among vulnerable groups
in the Vale of Glamorgan.
(2) To
ensure the financial long term viability of the Telecare
Service.
C3179
CONSULTATION ON THE LEARNER TRAVEL (WALES) MEASURE (DEER & DLD)
(SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT) -
Cabinet were advised of a consultation
document received from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) which
presented draft proposals for a Learner Travel (Wales) Assembly
Measure which was intended to replace provisions in the Education
Act 1996 (as amended). A summary of the proposals was
attached as Appendix 1 to the report.
The report before Cabinet also provided a
response to the Welsh Assembly Government’s consultation questions
as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.
In January 2007, Cabinet were advised of WAG’s
intention to issue new guidance in accordance with new powers they
received under the Education and Inspections Act 2006. One of
the new powers provided by the National Assembly for Wales
(Legislative Competence) (Conversion of Framework Powers) Order
2007 which converted Section 178(1)(i) of the Education and
Inspections Act 2006 enabled the National Assembly for Wales to
make law for “travel of persons receiving primary, secondary or
further education or training to and from the schools or other
places”. This provision reflected the greater legislative
competence that the National Assembly had possessed after the
changes made by the Government of Wales Act 2006 and which took
effect following the 2007 Assembly elections.
In June 2007, WAG issued a consultation on the
Learner Travel (Wales) Measure in accordance with their new powers
and were requesting feedback on the content of same by
29th September, 2007.
Cabinet noted that there were restrictions on
the National Assembly’s scope to make a measure for learner travel
and they could not legislate for matters which are the
responsibility of the Department for Transport, for example,
vehicle standards and licensing, vehicle inspection, seating
arrangements such as the “3 for 2 concession”, seatbelts, driver
licensing, etc.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the contents of the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure document be
noted.
(2) T H A
T the Council’s response to the document as attached at Appendix 2
to the report be endorsed and issued to WAG prior to
29th September, 2007.
(3) T H A
T, if necessary, the Urgent Decision Procedure under Article 13.09
of the Constitution be implemented to authorise the Director of
Environmental and Economic Regeneration to issue the response to
WAG in advance of the deadline for comments as referred to in
Resolution 2 above.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) To ensure that the Vale of
Glamorgan has every opportunity to contribute to a fair and
consistent approach in providing school transport in the Vale of
Glamorgan.
(3) To
respond to the deadline set by WAG.
C3180
FLOODING - COUNCIL TAX - EXEMPTIONS, DISCOUNTS AND RELIEF (DFICTP)
(SCRUTINY - CORPORATE RESOURCES) -
Members were apprised of the position
regarding Council tax in relation to the flooding instant on
20th July, 2007.
Under Council tax legislation, exemptions and
discounts were available, as follows:
·
vacant properties undergoing structural alterations or major repair
- exempt for up to 12 months so long as they are substantially
unfurnished
·
vacant properties which are substantially unfurnished - exempt for
up to 6 months
·
vacant properties which are substantially unfurnished - properties
may receive a discount of 50% for a further 6 months after this
exemption
·
vacant properties which are not substantially unfurnished - 50%
reduction whilst property remains vacant.
Clearly some residents affected by the flood
may be eligible for exemptions and discounts if their properties
fell into the above categories.
Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2003
inserted a new section (13(a)) into the Local Government Finance
Act 1992 which allowed councils broad discretion to reduce the
amount of Council tax payable for a dwelling, to such extent as
they thought fit. Sub-section (2) of the section provided
that this may include reducing the amount payable in respect of any
day to nil.
Authorities may exercise this power in
individual cases or they may determine classes of case in which
liability is to be reduced. This power may be applied where
applicants do not meet the criteria for granting of a discount or
exemption, but merit a reduction.
Where applicants are eligible for exemptions
and discounts, these would be granted under delegated authority, on
the basis of the claim. The properties would be subject to an
investigation by the Council tax visiting officer.
Where applicants were not eligible for
exemptions and discounts, it was for Cabinet to consider the merits
of each application taking into account the effects of its decision
in the interest of all Council tax payers. Any such cases
would be subject to a further report to Cabinet.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED - T H A T the action taken by the
Council Tax Section in granting the relevant discounts and
exemptions be noted.
Reason for decision
To keep Members informed.
C3181
COMPLAINTS OF MALADMINISTRATION AGAINST THE COUNCIL (MO) (SCRUTINY
- VARIOUS) -
RESOLVED - T H A T the details of the outcome
of investigations conducted by the Commissioner for Local
Administration in Wales into allegations of maladministration
against the Council be noted.
C3182
CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO
31ST JULY, 2007 (CMT) (SCRUTINY - ALL) -
Cabinet were advised of progress on the
2007/08 Capital Programme for the period 1st April, 2007
to 31st July, 2007 and, where necessary, considered
requests for changes to the Programme.
Financial progress on the Capital Programme as
at 31st July, 2007 was detailed in Appendix 1 to the
report.
Director of Learning and
Development -
Attendance Management System - the Council had
received a grant in the sum of £41,971 for continuation of the
procurement of the Attendance Management System. This funding
had been reflected in Appendix 1 to the report.
Director of Environment and Economic
Regeneration -
Coastal Access Improvement Programme 2007-10 -
grant funding from the Countryside Commission for Wales had been
approved for various items of work relating to coastal access
improvements. The allocation must be spent by February
2008. Of the total grant allocation of £147,000 the sum of
£109,000 related to capital improvements and as such it was
requested that the Capital Programme be increased by
£109,000.
Civic Amenity Sites - a grant of £18,000 had
been received from Valpak Retail WEEE Services for the recycling
centres at Sully and Llandow. The money had been granted for
works required to adapt existing facilities required to be
recognised as a “designated collection facility” under the UK Waste
Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive.
Alley Gates - additional work to the value of
£50,000 was required under the Alley Gates Initiative to carry out
works at Buttrills and Cadoc Wards. This would be funded from
the Visible Services Maintenance Fund. It was requested that
Capital Programme be increased accordingly.
Transport Grant - a sum of £447,000 was
included in the 2007/08 Capital Programme for completion of works
at Barry Central Station, of which £402,000 was anticipated to have
been funded via Transport Grant. However, when the Transport
Grant settlement for 2007/08 was awarded, there was no funding for
the completion of this scheme. WAG had since approved a
transfer of grant in 2007/08 to the Barry Central Station Scheme
from the Merrie Harrier Gyratory Scheme. The new proposed
budgets to be included in the Capital Programme were:
Barry Central
Station
£535,000
Merrie Harrier Gyratory
£ 10,000
As the total cost of the Barry Central Station
scheme was likely however still to exceed the proposed current
budget, a further request had been made to WAG for additional
funds. A decision from WAG was awaited and Cabinet would be
advised once a reply was received.
It was requested that Cabinet agree the scheme
entitled “Commercial Quarter Planning Brief Plot A” be renamed
“Innovation Quarter Planning Brief / Feasibility / Surveys” which
would include a structural survey of an existing retaining wall at
the rear of the pump house building adjacent to Plot A. There
was no change to the scope of the project and the budget of £5,000
was still sufficient.
Director of Legal, Public Protection
and Housing Services -
Major Repairs Allowance - the Chief Executive
emergency powers had recently been exercised to increase the budget
for the window replacement contract within the Major Repairs
Allowance by £150,000 and reduce the Voids Budget
accordingly. It was requested that, in future, the power to
vire between schemes within the Major Repairs Allowance be
delegated to the Director of Finance, ICT and Property in
consultation with the Leader.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1)
T H A T the following changes to the 2007/08 Capital Programme be
approved:
·
Coastal Access Improvement Programme 2007-10 - increase the budget
by £109,000, funded by a CCW grant.
·
Civic Amenity Site Adaptation Works - increase the budget by
£18,000, funded by a VALPAK grant.
·
Alley Gates - increase the budget by £50,000, funded from the
Visible Services Maintenance fund.
·
Transport grant - reduce the budget on Merrie Harrier Gyratory
Scheme to £10,000 and increase the Barry Central Station Scheme to
£535,000.
·
Commercial Quarter planning brief Plot A - changing title of the
Scheme to “Innovation Quarter Planning Brief / Feasibility /
Surveys”.
(2) T H A
T the power to vire between schemes within the Major Repairs
Allowance be delegated to the Director of Finance, ICT and Property
in consultation with the Leader.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
allow schemes to be undertaken in this financial year.
(2)
To allow the efficient management of the Major Repairs Allowance
grant.
C3183
REVENUE MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO
31ST JULY, 2007 (CMT) (SCRUTINY - ALL) -
Cabinet were advised of the progress of
revenue expenditure for the period 1st April, 2007
to 31st July, 2007.
The projected outturn for the 2007/08 Revenue
Budget was shown in comparison with the Revenue Budget at Appendix
1 to the report. The current forecast was for a deficit of
£2,539,000 on the General Fund and a surplus of £215,000 on the
Housing Revenue account. It was reported that a deficit on
the General Fund would be eliminated if Social Services achieved
their target in reducing their overspend.
Education Service - although there were a
number of pressures on the service, it was currently projected that
there would be savings of £267,000 at the year end. This
would be used to fund overspends elsewhere in the Directorate.
Learning and Development - a review of the
service indicated that the anticipated savings were not accruing
and that there was a potential adverse variance of £147,000.
This was due to delay in starting the new learning programmes to
the economically inactive and the low enrolments over the summer
period (£51,000), unbudgeted premises costs at the Heritage Skills
Centre (£9,000) and the uncertainty of future funding sources of
the Vale Learning Network (£87,000). Actions would be
implemented in an effort to reduce this figure and consequently
reduce the support needed from the Strategy and Performance
Budget. Any variations would be reported in future monitoring
reports. It was reported that reports would be brought before
a future Cabinet concerning the Heritage Skills Centre and Vale
Learning Network.
Catering - this service was now projected to
outturn with an adverse variance of £120,000. This was due to
the reduced meal numbers not recovering to the previous levels and
additional cost pressures on food and staff resources resulting
from the implementation of Welsh Assembly nutritional
guidelines. The service was currently being reviewed in order
to achieve a balanced budget.
Projecting the outturn figures for 2006/07 for
Social Services, and using information on current commitments, the
budget was projected to outturn with a deficit of £2,539,000.
Actions had been identified to be taken to achieve savings of
£2,000,000, further actions would be required to achieve a balanced
budget. Monitoring of the budget would be regularly reported
so that the effectiveness of the proposals could be assessed and
reflected in the outturn figures. Any further problems or
cost pressures identified would require remedial action to be
taken.
The probable outturn for Children’s Services,
which reflected the level of the one off uplift and efficiencies
allocated to this service, was currently showing a deficit of
£379,000 which was unchanged from last month’s figures.
The Community Care and Health Service was
projected to outturn with a deficit of £2,160,000 at year
end. This reflected the continued pressures on community care
packages and that all the actions included in the Change Plan had
not as yet impacted on the projections. The main areas of
spend that needed to be controlled and monitored in order to bring
expenditure within budget were, community care packages, managing
delayed transfer of care from hospital, supported housing contract
and staffing budgets. In addition to the projected figures,
there was additional pressure resulting from the increase in the
cost of residential care which could amount to as much as
£2,600,000 in a full financial year. Managing the situation
would be extremely difficult, however every effort would be made to
ensure that the impact was minimised as far as possible for Social
Services clients.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED - T H A T the position with regard to
the Authority’s 2007/08 Revenue Budget be noted.
Reason for decision
That the Members are aware of the projected
revenue outturn for 2007/08.
C3184
DRAFT IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2007/08 (CX) (SCRUTINY - ALL) -
Cabinet received the draft Improvement Plan
2007/08, which contained performance and improvement information
for all Directorates and Corporate Plan priorities.
The draft Plan contained all available
performance information required by the Welsh Assembly Government,
and several local indicators that measured corporate
priorities. This performance information would be used by the
Wales Audit Office to assess the Council’s ability to improve, and
therefore was of critical importance to the reputation of the
Council.
The Plan was continually evolving as
information was provided by managers, and was not yet fully
complete. This information would need to be included prior to
the final draft being presented to Council in early October.
The Improvement Plan formed a part of the
Policy Framework and was required to be agreed by the Council.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the Improvement Plan for 2007/08 as currently drafted be
endorsed.
(2) T H A
T the Chief Executive be authorised to finalise the Plan in
consultation with the Leader.
(3) T H A
T the final Plan be submitted to Council for approval.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
ensure that actions are taken to improve services.
(2&3) To agree the Plan for external
audit within required timescales.
C3185
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 items of business on the grounds
that they involve 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.
C3186
BARRY REGENERATION PARTNERSHIP - PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FUND 2007/08
(DEER) (EXEMPT INFORMATION - PARAGRAPH 14) (SCRUTINY - ECONOMY AND
ENVIRONMENT) -
Cabinet was asked to approve schemes for the
current financial year, and consider the funding implications for
the Barry Regeneration Partnership Project Development Fund 2007/08
which was used for feasibility, design and project management work
and where appropriate to lever in external grants.
There was an unallocated capital sum of
£225,000 in the 2007/08 Barry Regeneration Partnership
budget. This capital sum was supplemented by £93,000 for the
2006/07 schemes carried forward into 2007/08. This money was
already committed.
Due to excessive demands on this capital
allocation, Council officers had sought assurances from the Welsh
Assembly Government officials in the Department for the Economy and
Transport that additional funding would be brought forward if
required. Whilst it was prudent to continue to seek
assurances from WAG on this matter, it was essential that approval
be given for certain schemes to commence in the interim, for the
following reasons:
(a) To
ensure that funding commitments are honoured.
(b) To
undertake essential project management, feasibility and design work
to ensure that the Council benefited from future external funding
opportunities.
It was therefore requested that approval be
given to use the unallocated capital sum of £225,000 to fund a
number of schemes in 2007/08.
In the event of slippage or unexpected
circumstances in respect of the schemes listed in the report, it
was requested that approval be given to seek additional funds from
WAG and other relevant funding providers for a number of further
schemes.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the schemes identified in paragraph 6 of the report and
associated expenditure be approved.
(2) T H A
T the schemes identified in paragraph 7 of the report be approved
subject to the success of funding bids to WAG and other applicable
funding providers and that a separate report be submitted to
Cabinet to accept the terms and conditions of grant should this
funding bid be successful.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
allow schemes to be undertaken in this financial year.
(2) To
access available grant opportunities and to comply with the
Council’s financial procedures.
C3187
CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: BUSINESS PARK (DEER & DFICTP)
(EXEMPT INFORMATION - PARAGRAPHS 12, 13 AND 14) (SCRUTINY -
CORPORATE RESOURCES) -
Agreement was sought in principle to allow the
owners of the Airport, TBI Airports, to call for expressions of
interest in the Business Park, and for the Council to enter
negotiations for the potential sale of the site.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T “in principle” agreement be given to TBI Airports for the seeking
of and subsequent appointment of a Development and Funding Partner
for the Airport Business Park subject to appropriate terms and
conditions being agreed.
(2) T H A
T authority be granted to the Director of Finance, ICT and Property
in consultation with the Director of Environmental and Economic
Regeneration and the Deputy Leader to enter negotiations (including
appointment of external valuation consultants) with TBI Airports
for the potential sale of the Council’s interest in the land, and
if appropriate, to instruct the Director of Legal, Public
Protection and Housing Services to draft and complete all necessary
documentation to complete the sale.
(3) T H A
T TBI Airports be required to cover the Council’s legal, estates
and other associated costs in this matter.
Reasons for decisions
(1&2) To facilitate development of this
key employment site.
(3) To
offset any Council expenditure.
C3188
SCHOOL INVESTMENT STRATEGY - CONSULTANT PROJECT DESIGN TEAM (DFICTP
AND HOSSPPLD) (EXEMPT INFORMATION - PARAGRAPH 21) (SCRUTINY -
CORPORATE RESOURCES) -
Approval was sought for the appointment of the
Consultant Project Design Team to progress the School Investment
Strategy.
Selection of the Consultant Project Design
Team had been undertaken in accordance with relevant Council
contract standing orders and financial regulations, European
legislation and in consultation with the Procurement Team.
The tender brief was prepared in liaison with the Corporate Project
Management Unit.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED -
(1) T H A
T the exemption of contract standing orders and the subsequent
selection of Davis Langdon as the Consultant Project Design Team be
approved.
(2) T H A
T delegated authority be granted to the Director of Learning and
Development in consultation with the Director of Finance, ICT and
Property, Cabinet Member for Education and Training and Deputy
Leader to award the various elements of the tender, as required,
subject to the costs being within the Capital Programme.
Reasons for decisions
(1) To
progress the School Investment Strategy.
(2) To
ensure that the commission for the Consultant Project Design Team
can be properly scoped.
C3189
PENARTH CENTRAL RENEWAL AREA: GROUP REPAIR PHASE 5A - APPOINTMENT
OF CONTRACTORS (DLPPHS) (EXEMPT INFORMATION - PARAGRAPH 9)
(SCRUTINY - COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND SAFETY) -
Consent was sought for the appointment of
contractors to undertake Phase 5A of the Group Repair Programme in
the Penarth Central Renewal Area.
This was a matter for Executive decision.
RESOLVED - T H A T, subject to the contractor
providing a satisfactory health and safety plan for the
construction stage and the required Performance Bond, the tender of
£356,720 from Willis Construction Ltd. be accepted and that the
Council enter into a contract with them to undertake Phase 5A of
the Group Repair Programme for the Penarth Central Renewal
Area.
Reason for decision
To enable progress of the Group Repair
Programme and the Penarth Central Renewal Area Strategy
2004-2008.