Agenda and minutes
Venue: Virtual Meeting Via MS Teamslive meeting platform
Contact: Sharon Turner: Democratic Services Officer
Email: sharon.turner@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Note: This will be a non-decision making virtual meeting of the Cabinet and any decisions will be recommended to the Leader of the Council or the relevant Portfolio Holder to action. The link to view the livestream of the meeting is shown in 'Media' below, together with a supporting Guidance document.
Media
Items
No. |
Item |
230. |
Welcome and meeting facilitation
Minutes:
The Chair apologised for the late start to the
meeting, which had been due to some technical issues.
The Chair then formally opened the meeting and
welcomed all persons present, including those that were viewing the
meeting externally via the live broadcast.
The Chair explained the rationale behind the
arrangements for this meeting. Due to
the expiry of special legislation on 7 May 2021, which allowed
Council meetings to be held virtually and despite an unsuccessful
High Court challenge, the law meant that councils now had to ensure
that members of the public could access decision making meetings of
Cabinet, in person.
To be able to have meetings in person,
consideration also needed to be given to the Government guidance in
relation to the safe use of Council buildings and the capacity of
its venues to host meetings. From 21
June 2021, it was expected that restrictions on social contact
would ease which would help to mitigate the current challenges.
The Government guidance also suggested that,
wherever possible, decisions should be delegated to individual
Councillors and Officers to make. For
Cabinet decisions, this was possible, as the Leader of the Council
could make decisions, as could the individual Portfolio
Holders. However, it was considered
prudent to hold this virtual meeting so that if any Councillors or
members of the public wanted to join the Cabinet to discuss any
items on the agenda, then they had the opportunity to do so.
Also, the Chair explained that there would be
no formal vote undertaken on the items which required decisions to
be made, as it was being recommended for these decisions to be made
by either himself as Leader of the Council or the relevant
Portfolio Holder. Therefore, the
proposed recommendations would be agreed on a
general consensus basis of the Cabinet.
The Chair then detailed the housekeeping
matters and guidance as to how the meeting would operate.
|
231. |
Apologies for absence
Minutes:
Apologies for absence were received from
Councillor Andy Drummond.
|
232. |
Minutes PDF 222 KB
To review and note any amendments to the
minutes of the meeting held on 9 February 2021 (copy attached).
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting held on 9 February
2021 were reviewed and no amendments were noted. These minutes would be formally confirmed as a
correct record and signed by the Chair at the next meeting of
Cabinet.
|
233. |
Declarations of interest
Members are reminded of their responsibility
to declare any pecuniary or local non pecuniary interest which they
have in any item of business on the agenda, no later than when
that item is reached and, when appropriate, to leave the
meeting prior to discussion and voting on the item.
Minutes:
Members’ declarations of interest were
recorded under the item to which the declaration related.
|
234. |
Open forum
At each Cabinet meeting, up to 15 minutes
shall be allocated for questions or statements from and discussion
with, non-Cabinet members. As this meeting is being held virtually,
members wishing to speak during this session must notify Democratic
Services by 9am on the day of the meeting that they wish to
attend. Who speaks and for how long will be at the complete
discretion of the person presiding.
Minutes:
No non-Cabinet members in attendance wished to
speak under this item.
|
235. |
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.
As the meeting is taking place virtually, a
person who wishes to speak must register by 9am on Monday 24 May
2021 to ensure that there is time to brief them on how they can
speak at the meeting. This can be done by sending the request to
democratic.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk
or by telephoning one of the numbers provided
on the Public Information Sheet at the start of this agenda.
Members of the public will either be set up as a ‘Guest
Speaker’ or be provided with a telephone number they can call
when prompted to do so during the meeting to enable them to
participate.
If a member of the public cannot attend the
meeting remotely, they may submit a written question or statement
to Democratic Services by midday at the very latest on the day of
the meeting and this will be read out on their behalf during the
meeting.
There is an overall time limit of 15 minutes
for public speaking, which may be extended at the Chair’s
discretion.
Minutes:
No members of the public in attendance had
registered to speak.
|
236. |
Report of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee: 9 March 2021 PDF 191 KB
Report number: CAB/WS/21/018
Portfolio holder: Councillor
Sarah Broughton
Lead officer: Rachael
Mann
Minutes:
(Report number:
CAB/WS/21/018)
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 at
its meeting held on 9 March 2021:
1.
Performance Report
2.
ARP Forecast Financial Performance 2020 to 2021
3.
Performance Management Framework 2021
4.
Welfare Reform Update
5.
Forthcoming Issues
6.
Exempt Item: Risk Based Verification (RBV) Policy Review and
Verification Policy 2021 to 2022
7.
Exempt Item: Succession Planning
Councillor Sarah
Broughton, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance,
also drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet.
|
237. |
Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 18 March 2021 PDF 139 KB
Report number: CAB/WS/21/019
Chair of the Committee:
Councillor Ian Shipp
Lead officer: Christine
Brain
Minutes:
(Report number:
CAB/WS/21/019)
The Cabinet received and noted this report,
which informed Members of the following substantive items discussed
by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting held on 18
March 2021:
1.
Exiting the European Union: West Suffolk Council’s
preparations and current status.
2.
Update on the Mildenhall Hub.
3.
Suffolk County council: Health Scrutiny Committee – 13
January 2021.
4.
Work programme update 2021 and suggestion for scrutiny.
Councillor Ian Shipp, Chair of the Overview
and Scrutiny Committee, also drew relevant issues to the attention
of the Cabinet.
|
238. |
Western Way Development, Bury St Edmunds PDF 126 KB
Report number: CAB/WS/21/020
Portfolio holder: Councillor
Joanna Rayner
Lead officer: Alex
Wilson
Minutes:
(Report Number:
CAB/WS/21/020)
The Cabinet considered this report which was
recommending to the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and
Community Hubs, that a full report for decision on the delivery of
the Western Way Development, Bury St Edmunds, be referred directly
to Council on 22 June 2021.
Councillor Jo Rayner, Portfolio Holder for
Leisure, Culture and Community Hubs, drew relevant issues to the
attention of the Cabinet and explained that The Western Way
Development (WWD) in Bury St Edmunds was a major capital project
proposed by the Council and its partners to deliver a national
exemplar mixed-use hub as part of the One Public Estate
Programme.
Work had now fully resumed on the project and
would shortly be sufficiently progressed to bring a proposal to
Councillors on how Phase One might be taken forward with other
public sector partners. Given the
length of time that had passed since the original decisions had
been made, it was considered appropriate, by the Leader of the
Council and the Portfolio Holder to re-confirm its intent to
continue with the project before any procurement
started. Depending on the outcome of
the current work on the business case, a new Council decision may
be needed.
Work on updating the business case with
partners would not be finished before early June 2021. Therefore, to avoid any further delay to the
project, the Leader of the Council was satisfied that this matter
would not require any Cabinet approval prior to being referred back
to Council.
The Portfolio Holder also provided a short
presentation to the Cabinet on how the project was
progressing. The information provided
to the Cabinet would also be included within the Council report on
22 June 2021. A full briefing to
support the published Council report would also be offered to all
Councillors in June 2021.
Recommended to the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and
Community Hubs:
That a full report
for decision on the delivery of the Western Way Development, Bury
St Edmunds, be referred directly to Council on 22 June 2021.
(Councillor Peter
Stevens left the meeting at 6.27 pm, during the discussion on this
item)
|
239. |
Annual Review and Appointment of the Cabinet's Joint Committee, Panel and Other Working Groups PDF 192 KB
Report number: CAB/WS/21/021
Portfolio holder: Councillor John
Griffiths
Lead officers: Jen Eves and Leah
Mickleborough
Additional documents:
Minutes:
(Report number:
CAB/WS/21/021)
The Cabinet considered this report which was
recommending to the Leader of the Council to appoint to the
Cabinet’s Joint Committee/Panel and other Groups for the year
2021/2022. Upon doing so, the existing Terms of Reference for each
had been reviewed, as set out in the Appendices attached to this
report.
Recommended to the Leader of the Council:
That:
1a. Councillor Sarah
Broughton, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance,
be re-appointed as the full member
representing West Suffolk Council on the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee in 2021 to
2022.
1b. Councillor Sara
Mildmay-White, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing,
be re-appointed as a substitute member
representing West Suffolk Council on the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee in 2021 to
2022.
1c. On
the nomination of the Leader of the Council, the Service
Manager (Democratic Services) may exercise their delegated
authority to appoint appropriate Cabinet membership (full and
substitute members) to the above joint committee during 2021 to
2022, as necessary.
2a.
The Staff Consultative Panel continues to operate in 2021 to 2022
in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToR) contained in Appendix A to Report number:
CAB/WS/21/021.
2b. Periodical
meetings of the above Panel be scheduled as and when required but
with regard to the discussion outlined
in Section 2.2.2 of Report number: CAB/WS/21/021.
3. The
West Suffolk Grant Working Party continues to
operate in 2021 to 2022 in accordance with the Terms of Reference
(ToR) contained in Appendix B to Report
number: CAB/WS/21/021.
4.
The West Suffolk Local Plan Working Group continues
to operate in 2021 to 2022 in accordance with the Terms of
Reference (ToR) contained in Appendix C
to Report number: CAB/WS/21/021.
5. Should it
become necessary and on the nominations of Group
Leaders, the Service Manager (Democratic Services) may
exercise their delegated authority to appoint appropriate
membership (full and substitute members) to the above Panel,
Working Party and Working Group during 2021 to 2022 in accordance
with their Terms of Reference.
6. Provided that
resources are available to support them, informal task-and-finish
working groups or taskforces be established to consider specific
issues as required throughout 2021 to 2022.
|
240. |
Decisions Plan: 1 May 2021 to 31 May 2022 PDF 308 KB
To consider the most recently published
version of the Cabinet’s Decisions Plan
Report number: CAB/WS/21/022
Portfolio holder: Councillor
John Griffiths
Lead officer: Ian
Gallin
Minutes:
(Report number:
CAB/WS/21/022)
The Cabinet considered this report which was
the Cabinet Decisions Plan covering the period 1 May 2021 to 31 May
2022.
Members took the opportunity to review the
intended forthcoming decisions of the Cabinet. However, no further information or amendments were
requested on this occasion.
|
241. |
Revenues Collection Performance and Write-Offs PDF 134 KB
Report number: CAB/WS/21/023
Portfolio holder: Councillor Sarah
Broughton
Lead officer: Rachael Mann
Minutes:
(Report number:
CAB/WS/21/023)
The Cabinet considered this report, which
provided the collection data in respect of Council Tax and National
Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) and which was recommending to the
Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance to write-off the
amounts contained in the exempt Appendices attached to the
report.
Councillor Sarah Broughton, Portfolio Holder
for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the
attention of the Cabinet, including the current performance of both
Council Tax and Business Rates collection, as set out in Section 2
of the report.
Recommended to the Portfolio Holder for Resources and
Performance:
That the write-off of
the amounts detailed in the exempt Appendices to Report number
CAB/WS/21/023, be approved, as follows:
1.
Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax
totalling £22,480.28
2.
Exempt Appendix 2: Business Rates
totalling £34,962.30.
|
242. |
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:
See Minute Number 243. below.
|
243. |
Exempt Appendices: Revenues Collection Performance and Write-Offs (paragraphs 1 and 2)
Exempt Appendices 1 and 2 to Report number:
CAB/WS/21/023
Portfolio holder: Councillor Sarah
Broughton
Lead officer: Rachael Mann
(These exempt Appendices are to be considered
in private under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A of the Local
Government Act 1972, as they contain information relating to an
individual and information which is likely to reveal the identity
of an individual).
(No representations have been received from
members of the public regarding this item being held in
private.)
Minutes:
(Report number
CAB/WS/21/023)
The Cabinet considered the Exempt Appendices 1
and 2 to this report. However, no
reference was made to specific detail and, therefore, this item was
not held in private session.
|
244. |
Conclusion
Minutes:
On conclusion of the meeting, the Chair
thanked all present for their attendance at this virtual
meeting. The live broadcast
subsequently ended at this point.
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In this section
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