Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr Stuart Wheeler.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet (Capital Assets) Committee meeting held on 21 July 2015.

The minutes of the previous meeting, held on the 21 July 2015, were presented.

Resolved

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held

on 21 July 2015.

There were no Leader’s announcements.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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 can also be asked by members of the Council. Written notice of questions or statements should be given to Will Oulton of Democratic Services by 12.00 noon on Thursday 10September 2015. Anyone wishing to ask a question or make a statement should contact the officer named above.

The Leader noted that Cllr Nina Philips and Mr Robert Ticknell were attending the meeting to address the Committee on the Middlefield item. The Leader stated that their representations could be made once that item had been reached.

Report by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director

Cllr Dick Tonge presented the report which informed Cabinet on the position of the 2015/2016 Capital Programme, as at Period 4 (31 July 2014), including highlighting budget changes.

Resolved

To note the budget movements undertaken to the capital programme shown in Appendices A and B.

Reason for Decision:

To inform Cabinet of the position of the 2015/2016 capital programme as at Period 4 (31 July 2015), including highlighting any budget changes.

  Report by Dr Carlton Brand, Corporate Director

 Cllr Toby Sturgis presented the report which provided an update on the current position in respect of the sale of Middlefields, Hungerdown Lane, Chippenham. The report also recommended that the Cabinet provide guidance on how to proceed.

Issues highlighted in the course of the presentation and discussion included:

That a number of bids had been received; the impact of drainage and archaeological issues and the mitigations; the impact of the now adopted Core Strategy; that the Council would be considering who would be providing affordable housing as part of any proposals.

Cllr Sturgis stated, in response to a question from Cllr Nina Phillips, that there were no archaeological features on the site to hinder development; and that an agreement had been reached with the Order of St Johns agreement which should address the concerns over care provision.

Cllr Sturgis stated, in response to a statement made by Mr Robert Ticknell, that there had been conditions attached to some of the previously received bids, and it was felt appropriate to remarket the site now that further information was available. Cllr Sturgis, furthermore, stated that he hoped that the remarketing exercise would be over a relatively short period, and that he hoped that it would be concluded by Christmas.

James Cawley, Associate Director, stated that he would bring back report on  what the impact of the decision was with regard to adult social care, and would seek to brief Members as soon as possible.

Resolved

1.    To note the current position in respect of Middlefields;

2.    To approve the sale of part of the site to OSJCT for the construction of a care home; and

3.    To approve an unrestricted re-marketing of the remainder of the site with the information since obtained regarding surface water disposal and archeological issues.

Reason for Decision:

In order to progress the sale of the property and support the delivery of the Core Strategy and affordable housing policies.

 Report by Maggie Rae, Corporate Director

Cllr Jonathon Seed presented the report which sought Members’ agreement to provide funding to support the remodelling of a sheltered scheme in Tisbury for the provision of accessible, fit for purpose accommodation for older people in the community and to ensure the building can accommodate the provision of an extra care service that could offer an alternative to residential care.

It was confirmed, following a question raised by Cllr Tonge, that as there was a community facility as part of the housing development, the development would be exempt from the Right to Buy scheme.

Resolved

To delegate authority to the Associate Director for Adult Care Commissioning and Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing (excluding strategic housing), Libraries, Leisure and Flooding to authorise the commitment of Housing Revenue Account capital funding of £745,397 to support the delivery of the project, and to enter into any necessary contracts to enable the project to be delivered.

Reason for Decision:

The Tisbury scheme will provide good quality, fit for purpose, accessible accommodation for older people with an assessed care need, thus ensuring that they are able to live independently for as long as possible.  The scheme will offer an alternative to residential care and will be able to deliver the extra care services outlined in the Older People’s Accommodation Development Strategy. 

Through the development of the site, the Council would benefit from the

provision of remodelled housing to meet the needs of the growing older population in Tisbury.  Additionally, this development would improve choice and control for older people with an assessed care need and provide a vital wider community resource, through the planned refurbished communal areas.  Work is being undertaken to determine how these communal areas can be used to offer services to residents and local people in the future.

This development will protect some of the most vulnerable older people by reducing the likelihood of falls and hospital admissions whilst ensuring independence is maintained and also meets a number of the outcomes in the Business Plan.

 Report by Maggie Rae, Corporate Director

Cllr Jonathon Seed presented the report which sought delegated approval to deliver a revised programme of around 226 new council homes across Wiltshire to meet identified need using council owned land and funding from a range of sources including housing revenue account (HRA) reserves and borrowing, right to buy receipts, commuted sum funding, social care and housing capital funding and grant funding secured from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Department of Health (DoH) and other funding bodies.

James Cawley, Associate Director, stated that the a report would be presented to a future meeting of the Committee regarding the impact of the Government’s proposals to reduce social rents by 1%; but that consideration of the likely impacts should not delay implementation of the Council House Building Programme.

The Leader proposed that the vote on the matter should take place once the Committee had considered the financial information contained in the exempt report.

 Cllr Laura Mayes presented the urgent item which asked the Committee to approve an “Award of Building Contract” through the SCAPE minor works framework to Kier Construction Limited for the expansion of Bulford St Leonards CE VA Primary School to 1.5 forms of Entry (80 additional places). 

Issues highlighted in the course of the presentation and discussion included: that officers be thanked for their hard work producing the report; that project is required as part of the army rebasing programme; that the decision had been planned to be a Delegated Decision, but must be dealt with by Committee has it went above the financial threshold; and that the project will be ready for the start of the next school year in September 2016.

Following a question from Cllr Tonge, it was confirmed that money already in Capital programme which had been provided by Central Government.

Resolved

To approve “Award of Building Contract” through the SCAPE minor works framework to Kier Construction Limited for the expansion of Bulford St Leonards CE VA Primary School to 1.5 Forms of Entry (FE) (80 additional places)

Reason for Decision:

The approval is required to enable the Council to enter into a contract with Keir Construction to expand Bulford St Leonards CE VA Primary School by an agreed 80 places in order to ensure the Council is meetings its statutory duty to secure sufficient school places. The additional spaces are required to support the Army Re-Basing Programme of work and in particular the relocation of 5^th Rifles to Bulford in 2016.

This is to give further notice in accordance with paragraph 5 (4) and 5 (5) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 of the intention to take the following item in private.

To consider passing the following resolution:

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item Numbers 12 & 13 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Reason for taking items in private:

Paragraph 3 - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Resolved

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the following items of business because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Reason for taking the item in private:

Paragraph 3 – information relating to the financial information or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

No representations have been received as to why this item should not be held in private.

 To consider the appendices referred to in the report at item 9 above.

After considering the information contained in the report and the appendix, the meeting:

Resolved

to delegate authority to the Associate Directors responsible for housing, finance, procurement, legal and assets  in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management, Strategic Housing, Property and Waste and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance, Risk, Procurement and Welfare Reform to approve;

a)    The use of sites in Appendix 2 for affordable housing with delegated authority to substitute alternative sites of similar value as appropriate

b)   Any appropriations necessary pursuant to s122 LGA 1972 to ensure that the sites in a) are held by the Council for housing purposes

c)    A total budget of £42.5m with delegated authority to substitute and change funding steams within the programme for individual sites to optimise financing. HRA funding will not exceed £32.8m but other funding streams may be increased or decreased as required providing that they stay within available allocation and do not affect the total budget position.

d)   Entering contracts for consultants, construction and other elements of the project to enable the delivery of around 226 new homes within the total scheme costs identified in Appendix 2 in accordance with the Corporate Procurement & Commissioning Board approach.

e)    Entering funding agreements with HCA/CLG/DOH as required to secure the grant funding and borrowing approval required.

Reason for Decision:

Since the council house building programme was first approved in September 2014, further site feasibility work has been undertaken, consultation with local communities has taken place, schemes have been fully designed and costed and some of the projects have been tendered.   This has resulted in changes to the estimated costs of schemes, the proposed sites and the number of homes that can be delivered with the available funding.

This report seeks approval for a revised programme to deliver around 226 new homes as detailed in Appendix 2.

 Report by Robin Townsend, Associate Director  - Corporate Function, Procurement and Programme Office

Cllr John Thomson presented the report which sought approval for the grant of a lease of part of the premises known as Five Rivers Campus to the new Wiltshire & Dorset Fire Authority.

Resolved

1.    To note the progress of discussions between the Fire Authority and Officers in respect of the proposed lease;

2.    To approve the entering into a lease with the Fire Authority on terms set out in the Appendix A;

3.    To delegate the final approval of the lease and its terms to the Associate Director Communities and Communications following consultation with Associate Director Finance, the Associate Director Law and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Communities, Campuses, Area Boards and Broadband.

Reason for Decision:

To ensure that the community facility is utilised for the purposes that it was developed, fostering partnership working with the newly merged fire authority and promoting the local economy in the Salisbury area.