Cabinet Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda. 

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2024.

To receive questions from the public in accordance with the Constitution.

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Cabinet:

1. Approved the final construction cost for the approved Armada Way design as £29,892,665;

2. Recommended the Leader approves additions to the Capital Programme as set out in the report giving a maximum spend allocation of £29,892,665 to finance the construction of the approved Armada Way scheme;

3. Noted that to support the on-going maintenance of projects within the city centre for a period of five years starting in 2025/2026 that hard and soft landscaping maintenance be funded from previously identified capital approved resources already forming part of the Capital Programme;

4. Granted authority to the Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure to take all such action as necessary to implement the project including all subsequent design amendments (excluding amendments which impact on the retention of any existing trees or the approved translocation of trees), scheme approval submissions, procurement and contract awards associated with developing and delivering the Armada Way scheme through to construction and completion, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members;

5. Delegated to the Cabinet Member for Finance authority to make any decisions which impact on the retention of any existing trees, or the approved translocation of trees associated with developing and delivering the Armada Way scheme through to construction and completion.

Cabinet agreed to:

1. Support the zonal approach to heat network roll out in Plymouth, as set out in the report, and the procurement of a development partner to take forward these proposals to delivery;

2. Grant delegated authority to the Service Director for Strategic Planning & Infrastructure, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, to determine the following matters in respect to the heat network delivery project:

(a) Approval of revenue business case;

(b) Procurement of development partner;

(c) Submission of an application to the Green Heat Network Fund to support the delivery of the first phase of the project; and

(d) Any other matter to secure delivery of the project, subject to such being within approved budget.

Cabinet:

1. Supported the launch of the Building Bridges to Opportunity programme and requested that 6 monthly updates come to Cabinet;

2. Requested the Leader of the Council to formally appoint a champion for this programme.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) proposed an additional recommendations which was seconded by the Councillor Tudor Evans OBE (Leader) to:

Report back to Cabinet with a plan for implementation of the SEND provision.

Cabinet agreed:

1.    The SEND Sufficiency Plan 2024-2030 which sets out the proposed options for expansion of special educational provision within Plymouth to meet increasing demand.

2.    That a report is prepared for Cabinet with includes a plan for implementation of the SEND provision.

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE (Leader) proposed an amendment to recommendation two of the report so that it now read:

Give permission for the procurement of new contracts to proceed during 2025, with the award of contracts delegated to the Strategic Director for Adults, Health and Communities in consultation with Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, where they would not already have authority to award within the scheme of delegation.

This amendment was agreed by Cabinet.

Cabinet agreed to:

1. Approve the Business Case to extend the current care home contract over a period of 1 year from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025;

2. Give permission for the procurement of new contracts to proceed during 2025, with the award of contracts delegated to the Strategic Director for Adults, Health and Communities in consultation with Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, where they would not already have authority to award within the scheme of delegation

Councillor John Stephens (Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board) introduced the recommendations below to Cabinet:

1) Recommended to Cabinet that –

a) Issues of this nature should in future be available for discussion at scrutiny at an earlier point in the process;

b) Further reviews of the Delt contract should be undertaken in twelve months and subsequently at year 2, 4, 6 and 8 in advance of contractual break clauses;

2) Recommended to the Monitoring Officer that a mechanism which allows the scrutiny function to scrutinise the companies owned by the council should be included as part of the development of a Governance Framework pertaining to the Family of Companies.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) thanked Councillor Stephens (Chair of the Scrutiny Management Board) and responded to the recommendations on behalf of Cabinet:

Cabinet agreed the responses to the recommendations.

Cabinet agreed:

1.    The Cabinet response to the Scrutiny recommendations:

2.    To delegate authority to renew contracts with Delt for 10 years to the Council’s Section 151 Officer;

3.    To note there are three contracts being renewed; ICT, printing and document handling, and payroll provision.