Decisions

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hughes)

Councillor Leyshon and Whitehead had previously declared an interest in this item.  At this point Councillor Hanson and Councillor Blamire both declared an interest: Councillor Hanson in view of her involvement with the Friends of Regent Park and Councillor Blamire through her involvement with the Friends of Williamson Park.

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Environment) to consider the approval of delegated responsibility to the Chief Officers (Environment) and (Resources) to authorise and accept external funding applications, and for the Council to act as the accountable body for community bodies working to improve facilities on council owned land.

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

The preferred option is option 1 as it enables the council to respond more quickly to securing funding for these relatively small scale community projects and the risks and consequences are considered manageable.

Councillor Hughes proposed, seconded by Councillor Pattison:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)       That authority be delegated to the Chief Officer (Environment), in agreement with the Section 151 Officer, to approve the making and acceptance of external funding bids above the key decision threshold where:

-         any such bid is for the purposes of improving public open space in the District; and

-         it can be contained within the budget and policy framework and would not require redirection of resources between service areas, functions or activities on an ongoing basis.

(2)       That authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer, in agreement with the Chief Officer (Environment), to adopt the role of “accountable body” where appropriate, in order to support formally constituted ‘Friends of’ and community groups in helping to improve public open space in the District, subject to due diligence and any financial implications being contained within the budget and policy framework.

(3)       That the above delegations remain in place until October 2021 and be subject to review at that time.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Environment)

Chief Officer (Resources)

Reasons for making the decision:

The Council is experienced in managing external funds and has robust arrangements in place for administering such funding as well as undertaking the role of Accountable Body. The decision is consistent with the delivery of the Council’s objective for Green spaces: ‘the Council will encourage local communities and individuals in their local area to become involved in protecting and improving the quality of local areas, parks and public spaces in a way that is sustainable.’ 

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Hughes & Leyshon)

Cabinet received a joint report from the Chief Officer (Environment) and Chief Officer (Resources) which sought Cabinet’s support for developing the concept of ‘Smart District’ using technology to generate efficiencies and improve how we deliver our services.

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

The Officer preferred option is Option 1.  The report set out how by working in partnership the Council could take a leading role supporting economic development through the use of technology whilst at the same time generating efficiencies and improving its own services.

Councillor Hughes proposed, seconded by Councillor Leyshon:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)             That Cabinet supports the concept of ‘Smart District’ to inform the Council’s emerging digital strategy and ‘management of the place’.

(2)             That the business case be developed further for consideration during the budget and planning process, with initial operational focus on the management of the public realm.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Environment)

Chief Officer (Resources)

Reasons for making the decision:

The decision is consistent with the Council’s corporate priority of providing clean, green and safe public spaces and enables officers to develop options for consideration as part of the budget planning process.

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)

(Councillors Leyshon and Whitehead having both declared pecuniary interests in the following item left the meeting at this point and did not participate in the discussions or vote.)

Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) which sought approval for the governance arrangements for the Bailrigg Garden Village project.

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

Option 1 is the officer preferred option.  The project is now entering an important stage where significant areas of work need to be commissioned and external funding accounted for and monitored.  Ministers are keen to see progress and the HCA are pressing for formal governance processes to be set up.  Now that the issue of how to treat the university as part of the governance structure has been resolved progress on establishing the structure and putting it into operation needs to occur. 

Councillor Hanson proposed, seconded by Councillor Warriner:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

The Cabinet Members present then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)             That the Governance Structure for Bailrigg Garden Village illustrated in Appendix C to the report, be approved and put into operation.

(2)             That the Project Plan contained in Appendix B to the report, be noted and the Planning Policy Cabinet Liaison Group be asked to monitor the natural evolution of that plan, with key decisions required against milestones being referred back to Cabinet as appropriate.

(3)             That it be noted that a further £130K bid for top up Capacity Funding was submitted to the Homes and Community Agency in August under delegated authority and that this funding should be accepted by the Council, if successful.

(4)             That delegated authority be given to the Chief Officer (Regeneration and Planning) in agreement with the Chief Officer (Resources) to approve the making and acceptance of further external funding bids as appropriate for project development / capacity purposes only.

(5)             That the General Fund Revenue Budget be updated as appropriate to reflect any additional expenditure and associated funding arising from recommendations 3 and 4, subject to there being a nil impact on the Council’s overall resources.

(6)             That officers report back to Cabinet prior to entering into any commitments beyond those needed to undertake the master planning, infrastructure planning and community consultation alongside the Local Plan process needed to inform the project implementation stage.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Chief Officer (Resources)

Reasons for making the decision:

The Bailrigg Garden Village is the largest single housing land allocation in the Council’s emerging Lancaster District Local Plan, which is due to be recommended for submission to the Secretary of State in December 2017.  The establishment of an appropriate governance process reduces risk to the Council in terms of challenge to its appropriate use of external Government funding, the means by which the Council will use its land assets, and other due diligence requirements for a project of this size. 

Councillors Leyshon and Whitehead returned to the meeting at this point.