Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 20 July 2021, 6.00 pm

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Conference Chamber, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU

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

Items
No. Item

256.

Welcome and meeting facilitation

Minutes:

The Chair formally opened the meeting and welcomed all persons present within the Conference Chamber and explained that when meeting in person, the Council continued to consider the most recent Government guidance in relation to the safe use of council buildings to host meetings.

257.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sarah Broughton.

258.

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.

259.

Open forum

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

Minutes:

The following non-Cabinet member spoke under this item:

 

Councillor Julia Wakelam (Report number CAB/WS/21/032: Environment and Climate Change Action Plans: 2021 Update)

 

Councillor Julia Wakelam wished to address the Cabinet in relation to the above report.

 

In her opening remarks, she expressed her support for the report and for what the Council had so far achieved in addressing the climate emergency and congratulated Officers on these achievements.  She also commended the development of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan (SCEP) which had been approved by the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders (as referenced within the report at Appendix C). 

 

Councillor Wakelam called for further work to be undertaken by the Council in the following key areas:

 

·         The adoption of virtual hybrid meetings, to allow for remote attendance at meetings by Members/public etc..

 

·         Further educating communities on the climate crisis and to encourage them to be active in their communities by the promotion of environmental practices.

 

·         The Council to be working towards achieving ‘Zero Carbon’ by 2030.

 

·         The Council to ensure that their contractors/suppliers understood and promoted environmental practices.

 

·         Energy efficiency programmes for home-owners to be able to improve their homes with energy efficient measures.  Also working with the Council’s housing partners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. 

 

·         With regards to the Council’s approach to biodiversity, it should be not be using pesticides to control unwanted vegetation and should also be promoting the re-wilding of some grass verges.

 

The Chair thanked Julia for her positive remarks.  The Cabinet would be discussing the detail of this report, later on the agenda, but the Chair did wish to initially respond to some of the comments made. 

 

During the height of the pandemic, the Council had held all of its meetings virtually as allowed by temporary Regulations and would continue to do so for some of its non-public meetings.  The future use of hybrid meetings was also currently being investigated, including understanding the practicalities and legalities of being able to meet in that manner. 

 

The Chair agreed that the continued collaboration with the community was very important, alongside the promotion of re-wilding schemes and the reduction in the use of pesticides. 

The Council was ensuring that homes being built were more environmentally friendly and the work currently being undertaken on the development of the new West Suffolk Local Plan would also assist with addressing environmental issues.  The Council also continued to work closely with its housing partners and outlined some of the environmental initiatives being introduced by Flagship Homes and Havebury Housing.

 

In conclusion, the Chair also went on to explain that this year’s West Suffolk Business Festival (being held from 4 to 15 October 2021) would also include an Environmental Award.

 

 

 

260.

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.

 

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. This can be done online by sending the request to democratic.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk or telephoning 01638 719237 or in person by telling the Committee Administrator present at the meeting.   However, due to the need to comply with coronavirus regulations and guidance, necessary health and safety precautions taken will apply to members of public registered to speak and, therefore, would urge anyone who wishes to register to speak to notify Democratic Services by 9am on the day of the meeting so that advice can be given on the arrangements in place.

 

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.

 

 

261.

Report of the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee: 22 June 2021 pdf icon PDF 196 KB

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/029

Portfolio holder: Councillor Sarah Broughton

Lead officer: Rachael Mann

Minutes:

(Report number CAB/WS/21/029)

 

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 22 June 2021:

 

1.   Anglia Revenues Partnership Service Delivery Plan and Risk Register

2.   Performance Reports

3.   Welfare Reform Update

4.   Quarter 4 ARP Financial Performance 2020 to 2021

5.   Forthcoming Issues

 

On behalf of Councillor Sarah Broughton, Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Substitute Member on the ARP Joint Committee, also drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet.  Councillor Mildmay-White also wished to particularly express her thanks to the staff working within the Anglia Revenues Partnership for all of the work undertaken to help their clients through the COVID pandemic.

262.

Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 8 July 2021 pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/030

Chair of the Committee: Councillor Ian Shipp

Lead officer: Christine Brain

Minutes:

(Report number CAB/WS/21/030)

 

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 held on 8 July 2021:

 

1.   Draft West Suffolk Annual Report (2020-2021)

2.   Appointments to Outside Scrutiny Bodies (2021-2022)

3.   Cabinet Decisions Plan: 1 July 2021 to 31 May 2022

4.   Work Programme Update

 

Councillor Ian Shipp, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, also drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet.

263.

Draft West Suffolk Annual Report 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/031

Portfolio holder: Councillor John Griffiths

Lead officer: Ian Gallin

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

That the draft West Suffolk Annual Report 2020-21 be approved.

Minutes:

(Report number CAB/WS/21/031)

 

The Cabinet considered this report which explained that the draft West Suffolk Annual Report highlighted the key activities and developments that had been achieved over the financial year 2020-21, with regards to the priorities set out in the West Suffolk Strategic Framework 2020-2024.  The Annual Report also included the Council’s activities to support local communities and businesses in response to and recovery from COVID-19.

 

The Council was continuing its approach, as taken with the 2019-20 Annual Report, by producing a shorter document using infographics, as opposed to the full written report.  Feedback had suggested that these infographics provided a strong and easily digestible summary of the Council’s work over the previous 12 months and could be used in a number of ways, including briefing materials and social media.

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had also considered the Annual Report on 8 July 2021 and their recommended amendments were set out in paragraph 1.4 of Report number: CAB/WS/21/031.

 

Resolved:

That the draft West Suffolk Annual Report 2020-21 be approved.

264.

Environment and Climate Change Action Plans: 2021 Update pdf icon PDF 183 KB

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/032

Portfolio holder: Councillor John Griffiths

Lead officer: Jill Korwin

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved

That:

1.           The proposed actions and activities in the Environment and Climate Change Actions Plans be approved, as set out in Appendix A to Report number CAB/WS/21/032.

 

2.           Future progress updates be provided as part of the Annual Environmental Statement, which formed part of the Council’s Annual Report.

 

3.           The full Environmental Statement for the Council’s 2020/21 performance be approved, as set out in Appendix B to Report number CAB/WS/21/032.

 

4.           The Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan be endorsed, as set out in Appendix C to Report Number CAB/WS/21/032.

 

Minutes:

(Report number CAB/WS/21/032)

 

The Cabinet considered this report which explained that, in September 2019, the Council declared a climate emergency, having already established the Environment and Climate Change Taskforce.  The aim of the Taskforce was to make recommendations on the Council’s future role in protecting and enhancing the way in which it carried out its operations and through specific initiatives.

 

In July 2020, the Cabinet also agreed an Action Plan, designed to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce and to be taken forward by Officers and overseen by Cabinet.  The Cabinet had also agreed to a review of progress against the actions.

 

The report updated the Cabinet on the progress in implementing the agreed actions from both reports and summarised some of the wider developments that had impacted upon the Council’s work in lowering carbon emissions and improving environmental impacts across the organisation.  It also included the full Environmental Statement, an annual summary of the Council’s performance with regards to the environment and climate change.  Finally, it also referenced the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan that had been approved by the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders.

 

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council also drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet.  He was very pleased to be able to bring an update on the Action Plans and to share the progress that the Council had made to reduce its carbon footprint to net-zero and improve the environment.  The Leader thanked all the Cabinet Members for the work their service areas had done and also local Members who has supported community-based activities.

 

The Leader also referred to how the COVID pandemic had enforced new ways of working upon the Council, which had assisted with some of the particular environmental successes.  However, the Leader wished to specifically emphasise that the Council’s carbon emissions had been on a downward trajectory before COVID and, although, this may had accelerated the delivery, he was very confident that these improvements would have happened in any event and that the Council would have met its carbon budget target.  This had also provided the opportunity to continue with the new working practices, in particular remote meetings and the plan to return to the Offices only when necessary and to make agile working part of the Council’s new ‘normal’.

 

The Leader also wished to highlight the following particular achievements of the Council:

 

-      Securing of £1.4m of Government funding (from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund) to support a programme of works to decarbonise the Council’s estate (glazing, solar PV installations and sir source heat pumps at a number of council buildings).

-      In addition, it would support the installation of a new electrical infrastructure and a battery energy storage system to provide benefits to West Suffolk House in the short term and then support the energy provision for the new Western Way development.

-      Installation of 46 electric vehicle chargers across 15 locations.

-      Nearly 1,000 residents had signed up as volunteer litter pickers and the Council’s previous litter campaign  ...  view the full minutes text for item 264.

265.

Decisions Plan: 1 July 2021 to 31 May 2022 pdf icon PDF 223 KB

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

 

Report number:     CAB/WS/21/033

Portfolio holder: Councillor John Griffiths

Lead officer: Ian Gallin

Minutes:

(Report number CAB/WS/21/033)

 

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

 

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