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 on the agenda and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applied to them.

Councillors Getliffe and Roberts declared interests in Report D, ‘Capital Receipts Initiative: Allocation of Resources to Tenant Association Initiatives 2001/02’, as Council tenants and referred to their dispensation from the Secretary of State to speak and vote.

Councillor Roberts also declared a pecuniary interest in Report B, ‘Play Area Strategy 2001/02’ and took no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

a)            Councillor Willmott reported that the City Council had been successful in obtaining £1.3 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration of New Walk .  The money would be spent on a range of improvements, including the restoration of railings and new tree planting .

He noted that at a former Cabinet meeting, he had asked the Cabinet Lead Member to investigate the possibility of  constructing a similar walkway elsewhere in the City.  Councillor Roberts, as the former Cabinet Lead Member for Strategic Planning and Regeneration, reported that he had discussed the request with officers in the Department of  Environment, Development and Commercial Services and that it was hoped to try and work with developers in other areas of the City to try and achieve this, possibly in the St George’s Area development or between the National Space Centre and the City.

b)            Councillor Willmott reported that the first meeting of the Leicester Strategic Partnership had taken place.  It was noted that the Partnership involved a large number of varied organisations working towards a common goal broader than any one interest group.

c)            Councillor Willmott congratulated Councillor Westley on becoming the Vice-President of the Association of Market Authorities

The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting on 25 June 2001 have been circulated and Members are asked to approve them as correct record.

RESOLVED :

that the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 25 June 2001, having been circulated to Members, be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillor Kavia submits a report on the Leicester Employment Agency Association (LEAA) which has been established to raise and maintain quality standards in agency work in the City.  The Cabinet is asked to support the LEAA by becoming a signatory member; follow current practice in using employment agencies only when conventional recruitment practices have been assessed as impractical; to accept that, in the case of schools, the Authority is limited in the control it has over the actions of individual governing bodies; to consult with the Local Government Association about their possible contribution to the issue of standards in employment agencies nationally; and to agree that by adopting the standards the authority is making a commitment to quality standards and will require its practices to be adjusted accordingly.

Councillor Kavia submitted a report seeking support for the Leicester Employment Agency Association, a group which had been established to raise and maintain quality standards in agency work in the city.  The Strategic Planning and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee had supported the proposals for the City Council to become a signatory member of the Association.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the City Council support the Leicester Employment Agency Association, by becoming a signatory member;

(2)that current practice be followed in that employment agencies should only be used to engage people when conventional recruitment practices endorsed by the Authority had been assessed as impractical and militating against the flexible and economic deployment of resources  to the detriment of  service delivery;

(3)to endorse that the City Council in requiring a quality service delivery to all members of the community will look to engage employment agencies that can meet the specified quality requirements and when agencies are used that are not signatory members, the Authority will seek the acceptance by these agencies of the principles outlined in the standards;

(4)that it be accepted that in the case of schools, the Authority is limited in the control it has over the actions of individual governing bodies; and

(5)that the Authority consults with the Local Government Association about what they might contribute to the issue of standards in employment agencies nationally.

Councillor Holden submits a report on the play area strategy and seeks  Cabinet approval for a programme of refurbishment for playgrounds and kickabout areas. Cabinet are also asked to approve capital expenditure of £150,000 in relation to Playground Improvements and Kickabout Areas in accordance with the 2001/02 Capital Programme and to approve the principle of linking the Playground revenue and capital budgets together with the Kickabout Area capital budget in 2001/02 to enable prioritised refurbishment works to be carried out at a total cost of £200,000.

Councillor Holden submitted a report on the play area strategy for 2001/2002 and seeking approval to capital and revenue expenditure for the refurbishment of both kickabout areas and children's playgrounds.

RESOLVED:

(1)that approval be given for capital expenditure of £150,000 in relation to Playground Improvements and Kickabout Areas, in accordance with the 2001/02 Capital Programme;

(2)that the principle of linking the Playground revenue and capital budgets together with the Kickabout area capital budget in 2001/02 to enable prioritised refurbishment works to be carried out at a total cost of £200,000, be approved; and

(3)that the schedule of refurbishment for playgrounds/kick about areas, based on the findings of the Play Area Strategy, as detailed in appendix A of the report, be approved;

Councillor Holden submits a report on progress with the statutory review and assessment of air quality. The Cabinet is asked to approve capital expenditure totalling £74,250 to be funded by Supplementary Credit Approval to upgrade the Council’s monitoring and dispersion modelling and carry forward the statutory review and assessment of air quality and to note progress with the current phase of the air quality review and assessment as part of the City Council’s ongoing commitment to achieve better air quality.

Councillor Holden submitted a report advising the Cabinet of a successful bid for a Supplementary Credit Approval totalling £74,250 in order to upgrade capability in air quality monitoring and dispersion modelling and seeking approval for the relevant expenditure. The report also updated the Cabinet on the progress of the air quality review and assessment.

RESOLVED:

(1)that approval be given to expenditure of £74,250, to be funded by Supplementary Credit Approval, in order to upgrade capability in air quality monitoring and dispersion modelling and carry forward the statutory review and assessment of Air Quality; and

(2)that progress with the current phase of air quality review and assessment, as part of the City Council’s ongoing commitment to achieve better air quality, be noted.

Councillor Draycott submits a report proposing a programme of work for this financial year under the Capital Receipts Initiative, in line with the Cabinet’s decision in January 2001. The report summarises the bids received and Cabinet is recommended to consider the bids and indicate whether it supports the proposed schemes; to indicate whether works such as door entry system, and dropped kerbs/hardstandings should only proceed if owner occupiers meet their full share of the costs involved; to instruct the Central, Humberstone and Beaumont Leys Tier 2 groups to review or reprioritise their bids to stay within the resources allocated; to approve the bids for New Parks and Saffron Tier 2 Groups; and to approve the bid from Braunstone Tier 2 subject to no work being undertaken on streets covered by the demolition proposal, until such time as Cabinet has made a final decision.

Councillor Draycott submitted a report proposing a programme of work for this financial year under the above initiative. The report outlined a  summary of all the bids received from the various Tier 2s in the City and in the case of Braunstone, where there was currently no Tier 2, bids from the Neighbourhood Manager, in consultation with the Ward Councillors, the local Member of Parliament, the Police, Braunstone New Deal and the Braunstone Residents Action Group.

An amended recommendation was circulated to the meeting.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the programme of schemes proposed under the Capital Receipts Initiative in 2001/2002, as detailed in the report, be endorsed;

(2)that work on communal facilities or facilities that directly benefit people who are in private properties, should only proceed if the owner occupiers met their full share of the cost of the work involved, the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet  Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal, being authorised to approve replacement schemes should this not prove possible;

(3)that the Central, Humberstone and Beaumont Leys Tier 2s review and reprioritise their bids to stay within the resources allocated and that the Director of Housing be authorised, in consultation of the Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal, to approve the revised bids;

(4)that the bids from New Parks and Saffron Tier 2s be endorsed; and

(5)that the bid from Braunstone Tier 2 be approved subject to no work  being undertaken on the streets covered by the demolition proposal until such time as the Cabinet made a final decision on the area.

Councillor Draycott submits a report recommending a programme of projects and service improvements to be carried out this financial year using this Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF). The Fund has to be used in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership for Leicester but in its absence for this year, the Leicester Regeneration Agency was used. The Cabinet are recommended to agree the year one NRF programme, and to ask the Director of Housing working with the Leicester Regeneration Agency (NRF) Task Group to create an evaluation and monitoring framework for the programme that is linked directly to the Council’s financial regulations and the Public Sector Agreement and Community Plan targets.

Councillor Draycott submitted a revised report recommending a programme of projects and service improvements to be carried out this financial year using the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

It was noted that the fund had to be used in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership for Leicester but in its absence this year, Leicester Regeneration Agency was used.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the Year One Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Programme, as detailed in the supporting information of the report be approved and the related expenditure be authorised without further Cabinet approval under Standing Orders and Financial Regulations;

(2)that the Director of Housing working with the Leicester Regeneration Agency Neighbourhood Renewal Task Group, create an evaluation and monitoring framework programme that is linked directly to the Council’s Financial Regulations and the Public Service Agreement and Community Plan targets;

(3)that the Director of Housing produce a map of the first year spend for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and circulate this to all Ward Councillors;

(4)that there be progress reports submitted to the Cabinet; and

(5)that the report be referred to the relevant Scrutiny Committee  for information, any comments from the Scrutiny Committee regarding the Years Two and Three programmes to be welcomed.

The Town Clerk and Director of Corporate Resources submits a report on the Local Government Ombudsman’s investigation of a complaint about the Council’s delay in completing the Right to Buy process. The Ombudsman has found maladministration causing injustice and the Cabinet is asked to approve the Ombudsman’s recommendations to remedy the situation.

The Town Clerk and Director of Corporate Resources submitted a report on the Local Government Ombudsman's investigation of a complaint about the Council’s delay in completing a Right to Buy application.

The Ombudsman had found maladministration causing injustice.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the following recommendations of the Ombudsman be approved:-

(a)Mr. and Mrs. Norman be paid £4,290.47, being the rent they paid between 1 June 1998 and 13 March 2000, together with their additional solicitor’s fees of £312.88 and mortgage holding fee of £300; and

(b)Mr. and Mrs. Norman be paid £250 for their time and trouble in pursuing their complaint.

The Organisations Working Party, at their meeting on 28 June 2001 considered reports on the new Constitution and Cabinet is recommended to note progress (to be reported) in reaching an agreed timescale for the production and adoption of the new Constitution for the Council.

The Organisations Working Party also considered reports on the Periodic Electoral Review and the Independent Panel on Members  Allowances - Scope of Review, Terms of Reference and Information Requirements. Both of these reports relate to all Members of the Council and therefore need to be considered at the next meeting of full Council, on 12 July, 2001.

To comply with the requirements of Standing Orders, Cabinet is asked to approve the submission direct to Council of these Reports, as considered at the Organisations Working Party.

The Town Clerk reported that the Organisations Working Party, at its meeting on 28 June 2001, had considered a report on the new Constitution and it was noted that good progress was being made towards all party agreement, although they were still a number of outstanding matters for further discussion.  In addition two further items that had been discussed by the Working Party; the Periodic Electoral Review and the Independent Panel on Members Allowances needed to be submitted to the Council meeting for determination and the Cabinet was asked to authorise that these reports be submitted to the Council meeting on the 12 July.

RESOLVED:

(1)that the progress on the development of the new Constitution for the Council,  be noted; and

(2)that approval be given for reports on the Periodic Electoral Review and the Independent Panel on Members Allowances to be submitted directly to Council on the 12 July 2001.

The City Council may, if it so wishes, admit to the Freedom of the City persons of distinction and persons who have, in the Council's opinion, rendered eminent services to the City.

Such an honour is initiated by way of a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the members voting thereon at a meeting of the Council specially convened for the purpose.

Consideration of the conferment of the Freedom of the City is currently underway.  To conclude this deliberation, a special meeting of the Council is proposed to be called for 5.00 p.m. on Thursday, 12 July 2001, with the ordinary meeting of the Council meeting at 5.05 p.m. or immediately upon the rising of the Special Council, whichever is the later.

Although the Lord Mayor may call a Special Meeting of Council, the Cabinet may vary the start time of a Council meeting.

The Cabinet is, therefore, asked to approve the variation in the start time for the Council meeting scheduled to be held on 12 July 2001, and also to approve the submission of a report to the Special Council Meeting regarding admissions to the Freedom of the City.

The Town Clerk reported that the City Council may if it so wished admit to the Freedom of the City, persons of distinction and persons who had, in the Council’s opinion, rendered eminent services to the City.  It was noted that such an honour was initiated by way of a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the members voting thereon at a meeting of the Council especially convened for the purpose.  Consideration of the conferment of the Freedom of the City was currently under way and to conclude this deliberation it was proposed that a Special meeting of the Council be called for 5 pm on Thursday 12 July 2001, with the ordinary meeting of the Council at 5.05 pm or after the Special Council , whichever was the later.  Although the Lord Mayor may call a Special meeting,  the Cabinet needed to vary the start time of the Council meeting.

RESOLVED:

(1)that approval be given for the variation of the start time of the ordinary meeting of the Council  scheduled to be held on 12 July 2001 to allow the Special meeting of the Council to take place at 5pm; and

(2)that approval be given for the submission of a report to the Special Council meeting regarding admissions to the Freedom of the City.

AGENDA

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO NOTE

Under the law, the Cabinet is entitled to consider certain items in private.  Members of the public will be asked to leave the meeting when such items are discussed.

The Cabinet is recommended to consider the following reports in private on the grounds that they contain ‘exempt’ information as defined by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, and consequently that the Cabinet makes the following resolution:-

“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.”

Paragraph 9

Any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition or disposal of property or the supply of goods or services

(1)            REPLACEMENT SUPPLIER FOR                APPENDIX B1

THE HOUSING BENEFIT DOCUMENT

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Paragraph 7

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority).

(2)            LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL                 APPENDIX B2

RESOLVED

that the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following reports in accordance with the provisions of Section 100(A) 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:-

Paragraph 9

            Any terms proposed or to be proposed by or to the authority in the course of negotiations for a contract for the acquisition of the disposal of property for the supply of goods or services.

            REPLACEMENT SUPPLIER FOR THE HOUSING BENEFIT DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

                        Paragraph 7

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (other than the authority)

LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL

Councillor Draycott submitted a report which recommended a replacement supplier for the Housing Benefit Document Management System.

RESOLVED:

that the contract for the supply of the Housing Benefit Document Management System be let to CACI Limited, subject to resolution by the Director of Housing, of outstanding issues.

Councillor Holden submitted a report seeking approval for the City Council to provide a loan to the Leicester Comedy Festival.

RESOLVED:

                        That the loan, as detailed in the report, be approved.

The meeting ended at 6.20 pm.