Meeting: Cabinet (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 31/07/2008 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A0 Record of Executive Decisions
RECORD OF EXECUTIVE DECISIONS
The following is a record of the decisions taken at the meeting of
CABINET on
THURSDAY 31 JULY 2008. These decisions will come into force and may be implemented from
12 AUGUST 2008, unless the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or its Sub-Committees object to any such decision and call it in.
Ethical Food Procurement Summary The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services about a proposed ethical procurement strategy for the purchase by the County Council of free range eggs.
Decision The Cabinet agreed that the ethical approach of buying eggs under free range conditions be supported, together with the ongoing initiative to extend this to the Council’s external catering supply chain.
Parish Elections in 2009 Summary The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services about a consultation letter from
Communities and Local Government (CLG) on whether there should be parish elections in 2009 for all parish councils in
County Durham - notwithstanding that the last elections for those parishes were held in 2007.
Decision The Cabinet agreed to support the views expressed by the County Durham Association of Local Councils and individual Parish and Town Councils that the Parish Council Elections be held in 2013.
School Capital Programme - Modernisation Budget Review 2003/2004-2007/2008 - 5 Year Programme 2008/2009-2012/2013 (
Key Decision LLL/CYPS/06/08)
Summary The Cabinet considered a Joint Report of the Report of Corporate Director, Children and Young Peoples Services, the County Treasurer and the Acting Director of Corporate Services providing a further update on the School Capital 5 Year Plan 2003/2004 - 2007/2008 since the last update on 21 July 2006. The report includes details on expenditure on school projects funded by the School Modernisation Budget, and also seeks approval for those priorities for the period 2008/2009 to 2012/2013.
Subject to the Primary Strategy for Change as attached at appendix 4 of the Report being approved by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) the proposed priorities for the first four years of the Primary Capital Programme 2008/09 - 2012/13, are as follows:
· The refurbishment to the annex at Green Lane CE Primary School.
· The rationalisation of accommodation at Roseberry Primary School.
· The refurbishment of Finchale Primary School.
· A rebuild of Brandon Primary School, Esh Winning Primary School, Greenland Primary School, Kirk Merrington Primary School and West Cornforth Primary School.
· A rebuild of Shotton Hall Infant and Junior Schools as a new purpose built primary school (consultation underway summer 2008).
· A reorganisation of education in Delves Lane to develop primary provision.
· The replacement of Coundon Primary School and St Joseph’s RCVA Primary, Coundon with new buildings, possibly relocated on a single site.
· The rebuild of Framwellgate Moor Primary School as part of the groundbreaking specialist science CAMPUS project to provide integrated education 3-18 with Framwellgate School and Durham Trinity School.
In addition the programme includes proposals to:
· Undertake a full review of primary school provision in Newton Aycliffe.
· Investigate the possible reorganisation of infant and junior schools into primary schools.
· Develop schemes for the refurbishment or remodelling of schools to remove surplus places and to improve schools in poor condition.
· Consider schemes for cross phase co-location with local or national exemplar features.
The indicative costs are included in Appendix 3 of the Report and are subject
to detailed feasibility studies being carried out, with separate reports to be prepared for each scheme.
Funding for these proposed schemes could be via -
· School Modernisation Funding,
· Primary Capital Programme Capital Receipts,
· School reorganisation and closures,
· The use of schools’ Devolved Formula Capital and
· Borrowing.
The DCSF in October 2007 allocated School Modernisation Funding of £19.9m for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11 and £14.4m from the Primary Capital Programme which commences in April 2009 and is expected to continue until 2022/2023.
Decision The Cabinet noted the current financial position and approved -
· The proposed priorities set out above for the period 2008/09 to 2012/13
· The Primary Strategy for Change (as set out in appendix 4 to the Report)
· The Use of Resources set out above including the reinvestment of capital receipts from school reorganisations and closures.
Education in the Community Budget 2008/09 Summary The Cabinet considered a Report of the Corporate Director, Children and Young Peoples Services about the
implications of the Annual Learning and Skills Council (LSC) grant remaining at the current level for 2008/2009 and the
consequent reduction in real terms, because of the effects of pay and price inflation and whether the shortfall of £38,500
in the funding should be met from contingencies.
Decision The Cabinet agreed to make a contribution of £38,500 from County Council contingency funds for the Financial Year 2008/09.
Early Integration of the Local Development Framework Function Summary The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Corporate Director Environment requesting agreement to the early integration of all District and County Council work on the production of Local Development Frameworks (LDF) in advance of the forthcoming creation of a unitary authority for County Durham. The proposals would help meet the requirements of draft regulations on transitional arrangements for planning. This will require the Transitional Authority to submit a revised Local Development Scheme (LDS) by 30 September 2008 which will replace all the existing LDSs.
The Regulations also mean that the County Council cannot continue to have a separate Minerals and Waste Development Framework and a decision will need to be made when preparing the LDS as to how minerals and waste issues are to be treated. They can either be combined with other matters, such as housing or employment into a single core strategy, or incorporated into a separate minerals and waste core strategy and site allocations development plan to recognise the diverse nature and types of minerals and waste issues I the County and the size of the geographical area.
Decision The Cabinet agreed to the formal cessation of the Minerals and Waste Development Framework in its current form and
agreed to the early integration of the Local Development Framework function and the creation of an interim team and the
appointment of a Strategic Planning Manager.
Part B Items during which the meeting was not open to the public
(Consideration of exempt or confidential information).
Progress Report on the Current Waste Management Service and Future Contract Procurement
Summary
The Cabinet considered a Joint Report of the Acting Corporate Director Environment, the County Treasurer and the Acting Director of Corporate Services providing an update on a number of waste disposal issues and making recommendations relating to:
· The Waste Project Strategic Business Case
· The 4Ps Gateway ‘O’ Review on the Waste Project
· Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS)
· The option of bringing the waste disposal function back ‘in-house.
· Monitoring and auditing the existing disposal contract
Decision
The Cabinet agreed the following -
· That the development of the key project objectives and priorities as stated in the Strategic Business Case be confirmed to take the project forward.
· That an appropriate budget be established to enable the necessary waste management and waste site planning skills together with any other identified external resource required to be available to take the project forward. The County Treasurer to be authorised to release the necessary funds from contingencies.
· That a protocol be developed to satisfactorily address the issues around the possible conflict of interest between the waste management procurement project and the determination of planning applications in the development of the Waste Development Framework. This will be resolved through Local Government Review and the development of new structures within the Authority.
· That the County Council’s waste disposal functions should not be brought in-house.
· That the purchase of LATS permits for 2009/10 be agreed as detailed in the report.
Lizards Farm, Sedgefield
Summary
The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services about proposals for payment of compensation to an agricultural tenant and grant a new short term tenancy on terms more favourable to the County Council, thus releasing the Authority from legal obligations and facilitating development or disposal of the farm.
Decision
The Cabinet agreed the proposals as detailed in the report.
Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate - Liability for Embankment Stability Problem
Summary
The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services seeking agreement to the payment of compensation to cover remedial works to prevent slippage of an embankment onto neighbouring land.
Decision
The Cabinet agreed the proposals as detailed in the report.
Lesley Davies, Acting Director of Corporate Services
4 August 2008
Attachments
Exec Decs 07.31.08.pdf