Decision details

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Roger Mace)

 

(Councillor Evelyn Archer declared a prejudicial interest in the following item due to her being a member of the Poulton Neighbourhood Management Board and left the meeting.  It was noted that Councillor David Kerr had previously declared a personal interest in this item). 

 

The Corporate Director (Community Services) submitted a report that sought approval for the allocation of the City Council’s Area Based Grant (ABG) for 2008/09, in particular to provide continuing support for Neighbourhood Management commitments in Poulton and the West End of Morecambe. 

 

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

 

Option 1: Use the ABG allocation to continue to fund Neighbourhood Management in Poulton and the West End as outlined in Appendix B.

 

Option 2: Allocate the ABG for other purposes, and develop an exit strategy for the existing Neighbourhood Management Project.  Realistically, existing commitments could equate to the amount of ABG, but a full analysis would be needed to determine this.

 

Option 3: To top slice the ABG sufficient to pay any redundancy costs at the end of the Poulton Neighbourhood Management project, to use the ABG to fund existing commitments to Poulton and West End Neighbourhood Management, and to identify the opportunities to use uncommitted ABG to develop options for Neighbourhood Management across the District.

 

The key risks and opportunities of not using the ABG for continuation of Neighbourhood Management are :

 

·                     Limited savings potential in 2008/09, as funds are already committed.  This would mean that there may be little left for allocating to alternative initiatives for that year, although it would give greater choice and flexibility for 2009/10 onwards.

 

·                     Other works in Poulton and West End would be unfinished, and this could have an adverse impact on the perceived success of the projects to date.  There may be reputational risks for the Council in this regard, although this will depend also on the perceived value of the works not completed.

 

·                     Work to roll out Neighbourhood Management to other parts of the district would not be finished and lessons learned/best practices may not be maximised.

 

·                     There could be an adverse effect on local communities in Poulton and West End which are now showing signs of cohesion (especially in Poulton).  Funding (either in 2008/09 or future years) would be freed up, however, giving the opportunity to provide or safeguard other services, in either the same or alternative communities.

 

The preferred officer option was option 3.  This ensured that existing commitments are met with further options for sustaining Neighbourhood Management and for determining the future use of ABG being brought back to Cabinet as part of the further report requested by Cabinet on 18^th March 2008. 

 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

 

“(1)   That Cabinet notes that Area Based Grant (ABG) is no longer ring-fenced.  

 

(2)     That Cabinet approves the allocations for Winning Back Morecambe’s West End in 2008-09 and subject to the 2009-10 budget and planning process, the allocations for 2009-10, both being set out in Appendix B to the report.” 

 

Upon being put to the vote Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposal. 

 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

 

“(3)   That for May and June 2008, ABG be used to continue existing arrangements for Neighbourhood Management in Poulton and that a detailed and orderly exit strategy be drawn up and reported to Cabinet based on (a) a full analysis of existing commitments and (b) avoidance of the need for a growth item in the 2009-10 budget to pay any redundancy costs at the end of the Poulton Neighbourhood Management project and that any resulting savings be added to balances.” 

 

By way of amendment it was moved by Councillor Eileen Blamire and seconded by Councillor Abbott Bryning: -

 

“That the following wording be added to (3):

 

and any resulting savings be used in the West End of Morecambe.” 

 

Upon being put to the vote 3 Members voted in favour (Councillors Eileen Blamire, Abbott Bryning and John Gilbert) and 5 Members voted against (Councillors Jon Barry, Tony Johnson, David Kerr, Roger Mace and Maia Whitelegg), whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be lost. 

 

By way of further amendment it was moved by Councillor John Gilbert and seconded by Councillor Eileen Blamire: -

 

“That the words “added to balances” be deleted and the following wording be added to (3):

 

be used to promote further work on Neighbourhood Management in the whole district.” 

 

Upon being put to the vote 4 Members voted in favour (Councillors Jon Barry, Eileen Blamire, Abbott Bryning and John Gilbert), 2 Members voted against (Councillors Tony Johnson and David Kerr) and 2 Members abstained from voting (Councillors Roger Mace and Maia Whitelegg), whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be carried.  Members then voted unanimously in favour of the substantive motion with regard to (3).

 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

 

“(4)   That the General Fund Revenue Budget in 2008/09 be updated accordingly. 

 

(5)     That allocation of future years’ provisional allocation be considered further as part of the 2009/10 budget and planning process.” 

 

Upon being put to the vote Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposal. 

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

(1)     That Cabinet notes that Area Based Grant (ABG) is no longer ring-fenced. 

 

(2)     That Cabinet approves the allocations for Winning Back Morecambe’s West End in 2008-09 and subject to the 2009-10 budget and planning process, the allocations for 2009-10, both being set out in Appendix B to the report. 

 

(3)     That for May and June 2008, ABG be used to continue existing arrangements for Neighbourhood Management in Poulton and that a detailed and orderly exit strategy be drawn up and reported to Cabinet based on (a) a full analysis of existing commitments and (b) avoidance of the need for a growth item in the 2009-10 budget to pay any redundancy costs at the end of the Poulton Neighbourhood Management project and that any resulting savings be be used to promote further work on Neighbourhood Management in the whole district. 

 

(4)     That the General Fund Revenue Budget in 2008/09 be updated accordingly. 

 

(5)     That allocation of future years’ provisional allocation be considered further as part of the 2009/10 budget and planning process. 

 

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Corporate Director (Community Services). 

Head of Financial Services. 

 

Reason for making the decision:

 

The decision ensures that existing commitments are met with further options for priority Neighbourhood Management and for determining the allocation of ABG being brought back to Cabinet as part of the budget for 2009/10. 

 

The two Neighbourhood Management projects in Poulton and West End have been successful in reducing levels of deprivation.  The ABG allocation is the only available source of funding for these projects to continue in 2008/09.  If the ABG is not allocated to the Neighbourhood Management projects existing commitments must still be met.