Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

There were no declarations of any interests.

Resolved: that the minutes of the Executive Cabinet meeting held on 23 January 2025 be confirmed as a correct record for signing by the Executive Leader.

Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask a question(s) on an item(s) on the agenda will have three minutes to put their question(s) to the respective Executive Member(s).  Each member of the public will be allowed to ask one short supplementary question. 

There were no public questions.

To receive the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group and accept it for consideration, with a view to report the Executive Cabinet’s response to the recommendations at a future meeting.

The report of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group was noted and accepted for consideration, with a view to report the Executive Cabinet’s response to the recommendations at a future meeting.

Councillor Debra Platt, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Arjun Singh, Vice Chair of the Task Group presented the final report of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on Suicide Bereavement and Prevention.

Members discussed whether access to a 24-hour A&E department would help address suicide rates. Members recognised this was a complex matter which would include partnership working with the police and first responders.

Resolved:

To receive the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group and accept if for consideration, with a view to the Executive Cabinet’s recommended response to the recommendations being reported at a future meeting.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Finance.

1.    To note the 2024/25 forecast outturn for revenue and reserves, based on the position at 31st December 2024.

2.    To note the virements made to and from the revenue budget during the period, as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources, presented the report of the Director of Finance which set out the provisional outturn for revenue and reserves forecast for 2024/25 for the Council, based on the position as at 31 December 2024.

In summary, the forecast outturn was for an overspend of £32k (month six overspend of £209k). The most significant factor within this overspend was related to the ongoing income pressures at Market Walk and Property Services which would be monitored throughout the year. This had been offset by significant underspends around the pay award and treasury management.

The Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy approved in February 2024, reported that the minimum level of General Fund Reserves should be maintained at £4.0m to cushion against any potential, future financial risks that may face the Council. Based on the above forecast outturn overspend, the level of General Fund balances as at 31 March 2025 was expected to be £4.060m, however Officers would monitor the position during the year and report to Members accordingly.

Resolved:

1. To note the 2024/25 forecast outturn for revenue and reserves, based on the position at 31st December 2024.
2. To note the virements made to and from the revenue budget during the period, as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.

Reasons for recommendations:

To ensure the Council’s budgetary targets are achieved.

Other options considered and rejected:

None, it is a requirement to report quarterly on the Revenue Budget monitoring and Reserves.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Finance.

1.    To approve the revised Capital Programme, as attached at Appendix A, which includes approved amendments to the programme of £0.070m decrease as detailed at point 12 of this report.

2.    To consider the variations to the programme (which are detailed by scheme at Appendix B and referenced within the body of the report).

3.    To note the position in the Balance Sheet Monitoring section of the report, in respect of cash, investment and loan balances, and debtors as at 31st December 2024.

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources, presented the report of the Director of Finance which outlined the financial position of the Council in respect of the Capital Programme as at 31 December 2024, highlighting key issues and explaining key variances, and to provide an overview of various elements of the Council’s Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2024.

The Capital Programme for 2024/25 was set at £19.448m in February 2024. This was decreased to £15.253m following approval of the 2024/25 outturn position, and then increased to £16.152m following Executive Cabinet approval in October 2024. The Executive Cabinet approved in November 2024 to decrease the Capital Programme to £13.343m. Following the changes detailed in the report, Members noted that the total programme for 2024/25 was £11.192m.

Members noted the breakdown of the net decrease in the programme of £2.151m. Budget variations approved since the last Capital Monitoring report in respect of the re-profiling of budgets within the existing programme resulted in a total decrease of £0.806m in the programme.

Resolved:

1. To approve the revised Capital Programme, as attached at Appendix A, which includes approved amendments to the programme of £0.070m decrease as detailed at point 12 of this report.
2. To consider the variations to the programme (which are detailed by scheme at Appendix B and referenced within the body of the report).
3. To note the position in the Balance Sheet Monitoring section of the report, in respect of cash, investment and loan balances, and debtors as at 31 December 2024.

Reasons for recommendations:

To ensure the Council’s Capital Programme is monitored effectively.

Other options considered and rejected:

None, as it is good practice to report regularly on the Capital Programme and the monitoring of the Balance Sheet.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Change and Delivery.

That the report be noted.

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources, presented the report of the Director of Change and Delivery which set out the performance against the delivery of the Corporate Strategy during the third quarter of 2024/25, covering 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2024.

Members noted that overall performance of the Corporate Strategy projects was good, with three projects (16%) complete and 15 projects (79%) rated green, meaning they were progressing according to schedule. One project (5%) had been rated amber, which provided an early warning sign of potential delays, and action plans for these projects were detailed within the report.

Performance of the Corporate Strategy indicators and key service delivery measures continued to be closely monitored, with 93% of Corporate Strategy measures and 100% of key service delivery measures performing on or above target or within the 5% threshold.

The performance indicator for the percentage of 16-17 year olds who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET) was performing below target and outside the 5% threshold. Members noted the action plan for this and were advised that the council was working with the Youth Zone and young children to bring these numbers down. It was also reported that progress was being made through partnership working with the police to tackle anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.

Reasons for recommendations:

To ensure the effective performance monitoring of the Corporate Strategy and safeguard its delivery across 2024/25.

Other options considered and rejected:        

No other options have been considered or rejected. This is because the report does not present any items for decision.

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 Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

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).

To exclude the public and press.

Resolved: that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Customer and Digital.

To recommend the direct award for the renewal of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement to the incumbent supplier, or via an established framework.

Councillor Adrian Lowe, Executive Member for Customer, Environment and Streetscene, presented the confidential report of the Director of Customer and Digital which sought approval to carry out a direct award to the incumbent supplier, or via an established framework for the renewal of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement due 1 April 2025.

Resolved:

To approve the direct award for the renewal of the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement to the incumbent supplier, or via an established framework.

Reasons for recommendations:

1.    It is proposed to use the following hierarchy to determine the most suitable procurement route:

a)    Where the incumbent supplier is able to continue to provide the functionality needed and the correct commercial offer, the contract will be awarded to the incumbent supplier via a framework, via a Direct Award on a suitable framework, or where this is not possible, via a waiver.

b)    If Government Digital Services (GDS) platform offers a suitable solution, the GDS platform will be procured via a Direct Award on a suitable framework or where this is not possible, via a waiver.

2.    As recommended by the Procurement team, the framework to be used is the NHS SBS Framework. The current incumbent, Phoenix Software Limited are registered on this framework

Other options considered and rejected:

1.    There is an opportunity to carry out a tender exercise for the contract with the assistance of the Procurement Team.

2.    Indicative quotes are being sought from other resellers however at this point, the current incumbent is delivering the lowest price for the equivalent licencing provision.

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