Agenda, decisions and minutes

Decision: That the minutes of the Executive Cabinet meeting held on 15 March 2018 be confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Executive Leader.

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.

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 received.

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance). 

To note the report.

Gary Hall, Chief Executive, presented the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) which set out the performance against the delivery of the Corporate Strategy and key performance indicators during the fourth quarter of 2017/18, 1 January – 31 March 2018.

Overall, performance of key projects is good, with nine (75%) of the projects rated as green and one (8%) is currently not started.  Two (17%) projects are currently rated amber and actions plans for each of these projects are contained within the report.

Performance of the Corporate Strategy indicators and key service delivery measures is also good.  85% of Corporate Strategy measures are performing on or above target and 80% of key service delivery measures are performing on or above target or within the 5% threshold.  Those indicators performing below target have action plans outlined with measures to improve performance.

The ‘Bring forward key sites for development’ project is currently rated amber, although the Cowling and Alker Lane development sites are progressing.  ‘Market Walk Extension’ is also amber.  A full update on the ‘Market Walk Extension’ project will be presented to Members at the July Council meeting. 

The ‘Number of projected jobs created through targeted interventions’ indicator is performing below target, outside of the 5% tolerance threshold, but it is acknowledged that there is a shortage of employment sites for businesses to take up the grants on offer.  The Digital Office Park will assist with this, but changes will be made to this indicator for the future.  A request was made to monitor the mean levels of pay across the Borough in future reports.   

‘Average working days per employee (FTE) per year lost through sickness absence’ is performing below target.  This may the subject of a further Overview and Scrutiny review.  ‘Number of missed collections per 100,000 collections of household waste’ was underperforming, but is now back on track. 

Decision:

To note the report.

Reasons for recommendation(s)

To facilitate the on-going analysis and management of the Council’s performance in delivering of the Corporate Strategy.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None.

To receive and consider the report of the Statutory Finance Officer. 

1.         To note the full year outturn position for the 2017/18 revenue budget and capital investment programme.

2.         To note the use of the £2.2m Southport Road capital receipt, as outlined in paragraph 34, to pay off the borrowing used to fund assets with short useful lives and instead use prudential borrowing to fund the purchase of the Oak House. The outcome being a £176k saving to the council’s revenue budget.

3.         To approve slippage requests outlined in Appendix 2 of the report to finance expenditure on specific items or projects in 2018/19.

4.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £300,000 from in-year revenue underspends to the Change Management Reserve to finance one-off redundancy and pension strain costs arising from transformation and shared service strategies.

5.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £100,000 from in-year revenue underspends to the Asset Maintenance Reserve to finance one-off costs relating to the Council’s maintenance of offices and buildings.

6.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £156,835 from in-year revenue underspends to the Business Rates Retention Equalisation Reserve.

7.         To note the 2017/18 outturn position on the Council's reserves outlined in Appendix 4.

8.         To note the impact of the final capital expenditure outturn and the re-phasing of capital budgets to 2018/19 and approve the additions to the capital programme outlined in paragraph 72.

9.         Request Council approval of the financing of the 2017/18 capital programme to maximise the use of funding resources available to the Council.

Gary Hall, Chief Executive, presented his report as Chief Finance Officer.  The report presents the provisional revenue outturn figures for the Council as compared against the budgets and efficiency savings targets set for the financial year 2017/18 and the provisional outturn figures for the 2017/18 capital programme.  It also updates the capital programme for financial years 2018/19 to 2020/21 to take account of the re-phasing of expenditure from 2017/18 and other proposed budget changes.

The accounts are provisional at this stage and are also subject to final checking and scrutiny by the Council’s external auditor.  Should there be any significant changes to the outturn as a result of this process a further report will be submitted to Executive Cabinet.

There is a provisional underspend against the budget at year-end of £715k prior to requests for slippage of committed items of £105k.

£176k of underspend relates to the use of a £2.2m capital receipt the council received from the sale of land at Southport Rd.  Rather than use this receipt to meet the cost of the purchase of the Oak House site, the council used the receipt to pay off the borrowing used to fund other assets with shorter useful lives such as vehicles and bins.  The council will use borrowing to fund the purchase of Oak House and spread the cost over the life of this asset.  The net result of using the receipt in this manner meant a reduction in the cost of borrowing in 2017/18 of £176k.  The total cost of borrowing for the council remains the same, borrowing will instead be spread over a longer period.

Members noted the requests from underspends in relation to the Change Management Reserve, the Asset Maintenance Reserve and the Business Rates Retention Reserve.  

Decision:

1.         To note the full year outturn position for the 2017/18 revenue budget and capital investment programme.

2.         To note the use of the £2.2m Southport Road capital receipt, as outlined in paragraph 34, to pay off the borrowing used to fund assets with short useful lives and instead use prudential borrowing to fund the purchase of the Oak House. The outcome being a £176k saving to the council’s revenue budget.

3.         To approve slippage requests outlined in Appendix 2 of the report to finance expenditure on specific items or projects in 2018/19.

4.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £300,000 from in-year revenue underspends to the Change Management Reserve to finance one-off redundancy and pension strain costs arising from transformation and shared service strategies.

5.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £100,000 from in-year revenue underspends to the Asset Maintenance Reserve to finance one-off costs relating to the Council’s maintenance of offices and buildings.

6.         Request Council approval for the contribution of £156,835 from in-year revenue underspends to the Business Rates Retention Equalisation Reserve.

7.         To note the 2017/18 outturn position on the Council's reserves outlined in Appendix 4.

8.         To note the impact of the final capital expenditure outturn and the re-phasing of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.EC.34

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support). 

1.         To approve the draft allocations policy for consultation with the bodies identified at paragraph 17.

2.         To delegate to the Executive Member for Homes and Housing Authority to amend the policy following the consultation responses being considered and to approve the allocations policy, in current or amended form, for adoption. 

Councillor Jane Fitzsimons, Executive Member (Homes and Housing), presented the report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support) which presented the draft allocations policy for the Primrose Gardens extra care scheme. 

The Scheme is due for completion in March 2019. Consequently, the council needs to agree an allocation policy to allocate the apartments in a fair and transparent way.  Due to the nature of the accommodation and the provision of an extra care element, it is necessary to incorporate the view of LCC and agree a series of priorities in order comply with the HCA grant conditions.

As with other allocation policies, the draft policy for Primrose Gardens includes banding to separate and prioritise applicants for accommodation.  Within each of the bands, the policy then gives priority to those who currently living in Chorley, then those who can demonstrate a local connection and finally to those who live elsewhere in Lancashire.

The policy sets out the approach to managing the allocations policy. The decisions will be made by a joint panel that comprises representatives from Chorley Council, the care provider for the scheme and from adult social care.   The policy sets out the aim that decisions on allocation will be through consensus.  However, if agreement cannot be reached then the final decision will rest with Chorley Council as the landlord.

The draft policy will now be shared with agencies in Chorley who target the audience for extra care such as Age UK, Age Concern, LCFT and Lancashire Wellbeing who all support over 55’s, and will also consult with the wider agencies who work to support customers with housing needs.

Decision:

1.         To approve the draft allocations policy for consultation with the bodies identified at paragraph 17.

2.         To delegate to the Executive Member for Homes and Housing Authority to amend the policy following the consultation responses being considered and to approve the allocations policy, in current or amended form, for adoption. 

Reasons for recommendation(s)

The allocations policy is required to ensure that the accommodation within Primrose Gardens is allocated in a fair and transparent manner.

Alternative options considered and rejected

To use the existing Select Move Allocations Policy to allocate the apartments and to not develop a separate allocations policy. This was rejected as the nature of the Primrose Gardens scheme means that different needs and issues need to be taken into consideration in prioritising the accommodation.

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).

Approval granted to exclude the public and press.

Decision: To exclude the press and public for the following items of business on the grounds 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.

To receive and consider the Report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support). 

1.         To authorise the Director (Early Intervention and Support) to negotiate with Glendale concerning the proposed changes to the Lease for Duxbury Golf Course.

2.         To delegate authority to the Executive Member for Resources, to be exercised in consultation with the Executive Member for Early Intervention, to approve any proposed changes to the lease or, if necessary to decide not to proceed with any changes.

Councillor Bev Murray, Executive Member (Early Intervention), presented the confidential report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support). 

Members discussed the reasons for the decision.    

Decision:

1.         To authorise the Director (Early Intervention and Support) to negotiate with Glendale concerning the proposed changes to the Lease for Duxbury Golf Course.

2.         To delegate authority to the Executive Member for Resources, to be exercised in consultation with the Executive Member for Early Intervention, to approve any proposed changes to the lease or, if necessary to decide not to proceed with any changes.

Reasons for recommendation(s)

Whilst the proposal may make the site more sustainable for Glendale Golf, there is a cost to the Council through the loss of NNDR income. The Council have already made concessions to Glendale since the commencement of the lease in terms of rent and management arrangements, and this additional loss in income which flows from the change to charitable body status would reduce the council’s income from the site further.

Alternative options considered and rejected

None. 

To receive and consider the Report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support). 

1.         To approve the retention of the existing flexibility within the existing Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy, in order to facilitate the delivery of major adaptations in a way which addresses Better Care Fund (BCF) priorities more effectively.

2.         In light of the continued significant levels of Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding, it is further recommended to approve the recommendation to increase applicable fees from 10% of the total value of each major adaptation grant award, up to 12.5%. The increase in fee income would provide further opportunity for the Council to re-invest in the Home Improvement Agency (HIA) service, as part of the ongoing efforts to maximise the use of the Council’s DFG budget.

The Executive Member for Homes and Housing presented the confidential report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support). 

The report provides a summary of the impact of the changes to the Housing Assistance Policy which were introduced in April 2017 and makes recommendations regarding the future operation of the policy.

The report also updates Members on other features of the Private Sector Housing Assistance policy, such as the extension of the Integrated Home Improvement Services (IHIS) Collaboration Agreement between the Council and Lancashire County Council (LCC) and the corresponding contract extensions between the Council and Mobility Care Services and between the Council and Preston Care and Repair.

Decision:

1.         To approve the retention of the existing flexibility within the existing Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy, in order to facilitate the delivery of major adaptations in a way which addresses Better Care Fund (BCF) priorities more effectively.

2.         In light of the continued significant levels of Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding, it is further recommended to approve the recommendation to increase applicable fees from 10% of the total value of each major adaptation grant award, up to 12.5%. The increase in fee income would provide further opportunity for the Council to re-invest in the Home Improvement Agency (HIA) service, as part of the ongoing efforts to maximise the use of the Council’s DFG budget.

Reasons for recommendation(s)

The policy in operation during 2017/18 has been successful using a number of key criteria. It has enabled the Council to achieve a higher spend on major adaptations than has previously been possible. There have been considerably fewer cases where the applicant has failed the DFG financial assessment.

There has been an increased income to the Council through fee income. Compared with previous years, an increased number of customers have received a grant to provide major adaptations, and customers have experienced a reduced waiting time to receive their adaptations once the Council has received the case referral.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The effectiveness of the policy in 2017/18 has been demonstrated using a number of indicators and, given that funding levels for major adaptations have not reduced in 2018/19, there are no budgetary reasons at the present time to recommend a return to a more traditional approach to the delivery of major adaptations.