Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 25 June 2019, 6.00 pm

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, District Offices, College Heath Road, Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7EY

Contact: Sharon Turner: Democratic Services Officer  Email: sharon.turner@westsuffolk.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

8.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

No apologies for absence were received.

 

9.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 105 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 28 May 2019 (copy attached).

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 May 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

10.

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:

No non-Cabinet Members wished to speak under this item.

 

11.

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.

 

12.

Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 13 June 2019 pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/004

Chairman of the Committee: Cllr David Nettleton          

Lead Officer: Christine Brain

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/004)

 

The Cabinet received and noted this report, which informed Members of the following substantive items discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 13 June 2019:

 

(1)         Community Safety Monitoring Report.

(2)         Draft West Suffolk Annual Report (2018-2019).

(3)         Decisions Plan (1 June 2019 to 31 May 2020).

(4)         Appointments to the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee (2019-2020).

(5)         Developing an Effective Scrutiny Work Programme.

 

Councillor David Nettleton, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet and confirmed the intention of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to undertake a review of car parking strategy across the District.

 

Councillor Nettleton specifically referred to Item (4) where the Committee had made recommendations for the West Suffolk Council representatives to the Suffolk County Council Health Scrutiny Committee, for confirmation by Council on 16 July 2019, as follows:

 

          Councillor Margaret Marks (Full Member)

          Councillor Paul Hopfensperger (Substitute Member) 

 

Councillor Nettleton informed the Cabinet  that following the meeting, Councillor Paul Hopfensperger had sent an e-mail to the other members of the Health Scrutiny Committee and Suffolk County Council Officers expressing his disappointment that he had not been nominated as the full Member representative to the Health Scrutiny Committee.

 

Given the content of this e-mail, Councillor Nettleton informed the Cabinet of his intention, at the Council meeting on 16 July 2019, to propose an amendment to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

 

The Cabinet acknowledged the situation.  Technical questions were asked relating to the procedure for proposing amendments at Council and the Monitoring Officer agreed to respond to any questions outside of the Cabinet meeting.

 

(Councillor Jo Rayner left the meeting at 6.35 pm, during the discussion on this item)

13.

Report of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee: 30 May 2019 pdf icon PDF 150 KB

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/005

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Sarah Broughton

Chairman of the Committee: Cllr Ian Houlder      

Lead Officer: Christine Brain

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/005)

 

The Cabinet received and noted this report, which informed Members of the following substantive items discussed by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee at their meeting held on 31 May 2019:

 

(1)         2018-2019 Performance Report – Year End Outturn.

(2)         West Suffolk Strategic Risk Register Quarterly Monitoring Report – March 2019.

(3)         Internal Audit Report (2018-2019).

(4)         Internal Audit Charter.

(5)         Internal Audit Plan (2019-2020).

(6)         Ernst and Young – 2019-2020 Indicative Fees.

(7)         Work Programme Update.

(8)         Appointments to the Financial Resilience Sub-Committee and the Health and Safety Sub-Committee.

 

Councillor Ian Houlder, Chair of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet.

14.

Proposal to Establish a West Suffolk Rural Taskforce pdf icon PDF 169 KB

Report No: CAB/WS/19/006

Portfolio Holder: Cllr John Griffiths           Lead Officer: David Collinson

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to make recommendations on West Suffolk Council’s approach to supporting rural areas.

 

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/006.

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/006)

 

The Cabinet received this report which proposed that a Rural Taskforce be established to review the qualitative and quantitative evidence base relating to rural areas and to identify the key issues, assets and challenges.

 

This review would encompass all of West Suffolk’s areas, in order to understand the issues and opportunities that all rural or all urban areas have in common, as well as those facing specific localities.  The review would draw on existing evidence and research produced by other bodies.  In response to this evidence review, the Taskforce would develop options both to directly address some of the issues identified and also to ensure rural considerations were taken into account in future Council processes and decision making.

 

The proposed outputs from the Taskforce were expected to be interim recommendations to Cabinet in September 2019 for how taking forward the lead options identified for addressing rural considerations in the Council’s ways of working.  The Taskforce would then make a final report to Cabinet in November 2019.

 

The proposed Terms of Reference for the West Suffolk Rural Taskforce were attached at Appendix A to the report.

 

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, explained that the Terms of Reference stated that he would appoint the Chair and the Taskforce Members.  Councillor Griffiths indicated that he would wish to nominate Councillor Mike Chester as the Chair of the Taskforce.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to make recommendations on West Suffolk Council’s approach to supporting rural areas.

 

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/006.

15.

Review of West Suffolk Council Grants to External Organisations pdf icon PDF 171 KB

Report No: CAB/WS/19/007

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Robert Everitt           Lead Officer: Davina Howes

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to carry out a review of West Suffolk Council’s Grants to External Organisations.

 

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Report No: CAB/WS/19/007.

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/007)

 

The Cabinet received this report which proposed the establishment of a Group to carry out a review of West Suffolk Council’s Grants to External Organisations.

 

The aim of the review was to ensure that locality budgets, grants and reliefs made from 1 April 2020 were aligned to the Council’s strategic objectives and offer value for money.

 

The proposed review would only cover grant and relief schemes which were entirely discretionary or funded by West Suffolk Council and where the Council was not under a duty to have a scheme or operate the scheme in a certain way.  Therefore, the review would cover the following existing schemes:

 

-      Families and Communities grants

-      Leisure and Culture grants

-      Economic development grants

-      Environment/sustainability grants

 

In order for the Council’s approach to locality budgets, grants and reliefs to be shaped, the Cabinet would be informed of initial findings and feedback in September 2019.  Final recommendations would be made to Cabinet in November 2019 in order to ensure that stakeholder and Member feedback could be fully taking into account.

 

The proposed Terms of Reference for the Group were attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:-

 

1.           A Cabinet Taskforce be established to carry out a review of West Suffolk Council’s Grants to External Organisations.

 

2.           The Terms of Reference for the Taskforce be approved, as set out in Report No: CAB/WS/19/007.

16.

Decisions Plan: 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2020 pdf icon PDF 130 KB

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

 

Report No:   CAB/WS/19/008

Portfolio Holder: Cllr John Griffiths           Lead Officer: Ian Gallin

 

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/008)

 

The Cabinet considered this report which was the Cabinet Decisions Plan covering the period 1 June 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.

17.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded during the consideration of the following items because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt categories of information as prescribed in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and indicated against each item and, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Minutes:

As Report No: CAB/WS/19/009 needed to be considered by the Cabinet in private session, it was proposed, seconded and

 

          RESOLVED:

 

That the press and public be excluded during the consideration of the following items because it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt categories of information as prescribed in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and indicated against each item and, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

18.

Exempt: Investing in our Commercial Asset Portfolio (para 3) pdf icon PDF 222 KB

Exempt Report No: CAB/WS/19/009 (TO FOLLOW)

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Susan Glossop

Lead Officers: Julie Baird and Colin Wright

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (16 July 2019)

 

The recommendations were approved as set out in Exempt Report No: CAB/WS/19/009.

Minutes:

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/009) (para 3)

 

The Cabinet received this report which advised of the opportunity to acquire a commercial property investment.  It was considered that the commercial element of the property would complement the Council’s existing commercial property portfolio.  The overall investment would also be in line with the Council’s principles of its Investing in Growth Strategy.

 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (16 July 2019)

 

The recommendations, as set out in Exempt Report No: CAB/WS/19/009, were approved.

 

(This decision and associated papers will be available in the public domain in due course)

 

The exemption relating to this item was removed on 30 March 2020, and therefore the following resolution is now published. This is not however, contained in the signed minutes for this meeting:

 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (16 July 2019)

 

Subject to approval of Council:

 

(1)          Subject to satisfactory negotiation, due diligence, contract and surveys, delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director for Growth, in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Growth and Resources and Performance, to exercise the purchase of the freehold interest of land and property at Flats 1-5 and 8 Elsey’s Yard, Bury St Edmunds for a maximum sum of £319,000 (three hundred and nineteen thousand pounds), allowing for the £656,000 discount due, excluding VAT, fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax, to be funded from the Investing in the Growth Agenda fund; and;

 

(2)          The establishment of a capital budget of £379,400 to be made available to facilitate the purchase, including fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax, to be funded from the Investing in our Growth Agenda Fund; in additional a one-off revenue budget of £64,311 as set out in the 2.2.7 of the Financial case, to be funded from the Strategic Priority and MTFS reserve; and: 

 

(3)          That should the purchase be made, the Council’s Section 151 Officer will make the necessary changes to the Council’s prudential indicators as a result of Recommendation (1) above.

 

 

 

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