Agenda for Cabinet (pre 2012) on Thursday, 22nd July, 2010, 4.00pm
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Agenda, decisions and minutes
- Attendance details
- Agenda frontsheet
PDF 217 KB
- Agenda reports pack
- Items 51 & 52 New Historical Records Office and Resource Centre (The Keep) – Project update, funding arrangements and future delivery PDF 258 KB
- Addendum PDF 267 KB
- Supplementary Agenda Item: Item 48 An Academy at Portslade Community College: Submission of the Expression of Interest PDF 296 KB
- Supplementary Agenda Item: Item 43 In-Year Government grant reductions PDF 423 KB
- Items 42A and 43A Draft Extracts from OSC PDF 226 KB
- Printed decisions
PDF 151 KB
- Printed minutes
PDF 121 KB
Venue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall
Contact: Tanya Massey, Senior Democratic Services Officer
Media
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Procedural Business
(b) Exclusion of Press and Public - To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading either that it is confidential or the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the categories of exempt information is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls. Additional documents: Minutes: 31a Declarations of Interest
31a.1 Councillor Randall declared a personal, but non-prejudicial, interest in item 43, an report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning in-year government grant reductions, as his grandson had been involved in making a application to the Youth Capital Fund.
31a.2 Councillor Brown declared a personal, but non-prejudicial, interest in item 43 due to her role as a Board member of Creating Futures.
31b Exclusion of Press and Public
31b.1 In accordance with section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (‘the Act’), it was considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during an item of business on the grounds that it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press or public were present during that item, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information (as defined in section 100A(3) of the Act) or exempt information (as defined in section 100I(1) of the Act).
31b.2 RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of item 52 onwards.
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Minutes of the previous meeting Minutes of the Meeting held on 17 June 2010 (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 32.1 RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2010 be approved as a correct record. |
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Chairman's Communications Additional documents: Minutes: 33.1 The Chairman noted that the meeting would be webcast.
33.2 The Chairman advised that a number of the reports on the agenda related to the economic challenges facing the council and how they would be managed and mitigated in order to work towards the priority of developing and maintaining a sustainable economy.
33.3 The Chairman reported that Unison had announced that they would be balloting council staff on strike action in September. She stated that while she understood that such decisions were carefully considered, the Administration could envisage no alternative to in-year grant reductions proposed.
33.4 33.4 The Chairman advised that, despite the economic challenges ahead, the council would do everything it could to maintain its reputation as an innovator and leading council, and that recent ‘Transport Authority of the Year’ and ‘Recruitment Partnership’ awards demonstrated this commitment. |
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Items reserved for discussion (a) Items reserved by the Cabinet Members
(b) Items reserved by the Opposition Spokesperson
(c) Items reserved by Members, with the agreement of the Chairman.
NOTE: Public Questions, Written Questions from Councillors, Petitions, Deputations, Letters from Councillors and Notices of Motion will be reserved automatically. Additional documents: Minutes: 34.1 RESOLVED – That all the items be reserved for discussion. |
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Petitions No petitions received by date of publication.
Additional documents: Minutes: 35.1 Councillor West had submitted a petition, which had been referred from Council on 15 July, signed by 727 people concerning discretionary rate relief for Community Base.
35.2 Councillor West was unable to attend the meeting.
35.3 RESOLVED – That the petition be noted and a written response be provided. |
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(The closing date for receipt of public questions is 12 noon on 15 July 2010)
(copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 22.1 The Chairman reported that two public questions had been received.
22.2 Ms Lisa Boyland asked the following question:
“Will Brighton & Hove City Council be spending the allocated money from the Playbuilder funding on our play park behind St Cuthman’s Church in the centre of Whitehawk?"
22.3 Councillor Theobald gave the following response:
“We had every intention of spending the Playbuilder grant funding as planned on 11 play areas in the city in most need of funding. This includes the play area behind St Cuthman’s Church in Whitehawk. We have been working hard to complete consultations and designs in recent months with a view to commencing construction shortly.
However on 15 July the Department of Education sent a letter to all authorities in receipt of this grant funding instructing them to suspend all projects at this stage pending a spending review.
At this stage the Department for Education has not given any time-scales on a final decision regarding the grant but officers will keep communities informed of any developments.”
22.1 Ms Boyland asked the following supplementary question:
“It’s not good enough, we have no safe local park; what do we have to do to get funding for the play park?”
36.5 Councillor Theobald gave the following response:
“We will do all we can to persuade the government to give us the money, but there has been a stop on funding for many projects. The first raft of parks went through and we could not have predicted this would happen. We will do all we can.”
36.6 The Chairman added that the council would be willing to produce a letter to send to the government that all residents could sign and would lobby the government on their behalf.
36.7 Councillor Theobald added that residents could also lobby East Brighton Trust for funding.
36.8 Ms Sally Polanski, Chief Executive of the Community & Voluntary Sector Forum (CVSF), asked the following question:
"What has been the impact assessment of the proposed cuts to Third Sector grants?"
36.9 The Chairman gave the following response:
“Thank you for meeting with Councillor Simson; I know that you have both been working hard in your roles with the Voluntary Sector. You may be aware that Full Council agreed for Overview & Scrutiny to consider the proposals at their meeting last Tuesday and I will be calling Councillor Mitchell in later when we get to that item because I know there were some recommendations about the impact and looking further into that.
In-year cuts are dramatic because we’ve already gone through the budget process, but we recognise, particularly with the Voluntary Sector, the difficulties caused by immediate cuts. We were very mindful around the Youth Capital Fund, particularly as this is a grant that children and young adults worked on to draw in match funding, of the effects that it would have right across the city. There are other parts where we were concerned about the immediate impact, particularly in the Voluntary Sector and around cuts to Connexions Services, which Councillor Brown will talk about later.
Although it’s been extremely difficult for us to take in-year cuts, we’ve been very mindful to ensure that the hits are not dramatic. We’re working with you on this and particular care is needed around the issue of grants that have been un-ringfenced; much was made of the opportunity to move money around, but we were very careful, specifically around Aids/HIV, to ensure that we protected those services.
It is an ongoing process, which doesn’t stop here. We don’t know what our area-based grant will be later in the year, but I know that Councillor Simson is committed and keen to ensure that she works with communities to take things forward in a transparent way so there are no surprises and that anything that we have to do is talked through with the Voluntary Sector.”
36.6 Councillor Simson stated that the council needed to work closely with the Voluntary Sector to monitor the impact of the grant reductions and she reported that meetings had already taken place with a number of groups. The council had been mindful and careful to ensure that the impact on the Voluntary Sector was as small as possible.
36.7 Ms Polanski asked the following supplementary question:
“I very much welcome your response and I welcome the opportunity dialogue and I know that there is appreciation within the sector for the Youth Opportunities Fund and the Youth Capital Fund having been protected this year. For the larger contracts that the council holds, often with private sectors, it might be assumed that the legalities and the scale of those contracts would make it harder for the council to terminate those contracts than it might be for some Third Sector organisation contracts. I would ask that consideration is given to the Compact Code of Practice around Third Sector funding and commissioning and what that requires from the council, likewise impact equality assessments and public law, so that due consideration be given to those areas as well the legalities of larger private sector provided contracts, and also that service users are consulted as to what services they value most when decisions are being made.”
36.8 The Chairman gave the following response:
“Communication is absolutely the key; through Councillor Simson we need to ensure that we engage and that everything is taken through the Voluntary Sector. We will also explore the possibility of incorporating priority schemes into next years budget planning to put things on a much firmed footing. As you can appreciate, in-year cuts is quite a difficult process to go through.”
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(The closing date for receipt of deputations is 12 noon on 15 July 2010)
(a) Deputation concerning the Youth Capital Fund and 15th Brighton Scout Group (copy attached).
(b) Deputation concerning the Youth Capital Fund and Sounds Enterprising (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: 37.1 The Chairman reported that two deputations had been received, but that the second one had been withdrawn.
37.2 The Cabinet considered a deputation presented by Mr Duncan Hill concerning the Youth Capital Fund application by 15th Brighton Scout Group. Mr Hill explained the importance of the grant funding to the Scout Group and what it would enable them to achieve. He called for the council to honour the awards made and maintain good communication with the Voluntary Sector and community groups across the city at all times.
37.3 The Chairman stated that the Youth Capital Fund was very important for young people across the city. The council was very conscious that, by cutting its share, the opportunity for joint funding would cease to exist and so made the decision to protect the fund. The council recognised the work of young people and organisations across the city of putting bids together and understood the concerns raised. The Chairman gave assurances that the organisations would receive the funding that had been awarded.
37.4 RESOLVED – That the deputation be noted. |
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Letters from Councillors (The closing date for receipt of letters from Councillors is 10.00am on 12 July 2010)
No letters have been received. Additional documents: Minutes: 38.1 There were none. |
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Written Questions from Councillors (The closing date for receipt of written questions from Councillors is 10.00am on 12 July 2010)
No written questions have been received. Additional documents: Minutes: 39.1 There were none. |
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Notices of Motion No Notices of Motion have been referred.
Additional documents: Minutes: 40.1 There were none. |
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Budget Process and Budget Update 2011/12
Report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet notes the resource and expenditure projections for 2011/12 set out in table 3, paragraph 3.30.
(2) That Cabinet instructs Directors and relevant Cabinet Members to produce budget strategies to provide their services within the indicative cash limits as set out in appendix 1.
(3) That Cabinet instructs Directors to demonstrate 4% efficiency savings within their budget strategies.
(4) That Cabinet notes the resource projections for the capital investment programme as shown in appendix 2.
(5) That Cabinet agrees the timetable for budget reports set out in paragraph 3.55 Minutes: 41.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning the budget framework for 2011/12 including the latest budget forecasts, the provisional cash limits for each service and the proposed timetable for setting a balanced budget before 11 March 2011.
41.2 Councillor Hamilton stated that he was pleased that the anticipated overspend had become an underspend and made the following comments:
§ There were concerns about the impact of changes to the housing benefit system on the council’s ability to raise income through the Local Delivery Vehicle (LDV) § Much of the Dedicated Schools Grant appeared to have been spent on non-schools items and in 2008/09 £434,000 had not been spent at all. § He noted the projected overspend of £2.3 million and was concerned that £1m of the budget had already been earmarked to meet, but he recognised that the situation may change by the end of the year. § He noted the equal pay reserve of £13.3m and added that he hoped it would be sufficient to meet the demands. § There were concerns over how the Children & Young People’s Trust (CYPT) and Adult Social Care (ASC) would be able to achieve the required savings without there being an impact on services. § The Budget Review Group was continuing to meet in the run up to the budget process. § He advised that if would be difficult to achieve the £21.1 million of savings required, but that he hoped the necessary information would be forthcoming in good time for the council to set the budget including the council’s basic grant figure.
41.3 In response to a query from Councillor Hamilton about housing benefit and the LDV, Councillor Caulfield explained the council had planned for the reductions in housing benefit and that it was not expected to affect the viability of the LDV.
41.4 Councillor Fallon-Khan stated that the Administration had pledged to make ‘better use of public money’ and had achieved £10 million worth of savings already.
41.5 Councillor Randall advised that the LDV should not be affected by the changes to housing benefit given that existing arrangements for leaseholders would remain unchanged, however, the changes were a concern because of the council’s reliance on housing benefit. He also highlighted the cuts made to the capital programme and funding for schemes left unfinished as a result of the recession, and called for transparency during the budget process.
41.6 Councillor Mitchell called for the council to write to the Secretary of State for a quick decision on changes to the housing subsidy system and advised that changes to housing benefit should be considered alongside cuts to other benefits in order to monitor the cumulative effect.
41.7 Councillor Caulfield reported that the Leader of the Council had already met with the Minister for Housing and been sufficiently reassured; national schemes had been scaled down in order to move towards the self-financing model, under which the council would be better off, and funding given to the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) would be redirected to local authorities. Work had begun, with tenants attending the first meeting of the Buildings Group which was pushing forward redevelopment of the Ainsworth House site to build the first council housing in over 30 years.
41.8 Councillor Brown explained that a small proportion of the Dedicated Schools Grant was kept back to fund various services that were provided to the schools had to be agreed by the Schools Forum. She gave assurances that the schools did receive the money, but sometimes in different ways.
41.9 Councillor Young advised that the council was in a better position than some local authorities as a direct result of the Value for Money Programme.
41.10 RESOLVED – That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the resource and expenditure projections for 2011/12 set out in table 3, paragraph 3.30 be noted.
(2) That Directors and relevant Cabinet Members be instructed to produce budget strategies to provide their services within the indicative cash limits as set out in appendix 1.
(3) That Directors to be instructed to demonstrate 4% efficiency savings within their budget strategies.
(4) That the resource projections for the capital investment programme as shown in appendix 2 be noted.
(5) That the timetable for budget reports set out in paragraph 3.55 be agreed. |
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Targeted Budget Management 2010/11 and VFM Update Report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That the Cabinet notes the provisional outturn position for the General Fund.
(2) That the Cabinet notes the provisional outturn for the Section 75 Partnerships and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for 2010/11.
(3) That Cabinet approves the budget virement on the Dedicated Schools Grant of £0.434 million as set out in Appendix 1.
(4) That Cabinet notes the position on the Value for Money programme. Minutes: 42.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning the council’s revenue forecast outturn position as at month two and providing an update on the Value for Money work programme.
42.2 Councillor Randall commented that the report highlighted the challenge facing the council given the existing pressures on areas such as the CYPT, which would only increase in the future.
42.3 Councillor Young acknowledged the challenges ahead and added that the council had tackled the previous overspend and hoped to do so again.
42.4 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the provisional outturn position for the General Fund be noted.
(2) That the provisional outturn for the Section 75 Partnerships and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for 2010/11 be noted.
(3) That the budget virement on the Dedicated Schools Grant of £0.434 million as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.
(4) That the position on the Value for Money programme be noted. |
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2010/11 In-Year Government grant reductions
Report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet notes the comments made by Council on 15th July and how they have been considered in the preparation of this report.
(2) That Cabinet agrees the expenditure reductions set out in paragraphs 3.14 – 3.21 required by the in-year grant reductions announced by the government.
(3) That Cabinet agrees the use of alternative sources of funding as set out in Appendix 1.
(4) That Cabinet agrees the Children and Young People Cabinet Member Meeting make decisions as required on changes to the Education capital programme as a result of the End Year Flexibility reductions.
(5) That Cabinet agrees the Environment Cabinet Member Meeting make decisions as required on changes to the Environment capital programme as a result of the End Year Flexibility reductions for the Playbuilder programme. Minutes: 43.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning the in-year grant reductions, principles for dealing with the reductions and a timetable for decision making.
43.2 Council Mitchell reported that the Overview & Scrutiny Commission had agreed to set up panel to monitor the societal impact of the reductions. She stated that could not support the reductions and in particular the impact on jobs, services for young people and cuts to road safety and transport budgets. She called for the council to use its £7m contingency fund to protect jobs and services.
43.3 Councillor Watkins asked for the scrutiny panel to begin its work immediately and continue to meet throughout the summer period. He advised that Members did not feel fully informed and that by using the scrutiny panel as an aid, transparency and balance would be achieved.
43.4 Councillor Randall suggested that the wider community be asked to contribute to the work of the scrutiny panel. He welcomed the decision to protect the grant funding for HIV/Aids work, but raised concerns about the impact of cuts on the safety of pedestrians and the pressure on schools to deliver services that had been cut. He advised that job cuts would lead to increased pressure on services.
43.5 Councillor Young explained that the council had been forced to make difficult decisions to ensure the long-term protection of services, but had been mindful of minimising the impact on the Voluntary Sector.
43.6 Councillor Hamilton stated that it was not appropriate to impose grant reductions during a council year and that a more in depth debate should have taken place at Full Council. He was concerned that the information had been provided in a piecemeal way from central government and sought assurances that no further cuts would be proposed.
43.7 In response to questions from Councillor Mitchell, the Director of Finance & Resources explained that the Woodingdean Crossroads scheme would be funded from the sale of a capital receipt, however, as the amount to be raised was not yet certain, funding had been earmarked in the coastal protection budget. She advised the first call on reserves would be tackle any overspend and that it was too early to determine whether it would be required.
43.8 Councillor Smith reported that the council and the Primary Care Trust (PCT) had agreed to continue funding the free swimming initiative until the end of the summer holidays and it would continue for those aged 11 years and under until the end of the financial year.
43.9 Councillor Caulfield advised that the housing management 10 year repairs contract would save the council £150 million over ten years, whilst creating opportunities for residents, such as apprenticeships, and providing a better service for tenants.
43.10 In response to a query from Councillor Mitchell in relation to the funding of the Woodingdean Crossroads scheme, the Chairman agreed to ask officers to look into the possibility of releasing the Local Transport Plan money for use on other schemes given that it would have to spent within the designated timescales.
43.11 Councillor Fallon-Khan stated that the council had been put in a difficult position as a result of the previous government’s increased borrowing and that the Administration did not agree with raising council tax in order to tackle the problem. He advised that the council had invested in projects that would save money in the long-term and would continue to find innovative ways to get the most from the services provided.
43.12 Councillor Brown explained that it had been necessary to prioritise needs in order to minimise the effect of cuts of young people. In relation to the cuts to Connexions, some parts of the service would be funded directly by schools. She advised that the effect on organisations had been carefully considered, but that some jobs would be affected and each organisation would have a process to follow with regard to this.
She reported that funding for the proposed Academy at Portslade Community College was currently being reviewed and the council hoped to know more by the end of the month.
43.13 Councillor Theobald advised that essential road safety schemes would be deferred to future years and that the pedestrian scheme on the Old Shoreham Road, along with other schemes, would go ahead as planned. The street lighting and the bridges and structures budgets had also been protected, along with the majority of the highways budget.
43.14 The Chairman reiterated that the council had difficult challenges to face and that grant reductions were inevitable. She thanked the officers for putting together the report and advised that the council had a responsibility to its staff and partner organisations to move forward; everything possible had been done to minimise the effect of voluntary groups and service users.
43.15 Councillor Simson added that it was appropriate to evaluate the Connexions service to determine which parts delivered the most benefit to young people before deciding how to use the remaining funding.
43.16 Councillor Young stated that every effort had been made to minimise the impact of the reductions, but that it had not been an easy task.
43.17 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the comments made by Council on 15 July and how they had been considered in the preparation of the report be noted.
(2) That the expenditure reductions set out in paragraphs 3.15 – 3.22 required by the in-year grant reductions announced by the government be agreed.
(3) That the use of alternative sources of funding as set out in Appendix 1 be agreed.
(4) That agreement be given for the Children and Young People Cabinet Member Meeting to make decisions as required on changes to the Education capital programme as a result of the End Year Flexibility reductions.
(5) That agreement be given for the Environment Cabinet Member Meeting to make decisions as required on changes to the Environment capital programme as a result of the End Year Flexibility reductions for the Playbuilder programme. |
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Report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet:
(a) endorses the action taken during the second half year to meet the treasury management policy statement and practices (including the annual investment strategy); and
(b) notes the authorised limit and operational boundary set by the Council have not been exceeded. Minutes: 44.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning the action taken during the second half of the financial year 2009/2010 on the Treasury Management Policy Statement (TMPS), including the investment strategy.
44.2 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That Cabinet the action taken during the second half year to meet the treasury management policy statement and practices (including the annual investment strategy) be endorsed.
(2) That it be noted that the authorised limit and operational boundary set by the Council had not been exceeded. |
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Creating A Council the City Deserves…an update on the Transformation Programme Report of the Chief Executive (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet note progress made in the “Creating A Council the City Deserves” Programme and notes that key decisions will next be required at the September/October Cabinet meeting. Minutes: 45.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Chief Executive updating member of the Intelligent Commissioning, Customer Experience and Public Engagement strands of the transformation programme.
45.2 Councillor Mitchell stated that the programme was proceeding despite considerable uncertainty about how it would operate and raised concerns about the timing, the types of services that would result and who would deliver them. She commented that there had been no opportunity to evaluate alternative models and that the plans should be delayed until after the local elections in 2011.
45.3 Councillor Randall echoed Councillor Mitchell’s comments in relation to the timing of the transformation and added that he was concerned about the associated costs. He stated that he believed the proposals would lead to privatisation.
45.4 The Chairman explained that many local authorities were in the process of changing their way of working and that interesting debates had taken places at the Local Government Association (LGA) Conference; the council need to make significant changes to ensure that it could continue to deliver for the city.
45.5 Councillor Watkins advised that his Group’s position on the proposals had not changed and that it was not the appropriate time to proceed with such dramatic change.
45.6 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That progress made in the “Creating A Council the City Deserves” Programme be noted and that it be noted that key decisions would next be required at the September/October Cabinet meeting. |
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Volunteering Strategy for Brighton & Hove - 'Joining the Dots' Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet formally adopts the city Volunteering Strategy, following the lead of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) in March 2010.
(2) That Cabinet notes that an action plan and an equalities impact assessment (EIA) are now being developed and will be completed by the autumn of 2010 to support implementation of the Volunteering Strategy. Minutes: 46.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance concerning a comprehensive Volunteering Strategy designed to increase the quantity and quality of volunteering opportunities in Brighton & Hove.
46.2 Councillor Mitchel welcomed the proposals, which would be beneficial to organisations and individuals, and help reduce loneliness and mental health problems. She warned that volunteering could not be used in place of jobs.
46.3 Councillor Randall echoed Councillor Mitchell’s remarks and commented that volunteering was good for community cohesion. He advised that volunteering should be seen as a supplement to good public services.
46.4 Councillor Watkins added that the policy would show volunteers that they had the support of the council.
46.5 The Chairman stated that volunteering was of great value to the local community and that volunteers found it rewarding.
46.6 Councillor Simson thanked all those who had contributed to the policy, which had been created in partnership with many organisations, and in particular the Volunteering Centre who carried out much of the work.
46.7 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That, following the lead of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) in March 2010, the city Volunteering Strategy be formally adopted.
(2) That it be noted that an action plan and an equalities impact assessment (EIA) were currently being developed and would be completed by the autumn of 2010 to support implementation of the Volunteering Strategy. |
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Employee Volunteering Scheme
Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet approves:
(a) the new Employee Volunteering Scheme attached at Appendix 1. (b) the promotion of the scheme as described in section 3.6 to maximise take-up (c) the monitoring of the effectiveness of the Scheme as described in section 3.6 (d) a review of the scheme after it has been in place for 12 months. Minutes: 47.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance concerning proposals for the council’s own Employee Volunteering Scheme designed to support the “Joining the Dots” Volunteering Strategy for Brighton & Hove 2010 -2015 and encourage other organisations to get involved in the local community.
47.2 Councillor Mitchell welcomed the report and stated that it was an excellent concept already used by some major employers. She advised that, contrary to the report, Unison had not been consulted and she requested this be rectified.
47.3 Councillor Randall welcomed the proposals and advised that it would work well alongside existing schemes, such as Business in the Community.
47.4 Councillor Watkins reported that a number of employees already gave time to volunteering. He added that he hoped there would be a Code of Conduct to ensure all parties were protected.
47.5 Councillor Norman noted that an example of volunteering by council officers. Democratic Services staff had repainted the basement of the Martlets shop on Blatchington Road in Hove.
47.6 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the new Employee Volunteering Scheme attached at Appendix 1 be approved.
(2) That the scheme be promoted as described in section 3.6 in order to maximise take-up.
(3) That the effectiveness of the Scheme be monitored as described in section 3.6.
(4) That a review of the scheme takes place after it has been in place for 12 months. |
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An Academy at Portslade Community College: Submission of the Expression of Interest Report of the Director of Children’s Services (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet approves the Expression of Interest (EOI) regarding the development of an Academy to replace PCC, for submission to the Department for Education (DfE).
(2) That Cabinet approves project management expenditure of up to £300,000 including £100,000 in advance of EOI approval, which will be a first call on the available Schools Futures project budget if EOI approval is not awarded.
(3) That Cabinet notes that in setting the 2011/12 revenue budget, consideration will need to be given to setting aside a financial provision to meet potential severance costs in accordance with the terms and conditions of the EOI. Minutes: 48.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services updating Members on the proposed Academy at Portslade Community College (PCC) and requesting approval for submission of the Expression of Interest (EOI).
48.2 Councillor Fryer raised concerns about the financing of the proposed Academy and made the following comments:
§ The community had not been given a choice; real consideration had not been given to creating a National Challenge Trust School. § The results of the consultation had not been appropriately analysed and the views of local people had been disregarded. § The report was not a true reflection of what happened at the public meetings. § The local community were pleased with the proposals from the new Head Teacher, Stuart McLaughlin, and wanted him to be allowed more time to implement them.
48.3 Local resident Mr Cameron Ellis had requested to address the meeting. The Chairman exercised special discretion to allow Mr Ellis to make the following comments:
§ In a few months the new Head Teacher Mr McLaughlin had made significant progress towards stabilising PCC and the educational needs of the pupils, with an improved emphasis on learning and participation. § There was uncertainty around the financing of the proposed Academy following the change of government and a decision should not be made about the future of PCC based on it. § The expertise of the proposed sponsor was unproven with regard to running a school. § The school should be allowed to continue in its current form for 18 months to prevent further upheaval for the pupils and to allow the present Head Teacher time to implement changes and see the outcome.
48.4 Councillor Alford, ward councillor for North Portslade, reported that he had attended all four of the public meetings that had taken place. The three meetings organised by the council were well attended, with many views aired and questions answered, while the fourth meeting was less well attended and geared towards opposing Academies in general. He advised that the Mr McLaughlin had made good progress and that it was necessary to explore the available opportunities while keeping the needs of the children in mind.
48.5 Councillor Mitchell stated that supported the recommendations would prevent further ongoing uncertainty and added that although there was uncertainty around the financing, alternative funding could be made available if submission of the EOI was agreed.
48.6 Councillor Caulfield commented that the local community in the Falmer area had also been pleased with Mr McLaughlin during his time as Head teacher of the former Falmer High, but that the community had been in favour of the Academy created there and understood the need for change and the funding that would follow. She added that the EOI was not the final stage and that the proposals would not proceed if the local community did not support the creation of an Academy.
48.7 In response to a question from Councillor Mitchell, Councillor Brown confirmed that she hoped to be able to report back at the end of the month in relation to the funding and that the council had not been informed any issues with its request to be co-sponsor for the Academy.
Councillor Brown explained that the Department for Children, Schools and Families had given the council three options to choose from and the choice had been made based on what would benefit the children most.
In response to questions from Councillor Fryer, Councillor Brown advised that the notes of the community meetings were publicly available and that building works would mainly involve refurbishment of the existing buildings with a small new build for the Sixth Form. She stated that the decision on whether to proceed would be considered once the outcome of the funding review was known.
48.8 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That the Expression of Interest (EOI) regarding the development of an Academy to replace PCC be submitted to the Department for Education (DfE).
(2) That project management expenditure of up to £300,000 including £100,000 in advance of EOI approval, which will be a first call on the available Schools Futures project budget if EOI approval is not awarded be approved.
(3) That it be noted that in setting the 2011/12 revenue budget, consideration would need to be given to setting aside a financial provision to meet potential severance costs in accordance with the terms and conditions of the EOI. |
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Statutory Local Economic Assessment Duty Report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet notes the contents of the report and agrees the approach outlined in the report, to work closely with partners and maximise the benefit of this timely piece of work for the future intelligent commissioning intentions. Minutes: 49.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise concerning the council’s Local Economic Assessment, which would bring together and fill gaps in existing data and intelligence in order to provide a robust analysis of the Brighton & Hove economy.
49.2 Councillor Mitchell welcomed the introduction of Local Economic Assessment and requested that she provided with an update on the Interim Work and Skills Plan.
49.3 Councillor Randall advised that the Local Economic Assessment would inform the work of the Local Economic Partnership.
49.4 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendation:
(1) That the contents of the report be noted and the approach outlined in the report, to work closely with partners and maximise the benefit of this timely piece of work for the future intelligent commissioning intentions, be agreed. |
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Executive Response to Environmental Industries Report Report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet notes the response to the Environmental Industries Scrutiny Report. Minutes: 50.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Finance & Resources concerning the executive response to the report of the Environmental Industries Scrutiny Panel in relation to procurement matters.
50.2 Councillor Randall reported that he had chaired the panel and that he was happy with the outcome, but would like local sourcing to be included when in considering relevant environmental considerations in relation to procurement. He advised that it was vital for the principles to be embedded in the council.
50.3 Councillor Caulfield requested that the report be forwarded to the next meeting of the Buildings Group for council tenants to consider when developing the plans for new council housing.
50.4 Councillor Fallon-Khan stated that the council was supportive of small businesses and provided help to enable them to bid for contracts with the council. He commented that the city had a vibrant and innovative Environmental Industries sector and that it was important that the city was able to retain the most promising students in order that it could continue to flourish.
50.5 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendation:
(1) That the response to the Environmental Industries Scrutiny Report be noted. |
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Report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise (copy attached). Additional documents: Decision: (1) That Cabinet supports the work to date, particularly progression of scheme design (RIBA Stage D - detailed design), and note that the project remains within budget.
(2) That Cabinet notes that the Joint Project Board approved the Kier – Atkins RIBA Stage D report at its 7 June 2010 meeting.
(3) That Cabinet confirms the city council’s commitment to ‘The Keep’ and supports continued partnership working with ESCC and the University of Sussex to further develop the project.
(4) That Cabinet agrees to a Memorandum of Understanding as the basis for continued partnership working through to RIBA Stage F (early 2011) – this to be signed by all three partners prior to submission of the planning application.
(5) That Cabinet supports the submission of the planning application in early August 2010, subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-application discussions.
(6) That Cabinet notes the costs of developing the scheme through the next stages and seek agreement to the council’s additional contribution of £0.421m (representing a 1/3 share) to support scheme progression to Stage F, thus bringing the council’s committed contribution to £0.929m.
(7) That Cabinet supports the commencement of Stage E work following the successful completion of pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority and confirmation of a valid planning application, so as to minimise risk and expenditure prior to submission of the planning application.
(8) That Cabinet notes the key areas to be addressed as part of the next phase of development and the timetable associated with this.
(9) That Cabinet reconfirms ‘in principle’ agreement to the council’s longer-term funding commitment, to a maximum of £5.345m (inclusive of the development funding shown in 2.6 above), to support the capital cost of delivering The Keep, with the final decision, based on current timetable, returning to Cabinet towards the end of 2010. Minutes: 51.1 The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise concerning progress in developing the New Historic Records Office & Resource Centre project (‘The Keep’) and the cost effectiveness of this option for the future management of Brighton and Hove’s historic records and archives.
51.2 The Chairman advised that prior to consideration of the report; she had requested further confirmation that it was the correct approach and understood that it was vital if the city was to protect its artefacts. She welcomed the project and the benefits for residents and visitors.
51.3 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:
(1) That support be given for the work to date, particularly progression of scheme design (RIBA Stage D - detailed design), and that it be noted that the project remains within budget.
(2) That it be noted that the Joint Project Board approved the Kier – Atkins RIBA Stage D report at its 7 June 2010 meeting.
(3) That the city council’s commitment to ‘The Keep’ be affirmed and support be given for continued partnership working with ESCC and the University of Sussex to further develop the project.
(4) That a Memorandum of Understanding be agreed as the basis for continued partnership working through to RIBA Stage F (early 2011) –to be signed by all three partners prior to submission of the planning application.
(5) That the submission of the planning application in early August 2010 be supported, subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-application discussions.
(6) That the costs of developing the scheme through the next stages be noted agreement be given for the council’s additional contribution of £0.421m (representing a 1/3 share) to support scheme progression to Stage F, thus bringing the council’s committed contribution to £0.929m.
(7) That support be given for the commencement of Stage E work following the successful completion of pre-application discussions with the Local Planning Authority and confirmation of a valid planning application, so as to minimise risk and expenditure prior to submission of the planning application.
(8) That the key areas to be addressed as part of the next phase of development, and the timetable associated with this, be noted.
(9) That re-confirmation be given of the ‘in principle’ agreement to the council’s longer-term funding commitment, to a maximum of £5.345m (inclusive of the development funding shown in 2.6 above), to support the capital cost of delivering The Keep, with the final decision, based on current timetable, returning to Cabinet towards the end of 2010. |
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New Historical Records Office and Resource Centre (The Keep) – Project update, funding arrangements and future delivery - Exempt Category 3 Report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise (copy circulated to Members only). Decision: As per the Part Two confidential report. Minutes: 52.1 The Cabinet considered a Part Two report of the Director of Housing, Culture & Enterprise concerning progress in developing the New Historic Records Office & Resource Centre project (‘The Keep’) and the cost effectiveness of this option for the future management of Brighton and Hove’s historic records and archives.
52.2 RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the recommendations as detailed in the Part Two confidential report. |
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Part Two Items To consider whether or not any of the above items and the decisions thereon should remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public. Additional documents: Minutes: 53.1 The Cabinet considered whether or not any of the above items should remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public.
53.2 RESOLVED – That item 52, contained in Part Two of the agenda, remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public. |