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 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.

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 8 April 2002, 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 8 April 2002, having been circulated to Members, be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

There were no announcements.

Councillor Getliffe submits a report outlining actions taken to secure additional Central Government funding for Social Services, following recent comments by the Social Services and Personal Health Scrutiny Committee.  The Cabinet is asked to note the actions taken and consider any further initiatives it thinks appropriate.

Councillor Getliffe submitted a report giving details of efforts to secure additional Central Government funding for Social Services following a request from the Leader and comments from the Social Services and Personal Health Scrutiny Committee.  It was stated that across the country personal social services were facing significant financial pressures with spending in Leicester in 2001/02 expected to exceed the budget by over £1m and the 2002/03 budget £6m above the SSA.  It was suggested that the classification of the financial problems as an overspend was inaccurate as the issue was a shortage of funds needed to provide the service.

Concerted efforts had been undertaken to persuade Government to both increase the national level of spending and to address Leicester’s specific financial difficulties arising from its diverse community and deprivation levels.  In the meantime the Social Services department was seeking to reconfigure its services to more accurately target services to those with greatest need. 

It was stated that within the recent budget announcement the Government had increased funding for 2003/04 by 6%.  This was welcomed but it was stated that particular problems were faced in the current year which the additional funding would not alleviate.  An additional recommendation was proposed.  Concerns were raised in response to allegations by Ministers that Social Services authorities were responsible for problems of delayed discaharges but it was noted that this did not present a problem in Leicester.

RESOLVED:

(1)               that the actions taken be noted.

                        (2) that the Chancellor’s announcement of a 6% rise in Social Services funding for 2003/2004 be welcomed but in view of the serious position facing the City Social Services Department this year, the authority continues to put pressure on the Government, seeks an early meeting with Ministers and enlists the support of the three City Members of Parliament to increase funding for this year.

Councillor Roberts submits a report setting out proposals for changing the current Partnership Board into a wider Education Partnership Board for the City. The new Board will also act as the education theme group of the Leicester Strategic Partnership (LSP) and as such be responsible for co-ordinating the education programmes supported by Neighbourhood Renewal Funds available through the Leicester Strategic Partnership.  The report sets out the steps to be taken to effect the change and details the broad remit of the new Partnership Board.  The Cabinet is asked to note and comment on the success of the existing Partnership Board in the recovery of Leicester City LEA and support the proposal to establish a new Education Partnership Board for the City to build on the success of the former Partnership Board.

Councillor Roberts submitted a report setting out proposals for the development of a wider Education Partnership Board for the City once the current Board came to the end of its life in August 2002. 

It was noted that the Partnership Board which had been established following a poor OFSTED inspection in 1999 had proved to be effective in its contribution to the recovery of the Local Education Authority with particular praise given to its Chair, Professor Hopkins.  The new Partnership Board would bring together key stakeholders and ensure aspirations were met through:

·        supporting and challenging the authority,

·        acting as the education theme group for the Local Strategic Partnership thus ensuring a coherent voice on education,

·        providing a strategic drive to ensure high quality and,

·        articulating common aspirations for the City.

RESOLVED:

                        (1) that the success of the Partnership Board be noted and that Professor Hopkins be thanked for his leadership of the Board.

                        (2) That the proposal to establish a new Education Partnership Board for the city to build on the success of the former Partnership Board be supported.

Councillor Kavia submits a report presenting the Proposed Responses to objections and other representations to the “Statement of Response to the Inspector’s Report and Proposed Modifications” to the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Waste Local Plan and seeking authority to move to adoption of the Plan. The Cabinet is asked to; approve the Proposed Responses to objections and other representations to the “Statement of Response to the Inspector’s Report and Proposed Modifications” to the Waste Local Plan, subject to concurrent agreement being given by Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council; and to authorise the Director of Environment, Development and Commercial Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Members for Strategic Planning and Regeneration and Arts, Leisure and Environment, to make any editing or other non material changes that do not alter the principles contained in the Waste Local Plan in preparation for the final adoption of the Plan.

Councillor Kavia submitted a report which gave details of proposed responses to objections and other representations to the ‘Statement of Response to the Inspector’s Report and Proposed Modifications’ to the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Waste Local Plan.  A total of 33 further representations had been received including 27 objections. 

Following consideration of the objections, 8 minor changes had been made which did not alter the principles or necessitate material changes to the Plan.

RESOLVED

                        (1) that the proposed responses to objections and other representations to the “Statement of Response to the Inspector’s Report and Proposed Modifications” to the Waste Local Plan be approved (subject to concurrent agreement being given by Leicesterhire County Council and Rutland County Council); and,

(2)that the Director of Environment, Development and Commercial Services be authorised, in consultation with Cabinet Lead Members, to make any editing or other non material changes that do not alter the principles contained in the Waste Local Plan, in preparation for the final adoption of the Plan.

The Chief Executive submits his Annual Report which details past achievements and highlights key challenges for the forthcoming year. The report seeks to inform Members of the major corporate outcomes from the past year and to sustain the Council’s focus and commitment on the future year’s priorities. The Cabinet is asked to welcome the Council’s continued success in managing substantial change and its achievements during the past year and to debate and give guidance on the key priorities for the future with comments on how they should be pursued.

The Chief Executive submitted his Annual Report which detailed the achievements of the last year and highlighted key challenges for the forthcoming year. 

It was stated that amongst other achievements, the Council had been successful in applying for Beacon status for a third successive year, the only such Unitary in the country.  It had a strong OFSTED report, had achieved a fourth consecutive A grade for housing, and was in the top quartile of Social Services authorities.  In spite of this record of achievement the Council still faced a series of challenges for the coming year where progress needed to be achieved in implementing the Revitalising Neighbourhoods project, embedding racial equality and integration, improving services and value systematically and in responding to the recently introduced Comprehensive Performance Assessment.

Members referred to the success in achieving Beacon status and suggested that applications be made for years 4 and 5 of the scheme and that the achievement be celebrated by incorporating the Beacon logos on Council correspondence.  Members also asked if further ways to involve communities had been investigated.

The Chief Executive stated that he was confident that the Council would be able to submit strong applications for future Beacon themes if Members wished and that the logo would be incorporated on correspondence.  A number of means were being developed to broaden community engagement including ‘bottom up’ consultation with young people, with new opportunities presented by Best Value reviews and health scrutiny.

RESOLVED:

(1)               that the Council’s continued success in managing substantial change and its achievements during the past year be acknowledged.

(2)               That the Chief Executive and Council staff be thanked for their hard work and commitment over the past year.

The meeting closed at 5.27pm.