The Chair welcomed Cabinet Members to the meeting of Cabinet which would be webcast today and for all future meetings.   

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

There were no declarations of interest made by councillors in accordance with the code of conduct in relation to items under consideration at this meeting.

To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 9 April 2013.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 9 April 2013.

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, 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.

There were no questions from the public for this meeting.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

The Director for Place will submit a report proposing the adoption by the City Council of the newly drafted Community Asset Transfer Policy which will give local people and community groups greater control in the future of their area and their community in line with promoting the council’s cooperative agenda. 

The policy sets out the benefits and risks to the council, the local policy context and the impacts on other council strategies, who can and how to apply for a community transfer, the basis of transfer and how the council will assess each application.

A background paper to this report can be accessed at the Council’s website Council and Democracy/ Councillors and Committees/Library/Cabinet background papers or using the following hyperlink –

http://tinyurl.com/bdqgk2r

The Director for Place submitted a report proposing the adoption by the City Council of the newly drafted Community Asset Transfer Policy which would give local people and community groups greater control of their area and community in the future, in accordance with the council’s cooperative agenda. 

The policy set out the benefits and risks to the council, the local policy context and the impacts on other council strategies, who could and how to apply for a community transfer, the basis of transfer and how the council would assess each application.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development) presented the proposals and thanked David Draffan (Assistant Director for Economic Development), James Watt (Head of Land and Property) and Paul Palmer (Principal Surveyor (Corporate Estates)) for their work.  

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

The City Council is Recommended to adopt the newly drafted Community Asset Transfer Policy.

The Director for Place will submit a report asking Cabinet to approve a scheme to provide 2,787 square metres of industrial workspace at Langage and seeking to amend the council’s capital programme to include the £2.5m scheme.

Cabinet will also be asked to approve a tender exercise using a two stage design and build procurement process for the delivery of the direct development commercial employment scheme of high quality, sustainable accommodation resulting in 80 full time jobs and to delegate to the Cabinet Member for Finance the authority to make the key decision to award the building contract, following the tender exercise.

A background paper to this report can be accessed at the Council’s website Council and Democracy/ Councillors and Committees/Library/Cabinet background papers or using the following hyperlink –

http://tinyurl.com/bdqgk2r

The Director for Place submitted a report on a proposed scheme to provide 2,787 square metres of industrial workspace at Langage at an estimated cost of £2.5m.

The direct development commercial employment scheme would comprise high quality, sustainable accommodation for small and medium sized businesses on council owned land at Langage Science Park, Plympton, and up to 80 full time jobs would be created or supported.  

A detailed demand and supply report had concluded that there was a shortage of high quality, modern employment space facilities, which the private sector had been unable to provide.

David Draffan (Assistant Director for Economic Development), James Watt (Head of Land and Property) and Paul Palmer (Principal Surveyor (Corporate Estates)) attended the meeting for this item and Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) presented the proposals. 

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed, subject to approval of minute 7a below, to –

Further to minute 7 above, the City Council is Recommended to amend the capital programme to include £2.5m for a scheme to provide 2,787 square feet of industrial workspace at Langage.

The Director for People will submit a report asking Cabinet to adopt the draft Child Poverty Strategy 2013-2016 and to agree the accompanying action plan. This is in response to the Child Poverty Act 2010 which places a number of duties on local authorities and other local delivery partners to work together to tackle child poverty.

The Director for People submitted a report, following extensive consultation, on a draft three year strategy and accompanying action plan which outlined a proposed city wide approach to tackling the causes and impact of child poverty under four major schemes –

The report indicated that the child poverty action plan was a living plan and that more detail would emerge as work progressed and as more partners and services engaged.   

Candice Sainsbury (Senior Policy, Performance and Partnerships Advisor) attended the meeting for this item.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development) presented the draft strategy and action plan and indicated that there had been extensive consultation and scrutiny.  He reported that the Child Poverty Working Group would remain in place with an increased membership of one place to be filled by Father Sam Philpotts, who had also agreed to chair an Annual Standing Conference on Child Poverty.

Cabinet Members thanked Candice Sainsbury, her team and everybody involved in the development of the strategy for their work.

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed the Child Poverty Strategy 2013-2016 and the accompanying action plan.

The Corporate Management Team will submit a report on the financial monitoring position of the council as at the end of March 2013.

The Corporate Management Team submitted the final financial monitoring, or outturn, report for 2012/13 as at 31 March 2013.

The report indicated that, subject to approval of the recommendations, -  

David Northey (Head of Finance) attended the meeting for this item.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) presented the report and indicated that councillors would need to focus their attention on the Joint Commissioning and Adult Social Care area in the coming year.  He also reported that he had instructed officers to present monthly financial monitoring reports to replace the current quarterly reporting arrangements.

Cabinet Members thanked Adam Broome (Director for Corporate Services) and the Finance Team for their work during the year.

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

The City Council is Recommended to agree –

The Director for Corporate Services will submit a schedule of appointments for confirmation by Cabinet, as submitted to the Annual Meeting of the City Council on 17 May 2013.

The Director for Corporate Services submitted a schedule of appointments for confirmation by Cabinet, as submitted to the Annual Meeting of the City Council on 17 May 2013.

Agreed the appointments as submitted.

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.

(Members of the public to note that, if agreed, you will be asked to leave the meeting).

There was no exempt business.