Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

Councillor C Richards – Personal – Minute No. 183 – Local Authority Governor Appointments – Candidate known to me.

Councillor R Stewart – Personal – Minute No. 183 – Local Authority Governor Appointments – I know two of the people named in the report.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting(s) listed below be approved and signed as a correct record:

1.     Cabinet held on 16 February, 2017; and

2.     Special Cabinet held on 23 February, 2017.

The Leader of the Council made no announcements but did refer to a supplementary document relating to minute no. 186 - FPR7 – The Kingsway Infrastructure Project which had been published and circulated as an addendum to the report.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt within a 10 minute period.

A number of questions were asked by one member of the public.  The Leader of the Council responded accordingly.

No questions were asked.

The Leader of the Council stated that Councillor M H Jones had submitted apologies as she was unable to attend the meeting. 

Councillor S E Crouch stated that the Scrutiny Programme Committee had asked her to highlight the concerns of the Committee regarding the lack of the Accommodation Strategy.

The Leader of Council referred to the letter sent to the Cabinet Member regarding the pre-decision scrutiny which was noted by Members, along with the comments made by Councillor S E Crouch.

The Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration submitted a report which sought agreement to proceed to the next stages of City Centre regeneration and confirm funding in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The financial implications as outlined within the report be approved;

2.     An overarching economic regeneration assessment to underpin any decisions to invest in the capital delivery of projects including a skills assessment to underpin delivery be approved;

3.     Officers be authorised to approach Welsh Government to request that Swansea City Centre is a designated TIF area;

4.     The necessary annual capital and revenue funding required to enable delivery of the projects be agreed;

5.     The interdependencies for other aligned schemes being developed for Castle Square and the Kingsway infrastructure be noted.

The Leader of the Council stated that Councillor M H Jones had submitted apologies as she was unable to attend the meeting.

Councillor S E Crouch stated that the Scrutiny Programme Committee had asked her to highlight the concerns of the Committee regarding proposals for Castle Square as set out in the letter from Councillor M H Jones.

The Leader of Council referred to the letter sent to the Cabinet Member regarding the pre-decision scrutiny which was noted by Members.

The Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration presented the context and appraisal of options to support the enhancement and potential development opportunity within part of Castle Square and on the representations received following the publication of a formal Public Open Space Notice.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The key responses following the Public Open Space Notice be noted;

2.     The preparation of an options appraisal and brief for the site in alignment with the wider City Centre development be supported with a report back to Cabinet prior to any site marketing.

The Leader of the Council stated that Councillor P R Hood-Williams had submitted apologies as he was unable to attend the meeting. 

The Leader of Council referred to the letter sent to the Cabinet Member regarding the pre-decision scrutiny which was noted by Members.

The Cabinet Member for Services for Children and Young People presented the Options Appraisal which outlined the process, findings and set out New Models of Delivery for the Under 11s Cluster of the Family Support Commissioning Review.

RESOLVED that the preferred option 3 outlined in section 3 of the report as a measure to improve performance, make the service more robust and make efficiencies is appropriate to take forward to implementation.

The Leader of the Council stated that Councillor P R Hood-Williams had submitted apologies as he was unable to attend the meeting. 

The Leader of Council referred to the letter sent to the Cabinet Member regarding the pre-decision scrutiny which was noted by Members.

The Cabinet Member for Services for Children and Young People presented the Options Appraisal which outlined the process, findings and set out New Models of Delivery for the Over 11s Cluster of the Family Support Commissioning Review.

RESOLVED that the preferred option 2 outlined in section 3 of the report as a measure to improve performance, make the service more robust and make efficiencies is appropriate to take forward to implementation.

The Leader of the Council presented the Corporate and Service Performance for Quarter 3 2016-2017.

RESOLVED that the performance results are noted and reviewed to help inform executive decisions on resource allocation and, where relevant, corrective actions to manage and improve performance and efficiency in delivering national and local priorities.

The Leader of the Council presented the well-being objectives and well-being statement 2017/18 for the Council as required by the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

RESOLVED that Cabinet proposed to Council:

1.     That the Council’s 5 key priorities expressed in its current Corporate Plan 2016/17 are carried forward into 2017/18 as the Council’s Well-Being Objectives;

2.     That the Council’s Well-Being Statement for 2017/18 be approved;

3.     The work currently underway to review the Council’s Well-Being Objectives continues after the local government elections with the newly elected Administration into 2017/18 with a new Corporate Plan published as soon as practicably possible.

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report which sought approval to participate in the Cam Nesa project and see through the necessary stages to implementation.

RESOLVED that:

1.     the progress achieved by the project in securing full approval from the Welsh European Funding Officer (WEFO) be noted;

2.     the Head of Financial Services, acting as the Authorising Contact for the Project, be authorised to accept the Grand Offer made by WEFO;

3.     regular reports on progress are made to the External Funding Panel;

4.     that a Service Level Agreement be entered into with Pembrokeshire Council and authority be given to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to enter into any appropriate legal documentation with any provisions necessary to protect the Council’s interests.

The Cabinet Members for Children and Young People and Education presented a report which sought approval of the target areas for the Free Childcare Pilot.

RESOLVED that the proposals for the target areas for the first year of the Free Childcare Pilot as listed under Sections 2.9, 2.10 and 2.11 be approved.

The Leader of the Council presented a report which detailed the Disabled Facilities and Improvement Grant Programme and sought approval to include schemes in the 2017/18 Capital Programme.

RESOLVED that the Disabled Facilities and Improvement Grant Programme as detailed, including its financial implications, are approved to include schemes in the 2017/18 Capital Budget.

The Cabinet Members for Adults & Vulnerable People and Services for Children and Young People presented a report which sought to review the Charges (Social Services), to establish an annual review and consultation process and to consider amendments to the list of charges to apply in 2017/18.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The process of undertaking an annual review of charges for social care is accepted and aligned with the Council’s annual budget setting process in future years;

2.     That the proposed inflationary uplift to social care charges is applied for 2017/18.

The Cabinet Member for Adults & Vulnerable People presented the Western Bay principles of Prevention Framework and City and County of Swansea’s Prevention Strategy delivering our priorities for prevention and early intervention services for people in Swansea.

RESOLVED that:

1.     The Western Bay Principles of Prevention Framework and the Prevention Strategy for Swansea be approved subject to wider consultation;

2.     The remit of consultation as set out in paragraph 3.3 be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Transportation presented the Capital Work Programme for highway infrastructure assets.

RESOLVED that the proposed allocations, together with the Financial Implications set out in Appendix A, are approved and included in the Capital Programme.

The Leader of the Council presented a report which sought to agree the schemes to be funded through the Capital Maintenance Programme.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

1.     Approved the proposed capital maintenance schemes as listed in Appendix A;

2.     Authorised the financial implications identified in Appendix B to be included in the Capital Programme.

The Cabinet Member for Education presented a report which sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill the Local Authority Governor vacancies in School Governing Bodies.

RESOLVED that the following nominations be approved as recommended by the Local Authority Governor Appointments Panel:

Councillor Sybil Crouch, Governor of the Tackling Poverty Scrutiny Inquiry Panel, presented the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Panel’s Inquiry into Tackling Poverty.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Anti-Poverty and Communities report back to Cabinet with a written response to the scrutiny recommendations and proposed action(s) for Cabinet decision.

The Cabinet Member for Anti-Poverty and Communities presented the revised tackling poverty strategy for Swansea, setting out the City and County’s approach in tackling poverty for people in Swansea.

RESOLVED that the revised draft tackling poverty strategy for Swansea be approved subject to wider consultation.

The Cabinet Members for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration & Environment & Transportation presented a report which sought approval to agree a final scheme following public consultation and to add the project to the Capital Programme.

RESOLVED  that:

1.     the public consultation be noted;

2.     the proposed project and its Financial Implications be approved and added to the capital programme;

3.     the Director of Place in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development & Regeneration, and the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transportation be delegated authority to make minor amendments to the proposed project provided they do not lead to a material change in the scheme or the costs.

Cabinet were requested to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the item(s) of business identified in the recommendations to the report(s) on the grounds that it / they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the exclusion paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007 relevant to the items of business set out in the report(s).

Cabinet considered the Public Interest Test in deciding whether to exclude the public from the meeting for the item of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant as set out in the report.

RESOLVED that the public be excluded for the following item(s) of business.

(CLOSED SESSION)

The Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development & Regeneration presented a report which sought approval to commit and authorise schemes as per the Capital Programme or to include new schemes in the Capital Programme.

RESOLVED that the recommendations, as detailed in the report, be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development & Regeneration presented a report which sought approval of the revised budget within the Capital Programme.

RESOLVED that the recommendation, as detailed in the report, be approved.