Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Roland Domleo, David Brickhill and Brian Silvester.

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

Councillor P Findlow declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 (Future Development of Macclesfield) on the basis that he was a Macclesfield Charter Trustee. Councillor L Smetham declared a personal interest in agenda item 9 on the basis that she was a Trustee of the Macclesfield Silk Heritage Trust.

Councillor R Westwood declared a personal interest in agenda item 8 (Review of Housing Options and Homelessness Service) as he was a member of Wulvern Housing Board. 

No other Member made any declaration of interest in any item on the agenda.

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.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos. 11 and 35, members of the public were able to address Cabinet on any matter relevant to its work, or to ask a question of a Cabinet Member.

Members of the public were required to give three clear working days’ notice of any question.  There was no requirement to give notice of the intention to make use of the public speaking provision.

No questions had been received and no member of the public present wished to address Cabinet.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 1 December 2009.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 1 December 2009 be approved as a correct record.

To receive an overview of the current medium term financial provision following further development of policy proposals and capital schemes that will impact in the financial years 2010/2011 to 2012/2013, and to approve the outline structure for further consultation on the business planning process.

The Cabinet received a report which provided an overview of the current medium-term financial position following further development of policy proposals and capital schemes which would impact in the financial years 2010/2011 to 2012/2013.

The report sought approval of the outline structure for further consultation on the business planning process throughout January 2010.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  the current medium-term financial position be noted;

2.                  in relation to the Pre-Budget Report 2010, note that the Portfolio Holder for Resources, in consultation with the Borough Treasurer, would provide the detailed analysis within the report to inform the consultation process; and

3.                  the process for working towards a balanced budget for 2010/2011 be agreed.

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.2, Councillors A Moran and L Smetham spoke on this item.)

To consider the findings of a scrutiny review of the Transforming Learning Communities inheritance from the former County Council.    

The Children and Families Scrutiny Committee had established a Task and Finish Group to review the Transforming Learning Communities initiative which had been inherited from the former Cheshire County Council.  Part of the Group’s remit had been to consider the needs of Cheshire East in relation to future changes to the schools system.

The Cabinet considered a report which set out the detailed work undertaken by the Group, together with a series of recommendations.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  the development of a comprehensive commissioning strategy for children’s learning in Cheshire East, in the context of the Children and Young People’s Plan, be agreed;

2.                  any programme of work to address the issue of school places should sit within that strategic commissioning context;

3.                  the report of the Task and Finish Group set up by the Children and Families Scrutiny Committee be noted;

4.                  the Lead Member for Children’s Services and the Director of Children’s Services be requested to consider how the advice of the Task and Finish Group, in relation to the desirable attributes of such a programme, should be taken into account in designing that programme; and

5.                  the Lead Member for Children’s Services and the Director of Children’s Services be requested to consider how the advice of the Task and Finish Group (about the management of such a programme) should be taken into account, particularly in relation to –

·          Engagement and consultation

·          Managing relationships with the Church of England Diocese of Chester and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury

·          Ensuring that the programme was flexible enough to be able to respond to projected waves in demand

·          Managing the issues on a locality basis which was sensitive to local differences and demographics.

(Notes: (a) In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.1, Councillor R Westwood spoke on this item; and

(b) In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.2, Councillors P Edwards, A Moran and D Neilson spoke on this item.)

To consider a joint report of the Strategic Director People and the Chief Executive of the Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust  on a proposed programme of work being developed by the Council and its NHS Partners.

The Cabinet considered a report in respect of a proposed programme of work being developed by the Council and its NHS Partners. 

One of the aspirations in creating two unitary authorities in Cheshire had been a commitment to contributing to the development of a “virtual public sector”, which would involve all public sector agencies so that users of services would experience them as coherent and co-ordinated.

Funding for public sector services in the next five years was uncertain and, to ensure financial sustainability, it was important for the public sector to work together.

The report recommended Cabinet and the relevant Boards of the NHS organisations to agree the proposals and require further work to be undertaken to develop them and to pursue their implementation.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  the Executive Summary (Appendix 1 of the report submitted) which set out the vision and outcomes of the proposed programme be agreed;

2.                  a programme of work be carried out to achieve greater and closer integration between the Council and its NHS partners in order to achieve both improved outcomes for people who used services and the development of financially sustainable services;

3.                  the Compact (Appendix 2 of the report submitted) which described the sort of behaviours most likely to foster the achievement of those outcomes, be agreed; and

4.                  Officers be requested to negotiate further about the arrangements for the joint governance of this programme, submitting its recommendations to a future meeting.

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.1, Councillor Rachel Bailey spoke on this item.)

To consider the findings of a comprehensive review of the way in which services are delivered to those in need of housing, and future arrangements for the delivery of the service.

A comprehensive review of the way in which services were delivered to those in need of housing had been carried out. The Cabinet considered a report which provided a summary of the review and outlined options and recommendations put forward by Andy Gale Housing Consultancy, which had carried out an independent assessment on behalf of the three former Borough Councils.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.         the service review options outlined in the report be noted; and

2.                  approval be granted for the contracted Homelessness and Housing Options Service to be delivered directly by Cheshire East Council from 1^st April 2010.

(Notes:  (a) In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 43.7, Councillors D Brown and J Macrae requested that their abstention from voting on this item be recorded;  and

(b) In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.2, Councillor D Neilson spoke on this item.)

To consider the development of a coherent delivery plan for Macclesfield over the next five to ten years.

The Cabinet considered a report which sought approval to develop a coherent delivery plan for Macclesfield over the next 5-10 years, focusing specifically on the opportunities to review the plans and agreements in place for the town centre; realise the potential of the South Macclesfield Development Area (SDMA); and improve and extend the town’s facilities, particularly from a retail, leisure, cultural and heritage perspective.

RESOLVED:

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  approval be granted to the development of a delivery plan for Macclesfield which provided a more robust and cohesive approach for the town over the next 5-10 years;

2.                  the Council lead, in partnership with its development partner, Wilson Bowden Developments, in reviewing the options for delivery of a mixed use town centre development scheme in Macclesfield within the parameters of the existing Development Agreement, which included stakeholder engagement and public consultation;

3.                  approval be granted to the use of £150,000 from the Places earmarked reserve for economic development over the period 2009/2011 in order to procure –

·          External consultancy capacity and expertise to support the development of the delivery plan

·          Commercial development advice for the South Macclesfield Development Area (SMDA).

(Note:   In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.1, Councillors D Neilson and L Smetham spoke on this item.)

To consider an overview of 2009 – 2010 mid year performance for Cheshire East Council.

The Cabinet received a report which provided an overview of the 2009-2010 mid-year performance of Cheshire East Council.

The report highlighted areas of good performance and indicated those areas where performance was currently below targeted levels. Where improvement was required, the report indicated remedial action being taken.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  Cabinet note the overview of performance detailed in the report and considered the issues raised in relation to potential under-performance against targets and the means by which these issues would be addressed; and

2.                  Cabinet note the need to develop further the local performance targets identified by the Audit Commission in the Council’s provisional Organisational Assessment.

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.2, Councillor P Edwards spoke on this item.)

In accordance with Procedure Rule 43.6, the Leader of the Council had agreed to take this report as an urgent item to enable the Council to comply with Government deadlines.

The Cabinet had agreed to establish a joint committee with Cheshire West and Chester Council called the “Joint Extra Care Housing Management Board”.  The Board’s main task would be to consider the Outline Business Case for Extra Care Housing PFI.  The financial situation for the project had changed and the Cabinet now considered a report which (a) outlined the process for pursuing PFI funding; (b) outlined the re-modelled financial position; and (c) sought approval to proceed to the next stage of the PFI application process.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

1.                  the remodelled financial position, allowing the Joint Extra Care Member Board to approve the re-submission of the Outline Business Case for Extra Care Housing Round 5, be approved;

2.         in approving this remodelled financial position, the Cabinet note that Cheshire East Council was committed to a maximum annual contribution of £168,000. This was based on the number of rental units within the Council’s boundary, including a prudent assumption that “Supporting People” income would not be realised;  if this sum were realised, the annual contribution, net of “Supporting People” income reduced to £84,000.

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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

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

The Cabinet considered a report which provided details in respect of posts where the employees had applied for voluntary redundancy.

RESOLVED

That, for the reasons set out in the report:

the Cabinet support the decision of the Chief Executive to release the employees whose roles were listed in Appendix A of the report submitted, under the arrangements agreed in relation to severance provisions for employees in the Council.

(Note: In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7.2, Councillors A Moran, D Neilson and L Smetham, spoke on this item.)