Agenda and minutes
PDF 96 KBVenue: Lancaster Town Hall
Contact: Liz Bateson, Democratic Services - telephone (01524) 582047 or email ebateson@lancaster.gov.uk
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Minutes To receive as a correct record the minutes of Cabinet held on Tuesday 4 December 2012 (previously circulated). Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 4 December 2012 were approved as a correct record.
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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.
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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 10 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:
Councillor Hanson declared an interest with regard to the Request to install a flagpole structure report, as a member of Morecambe Town Council (Minute103 refers).
Councillor Barry declared an interest with regard to the Land at Aldcliffe Road report, on account of him knowing the persons concerned (Minute 110 refers).
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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.
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Adopting the Meeting Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)
Report of the Head of Regeneration & Planning Additional documents:
Minutes: (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Regeneration and Planning to seek a resolution from Cabinet to adopt the Meeting Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
The officer preferred option was Option 1 so that the Council had in place complete and up to date guidance on meeting housing needs.
Councillor Hanson proposed, seconded by Councillor Leytham:- (1) That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved. Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously: (1) That the Meeting Housing Needs Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be adopted and become a material consideration for all planning applications for residential development from 1st February ... view the full minutes text for item 99. |
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Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)
Report of the Head of Health & Housing Additional documents:
Minutes: (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Health and Housing to provide members with a summary of the legal requirements placed upon local authorities by the Localism Act 2011 in relation to the adoption of a Tenancy Strategy, and to provide a final version of the document for approval by Cabinet.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
The officer preferred option was option 1. This would ensure that the Council met the necessary statutory requirements within the required timescale, and that immediately following approval, all social housing providers could have regard to the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy when adopting their own Tenancy Policies, and adhere to the requirements set out within the document.
The Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy had been developed through partnership approach with other Lancashire authorities and Registered Providers (R.P) partners but was informed by the local circumstances and housing markets that exist, to ensure that the framework put in place was appropriate and relevant. The statutory consultation requirements had been satisfied and further consultation had been conducted with other key stakeholders and elected members. Cabinet members were therefore requested to approve the document.
Councillor Leytham proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-
“(1) That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That the report be noted and the Lancaster District Tenancy Strategy 2012 approved. Officers responsible for effecting the decision:
Head of Health and Housing
Reasons for making the decision:
The Localism Act 2011 required every authority to have a Tenancy Strategy in place by 15th January 2013. The decision was consistent with the Corporate Plan 2012-2015 – Health and Wellbeing Priority: Enhanced quality of life of local residents through access to good quality housing and reduce homelessness. Lancaster City Council’s current allocation scheme and policy sought to create balanced communities and ensure that social housing was offered to those in the greatest need.
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Corporate Municipal Building Works (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Report of the Head of Resources Minutes: (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Resources to inform Cabinet of the extent of backlog works outstanding to buildings following the completion of a 5 year Condition Survey (November 2012) on the Council’s Corporate and Municipal building stock and requested Cabinet to take forward the additional investment needed as part of its budget proposals for 2013/14 onwards. This was to ensure buildings were fit for purpose and legally compliant and allowed sufficient flexibility to respond to changing needs, such as any arising from the forthcoming property review.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
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Budget & Policy Framework Update 2013/14 (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Bryning)
Report of the Head of Resources (Report to follow) Additional documents:
Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Resources to provide information on the latest budget position for current and future years, to inform Cabinet’s budget and policy framework proposals and to allow it to make final recommendations to Council regarding council tax levels for 2013/14.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Options were dependent very much on Members’ views on spending priorities balanced against council tax levels. As such, a full options analysis could only be undertaken once any alternative proposals were known and it should be noted that Officers might require more time to do this. Outline options were highlighted below.
– Regarding council tax, various options were set out at section 8 of the report in the agenda.
- With regard to considering or developing savings and growth options to produce a budget in line with preferred council tax levels, any proposals put forward by Cabinet should be considered alongside the development of priorities and in light of public engagement. Emphasis should be very much on the medium to longer term position.
Under the Constitution, Cabinet was required to put forward budget proposals for Council’s consideration, in time for them to be referred back as appropriate. This was why recommendations were required to feed into the Council meeting in early February, prior to the actual Budget Council later that month.
In view of the level of savings needed in 2014/15 onwards, the Chief Executive had implemented a freeze on permanent recruitment, to help manage budget pressures until such time as the Council was clear about how and where it would achieve the necessary budget savings. Accordingly, in terms of council tax his (and the Head of Resources’) preferred option would be for a 2% increase, given the extra impact that a freeze would have on the budget from 2015/16 onwards and the fact that as yet, the Council had no plans in place to tackle its future budget deficit – and establishing those plans would be exceptionally difficult. This preferred option would change only if the Council fundamentally reduced its ambitions regarding service delivery and this was evidenced through the adoption of clear plans as part of this budget. As an indication, in future a tax freeze might equate to around 5 or 6 posts.
The provisional Settlement meant that whilst next year’s budget was manageable, the Council had only limited time to tackle the financial challenges expected from 2014/15 onwards. These challenges would require fundamental changes to the Council’s current service delivery. Cabinet was advised to have regard to the medium term in determining its budget and council tax proposals for 2013/14, and to avoid adding even more pressure to 2014/15 and beyond. It was also advised to set out broad plans for tackling the 2014/15 budget.
Councillor Bryning proposed, seconded by Councillor Barry:-
“(1) That recommendations 1 and 2, as set out ... view the full minutes text for item 102. |
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(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Hanson & Hamilton-Cox)
Report of the Head of Regeneration & Planning Additional documents: Minutes:
Councillor Hanson, having declared an interest in this item as a member of Morecambe Town Council, left the meeting at this point and did not participate in the discussions or the vote.
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Regeneration and Planning to consider the request of Morecambe Town Council for the erection of a flagpole and associated rigging on the Stone Jetty.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Option 1- to support the Town Council’s request to site a mizzenmast flagpole on the Stone Jetty. This would lead to conflict with the provision of disabled parking spaces and access for maintenance of the Stone Jetty.
Option 2 - not to support the Town Council’s request to site a mizzenmast flagpole on the Stone Jetty. This would protect the facilities for disabled parking and access maintenance but would inevitably be a cause of disappointment for those who support the celebration of a national hero and a historical victory in this manner.
Councillor Sands proposed, seconded by Councillor Barry:-
“(1) That Morecambe Town Council be advised that the City Council regrets that it cannot be supportive of the proposal on this occasion because of the adverse effect that the structure would have upon the provision of parking and access for disabled anglers and the ability to use the maintenance ramps to adequately maintain the sea defences in this location.
(2) That Cabinet recognises the reasons for the proposal and would not object to the principle of permitting the installation of such a structure if a more appropriate location was identified by Morecambe Town Council.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That Morecambe Town Council be advised that the City Council regrets that it cannot be supportive of the proposal on this occasion because of the adverse effect that the structure would have upon the provision of parking and access for disabled anglers and the ability to use the maintenance ramps to adequately maintain the sea defences in this location.
(2) That Cabinet recognises the reasons for the proposal and would not object to the principle of permitting the installation of such a structure if a more appropriate location was identified by Morecambe Town Council.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Head of Regeneration and Planning
Reasons for making the decision:
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Collective Energy Switching (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)
Report of the Head of Community Engagement
Additional documents: Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Community Engagement which set out the background to the Collective Energy Switching scheme and potential options for Lancaster City Council in taking this forward.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
The officer preferred option was Option 3: - to agree to establish a collective energy switching scheme for the Lancaster district and to collaborate with other interested Local Authorities to achieve the best deal for residents. This would provide the maximum potential benefits to residents and the council through ... view the full minutes text for item 104. |
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Review of Parking Fees and Charges 2013/14 (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Report of the Head of Environmental Services Additional documents:
Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Environmental Services to consider the annual review of parking fees and charges for 2013/14.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Option 1(a)
This option was aimed at achieving the budgetary target of £45.6K that had been included in the 2013/14 Draft Budget.
Option 1(b)
This option was aimed at making a contribution of £33K to the budgetary target of £45.6K resulting in a budget shortfall of approximately £13K.
Option 1(c)
This was to consider approving Options 1a and 1b resulted in a range of increases covering both short stay and long ... view the full minutes text for item 105. |
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Community Safety Priorities (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Smith)
Report of the Head of Environmental Services Additional documents:
Minutes: (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Smith)
Cabinet received a report from the Heads of Environmental Services and Community Engagement which requested specific decisions relating to the funding by the City Council of domestic abuse services in the district – in particular, the use of £50,000 Performance Reward Grant allocated in principle to address this issue. It also provided more general information on other aspects of community safety.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
The preferred option was Option 3. The basic Domestic Abuse contribution of £12,000 for three years would ensure victims and their families of high level domestic violence were supported and enabled to make safer and better life choices. The outreach support would complement this service by supporting those at low to medium risk services preventing escalation of violence and increased demand on services.
Councillor Smith proposed, seconded by Councillor Sands:-
“(1) That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
With regard to Domestic Abuse Services it was agreed: (1) That Cabinet approves in principle the request from Lancashire County Council that Lancaster City Council contributes £12,000 a year for three years towards the commissioning of mainstream domestic abuse services as per Appendix A to the report (2) That £36,000 of previously allocated Performance Reward Grant (PRG) be used to meet the expectations in (1) above, and that the remaining £14,000 be allocated to maintaining the Domestic Abuse Outreach Service in the district 2013/14. (3) That £17,526 of unused funding earmarked for mainstream domestic abuse services during 2012/13 be returned to balances. With regard to Police Community Support Officers it was noted: ... view the full minutes text for item 106. |
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Out of Office Hours Response to Severe Weather (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Leytham)
Report of the Head of Environmental Services Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Environmental Services to enable Cabinet to consider generally how the Council should respond to severe weather occurrences out of office hours, and specifically the arrangements for the provision of sandbags to members of the public.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
OUT OF HOURS OPERATIONAL RESPONSE
PROVISION OF SANDBAGS TO MEMBERS OF PUBLIC
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Storey Creative Industries Centre: Progress Update (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hanson)
Report of the Head of Resources Additional documents:
Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Resources which provided an update on the position regarding the Storey Creative Industries Centre (CIC).
As the report was presented primarily for information no options were presented.
Councillor Barry proposed, seconded by Councillor Hamilton-Cox:-
“(1) That the report be noted.” Councillors then voted:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That the report be noted.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Head of Resources
Reasons for making the decision:
At its meeting on 9 October 2012 Cabinet requested that written updates on the Storey Creative Industries Centre be tabled at each meeting. (Minute 61 refers).
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Exclusion of the Press and Public This is to give further notice in accordance with Part 2, paragraph 5 (4) and 5 (5) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 of the intention to take the following items in private. It should be noted that the report for item 16 is a public report and it will only be necessary to exclude members of the press and public if any exempt information needs to be presented at the meeting.
Cabinet is recommended to pass the following recommendation in relation to the following items:-
“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that they could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.”
Members are reminded that, whilst the following items have been marked as exempt, it is for the Council itself to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, Members should consider the relevant paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to information. In considering their discretion Members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers. Minutes:
It was moved by Councillor Hanson and seconded by Councillor Sands:-
“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that it could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.”
Members then voted as follows:-
Resolved unanimously:
(1) That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that it could involve the possible disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.
At this stage an update on tenant accounts with regard to the Storey Creative Industries Centre was provided. In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice of this had been provided in the Forthcoming Key Decision Notice published on 21st December 2012.
(Councillor Dennison who was observing the meeting declared an interest at this point and left the meeting, returning after the tenant account update had been considered).
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Land at Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster (Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Report of the Head of Resources Minutes:
Cabinet received a report from the Head of Resources to obtain approval to the terms and conditions for the Council to grant a sub-lease for land at Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the exempt report.
Councillor Hamilton-Cox proposed, seconded by Councillor Leytham:-
“(1) That the recommendation, as set out in the exempt report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved:
(7 Members (Councillors Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Hamilton-Cox, Leytham, Sands and Smith) voted in favour and 1 Member (Councillor Hanson) voted against.)
(1) That, subject to the Canal and River Trust’s consent, the land and buildings located at Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster be sub-leased on the terms and conditions set out in the exempt report.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Head of Resources
Reasons for making the decision:
The decision supports the Council’s Corporate Plan action of improving parks and open spaces, whilst supporting sound management of the Council’s resources and entering into a Sub-Lease would represent a reasonable way forward for this site.
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