Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were submitted on behalf of Councillors Sue Jones, Mick Titherington and Matthew Tomlinson.

Minutes of the last meeting held on Wednesday 10 July 2019 attached to be signed as a correct record.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 10 July 2019 be approved as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 10 July 2019 be approved as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

Members are requested to indicate at this stage in the proceedings any items on the agenda in which they intend to declare an interest. Members are reminded that if the interest is a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (as defined in the Members’ Code of Conduct) they must leave the room for the whole of that item. If the interest is not a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, but is such that a member of the public could reasonably regard it as being so significant that it is likely that it would prejudice their judgment of the public interest (as explained in the Code of Conduct) then they may make representations, but then must leave the meeting for the remainder of the item.

Councillor Michael Green declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 – Lancashire Business Rates Pool, in his role as a Cabinet Member at Lancashire County Council.

Latest version of the Forward Plan attached.

Decisions made (Unanimously):

That the Cabinet Forward Plan be noted.

Report of the Director of Planning and Property attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That Cabinet notes the name of Penwortham Bypass as John Horrocks Way.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration and City Deal, Councillor Bill Evans presented a report from the Director of Planning and Property proposing the naming of the Penwortham Bypass which was due to be completed in December.

A competition had been held with local primary and secondary schools close to the route of the new road.  The judging panel had consisted of the Leader of the Council, Broad Oak Ward Councillor (Councillor Harry Hancock), Lancashire County Council City Deal representative and a Lancashire Enerprise Partnership representative.  It was reported that Councillor David Shaw had also been a member of the panel rather than Councillor Howarth as had been indicated in the report.

The Leader welcomed Laura Gillett and Grace Shields from Penwortham Girls High School who had suggested the winning name for the new road, which would be known as John Horrocks Way.  Cabinet expressed its gratitude to Laura and Grace for taking part in the competition and suggesting such an appropriate name for the Penwortham Bypass.

Decision made (Unanimously):

Cabinet notes the name of Penwortham Bypass as John Horrocks Way.

Reason(s) for Decision:

To ensure an appropriate name is given to the Penwortham Bypass.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Various options were considered to generate a selection of suggestions, with the panel deciding a preferred name.

Report of the Interim Chief Executive attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That:

1.    Cabinet notes the performance summary outlined within quarter 1 reflects the deliverables and priorities identified by the previous administration and corporate plan, approved in February 2019.

2.    Cabinet notes that existing performance measure are currently being reviewed in conjunction with the review of the Corporate Plan.

3.    Cabinet notes that the Quarter 2, Corporate Plan performance reports will be structured based upon the new administration’s identified outcomes and priorities.

4.    Cabinet notes that the performance report will be developed further across the course of the year.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Foster presented a report of the Interim Chief Executive outlining the quarter 1 performance against the programmes, projects and key performance indicators agreed by the Council within the Council’s Corporate Plan agreed in February 2019.

The report had been re-designed following engagement with the Scrutiny Committee to make it more user-friendly and easier to understand.  The report had been considered by the new Scrutiny Budget and Performance Panel on Monday, 9 September 2019.  The Leader reported on and accepted the recommendations made by the Scrutiny Panel. 

It was reported that of the 34 projects in the Corporate Plan 28 were on track and 6 off track at the end of the quarter 1.  Of the key performance indicators and measures 14 were succeeding, 22 on track and 8 off track.  Further information was provided on the progress made and work to bring items back on track.

Reference was made to the homelessness and housing indicators that were off track and a commitment given to look in detail at what could be done to improve these.

An update was provided on current performance concerning the calls abandoned before being answered in 90 seconds, which had improved significantly due to the increased resources and operating processes put in place.

Decision made (Unanimously):

1.    Cabinet notes the performance summary outlined within quarter 1 reflects the deliverables and priorities identified by the previous administration and corporate plan, approved in February 2019.

2.    Cabinet notes that existing performance measures are currently being reviewed in conjunction with the review of the Corporate Plan.

3.    Cabinet notes that the Quarter 2, Corporate Plan performance reports will be structured based upon the new administration’s identified outcomes and priorities.

4.    Cabinet notes that the performance report will be developed further across the course of the year.

Reason(s) for the decision:

To ensure the Council manages its performance effectively and the Corporate Plan is delivered.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None applicable for this report.

Report of the Interim Section 151 Officer attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That:

1.    Cabinet notes the report.

2.    Cabinet approves a virement of the £150,000 turnover savings target budget to reflect staffing savings achieved in the first period to the end of July 2019.

3.    Cabinet approves the creation of a new budget of £75,000 for hosting a music event in the Borough in summer 2020, to be funded from the forecasted underspend in the 2019/20 revenue to cash flow the initial phase of the festival preparations.

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Assets, the Leader of the Council presented a report of the Interim Section 151 Officer updating the Council’s overall financial position as at the end of July 2019. 

The report provided a forecast of the projected outturn to 31 March 2020 compared against the current approved budget and explaining the differences and impact.  The report included more detailed information as part of the Cabinet’s commitment to transparency. 

It was reported that the report had been considered by the new Scrutiny Budget and Performance Panel on Monday, 9 September 2019, which had welcomed the level of detail in the report and looked forward to monitoring the budgets on a quarterly basis going forward.

The overall revenue outturn forecast for 2019/2020 was a net budget saving of £681,000 which represents a variance of 4.7% of the total net budget requirement.  The report provided a breakdown of the forecasted variance which were attributed to savings in staff costs, increase in garden waste income, increase in the vehicle maintenance contract income and business rates compensatory grant funding.

The report included updates on the capital budget slippage from 2018/2019 and committee approval for schemes during the year to date to reflect the current available budget.  The current capital budgets have been reviewed to establish the forecast outturn expenditure and any re-phasing of schemes into future years.  The total capital budget forecast for 2019/20 is £14,939,000, with £1,986,000 potential slippage identified at this stage in the year.  It was reported that the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Assets would be going through the capital programme to ensure it is managed in a smarter way and ensure it is deliverable.

The Leader expressed concern at the variance on staffing budgets and had asked the Interim Chief Executive to ensure that vacant posts are recruited to and that a review of resource requirements is carried out.  It was also acknowledged that extending shared services would also provide greater capacity and resilience. 

An additional recommendation would be proposed to allocate funding of £75,000 to organise a music festival for South Ribble to be funded from the forecasted underspend to cash flow the initial phase of the festival preparations.  A report would be brought forward to Cabinet in future months on the music festival for the Borough.

Decision made (Unanimously):

1.    Cabinet notes the report.

2.    Cabinet approves a virement of the £150,000 turnover savings target budget to reflect staffing savings achieved in the first period to the end of July 2019.

3.    Cabinet approves the creation of a new budget of £75,000 for hosting a music event in the Borough in summer 2020, to be funded from the forecasted underspend in the 2019/20 revenue to cash flow the initial phase of the festival preparations.

Reason(s) for decision:

Robust financial monitoring, including scrutiny and challenging information, is a crucial aspect of running a successful and effective organisation. 

Alternative options considered and rejected:

None applicable to this report.

Report of the Interim Section 151 Officer attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That Cabinet approves a contribution of £36,012 to the Strategic Economic Growth and Financial Sustainability Fund, being South Ribble’s share of the £400,000 bit to fund the work on the Greater Lancashire Plan, subject to all Lancashire councils who are in the business rate pool committing to fund their share of the total cost of the work.

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Assets, the Leader of the Council presented a report from the Interim Section 151 Officer concerning the release of business rate growth funding prior to it being realised to support the funding of cross-county work on ‘Repositioning Lancashire:  The Greater Lancashire Plan’.

Decisions made (Unanimously):

Cabinet approves a contribution of £36,012 to the Strategic Economic Growth and Financial Sustainability Fund, being South Ribble’s share of the £400,000 bid to fund the work on the Greater Lancashire Plan, subject to all Lancashire councils who are in the business rate pool committing to fund their share of the total cost of the work.

Reason(s) for decision:

1.    The Lancashire BR Pool Executive Body have explored how £400k could be released from the Strategic Economic Growth and Financial SustainabilityFund (SEGFSF) in this financial year to fund work on the Greater Lancashire Plan, as requested by the Governing Body of the Lancashire Business Rate Pilot Pool. The proposal is that each authority provide a financial allocation towards the £400,000 in proportion to their total anticipated contribution to the Strategic Economic Growth and Financial Sustainability Fund.

2.    This advance funding can be met from the council’s business rate retention reserve. At the end of the financial year, when the actual outturn for business rates income is known, an adjustment can be made in relation to this payment.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

The Lancashire Business Rate Pool Executive Body considered the following options:

Option 1 – that the advance funding is provided by one authority, or

Option 2 – that the advance funding is provided by pool members in proportion to their anticipated contribution to the business rate pool.

The collective view that option 1 was outside the current pooling arrangements for the Strategic Economic Growth and Financial Sustainability Fund.

Report of the Director of Neighbourhoods and Development attached.

Decision made (Unanimously):

That Cabinet adopts the Single Use Plastics Strategy and the Climate Emergency Member Working Group be given the lead to develop, implement and achieve the goals of the strategy with a view to reducing the amount of single use plastics used in council operations.

In the absence of the Cabinet Member for the Environment, the Leader of the Council presented a report from the Director of Neighbourhoods and Development on the Council’s strategy to reduce ‘single use plastics’ within all council operations, as part of the work of the Climate Emergency Member Working Group.

The report followed the declaration of the Climate Emergency by the Council in July 2019, which it committed to reducing its impacts on the environment from all of its activities, including single use plastics.  The implementation of the strategy would be monitored by the Climate Emergency Member Working Group.

The Leader referred to the need for the Council to lead by example and ensure that a credible baseline and evidence-based monitoring process would be put in place to help measure progress in an objective way. 

Decision made (Unanimously):

Cabinet adopts the Single Use Plastics Strategy and the Climate Emergency Member Working Group be given the lead to develop, implement and achieve the goals of the strategy with a view to reducing the amount of single use plastics used in council operations.

Reason(s) for decisions:

It is estimated that 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced since the 1950s.  Without urgent action to cut demand, this is likely to be 34 billion tonnes by 2050, the majority of which will either end up in landfill or polluting the world’s continents and oceans.  The strategy will include a full review of the use of single use plastics and implement changes to minimise their use.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

The alternative to adoption of the strategy is not to adopt it, and to decide not to take any action over the use of single use plastics and the damaging harmful impact they are having on the environment and human health.