Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Tuesday, 3rd July 2018 6.00 p.m.

Venue: Lancaster Town Hall

Contact: Liz Bateson, Democratic Services - telephone (01524) 582047 or email  ebateson@lancaster.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

16.

Items of Urgent Business Authorised by the Leader

To consider any such items authorised by the Leader and to consider where in the agenda the item(s) are to be considered. 

Minutes:

The Chairman advised that there were no items of urgent business.

 

17.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations by Members of interests in respect of items on this Agenda. 

Members are reminded that, in accordance with the Localism Act 2011, they are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which have not already been declared in the Council’s Register of Interests. (It is a criminal offence not to declare a disclosable pecuniary interest either in the Register or at the meeting). 

Whilst not a legal requirement, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 and in the interests of clarity and transparency, Members should declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, at this point in the meeting. 

In accordance with Part B Section 2 of the Code Of Conduct, Members are required to declare the existence and nature of any other interests as defined in paragraphs 8(1) or 9(2) of the Code of Conduct. 

 

Minutes:

No declarations were made at this point.

18.

Public Speaking

To consider any such requests received in accordance with the approved procedure. 

 

Minutes:

Members were advised that there had been no requests to speak at the meeting in accordance with Cabinet’s agreed procedure.

 

19.

Coastal Revival Fund - New call for projects and accountable body arrangements pdf icon PDF 308 KB

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

 

Report of Economic Development Manager (Report to follow)

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Economic Development Manager, which provided information on the recent launch of a new round for the Government’s Coastal Revival Fund (CRF).  Approval was requested to bid to the CRF to support local community led business interest in redevelopment of the Co-Op Building for community use and approve an application for a council partnership capital project to match fund the bid. Cabinet was also requested to agree a protocol for considering any request from third party organisations for the council to act as the Accountable Body for their applications.

 

 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

 

The following options can be considered for bid to CRF for the Co-Op partnership project proposal:

 

 

Option 1: Do Nothing - continue to manage/maintain the Co-op building.  

 

Option 2: Bid to CRF and use current capital resources to develop a community led refurbishment proposal for the Co-Op which could attract major funding in the future and to undertake property stabilisation works to prevent further deterioration, alongside further market testing.

 

Advantages

No immediate impact on the council’s budget.

Basic holding costs currently covered by income lease (due for renewal) with Late Shop.

Builds on community interest and energy in one of the district’s more deprived areas.

Positive community led business project has much greater chance of funding opportunity and success.

Could lead to positive economic use of the Co-Op and the opportunity to successfully exit from ownership of building secure in the knowledge it has a sustainable future.

A successful bid would help mitigate current adverse impact on street scene. This would aid the attractiveness of Chatsworth Gardens to prospective tenants and the overall viability of that project.

Disadvantages

Potential for future unplanned maintenance and capital spend given the age and structure of the building.

Misses out on potential to test community based solutions and interest to transfer development and building risk away from the city council.

Currently no prospect of securing grant aid from external sources for any major project.

Continuing adverse impact on West End street scene.

Officers have to project manage a basic refurbishment/feasibility project.

Budget provision of circa £36K capital to be sourced from existing Winning Back the West End grant funds.

Risks

The council would continue to hold a property which has the potential to become a serious liability without significant intervention in future.

Likelihood of incurring cost without deriving a benefit.

Negative impact on adjacent Chatsworth Gardens scheme

There is no guarantee that any funding bid will be successful.

In the long-term stabilizing works are unlikely to be sufficient to mitigate the risks of holding a property which has the potential to become a serious liability without significant intervention in future. 

The goal of the initial investment would be to secure a long-term future in association with community stakeholder interests.

 

With regard to the idea for the council to make a CRF application  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Executive Team: Roles and Structure

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

 

Report of Chief Executive (Report to follow)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

 

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Executive to consider proposals for the restructure of the Executive Team along with consultation responses and agree the way forward. 

 

It was noted that the report, Appendices A and I were public, however all of the other appendices for this item were exempt from publication by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972.  If Cabinet wished to refer to the exempt documentation it was recommended that it would be necessary to exclude the press and public in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. 

 

Councillor Clifford proposed, seconded by Councillor Warriner:-

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved, subject to the following addition to the final bullet point:- 

 

and any continued engagement of the interim Human Resources Manager beyond 31st July 2018 and up to 31st March 2019 being met from a combination of turnover savings and the Budget Support Reserve.” 

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

That Cabinet refers to Full Council for determination:

 

·      The future operating model for the senior management team,

 

·      The funding of the future operating model for the senior management team,

 

·      To authorise the Deputy s 151 Officer to update the General Fund Revenue Budget accordingly, with upfront costs being met from the Restructuring Reserve and any continued engagement of the interim Human Resources Manager beyond 31st July 2018 and up to 31st March 2019 being met from a combination of turnover savings and the Budget Support Reserve. 

 

Officer responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Executive.

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision to refer determination to Full Council is in accordance with the City Council’s rules of procedure and financial regulations, as set out in article 7.06 (f) of the Constitution. 

 

The restructure proposal is based on what is considered to be appropriate for the Council both now, and for the coming years.  Where previous restructures have been in response to an identified need to reduce spend on staffing, this proposal is about the structure the Council needs to put in place to progress an ambitious agenda moving forward.  Additionally, this proposal will bring savings to the Council in the longer term should it be implemented.