Agenda and draft minutes

Cabinet - Tuesday 15 November 2011 10.30 am

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices, Monkton Park, Chippenham, SN15 1ER. View directions

Contact: Yamina Rhouati  Email: yamina.rhouati@wiltshire.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

148.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr Dick Tonge

149.

Minutes of the previous meeting

To confirm and sign the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 18 October 2011.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2011 were presented.

 

Resolved:

 

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes.

150.

Leader's announcements

Minutes:

The Leader made the following announcements:

 

Cllrs Grundy, Macrae and Scott had welcomed Nick Gibb, the Schools Minister, to Wiltshire.  He had visited three schools, Springfield, Royal Wootton Bassett and Lyneham and he had been very positive about Wiltshire schools.

 

 

151.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

152.

Public participation

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. Written notice of questions or statements should be given to Yamina Rhouati of Democratic Services by 12.00 noon on Friday 11 November 2011. Anyone wishing to ask a question or make a statement should contact the officer named above.

 

Minutes:

The Leader reported receipt of a written question from Margaret Willmot concerning the Local Development Scheme to which Cllr Fleur de Rhe Philipe, Cabinet member for Strategic Planning, Economic Development and Tourism replied.

 

Details of the full question and response can be accessed via the following link:

 

http://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=141&MId=6484&Ver=4

 

153.

Business Plan Scorecard Report

Report of the Service Director Policy, Performance and Partnership is circulated.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr John Brady, Cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk presented a report which provided a summary of progress against Wiltshire Council’s Business Plan.  It provided:

 

§  Performance indicators for Community Results and Council Performance for the period April to September 2011. 

§  The status of the Council’s main programmes.

§  The Workforce Report from Human Resources

 

Resolved:

 

That Cabinet note progress against the Business Plan.

 

 

Reason for Decision:

 

To keep Cabinet informed of progress being made against the Business Plan.

 

 

154.

Wiltshire Online Project - Update and Award of Call-Off Contract

 Report of the Corporate Director for Children & Education is circulated

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cllr John Thomson Cabinet member for Adult Care, Communities and Housing presented the report.  The report updated Cabinet on progress made towards the implementation of a procurement solution to deliver the ‘Wiltshire Online’ Project and sought approval to delegate the award of a local call-off contract using the nationally approved Framework of Suppliers.

 

The aim of the project is to bring superfast broadband to homes and businesses across the County.  Cabinet expressed their strong support for this project.

 

 

Resolved:

 

That Cabinet:

 

a)     notes the progress made towards delivering the ‘Wiltshire Online Project’.

 

b)     notes the use of the National Framework Contract currently being developed by Broadband Delivery UK and the subsequent local ‘Call Off’ contract leading to the appointment of an approved supplier.

 

c)     delegates the award of the Call-Off Contract to the Corporate Director Children’s Services, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Communities and Housing, the Cabinet Member Resources, the Solicitor to the Council and the Chief Finance Officer.

 

d)     authorises the Corporate Director Children’s Services toissue certificates under the Local Government (Contracts) Act 1997 in relation to the Call-Off Contract if required by the supplier.

 

e)     authorises the Solicitor to the Council to execute under Council Seal all contract documentation in relation to the Wiltshire Online Project.

 

Reason for Decision

 

Stimulating investment into the Wiltshire Broadband infrastructure is a corporate priority.  The Council approved vision is for Wiltshire to be a digitally inclusive County, supporting infrastructure projects, access to online services and the ability of citizens and businesses to be confident users and maximise the benefits which being online can bring.

 

To achieve this vision it is necessary to invest in the major infrastructure delivering broadband services and the actions in the proposal will ensure that formal arrangements with a preferred supplier can be concluded to ensure the delivery of the project to the corporate target of 2015.

 

155.

Local Development Framework - Timetable

Report of the Service Director, Economy and Enterprise is circulated

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Fleur de Rhé Philipe Cabinet member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning presented the report.  The report sought approval for a revised Local Development Scheme for Wiltshire and to update the timetable for preparation of new development plan policies for Wiltshire.

 

Resolved:

 

That Cabinet:

 

a)        approves the Local Development Scheme as set out at Appendix 1 of the report.

 

b)        authorises the Director for Economy and Enterprise, in consultation with the Cabinet Memberfor Economic Development and Strategic Planning, to make minor amendments to the Local Development Scheme in the interests of clarity and accuracy before submitting it to the Secretary of State.

 

Reason for Decision

 

Wiltshire Council is required to prepare a Local Development Scheme in line with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The published Local Development Scheme was prepared in 2009 and requires updating.

156.

The Future of the Young Peoples Support Service - YPSS

 Report of the Corporate Director Children and Education is circulated

 

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Lionel Grundy Cabinet member for Children’s Services presented the report and outlined the responsibilities of the Young People’s Support Service. The service was inspected by Ofsted and placed in special measures and the report presented details of the Department for Education’s proposal to invite Wiltshire to take part in a trial of ‘Alternative Provision’ for secondary school pupils excluded from, or at risk of, exclusion from school.

 

It was noted that an update report would be brought back to Cabinet in six month’s time.

 

 

Resolved:

 

a)    that Wiltshire accepts the invitation from the Department for Education to join the Alternative Provision trial and, for a three year period, delegate the responsibility for making educational provision for permanently excluded young people to secondary schools, with devolved funding.

 

b)   that a request is made to the Secretary of State to close the existing Young People’s Support Service from 31 August 2012.

 

c)    that Secondary schools are supported in using the devolved funding either individually or in groups to provide high quality alternative provision. The Local Authority provides robust quality assurance of the provision.

 

Reason for decision

 

This proposal will support better outcomes for the young people who are permanently excluded.

 

157.

Interim Report on Treasury Management Strategy 2011-12

Report of the Chief Finance Officer is circulated

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor John Brady Cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk presented the report.  He highlighted two issues one was the good news that the Council has priority status in the winding-up of the Icelandic banks which means that the Council will be repaid first and it is hoped that the Council will recover 98% of its deposit.  The other issue was that Cabinet was requested to ratify a short term investment decision.

 

 

Resolved:

 

a)    to note the contents of the report in line with the Treasury Management Strategy.

 

b)   to ratify a short term investment decision carried out on 15 June 2011, as detailed in the main report at paragraphs 37 and 38.

 

 

Reason for the proposal

 

The report is a requirement of the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy.

 

To obtain Cabinet’s ratification of an investment outside the duration limit.

 

158.

Urgent Items

Any other items of business, which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

159.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

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 Number 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  paragraphs 3 and 4 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.

 

Minutes:

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 minute no. 160 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in  paragraphs 3 and 4 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.

 

160.

Highways and Amenities Contracts

 Report of the Corporate Director – Operations is circulated

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Jane Scott, Leader of the Council, presented the confidential report regarding the upcoming decisions for the Highways and Amenities contracts, which had been reviewed to consider future options for the service.

 

Resolved:

 

To agree with the recommendations as laid out in the report.

 

Reason for the decision

 

(i)              There is a need for specialist advice and support in connection with roads, bridges and related services, and this would be most economically provided by a Highways Consultancy Contract. 

 

(ii)             The specialist nature of most road and bridgeworks means that most of this work would be most economically provided by a suitable contractor. The opportunity should be taken to explore economies of scale and other potential benefits with a variety of options to provide the works elements of both the highways and amenities services. 

 

(iii)            An assessment of contractor and in-house provision will enable best value for money to be achieved for the Council.