Agenda and minutes
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Apologies Additional documents: Minutes: There were no apologies for absence |
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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 Members.
There were no declarations of interest from Officers.
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To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4th April 2022 Additional documents: Minutes: The Deputy Leader, Councillor Evemy asked that 2 amendments were made to Minute 121 “…choose note to approve…” should read “…choose not to approve…”, and “…that 90% of school people left…” should read “…90% of school leavers left…” . and in Minute 122 “…The report seconded by Councillor Evemy who congratulated officers on the upgrades completed at Bourton and Chipping Campden…” should be deleted.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet agreed that, subject to the amendments being made, the minutes of the meeting of the 4th April 2022 were a correct record.
Voting Record - For: 8, Against: 0, Abstentions: 0, Absent: 0, |
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Chair's Announcements (if any) Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader, Councillor Joe Harris addressed the meeting on:
The Energy Council Tax Rebate, thanking staff for their hard work paying out £150 to over 18,000 direct debit paying households with non-direct debit payers being paid next.
The Ukraine crisis stating that the Council and residents of the District continue to welcome and support refugees from Ukraine that included local resident Stephen Bane’s wife and children who had arrived safely in the District.
The recent West Oxfordshire District Council local elections where a Liberal administration had been formed. Councillor Harris thanked the outgoing Leader and congratulated and looked forward to working with the new Leader Andy Graham.
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Purpose To obtain Council endorsement of the two nature recovery plans
Recommendation(s) To endorse the Nature Recovery Plans for the Cotswold Water Park and the Cotswolds National Landscape (AONB) for use as
part of the evidence base for the review of the Cotswold District Local Plan; · part of the evidence base for the preparation of Neighbourhood Development Plans; · part of the evidence base for the preparation and implementation of relevant Council strategies, policies and projects; · as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications; and · to inform the development and implementation of the Council’s emerging Cotswold Water Park Project.
Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of this report was to obtain Council endorsement of the two Nature Recovery Plans.
The Cabinet Member for Development Management and Licensing introduced the report by welcoming the early completion of the nature recovery plans, and asked that they were endorsed by the Council. This would ensure that nature recovery would be an important consideration in both the future decisions made by the Council including, for example, neighbourhood plans, and where the Council takes a leadership role on the ecological emergency and nature recovery in the Cotswolds. The Council also has a wider role influencing and inspiring partners and stakeholders including landowners, Government bodies and Parish Councils, across the District, County and region to help deliver nature recovery.
RESOLVED: Cabinet endorsed the Nature Recovery Plans for the Cotswold Water Park and the Cotswold National Landscape (AONB) for use as · Part of the evidence base for the review of the Cotswold District Local Plan; · Part of the evidence base for the preparation of Neighborhood Development Plans; · Part of the evidence base for the preparation and implementation of relevant Council strategies, policies and projects; · As a material consideration in the determination of planning applications; and · To inform the development and implementation of the Council’s emerging Cotswold Water Park Project.
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstention 0, Absent 0
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Update of the Council's Corporate Plan (2020-2024) Purpose To introduce the update of the Council’s Corporate Plan, which was adopted by the Council on 23 September 2020
Recommendation(s) a) That Cabinet considers the Corporate Plan Update, and advises of any amendments they wish to make; b) agrees to its presentation to Council for adoption; and c) delegates authority to the CEO in conjunction with Lead Member to make any amendments and address any typographical errors prior to submission to Council for adoption. Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of this report was to introduce an update of the Council’s Corporate Plan that was adopted by the Council on 23rd September 2020.
The Chief Executive introduced a summary of the updated Corporate Plan and highlighted some of the year’s achievements. The Cabinet welcomed the improved clear format of the plan that enabled priorities to be easily identified and clearly described and noted that it had been agreed that the Design Guide would have joint leads Cabinet commented that a number of temporary officers had played a key part in developing the plan and the loss of their considerable skills, knowledge and experience would be severely felt if they were to leave the Council. Cabinet also commented on the success of the Council’s networking with businesses and how the successful partnerships that had grown in the last few years were now delivering improved economic growth across the area. RESOLVED: That Cabinet noted the update of The Corporate Plan and that no further amendments were required, agreed its presentation to Council for adoption, and delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader, to make any amendments and address any typographical errors prior to submission to Council.
Record of Voting – for: 8, against: 0, abstention: 0, absent: 0
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Discretionary Funding Policy - Energy Council Tax Rebate 2022 Purpose The Government has announced a package of support known as the Energy Bills rebate. There are two elements to the support. One being a mandatory scheme and the second being a discretionary scheme. The purpose of this report is to formally agree the criteria for the discretionary scheme and approve the Policy
Recommendation(s) It is recommended that the Council: a) Approve the eligibility criteria, as set out in Annex A; and, b) Delegate the distribution of surplus funds to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Group Manager for Resident Services as details in para 2.9 of this report Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of this report was to ask Members to formally agree the criteria for the discretionary scheme and approve the Policy. This followed a Government announcement relating to a package of support known as the Energy Bills rebate that had two elements of support, one being a mandatory scheme, that is already being administered and this second being a discretionary scheme.
The Deputy Leader, Councilor Evemy introduced the report and addressed the Cabinet stating the criteria would ensure payments would be directed to vulnerable groups to help them with the increased cost of energy bills. Cabinet noted the total fund available was £153,000, the recommended criteria for recipients that the report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and that their Committee’s feedback was included at Annex B to the report.
The Committee had commented that in the unlikely event that there are more applicants than anticipated, where the additional funding would be found. The Deputy Leader stated that the funding was a defined amount and therefore more successful applicants would result in smaller payments to each applicant.
The Committee commented that the most financially vulnerable groups e.g. those with prepayment meters can find themselves in immediate crisis when energy price caps are removed and this may have aknock on effect with other commitments such as payment of Council Tax. The Deputy Chief Executive and the Business Manager for Operations and Enabling stated that other forms of support were available such as the Council Tax Support scheme and Discretionary Housing Payment, Client Support Officers are in place to provide advice and to signpost to the Citizens Advice Bureau who can provide further advise.
The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny addressed the Cabinet and advised that he was content to waive the right to Call-In of this decision because the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had reviewed the policy in advance of the Cabinet meeting.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet agreed the eligibility criteria, as set out in Annex A, and delegated the distribution of surplus funds to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, as detailed in paragraph 2.9 of the report.
Record of Voting – for: 8, against: 0, abstention: 0, absent: 0
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Discretionary Rate Relief in excess of £10,000 Purpose To consider three renewal applications in respect of Discretionary Rate Relief each in excess of £10,000 for the 2021/22 Business Rates Liability.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet: a) Approve the amendment to the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy as set out in paragraph 2.2; and, b) Approve the Discretionary Rate Relief applications in respect of the Corinium Museum, Bourton Leisure Centre and Cotswold Swimming Pool and Leisure Centre Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of this report was to ask Members to consider three renewal applications in respect of Discretionary Rate Relief, each in excess of £10,000, for the 2021/22 Business Rates Liability.
The Deputy Leader, Councilor Evemy introduced the report and addressed the Cabinet confirming that it had previously been agreed that the Council had the option to provide discretionary rate relief to the SLM Charitable Trust that was set up to manage the Council’s leisure assets.
The establishment of the Charitable Trust enabled costs to be shared between the Government (50%), the council (40%) and the County Council (10%) and it was now prudent to award the Discretionary Rate Relief.
RESOLVED: That Cabinet agreed that The Discretionary Rate Relief Policy is updated so that applications with a value in excess of £10,000 are determined by the Cabinet, rather than the Cabinet Member and The Discretionary Rate Relief applications in respect of the Corinium Museum, Bourton Leisure Centre and Cirencester Leisure Centre, are approved.
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstention 0, Absent 0
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Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol - draft for consideration by the Cabinet Purpose Modernising the Constitution
Recommendation(s) • To endorse the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol attached at Annex A for consideration by the i) Cabinet and ii) Overview & Scrutiny Committee. • Recommend to the Council that the Protocol be approved as part of the Constitution. Additional documents: Minutes:
The purpose of this report was to modernise the Constitution and, following a request from the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny, the Working Group who had been asked to endorse the introduction of a ‘protocol’. The Constitution Working Group at its meeting on 10 February 2022 endorsed the draft protocol for further consideration by the Cabinet and Overview & Scrutiny Committee.
Members commented that within the policy, ‘policy development’ and ‘decision making’ needed to be clearly defined as the protocol currently stated that “all” policy development will be carried out in an informal setting going through Overview and Scrutiny. Members also commented that the short timescale of 10 working days for responses for to Overview & Scrutiny proposals may not be workable in reality although it was accepted that this timescale had been defined in a statutory instrument. Councilor Harris proposed that the report be deferred following a number of queries raised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet Members.
RESOLVED: That the Cabinet/Scrutiny Protocol, be deferred to the Cabinet meeting on 6th June 2022. |
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Options appraisal of leisure and culture management arrangements Purpose The purpose of this Report is to inform Cabinet of the Leisure and Culture Management Options Appraisal outcomes and to seek authority to commence procurement/implementation of the selected management options for the Leisure and Cultural Services.
Cabinet’s recommendations will be presented to Council to inform the decision for the future operating models to be used for the Leisure and Cultural Services.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet: a) Considers the outcomes of the Leisure and Culture Management Option Appraisal; b) Provides recommendations to be proposed to Council as part of the decision making process. c) Supports the commencement of a procurement process for the appointment of a leisure management contractor; and following soft market testing for the cultural management, a procurement process or transfer of the service to Publica depending on the outcome be progressed. d) Approves a budget of up to £50,000 be set-aside to support the procurement process. Additional documents:
Minutes: The purpose of this revised report was to inform Cabinet of the Leisure and Culture Management Options Appraisal outcomes and to seek authority to commence procurement/implementation of the selected management options for the Leisure and Cultural Services.
The Cabinet made recommendations that will be presented to Council to inform the decision for the future operating models to be used for the Leisure and Cultural Services and proposed a revised recommendation to Council because the soft market testing referred to in the report had now been completed.
Cabinet agree that the revised recommendations should be:
“Cabinet recommendsto Council that the commencement of a procurement process for the appointment of a leisure management contractor and a cultural management contractor is supported.”
RESOLVED: That Cabinet considered the outcomes of the Leisure and Culture Management Option Appraisal and agreed a budget of up to £50,000 be set-aside to support the procurementprocess; The Cabinet also agreed to recommend to Council that the commencement of a procurement process for the appointment of a leisure management contractor and a cultural management contractor is supported.
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 0
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To consider and if so agree to resolve that under section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in schedule 12A of the said Act Additional documents: Minutes: To consider and if so agree to resolve that under section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in schedule 12A of the said Act
RESOLVED: The Cabinet agreed to exclude the public from the meeting on the grounds that consideration of the following wo items would information that is exempt as defined in schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972
Voting Record - For 8, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 0, |
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Options appraisal of leisure and culture management arrangements Purpose The purpose of this Report is to inform Cabinet of the Leisure and Culture Management Options Appraisal outcomes and to seek authority to commence procurement/implementation of the selected management options for the Leisure and Cultural Services.
Cabinet’s recommendations will be presented to Council to inform the decision for the future operating models to be used for the Leisure and Cultural Services.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet: a) Considers the outcomes of the Leisure and Culture Management Option Appraisal; b) Provides recommendations to be proposed to Council as part of the decision making process. c) Supports the commencement of a procurement process for the appointment of a leisure management contractor; and following soft market testing for the cultural management, a procurement process or transfer of the service to Publica depending on the outcome be progressed. d) Approves a budget of up to £50,000 be set-aside to support the procurement process. Additional documents: Minutes: The exempt Appendices A and D relating to Agenda Item 10 were noted.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet considered the outcomes of the Leisure and Culture Management Option Appraisal and agreed to provided recommendations to be proposed to Council as part of the decision making process.
The Cabinet supported the commencement of a procurement process for the appointment of a leisure management contractor and, following the soft market testing for the cultural management, the commencement a procurement process to either transfer the service to Publica, depending or an alternative, dependent on the outcome
The Cabinet approved a budget of up to £50,000 to be set-aside to support the procurement process.
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstentions 0, Absent 0, |
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Housing Property Acquisition - Tetbury Purpose To request approval for funding and the acquisition of a property in Tetbury for temporary accommodation use.
Recommendation(s) That Cabinet, a) agrees to acquire the property in Tetbury for the reasons set out in the report; and b) funding of £1,442,000 is allocated from the Recovery Investment Strategy budget in the Capital Programme for the purchase and capital works required; and c) grants delegated authority to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Interim Head of Legal Services, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and the Cabinet Member for Finance to approve the final terms of the acquisition. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the report was to request approval for funding and the acquisition of a property in Tetbury for temporary accommodation use.
The Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness introduced the report and proposed the recommendations. The Business Manager for Assets and Council Priorities, the Housing Manager and the Deputy Chief Executive all responded to queries and clarified points raised by Members.
RESOLVED: The Cabinet agreed that the property in Tetbury is acquired for the reasons set out in the report and funding is allocated from the Recovery Investment Strategy budget in the Capital Programme for the purchase and capital works required The Cabinet also agreed to grant delegated authority to the Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Interim Head of Legal Services, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness and the Cabinet Member for Finance, to approve the final terms of the acquisition.
Voting Record – For 8, Against 0, Abstention 0, Absent 0
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