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

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 14 January 2014, subject to the amendment of  minute 91 to swap the figures so that it reads ‘reducing from 25 per cent to 20 per cent’.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2014, subject to the amendment of minute 91 to swap the figures so that it reads ‘reducing from 25 per cent to 20 per cent’.

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.

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

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

(See however minute 110 below).

Dr Stephen Horsley (Interim Director of Public Health) will submit his annual report which identifies how local government can play a part in improving the health of the public in Plymouth.

Dr Stephen Horsley (Interim Director of Public Health) submitted a report appending the Annual Report of the Office of the Director for Public Health for Plymouth 2013/14 and Councillor McDonald (Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care) introduced the item.

Dr Horsley gave a presentation to Cabinet Members and circulated copies of the slides -

Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) referred to the recent motion approved by the City Council (Council minute 91 referred) and reported that the Leader and Councillor Bowyer had signed a letter to the Secretary of State for Health and that she had spoken with Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England.

Mr Selbie had indicated that the Council’s inadequate public health funding needed to be addressed and that he would have further conversations with the Department of Health with regard to funding for 2014/15.   Officers would continue to work with him to progress the issue.

Cabinet Members were advised that following the challenge to the Council on ways that staff could contribute to the health challenge, health ambassadors would be appointed across the Council, in each service, and that she and Carole Burgoyne (Strategic Director for People) invited women in the Council and across partner organisations to join them in the Race for Life in June 2014.

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) advised that discussions with the government and Public Health England were on the basis of a Health Deal, similar to the City Deal, with the Council committing to health improvements in return for future increased funding (over and above the current recompense for underfunding in 2013/14 and 2014/15).

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that –

Councillor Murphy (Chair of the Working Plymouth Co-operative Review Scrutiny Group) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the recommendations in the scrutiny report on the Park and Ride Bus Services Review.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the recommendations which came from this review.   

Councillor Murphy (Chair of the Working Plymouth Co-operative Review Scrutiny Group) attended the meeting and presented the recommendations in the scrutiny report on the Park and Ride Bus Services Review. She also referred to the work of the group on concessionary bus passes and reported that a recommendation had not been made to amend the current scheme following legal advice.

Philip Heseltine (Head of Integrated Transport), Gill Peele (Business Manager) and Andy Sharp (Public Transport Manager) also attended the meeting for this item.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the recommendations which came from the review and Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Transport) proposed Cabinet’s response together with the reasons for his recommendations.

Councillor Evans (Chair) joined with Councillor Coker to thank Councillor Murphy for her work, together with the scrutiny group members and all those who supported the review.  He also indicated that work had already started to provide improved journey planning and timetable information at each of the park and ride sites and that the work should be complete by the end of March 2014.   

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that –

Councillor James (Chair of the Co-operative Scrutiny Board) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the recommendations in the scrutiny report on Delivering the Co-operative Vision within a three year sustainable balanced budget.

Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) will submit a report on the recommendations which came from this review.   

Councillor James (Chair of the Co-operative Scrutiny Board) attended the meeting and presented the recommendations in the scrutiny report, Budget Scrutiny 2014 -15, following the scrutiny of the delivery of the co-operative vision within a three year sustainable balanced budget.  In particular he highlighted areas of concern by the Board which formed the basis of the recommendations in the report. He also thanked Cabinet Members for their presentations and responses to the challenge from the Board during the scrutiny sessions, which were held over three days.      

Giles Perritt (Head of Policy, Performance and Partnerships) also attended the meeting for this item.

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) proposed the response to the recommendations as detailed in the report of Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) and thanked Councillor James for his chairmanship of the Board meetings and the conduct of the scrutiny sessions.  

With regard to comments in relation to transformation, he indicated that assurances could not be given at this stage on precise costs and benefits but that the alternative of cutting front line services was not acceptable to the current administration. If councillors were unwilling to support the transformation programme at the City Council meeting on 24 February 2014, he would want to see alternative proposals presented for a three year balanced budget.  

Councillor James responded that scrutiny were willing to support Cabinet and wanted to support the transformation programme however it was the role of the Board to monitor the delivery of the work programme.

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed -

Giles Perritt (Head of Performance, Policy and Partnerships) will submit a report  tracking progress and delivery of the outcomes in the Corporate Plan with details of progress highlighting both cause for celebration as well as delays and issues requiring corrective action. This report provides details for the third quarter and will also be discussed at the Co-operative Scrutiny Board 19 February 2014.

Giles Perritt (Head of Policy, Performance and Partnerships) submitted a report tracking progress of the outcomes in the Corporate Plan, highlighting both cause for celebration as well as delays and issues requiring corrective action. The report provided details for the third quarter, to 31 December 2013, and would also be discussed at the Co-operative Scrutiny Board on 19 February 2014.

Peter Honeywell (Transformation Programmes Manager) introduced the report.  

Cabinet Members asked officers to review the report and include more detailed information on the delivery of outcomes.       

Cabinet noted the report and Agreed that the next quarterly performance report, showing the position at year end, will demonstrate (with numbers) how Cabinet Members are tracking towards the outcomes in the Corporate Plan.    

The Corporate Management Team will submit a report outlining the finance monitoring position of the Council as at the end of December 2013 and will provide details on how the Council is delivering against its financial measures using its capital and revenue resources and to approve relevant budget variations, virements and new capital schemes.

The report will also provide details on Human Resources and Organisation Development data including workforce and sickness statistics. 

The Corporate Management Team submitted a report outlining the finance monitoring position of the Council as at the end of December 2013 and provided details on how the Council was delivering against its financial measures using its capital and revenue resources and to approve relevant budget variations, virements and new capital schemes.

The report also provided details on Human Resources and Organisation Development data including workforce and sickness statistics. 

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the proposals and reported that -  

Cabinet Members were advised that the Leader and the officers were lobbying government for funding to assist with the costs of the clear up following the storms but that the Bellwin scheme had been set up to deal with major disasters.

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed –

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the recommendations of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee on the proposed revenue and capital budgets to deliver its Business Plan, to be funded from income subject to the introduction of a TamarTag account fee.

The report requests that Cabinet endorses the proposals of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee and recommends the income strategy and proposed budgets to Full Council.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the recommendations of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee on the proposed revenue and capital budgets to deliver its Business Plan, to be funded from income, subject to the introduction of a TamarTag account fee. 

The report indicated that –

Cabinet was asked to endorse the proposals of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee and to recommend the income strategy and proposed budgets to Full Council.

Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Transport) introduced the item and David List (General Manager, Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry) reported on the proposals.   

Cabinet Members noted that the joint committee had made an assumption that traffic levels on the bridge would remain steady and were informed that traffic had been reducing over the last three years but had now stabilised. 

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

The City Council is Recommended –

Further to the indicative report “Delivering the Co-operative Vision within a three year sustainable balanced budget” which was agreed by Cabinet on 10 December 2013 for consultation, Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) will submit a report on proposals for the 2014/15 budget.

The local government financial settlement for 2014/15, (with indicative allocations for 2015/16), is still subject to final approval by the Government with the decision not expected until mid-February 2014. 

This update report details:

·         the impact of the settlement for Plymouth compared with our resource assumptions;

·         how we have closed the £1.1m revenue gap for 2014/15;

·         a breakdown of costs to be incurred by, and benefits attributable to, the Council’s Transformation Programme in 2014/15;

·         a risk register detailing the high level risks associated with the revenue and capital budgets 2014/15 to 2016/17.

In addition to complying with our statutory requirements for budget setting, we are also publishing a three year Co-operative Council Financial Plan to provide clarity as to how we are managing and investing our finances through these challenging economic times.

Further to the indicative report “Delivering the Co-operative Vision within a three year sustainable balanced budget” which was agreed by Cabinet on 10 December 2013 for consultation, Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) submitted a report on proposals for the 2014/15 budget.

The update report detailed -

In addition to complying with the statutory requirements for budget setting, a three year Co-operative Council Financial Plan would be published to provide clarity as to how the Council was managing and investing finances through these challenging economic times.

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the proposals and indicated that -

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that a final version of the Revenue and Capital Budget for 2014/15 is presented for sign off to Full Council on 24 February 2014 and that the City Council is Recommended - 

Malcolm Coe (Assistant Director for Finance) will submit a report setting out the Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators, including the Annual Investment Strategy as required by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Code of Practice for Treasury Management in Public Services which had been considered and  recommended by the Audit Committee.  

Malcolm Coe (Assistant Director for Finance) submitted a report setting out the Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators, including the Annual Investment Strategy as required by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Code of Practice for Treasury Management in Public Services which had been considered and recommended by the Audit Committee (Audit Committee minute 50 of 23 January 2014 referred).

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the proposals.  

The City Council is Recommended to agree the annual Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Strategy 2014/15 (incorporating the authorised limits, operational boundaries and prudential indicators) as submitted.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the implications of the Inspector’s report on the Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan and to determine what course of action should now be taken by the City Council, including deciding whether or not the area action plan should now be withdrawn.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the implications of the Inspector’s report on the Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan and to determine what course of action should be taken by the City Council, including deciding whether or not the area action plan should be withdrawn.

The Public Examination (PE) into the Derriford and Seaton Area Action Plan (AAP) took place in March 2013.  The Planning Inspector’s final report into the PE was received in August 2013.  Although the Inspector did not dissent with the thrust of the evidence which supported the need to create a new heart for northern Plymouth and found there to be robust and commendable elements within the AAP, his overall final conclusion, having regard to the tests of soundness set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, was that the plan was not sound. 

The Inspector identified five primary reasons for this judgment.  Namely, he felt that the AAP -

As a result, the Inspector had recommended non-adoption of the AAP.

Paul Barnard (Assistant Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Richard Grant (Local Planning Team Leader) attended the meeting for this item. 

Councillor Vincent (Cabinet Member for Environment) introduced the proposals and congratulated Paul Barnard and his team for their work on achieving this outcome.  

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that –

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) will submit a report on the first draft of the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) 2014 – 2020 which has been produced by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, and  describes the suggested investment priorities and high level projects for the south west and the priorities for Plymouth.  The final SEP will need to be submitted to Government by the end of March 2014.

Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) submitted a report on the first draft of the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) 2014 – 2030 which had been produced by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, and  described the suggested investment priorities and high level projects for the south west and the priorities for Plymouth.  The final SEP was required to be submitted to government by the end of March 2014.

Chris Grace (Head of Economy, Enterprise and Employment) and Adam Hickman (Economic Strategy and Partnership Officer) attended the meeting for this item. 

Councillor Evans (Council Leader) introduced the proposals and Cabinet Members were advised that the SEP, EU Structural and Investment Fund Strategy and City Deal would all relate to each other and would enable the city to secure the Plymouth Growth Deal.   The importance of working across boundaries with Cornwall Council and partners was also stressed. 

In addition to addressing the needs of the long term unemployed, the focus on the employment needs of older people was welcomed.  

Alternative options considered and reasons for the decision –

As set out in the report.

Agreed that –

The Leader and Cabinet Members paid tribute to all the staff who had played a role in the tremendous effort following the recent storms. In addition to thanking the Council’s staff who had worked above and beyond the call of duty, he also thanked the staff of Amey, partners and emergency services.