Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Leader of the Council and Chair of Cabinet will introduce this Cabinet in the Community meeting.

A promotional leaflet and a copy of the location map is attached.

The Leader of the Council welcomed everyone in attendance, particularly members of the public and thanked St Mary’s Church for providing the venue and facilitating this meeting.

He explained that this “Cabinet in the Community” meeting was part of an initiative for Cabinet to be held in local communities, in order to make the Cabinet more visible and accessible to the public and to encourage greater public participation in the decision making process.

He then introduced members of the Cabinet and officers.

Members of the public to ask any questions of the Leader and Cabinet for up to an hour.

The Leader of the Council invited members of the public in attendance to ask questions of any member of the Cabinet for up to one hour.

Members of the Public asked several questions in relation to the Penwortham masterplan and sought further detail on:

·         Funding options

·         Consultation with landowners

·         Design ideas

·         Communications

In responding to the residents’ concerns, the Leader explained that funding could be sourced from numerous options. Originally, there had been £2 million in the budget from the City Deal, however this has been withdrawn and the Council have provided their own £2 million to the budget. The authority had also applied for £6 million funding from the levelling up fund. If unsuccessful there would be a number of other funding sources which could be utilised such as grants, Section 106 and CIL money.

Members of the Public had some concern over the financial viability of the plan and how this would impact the finances of the Council. The Leader explained that the authority had no debt and has healthy reserves and money to fund the project without impacting other services. The Leader advised the authority would not be raising Council Tax in 2023 for the third year in a row as it did not need too.

The Cabinet Member (Planning, Business Support and Regeneration) explained that the masterplan was working through a process. The first stages were considering the feasibility and viability of the plan. With the support of the ward members in Penwortham the plan had been extended to cover other areas within Penwortham.

In response to a question about consultation and landowners the Leader of the Council explained that the authority had heavily consulted with local businesses and residents and had found an overwhelming majority supported the plan. The authority would continue to consult on the masterplan and would take residents and business owners’ concerns and ideas into consideration.

Members of the Public explained they would appreciate the opportunity to work with the Council further on the developing the designs. The Leader referred to Leyland Town Deal and explained how local businesses came together to make improvements to Leyland and advised the Council could help facilitate the creation of a similar group for Penwortham.

No apologies were received.

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.

There were no declarations of interest.

Minutes of the last meeting held on 14 September 2022 attached to be signed as a correct record.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

The Notice of Executive Decisions/Cabinet Forward Plan for the period 1 November 2022 – 30 September 2023.

Hard copy version as of date of agenda publication attached.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

The latest published Notice of Executive Decisions/ Cabinet Forward Plan for 1 November 2022 – 30 September 2023 be noted.

Report of the Director of Communities enclosed.

Decision made: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approve the proposed projects in the Youth Action Plan.

2.     Cabinet approve the proposal to allocate “Mental Health for Young People” budget to support work outlined in the action plan.

3.     Cabinet approve the proposed approach to engaging the Youth Council and young people within South Ribble in local decision making.

4.     Cabinet approve the proposed governance and roles of Youth Council members, including the role of Youth Council Mayor.

5.     Cabinet acknowledge and approve the Council’s commitment to providing personal development opportunities for young people who engage in the Youth Council.

6.     Cabinet acknowledge and approve the priorities identified by Youth Council members, along with the proposed approach to project delivery.

The Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building), Councillor Aniela Bylinski Gelder, presented a report of the Director of Communities which sought to provide a narrative to the Youth Action Plan, which proposes projects to support young people within South Ribble. The report also provided an update to Cabinet on the progress made to date within the Youth Council project.

Councillor Bylinski Gelder invited the Lead Member (Youth), Councillor Colin Sharples, to formally introduce the report and say a few words. Councillor Sharples extended his thanks to officers for the report and their progress in establishing the Youth Council. He explained the intention of the Youth Council was for young people to become engaged in local decision making.

Two members of the Youth Council, Abbie Cherrie and Isabel Pearson, were in attendance and gave an update to Cabinet on what they had achieved. Notable achievements included completion of SHOUT training, visiting the Knife Angel sculpture in Blackburn, contacting all secondary schools in South Ribble to raise awareness of period poverty and dignity and the establishment of roles for members within the Youth Council.

Abbie and Isabel also provided members with an update on their latest project, The Festive Freecycle, which would start on 12 December 2022.

Members of the Cabinet thanked Abbie and Isabel for their attendance and speech and said they were proud to see two young women sit and articulate themselves so well. Members are glad that young people within South Ribble are being given the opportunity and a safe space to engage in local democracy.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approve the proposed projects in the Youth Action Plan.

2.     Cabinet approve the proposal to allocate “Mental Health for Young People” budget to support work outlined in the action plan.

3.     Cabinet approve the proposed approach to engaging the Youth Council and young people within South Ribble in local decision making.

4.     Cabinet approve the proposed governance and roles of Youth Council members, including the role of Youth Council Mayor.

5.     Cabinet acknowledge and approve the Council’s commitment to providing personal development opportunities for young people who engage in the Youth Council.

6.     Cabinet acknowledge and approve the priorities identified by Youth Council members, along with the proposed approach to project delivery.

Reasons for decision:

Projects contained in the action plan have been discussed and decided upon with Lead Member for Youth and portfolio holder for Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building has given Youth Council Members the autonomy to decide how the Youth Council should operate.

Projects in the action plan reflect thoughts of Youth Council members following consultation within Youth Council Meetings

The decision taken by Cabinet reflects the thoughts of Youth Council members following consultation within Youth Council meetings.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

The council does not have a statutory duty to carry out the proposed projects. However, it now has full-time permanent resource in a Youth Engagement Officer, to support the young  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

Report of the Director of Planning and Development enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet note the outcome of the consultation on the Penwortham Masterplan.

2.     Cabinet approve the Penwortham Masterplan as attached at Appendix 1.

3.     Cabinet seeks a report to be presented, as soon as possible, at a future meeting of Cabinet with a full implementation plan and that funding for the delivery be considered as part of the upcoming budget planning cycle.

4.     A final round of consultation will also be undertaken with Penwortham Town Council. Feedback received from the Town Council would be presented to a future Cabinet meeting for consideration.

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The Cabinet Member (Planning, Business Support and Regeneration), Councillor James Flannery, presented a report of the Director of Planning and Development that sought approval of the Penwortham Masterplan following several rounds of consultation and engagement. The report also identified a number of next steps towards implementation of the Masterplan in the centres of Liverpool Road, Kingsfold and Middleforth.

Councillor Flannery thanked officers for their work on the plan.

Councillor Foster advised that an additional recommendation would be added, to include a further round of consultation with Penwortham Town Council, with any feedback received being brought before a future Cabinet meeting for consideration.

A point was raised by a ward member in relation to communication with ward members, the Leader agreed with the comment and accepted that communication could have been better.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.    Cabinet note the outcome of the consultation on the Penwortham Masterplan.

2.    Cabinet approve the Penwortham Masterplan as attached at Appendix 1.

3.    Cabinet seeks a report to be presented, as soon as possible, at a future meeting of Cabinet with a full implementation plan and that funding for the delivery be considered as part of the upcoming budget planning cycle.

4.    A final round of consultation will also be undertaken with Penwortham Town Council. Feedback received from the Town Council would be presented to a future Cabinet meeting for consideration.

Reason for decision:

The Penwortham Masterplan has been through a multiple stage consultation with significant support for the proposals within it. It is now crucial the plan is adopted and plans for its delivery are made as soon as possible.

Other options considered and rejected:

The other option is to not adopt the masterplan. However, this would see a loss of momentum in delivering change to the local centres within Penwortham, particularly off the back of the Penwortham By-Pass delivery.

Report of the Director of Communities enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet notes and supports working with partners to support residents through the cost of living crisis.

2.     Cabinet approves distribution of South Ribble’s Household Support Fund Round 3 allocation, with flexibility to ensure that resources can be targeted to areas of most need.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing), Councillor Mick Titherington, introduced a report of the Director of Communities that gave an update on the work around Cost of Living to date, sharing the draft partnership action plan. The report also sought approval for outline distribution of South Ribble’s Household Support Fund Round 3 allocation for 2022.

Councillor Titherington explained that a conference had been held with community groups who provide foodbanks, clothing and other items supporting vulnerable residents. They had been asked what the authority should do in order to mitigate the impact of cost of living, from this an action plan had been produced.

Councillor Titherington advised a web page had been created detailing all the places residents could turn to for help and this information would be put on a card and given to all residents. A working group had also been established, working with partners to deal with situations as they arise.

Councillor Foster advised the authority would also be writing to every single resident highlighting and signposting them to where the information for dealing with the cost of living crisis could be found.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet notes and supports working with partners to support residents through the cost of living crisis.

2.     Cabinet approves distribution of South Ribble’s Household Support Fund Round 3 allocation, with flexibility to ensure that resources can be targeted to areas of most need.

Reasons for decisions:

Cabinet has given public commitment to supporting vulnerable residents and ensuring no child goes hungry in South Ribble. Commitment to a Cost of Living Action Plan is in line with this.

Through rounds 1 and 2 of Household Support Fund, the Council has provided funding directly into households for energy and essentials, improved the efficiency of people’s homes, and invested in the charities and community groups who offer support day in, day out.

Other options considered and rejected:

Following on from the Cost of Living Conference, the Council could have worked on a response without partners. Given the enhanced understanding of the broad impact of the increasing cost of living from the conference, it was agreed that a partnership approach would have greater impact and reach more households.

In Household Support Fund allocation, districts across Lancashire have taken varied approaches, from supermarket vouchers to direct payments to households in receipt of benefits. While these approaches have been discussed, it is believed that a responsive approach to local need is preferable, with no restrictions for working households who may be on a low income.

Report of the Director of Change and Delivery enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     To approve the proposals to offer fully funded energy use audits for businesses and provide council grant support to enable businesses to implement the recommended energy saving (carbon reduction) measures.

The Cabinet Member (Planning, Business Support and Regeneration) Councillor James Flannery, introduced a report of the Director of Change and Deliver that sought approval of a Business Energy Efficiency support scheme for businesses.

Councillor Flannery explained that funding had been identified from the reserves used for business recovery during COVID19, which could be used to help small businesses who were currently suffering as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     To approve the proposals to offer fully funded energy use audits for businesses and provide council grant support to enable businesses to implement the recommended energy saving (carbon reduction) measures.

Reason for decision:

Rising energy costs are impacting the viability of businesses, which increases the risk of businesses closing and the loss of local jobs. In 2019, the council declared a climate emergency, pledging to work to make the Borough carbon neutral by 2030. The Business Energy Efficiency support scheme will help businesses to reduce energy use, which will reduce business energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

Other options considered and rejected:

The alternative option considered was to signpost businesses to the Chamber Low Carbon scheme and the Making Carbon Work (MaCaW) scheme.

However, the grant funding elements of those schemes are fully committed, and they have limited remaining support capacity.

Report of the Director of Communities enclosed.

Resolved (Unanimously)

1.     To note the work of the Task Group towards the Council’s carbon net-zero goal and completion of the Air Quality and Climate Emergency Action Plans.

The Lead Member for Climate Change, Councillor Keith Martin, presented his report which provided an update on the work of the Climate Emergency Task Group.

Councillor Martin highlighted several areas of achievement for the task group:

·       OLEV rapid charger electric vehicle points have been installed across the borough

·       Decarbonisation plans have been completed for the majority of the Council’s estate

·       Three continuous air quality monitors have been deployed in the borough, monitoring both nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter

·       The Council has achieved its objective of planting over 110,000 trees (one for each resident), a year ahead of the projected completion date.

Members of the Cabinet commended Councillor Martin for the hard work of the Climate Emergency Task Group.

A member of the public asked if the Council were aware of Springfields Fuels Ltd building a new incinerator. The Leader explained that the authority are not formally informed, however Councillor Martin was a member of the working group and would speak to the resident separately.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     To note the work of the Task Group towards the Council’s carbon net-zero goal and completion of the Air Quality and Climate Emergency Action Plans.

Reasons for decision:

To provide members with an understanding of the work achieved to date.

Other options considered and rejected:

The report is for information only, no other options have been considered.

Report of the Director of Communities.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the utilisation of a third-party contractor to deliver, maintain and operate all Council electric vehicle recharging points and parking bays. No additional rent is charged for any leases to maximise the potential contribution from the third party contractor towards the cost of installation, with a view to recovering a small charge per Kwh for each station as appropriate. (Option 5)

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member (Health and Wellbeing) Councillor Mick Titherington, presented a report of the Director of Communities that sought to determine the most appropriate method for installing electric vehicle charging points. This is in order to achieve the commitment made by members within the Climate Emergency Action Plan and Air Quality Action Plan and requirements attached to the Council’s own planning permissions.

Councillor Titherington advised that all information was contained within the report and moving to electric vehicles would be fundamental to improving air quality. It was recommended that Option 5 was the most viable option.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

Members approve the utilisation of a third-party contractor to deliver, maintain and operate all Council electric vehicle recharging points and parking bays. That no additional rent is charged for any leases to maximise the potential contribution from the third party contractor towards the cost of installation, with a view to recovering a small charge per Kwh consumed for each station as appropriate. (Option 5).

Reason for decision:

A policy decision is required on how the Council is to deliver on its commitment to improving the Electric Vehicle Recharging Infrastructure across the borough. This would not impact on any current projects.

The delivery of EVC’s is currently being obtained through two different routes, the first is through the planning system and the second through the work of the Climate Emergency Team, predominantly via grant funding options.

The Council have committed to improving the electrical vehicle charging (EVC’s) infrastructure across the borough. This commitment has been ratified at Full Council through the adoption of the Air Quality Action Plan and the Climate Emergency Strategy and Action Plan with a commitment to providing a minimum of 200 publicly available electric vehicle recharging points across the borough.

In addition to the above every appropriate planning permission granted includes a requirement to provide  EVC’s and this includes the Council own applications.

There are a variety of ways in which the Council can provide EVC’s and a decision is required in order to progress the delivery in a timely, uniformed approach

Other options considered and rejected:

To make no policy decision and to consider each opportunity to install electric vehicle charging points in full on each occurrence, potentially resulting in several different schemes being utilised across the borough.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     To approve the implementation of a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution (SCAVC) salary sacrifice scheme with the provider AVC wise and the inclusion of a new discretion in the councils’ pension discretion policy: Regulation 17 of the LGPS Regulations 2013 to enable this.

2.     To grant a waiver of the relevant Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) to allow for the direct award of the contract.

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The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform), Councillor Paul Foster, invited the Deputy Chief Executive to present the report.

The Deputy Chief Executive explained that, as part of the continuing implementation of the adopted People Strategy the report sought approval to implement an Additional Voluntary Contribution (AVC) scheme as an employee benefit. The AVC would allow employees to make additional contributions through salary sacrifice, which would allow the employee to receive tax benefits whilst there would be some saving for the Council.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     To approve the implementation of a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution (SCAVC) salary sacrifice scheme with the provider AVC wise and the inclusion of a new discretion in the councils’ pension discretion policy: Regulation 17 of the LGPS Regulations 2013 to enable this.

2.     To grant a waiver of the relevant Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) to allow for the direct award of the contract.

Reasons for decision:

As part of People Strategy plan to provide an exceptional employee experience, consideration has been given to enhancing the financial wellbeing offer for employees. This scheme would feature on the existing My Rewards platform alongside other employee benefits.

Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) enable staff to better plan for retirement and if done through a salary sacrifice scheme this is a lawful and tax efficient option for them.

Other options considered and rejected:

No other options have been considered as AVC wise is the only provider that works in partnership with the local government pension scheme.

Report of the Director of Change and Delivery enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     The report be noted.

2.     Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform) Councillor Paul Foster presented a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which provided members with a position statement for the Corporate Strategy for quarter two (July – September 2022).

Councillor Foster explained that performance continued to be robust and referred to the recommendations received from the Scrutiny Budget and Performance Panel stating that he accepted those recommendations.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     The report be noted.

2.     Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Performance Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

Reason for decision:

The Council’s performance framework sets out the process for reporting progress against the objectives of the Corporate Strategy. Robust monitoring ensures that the council continues to deliver its priorities and achieves the best outcomes for residents.

Other options considered and rejected:

This was not applicable for this report.

Report of the Director of Finance enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the revised capital programme at Appendix A, which includes approved amendments to the programme, as detailed at point 11, since the last capital monitoring report was approved by Cabinet in September 2022.

2.     Cabinet notes the variations to the programme, which are detailed by scheme within Appendix B and referenced within the report.

3.     Cabinet notes the position in the Balance Sheet Monitoring section of the report in respect of cash, investment and loan balances and debtors as at 30 September 2022.

4.     Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

The Cabinet Member (Finance, Property and Assets), Councillor Matthew Tomlinson  presented a report of the Deputy Director of Finance that outlined the financial position of the Council in respect of the capital programme as at 30 September 2022. The report highlighted any key issues and explained key variances, and provided an overview of various elements of the Council’s balance sheet as at 30 September 2022.

Councillor Tomlinson explained that money was continuing to be spent on projects and this would be monitored closely to ensure budgets were being kept too. An overspend was predicted in relation to the decarbonisation of the leisure centres, however the funds would not be spent this year. Councillor Tomlinson advised the funds for the decarbonisation works would be spent in 2023.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the revised capital programme at Appendix A, which includes approved amendments to the programme, as detailed at point 11, since the last capital monitoring report was approved by Cabinet in September 2022.

2.     Cabinet notes the variations to the programme, which are detailed by scheme within Appendix B and referenced within the report.

3.     Cabinet notes the position in the Balance Sheet Monitoring section of the report in respect of cash, investment and loan balances and debtors as at 30 September 2022.

4.     Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

Report of the Director of Finance enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet notes the forecast outturn for revenue and the level of reserves based on the position as at 30 September 2022.

2.     Cabinet notes the virements made to and from the revenue budget during the year, as detailed in Appendix 2.

3.     Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

The Cabinet Member (Finance, Property and Assets), Councillor Matthew Tomlinson  presented a report of the Deputy Director of Finance that set out the revenue and reserves forecast for 2022/23 for the Council, based on the position as at 30 September 2022.

Councillor Tomlinson explained that officers would have been reporting an underspend however some issues have arisen which will likely result in an overspend of around £200,000. Councillor Tomlinson was confident the overspend could be addressed, resulting in a spend closer to the agreed budget.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.    Cabinet notes the forecast outturn for revenue and the level of reserves based on the position as at 30 September 2022.

2.    Cabinet notes the virements made to and from the revenue budget during the year, as detailed in Appendix 2.

3.    Cabinet notes and accepts the recommendations received from the Scrutiny and Budget Panel held on Monday 14 November 2022.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

By Virtue of Paragraph 1: Information relating to any individual.

Condition:

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

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

Condition:

Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered under-

The Companies Act 1985

The Friendly Societies Act 1974

The Friendly Societies Act 1992

The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978

The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act)

The Charities Act 1993

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the press and public be excluded for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

Resolved: (Unanimously)

That the press and public be excluded for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

Report of the Managing Director South Ribble Leisure Board enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the implementation of a new staffing structure for South Ribble Leisure as detailed in Appendix B, along with the implementation of new Terms and Conditions as detailed in Appendix C.

The Deputy Chief Executive presented the report of the Managing Director for South Ribble Leisure Ltd (SRLL) which sought to present a final proposal for the staffing structure for SRLL for consideration and agreement.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.    Cabinet approves the implementation of a new staffing structure for South Ribble Leisure as detailed in Appendix B, along with the implementation of new Terms and Conditions as detailed in Appendix C.

Reasons for decision:

The final proposal has been developed following significant consultation with employees, managers, UNISON and the Board of Directors. The structure will enable the company to meet the objective of its business plan and contribute to the delivery of the Council’s corporate strategy.

Other options considered and rejected:

A number of proposed structures have been considered during the consultation process.

Report of the Director of Commercial enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the latest Heads of Terms (October 2022) to be served on the current occupier of Worden Hall Café.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform) presented a report of the Director of Commercial Services which had reviewed the Heads of Terms for a new lease of Worden Hall Café.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the latest Heads of Terms (October 2022) to be served on the current occupier of Worden Hall Café.

Reasons for decision:

The latest Heads of Terms offer stronger terms than those previously considered and drafted.

Other options considered and rejected:

The two previous sets of Heads of Terms were not considered to be strong enough.

Report of the Director of Customer and Digital enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the contract award procedure for a number of procurements both independently and with Chorley Council, outlined at Appendix A for software, hardware and support services.

2.     Cabinet agrees to waive the requirement to use the Social Value Portal.

3.     The decision to award for South Ribble Borough Council is delegated to the Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building)

The Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building) presented a report of the Director of Customer and Digital that informed members of the proposed shared procurement for ICT hardware, software and support and sought agreement to the sharing of costs and procurement methods.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the contract award procedure for a number of procurements both independently and with Chorley Council, outlined at Appendix A for software, hardware and support services.

2.     Cabinet agrees to waive the requirement to use the Social Value Portal.

3.     The decision to award for South Ribble Borough Council is delegated to the Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building)

Reason for decision:

By jointly procuring these contracts it ensures alignment of software, hardware and support across both authorities supporting Shared Services.

Other options considered and rejected:

Each Council could procure software independently, but this would make it difficult to align software or services in the future.

Report of the Director of Customer and Digital enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet agree to award a three year contract for the supply, delivery, implementation and support of new hardware and software to support Council meetings in the Shield Room.

2.     Cabinet agree to grant a waiver of the relevant parts of the Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) to allow the direct award of the contract.

3.     Any cost variation will be reported to the Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building)

The Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building) presented a report of the Director of Customer and Digital that informed members of the proposed procurement for replacement Audio Visual (AV) equipment in the Shield Room and to agree the procurement route.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet agree to award a three year contract for the supply, delivery, implementation and support of new hardware and software to support Council meetings in the Shield Room.

2.     Cabinet agree to grant a waiver of the relevant parts of the Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) to allow the direct award of the contract.

3.     Any cost variation will be reported to the Cabinet Member (Communities, Social Justice and Wealth Building)

Reasons for decision:

To provide AV equipment which suits the needs of the Council both now and for the future.

To align software, hardware and support contracts across South Ribble and Chorley Councils.

Other options considered and rejected:

Each Council could procure software independently, but this would make it difficult to align software or services in the future.

Report of the Director of Commercial enclosed.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the procurement strategy for the appointment of the Professional Design Team from RIBA stage 4-7, given funding has been secured.

2.     Cabinet acknowledges that professional appointments will only be made within the approved budget.

3.     Cabinet agrees to delegate the contract awards for each procurement to the Leader and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform)

4.     Cabinet agrees to delegate any future updates to the procurement strategy which may be necessary to align with the progressing Town Deal project to the Leader and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform)

5.     Cabinet agrees to grant a waiver of the relevant Contract Procedure Rules for the reasons outlined in the report for the appointment of a contractor for Structural and Engineering Professional Services

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform) presented a report of the Director of Commercial which sought approval of the procurement strategy for the appointment of the Professional Design Team from RIBA stage 4-7, given funding has been secured.

Resolved: (Unanimously)

1.     Cabinet approves the procurement strategy for the appointment of the Professional Design Team from RIBA stage 4-7, given funding has been secured.

2.     Cabinet acknowledges that professional appointments will only be made within the approved budget.

3.     Cabinet agrees to delegate the contract awards for each procurement to the Leader and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform)

4.     Cabinet agrees to delegate any future updates to the procurement strategy which may be necessary to align with the progressing Town Deal project to the Leader and Cabinet Member (Strategy and Reform)

5.     Cabinet agrees to grant a waiver of the relevant Contract Procedure Rules for the reasons outlined in the report for the appointment of a contractor for Structural and Engineering Professional Services.

Reasons for decision:

To ensure that the overall delivery programme completion date of March 2026 is achieved.

Other options considered and rejected:

Presenting this report and recommendations at a later date has been rejected as this does not align with the delivery programme associated with the Leyland Town Deal, as a result of funding.