Agenda and minutes

For information, disclosable pecuniary interests and registrable interests relate to entries that are included, or should be included,  on a councillor’s register of interests. Non-registrable interests relate to any other matters.

No disclosures were made.

Later in the meeting, under item 6 Charnwood Grants and regarding the application by Wymeswold Memorial Hall, Councillor Bokor stated she had not been involved with the application, but lived in Wymeswold and had formally shown her support.  This was a non-registrable interest, but she came to this meeting with an open mind.

No announcements were made.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9th June 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

The deadline for questions is noon on Monday, 27th June 2022. 

No questions had been submitted.

A report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services to consider applications received for funding in round one of the Community Facilities and Community Grants Schemes for 2022/23 (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Neighbourhoods and Partnerships Manager assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED

1.         that the following Community Grants be awarded:

•           £5,000 to Go-Getta CIC towards the Loughborough Youth Motivators project (£3,000 to be funded through the Community Grants scheme and £2,000 through the Community Safety Partnership Locality Fund Youth Prevention and Diversion);

•           £1,220 to St Mary’s Grub Club towards summer food and activities (to be funded through the Contain Outbreak Management fund for food support);

•           £1,000 to Watermead Junior Parkrun towards equipment;

•           £135 to Watermead Country Park Parkrun towards pacer bibs (to be funded through the Contain Outbreak Management fund for physical activity);

•           £3,500 to Loughborough Wellbeing Centre towards the Wellbeing Café Project Plus Pilot (to be funded through the Contain Outbreak Management fund for VCS support);

•           £4,500 to The Arc Community Hub (Grange Park Centre) towards a youth group (£3,000 to be funded through the Community Grants scheme and £1,500 through the Community Safety Partnership Locality Fund Youth Prevention and Diversion);

•           £3,000 to New Life Community Church towards the running of the foodbank (to be funded through the Contain Outbreak Management fund for food support);

•           £3,750 to B-Buddies CIC towards the “Let’s Get Cycling” project;

•           £750 to Sileby Tennis and Pickleball Club towards promoting pickleball in Charnwood;

•           £3,500 to Upstarts Gymnastics Club towards a gym raised pit with soft landing area;

•           £3,000 to Spectrum Sensory Sports UK CIC towards inclusive sports and physical activity sessions;

•           £250 to Nanpantan Ward Residents Group towards the ongoing running of the group;

•           £300 to Thurcaston and Cropston Gardening Club towards an annual craft and produce show;

•           £1,000 to Rectory Wildlife Gardeners towards equipment and tools;

•           £1,500 to Quorn Village CIC towards a community garden;

•           £2,000 to Without Walls Christian Fellowship towards Thrive Singing Cafe;

•           £1,500 to HUB@TheSkofe towards the “Cupboard on the Corner” project (to be funded through the Contain Outbreak Management fund for food support);

2.         that the following Community Grant applications be declined:

•           Loughborough Air Quality Protection Group - £4,574 requested – applied for funding towards the rental of a Zephyr Air Quality Monitor;

•           Together Against Cancer - £2,000 requested – applied for funding towards cancer support days in Charnwood;

•           Falcon Support Services - £4,934 requested – applied for funding towards a Community Resilience Programme;

•           Gunns Community Gym - £850 requested – applied for funding towards bronze, silver and gold awards;

•           Communities Food and Wellbeing Hub - £5,000 requested – applied for funding towards a health, wellbeing and foodbank diabetes project;

•           Loughborough Lions AFC - £500 requested – applied for funding towards training equipment;

•           Hope for Hunger - £2,500 requested – applied for funding towards hot food and essential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

A report of the Head of Financial Services.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Head of Financial Services to consider the Capital Plan outturn position for 2021/22 including schemes that required carry forward of budget to 2022/23 and the financing of the Capital Plan (item 7 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Head of Financial Services assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED

1.      that the outturn position for 2021/22 be noted and slippage of capital budgets totalling £36,370,400, being General Fund £33,384,000 and Housing Revenue Account £2,985,600, be carried forward into 2022/23 and added to the new 3 Year Capital Plan and be recommended to full Council for approval;

2.      that the financing of the Plan set out in Table 2 in the report be noted.

Reasons 

1.      To ensure compliance with Financial Regulations and that Capital projects are completed.

2.      To indicate how the Plan is to be financed.

Councillors Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.

A report of the Head of Financial Services.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Head of Financial Services to consider the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) outturn position for 2021/22 and budget carry forwards (item 8 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Head of Financial Services assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED

1.         that the Revenue outturn positions of the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account for 2021/22 be noted;

2.         that six General Fund carry forwards budgets amounting to £90.8k as per paragraph 41 and HRA £40.8k paragraph 40 funded from specific underspent budgets in 2021/22 are approved.

Reasons

1.         To enable the information to be used when considering future budgets and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.

2.         To enable the budgets to be carried forward to cover costs of committed resources and services in 2022/23.

Councillor Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.

A report of the Strategic Director; Commercial Development, Assets and Leisure. TO FOLLOW.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Strategic Director; Commercial Development, Assets and Leisure to consider amendments to the Annual Procurement Plan 2022/23 (item 9 on the agenda supplement filed with these minutes).

Councillor Seaton, Chair of the Scrutiny Commission, presented a report setting out the Commission’s pre-decision scrutiny of the matter and recommendation (copy filed with these minutes).

The Strategic Director; Commercial Development, Assets and Leisure assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED

1.      that the contracts, over £25,000 and up to £75,000, listed in Appendix A to the report be let in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules;

2.      that the contracts, over £75,001 and up to £500,000, listed in Appendix B to the report be let in accordance with Contract Procedure Rules;

3.      that the future direction of updates to the Annual Procurement Plan as set out in Part B of the report be noted.

4.      that the report of the Scrutiny Commission be noted.

Reasons 

1.&2. To allow contracts of the Council to be let in accordance with contract procedure rules.

3.      To make Cabinet aware of forthcoming changes that will be forthcoming that will change processes to make them more efficient but will not dilute governance or transparency.

4.      To acknowledge the work undertaken by and the views of the Scrutiny Commission.

Councillors Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.

A report of the Head of Strategic and Private Sector Housing.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Head of Strategic and Private Sector Housing to consider a Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy (item 10 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Councillor Seaton, Chair of the Scrutiny Commission, presented a report setting out the Commission’s pre-decision scrutiny of the matter and recommendation (copy filed with these minutes).

The Head of Strategic and Private Sector Housing assisted with consideration of the report.

As the Head of Strategic and Private Sector Housing  would shortly be leaving the Council, the Cabinet  expressed its thanks for all her work, with best wishes for her new role.

RESOLVED

1.      that the Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved;

2.      that delegated authority be given to the Head of Strategic and Private Sector Housing in consultation with the Lead Member for Private Sector Housing to update the Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy on an annual basis subject to there being no financial or human resource implications arising from the proposals;

3.      that in the event of there being financial implications outside the existing approved budgets or resource implications exceeding the existing approved establishment arising from proposed revisions to the Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy, a further report on the proposed Policy be brought to Cabinet at the appropriate time.

4.      that the report of the Scrutiny Commission be noted.

Reasons 

1.      To ensure that the Council can meet its obligations that all properties let as residential dwellings and those in private ownership throughout the Borough are of good quality and well managed.

2.      To ensure that the Policy remains relevant and responsive during the lifetime of the Policy.

3.      To ensure appropriate approvals are sought before finalising changes to the Policy that have financial or human resource implications.

4.      To acknowledge the work undertaken by and the views of the Scrutiny Commission.

Councillors Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.

A report of the Head of Cleansing and Open Spaces.

Key Decision

Considered, a report of the Head of Cleansing and Open Spaces to consider the different commissioning options for the provision of household recycling and waste collections, as well as street cleaning beyond 31st March 2024 (item 11 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Councillor Seaton, Chair of the Scrutiny Commission, presented a report setting out the Commission’s pre-decision scrutiny of the matter and recommendation (copy filed with these minutes).

The Scrutiny Commission was thanked for its scrutiny of this item and items considered earlier in the meeting.

The Performance, Policy and Development Manager assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED

1.      that delegated authority be given to the Head of Cleansing and Open Spaces in consultation with the Strategic Director; Environmental and Corporate Services and the Cabinet Lead Member for Community Support to commence the contract procurement for the provision of household recycling and waste collections as well as street cleaning beyond 31st March 2024; 

2.      that Competitive Dialogue is the approved procurement route;

3.      that the report of the Scrutiny Commission be noted.

Reasons 

1.      To ensure that the Council continues complying with its statutory obligations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. 

2.      To benefit from the interaction with suppliers while developing the specification requirements, so that best value for money and optimum performance is achieved.

3.      To acknowledge the work undertaken by and the views of the Scrutiny Commission.

Councillor Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.

A report of the Head of Strategic Support.

Considered, a report of the Head of Strategic Support to consider the Council’s health and safety performance 2021/22 (item 12 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Head of Strategic Support and the Corporate Health and Safety Officer assisted with consideration of the report.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet note the Council’s health and safety performance over the preceding year as set out in the Appendix to the report.  

Reason

It is considered good practice by the Health and Safety Executive, the Institute of Directors and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for public bodies to publish an annual report on health and safety performance. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require all employers to review their health and safety management system. Since 2015 the Council has employed BS OHSAS 18001: “Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems” as its base system for managing health and safety.

Councillors Harper-Davies and Morgan, attending virtually, confirmed that they would have voted in favour of the above decision had they been physically present at the meeting and able to do so.