Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Thursday 12 July 2012 5.00 pm

Venue: COUNCIL HOUSE, PLYMOUTH

Contact: Nicola Kirby, Senior Democratic Support Officer (Cabinet)  Email: nicola.kirby@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

17.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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

Minutes:

Name

 

Minute

Reason

Interest

Councillor Coker

Minute 24 Local Development Framework: Adoption of Shopping Centres Supplementary Planning Document.

Employed by Sainsbury’s

Personal

 

18.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 156 KB

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 June 2012.

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meetings held on 12 June 2012 are confirmed as a correct record.

19.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

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.

 

 

Minutes:

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 and the written response would be sent to him.

 

Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

 

Subject

3  (12/13)

Mr F E Sharpe

Councillor Peter Smith, Deputy Leader

HMS Plymouth

 

Please could the Plymouth City Council Cabinet look at ways to try to bring H.M.S. Plymouth back to its home port. And could they also read comments left on web site www.petition.co.uklhmsplymouth?

 

Response:

 

As a city we are very proud of our naval heritage and fully recognise the affinity that HMS Plymouth has with Plymouth given her role in the Falklands conflict and her close links to Devonport. It is very sad that it now appears that she could be sent for scrap.

 

However, the experience of HMS Plymouth demonstrates the difficulties of making historic ship attractions financially viable.

 

The on-going costs involved in a project of this size and the severe pressures on the Council's budget unfortunately mean that it is highly unlikely we would be able to provide financial support to an attempt to bring the ship back to Plymouth without impacting on frontline services to local residents.

 

The Council itself does not own any potential berths for a ship of this size.

 

The Council is very interested in any artefacts from the ship and is exploring the potential of securing some suitable items for display in Plymouth.

 

20.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

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

Minutes:

There were no items of Chairs urgent business.

21.

TASK AND FINISH GROUP GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL - YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT pdf icon PDF 132 KB

The report of the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group will be submitted. 

 

Councillor Nicholson (Chair of the Task and Finish Group and Chair of the Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the report.

 

The report of Anthony Payne (Director for Place) on the recommendations will also be submitted.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Mrs Aspinall, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, submitted recommendations of the growth and prosperity task and finish group into youth unemployment.

 

It was reported that –

 

(a)   due to the current economic climate youth unemployment was an issue of high priority, with young people making up a third of job Seekers Allowance claimants’;

 

(b)  the report highlighted issues of confusion amongst partners due to the number of groups contributing to the skills and employability agenda;

 

(c)   the experience of young people undertaking jobs searches had not been positive.

 

In response to the issues raised in the report, Councillor Williams reported that –

 

(d)  the work undertaken by the task and finish group was positive and had provided strong recommendations;

 

(e)  Councillor Danny Damarell had been appointed the City’s champion for youth unemployment;

 

(f)    work was underway with schools and employers to ensure the careers advice offer was the right one.

 

The Leader commented that the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group would also be considered as part of the Employment Task Force. 

 

Cabinet agreed that –

 

(1)  the responsibility for matters of employability should rest with the Plymouth Growth Board and its relevant sub groups, that progress reports should be sent to scrutiny and that a non-cabinet councillor be appointed Champion for Youth Unemployment;

 

(2)  theWorklessness Sub Group should find ways of bringing employers and employment agencies closer together to improve the communication of available opportunities. Greater engagement between employers, employment agencies, educational establishments and associated bodies to be facilitated by the Council in an effort to forge greater understanding of the requirements of each sector and develop an excellent working relationship;

 

(3)  Human Resources should look at increasing the scope of apprenticeships available within the organisation, and the Apprenticeship Co-ordinator post should be extended beyond the current twelve month period;

 

(4)  the Worklessness Sub Group should establish a task and finish group to develop and implement a “1000 jobs in 1000 companies” initiative.

 

22.

REVISED CORPORATE PLAN 2012 - 2015 pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Bob Coomber, Interim Chief Executive, will submit a written report on the revised Corporate Plan 2012-15 which takes account of the objectives of the new administration of the Council, including becoming a Co-operative Council and a more open and transparent organisation and provides an outline of the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board scrutinised the revised plan on 3 July 2012 and the scrutiny recommendations will be circulated in due course.  Councillor Mrs Aspinall, Chair of the Overview and Management Board has been invited to attend the meeting to present the scrutiny recommendations.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Bob Coomber, Interim Chief Executive, submitted a written report on the revised Corporate Plan 2012-15. The report focused on –

 

(a)   the Co-operative Council and its impact on the organisation. The Co-operative Council would put people in control of their communities, with staff having a stronger stake in how services were improved and delivered;

 

(b)  the Council’s commitment to open government,  including the opening up of decision making, increasing public involvement in the services and improving interactive communication;

 

(c)   the vision for Plymouth to be “one of Europe’s finest, most vibrant waterfront cities where an outstanding quality of life can be enjoyed by everyone”, which remained a central tenet of the corporate plan. The four long-term priorities for the city, shared with partners, also remained in the plan:

 

·         Deliver growth

·         Raise aspirations

·         Reduce inequalities

·         Provide value for communities

 

Councillor Mrs Aspinall, Chair of the Overview and Management Board presented the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board recommendations from their scrutiny of the plan.

 

Councillor Mrs Aspinall thanked the Cabinet for bringing the revised plan for pre-decision scrutiny.

 

The Leader commented that the scrutiny session had set the tone for the way in which the Cabinet hoped to be scrutinised in the future which would ensure political accountability and oversight. Cabinet members responded to each of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Boards recommendations in turn, it was reported that –

 

(d)  youth unemployment would be considered by the Task Force for Jobs.  The Growth and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Panel would be able to evaluate the program every six months, the first scrutiny should take place following the publication of the Plan for Jobs;

 

(e)  an action plan to increase voter registration was in place and a timetable would be provided for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board;

 

(f)    the Co-operative Council ethos was being delivered by all Cabinet members within their departments;

 

(g)   work was taking place to limit underage drinking and there would be an increase in test purchases. There was further work to do to ensure the balance between a vibrant night time economy and keeping residents safe and healthy. The Cumulative Impact Policy would be reviewed;

 

(h)  regarding child poverty, the cross party working group was still active and a paper regarding child poverty would be presented to Cabinet in August. The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board would be present at the next meeting of the working group where the relationship with the scrutiny function could be defined. An action plan for child poverty would be presented to the council in the spring of 2013.  There was a nationally and internationally agreed definition of child poverty;

 

(i)    the Older People’s Charter was currently based within Adult Social Care as there was a pressing need to deal with the most vulnerable in society. The Charter would move to cover all council services as the views of older people were taken into account;

 

(j)    the energy supply company initiative was featured in the forward plan, there were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

23.

CO-OPERATIVE TRUST SCHOOLS MODEL pdf icon PDF 99 KB

Carole Burgoyne, Director for People will submit a written report on a proposal for a consultation exercise to be undertaken with schools and governors on a co-operative trust model, potentially based on the Newcastle Model that supports schools to move to Co-operative Trust status in line with the new administration’s aspirations as a Co-operative Council.

Minutes:

Councillor Williams, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, introduced a report on the Co-operative Trust Schools model.  It was reported that –

 

(a)   there were already a variety school models in place in Plymouth, all with the common aim of providing the best possible education; 

 

(b)  children achieved the best outcomes when supported at home and in the community and schools in Plymouth had been encouraged to provide extended hours and develop community involvement;

 

(c)   there was an ambition to transfer school assets to the community;

 

(d)  the Co-operative trust schools model would allow schools to support each other, drive forward school improvement and work together in a changing educational environment.

 

Cabinet agreed –

 

(1)  to authorise a consultation with schools and Governors to identify views on moving towards a co-operative trust model that supports schools to move to Co-operative Trust status in line with the new administration’s aspirations as a Co-operative Council;

 

(2)  that a further report is presented to Cabinet following the consultation indicating the views of schools and Governors, providing clear evidence relating to improvements in standards and highlighting risks and benefits and the financial implications for the council.

 

 

 

 

24.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK: ADOPTION OF SHOPPING CENTRES SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT pdf icon PDF 9 MB

Anthony Payne, Director for Place, will submit a report seeking Cabinet’s approval for changes to clarify the Shopping Centres Supplementary Planning Document First Review and to recommend the document to Full Council for adoption.

Minutes:

Councillor Vincent, Cabinet Member for Environment, introduced the Shopping Centres Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

 

This report related to the adoption of the Shopping Centres SPD. It was reported that –

 

(a)   the overriding purpose of the SPD was to protect local and district shopping centres as vital community assets;

 

(b)  the SPD would make sure that shops and key services were maintained in centres, and would set a framework for future improvements;

 

(c)   shopping centres were crucial in vulnerable communities and contributed to community cohesion and the provision of essential services;

(d)  the draft consultation was subject to consultation in early 20 I I, and the SPD had been updated to incorporate findings of a recent shopping study and updates to sustainable neighbourhoods information.

 

(e)  the next stage would be the formal adoption of the SPD as part of the Local Development Framework.

 

Councillor Vincent moved the recommendations outlined in the report, with a further recommendation as detailed at (4) below.

 

The Cabinet agreed to –

 

(1)  recommend to Full Council that the Shopping Centres Supplementary Planning Document First Review be formally adopted;

 

(2)  delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Development (Planning Services) to approve the final publication version of the Supplementary Planning Document;

 

(3)  instruct the officers to implement as soon as practicable all the statutory procedures associated with the adoption process;

 

(4)  that officers from the Economic Development Service be encouraged to work on the development of shopping centres in vulnerable communities in order to maximise regeneration opportunities.

 

25.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK: ADOPTION OF PLANNING OBLIGATIONS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT pdf icon PDF 254 KB

Anthony Payne, Director for Place, will submit a written report on the Planning Obligations and Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document Second review and will ask Cabinet to recommend the document to Full Council for adoption.

Minutes:

Councillor Vincent, Cabinet Member for Environment, introduced a report on the adoption of the Planning Obligations and Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). It was reported that the main driver for the review of the SPD was the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Rules for planning obligations had been changed by national legislation and as such the SPD needed to be updated to reflect these changes, the main changes being proposed were -

 

(a)   that the Plymouth Development Tariff comes to an end and is replaced by CIL;

 

(b)  that planning obligations would still be used to secure financial contributions to infrastructure that CIL does not help fund, but this would be limited to the cases which were lawfully permitted;

 

The affordable housing provisions had been updated to reflect the new National Planning Policy Framework and the draft was subject to consultation in early 2012. The next stage is the formal adoption of the SPD as part of the Local Development Framework. In response to Questions it was reported that –

 

(a)   the section 106 process had been subject to review by the Devon Audit Partnership and a report could be published;

 

(b)  the Growth and Prosperity overview and Scrutiny Panel had added the section 106 process to their future work programme;

 

(c)   work was being undertaken by the constitutional working group with regard to the member involvement in the section 106

 

This is related and there is a separate piece of work ongoing with constitutional working group to address this and hope to report to next full council,

 

The Cabinet agreed to –

 

(1)  approve the Planning Obligations & Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document Second review and recommend to Full Council that the SPD be formally adopted;

 

(2)  delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Planning to approve the final publication version of the SPD;

 

(3)  instruct the officers to implement as soon as practicable all the statutory procedures associated with the adoption process.

 

26.

CONTRACT AWARD - ADVICE AND INFORMATION SERVICE pdf icon PDF 30 KB

Carole Burgoyne, Director for People, will submit a written report summarising the recent tender process for a remodelled Advice and Information Service and recommending the award of the contract to a single provider.

See also agenda item 13 below.

 

Minutes:

The Director for People submitted a report on the contract award for an Advice and Information Service.

 

Following evaluation of tenders, the award of a contract was recommended. 

 

The attention of Cabinet Members was drawn to the separate confidential report on the tenders received, referred to in minute 28 below. 

 

Councillor McDonald (Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care) presented the report which –

 

(a)   outlined that the contract was for three years with an option to extend for a further three years;

 

(b)   the contract would provide financial inclusion services alongside health and social care advice;

 

(c)   information and advice would be provided locally to communities, but would also be accessible from a central location;

 

(d)   the services would help those in receipt of social care make choices about the services they received through the personalisation agenda;

 

(e)   it was expected that the service would also help maintain people in their homes for longer;

 

(f)     the contract award brought a number of differing contracts together, both improving the quality of service for local people, whilst also realising some efficiency savings.

 

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.

27.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

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.

Minutes:

Agreed that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public are excluded from the meeting 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 I of  Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

28.

CONTRACT AWARD - ADVICE AND INFORMATION SERVICE (E3)

Further to agenda item 11 above, Carole Burgoyne, Director for People, will submit a written report on confidential details relating to the recent tender process for a remodelled Advice and Information Service and recommending the award of the contract to a single provider.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

With reference to minute 26 above, the Director for People submitted a confidential written report on the tenders received for the Advice and Information Service Contract Award.  The report noted the selection of Plymouth Citizens’ Advice Bureau as the ‘most economically advantageous tenderer’.