Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 28 May 2019, 6.00 pm

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Conference Chamber West (FR1-09), West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU

Contact: Claire Skoyles: Democratic Services Officer  Email: claire.skoyles@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Introduction

Minutes:

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, took the opportunity to welcome Members and attendees to this first meeting of West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet.

 

He paid tribute to those who had contributed towards the creation of West Suffolk Council, including former Members and colleagues of St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District Councils.

2.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Robert Everitt.

3.

Open Forum

At each Cabinet meeting, up to 15 minutes shall be allocated for questions from and discussion with, non-Cabinet members.  Members wishing to speak during this session should if possible, give notice in advance.  Who speaks and for how long will be at the complete discretion of the person presiding.

Minutes:

In response to a question raised by Councillor Max Clarke under this item in relation to paragraph 2.1.8a of Report No: CAB/WS/19/001, Members were informed that:

 

·         Support was given by Citizens’ Advice to Universal Credit (UC) claimants on personal budgeting and the Council was working closely with this organisation regarding this.

·         The Council also worked closely with Job Centres to try and ascertain whether improvements could be made in recognising the needs of certain individuals to try and prevent them falling into difficulties.

4.

Public Participation

Members of the public who live or work in the District are invited to put one question or statement of not more than three minutes duration relating to items to be discussed in Part 1 of the agenda only. If a question is asked and answered within three minutes, the person who asked the question may ask a supplementary question that arises from the reply.

 

A person who wishes to speak must register at least 15 minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start. 

 

There is an overall time limit of 15 minutes for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chairman’s discretion.

Minutes:

There were no members of the public in attendance on this occasion.

5.

Report of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee: 26 March 2019 (Report No: CAB/WS/19/001) pdf icon PDF 187 KB

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/001

Portfolio Holder: To be confirmed             Lead Officer: Jill Korwin

Minutes:

The Cabinet received and noted this report, which informed Members of the following substantive items discussed by the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee on 26 March 2019:

 

1.       Performance Report: Balance Scorecards and Highlight Report, and ARP Financial Performance Report.

2.       Welfare Reform Update.

3.       Forthcoming Issues.

4.       Exempt Item: Risk Based Verification

 

Members noted that Councillor Sarah Broughton, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, was not appointed at the time of the meeting and therefore had not attended on that occasion.

 

The Cabinet duly noted the report.

6.

Review and Appointment of Cabinet's Panel/Joint Committee: 2019/2020 (Report No: CAB/WS/19/002) pdf icon PDF 181 KB

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/002

Portfolio Holder: To be confirmed             Lead Officer: Leah Mickleborough

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED:

That:

 

(1)     it be noted that with the exception of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee, all other Cabinets, committees, sub-committees, working parties, panels, joint committees and other groups of the former St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District Councils are now dissolved following the creation of West Suffolk Council on 1 April 2019 and the adoption of West Suffolk Council’s new Constitution by the West Suffolk Shadow Council on 19 February 2019;

 

(2)

(a)     it be noted that a new Staff Consultative Panel of the Cabinet has been established to operate in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToR) contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/002;

 

(b)     periodical meetings of the above Panel be scheduled as and when required but with regard to the discussion outlined in Section 2.4;

 

(c)     on the nominations of Group Leaders, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint appropriate membership (full and substitute Members) to the above

          Panel in accordance with its ToR.

 

(3)

following adoption of its new Constitution and Terms of Reference by the partner authorities, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint one Portfolio Holders as a full Members and two Portfolio Holders as substitute Members to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee for 2019/2020, on the nominations of the Leader of the Council.

 

(4)     Should any future changes to membership of the bodies listed in (2) and (3) above be required during 2019/2020, the Service Manager (Democratic Services) be requested to exercise their existing delegated authority to appoint on the nominations of the Leader of the Council.

 

(5)     Provided that resources are available to support them, informal task-and-finish working groups be established to consider specific issues as required throughout 2019/2020.

 

(6)     On the nominations of the Leader of the Council, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint Members as observers to the respective outside bodies listed, and NOTE the Leader or ex-officio appointments to the project or partnership groups listed in Section 5.2 and 5.3.

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered this report, which sought the appointment to the Cabinet’s Staff Consultative Panel and to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee.

 

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that with the exception of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee, all other decision making bodies of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath Councils were dissolved following the creation of West Suffolk Council on 1 April 2019.

 

In accordance with West Suffolk Council’s new Constitution, the Cabinet presently had established the Staff Consultative Panel. Membership to this body was recommended to be appointed under officer delegated authority on the nominations of Group Leaders.

 

A review of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee constitution had also been undertaken, which included a review of its membership. Since the publication of the report, it was reported that this review was nearing completion and an appointment of one full Cabinet Member and two Cabinet substitute Members should be sought under officer delegated authority on the nomination of the Leader of the Council.

 

It was therefore appropriate to amend the recommendations in relation to the appointment to the Joint Committee, so that Recommendation (3) (a) was amended to read:

 

Following adoption of its new Constitution and Terms of Reference by the partner authorities, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint one Portfolio Holder as a full Member and two Portfolio Holders as substitute Members to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee for 2019/2020  on the nominations of the Leader of the Council,

 

Recommendation 3 (b) was now no longer required and could be deleted.

 

The Cabinet accepted this amendment and the other recommendations contained in the report.

 

RESOLVED:

That:

 

(1)     it be noted that with the exception of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee, all other Cabinets, committees, sub-committees, working parties, panels, joint committees and other groups of the former St Edmundsbury Borough and Forest Heath District Councils are now dissolved following the creation of West Suffolk Council on 1 April 2019 and the adoption of West Suffolk Council’s new Constitution by the West Suffolk Shadow Council on 19 February 2019;

 

(2)

(a)     it be noted that a new Staff Consultative Panel of the Cabinet has been established to operate in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToR) contained in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/002;

 

(b)     periodical meetings of the above Panel be scheduled as and when required but with regard to the discussion outlined in Section 2.4;

 

(c)     on the nominations of Group Leaders, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint appropriate membership (full and substitute Members) to the above

          Panel in accordance with its ToR.

 

(3)

following adoption of its new Constitution and Terms of Reference by the partner authorities, delegated authority be given to the Service Manager (Democratic Services) to appoint one Portfolio Holders as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Decisions Plan: 7 May 2019 to 31 May 2020 (Report No: CAB/WS/19/003) pdf icon PDF 128 KB

To consider the most recently published version of the Cabinet’s Decisions Plan

 

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/003

Portfolio Holder: To be confirmed             Lead Officer: Ian Gallin

 

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered this report which was the Cabinet Decisions Plan covering the period 7 May 2019 to 31 May 2020.

 

Members took the opportunity to review the intended forthcoming decisions of the Cabinet; however, no further information or amendments were requested on this occasion.

 

The Cabinet was informed that the full business case for the proposed Western Way Development was currently due to be presented to Cabinet and Council in September 2019. All Members would be invited to become engaged with the proposals and plans before it was presented for approval.

 

In this section