Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Corrall.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Members were asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applied to them.   No declarations were made.

Westcotes Gardens

The Leader reported on proposed expenditure of £19,000 on security fencing for Westcotes Gardens.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2007 have been circulated to Members and the Cabinet is asked to approve them as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

                        That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September, having been circulated to Members, be taken as read and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

There were no matters referred from Committees.

Councillor Draycott submits a report that seeks Cabinet endorsement of spending proposals by Area Committees. Cabinet is recommended to agree the expenditure proposals and note the funding report.

Councillor Draycott submitted a report that sought Cabinet endorsement of spending proposals by Area Committees.

RESOLVED:

(1)            That the expenditure proposals by Area Committees as detailed in Appendix A of the report be approved; and

(2)            that the funding report detailed in Appendix B of the report be noted.

Councillor Wann submits a report that seeks approval for proposals to improve street cleaning in the City Centre.

Councillor Wann submitted a report that sought approval for proposals to improve street cleaning in the City Centre.

RESOLVED:

(1)That the proposals for improving street cleaning in the city centre, as set out in the report, be approved;

(2)That an additional budget of £132,000 be allocated to the Regeneration and Culture department for 2007/08; and

(3)That an additional £200,000 on-going revenue costs be included in budget plans for 2008/09 onwards.

Councillor Kitterick submits a report thatpresents Leicester City’s Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan for approval. Cabinet is asked to recommend to Council; the Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2007 – 2017, the Works Programme for 2007 – 2017 and that the Corporate Director of Regeneration and Culture be given delegated power to implement the programme.

Councillor Kitterick submitted a report thatpresented Leicester City’s Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan and asked Cabinet to recommend the Plan to Council for approval.

RESOLVED:

                        That Council be recommended to

(1)approve the Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2007 - 2017, as circulated to Members

(2)approve the Works Programme for 2007 – 2017 as set out in Appendix Two of the Plan

(3)authorise the Corporate Director of Regeneration and Culture to implement the programme, including the letting of contracts, provided that expenditure on the programmes does not exceed the budgets available.

Councillor Kitterick submits a report that presents the Council’s first Transport Asset Management Plan for approval. Cabinet is recommended to approve the plan which sets out the Council’s Transport and Highways Maintenance Strategy and Asset Management Practices Improvement Plan.

The relevant minute extract from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board of 13 September 2007 will be circulated when available.

Councillor Kitterick submitted a report that presented the Council’s first Transport Asset Management Plan for approval and which set out the Council’s Transport and Highways Maintenance Strategy and Asset Management Practices Improvement Plan.

The relevant minute extract from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board of 13 September 2007 was also be circulated to the Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

(1)That the Transport Asset Management Plan, attached to the report and  which sets out the Council’s Transport and Highways Maintenance Strategy and Asset Management Practices Improvement Plan, be approved;and

(2)that the report and the Plan be noted to help inform future Capital and Revenue funding decisions particularly relating to maintaining footways, carriageways, bridges, street lighting and traffic signals.

Councillor Wann submits a report that seeks approval to publish the documents to be issued for public consultation in relation to the Leicestershire and Leicester Waste Development Framework Core Strategy and Development Control Policies Development Plan Document.  Cabinet is recommended to approve the report and agree that the documents be published for consultation

The relevant minute extract from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board of 13 September 2007 will be circulated when available.

The full set of appendices is attached for Members of the Cabinet only.  Copies are available on the Council’s website at www.leicester.gov.uk/cabinet or by phoning Committee Services on 229 8810.

Councillor Wann submitted a report that sought approval to publish the documents to be issued for public consultation in relation to the Leicestershire and Leicester Waste Development Framework Core Strategy and Development Control Policies Development Plan Document.

The relevant minute extract from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board of 13 September 2007 was also circulated to the Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

That the Framework be approved and the documents be published for consultation.

Councillor Willmott submits a report that enables compliance with the requirements of the Council’s Corporate Governance Code; informs the Cabinet about new national guidance and proposals and reports the position regarding Local Government Ombudsman complaints.  The Cabinet is asked to review the position as summarised in this annual report; authorise the Service Director – Legal Services to produce a final form of Corporate Assurance Statement in consultation with the Council’s Leader and Chief Executive; and authorise the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead, to review and update the Authority’s Corporate Governance Code in line with “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government – Framework” published by SOLACE and CIPFA in June, 2007 and report proposed changes for consideration and authorisation by full Council.

The relevant minute extract from the Audit Committee of 20 September 2007 will be circulated when available.

The full appendix is attached for Members of the Cabinet only.  Copies are available on the Council’s website at www.leicester.gov.uk/cabinet or by phoning Committee Services on 229 8810.

Councillor Willmott submitted a report that enabled compliance with the requirements of the Council’s Corporate Governance Code; informed the Cabinet about new national guidance and proposals and reported the position regarding Local Government Ombudsman complaints.

The relevant minute extract from the Audit Committee of 20 September 2007 was also circulated to Cabinet and their comments noted and welcomed.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the report and the comments received from Audit Committee be noted and welcomed;

(2)that the Service Director – Legal Services be authorised to produce a final form of Corporate Assurance Statement in consultation with the Council’s Leader and Chief Executive; and

(3)that the Town Clerk be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead, to review and update the Authority’s Corporate Governance Code in line with “Delivering Good Governance in Local Government – Framework” published by SOLACE and CIPFA in June, 2007 and report proposed changes for consideration and authorisation by full Council.

Councillor Draycott submits a report that presents the performance of the Council and its partners in delivering services to citizens during April, May and June 2007. The information provided is set out to show performance against Key departmental indicators and those for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). Cabinet is recommended to note those areas demonstrating continuous improvement in performance and review the first quarter performance results.

Councillor Draycott submitted a report that presented the performance of the Council and its partners in delivering services to citizens during April, May and June 2007. The information provided showed performance against key departmental indicators and those for the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.  The report highlighted the areas of good performance and those areas where there needed to be improvement.

Further to the report, Councillor Draycott referred to the levels of sickness in the Authority which had been reported in the previous performance report.  It was noted that work was to be carried out to improve recording mechanisms for sickness absence and to enable a better breakdown of reasons.  A letter was also to be sent to all staff, emphasising the seriousness with which the Council viewed sickness absence.   The time taken to complete disciplinary appeals was also to be looked at.

The Leader reported that areas where improvement was needed would be taken into account as part of the budget process.

RESOLVED:

                        That the report be noted.

Building Schools for the Future – Early Works Agreement

The Chair has agreed to admit to the agenda as an Item of Urgent Business, a report seeking approval to phase 3 of the Early Works Agreement for the Building Schools for the Future programme.  The report is not available for circulation with the main agenda.  However a decision is urgent in order not to delay the Early Works programme.

Building Schools for the Future – Early Works Agreement

Councillor Willmott reported that he had agreed to admit to the agenda as an Item of Urgent Business, a report seeking approval to phase 3 of the Early Works Agreement for the Building Schools for the Future programme.  The decision was urgent in order not to delay the Early Works programme.  The report was also recommended for consideration on the private agenda for the reasons detailed below.

RESOLVED:

that the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following report in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, because it involves the likely disclosure of 'exempt' information, as defined in the Paragraph detailed below of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and taking all the circumstances into account, it is considered that the public interest in maintaining the information as exempt outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Paragraph 3

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Councillor Dempster submitted an amended report seeking approval to stage 3 of the Early Works agreement.

James Stuart Mill, a representative from Partnership for Shools, was also present.

The details were explained and it was noted that a report on financial close was to be submitted to Cabinet on 15 October.  The risks associated with proceeding with the Early Works Agreement and of not proceeding were explained.  The Corporate Director identified two financial issues that required resolution prior to the report on financial close being presented; the schools’ contribution and the budget for the client team.  The Corporate Director and the Chief Finance Officer indicated that they believed these issues could be resolved.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the Town Clerk be authorised to issue a letter to Millers to enter into the third stage of the Early Works agreement with the consortium, subject to:

a)conclusion of the commercial negotiation in respect of land contamination being resolved to the satistaction of the Corporate Director of Children & Young People’s Services, in consultation with the Town Clerk and the Chief Finance Officer, in respect of the Phase 1 schools

b)the conditions referred to in paragraph 3.6 of the report

(2)that the decision to agree to progress to steel fabrication be delegated to the Corporate Director of Children & Young People’s services, in consultation with the Town Clerk, Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Cabinet Lead and be subject to structural drawings being approved and steel orders being reviewed by the Authority before orders are placed.

(3)that under the provisions of Cabinet Procedure Rule 12 d, noting the support of 2 Group Leaders and the Group Whip of the Liberal Democrats (on behalf of the Group Leader), no call in of this decision be allowed due to the urgency and need to continue on site

The meeting ended at 1.45 pm.