Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with paragraph 3.33 of the Cabinet Procedure Rules, a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the Cabinet. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

A member of the public referred to damage caused to properties, which was said to have been caused by trees. Residents local to the area in question had made a number of formal complaints to the Council, as well as submitting a petition, but had not received a reply. At the meeting, the speaker submitted to the Chairman a copy of a letter that he had written to the Leader of the Council together with supporting documents.

The Portfolio Holder for Environment indicated that an update to the petition lodged with the Council would be issued in the coming week. An arboriculture consultant had been appointed to investigate the matter and had recommended that the trees be pollarded to manage their impact upon the area. Where pollarding was not suitable, further works would be identified and undertaken. The Council would, if possible, undertake the pollarding in late March, but may have to delay the works to take account of the bird nesting season.

A period of 20 minutes is allocated for questions to be put to Cabinet Members by members of the Council. Notice of questions need not be given in advance of the meeting. Questions must relate to the powers, duties or responsibilities of the Cabinet. Questions put to Cabinet Members must relate to their portfolio responsibilities.

The Leader will determine how Cabinet question time should be allocated where there are a number of Members wishing to ask questions. Where a question relates to a matter which appears on the agenda, the Leader may allow the question to be asked at the beginning of consideration of that item.

Councillor D Flude referred to proposals which she said had been in place for many months for a bridge from Gresty Road to Weston Road, Crewe, and which had not been brought to the attention of ward members. She asked for a written response as to why this was the case and asked what assurances could be given to local residents regarding the proposed scheme.

Councillor S Hogben asked whether the Council had a policy on the management of trees with particular reference to how they might affect residential properties. The Portfolio Holder for Environment replied that the Council’s tree policy needed to be reviewed and brought up to date. At Councillor Hogben’s request, he undertook to keep members informed of progress with the review of the policy through the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor S Corcoran asked what plans the Council had to improve air quality in Sandbach and whether this would go beyond what was set out in the air quality action plan. He also asked if the Council would be following the example of Cheshire West and Chester Council by introducing on-the-spot fines for drivers who leave their engines idling and refuse to turn them off when asked to do so. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration undertook to provide a written response.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th February 2019.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th February 2019 be approved as a correct record.

To consider a report which provides a summary of the impact and progress of the current FACT initiative and proposes a way forward to embed the approach for the long term.

Cabinet considered a report on the impact and progress of the current FACT initiative and a proposed way forward to embed the approach for the long term involving the commissioning of three FACT teams for a period of five years (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025). In order to assess the appetite and ability of the market to deliver the FACT model as a long term approach, a period of market engagement and testing would be needed prior to a competitive procurement process. This would require a further one year contract award (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020) to the existing commissioned provider to ensure that there was no break in the delivery of FACT.     

At the request of Councillor D Flude, the Portfolio Holder for Children and Families undertook to take a report to the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee before the end of the one-year contract.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    directly awards a contract to Catch 22 to deliver the Families Achieving change Together (FACT) service for the period 1 April 2019 to 31^st March 2020;

2.    approves the re-commissioning of the FACT service via an EU compliant competitive procurement exercise; and

3.    delegates authority to the Executive Director People, in consultation with the Children and Families Portfolio Holder, to award the FACT contract for a period of five years (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025).

To consider a report which presents a Rural Action Plan for the three year period 2019/20 - 2021/22.

Cabinet considered a report presenting a Rural Action Plan for the three year period 2019/20 - 2021/22. The aim of the Plan, which was appended to the report, was to help inform strategic choices and identify priorities regarding the rural area, based on the Council’s strategies and plans along with their related evidence base. 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    approves the Rural Action Plan appended to the report; and

2.    delegates authority to the Executive Director Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration, to update the action plan as necessary.

The report or a part thereof relating to the remaining item on the agenda has been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matter may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Cabinet may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the 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 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the 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 3  and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To consider a report on the ASDV Review.

Cabinet considered a report on the ASDV review.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations set out in the report be approved.