Agenda and decisions

To receive any apologies for absence.

To confirm as a true and correct record and sign the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 18 June 2024.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee or Monitoring Officer.

To receive any announcements from the Leader of the Council.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

This meeting is open to the public, who may ask a question or make a statement. Questions may also be asked by Members of the Council. 

Questions must be submitted to committee@wiltshire.gov.uk by 12.00 noon on Tuesday 9 July 2024.

Written notice of a wish to make a statement should also be provided whenever possible.

To receive a report from the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Resources and Director of Finance and Procurement (S.151 Officer).

Cabinet approved:

a)    the transfer of £0.368m to a new earmarked reservefor Health & Safety requirements as detailed in the paragraph 53 and Appendix B; 

b)   the allocation of the £5.705m underspend to invest in highways improvements works; 

c)    a further allocation of £5m of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to increase the investment in highways improvements to £10.705m; 

d)   that the balance of £0.281m from the Business Plan Priority reserve be allocated to fund additional highways litter picking activity in 2024/25 and Armed Forces Covenant in 2023/24 and 2024/25. 

e)    the transfer of £0.181m to a new earmarked reservefor Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)as detailed in the paragraph 87 and Appendix B; 

Cabinet noted: 

f)     the general fund revenue budget outturn position for the financial year 2023/24; 

g)   the Dedicated Schools revenue budget outturn position for the financial year 2023/24; 

h)   the Housing Revenue Account outturn position for the financial year 2023/24; 

i)     the contributions to and from earmarked reserves as planned and detailed in Appendix B; 

j)     the final year end position of savings delivery. 

Reason for Proposals 

To inform effective decision making and ensure sound financial management as part of the Councils overall control environment.  

To inform Cabinet on the financial year end revenue outturn position for the Council for the financial year 2023/24, including delivery of approved savings. 

To improve the Councils financial resilience by increasing the balance on the General Fund reserve and setting aside funds in earmarked reserves to prudently assist in managing the Councils financial risks and future pressures. 

To receive a report from the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Resources and Director of Finance and Procurement (S.151 Officer).

Cabinet noted: 

a)    the additional capital budgets of £0.470m in 2023/24that have been added to the capital programme under Chief Finance Officer delegated powers. 

b)   that £20.937m budget that has been brought forward from future years to the 2023/24 programme to support the delivery of accelerated projects, in year project overspend, or amendment to in year slippage under Chief Finance Officer delegated powers. 

c)    themovement between capital schemes of £0.414m Chief Finance Officer delegated powers. 

d)   the £26.870m of capital programme slippage to be rolled forward into future financial years. 

e)    the capital programme end of year spend position of £163.421m for financial year 2023/24. 

Cabinet approved:

f)     the removal of the following budgets as schemes are either complete or not progressing: 

             i.£0.014m for the Microsoft Cloud Navigator Project; 

            ii.£0.007m from the LED Street Lighting Project; 

          iii.£0.003m from the Dunnes Lane Car Park project; 

          iv.£0.007m from the Wiltshire Online 

            v.£0.028m from the Area Board Grants

Reason for Proposals 

To inform effective decision making and ensure sound financial management as part of the Councils overall control environment.  

To inform Cabinet on the final year end capital outturn position for the Council for the financial year 2023/24. 

To receive a report from the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director of Resources and Director of Finance and Procurement (S.151 Officer).

That Cabinet:

a)    Note that the contents of this report are in line with the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24; and to

b)   Recommend to Full Council consideration of this report

Reasons for Proposals

To give members an opportunity to consider the performance of the Council against the parameters set out in the approved Treasury Management Strategy for 2023/24.

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - Place

That Cabinet:  

1)    Approves the ‘Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document’at Appendix 1 subject to amendment in 3. 

2)    Recommends to Full Council on 24 July 2024 that the Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document at Appendix 1 (subject to modification in (3)) be approved for publication in line with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended), for a period of at least six weeks public consultation. 

3)    Authorises the Director for Planning in consultation with the Director for Legal and Governance and Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning: to make any necessary minor changes to the Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document before it is published; to finalise the associated evidence documents for publication alongside the Plan; and to make arrangement for and undertake statutory consultation.   

Reason for Proposals 

To ensure the council continues to make progress in updating its Local Plan, and alongside the wider Wiltshire Local Plan review in line with the timescale set out in the recently approved Local Development Scheme and statutory requirements.  

Alongside the wider Wiltshire Local Plan review, the Plan will help ensure that the council is planning to meet the accommodation needs of all different sectors of Wiltshire’s community.  

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - People

Cabinet agreed

1)    To approve the proposal to deliver the HomeFirst service under a single provider – Reablement Wiltshire.

2)    To give ‘in principle’ agreement to commit Better Care Funding of £9,235,123 to the ICB Community Health Contract from 2025-2032 (with a potential for a further 2 years to 2034). Formal commitment is dependent on a revised and agreed S.75 Agreement (Health and Social Care Act 2012) that covers the period of the contract, along with a signed Collaborative Commissioning agreement. Formal agreement will be sought when the contract is awarded.

3)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to approve the revised S.75 agreement that will cover the period of the Community Health Services contract.?

4)    To delegate authority to Corporate Director People to authorise activities related to the procurement up and until award (when the award decision will return to Cabinet).

Reason for Proposals 

The ICB will be tendering a BSW-Wide Community Services Health contract, to start from 1 April 2025 with a proposed length of 7 plus 2 years. The Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) community health contract re-tender will have cost and service implications for Wiltshire Council Social Care and management of the Better Care Fund (BCF).?? 

? 

The proposal to deliver the WiltshireHomeFirst service under one single provider – Reablement Wiltshire, has impacted the proposed contribution to the ICB Community Health Services Contract as reported to Cabinet on 14 November 2023. If approval is given for bringing the HomeFirst service under ReablementWiltshire, this will remove £2,291,088 of the total WHC funding element of the BCF to the ICB contract. The amount will be £2,291,088 less than reported to Cabinet on14 November 2023. 

? 

The proposals require an ‘in principle’ commitment of a revised amount of £9,235,123 of BCF funding, subject to appropriate S.75 and Collaborative Commissioning agreements.?? 

? 

Cabinet will need to be assured that the procurement process is robust and ensures that Wiltshire’s contribution from the BCF is spent on Wiltshire residents. Cabinet has a responsibility to ensure the Wiltshire pound is spent on Wiltshire residents.? 

Cabinet will also need to be assured, as per the legal advice, that we will in-source HomeFirst without a procurement process. 

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - People

That Cabinet: 

1)    Approves option 2 - the recommissioning, procurement and implementation of the Core and Carers elements of the Wiltshire Community Advice and Support Service for a minimum of five years with the option to extend for an additional two years with an uplift mechanism. 

2)    Delegates authority to the Director of Commissioning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities, Leisure, and Libraries to award the new contract, including the taken of all necessary steps and the production of all associated documentation. 

Reason for Proposals 

Option 2 will give the Council greater consistency of service across the county and theopportunity for more robust contract management.  Only tendering for core and carers reduces the financial risk and pressure to the council if the grants for the refugee programme and Ukraine support were not forthcoming in future years or should the team decide to invest this money in different services. 

A wide range of council service areas make daily referrals to Wiltshire Citizens Advice service and it is a service relied on heavily by Wiltshire residents. Not having this service in place would place unprecedented demand on council teams, who are not currently resourced to meet this demand and customers would not receive as timely as response, should the service be brought inhouse. 

Additionally, Wiltshire Council does not have Financial Conduct Accreditation (FCA) or Advice Quality Standard (AQS) accreditation, which means that it cannot provide specialist advice around debt and housing issues. Further to

this, Wiltshire Council is not a charity, this prevents bidding on Charity specific funding which the current provider uses to bolster services. Not having this service in place would mean Wiltshire residents would be unable to seek specialist financial and housing advice. 

      To receive a report from the Corporate Director - Place

That Cabinet 

1)    Endorse the proposed Wiltshire Cultural Strategy

2)    Recommends that Full Council adopt the Cultural Strategy and add it to Part 3B Paragraph 1.2 as a Policy Framework item.

Reason for Proposals 

The Wiltshire Cultural Strategy 2024-2030 supports the delivery of key priorities set out in Wiltshire Council’s 2022-32 Business Plan.It seeks to address key challenges outlined above through a better connected, stronger creative and cultural sector and a more vibrant and diverse cultural offer, delivered through collaboration with strategic partners, the cultural and creative sector and communities. 

To receive a report from the Chief Executive

That Cabinet,

a)    Note the year end position in respect of receipts for the financial year

2023/4.

b)    Approve the sale of the freehold interest of the five assets in Appendix 2 to generate capital receipts in support of the Council’s capital programme, if deemed in the best overall interest of the Council.

c)    Authorise the Director of Assets to dispose of the freehold interest in the assets, or in their absence the Deputy Chief Executive & Corporate Director of Resources.

Reason for Proposals 

To note the year end position in respect of capital receipts for the financial year 2023/24, and confirm the freehold interest in the 5 assets can be sold to generate capital receipts,after a review of the options to determine how the best overall interest of the Council can be achieved. 

Any other items which the Leader agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.