Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Peter Malpas Executive Member (Business) and Councillors Henry Caunce, Mike Devaney, Marie Gray, Harold Heaton, Simon Moulton and Rosemary Russell.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda. If the interest arises only as result of your membership of another public body or one to which you have been appointed by the Council then you only need to declare it if you intend to speak.

If the personal interest is a prejudicial 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 interest by any of the Executive Members in any of the meetings’ agenda items.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 25 June 2009 (enclosed).

The minutes of the meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 25^th June 2009 were confirmed as a correct record for signature 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 be asked to put their question(s) to the respective Executive Member(s).  Each member of the public will be allowed to ask one supplementary question within his/her allocated 3 minutes. 

The Executive Leader reported that there had been no requests for any member of the public to speak at the meeting.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on the outcome of its review of the Chorley Local Strategic Partnership.

That the findings and recommendations of the Chorley Local Strategic Partnership Overview and Scrutiny Task Group be received and accepted for consideration, with a view to the Executive Cabinet’s decisions on the recommendations being reported to a future meeting.

The Executive Cabinet received a report on the findings and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group of six Members, under the Chairmanship of Councillor Mike Devaney, that has been set up to examine and better understand how the Chorley Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) worked with the Council to provide added value.

The purpose of the inquiry had been to:

·        ensure the wider engagement of the Council and local people in the work of the LSP and its thematic groups;

·        maximise the capacity of the LSP through the projects it delivered; and

·        investigate how the LSP could address the high rate of alcohol harm related hospital admission rates and its impact on anti-social behaviour.

The Task Group had, at the conclusion of the review, agreed 10 specific recommendations, which had been endorsed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Decision made:

That the findings and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Task Group on its inquiry into the Chorley Local Strategic Partnership be received and accepted for consideration, with a view to the Executive Cabinet’s recommended response to the recommendations being reported to a future meeting

Reasons for decision:

In order to allow the Executive Cabinet the opportunity to consider, evaluate and determine its response in the Scrutiny inquiry report.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Corporate Director (Business).

Recommendations agreed.

The Executive Cabinet received a report of the Corporate Director (Business) seeking Member’s endorsement of proposals to ender into discussions with the Government on a Multi – Agency Agreement (MAA) for the Mid – Lancashire sub region.

The Government had already approved an MAA to operate in the Pennine region of Lancashire and a draft MAA existed for the Fylde Coast area. A Mid-Lancashire MAA would cover the districts of Chorley, Lancaster, Preston, South Ribble and West Lancashire, providing a valuable link between different parts of the sub region and the North West economies.

The principle aim of the MAA would be to encourage the sustainable economic development of the sub-region and attract inward investment by bringing together key players in flexible ways to address specific issues in partnership. An appendix to the report outlined a number of topics that the Mid-Lancashire MAA could include and address. It was likely that projects included in an MAA were likely to funding from available external sources.

Decision Made:

That the plans to submit  proposals for a Multi – Area Agreement for Mid-Lancashire in line with the priority areas set out in the appendix to the submitted report for discussion with the Government be approved.

Reason for decision:

The MAA will facilitate partnership working across the area in order to maximise the economic development potential of the area.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Corporate Director (Neighbourhoods).

Recommendations agreed.

The Corporate Director (Neighbourhoods) presented a report seeking the Executive Cabinet’s endorsement of plans to amend the Council’s Enforcement Policy in order to clarify the authority’s policy on the issuing of fixed penalty notices on children and young people aged between 10 and 17 years who commit environment offences (e.g. littering, graffiti, fly-posting).

The report highlighted the suggested revision to the Council’s Enforcement and Prosecution Policy agreed in 2001 in order to take account of the Government Guidance on how the issue of penalty notices for Environmental crime offences should be applied when children and young people are identified as the offender.

Decisions Made:

That approval be given to the revision of the Council’s Enforcement and Prosecution Policy with regard to the service of fixed penalty notices on children and young people between 10 and 17 years who commit environmental crimes.

Reason for Decision:

To ensure that the Council has regard to Government guidance on the issue of fixed penalty notices to juveniles under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

To leave the policy unchanged, which may draw criticism if challenged.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Performance).

To note the report.

The Executive Cabinet considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Performance) which set out and reviewed the Authority’s performance both in respect of the 36 key projects included in the refreshed Corporate Strategy and against the new National indicators for which the Council was responsible, during the first quarter of 2009/10 ending on the 30^th June 2009. The report revealed a commendable  performance on the delivery of the Corporate Strategy key projects, with 33 projects either completed, progressing on or ahead of schedule or scheduled to commence later in the year. Only 3 projects have been rated as ‘amber’ and the report explained the reasons for any envisaged problems with the timing or costing of the projects.

The report also revealed a good performance in respect of the National indicators that could be measured, with only 3 indicators having missed their target by 5% or more, and for which action plans had been devised.

The response to a Member query, the Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation) confirmed that the Council would keep the situation regarding the processing of Housing/Council Tax under constant review with a view to mantaining an efficient and effective service. The Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Performance) also indicated that the next Member Learning session would be devoted to explaining the criteria behind the homelessness temporary accommodation statistics and the measures being taken to maintain a satisfactory service.

Decisions Made:

That the report be noted.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Performance).

To note the report .

The Executive Cabinet received an updated report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Policy and Performance) on the activities of the Chorley Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), particularly through its delivery of 8 strategic projects and its performance in relation to the Local Area Agreement (LAA) and targeted key performance indicators from the Sustainable Community Strategy over the first quarter of 2009/10.

The LSP had selected 8 projects linked to the Sustainable Community Strategy to pursue and support over 2009/10, which had attracted funding of over £203,000 from the Council and its partners.

The Sustainable Community Strategy performance indicators revealed an increase of 5.3% in overall crime and a reduction in the numbers of job seekers’ allowance claimants.

Decision Made:

That the report to be noted.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation).

Recommendations agreed.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation) submitted a report reviewing both the Council’s Treasury management performance in 2008/09 and its activities and strategies in 2009/10.

The report indicated that, while investment earnings had exceeded both the budget and performance benchmark in 2008/09, the performance had been  overshadowed by the Icelandic Landsbanki default. The investment performance in 2009/10 had suffered as a result of the restriction of deposits to short term markets or secure deposits with the Debt Management Office. Those costs, however, had  been offset by reducing costs of borrowing, leaving the net position with little change.

In response to Members’ questions, the Chair confirmed that the Council would continue in its stringent efforts to recover its investment in Landsbanki, including lost interest payments. The Assistant Chief Executive was requested to ensure that regular future reports were presented to the Executive Cabinet updating Members on the current situation in relation to the Council’s deposits.

Decision made:

That the report and that the current Treasury Management and Investment Strategy adopted on 26 February 2001 be maintained.

Reason for decision:

In order to maintain a robust and effective strategy, capable of minimising risks.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

To receive and consider the enclosed report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation).

Recommendations agreed.

The Executive Cabinet considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation) proposing changes to the Capital Programme for 2009/10 to 2011/12.

Appendices to the report illustrated the proposed changes to the Capital Programmes showing the re-allocation of budgets, increases and reductions in costs, slippage of expenditure to  later years and associated changes in financing. Increases in the Regional Housing Pot capital grant had allowed the reallocation of the grant to specific housing capital schemes and the adjustment of the Affordable Housing budgets to match the developer contributions available to finance the expenditure.

The effect of the changes, detailed in one of the appendices would be to reduce the 2009/10 capital programme to £8,029,400 and to increase the provisional programmes for 2010/11 and 2011/12 to £3,592,180 and £1,451,110 respectively.

Decisions Made:

(1)   That the revised Capital Programme for 2009/10, as presented in Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved.

(2)   That the provisional Capital Programmes for 2010/11 and 2011/12, as shown in Appendix 1, be noted.

Reason for decisions:

The respective Capital Programmes have been updated to reflect the reallocation of expected capital resources and slippage of expenditure.

Alternative option(s) considered and rejected:

None.

To note the report.

The Executive Cabinet considered a report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Business Transformation) monitoring the Council’s financial performance during the first quarter of 2009/10 in comparison with the budgetary and efficiency savings targets for the current financial year.

The report confirmed that the establishment savings equating to £87,500 and procurement savings of £15,000 had been achieved in the first quarter of 2009/10.

Whilst an overall savings target of £410,000 has been set at the beginning of the financial year, further savings of £33,000 were now projected, owing to reducing income streams. The situation in respect of the three budget areas was being closely monitored to ensure that the increased savings target would be achieved by the end of the financial year.

Decision made:

That the report be noted.