Agenda and minutes
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Apologies Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillor Tony Dale.
Apologies were received from Officers, Rob Weaver, Chief Executive and Jenny Poole, Deputy Chief Executive.
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members and Officers, relating to items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest from councillors
There were no declarations of interest from officers |
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To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 6th June 2022 Additional documents: Minutes: The Deputy Leader Councillor Evemy stated: Minute 8 (para 3) “The Council noted
that Ubico had been approached had but was currently unable to
provide this service” should read, “The Council noted
that Ubico had been approached
RESOLVED: Subject to the amendments being made, the Cabinet agreed the minutes of the meeting of the 060622 were approved as a correct record
Voting Record – For 6, Against 0, Abstentions 1, Absent 1, |
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Chair's Announcements (if any) Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair stated that the Stars and Stripes was flying from the Trinity Road flagpole to recognise American Independence Day and the close ties that the Cotswolds had with the USA.
A group of Councillors and Officers had attended the LGA Conference and returned inspired with ideas and shared learning.
Michael Gove had announced a 2 year settlement for councils that would enable improved financial planning.
A new Local Government Office had been established by the Government
Directly Elected Mayors continue to be appointed across the country however this was not considered to be a good fit for Gloucestershire.
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Public Questions To deal with questions from the public within the open forum question and answer session of fifteen minutes in total. Questions from each member of the public should be no longer than two minutes each and relate issues under the Committee’s remit. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no public questions. |
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Member Questions To deal with written questions by Members, relating to issues under the Committee’s remit, with the maximum length of oral supplementary questions at Committee being no longer than one minute. Responses to any supplementary questions will be dealt with in writing if they cannot be dealt with at the meeting.
Additional documents: Minutes: There were no Member questions |
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Old Station - interim update and request for funding Purpose To seek agreement 1. to fund the production of design options and preparation of a business case for consideration by Cabinet in October 2022; 2. to use the Old Station as a case study in the Historic England project to develop a climate risk mitigation framework.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet agrees:- a) to allocate funding of up to £16,500 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for the development of design options and preparation of a business case on the Old Station Building and the Old Memorial Hospital Cottages for consideration by Cabinet in October 2022; b) to support participation in the Historic England project to be a case study for creating a climate risk framework. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to seek agreement to fund the production of design options and the preparation of a business case on the Old Station Building and the Old Memorial Hospital Cottages, and to use the Old Station as a case study in the Historic England project to develop a climate risk mitigation framework. The business case to be considered by Cabinet in October 2022.
The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services introduced the report stating that the buildings had fallen into disuse and disrepair since being closed in 1965, and the report was a first step to bringing these historically important heritage assets back into use.
The Cabinet noted that the Council would be working in partnership with Historic England who were committed to preserving and repurposing historic buildings across the country, and this would hopefully enable the project to move forward in a timely manner.
The Cabinet welcomed the initiative and the intention to bring the grade-two listed buildings back into use after such a long period of decline, and recognised the efforts of the Councillors and Officers who had previously contributed to moving this initiative forward to this point.
The Cabinet noted the important contribution that the independent ‘Living Memory Historical Association’ made to the overall museum and heritage offering of Cirencester and the Cotswolds, and stated that further enquiries would be made to determine how this could be brought within the Council’s museum service.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet agreed to allocate funding of up to £16,500 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for the development of design options and preparation of a business case on the Old Station Building and the Old Memorial Hospital Cottages for consideration by Cabinet in October 2022 and to support participation in the Historic England project to be a case study for creating a climate risk framework.
Voting History – For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 1,
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Green Economic Growth Strategy Update - Six Monthly Update Purpose To update Cabinet Members on the progress in delivering the Council’s Green Economic Growth Strategy
Recommendation(s) That progress in delivering the Green Economic Growth Strategy is noted. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to update Cabinet on the progress in delivering the Council’s Green Economic Growth Strategy.
The Leader of the Council introduced the report and provided context for the focus on Economic Development and highlighted examples from across the District including: the Royal Agricultural University, town centre regeneration, the Applied Digital Skills Centre, development of the former Mitsubishi site and the development of disabled access changing places and toilets.
The Cabinet noted that the disabled access changing places and toilets located within commercial sites that charged admission would remain accessible free of charge for those that needed to use them.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet noted the progress in delivering the Green Economic Growth Strategy. |
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Submission of Investment Plan for UK Shared Prosperity Funding Purpose To seek agreement to the Year 1 projects and Year 2 & 3 key areas of focus which will be included in the Council’s Local Investment Plan for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and to agree delegations to enable sign off of the final plan before submission and progression with projects requiring expenditure in 2022/23.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet agrees: (a) to support the inclusion of the projects, interventions and indicative allocations listed in this report in the Council’s Local Investment Plan for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. (b) to delegate authority for the final decision on the evaluation of projects and interventions to be included and approval of the Local Investment Plan submission to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation. (c) to agree a variation and pay Publica the £20,000 revenue allocation from the UKSPF for the Local Investment Plan preparation, the application of which is to be approved by the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation. (d) to agree that 4% of the fund is used for administration of the Programme, with the total sum of £40,000 over the life of the project being paid to Publica to employ a shared UK SPF Programme Manager, to monitor and manage project progress and undertake the required reporting. (e) to delegate authority for the award of contracts to consultants/contractors to deliver projects for delivery in 2022/23 to the Group Manager - Property and Regeneration in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to seek agreement for the Year 1 projects and Year 2 & 3 key areas of focus which will be included in the Council’s Local Investment Plan for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and to agree delegations to enable sign off of the final plan before submission and progression with projects requiring expenditure in 2022/23.
The Leader of the Council introduced the report stating that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund of approximately £1m, that partially replaced former European funding, would be allocated over three years. In the first year, approximately £100,000 would be provided, with, a further £220,000 in year two, and the remainder in year three. Further details of how the allocation of funds in Year 1 would be utilised were provided, and it was confirmed that these would be in line with the Council’s three key priorities.
The Cabinet noted that a small part of the funding would be used to provide an additional resource (across the three Publica Councils) to enable the detailed work, required for each item of funding, to be completed.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet agreed to: · support the inclusion of the projects, interventions and indicative allocations listed in this report in the Council’s Local Investment Plan for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, · delegate authority for the final decision on the evaluation of projects and interventions to be included, and approval of the Local Investment Plan submission to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation, · agree a variation and pay Publica the £20,000 revenue allocation from the UKSPF for the Local Investment Plan preparation, the application of which is to be approved by the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation · agree that 4% of the fund is used for administration of the Programme, with the total sum of £40,000 over the life of the project being paid to Publica to employ a shared UK SPF Programme Manager, to monitor and manage project progress and undertake the required reporting, · delegate authority for the award of contracts to consultants/contractors to deliver projects for delivery in 2022/23 to the Group Manager - Property and Regeneration in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Council Transformation.
Voting Record – For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 1, |
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Financial, Council Priority and Service Performance Report - 2021/22 - Quarter Four Purpose To provide an update on progress on the Council’s priorities and service performance To provide information on the Council’s financial position
Recommendation(s) a) That Cabinet reviews overall progress on the Council priorities, service delivery and financial performance for 2021-22 Q4. b) To approve the transfer of £90,000 from the New Burdens Fund Reserve to the Council’s Priorities Fund as set out in paragraph 4.41 of this report and to note the other movements in earmarked reserves set out in paragraph 4.43 of this report. Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of the report was to provide an update on progress on the Council’s priorities and service performance and to provide information on the Council’s financial position.
In the absence of the Chief Executive, and the Deputy Chief Executive, the Director for Governance introduced the report and provided examples of the council’s priorities and performance including: · the success of the Flood Warden volunteers scheme that had been attracted 6 members from towns and parishes · parking enforcement that had been brought back ‘in house’ from 1st March · the success of the Town and Parish Forums held at Moreton and Cirencester that had attracted 29 and 14 participants respectively with further Forums taking place on 5th and 12th July. · the successful partnership working with ‘Electric Blue Charging’ who were supporting the Council’s application for partial Government funding for the installation of 20 charging connections (10 EVCPs) across Bourton-on-the-Water, Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh. · Crowdfund Cotswold being put forward for a number of awards. · securing £130,000 from Gloucestershire County Council to support vulnerable families with supermarket vouchers and help with energy and utility bills · although there had been concerns over the performance of theDevelopment Control & Planning (DC&P) department, the service had now stabilised and improved over the past few months, although the recruitment and retention of Planning Officers remained challenging for the Council, and all other Council’s across the country. · overall customer service satisfaction was high with 95% of customers responding positively to telephone services.
The Group Finance Director, Publica reiterated the improvements made in Q1 of the current year and added that Benefits processing had also improved.
The Cabinet noted that the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) data that compared CDC’s performance against other Councils of similar size and demographic did not always show like for like performance for exactly the same periods and was therefore of limited use.
The Cabinet noted that the Council’s key performance indicators were being reviewed through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to ensure that they provided an appropriate, accurate and timely assessment of the performance of the Council.
The Committee noted that the Planning Advisory Service had undertaken an independent review of the DC&P service across the 3 Councils. Their report indicated that increasing the Extension of Time Mechanism (used extensively by nearly all other councils), would significantly improve the Council’s DC&P service.
The Committee noted that the end-to-end planning application process was being assessed to identify parts of the process (e.g. early validation, communication with applicants) that could be handled by well-trained, qualified support officers. This would leave more complex work requiring professional judgement to be handled by fully qualified, experienced Planning Officers. This approach would also enable the Council to produce a ‘home-grown’ pool of future Planning Officers, rather than competing with the private sector.
The Cabinet noted that the Parking Enforcement service had been brought back in-house successfully and a less ‘authoritarian’ and more ‘ambassadorial’ approach would be taken with future management of parking. ... view the full minutes text for item 20. |
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Local Plan Update Gloucestershire Statement of Common Ground and Planning Reforms Purpose ? Note feedback report on the recent Local Plan consultation; ? Note planning reforms and expected consultations later this year; ? Approve the Gloucestershire Statement of Common Ground; and ? Note progress on the Local Plan and related projects to date.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet: a) notes findings from the Local Plan Issues and Options consultation set out in ANNEX A; b) notes proposed changes in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill as summarised in ANNEX B; c) approves the Draft Statement of Common Ground set out in ANNEX C; d) notes Local Plan milestones presented at ANNEX D; and e) notes Cirencester Projects update at ANNEX E. Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of this report was to: note feedback and report on the recent Local Plan consultation, note planning reforms and expected consultations later in the year, approve the Gloucestershire Statement of Common Ground and note progress on the Local Plan and related projects to date.
The Cabinet Member for Change and Forward Planning introduced the report stating that the statement of common ground had been established across all Gloucestershire authorities to ensure cross-border working is adopted where this makes sense.
The Cabinet noted that not all Gloucestershire authorities were in complete agreement with the approach and Tewkesbury Council in particular had expressed some reservations. The Forward Planning Manager stated that the statement of common ground instilled a duty to cooperate, but not a duty to agree. It was therefore still legitimate and useful to capture the area agreement and difference.
The Cabinet noted the feedback and responses from the spring planning consultation, and that further consultation will take place in the winter for presentation to Cabinet before the 2023 Election purdah.
The Cabinet noted that the North Meadow Special Area of Conservation Mitigation Strategy remains outstanding and continues to prevent approval of planning applications in a number of Wards. It is still unclear when this will be completed.
The Cabinet noted the proposals in the Regeneration and Levelling Up Bill which include changes to the planning system that may effectively centralise planning to Whitehall without either public or Parliamentary consultation.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet noted the findings from the Local Plan Issues and Options consultation set out in ANNEX A, and the proposed changes in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill as summarised in ANNEX B, · approved the Draft Statement of Common Ground set out in ANNEX C, · noted the Local Plan milestones presented at ANNEX D and · noted the Cirencester Projects update in ANNEX E.
Voting Record – For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 1,
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Legal Services Commissioning Review Purpose To report the outcome of a commissioning review of the Council’s legal service.
Recommendation(s) a) To consider the evaluation of the proposals from Your Legal Services and One Legal; b) To consider the Deputy Chief Executive’s proposal that the Council’s legal service continues to be provided by Your Legal Service c) To support a review of the service for economy, efficiency and effectiveness; and d) To support the formalisation of the shared service under a Collaboration Agreement and Section 101 agreements. Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of the report was to consider the outcome of a commissioning review of the Council’s legal service.
The Leader of the Council introduced the report stating that a review of the Council’s Legal service had been conducted with submissions being sought from Your Legal (the legal team currently serving CDC, West Oxfordshire and Forest of Dean Councils) and One Legal ( a legal partnership currently serving other councils across Gloucestershire). An independent ‘fit for purpose’ review had also been conducted to determine the future Legal Service needs of the Council.
The Cabinet noted that Your Legal and One Legal had both made presentations and been scored against a set of key requirements with 30% weighted to cost and 70% to quality. Further representation was also available in response to questions raised by the assessment panel.
The Cabinet noted that the One Legal’s proposal excluded West Oxfordshire Council, and did not include indicative costs for their proposed service. They indicated that costs would be determined by the completion of a three year cost assessment. One Legal had also declined to commit to the provision of a Deputy Monitoring Officer.
The Cabinet noted that, irrespective of the service provider selected, a review of CDC’s future Legal Service requirements was required, to ensure appropriate systems and processes were used to deliver an optimised, efficient and effective service.
The Cabinet noted that approximately the same amount of Legal work was currently being undertaken for each Council, however the current funding agreement (where each Council paid the salaries of Legal Service staff on their individual payrolls) had led to a disparity in the actual financial contribution made by each Council.
The Cabinet noted that a salary review had been conducted across the Legal teams in each of the three Councils and salary differences had been levelled out.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet considered the evaluation of the proposals from Your Legal Services and One Legal, agreed the Deputy Chief Executive’s proposal that the Council’s legal service continued to be provided by Your Legal Service, supported a review of the service for economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and supported the formalisation of the shared service under a Collaboration Agreement and Section 101 agreements.
Voting Record – For 7, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 1,
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Schedule of Decisions taken by the Leader of the Council and/or Individual Cabinet Members Purpose To note the decisions of the Leader of the Council and/or Individual Cabinet Members. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of this report was to review the decisions taken by the leader of the Council and/or individual Cabinet Members.
RESOLVED: The Committee noted the decisions taken by the Leader of the Council and other Members was reviewed. |
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Issue(s) Arising from Overview and Scrutiny and/or Audit Additional documents: Minutes: There were no issues arising from Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Audit Committee. |