Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

No declarations of interest were made. 

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 Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

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.

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.  It is not required 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.

Charlotte Peters Rock, Knutsford Area for Knutsford Action (KAFKA) and Cheshire Area for Cheshire Action repeated previous requests for the Council to take action in a number of areas. In particular she raised concerns about the way in which the Council undertook different consultations within the Cheshire East area.

Charlotte Peters Rock also repeated her concerns that the former portfolio holder for Adult Services had been appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee.

Consideration was given to a report outlining the current position regarding overall housing provision and delivery across Cheshire East. It provided an overview of the current interventions that Cheshire East Council was making to contribute to both affordable and market housing delivery to address the shortfall in housing supply.

The report gave statistical and financial information and identified measures to stimulate delivery and requested specific approval for an allocation of £6m capital resources currently in the capital programme for 2012/13 – 2015/6.

RESOLVED

1.                  That the current position regarding overall housing provision and delivery across Cheshire East be noted and the programme of intervention to stimulate delivery be endorsed.

2.                  That the qualifying criteria and the process outlined within Appendix 1 to allocate the Housing Capital Programme for 2012-15 be approved.

3.                  That consent be given for the identification of further sites for affordable housing to support Phase 2 of the Affordable Housing programme and deliver a five year development programme.

4.                  That approval be given to undertake that further work to explore new partnership working initiatives including:

i)                    Providing financial mechanisms to housing partners in order to enable them to have the financial capacity to deliver the level of affordable homes required across the authority.

ii)                  Working with Registered Providers in order to bring forward an additional supply of affordable housing or intermediate products.  

5.                  A further report be presented to Cabinet during Summer 2012/13 with Phase 2 of our Affordable Housing Delivery Programme within the overall Housing Challenge Programme Framework

Consideration was given to the performance of the Council’s treasury management operation, including details of the activities undertaken during 2011-2012, for Cheshire East Borough Council.

RESOLVED

That the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2011-20112, as detailed in Appendix A of the report be received.

Consideration was given to the Council’s financial and non-financial performance at the final outturn stage of 2011/12 with each Portfolio Holder providing a commentary on the key issues in their areas of responsibility. The views of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee on this report were also submitted.

RESOLVED

1.                      That the following financial issues be noted

·  the overall financial stability of the Council, including Grants, in-year collection rates for Council Tax and Business Rates, Treasury Management, and centrally held budgets (Annex 1);

·   the impact on the Council’s general reserves position as detailed in   Annex 1;

·  the final service revenue and capital outturn positions (Annex 2);

·  the Council’s invoiced debt position as shown in Annex 2; 

·  the delivery of the 2011-2012 capital programme, detailed in Annex 2   and Appendix 1;

·  Reductions to approved capital budgets, as shown in Annex 2, Appendix 3.

2.                      That the performance issues, contained in Annex 3: be noted and that successes achieved during 2011/2012 be welcomed

3.                  That approval be given to:

·  Supplementary Capital Estimates and virement requests over £100,000 and up to and including £1,000,000 as shown in Annex 2, Appendix 2a.

·  Supplementary Capital Estimate and virement requests over £1,000,000 as shown in Annex 2, Appendix 2b.

Consideration was given to the Council’s Business Planning Process for 2013/2016 onwards. The Council would review and revise the Business Plan approved in February 2012. This would enable the Council to maintain a clear link between what the Council wanted to achieve and the allocation of limited resources.

The outcome of the process would be the production of a revised Business Plan, in February 2013, to set the Council’s ambitions, Budget and Council Tax.

RESOLVED

That the Business Planning Process to develop a Business Plan for 2013/2016 be approved.

Consideration was given to the requirements of the Housing Act 2004 to undertake regular assessments of the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers either living in, or travelling through the area. It also requires the Council to include the needs of Gypsies and Travellers in any housing strategy that it produces and to take any such strategy into account in exercising their functions.

The level of need for Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showperson accommodation within Cheshire East has been identified through the Cheshire Partnership Area Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation and Related Services Assessment (GTAA), published in January 2007.

Through the Local Plan the Council would identify a target for the provision of Gypsy and Travellers Pitches and Travelling Showpeoples plots for the Plan period based on identified need. 

It was recommended that an Interim approach be adopted that would

§                    Set up a temporary stopping place to alleviate the issue of unauthorised encampments on both public and private land.

§                    Update the sub regional Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) with our partners

§                    Commission a study to identify both transit & permanent residential sites; this would involve the agreement of site criteria for the provision & a call for sites.

§                    Council to explore the extension of affordable housing policy to include the use of s106/commuted funds to deliver permanent residential sites.

§                    Investigate the possibility of establishing a joint venture company/strategic partnership between the council and its Registered Provider partners to identify develop and manage future provision.

RESOLVED

1.                 That the current position be acknowledged

2.                 That approval be given to the  ‘Addressing the Accommodation Needs of Gypsies and Travellers Policy’ and the interim actions set out above

3.                 That approval be given to a site search and suitable appraisal process for both permanent residential and transit sites

4.                 To approve a site search for a temporary stopping place based on the evidence from encampment locations

Consideration was given to a monitoring report on the Cheshire East Carbon Management Plan. The Plan identified a range of projects to be developed over the five year period to achieve a 25% reduction in our energy consumption from the 2008/09 baseline. Since the publication of the plan the Council had achieved a saving of 3303 tonnes of CO2 and there had been good progress in implementing the 55 identified projects.

RESOLVED

That the Monitoring Report be approved.

Consideration was given to the final report of the Task and Finish Group who conducted a Scrutiny Review of Residential Provision.

RESOLVED

That the report be received and the Health and Adult Social Care Portfolio Holder undertake to come back to a future meeting of Cabinet with a formal response to each recommendation.

At the meeting of the Council on 23rd February 2013 Councillors D Flude and C Thorley had submitted a Notice of Motion seeking confirmation that any Council owned war memorials were being conserved to the high standard the public would expect.

Consideration was given to a report setting out the responsibilities of the Council and the work that was being undertaken to ensure that any memorials that were the responsibility were being maintained. The report proposed that the Council work with Town and Parish Councils to establish on going ownership and responsibilities and that consideration be given to events to mark the centenary of World War 1 in 2014.

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations as set out in the report be approved

At the meeting of the Council on 19th April 2012 Councillor G Boston had submitted a Notice of Motion asking the Council to adopt a policy of responding to elected member enquiries in two working days.

Consideration was given to a report on this matter. The Member/Officer relations Protocol stated that Officers should respond to enquiries and complaints in accordance with the Council's standards. Details of the Council's Customer Charter were given.

RESOLVED

That the Motion be rejected but that the Council adopt a policy whereby officers will acknowledge emails and correspondence in two days indicating who will be dealing with the matter.

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.

PART 2 – MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS PRESENT

RESOLVED

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 that 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 as amended and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

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

RESOLVED

That Cabinet supports the decision of the Corporate Management Team to release the employees whose roles are listed in Appendix A of the report under the arrangements agreed in relation to voluntary severance provisions for employees in the Council.