Agenda and minutes

Record of the decision making meetings held on 16^th January 2012, attached.

The record of the Executive decision making held on 16^th January 2012 were received and noted as a correct record.

To deal with any executive appointments, as required.

Councillors Smith and Hannides relinquished their appointments on the Spitfire Tribute Foundation Board and that no further Southampton City Council appointment would be made to the Board in the future.

The report of the Leader of the Council outlining the progress made at the end of December 2011 (Quarter 3) against the targets and commitments contained within the 2010/11 Corporate Plan, attached.

On consideration of the report of the Leader of the Council and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet noted that 71% of Council’s Key Critical Performance Indicators and 85% of the Service Improvement Actions and Projects set out in the 2011/12 Council Plan are reported to be on target.

Report of the Cabinet Member Resources, Leisure and Culture, detailing General Fund Revenue Financial Monitoring for the period to the end of December 2011, attached.

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Leisure and Culture and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet noted

(i)  the current General Fund revenue position for 2011/12 as at Month 9 (December), which is a forecast under spend at year end of £141,000against the budget approved by Council on 16 February 2011, as outlined in paragraph 4.  This can be compared against the reported under spend at Month 6 of £20,000; an improvement of £121,000;

(ii)  that the baseline forecast over spend for portfolios is £2.1M;

(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 £1.9M to cover service related risks, and that the estimated draw at Month 9 is £0.8M to cover expenditure which is included within the baseline forecast portfolio over spend of £2.1M.  The Risk Fund has been reviewed and it has been assumed that £204,200 of the Fund will not be required in 2011/12;

(v)  that the Revenue Development Fund totals £1.2M.  The Revenue Development Fund has been reviewed and it has been assumed that £100,000 of the Fund will not be required in 2011/12;

(vi)  Note that contingency of £250,000 which was originally built into the 2011/12 budget has been fully utilised;

(vii)  the revised minimum balance of £5.0M, subject to approval by Council on 15 February 2012, as recommended by the Chief Financial Officer in line with good practice guidance;

(viii)  the forecast level of balances which will not fall below the revised minimum level of £5.0M in the medium term based on the current forecast;

(ix)  the use of £563,000 of in year under spend to increase the Interest Equalisation Reserve in 2011/12 to ensure that adequate provision is made for the future increase in interest costs associated with the ongoing utilisation of variable interest rates;

(x)  the performance to date with regard to the delivery of the agreed savings proposals approved for 2011/12 as detailed in Appendix 9;

(xi)  the performance against the financial health indicators detailed in Appendix 10;

(xii)  the performance outlined in the Quarterly Treasury Management Report attached as Appendix 11; and

(xiii)  the current Housing Revenue Account budget monitoring position for 2011/12 as at Month 9 (December), which is a forecast under spend at year end of £4,400 against the revised budget which will presented to Council for approval on 15 February 2012 and as outlined in paragraph 37.

Report of the Cabinet Member Resources, Leisure and Culture, detailing General Fund Capital Financial Monitoring for the period to the end of December 2011, attached.

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Leisure and Culture and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet noted

(i)  the current General Fund capital budget monitoring position for 2011/12 as at Month 9 (December), which is an in-year forecast over spend of £396,000;

(ii)  the current General Fund capital budget monitoring position for the overall programme, which is a forecast over spend for all schemes of £87,000;

(iii)  that two schemes (0.9%) out of a total of 214 active schemes have an overall Red RAG status.  This represents around £6.5M (2.2%) out of a total overall programme budget of £296M;

(iv)  the capital funding position which is an overall forecast deficit of £751,000 in the programme as detailed in paragraph 8.  This is within the previously approved tolerances and can be compared to the figure reported to Council in September of £8.1M;

(v)  the reduction in the forecast funding deficit is largely down to additional or increased forecast future capital receipts where the timing and exact value is to a degree uncertain;  

(vi)  that the deficit will need to be met from new resources and note that any shortfall in funding at the end of 2011/12 will need to be met through the use of delegated powers to undertake temporary borrowing the revenue implications of which have been reflected in the budget forecast for the General Fund; and

(vii)  that the action plans in place, where applicable, to ensure capital expenditure remains within allocated budgets and that project delivery targets are met. 

Report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services and Learning seeking to re-affirm its arrangements for the appointment of Local Authority governors, attached.

DECISION MADE (Ref: CAB 11/12 7599)

On consideration of the report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services and Learning the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning made the following decision:

(i)  To support the appointment of Local Authority governors to governing bodies of all schools in Southampton.

(ii)  To agree a code of practice for the appointment of Local Authority governors and to approve a procedure for removal of LA governors as set out in appendix 1 and 2 to the report. 

Report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services and Learning outlining the approach being taken and recommending a delegation of authorisation to undertake all aspects of commissioning of Independent Fostering Agency Placements, attached.

DECISION MADE (Ref: CAB 11/12 7283)

On consideration of the report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services and Learning, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Learning made the following decision:

(i)  To appoint the organisations set out in Appendix 1 to the frameworks and to delegate to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services, following consultation with the Executive Director for Children’s Services and Learning and the Head of Finance, authority to enter into contractual arrangements with such organisations and to do all such ancillary activities as may be necessary to give effect to the proposals contained in this report.

(ii)  To delegate to the Executive Director for Children’s Services and Learning the authority to purchase Independent Fostering Agency placements via those Framework Contracts, where placements are bought at a pre-agreed price on a spot purchase basis as required.

Report of the Cabinet Member of Housing seeking Cabinet approval for the final allocation of 2012/13 grants to voluntary organisations, attached.

DECISION MADE (Ref: CAB 11/12 7589)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet made the following decision:

(i)  To approve the grant recommendations set out in the attached Appendix 1.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Manager of the Communities Team following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to allocate Community Chest grants during the year.

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Manager of the Communities Team following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to allocate the unallocated budget of £31,721 during the year as grants to voluntary organisations for crisis funding, exceptional projects or any ad hoc grant applications received during the year that meet the council’s funding priorities.

(iv)  To delegate authority to the Director of Economic Development following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to:

·  determine any outstanding applications for grants for 2012/13 and to authorise grants to applicants subject to remaining within approved budgets

·  do anything necessary to give effect to allocation of grants for 2012/13

Report of the Head of Planning and Sustainability seeking approval for the revised Conservation Area Appraisal for the Oxford Street Conservation Area, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 11/12 7685)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member forEnvironment and Transport, Cabinet agreed to adopt the Conservation Area Appraisal and to agree that the policies contained within the Management Proposals will guide future development proposals in the Conservation Area.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport seeking approval to give bus operators 28 days notice of any changes to the reimbursement rate for Concessionary Travel, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 11/12 7747)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member forEnvironment and Transport and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To reimburse operators at a rate of 48.0p in the £, plus 6.7p per generated journey in accordance with the guidance given by the Department for Transport (DfT);

(ii)  To introduce an administration payment of 0.2p for each journey undertaken on the scheme to cover operator administration costs; 

(iii)  To retain the ticket types used in the calculation of the average fare to include day tickets, carnet (multi-trip), single and returns as per the guidance issued by the DfT;

(iv)  To delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Sustainability to enter into arrangements with some smaller operators to agree reimbursement at a fixed rate in accordance with the revised DfT guidance for 2012/13;

(v)  To delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Sustainability in consultation with the Head of Finance and the Executive Director of Corporate Services following consultation with the Cabinet Members for Environment and Transport and Leisure, Culture and Resources to make any necessary variations or changes for 2012/13 year scheme arising from the outstanding appeal to take any action necessary to give effect to the recommendations including but not limited to the service of statutory Notices (including Variation and Participation Notices) and participation in and determination of any appeal against the proposed Concessionary Fares Scheme or reimbursement arrangements for 2012/13; and

(vi)  To delegate authority to the Head of Planning and Sustainability in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services following consultation with the Cabinet Members for Environment and Transport and Leisure, Culture and Resources to consider any operators claim for additional capacity and capital costs subject to overall affordability.

Report by the Cabinet Member for Housing seeking approval for the commencement of a programme of city-wide masterplanning for estate regeneration, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 11/12 7692)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To delegate authority to the Director for Economic Development, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Director for Environment to commence a programme of consultation and engagement with residents and stakeholders and to procure and appoint consultants to prepare a city wide Estate Regeneration Framework document.

(ii)  Subject to the approval of the HRA capital programme by Council on 15 February 2012, to approve for the purposes of Financial Procedure Rules, capital spending of £50,000 in 2011/12, and up to £450,000 in 2012/13 on the masterplanning of a city wide Estate Regeneration Framework and associated fees and costs, provision for which exists in the HRA capital programme being submitted to Council on 15 February 2012.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Housing seeking a change in Council policy from awarding leases over Housing Revenue Account land to granting sales of Housing Revenue Account land, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 11/12 7687)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member forHousing and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  Where requests to purchase HRA land are received the authority will seek, wherever possible and in its best interests, to sell the land rather than to grant a lease or licence. 

(ii)  The existing mechanism of granting a lease or licence will be retained for situations where sale of the land would not be in the authority's best interests, for instance, where this might prejudice a subsequent development. 

Report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Leisure and Culture seeking approval to extend the Southampton Guildhall Management Contract, attached.

DECISION MADE: (Ref: CAB 11/12 7770)

On consideration of the report of the Cabinet Member for Resources, Leisure and Culture and having received representations from Members of the Council, Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve an extension of the existing Southampton Guildhall management contract with Live Nation (Music) UK Limited for an immediate 5 years from February 2013 to February 2018 and a joint commitment to extend for a further 5 years from February 2018 to February 2023 subject to the building fabric being of sufficient standard to provide the contract areas as fit for purpose.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to do anything necessary to give effect to this decision

(iii)  To delegate authority to the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services after consultation with the Director of Economic Development and the Cabinet Member for Resources, Leisure and Culture, to amend or vary the contract and, if necessary, extend the contract for the remaining 5 year term to the maximum term permitted in the contract of 25 years from February 2023 to February 2028.

(iv)  Subject to full Council agreement to add the proposed works to the Guildhall to the Leisure and Culture Capital Programme on 15th February 2012; to approve in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, capital expenditure totalling £519,000, phased £110,000 in 2012/13, £170,000 in 2013/14 and £239,000 in 2014/15, from the Leisure and Culture Capital Programme to carry out works at the Guildhall as set out in paragraph 22.