To notify the Chairman of any items that appear in the agenda in which you may have an interest.

Members had no interests to declare.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 30^TH August 2007.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 30^th August 2007 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Joint report of Chief Executive and Director of Resources.

The Lead Member for Learning and Employment presented a report regarding the above.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

It was explained that the Local Authority Business Growth Initiative had been introduced by the Government in 2005 to reward local authorities for encouraging greater levels of economic growth.  To date Sedgefield Borough Council had received £558,082 to reflect the growth in business rates during 2005/06 and 2006/07.  A further award was anticipated for 2007/08.

The report proposed that the funding should be invested in the following four specific areas:

Ø        Enabling Capital Investment - Economic Regeneration (£300,000)

      To support the preparatory work required to commence capital projects aimed at stimulating economic growth, coming forward through the Council’s Major Regeneration Initiatives process.

Ø        Enabling Capital Investment - Community Regeneration (£100,000)

      To support the preparatory work required to commence capital projects aimed at stimulating community regeneration, coming forward through the Council’s Local Improvement Programme.

Ø        Stimulating Economic Growth - Project Fund (£100,000)

      To enable non-capital activities such as research, marketing and promotion to be undertaken to maximise the impact of the above capital investments.

Ø        Economic Response Fund (£58,082)

Contingency funding to enable the Council to react to major redundancy or closure announcements.

RESOLVED :         1.         That the use of resources received through the Local Authority Business Growth Initiative to create four funds aimed at stimulating future economic growth be approved.

               2.         That funding decisions be delegated to the Capital Programmes Team up to a limit of £75,000 for schemes identified through the Major Regeneration Initiatives process.

Cabinet response and action plan.

Consideration was given to a schedule detailing Cabinet’s Response and Action Plan to the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Review Group regarding future recycling options.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

RESOLVED :   That the schedule be agreed.

Report of Director of Housing.

The Lead Member for Housing presented a report seeking approval for the Council to sign up to the Respect Standard for Housing Management.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

It was explained that the Standard had been launched in August 2006 as part of the Government’s Respect Agenda.  The Standard set out the key components that a social landlord should have in place to deliver an effective response to anti-social behaviour.  Signing up to the Standard was voluntary, however, its core elements had been built into the Audit Commission’s Key Line of Enquiry 6 (Tenancy and Estate Management) and applied to all inspections of social landlords by the Audit Commission.

RESOLVED :   1.   That the Council signs up to the Respect Standard, showing that it is committed to doing all that is reasonably possible to provide excellent services to tackle anti-social behaviour and create a culture of respect through its housing management role.

                        2.   That the Housing Department’s Statement of Policy and Procedures on Anti-Social Behaviour be updated to reflect the changes set out in the report.

                        3.   That the Service Improvement Plan (SIP) developed from the self assessment carried out against the Standard set out in Appendix 1, be implemented.

Joint report of Director of Neighbourhood Services and Director of Resources.

Consideration was given to a report regarding the redevelopment of ‘The Rows’, Ferryhill Station.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

The report proposed that Phases 1 and 2, shown hatched on the plan attached to the report, should be released for the provision of mixed tenure housing to Three Rivers Housing Group, the Registered Social Landlord who had significant ownership of property within Phase 3 of the site. 

It was also proposed that following the acquisition and demolition of the remaining properties on Phase 3, shown cross-hatched on the plan, the site should be jointly marketed with Three Rivers Housing Group for speculative residential development.

RESOLVED :   That the approach to the release of land at ‘The Rows’, Ferryhill Station as set out in the report be adopted.

Cabinet response and action plan.

Consideration was given to a schedule detailing Cabinet’s Response and Action Plan to the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Review Group regarding reducing economic inactivity (increasing employability).  (For copy see file of Minutes).

RESOLVED :   That the schedule be agreed.

RESOLVED:             That in accordance with Section 100(a)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of  Schedule 12a of the Act.

Joint report of Director of Neighbourhood Services and Director of Resources.

Consideration was given to a report regarding the disposal of Phases 1, 2 and 3 ‘The Rows’ Ferryhill Station.  (For copy see file of Minutes).

RESOLVED :   That the recommendations detailed in the report be adopted.

Published on 14^th September 2007.

The key decision contained in these Minutes will be implemented on Monday 24^th September 2007 five working days after the date of publication unless it is called in by three Members of the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the call in procedure rules.