Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

Members are asked to consider any Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

There were no interests declared.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 17 January 2019 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Cabinet received an update on the county council's 2018/19 revenue financial position as at the end of December 2018 and an updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) covering the period 2019/20 to 2022/23. The MTFS reflected the final financial settlement for 2019/20 announced on 29 January 2019 and also included around £77m of savings proposals and management actions, identified through the service challenge process and aimed at delivering better and sustainable services at a lower cost that were agreed at Cabinet in December.

In particular it was noted that:

  i.  The 2018/19 revenue forecast outturn was £756.178m, representing a projected underspend of £8.462m (1.11%) of the agreed budget.

  ii.  The MTFS had been updated and revised slightly upwards and now indicated a financial deficit of £47.209m in 2022/23.

  iii.  The Council was forecast to hold a General Reserve against unforeseen issues of £23.437m representing c3% of net budget.

  iv.  The Council was forecast to hold £138.640m of uncommitted transitional reserve which would be sufficient to meet the deficit in 2019/20.

In presenting the savings proposals, it was confirmed that, following discussions with the Leader and Chief Executive of Pendle Borough Council, the county council was satisfied that on-street parking charges would not be required at the present time in the Pendle area.

Resolved: That

  i.  the current forecast underspend of £8.462m on the revenue budget in

2018/19 be noted.

  ii.  the increased funding gap of £47.209m covering the period 2019/20 to 2022/23 as set out in the revised financial outlook forecast for the Council be noted.

  iii.  the budget adjustments for 2019/20, and following years' changes, included in the revised MTFS, be approved.

  iv.  the contents of the county council's reserves position be noted and the transfers between reserves contained within the report be approved.

  v.  Full Council on 14 February 2019 be recommended to approve a Band D Council Tax for 2019/20 reflecting a 3.99% increase including 1% to be used for social care as per the new flexibilities.

  vi.  the in-year agreed capital programme is £120.903m with a forecast spend of £131.030m and therefore a delivery variance of £10.127m due to earlier than planned delivery of the multi-year programme, be noted.

  vii.  a 2019/20 capital delivery programme estimated at £130.289m as presented within the body of the report be approved.

viii.  additional prudential borrowing of £34.924m for 2019/20 as identified within the Capital Programme report be approved.

  ix.  the advice of the Chief Executive and Director of Resources in relation to the robustness of the budget and the adequacy of reserves be noted.

Cabinet considered a report setting out a draft corporate strategy for the county council, entitled 'Our Vision for Lancashire', and setting out the key objectives and ambitions for Lancashire. The report also set out high level key performance metrics, to enable the overall success and progress of the strategy to be demonstrated.

Resolved: That Full Council be recommended to approve:

  i.  The adoption of the county council's corporate strategy entitled 'Our Vision for Lancashire';

  ii.  A set of accompanying high level key performance metrics, noting the intention to engage scrutiny in their ongoing development.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to commence the following procurement exercises in accordance with the county council's procurement rules:

  i.  Provision of fresh bread and morning goods

  ii.  Carriageway Recycling.

Resolved: That the commencement of procurement exercises for the following areas be approved:

  i.  Provision of fresh bread and morning goods

  ii.  Carriageway Recycling.

This item was deferred to a later date.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval to revise a funding allocation approved in July 2015 in relation to the Burnley Pendle Growth Corridor programme in order to fund and implement a highway improvement scheme at the junction of Colne Road and Halifax Road in the centre of Brierfield.

Resolved: That

  i.  a funding allocation within Hyndburn Burnley Pendle Growth Corridor programme of £440,000 be approved for a scheme proposal in Brierfield, Pendle.

  ii.  a further report be presented to Cabinet in due course outlining proposals to deliver the sustainable transport improvements in Burnley with a contribution of £250,000 from the programme.

  iii.  the implementation of the Brierfield town centre scheme as outlined in the report be approved subject to consultation

  iv.  the sustainable transport element within the Hyndburn Burnley Pendle Growth Corridor be treated as fully committed.

Cabinet received a report setting out a Vehicle Restraint Systems Code of Practice, outlining the guidance to be followed in respect of the installation and maintenance of vehicle restraint systems on the adopted vehicular highway in Lancashire and the methodology to be used to risk assess and prioritise the inspection of vehicle restraint installations, in accordance with the UK Roads Liaison Group's national guidance publication 'Well Managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice'.

Resolved: That the Vehicle Restraint Systems Code of Practice set out in the report be approved

Cabinet considered a report on the determination of the admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled primary and secondary schools and sixth forms schools for the school year 2020/2021.

Resolved: That

  i.  the admission numbers and admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled primary schools, secondary schools and sixth forms for 2020/2021 as set out in the report be approved

  ii.  the issues raised by Community and Voluntary Controlled Governing Bodies be noted and a the recommendations set out in response, as set out in the report, be approved

  iii.  the admission numbers and criteria for admission set out in the report be approved to constitute the Authority's admission arrangements for 2020/2021.

Cabinet received a report concerning the determination of the statutory scheme and the mandatory timetable for co-ordinating admissions for Lancashire's primary and secondary schools and academies for 2020/21.

Resolved: That

  i.  the scheme listed at Appendix 'A', and its accompanying timetable in Appendix 'B', be adopted as the qualifying scheme for admissions to Lancashire primary and secondary schools and academies for 2020/21

  ii.  the Executive Director of Education and Children's Services be authorised to seek to secure the adoption of the scheme by the governing body of each Lancashire voluntary aided and foundation school and academy, in order to inform the Secretary of State for Education that a scheme has been introduced in Lancashire.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval of the Home to School Transport policy, noting that there were no significant changes from the previous year.

Resolved: That the Home to School Transport Policy for the academic year 2020/2021 as set out in the report be approved.

Cabinet received a report setting out proposals relating to fees and charges in the Libraries, Museums, Culture and Registrars Service following the annual review of charges to ensure that they support service efficiency and effectiveness, recover costs where this is appropriate and achievable, and as far as possible ensure consistency across the service.

Resolved: That changes to library and archive fees and charges witheffect from 1 April 2019 be approved as follows:

  i.  To increase the maximum fine limit on an individual library item from £6 to £7.

  ii.  To increase library photocopying charges for A4 black and white from 10p to 15p; for A4 colour from 25p to 50p; for A3 black and white from 10p to 25p and for A3 colour from 25p to 75p.

  iii.  To reduce the cost of borrowing DVDs from £2 to £1 for adults and to reduce the cost of children's DVD rental ('U' rated titles) from £1 to 50p.

  iv.  To introduce a reservation charge of 75p for CDs but to maintain the rental charge of 50p per week to bring into line with the reservation charge for printed books.

  v.  To introduce fines of 20p per day for the late return of spoken word items (audio books) to bring into line with fines imposed for the late return of printed books.

  vi.  To make a number of changes to hire charges and loan periods for materials borrowed from the music and drama collection as detailed in Appendix 'A'.

  vii.  To increase the cost of tokens for self-service prints from archive microfilm/fiche from 75p to 80p.

viii.  To increase the archive record agent administrative charge from £50 per annum to £55 per annum.

Cabinet received a report presenting a Multi-Agency Self-Neglect Framework, developed by members of the Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board in order to ensure that all partners, including the county council, meet their statutory responsibilities in relation to self-neglect.

Resolved: That the Multi-Agency Self-Neglect Framework as set out in the report be approved

Cabinet received a report setting out the outcomes of the consultation undertaken in relation to the proposed savings of £644,000 to the Adult Social Care budget which funds 24 hour care services in 14 sheltered accommodation schemes across the county, following an assessment undertaken of the long term suitability, in terms of size and design, of these 14 schemes to deliver an extra care service. Consultation was undertaken in 5 schemes identified as being the least sustainable and cost effective in the future.

Resolved: That

  i.  the cessation of the background care service (staff on site 24 hours per day) within 5 extra care schemes namely Beck View (Lancaster), Parkside Court (Morecambe), Plessington (Longridge) Torrentum (Thornton) and Croft (Freckleton) be approved.

  ii.  the Executive Director of Adult Services and Health & Wellbeing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, be authorised to determine the future provision of care in Molyneux Court, Preston.

  iii.  the extension of contracts, initially until the end of May 2019, with the option to extend for a further 3 months where circumstances within individual schemes require a longer implementation period be approved.

No urgent decisions have been taken since the last meeting of Cabinet.

There were no urgent decisions taken since the last meeting of Cabinet.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There was no Urgent Business.

The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on Thursday 7 March 2019 at 2.00 pm at County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of Cabinet would be held at 2pm on Thursday 7 March 2019 at County Hall, Preston.

No representations have been received.

Click here to see the published Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private.

Cabinet noted the Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private and that no representations had been received.

The Cabinet is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, it considers that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated against the heading to the item.

Resolved: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as indicated against the heading to the item.

(Not for Publication – Exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. It is considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.)

Cabinet considered a report on a waiver of procurement rules in relation to the provision of independent advice to the Pension Fund.

Resolved: That the recommendation set out in the report be approved