Meeting documents

No apologies were submitted.

There were no declarations of interest

RESOLVED: (Unanimous)

That the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 6 February 2013 be signed as a correct record.
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The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources introduced this report which sought approval to commit capital expenditure for works to Moss Side Depot and the Civic Centre and for Disabled Facilities Grants as set out in the Capital Programme for 2013/14 approved by Council on 7th March 2013.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources informed Cabinet that this report was not committing the Council at his stage to all the work at the Civic Centre and further reports on the electrical works and the Photo Voltaic System would be presented to Cabinet before final schemes were approved.

RESOLVED (Unanimous):

1. That authority be granted under Section 3.4 of the Financial Regulations to incur capital expenditure of ?165,000 for works at Moss Side Depot, and authority be delegated to the Director of Planning & Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, to determine the most appropriate scheme and accept the most economically advantageous tender (all other aspects of the procurement being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Council?s Contract Procedure Rules);

2. That authority be granted under Section 3.4 of the Financial Regulations to incur capital expenditure of ?343,200 for works at the Civic Centre. (the procurement being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Council?s Contract Procedure Rules)

3. That authority be granted under Section 3.4 of the Financial Regulations to incur capital expenditure of ?75,000 for fire suppression in the Civic Centre and Moss Side Depot. (the procurement being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Council?s Contract Procedure Rules)

4. That authority be granted under Section 3.4 of the Financial Regulations to incur the capital expenditure of ?554,566 for disabled facilities grants.
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The Leader of the Council introduced this Performance Monitoring report which had previously been considered and well received by the Scrutiny Committee on 11 February 2013.

Members endorsed the views of the Scrutiny Committee in congratulating the Leader and all those involved in the significant progress made against the Corporate Plan and the budget;

RESOLVED (Unanimous):

That the report be noted
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The Leader of the Council introduced this item and referred to the Governance Committee?s work on keeping the Constitution under review and asked the Chair of Governance to take Cabinet through the report.

The Chair of Governance informed Cabinet that the Constitution Task Group had conducted annual reviews of different sections of the Constitution and submitted reports to the Governance Committee and Cabinet prior to adoption of the proposed changes by Council at the start of each new municipal year and it was intended that this review would culminate in the adoption of the revised Constitution at the start of the 2013/14 municipal year.

He indicated that this current review had focused on four topics covering various sections of the Constitution: Working Groups and Panels, the Executive arrangements, Scrutiny Procedure Rules and the Contract Procedure Rules.

Cabinet Members acknowledged the work of the Governance Committee and asked if in future the changes to the Constitution could be highlighted.

RESOLVED (Unanimous):

1. That Cabinet recommend that Council adopt the proposed changes to the Constitution as set out in the Appendices to the report with effect from the first Council meeting of the new municipal year in 2013.

2. That the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the chairman of the Governance Committee, be authorised to update the Constitution to reflect the outcomes from Recommendation 1 above.
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The Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning & Housing reported that the Borough Council has been consulted by the County Council on a Draft Central Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan which the Planning Committee had previously considered and made comments to the County Council. However, it was clear that the implications of the Masterplan had a wider corporate dimension, and this report sought further comments of the Cabinet in order to prepare a more corporate response. An extension of time in order to submit a further response has been requested from the County Council.
Cabinet supported the completion of the Penwortham Bypass but expressed concern regarding the proposed timescale for implementation and in addition, the real danger that the completion of the Bypass would result in moving one bottleneck to a different location. This justified a firm commitment for a new bridge crossing.
The South Ribble Western Distributor as proposed would only direct traffic to the A59 causing additional congestion both on this route and on the only route to the north through the west side of Preston. The Guild Bridge proposal needed to be brought forward, and not left until after 2026 as indicated in the document. The Bridge was crucial if economic growth in Central Lancashire was to be successfully promoted.
Cabinet Members expressed their extreme disappointment that the Masterplan did not make reference to the long standing Council desire for the construction of the Cross Borough Link Road. The need to facilitate movement on purpose built roads across the urban core of the Borough was of paramount importance and needed to be viewed as part of the proposed strategic road network. Without this Link Road then both the County and Borough Councils? ambition to both enhance the attractiveness of public transport and to improve the residential and retail environments as at Tardy Gate would not be delivered and as such the route required the explicit support and commitment of the County Council in the Masterplan.
Cabinet Members confirmed that the provision of the necessary infrastructure to support the development proposed in the LDF was seen by the Council as critical and most certainly an absolute requirement that delivery is in line with the rate of development. It was totally unacceptable for there to be a large time period between the development of sites shown in the LDF and the later provision of the necessary infrastructure. It was also unacceptable for there to be a significant delay which allowed problems of congestion to occur before action is taken. On that basis, the Cabinet viewed it as essential that the proposals in the Masterplan were firmed up and co-ordinated with the planned release of land as set out in the LDF.
Support was also expressed for the re-opening of the Midge Hall Railway Station which was important to increase the sustainability and transport options for the Moss Side Test Track development and Pickering Farm and Public transport improvements for bus provision were also essential.
RESOLVED (Unanimous):

That Cabinet notes the response sent on behalf of the Planning Committee, and endorses the additional views expressed in this report, and the further views of Members, set out above and sends a further response to the County Council.
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The Cabinet Member for Shared Services & Corporate Support introduced this report which detailed changes necessary to update South Ribble Borough Council?s policies for Discretionary Housing Payment and Discretionary Rate Relief from 1 April 2013, following changes to legislation and sought powers to amend those policies and existing policies for Localised Council Tax Support and Exceptional Hardship for Administrative changes as necessary

RESOLVED (Unanimous):

That the Cabinet recommend to Council:

1. That the updated ?Discretionary Housing Payments Policy? as detailed in Appendix A of the report be adopted.

2. That the updated ?Discretionary Rate Relief Policy? as detailed in Appendix B of the report be adopted.

3. That powers to make minor administrative changes to the above policies, together with the Council?s Council Tax Support Scheme and Exceptional Hardship Policies be delegated to the Director of Business Transformation in consultation with responsible Cabinet Member.
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The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources introduced this report which set out terms provisionally agreed for the disposal of Northbrook Barn, a detached property owned by the Council, and converted for use as a training centre during the mid1990s and currently subject to a lease to Orvia Property Ltd who had asked to surrender the lease.

A number of alternative uses have been investigated including continued office or other uses for the existing building and conversion or redevelopment for market or affordable housing, but taking into account the Council?s policy aspirations for the use of its property assets and the prevailing economic conditions for the uses envisaged the best option was sale of the property for an office/community related use. Negotiations had been conducted with a local group who had come forward with such a proposal and provisional agreement of terms were are set out in the report.

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources suggested an amendment to Paragraph 12 of the terms as set out below:-

?12 Other conditions of sale
The parties will exchange contracts for sale on the terms outlined above, with a staged purchase structured as follows ?
a. The Council will grant the purchaser possession of the property on 1st May 2013 on payment of an initial sum of ?35,000, subject to the surrender of the existing lease in favour of Orvia.
b. The transaction is to be completed on 1st November 2013 on payment of the balance of ?135,000.
d. A condition will be included in the conveyance to ensure that if the property is subsequently used or developed for a more valuable, use such as housing, the additional value realised will be paid to the Council.
RESOLVED (Unanimous):
That the terms provisionally agreed as amended above be approved.
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RESOLVED (Unanimous):

That the Forward Plan submitted under section 22 of the Local Government Act 2000 be approved.
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