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.

Councillor S Pochin declared a non-pecuniary interest as a former Director of Engine of the North and the Skills and Growth Company.

Councillor L Smetham declared a non-pecuniary interest as a former Director of Orbitas.

The Head of Legal Services reminded the Committee of the highly sensitive nature of the matters under consideration and the need for all comments to be confined to the meeting or raised through proper channels.

The report relating to the following 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 Committee may decide 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 Paragraph 3 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 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 resume consideration of a draft Cabinet paper, tabled on 14^th October 2019, on a stage of the ASDV Change Programme.

The Committee resumed its consideration of a draft Cabinet report relating to Civicance which was due to be considered by Cabinet on 5^th November 2019. The Committee had deferred consideration of the draft report at its previous meeting so that the Non-Executive Directors and Managing Director of Civicance could be invited to attend to discuss the matter. The following attended:

Councillor Stewart Gardiner – Chairman

Ian Bunn – Managing Director

David Malcolm, Acting Head of Planning, was also in attendance.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chairman thanked the Civicance representatives who then left the meeting. The Committee then considered the matter further.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet be recommended to approve:

1.    the decommissioning of services from Civicance and the direct delivery of those services by the Council;

2.    that the positive benefits of Civicance operating as a commercial company be shared with the Council, so that the learning can be built into the Brighter Future programme; and

3.    that a review of the performance of the service be conducted 12 months after the transfer of services.