Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J Macrae.

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 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.  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.

There were no questions from members of the public.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2010.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2010 were approved as a correct record.

To consider recommendations for the further implementation of the Council’s approach to the redesign of adult social care services and to its strategy for dementia services.

Consideration was given to the further implementation of the Council’s approach to the Redesign of Adult Social Care Services, and to its strategy for dementia services.

RESOLVED

For the reasons set out in the report:

Cabinet agreed that:

1. the further work described in the report which has been taken forward to progress the implementation of the Cabinet’s policy of gradually developing more specialised provision for those with Dementia, and of reducing over time the extent of the Council’s reliance upon institutional, building based services, be noted;

2. negotiations should be undertaken with Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (CECPCT) to seek their support for consultants to carry out an exercise to develop specific proposals for how Cheshire East Council and the CECPCT should provide services for older people suffering from dementia in the area in the future;

3. subject to the outcome of those negotiations, a procurement exercise should be undertaken to secure the services of consultants;

4. to acknowledge that any capital and revenue implications which arise from the proposals generated by this exercise, will be presented in a further report to the Cabinet, setting out the options and their potential impact upon the financial situation of the Council; 

5. an exercise should be undertaken to gather the views of existing and recent service users (and their carers) of Cypress House, a Community Support Centre in Handforth, around the option of closing that provision, both to contribute to the re-commissioning of resources for the creation of new specialist services, and to address its significant under-utilisation;

6. a report be made to the Cabinet setting out the views expressed during that exercise and the proposed response to them.

To consider how the Council is seeking to transform the delivery of highway services.  

Consideration was given to how the Council was seeking to transform the delivery of highway services, including replacement of the current term maintenance contract, to drive improvement in highway condition, improve customer perception across Cheshire East and deliver increased value for money.

It was confirmed that the proposed Cabinet Sub Committee would keep the Environment and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee appraised of the progress of its work, and of the delivery of the project. 

RESOLVED

For the reasons set out in the report: -

1. That the approach to transforming highways delivery, as outlined in the report, be endorsed.

2. That a Cabinet Sub Committee, comprising Councillors J Macrae (Portfolio Holder Prosperity), P Mason (Portfolio Holder Procurement, Assets and Shared Services) and R Menlove (Portfolio Holder Environmental Services) be established to manage the delivery of the project in line with the timescales outlined in the report.

To consider a response to the Notice of Motion submitted to Council on 25 February 2010. 

Consideration was given to a response to the following Notice of Motion submitted to Council on 25 February 2010: -

"Cheshire East Council acknowledges and gives thanks to the hard work carried out by its staff, in extremely difficult weather conditions, whilst gritting some of Cheshire East's roads and footways.

Council also calls for the adoption of a Cheshire East policy, by a review of priorities for future years especially with regard to bus routes and roads in the vicinity of primary schools".

It was confirmed that the preparation of the Winter Service Plan for 2010/11 would address the duties of a Highway Authority in relation to the removal of snow and ice, and incorporate learning from the last winter in relation to bus routes, roads near schools and the priorities for clearing snow and ice.

RESOLVED

For the reasons set out in the report:

1.  Cabinet requests that the planned Environmental Scrutiny of our ‘Winter Learning’ includes the priority to be given to bus routes and roads in the vicinity of primary schools.

2.  That Cabinet endorses the actions of the Chief Executive and of the Strategic Director Places in thanking all staff that worked hard to respond to the most challenging winter in almost 30 years.

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

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.

To consider the report of the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

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

RESOLVED

For the reasons set out in the report: -

1.      That Cabinet supports the decision of the Chief Executive to release the employees whose roles are listed as 1 to 6 on Appendix A under the arrangements agreed in relation to voluntary severance provisions for employees in the Council. 

2. That the details of the employee who is listed as number 7 on Appendix A, be noted in that following a management decision regarding this service, there was an urgent need to consider this employee’s request for voluntary severance before 31 March 2010 due to changes to the pension regulations.  As a result the Executive Member for Resources agreed to release this employee under the terms of his delegated powers.