Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Brown, R Domleo and R Menlove.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos. 11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Cabinet on any matter relevant to its work.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. There is no requirement to give notice of the intention to make use of public speaking provision but, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

In order for an informed answer to be given, where a member of the public wishes to ask a question of a Cabinet Member, three clear working days’ notice must be given and the question must be submitted in writing at the time of notification. 

Agenda item 7 (Appointments to Outside Organisations)

Mr J Narraway spoke in respect of representation on the Cheshire Peaks and Plains Housing Trust on which he had been a Councillor representative for a number of years; he asked that the Cabinet give consideration to appointing him as a non Councillor representative.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 May 2011.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 May 2011 be approved as a correct record.

The report updates Cabinet on developments and progress in respect of the Draft Economic Development Strategy for Cheshire East.  Consultation has been undertaken internally and with external partners and incorporates findings from the Local Economic Assessment.

Cabinet is required to approve the revised Strategy for adoption.

Consideration was given to developments and progress in respect of the Draft Economic Development Strategy for Cheshire East. Consultation had been undertaken internally, and with external partners, and incorporated findings from the Local Economic Assessment.  The Strategy set out the context for the delivery of Cheshire East’s work programme and key priorities relating to economic development and regeneration for the next 15 years.

RESOLVED

That approval be given to the revised Strategy, and that the headline findings of the Local Economic Assessment be noted. 

The report provides a summary of the procurement process and recommends a decision to appoint a Highways Services Contractor to start on 6 October 2011.

The report sets out the rationale for change as well as the key provisions of the new Highways Services Contract.

Cabinet is asked to award Preferred Bidder to the company which receives the highest score on the evaluation which will be tabled at the meeting.

The report gives details of Category 1 outside organisations to which cabinet is required to make appointments.

Cabinet is asked to make appointments for a four-year term of office and to adopt a procedure for dealing with vacancies which occur between appointments.

A schedule of nominations will be available at the meeting.

Consideration was given to nominations to Category 1 outside organisations, to which Cabinet was required to make the appointments, and also to adopting a casual vacancies procedure to deal with vacancies occurring between appointments.

With reference to the request made at the beginning of the meeting by Mr J Narraway, the Chairman reported that the nominations would remain as submitted. 

RESOLVED

1. That appointments be made to the Category 1 list of organisations as listed, with immediate effect, until such time as representation is reviewed following the elections of the new Council in 2015.

2.      That, notwithstanding (1) above, the Cabinet retains the right to review the representation on any outside organisation, at any time.

3.      That the casual vacancies procedure be adopted.

The final report of the “Task and Finish” Group which conducted a Scrutiny Review of the Fostering Service, is attached.

Cabinet is asked to receive the report and note that the Children and Families Portfolio Holder will report formally to a future meeting of Cabinet in respect of each recommendation.

Consideration was given to the final report of the task and finish group set up by the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee to review Fostering Services.

In accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Final Reporting Procedure the Cabinet was asked to receive the report pending coming back to a future meeting with a formal response to each recommendation.

Cabinet welcomed the report and the commended the task and finish group on having carried out an excellent review.  

RESOLVED

That the report of the Children and Families Task and Finish Group be received and that the Children and Families Portfolio Holder come back to a future meeting of the Cabinet with a formal response to each of its recommendations.

The attached document is a response to the report of the Review of Family Support Services presented by the “Task and Finish” Group of the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee considered by Cabinet on 20 December 2010.

Consideration was given to the response to the Children and Families Scrutiny Review of Family Support Services, received by Cabinet on 20 December 2011.

The review had made twenty three recommendations all of which were now endorsed; a response to each was now detailed.

RESOLVED

1.      That the responses to the recommendations made to Cabinet in the report by the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee entitled Review of Family Support Services, on 20 December 2010, be noted.

2.      That the response to the recommendations contained in the Review of Family Support Services be noted.

3.      That the Director of Children’s Services be charged with taking steps to secure the implementation of the recommendations to ensure early intervention and prevention services are delivered to best meet the needs of families in Cheshire East.

The reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

The report gives details of posts which the Chief Executive recommends be approved or noted for severance.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

RESOLVED

1. That Cabinet supports the decision of the Chief Executive to release the employees whose roles are listed as 1 to 45 in Appendix A under the arrangements agreed in relation to voluntary severance provisions for employees in the Council. 

2. That Cabinet notes the employee listed as 46 in Appendix A, whose voluntary severance was approved by the Procurement, Assets and Shared Services Portfolio Holder under the terms of his delegated powers, in response to an urgent request from management.