Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, Members are asked to declare any interest they may have in any matter which is to be considered at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2013 were confirmed as correct.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Finance.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To note the projected outturn position for 2013/14 of the Council’s General Fund revenue budget at 31 October 2013, as detailed in paragraphs 2.3 to 2.9 and Appendix A of the report;

(ii)  To note the progress against the 2013/14 savings targets at 31 October 2013, as detailed in paragraph 2.10 and Appendix B of the report;

(iii)  To note the position for the HRA at 31 October 2013, as detailed in paragraph 2.11 and Appendix C of the report;

(iv)  To note the projected outturn position for 2013/14 of the Council’s capital budget at 31 October 2013 and approve the reprofiled Capital Programme, as detailed in paragraph 2.12 and Appendix D of the report; and

(v)  To approve an increase of £313,000 from capital reserves to the Highways Capital Programme to fund essential repair and reconstruction works to footways, as detailed in paragraph 2.12 of the report.

Received a report from the Leader of the Council.

Cabinet resolved to note the corporate priority performance information for the second quarter of the 2013/14 financial year.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To agree the Strategy for Ensuring Education Places 2012/13 to 2020/21 as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)  To agree to the inclusion in the Council’s Capital Programme of the following:

(a)  Robert Clack Comprehensive School Expansion - an additional £11.2m allocated by the DfE, increasing the overall budget to £27.35m;

(b)  New Special Free School at Barking Riverside - the inclusion of £7.8m which shall be offset against income from the DfE.

(iii)  To approve, in principle, the projects set out in Section 6 of the report, subject to:

(a)  a full capital appraisal process of individual schemes to assess the financial, procurement, legal and risk implications; and

(b)  further reports to Cabinet on the full detail of the capital programmes and associated implications;

(iv)  To approve, in principle, the procurement routes for the necessary works, goods and services for the individual projects set out in paragraph 12.2.5 of the report using the Council’s Construction Framework Contractors, Thames Partnership for Learning Limited (the Council’s Local Education Partnership (LEP)) or the Government Procurement Service framework in respect of the Special Needs Free School at Barking Riverside;

(v)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, to approve the procurement strategies and action the procurement processes following consideration by the Procurement Board of the detailed procurement requirements of the various schemes;

(vi)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, the Chief Finance Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to award the respective project contracts set out in the report; and

(vii)  To approve the appropriation of 202A Halbutt Street and Markyate Library from Adult Services to Children’s Services with effect from 1 February 2014 and 1 April 2014 respectively, for the purpose of developing early education places for two-year olds in the Borough.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To approve the appropriation of the area of land at Castle Green, shown hatched on plan number Gores 18.12.13 attached at Appendix A to the report, from Parks and Open Spaces to Children’s Services to support the construction of a 10 classroom block at Jo Richardson Community School, subject to the land transfer agreement with the School Governing Body being on a 125 year lease at an initial peppercorn rent and subject to five year rent reviews;

(ii)  To approve the procurement of the new building via a two stage design and build contract secured through the Council’s approved Construction Framework arrangements;

(iii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to approve the procurement strategies and award the respective project contracts; and

(iv)  To agree that all future land transfer agreements associated with the Council’s school expansion programme be via 125 year lease arrangements.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To agree the appropriation of the Abbey Road Depot site, shown hatched red on Plan No. Abb181213 attached at Appendix A to the report, from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to Children’s Services in order to provide additional primary school pupil places and improve the existing provision at Gascoigne Primary School, subject to the land transfer agreement with the School Governing Body being on a 125 year lease at an initial peppercorn rent and subject to five year rent reviews; and

(ii)  To agree the appropriate funding adjustment between budgets of £520,000 in relation to the site transfer of Abbey Depot, as referred to in section 4 of the report.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Services and HR.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To agree the allocation of Community Capacity Grant funding for 2013/14 and 2014/15 totalling £991,908 to ensure that the proposed improvement works set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report are implemented at Park Active Age Centre, Valence Library and Robert Jeyes Library as part of the Council’s Active Age programme; and

(ii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services and HR and the Chief Finance Officer, to finalise and implement the scope of works within the available budget.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Cabinet resolved to agree the following amendments to the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy:

(i)  The assessment of bedroom number to be in accordance with housing benefit regulations, as set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report, and be applied to all cases held for assessment since the benefit regulations came into effect in April 2013;

(ii)  To allow discretion to the rule that an allocation of housing cannot happen if the applicant is in rent arrears, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report;

(iii)  To grant ‘Additional Preference’ status to housing applications from British Armed Forces personnel who meet the statutory criteria set out in paragraph 2.3.1 of the report;

(iv)  As an additional local arrangement, to extend the ‘Additional Preference’ status to those Reserve Forces personnel who meet the criteria set out in paragraph 2.3.3 of the report; and

(v)  The updated arrangements for the allocation of Council homes let above social rent levels, as set out in paragraph 2.4 of the report.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Finance.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To agree the procurement of the following Council contracts as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report:

·  Stationery

·  Cleaning and Janitorial Supplies

·  Vehicle Hire

·  Housing - Voids

·  Housing - Boilers

·  Fencing

(ii)  To delegate authority to the appropriate Corporate Directors, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members, to procure and award the contracts detailed in Appendix 1 to the report; and

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to prepare and enter into all relevant and necessary agreements to effect the contracts.

Received a report from the Leader of the Council.

Cabinet resolved to authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Chief Finance Officer, to grant a 35 year lease for the Mayesbrook Park football stadium, shown edged red on the plan attached at Appendix 1 to the report, to the Academy of Dreams, subject to satisfactory negotiation of the lease including the provision of a sub lease to the Barking Football Club for the full duration of the lease.

Received a report from the Leader of the Council.

Cabinet resolved to approve the addition of the Sacred Heart Convent, Goresbrook Road, Dagenham, to the Local List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Regeneration.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  Approve the draft Public Houses Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) “Last Orders? Preserving Public Houses” as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, for public consultation and as a material consideration by the Council’s Development Planning section;

(ii)  To note that, following the outcome of consultation, a report will be presented to the Assembly seeking approval of the final Public Houses SPD, and

(iii)  To support the Kirklees Council submission to Government to protect local pubs under the Sustainable Communities Act.

The report was withdrawn.

Received a report from the Cabinet Member for Finance.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To note the performance of the debt management function carried out by the Revenues and Benefits service operated by Elevate East London, including the performance of bailiffs, at the end of September 2013; and

(ii)  To note the debt write-offs for the second quarter of 2013/14 and that a number of the debts would be publicised in accordance with the policy agreed by Cabinet (Minute 52, 18 October 2011).