Agenda and minutes

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 requested to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Act applied to them.

No declarations were made.

Apologies were received from Councillors Connelly and Wann.

The Leader reported on 2 budget announcements as part of a series of early changes by the new Administration, as follows:-

a)            Coleman Neighbourhood Centre - Ball Court

The Leader reported that this proposal had been sought by young people for over four years but up to now it had not been possible to fund it.  He stated that its introduction would be a great bonus for the young people of the area and would help them to engage with others and encourage teamwork and sports in an area that needed more activities for young people.  As such it would be a bonus for the whole community.  He reported that up to £150,000 had been allocated for this work with the details to be worked out in consultation with the Regeneration & Culture & Children & Young People’s Departments.

b)        New Parks Club for young people

The Leader reported that this Club had worked in Leicester since 1953 and offered a range of activities for young people from 8 – 18 including sports activities, arts and crafts, dance and drama and cookery as well as a wide range of informal educational activities which gave benefit to the whole area, not just the young people involved.  Unfortunately however over the years the club had become run down.  The local community had pulled together and worked hard to help with assistance from a wide range of sources including Leicester City Football Club but support was needed from the Council and up to £60,000 had been allocated for this work.

School Improvement Programme

Councillor Dempster reported that 6 months ago the DfES had judged the Children and Young People’s Department as ‘inadequate’ in relation to the above programme.  A further inspection had now lead to the judgement of ‘good’.  Councillor Dempster, endorsed by the Cabinet, extended thanks and congratulations to the hard work of officers for this significant achievement.

Councillor Dempster submits a report that relates to the Building Schools for the Future Final Business Case and arrangements for works to start on site during the school holidays.

The report will not be available until the week beginning 23 July due to ongoing negotiations.  The Leader has agreed to accept the report late as it is urgent for works to start immediately to meet the construction timetable for completion of the schemes, and for Government Departments to assess the Final Business Case to enable full contracts to be signed.

Councillor Dempster submitted a report which updated Cabinet on the progress of the Building Schools for the Future project, in particular the purpose and contents of the Final Business Case. The report also described the proposals for risk analysis of the programme and for an Early Works Agreement.  It was noted that the Early Works agreement was required before financial close in order for works to begin during the school holidays and to maintain the programme.  It was proposed that the agreement be broken down into 3 phases in order for the position to be reviewed at the end of each phase.  The Council would have the discretion to proceed with each of the second and third stages.

Comments from UNISON and officers’ response had also been circulated.

Cabinet had also received confidential legal advice and had received a number of detailed confidential briefings and had fully explored the issues in respect of the Building Schools for the Future programme, prior to this meeting.  It was noted that some of the information was circulated under the private agenda as it contained exempt information relating to the financial affairs of a person (including the Council) and/or was subject to legal professional privelege.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the Final Business Case for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme be approved for submission to the Partnership for Schools with the caveat that should there be any material change to the Leicester programme then these changes  will be submitted as an addendum;

(2)that the associated risks of the BSF programme be noted and that the risk matrix be further developed and a finalised report with a risk mitigation plan be submitted to the Cabinet meeting in September;

(3)that an Early Works agreement with the Miller Consortium be authorised in respect of Phase 1 and 2 of the Early Works programme as set out in the report, with details and whether to proceed to Stage 2 to be agreed by the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, the Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services, the Leader and the Cabinet Lead for Children and Young People’s Services;

(4)that proposals for Phase 3 of an Early Works Agreement be submitted to Cabinet for consideration; and

(5)that under the provisions of Cabinet Procedure Rule 12 d, and noting the support of a majority of Group Leaders, no call in of this decision be allowed due to the urgent need to start on site during the school holidays and to give the Department for Children, Schools and Families the time they need to consider the Final Business Case.

RESOLVED:

that the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following reports in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, because they involve the likely disclosure of 'exempt' information, as defined in the Paragraphs 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).

The Cabinet reviewed the detailed confidential legal advice and confirmed their decision detailed in the minute above.

The meeting ended at 5.10pm