Agenda and minutes

Mount Edgcumbe Joint Committee - Friday 25 June 2010 10.45 am

Venue: MOUNT EDGCUMBE HOUSE, CREMYLL

Contact: Helen Wright, Democratic Support Officer  Email: helen.wright@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

APPOINTMENT OF THE JOINT CHAIRS

The Joint Committee will confirm the appointment of the Joint Chairs.

Minutes:

Agreed that –

 

(1)

Councillor Reynolds is appointed as Co-Chair (Plymouth City Council);

 

(2)

Councillor Trubody is appointed as Co-Chair (Cornwall Council).

 

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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

Minutes:

In accordance with the code of conduct the following declarations of interest were made –

 

Name

Subject and Minute No,

Reason

Interest

 

Councillor Trubody

Cremyll Ferry Tender

Minute 15

Acquainted with existing ferry operator

 

Worked for Sound Cruising

 

Personal

 

 

 

Prejudicial

Commander Crocker

Cremyll Ferry Tender

Minute 15

Relative works for Tamar Cruising

Personal

 

3.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 45 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 5 February 2010 as a correct record.

Minutes:

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 February 2010 are confirmed as a correct record.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

4.

Property Matter

Minutes:

The Co-Chair advised that a property matter had arisen which required a decision from the Joint Committee; this item was confidential and as such would be considered under exempt business (minute 7 refers).

5.

Order of Business

Minutes:

The order of business on the agenda was amended as set out below in the minutes.

 

(In accordance with Section 100 (B) (4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the Chair brought forward the above items for consideration because of the need to inform Councillors and seek a decision).

6.

AMENDED ACQUISITION AND DISPOSALS POLICY pdf icon PDF 30 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Amended Acquisition and Disposals Policy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director for Community Services submitted a report on the amended Acquisition and Disposals Policy, which outlined the following –

 

(a)

the Joint Committee approved the amended Acquisition and Disposals Policy at its meeting held on 5 February 2010;

 

(b)

an amendment was proposed to the policy as information on ‘disposal’ had inadvertently been omitted;

 

(c)

 

the amendment was necessary as the existing policy was missing one key point and as such did not meet the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council’s accreditation requirements;

 

(d)

 

early confirmation of the decision was required in order to meet the deadline for the accreditation application.

 

Following a question raised by the Joint Committee, it was advised that no human remains or items that were likely to be repatriated were held within the Mount Edgcumbe collection; both the Joint Committee’s new and existing terms of reference permitted any controversial items to be referred to the respective Chief Executives of each council for resolution.

 

Agreed that the Joint Committee approves the amended policy and provides early confirmation of the decision to meet the deadline for the accreditation application.

7.

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(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 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 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.

8.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS - PROPERTY MATTER

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

Minutes:

The Director for Community Services presented a report outlining the request for an electricity wayleave across Country Park land to serve an address outlined in the report.

 

Agreed that the electricity wayleave is granted.

9.

UPDATE ON MEETINGS OF THE MOUNT EDGCUMBE OFFICERS' WORKING GROUP

The Joint Committee will receive a verbal update on the Mount Edgcumbe Officers’ Working Group.

Minutes:

Ian Berry, the Park Manager, provided an update on the meetings of the Mount Edgcumbe Officers’ Group which were held on 28 April and 25 May 2010.

 

(Following consideration of the above items the meeting moved back into Part 1 public meeting).

PART I

10.

REVENUE AND CAPITAL OUTTURN 2009-10 INCORPORATING THE STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS pdf icon PDF 64 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Revenue and Capital Outturn 2009-10 incorporating the Statement of Accounts.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director for Community Services and the Director for Corporate Support submitted a report on the Revenue and Capital Outturn 2009/10 incorporating the Statement of Accounts 2009/10, which outlined the following issues –

 

(a)

the overall effect of the variations against the revenue budget had identified a shortfall of funding requirement of £300,000 in 2009/10;

 

(b)

ongoing additional costs had arisen as a result of the job evaluation exercise undertaken by Plymouth City Council which would require consideration as part of future year’s business planning;

 

(c)

 

further costs had been incurred for additional staffing requirements  for the new trading operations above the level of income projected during the first part of the trading year;

 

(d)

 

the challenge for the business plan and the 2010/11 budget report on 5 February 2010 to the Joint Committee was to deliver sustainable trading operations, aligned to the level of constituent authority support available and to build a minimum level of reserves.

 

The following responses were provided to questions raised by the Joint Committee –

 

(e)

there was an ongoing cost of £100,000 for the funding of job evaluation which had not been identified in the base budget for 2009/10;

 

(f)

it was difficult to predict unforeseen variances within the base budget; for example there had been a significant increase in the insurance premium due to the newly refurbished Barrow Park and the re-evaluation of the business rates which had increased from £700 to £5000;

 

(g)

 

it was anticipated that with the appointment of a commercial accountant the financial management would improve together with the accuracy of the budget, planning and monitoring;

 

(h)

 

the additional funding of £50,000 which the constituent authorities would be approached to fund had not been included within these figures;

 

(i)

there was the potential for the Objective One funding to be repaid at an estimated cost of £1.3m should the obligations not be met (Cornwall Council had obtained the Objective One funding); although due to the economic downturn these requirements may not remain the same;

 

(j)

the statement of accounts and annual governance was required to be submitted to the Audit Commission by 30 June 2010; the accounts for the past four years had not been submitted on time;

 

(k)

included in the core budget was a sum of £6,500 for the roads and footpaths within the Park; a review was currently being undertaken to ascertain what services could be stopped and all but essential works carried out.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

the report is noted;

 

(2)

each constituent authority is approached to consider additional financial support of up to £50,000 (per authority) to address the 2009/10 revenue shortfall;

 

(3)

 

the recommendation to note that each constituent authority consider conditions against this financial support and final details of this will be reported at the Joint Committee scheduled for 23 July 2010, is approved;

 

(4)

 

the 2010/11 Business Plan and the Medium Term Financial projection based on the 2009/10 performance are reviewed and reported at this meeting;

 

(5)

approval of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

CONSTITUTION pdf icon PDF 49 KB

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director for Corporate Support submitted a report on the Joint Committee’s constitution/terms of reference, which outlined the following –

 

(a)

 

the proposals for the governance of the Mount Edgcumbe Joint Committee and the management of the undertaking;

 

(b)

as a result of concerns raised by councillors and officers who had been asking that the current officer support from the two parent authorities was clarified and that the constitution was improved;

 

(c)

the recommendation that the Cabinets of each of the constituent councils approve and adopt the changes to the terms of reference for the Joint Committee and that each Council makes any necessary consequential amendments to that Council’s constitution;

 

(d)

a business planning framework is adopted that aligned the governance arrangements for the undertaking more closely with the cabinet style of governance in place in each Council.

 

Agreed that the terms of reference is amended to read at ‘B5 the Director for Environment Planning and Economy in Cornwall in consultation with the Director for Community Services in Plymouth’.

 

Recommended that the Cabinets of each constituent council adopt the new terms of reference as set out at appendix 1 (attached to these minutes) and amend their respective constitutions to reflect this.

12.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

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 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.

13.

REVENUE AND CAPITAL MONITORING 2010/11(2010/11 MONITORING - MAY 2010)

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Revenue and Capital Monitoring 2010/11 (20/10/11 Monitoring – May 2010).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director for Community Services and the Director for Corporate Support submitted a report on 2010/11 Monitoring – May 2010.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

the recommendation to note the report and authorise urgent remedial and medium term actions with the officers’ working group and the Co-Chairs, to address the financial situation for 2010/11 and the medium term and to report progress at each future Joint Committee meeting is approved;

 

(2)

plans for a minimum level of reserves which preserves contingency for a sustainable long term future, in order to deal with unforeseen pressures but also to take opportunities as they arise is approved;

 

(3)

 

the funding of 2009/10 overspend is discussed by the joint authorities and communicated to the Joint Committee (options range from funding the adverse variation at year end or a loan with an agreed repayment schedule).

 

14.

APPOINTMENT OF CO-CHAIR

Minutes:

Agreed that Councillor Flashman is appointed as Co-Chair for the consideration of the item on the Cremyll Ferry Tender.

15.

CREMYLL FERRY TENDER

The Joint Committee will receive a report on the Cremyll Ferry Tender.

Minutes:

The Director for Development and Regeneration submitted a report on the Cremyll Ferry Tender.

 

Agreed that the Joint Committee grant the issue of the lease for the use of Cremyll Quay and associated buildings to the successful ferry operator.

 

(Councillor Trubody Co-Chair declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this matter and left the room; Commander Crocker declared a personal interest in this matter).

 

(Councillor Flashman was appointed the Chair for this item).