Meeting documents

Venue: Mezzanine Rooms 1 & 2, County Hall, Aylesbury

Contact: Rachel Bennett 

Note: Please note that this meeting will be webcast - please use the "Webcasts" menu link 

Media

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

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Minutes:

There were none.

 

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

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Minutes:

There were none.

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 345 KB

Of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18 June 2018 to be agreed as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

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Minutes:

RESOLVED: The minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2018 were AGREED as an accurate record and signed by the Chairman.

 

4.

Hot Topics

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Minutes:

Cabinet’s attention was brought to the following:

 

·         Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transportation informed Members that a Minister from the Transport department, Jessie Norman visited on Monday 2 July to view the work being done on the Greenway, a new cycle path between Waddesdon and Aylesbury

 

·         The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services highlighted the fantastic attendance at Silverstone for the recent Grand Prix.  He also informed Members that contrary to some press coverage, the Early Help Review was still at the pre consultation stage and the consultation was due to start in October.

 

·         The Cabinet Member for Resources informed Members that the former police headquarters had now been leased to a Japanese restaurant and it was hoped that it would be open before the end of the year.

 

  • The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing highlighted issues for Public Health and Highways with the recent very warm weather.  The importance of hydration was highlighted and Mr Brown urged residents to check on their neighbours particularly the elderly and vulnerable. 

 

·         The Leader stated that he had jointly signed a letter with the president of ADEPT (The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport) to the Government on the topic of incineration tax.  Mr Tett stated that it would inappropriate to penalise those that had invested in energy from waste.

5.

Question Time

This provides an opportunity for Members to ask questions to Cabinet Members

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Minutes:

There were none

 

6.

Forward Plan for Cabinet and Cabinet Members pdf icon PDF 204 KB

For Cabinet to consider the Forward Plan

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Minutes:

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

 

7.

Cabinet Member Decisions pdf icon PDF 219 KB

To note progress with Cabinet Member Decisions

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Minutes:

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

 

8.

Select Committee Work Programme & Inquiry Work Programme pdf icon PDF 314 KB

For Cabinet to consider the Select Committee Work Programme

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Minutes:

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

 

9.

Q1 2018/19 Finance Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 287 KB

 

Recommendation

Cabinet is asked to NOTE the Quarter 1 outturn forecast for revenue and capital budgets and discuss areas of concern.

 

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Minutes:

Mr Tett, introduced the report which outlined outturn for both Capital and revenue budgets.  Mr Tett highlighted the pressures on budgets and the forecasting of a significant overspend at year end. 

 

Particular pressures were in Adult Social Care and Children’s Services and there were not sufficient contingencies to mitigate those pressures.  Mr Tett also highlighted an underspend on Capital however stated that the correct budget had been allocated, just not yet in use and therefore could not be allocated anywhere else.

 

Mr Chilver, Cabinet Member for Resources highlighted the following points:

 

Revenue

  • There was a forecast net overspend of £1.2m on revenue for the year, composed of a Portfolio overspend of £3.9m offset by an underspend of corporate costs of £2.8m.
  • The two portfolios with the most significant forecast overspend were Children’s Services (£1.9m) and Education and Skills (£1.3m).  Explanations and mitigations for these overspends were contained in the report
  • All Portfolios had been asked to review their budgets in order to bring them in line.

 

Capital

  • Forecast net slippage was £4.6m, of which £2.8m was for Respite Care within the Health and Wellbeing portfolio.  It was expected that some of that would be deferred into the following year.
  • Overall net debt position had come down from £17m to £10m

 

Lin Hazell raised the point on Capital slippage and that it was combined into the Short Breaks consultation for disabled children and adults, so there would not be any movement on those figures until after the consultation and requirements are identified.

 

Mr Tett stated that he was determined to come in on budget as in future years and urged all portfolios along with Cabinet Members to review their budgets.

 

RESOLVED:  Cabinet NOTED the report.

10.

Cultural Strategy pdf icon PDF 175 KB

 

Recommendation

Cabinet is asked to endorse the new Cultural Strategy and support the development of a new Cultural Partnership for Buckinghamshire to oversee the delivery of the strategy.

 

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Minutes:

The item was deferred to a future meeting.

11.

Director of Public Health Annual Report pdf icon PDF 192 KB

 

Recommendation

Cabinet is requested to note and endorse the Director of Public Health Annual Report

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Minutes:

Mr N Brown, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing introduced the Director of Public Health Annual Report and highlighted the following:

  • The Director of Public Health is required to produce an annual report
  • The annual report was themed around how where we live impacts our health.
  • The report highlights issues that needed to be considered by all key partners

 

Dr J O’Grady, Director of Public Health, attended the meeting and highlighted the following:

  • The report aimed to stimulate conversations across partners and communities about how they could promote health and wellbeing through influencing both the physical and social environments.
  • The report contained high level recommendations for all partners. The service were asking colleagues across the County Council to see consider how they could contribute to each of those recommendations.
  • The report would also be taken to the Health and Wellbeing Board and be discussed with the Voluntary Sector.

 

Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

  • A recent visit to Bicester, a Healthy New Town, with new estates encouraging active lifestyles, activities and social interaction.
  • A joint conference earlier in the year with Health highlighted issues around pollution and how the environment was a key issue.
  • A Member suggested that he would like to see a political element within the report, ensuring Members were addressing problems within their areas to make the environment better.
  • Mr Tett highlighted that air quality was a national issue and big changes were taking place across the country, for example new houses and lampposts to have electric car charge points.
  • A Member highlighted some of the indicators in the report that were significantly lower than the Council’s peers including low birth rate and employee sickness absence.  Dr O’Grady informed Members of ongoing work to make improvements in those areas.
  • A Member highlighted the data on overweight and obese children and asked how parents are engaged with.  Dr O’Grady responded by stating through the promotion of healthy eating messages, health visitor advice and advice given to schools.  The Council did commission services to help children lose weight and this was a whole family approach.
  • Members discussed the need for the recommendations set out in the report to work alongside other reviews currently taking place across the organisation in order to have a joined up approach.  There were concerns that separate reports were being produced that may not be aligned.

 

Mr Tett asked for the recommendations to be reviewed and to identify those that were a priority to the County Council.  He highlighted the importance of a partnership approach with a view to understanding all contributions, their progress and impact.  Dr O’Grady confirmed that when presenting the report to partner organisations those specific conversations would take place.

 

Mr Tett requested a composite report compiled for each portfolio area outlining how each County Council service would contribute to the actions and the achievement of the recommendations and that the Health and Wellbeing Board would issue a similar challenge to partners.  Mr Tett requested this report to come back to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Education and Skills Strategy pdf icon PDF 219 KB

 

Recommendation

That the Education and Skills strategy be ratified by Cabinet.

 

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Minutes:

Mr M Appleyard, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills introduced the Strategy and highlighted the following:

  • The strategy highlighted the key areas that needed to be addressed.
  • Recognising that families had an enormous impact on the way children live their lives and that early help where needed was crucial. 
  • Outcomes were for all children and outside of academic success ensuring they had the skills for adult life.
  • The Council were not yet measuring non-academic education but needed to look at how the Council could do that.
  • Buckinghamshire were well provided for education and does well in national figures, however there were key areas that needed to be addressed. 
  • Mr Tett stated that the figures in the report were not accurate and would be updated.
  • Mr Tett highlighted to residents that the Council were no longer the education authority due to the large number of schools that were now academies and were managed by the Regional Schools Commissioner on behalf of the Department for Education.  Relationship with those schools that were not academies were not managed so stringently by the County Council due to changes in funding grants.  The County Council role in school improvement had also changed significantly.

 

Mr T Vouyioukas, Executive Director for Children’s Services and Mrs M Edmonds, Education Strategy Manager, attended the meeting.  Mr Vouyioukas highlighted the following points:

  • The role of the Local Authority had been changing for some time in its role as facilitator for School Improvement.
  • 95% schools rated as good or outstanding (not 94% as stated in report). Within Early Years it is 97%
  • Mr Vouyioukas referred to page 117 of the Strategy, third bullet relating to above national rate of inadequate schools, since the report had been produced further schools had been inspected and the Council were now at 1.3% compared to the national average of 2%, the report would be updated.  Mr Vouyioukas noted how proud and impressed he was by the calibre of the leadership within schools.
  • The Strategy is designed on a schools led system and relied on schools working collaboratively and learning from each other.

 

Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

  • Discussions were had regarding the Council being a fully selective system and for clarification of this to be discussed outside of the meeting.
  • The treatment of free schools to be the same as any other
  • A Member asked about the County Council’s relationship with the Regional Schools Commissioner, who was responsible for school improvement in academies. Mr Vouyioukas stated that the relationship with the commissioner in Buckinghamshire was successful, engaged and working well with the local authority.  Mr Vouyioukas highlighted that as Executive for Children’s Service it was also his responsibility as well as the Commissioners to make contact with any school where there was concerns about performance.
  • Budget pressures on small rural schools were highlighted and a Member asked that as they were high achieving and popular with parents, could it be re-emphasised that it was policy not to close any of Buckinghamshire rural schools.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Parking Delivery Plan pdf icon PDF 267 KB

 

Recommendation

That Cabinet approve and adopt the Parking Delivery Plan and the principles it contains as attached at Appendix One and summarised in Appendix Two.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mr M Shaw, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transportation presented the Parking Delivery Plan and highlighted the following:

 

  • The County Council were responsible for on-street parking with the District Council’s responsible for off-street parking.
  • The County Council parking account ran at a deficit, currently at £400k and needed to be at break even.
  • The proposed plan included changes to replace the parking implementation plan which Cabinet were working on.
  • The new plan was intended to make things clearer, quicker and more effective for residents.

 

Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

  • Members welcomed the new plan.  Recognising the significant amount of work that had gone into the document which helped the process to be more comprehendible.
  • Members felt residents should be encouraged within their area to make the best use of parking available.
  • Commuter parking was also discussed and the need for a ‘footpath and cycle routes’ review to ensure they are fit for purpose and  encourage commuters to use them.
  • Blue badge enforcement and footway parking bans were discussed and a Member raised issues regarding short term parking (1 hour) and the need to retain this as free parking but to review how best to enforce.

 

Recommendation

That Cabinet approve and adopt the Parking Delivery Plan and the principles it contains as attached at Appendix One and summarised in Appendix Two.

 

RESOLVED:  Cabinet APPROVED the Parking Delivery Plan.

 

14.

Date of the Next Meeting

10 September 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

10 September 2018.