Meeting: Cabinet (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 31/07/2008 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A1 Minutes
AT A MEETING of the
CABINET held at the County Hall, Durham on
THURSDAY 31 JULY 2008 at
10.00 a.m. PRESENT COUNCILLOR HENIG in the Chair
Cabinet Members: Councillors Foster, Hodgson, E Huntington, Nicholls, Robson, Stephens, Vasey and B Young.
Other Members: Armstrong, Arthur, Avery, Gittins, Hancock, Johnson, Martin, B Myers, E Paylor, Simmons, Southwell, Temple, Tomlinson, J Wilkinson, Williams and Wright.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cox, Hovvels and O’Donnell.
A1 Minutes The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 July 2008 were confirmed as a correct
record and signed by the Chairman
A2 Declarations of interest No interests declared.
A3 Joint Overview and Scrutiny Group Report: Young People not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) The Cabinet considered a Report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny (for
copy see file of Minutes) seeking approval for recommendations from an Overview and Scrutiny review about young people who are not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
Councillor Armstrong confirmed that he would send a letter to former County
Councillor Alan Barker thanking him for his contribution to the Review as the
Chair of the Working Group.
Resolved: 1. That the Scrutiny Report be noted and welcomed and the members of the Scrutiny Committee be thanked for their work in undertaking the investigation.
2 That the Corporate Director, Children and Young People’s Services provide Cabinet with a detailed response to the recommendations within three months identifying early wins as appropriate, and including a recommended Action Plan.
3 That the Corporate Director, Children and Young People’s Services provide a report to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on the progress made in delivering the agreed recommendations within 6 months of the adoption of the Action Plan, as part of the systematic review process of Overview and Scrutiny recommendations.
A4 County Durham Overview and Scrutiny Member Network Report: ‘There and Back’ - Local Solutions to Local Transport Challenges in County Durham The Cabinet considered a Report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny (for
copy see file of Minutes) seeking approval to recommendations from an Overview and Scrutiny review that looked into transport in County Durham.
Resolved: 1. That the Scrutiny Report be noted and welcomed and the members of the Scrutiny Committee be thanked for their work in undertaking the investigation.
2 That the Acting Director, Environment provide Cabinet with a detailed response to the recommendations within three months identifying early wins as appropriate, and including a recommended Action Plan.
3 That the Acting Director, Environment provide a report to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on the progress made in delivering the agreed recommendations within 6 months of the adoption of the Action Plan, as part of the systematic review process of Overview and Scrutiny recommendations.
A5 Ethical Food Procurement The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services (for copy see file of Minutes) about a proposed ethical procurement strategy for the purchase by the County Council of free range eggs.
Resolved: That the recommendation in the Report be agreed.
A6 Parish Elections in 2009 The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services
(for copy see file of Minutes) 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.
Resolved: That the County Durham Association of Local Councils and the individual Parish and Town Councils be thanked for their responses and in the light of the comments received the County Council support the expressed views that Parish Elections should not be held in 2009 and that the next elections should be held in 2013.
A7 School Capital Programme - Modernisation Budget Review 2003/2004-2007/2008 - 5 Year Programme 2008/2009-2012/2013 (
Key Decision LLL/CYPS/06/08)
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 (for copy see file of Minutes) 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 -
· Priorities for the period 2008/2009 to 2012/2013
· The Primary Strategy for Change as set out at appendix 4
· The use of funding sources including the reinvestment of capital receipts from school reorganisations and closures.
Resolved: That the recommendations in the Report be agreed.
A8 Education in the Community Budget 2008/09 The Cabinet considered a Report of the Corporate Director, Children and
Young Peoples Services (for copy see file of Minutes) 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 in the funding should be met from contingencies.
Resolved: That in the light of the circumstances set out in the report a contribution of £38,500 be made from General Contingencies for the financial year 2008/09.
A9 Early Integration of the Local Development Framework Function The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Corporate Director Environment (for copy see file of Minutes) 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.
Resolved: That the recommendations in the Report be agreed.
A10 Exclusion of the Public Resolved: That under Section 100 A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be exclude from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12 A to the said Act.
B11 Progress Report on the Current Waste Management Service and Future Contract Procurement The Cabinet considered a Joint Report of the Acting Corporate Director Environment, the County Treasurer and the Acting Director of Corporate Services (for copy see file of Minutes) 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
Resolved: That the recommendations in the Report be agreed.
B12 Lizards Farm, Sedgefield The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services (for copy see file of Minutes) 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.
Resolved: That the recommendations in the Report be agreed.
B13 Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate - Liability for Embankment Stability Problem The Cabinet considered a Report of the Acting Director of Corporate Services
(for copy see file of Minutes) to agree the payment of compensation to cover remedial works to prevent slippage of an embankment onto neighbouring land.
Resolved: That the recommendation in the Report be agreed.
Attachments
07.31.08.pdf