(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors John Gilbert and Roger Mace)
In accordance with Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman agreed to consider the report as urgent business as there was a need for a decision prior to the next meeting of Cabinet.
The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report requesting Cabinet to consider the referral from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as a result of the Call-in of Cabinet’s decision with regard to Community Cohesion (Minute 12).
The options were set out in the report as follows:
1. Reaffirm the decision of Cabinet on 3rd June 2008. (The original report to Cabinet on Community Cohesion with appendices and relevant minute was attached to the report.)
2. Accept the recommendations either wholly or in part made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the Call-in on 25th June 2008, and make resolutions in line with those recommendations.
3. Decide to spend the Area Based Grant (ABG) in some other way or defer consideration to a later meeting.
The report contained Officer comments regarding the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor Evelyn Archer:-
“That recommendation 1, as set out in the report, be approved; that the items in recommendation 2 be noted and that Cabinet reconsiders the way the ABG be spent in November 2008, by which time the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) should have options ready for consideration.”
Members then voted as follows.
Resolved Unanimously:
(1) That Cabinet does not appoint a Community Cohesion officer at the present time.
(2) That recommendation 2 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee:
“That Cabinet considers alternative ways of achieving the aims of the Corporate Plan on cohesive communities, including working with the universities. Overview and Scrutiny draws the attention of Cabinet to priority outcome 16 and highlights that:
· The Community Cohesion Strategy could be achieved through working with the LSP and voluntary sector. A future programme of spending on Community Cohesion should be based upon this strategy.
· Area Based Grant (ABG) money could be used to implement the Children and Young People Strategic Plan.
· Area Based Grant money could be used to achieve the aim of a civic programme that celebrates our heritage and benefits our communities.”
be noted.
(3) That Cabinet reconsiders the way the ABG be spent in November 2008, by which time the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) should have options ready for consideration.
Officers responsible for effecting the decision:
Chief Executive.
Head of Democratic Services.
Reason for making the decision:
The decision was made in line with recommendation 1 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and in recognition of the need to consider how ABG for community cohesion will be allocated. The ABG can be spent according to City Council priorities and each of the issues identified in recommendation 2 are included in this years Corporate Plan Priority Outcome 16 “work to maintain a cohesive community where respect for all is valued and celebrated”.
Members were advised that the Cabinet decision in relation to Community Cohesion, Minute 12, had been Called-in by the following five Members:
Councillors Susan Bray, Stuart Langhorn, Kenneth Brown, Jude Towers and Sylvia Rogerson.
Members were informed that the Call-in had been made on the basis that the decision of Cabinet had not been made in accordance with all the principles set out in Article 13 (Decision Making) of the Constitution, in particular:
(b) Due consultation and the taking of professional advice from Officers
(e) Aims and desired outcomes will be clearly expressed
(f) Options that were considered and the reasons for arriving at the decision will be explained.
The Chairman outlined the procedure to be followed and summarised the reasons for the Call-in.
The Chairman invited Councillors Mace and Gilbert to explain the reasons for the decision of Cabinet.
Councillor Mace explained to the Committee that as he had voted against the decision it would be difficult for him to defend the decision. Councillor Gilbert informed the Committee that in view of improving the Equality Standard level being a recent addition to his portfolio it would be more appropriate for the author of the report to provide the clarification required.
The Chairman invited signatories to the Call-in to ask questions and the Chief Executive, as author of the report, responded.
The Chairman invited Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to ask questions and the Chief Executive responded.
The meeting adjourned at 7.05pm to enable members of the public to make statements to the Members. Councillor Greenall left the meeting.
The meeting reconvened at 7.18pm.
On behalf of the Call-in signatories it was proposed by Councillor Langhorn and seconded by Councillor Bray:
(1) “That Cabinet do not appoint a Community Cohesion officer at the present time.
(2) That Cabinet consider alternative ways of achieving the aims of the Corporate Plan on cohesive communities. Overview and Scrutiny draws the attention of Cabinet to priority outcome 16 and highlights that:
q The Community Cohesion Strategy could be achieved through working with the LSP and voluntary sector. A future programme of spending on Community Cohesion should be based upon this strategy.
q Area Based Grant money could be used to implement the Children and Young People Strategic Plan.
q Area Based Grant money could be used to achieve the aim of a civic programme that celebrates our heritage and benefits our communities.
(3) That Cabinet reconsiders the issue of achieving Level 2 of the Equality Standard as an issue separate from the spending of the Community Cohesion Area Based Grant monies.”
It was moved by Councillor Plumb by way of amendment, which was accepted as a friendly amendment by the mover and seconder of the original proposition, that reference to ”working with the universities” be included in recommendation (2).
Upon being put to the vote, 5 Members voted in favour of the proposition and 2 Members against, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.
Resolved:
(1) That Cabinet do not appoint a Community Cohesion officer at the present time.
(2) That Cabinet consider alternative ways of achieving the aims of the Corporate Plan on cohesive communities, including working with the universities. Overview and Scrutiny draws the attention of Cabinet to priority outcome 16 and highlights that:
q The Community Cohesion Strategy could be achieved through working with the LSP and voluntary sector. A future programme of spending on Community Cohesion should be based upon this strategy.
q Area Based Grant money could be used to implement the Children and Young People Strategic Plan.
q Area Based Grant money could be used to achieve the aim of a civic programme that celebrates our heritage and benefits our communities.
(3) That Cabinet reconsiders the issue of achieving Level 2 of the Equality Standard as an issue separate from the spending of the Community Cohesion Area Based Grant monies.
(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Jane Fletcher)
The Chief Executive submitted a report that requested Cabinet to consider how to take forward community cohesion within Lancaster District in the context of the Area Based Grant.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment were set out in the report as follows:
Option 1 To pull together the existing employee resource allocated to equality and diversity issues within HR, combine with resources from the ABG to create a whole time equivalent officer and a commissioning budget.
The officer will be located in the most appropriate City Council Service (Corporate Strategy) or the work programme to be procured from another organisation.
Option 2 That the ABG be used in some other way to be determined by Cabinet. Should Cabinet resolve to use the ABG for different purposes, there will be a resourcing issue in respect of the Corporate Plan action to achieve Levels 2 and 3 of the Equality Standard.
The Officer preferred option was Option 1. The allocation of ABG to the City Council offers a timely opportunity for the Council to address the issues it faces in terms of community cohesion, equality and diversity.
It was moved by Councillor Eileen Blamire and seconded by Councillor Jane Fletcher: -
“That a decision on the recommendations, as set out in the report, be deferred for six months to enable a detailed action plan to be produced and considered.”
By way of amendment it was then moved by Councillor Jon Barry and seconded by Councillor John Gilbert:-
“That option 1, as set out in the report, be approved, subject to the addition of:-
That a detailed implementation report be produced in consultation with the LSP thematic group and forwarded for consideration by Cabinet once an officer has been appointed.”
On considering the above, Councillor Eileen Blamire, with the agreement of her seconder and the meeting withdrew her proposition.
Members then voted as follows.
Resolved:
(5 Members (Councillors Eileen Blamire, Abbott Bryning, Jon Barry, John Gilbert and Jane Fletcher) voted for the motion, 3 Members (Councillors Shirley Burns, David Kerr and Roger Mace) voted against and 1 Member (Councillor Evelyn Archer) abstained from voting).
(1) That the Community Cohesion element of the Area Based Grant (ABG) be used to support the establishment of a new post of a Community Cohesion Officer, initially for a period of 3 years, and to commission community cohesion activities as set out in the report.
(2) That a detailed implementation report be produced in consultation with the LSP thematic group and forwarded for consideration by Cabinet once an officer has been appointed.
(3) That the Revenue Budget be updated accordingly.
Officers responsible for effecting the decision:
Chief Executive.
Head of Financial Services.
Reason for making the decision:
The decision for the allocation of ABG to the City Council offers a timely opportunity for the City Council to address the issues it faces in terms of community cohesion, equality and diversity.
Community Cohesion has been moving up the agenda nationally, regionally and locally over the last year or so. The ABG enables the City Council to take further actions in relation to community cohesion and integrate those actions with existing work programmes and plans in relation to equality and diversity.