Cabinet Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda. A flowchart providing guidance on member interests is attached to assist councillors.

In accordance with the code of conduct, there were no declarations of interest made by members in relation to items under consideration at the meeting.

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 23 August 2012.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 23 August 2012.

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, Corporate Services Department, Plymouth City Council, Civic Centre, Plymouth, PL1 2AA, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting.

One question was submitted by the public for this meeting, in accordance with Part B, paragraph 11 of the Constitution, as set out below.

In the absence of Mr Sharpe, the question and the response were circulated to members and the written response would be sent to him.

Changes to Planning Legislation

The Chair reported on the recent announcement outlining controversial changes to government policy on planning and in, particular, the intention to relax the requirement for planning permission on residential extensions under 8m.  He commented that he was extremely concerned at the potential implication of these changes on the City, albeit for a three year period, and that, combined with the transfer of decision-making powers to unelected bodies, they would seriously undermine the planning process and could result in neighbour conflicts and cause demonstrable harm to neighbourhoods for years to come.

The Planning Committee will therefore be invited to look at the new legislation in greater detail, consider its implications for the City, and report back to Cabinet with some practical steps as to how this can be addressed.

(In accordance with Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chair brought forward the above item of business because of the need to consult Members).

The Director for People will submit a written report about the Early Intervention and Prevention Strategy.

The Director for People submitted a report seeking agreement to the Early Intervention and Prevention Strategy.  Cabinet Members heard that –

·         early intervention was defined as responding as soon as possible to vulnerable children, young people and families by having services in place to provide support before things got worse, to help families move on from their difficulties and to lead happier and healthier lives;

·         the Strategy had been jointly developed and committed to by all partners including schools, the police, the voluntary and community sector and health services.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed –

To receive a presentation from Sergeant David Carney-Haworth about Operation Encompass, an initiative that aims to improve links and early sharing of information between the Police and schools to enable the provision of care and support for children who witness domestic abuse.

Inspector Sally Hutchins from the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary reported on Operation Encompass, an initiative aimed at improving links and early sharing of information between the Police and schools in order to enable the provision of care and support for children who witness domestic abuse.  Cabinet Members were advised that –

·         the initiative, which had started as a pilot in Devonport with funding of £10k, was now being introduced by other local authorities, including Exeter and North Devon;

·         there was a fully trained key adult in every school in the City;

·         a leaflet promoting the scheme had been produced and would be made available to members.

The Chair congratulated those involved in the initiative and thanked Inspector Hutchins for her attendance.

The Director for People will submit a written report about the future provision of services necessary to combat the persistent problem of domestic abuse in Plymouth as set out in the Commissioning Plan for the Domestic Abuse Partnership 2012 – 2019.

The Director for People submitted a report outlining the future provision of services necessary to combat the persistent problem of domestic abuse in Plymouth as set out in the Commissioning Plan for the Domestic Abuse Partnership 2012-2019.  Cabinet Members heard that –

·         funding to tackle domestic abuse in the city currently totalled £1.09m;

·         the areas of the city most affected by incidents of domestic abuse were those with the highest levels of deprivation;

·         the effect on children remained a focus of the plan as there was an emerging pattern that domestic abuse was an issue increasingly affecting younger people.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed the findings and recommendations of the Commissioning Plan for the Domestic Abuse Partnership 2012-2019.

The Director for People will submit a written report about the adoption of The Charter for Older People.

The Director for People submitted a report recommending the adoption of the Charter for Older People, a key manifesto pledge of the Labour Group’s election campaign.  Cabinet Members were advised –

·         of the Charter’s objectives and 11 pledges;

·         that the Charter highlighted the specific challenges and life changes faced by older people and had been developed in consultation with older people, their representatives and service providers;

·         that the council currently spent £72 million on Adult Social Care of which over half was spent on older people;

·         that by 2020 90 per cent of local authority budgets would be directed at dealing with older people;

·         that the Charter would officially be launched on 1 October 2012, National Old People’s Day.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed that –

The Director for People will submit a written report about the recent tender process for a remodelled Mental Health Supported Accommodation Service and recommend award of the contract to a single provider.

The Director for People submitted a report summarising the recent tender process for a remodelled Mental Health Supported Accommodation Service.  Cabinet Members were advised that –

·         the service would support people with mental health issues in Plymouth to live full and independent lives;

·         over £800k in savings would be achieved over the life of the contract.

The attention of Cabinet Members was drawn to the separate confidential report on the tenders received referred to in minute 67 below.

Councillor McDonald thanked all those involved in pulling this contract together.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed that a three-year contract, containing an option to extend the contract for a further three years, is awarded to the ‘most economically advantageous tenderer’ as identified in the Contract Award Report.

The Director for People will submit a written report about a proposal to develop a three year local child poverty strategy and action plan by April 2013 following a comprehensive needs assessment which forms part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

The Director for People submitted a written report outlining a proposal to develop a three year local child poverty strategy and action plan by April 2013 following a comprehensive needs assessment which forms part of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.  Cabinet Members heard that the most recently available national data classified families earning less than £214 per week as living in poverty which, in Plymouth, equated to 11,700 children.  Within an environment of significant welfare reforms, rising costs of living and a double dip recession those numbers were certain to rise and, therefore, the establishment of a strategy and action plan to reduce and mitigate child poverty was essential. 

Councillor Penberthy thanked the Children and Young People’s Trust, particularly William Woyker, for the work undertaken to move the strategy forward.

Alternative options considered and reason for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed –

The Corporate Management Team will submit a written report about the monitoring of the performance and financial position of the Council as at the end of June 2012.

The Corporate Management Team submitted a report outlining the performance and finance monitoring position of the Council as at the end of June 2012.  Cabinet Members heard that the report was the last in its current format and would be replaced by a shorter more focussed version linked to the new administration pledges.  In addition, Councillor Lowry raised concerns about the time taken to process housing benefit claims and sought members’ approval to the inclusion of an additional recommendation to the report to ensure regular monitoring.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decison:

Recommendations 1-5, as set out in the report.

Additional recommendation 6, as set out in the minute above.

Agreed to –

The Director for Place will submit a written report about Plymouth’s exciting approach to preparing the new “Plymouth Plan”; explaining how it will provide an integrated and holistic long term plan as to how the city will change between 2012 and 2031.

The Director for Place submitted a report setting out proposals for establishing the new “Plymouth Plan” which would provide an integrated and holistic long term vision as to how the city will change between 2012 and 2031.  Cabinet Members heard that –

·         considerable progress had been made in responding to David Mackay’s ‘invitation to aspire’ which had resulted in delivery of a number of key developments and significant improvements to the city over the period 2006-2012;

·         the current economic climate had resulted in the carefully planned out progress being delayed by about five years;

·         an innovative approach to get people involved in creating the plan was essential to ensure that the final plan would reflect the aspirations of all Council services, local businesses and communities across Plymouth, and be a strategic plan for the city that everyone could buy in to.

The Chair welcomed the report and took the opportunity to offer a vote of thanks to Mike Palmer, Spatial Planning Manager, who was retiring from the City Council after 39 years of service.  Having presented a brief synopsis of his career to Cabinet members, Councillor Evans thanked Mike for his commitment and dedication to planning services in Plymouth and wished him all the very best on his retirement.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed –

The Director for Place will submit a written report about the exciting opportunity for Plymouth City Council to facilitate £5 million of external grant funding into a total £7 million regeneration scheme of one of Plymouth’s most important physical assets, economic and cultural drivers – Theatre Royal Plymouth.

The Director for Place submitted a report outlining proposals to facilitate £5m of external grant funding into a total £7m regeneration scheme for the Theatre Royal.  Cabinet Members heard that the Theatre –

·         was an ageing Council asset in need of refurbishment;

·         contributed £26m to the city’s economy;

·         was a centre of artistic excellence providing social and cultural benefits to the City.

Alternative options considered and reasons decision:

As set out in the report.

Conditional on TRP Ltd successfully obtaining grant funding from ACE up to the sum of £5m it is agreed –

The Director for Corporate Services will submit a written report about the business case for the investment in the core ICT infrastructure and capacity to enable the Council to modernise working practises, transform how it interacts and works with customers and drive efficiencies across the departments of the Council.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a report regarding the business case for the investment in the core ICT infrastructure and capacity to enable the Council to modernise working practices, transform how it reacted and worked with customers and drove efficiencies across the departments of the Council.  Cabinet Members heard that –

·         the initial cost of the project had been underestimated by 50 per cent as no business case had been produced;

·         savings achieved from this project would repay capital borrowing within three years.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

The Director for Corporate Services will submit a written report on the procurement of energy for Plymouth City Council and its schools.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a report identifying various options for procuring energy for the Council and its schools. 

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

The Monitoring Officer will submit a report about the recently published regulations relating to executive arrangements.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a report advising of the introduction of new regulations aimed at clarifying and extending the circumstances in which local authority executive decisions were open to the public.  The main implications for the city council were highlighted as follows –

·         publication of the intention to consider exempt or confidential matters by Cabinet 28 days in advance;

·         there was now an opportunity for anyone to challenge the need to take decisions in private and any representation received within the 28 day notice period would have to be responded to in a further notice of intent to be published five clear days before the meeting;

·         there should be no ‘to follow’ reports;

·         with regard to the Forward Plan, a 28 day notice period was now required as opposed to 14 and there was now no requirement to include a description of who and how others might be consulted;

·         executive decisions taken by officers were now subject to the same requirements as executive members.

Cabinet Members were advised that officers would be seeking further clarification on the new regulations and looking at what measures other authorities were taking to bring these changes into effect.

Alternative options considered and reasons for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Director for People will submit a written report about the recent tender process for a remodelled Mental Health Supported Accommodation Service and recommends award of the contract to a single provider.

With reference to minute 58 above, the Director for People submitted a confidential written report on the recent tender process for a remodelled Mental Health Supported Accommodation Service.

Alternative options considered and reason for decision:

As set out in the report.

Agreed to award a three year contract, containing an option to extend the contract for a further three years, to the ‘most economically advantageous tenderer’ as identified in the Contract Award Report.