Agenda and minutes

To deal with any executive appointments, as required.

Cabinet approved the following appointments:

Port Consultative Committee – Councillor Rayment

Members User Group – Councillor Stevens

Standing Conference on Problems Associated with the Coastline – Councillor  Payne

Local Government Association Coastal Issues Special Interest Group – Councillor Payne

Solent NHS Foundation Trust – Councillor Shields

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust – Cllr Bogle

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust – Cllr Lewzey

Report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, detailing the financial monitoring for the period to the end of June 2013, attached.

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cabinet noted

(i)  the current General Fund revenue position for 2013/14 as at Month 3 (June), which is a forecast under spend at year end of £151,300 against the budget approved by Council on 13 February 2013, as outlined in paragraph 4. 

(ii)  that the baseline forecast over spend for portfolios is just under £7.1M.

(iii)  that portfolios plan to take remedial action to manage a number of the corporate and key issues highlighted in this report and that the financial impact is reflected in the forecast position.

(iv)  that the Risk Fund includes £5.7M to cover service related risks, (following the allocation of £94,400 to portfolios), and that the estimated draw at Month 3 is £4.9M to cover expenditure which is included within the baseline forecast portfolio over spend of £7.1M.  The portfolio position after the draw from the Risk Fund is an over spend of £2.2M.

(v)  that £219,000 has been allocated from the contingency to reflect changes to the non residential care (NRC) contributions policy for adult social care as approved by Cabinet on 23 April 2013.

(vi)  that £128,800 has been allocated from the contingency as approved by Cabinet on 18 June 2013 in order to provide the additional resources that it is forecast will enable the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Panel A Welfare Reforms Inquiry in full.

(vii)  that it has been assumed that the remaining contingency, which stands at £110,700, will be fully utilised by the end of 2013/14.

(viii)  the revised minimum balance of £5.5M, as approved by Council on 13 February 2013, as recommended by the Chief Financial Officer in line with good practice guidance.

(ix)  the forecast level of balances which will not fall below the revised minimum level of £5.5M in the medium term based on the current forecast.

(x)  the performance to date with regard to the delivery of the agreed savings proposals approved for 2013/14 as detailed in Appendix 10

(xi)  the performance against the financial health indicators detailed in Appendix 11; and

(xii)  the performance outlined in the Quarterly Treasury Management Report attached as Appendix 12.

(xiii)  the current HRA budget monitoring position for 2013/14, as at Month 3 (June). There is a forecast over spend at year end of £289,600 against the budget approved by Council on 13 February 2013, as outlined in paragraph 37.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure Services seeking approval to incur the remaining expenditure in the capital programme for the project to deliver the new Woolston library, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10647)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability Services, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, capital expenditure of £796,000 in 2014/15 and £19,000 in 2015/16 from the Economic Development and Leisure Capital Programme for completion of the replacement library project in Centenary Quay.

(ii)  To authorise the Head of Property Services to do anything necessary to undertake the procurement of the refit of the premises up to and including financial close.

(iii)  To authorise the Director of Environment and Economy to do anything necessary to give effect to the proposal.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure regarding management arrangements for St Mary’s Leisure Centre, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10941)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To delegate authority to the Director of Environment and Economy, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure and the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services, to grant a 2^nd Service Concession to Southampton Solent University for the management and operation of St Mary’s Leisure Centre as a publicly accessible facility from 1^st August 2014 to 1^st August 2017 with an option to extend for a further 12 months by agreement to 1^st August 2018.

(ii)  To authorise the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services, following consultation with the Director of Environment and Economy, to do anything necessary to give effect to the proposals contained within this report

Report of the Cabinet Member of Environment and Transport reporting the responses to the consultation on the review by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel on Public and Sustainable Transport Provision to Southampton General Hospital, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10968)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member of Environment and Transport, Cabinet agreed the following modified recommendations:

(i)  That the report and work programme be noted and that a further update is made in March 2014 updating the progress of the work further.

(ii)  To accept all the recommendations to the HOSP Transport Review that the Council is responsible for delivering and will work in partnership with others to achieve the additional recommendations, as outlined  in the Overview and Scrutiny Management Action Plan at Appendix 1.  

report of Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport in association with the Cabinet Member for Resources, seeking approval for relevant funding approvals detailed below, to progress the Eastern Cycle Route Project, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10949)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport in association with the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cabinet agreed the following modified recommendations:

(i)  To rename the existing capital scheme called the “LSTF - Super Cycle Highways” to “Eastern Cycle Corridor (LSTF)” contained within the Environment & Transport Capital Programme and to increase the scheme, from £888,000 to £1,901,000 an increase of £1,013,000, funded by the following capital additions:

a.  The addition of £358,000 of Site Specific Section 106 Contributions to the scheme

b.  The acceptance and addition of £250,000 of Department for Transport (DfT/Sustrans) Cycle Safety Fund government grant to the scheme.

c.  The addition of £280,000 of LTP government grant (2014/15 allocation) to the scheme.

(ii)  To approve total capital expenditure of £1,901,000 for the Eastern Cycle Corridor (LSTF) scheme phased £1,121,000 in 2012/13 £996,000 in 2013/14 and £667,000 in 2014/15.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability, seeking to delegate approval for the Director of People, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability, to award a contract securing a delivery partner to provide a programme using Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding, attached.  

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10900)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Leisure in association with the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To delegate authority to the Director of People after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability to let the ECO contract in early November 2013;

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to enter into a contract for a period of 2 years plus an optional further 5 years, subject to the availability of further ECO funding and satisfactory performance, with the company selected for the ECO partnership contract;

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services, following consultation with the Director of People and the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability to finalise and enter into all necessary or ancillary contractual arrangements and documentation with the preferred bidder, subject to the parameters, set out within the report and specifically in Appendix 1; and

(iv)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to take any further action necessary to give effect to the decisions of the Cabinet in relation to this matter.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability seeking to approve new charges to tenants for landlord controlled heating from 7 October 2013, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 11002)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability Services in association with the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To amend the basis for the future operation of the landlord controlled heating account as set out in paragraph 11 of the report;

(ii)  To agree a one-off contribution of £391,000 from available HRA balances in 2013/14 to reduce the current deficit on the heating account;

(iii)  To agree that charges to tenants for landlord controlled heating are limited to an increase of 2.5% from 7 October 2013; and

(iv)  To thank the Tenant Resource Group for their input to the charge setting process and to note their endorsement of the recommendations above.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care seeking approval to delegate to the Director of People the responsibility for overseeing the sum identified for maintaining the Council’s residential homes to the standards required by the Care Quality Commission, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10990)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, Cabinet agreed the following modified recommendations:

(i)  Subject to approval by Full Council on 17^th July 2013 for the addition of funding to the Health and Adult Services Capital Programme, to approve, in accordance with financial procedure rules, capital expenditure of £302,000 in 2013/14 to maintain the condition of residential care homes to a standard in line with the requirements of the Care Quality Commission.

(ii)  To delegate authority for overseeing the management of the sum of £302,000 identified for maintaining the Council’s residential homes to the Director of People following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care Portfolio and to take any steps necessary to procure the relevant works within overall budget approvals.

Report of the Leader of the Council seeking to award a services concessionfor the use of Council-owned structures and assets to facilitate the installation and operation of infrastructure for a "limited free to user" and publicly accessible wireless network available in, but not limited to Southampton City Centre, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10943)

On consideration of the report of the Leader of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To award a Wireless “limited period free to user” services concession within the City of Southampton to Arqiva for an initial 5 year period; and

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Contract Management to determine whether the contract should be extended up to a further period of 5 years.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Resources seeking approval for the disposal of Land at Test Lane, attached.  

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 10919)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve the sale of the land at Test Lane to the recommended bidder as set out in Confidential Appendix 2 and to delegate authority to the Head of Property, Procurement & Contract Management to negotiate final terms and accept the next best bid in the event of the selected bidder not proceeding or in the event they seek to renegotiate the price below that of the next best bid and to continue such process as necessary, including re-marketing the property if necessary.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Property, Procurement & Contract Management to negotiate the inclusion of additional land owned by the Council between the land outlined in red on the attached plan attached at Appendix 1 and Test Lane to the west and  Gover Road to the south west where required to facilitate access to, or servicing of, the site.

(iii)  To authorise the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to enter into any legal documentation necessary in respect of the sale of the site.

(iv)  To authorise the Director of Corporate Services to take any further action necessary to give effect to the decision of the Executive in relation to this matter.

(v)  To note that the estimated value of the capital receipt from this disposal has already been built into the funding of the capital programme. Any receipt that differs from the estimates will need to be considered corporately as part of any future prioritisation of resources.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care seeking to accept receipt of £241,941 for the Council’s share of a joint Lottery Funded bid for a two year project ‘Chances 4 Change’.

Note:  This item is presented having complied with the requirements of Rule 16 (urgency) of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. 

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 13/14 11272)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care and having complied with the requirements of Rule 16 (urgency) of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules, Cabinet agreed to approve the acceptance of this funding (£241,941) to be managed by the Director of Public Health under delegated powers.