Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Thursday, 6th June, 2024 2.00 pm

Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings to watch them in person at any of the venues across the County. Publicly accessible meetings held in County Hall will be webcast, which means they are available to be watched live or recorded on our website. Please see our webcasting notice here. The Committee may, in certain circumstances, resolve to hold part of the meeting in private. If this is the case, you will be required to leave the meeting.

Venue: Committee Room 'B' - The Diamond Jubilee Room, County Hall, Preston

Contact: Josh Mynott 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from County Councillor Lorraine Beavers.

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

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.

Minutes:

None.

3.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 May 2024 pdf icon PDF 196 KB

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 May 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

4.

Questions for Cabinet

To answer any verbal questions and supplementary questions from a county councillor, about any matter which relates to any item under Part I on the agenda for this meeting under Standing Order C34(7).

 

To submit a question to Cabinet, click here.

 

There will be a maximum of 30 minutes for the questions to be asked and answered.

Minutes:

There were no questions for Cabinet.

5.

Corporate Performance Report - 2023/24 Quarter 4 pdf icon PDF 127 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report providing an overview of the performance of forty three Key Performance Indicators as well as corporate risks and opportunities to enable monitoring against the four priorities of the corporate strategy:

 

  • Delivering better services
  • Protecting our environment
  • Supporting economic growth
  • Caring for the vulnerable

 

Cabinet referred to lower than expected performance around sickness absence levels and the effects of this. Deborah Barrow, Head of People Services, gave a brief overview of the reasons for the current performance and what initiatives and support was being put in place to improve this.

 

The lower than expected performance for the successful completion of treatment for alcohol misuse, and not returned within 6 months, and the successful completion of treatment for opiates, and not returned within 6 months were also cause for concern. However, it was noted that an action plan had been put in place to address the situation and that, following publication on the agenda, both key performance indicators had improved.

 

Phil Green, Executive Director of Growth, Environment, Transport, and Health, and his staff were praised for their work, as it was noted that the strategic development and infrastructure initiative was almost at the 80% target that was initially set.

 

Resolved: That, following consideration of the report and the additional information set out in Appendices 'A' to 'C', the report be noted.

6.

Lancashire Local Access Forum - Revised Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report on the revised Terms of Reference for the Lancashire Local Access Forum.

 

Resolved: That the Lancashire Local Access Forum's revised Terms of Reference, as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

7.

Bus Service Improvement Plan 2024 Update pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report providing an update on the Bus Service Improvement Plan for 2024. It was noted that the report set out the background to the production of the Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen joint Bus Service Improvement Plan and subsequent revisions, including requesting approval of the 2024 update to the Bus Service Improvement Plan, which had to be submitted to the Department for Transport by 12 June 2024.

 

Resolved: That

 

  1. Approval be given for the updated Bus Service Improvement Plan documentation to be published on the Lancashire County Council website.
  2. The Executive Director for Growth, Environment, Transport and Health be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, and with the Enhanced Partnership Executive Board, to make any further minor updates to the draft Bus Service Improvement Plan as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report; and
  3. The decision be implemented immediately for the purposes of Standing Order C28 as any delay could adversely affect the execution of the county council's responsibilities. The reason for this is to ensure the Bus Service Improvement Plan is submitted to the Department for Transport by 12 June 2024.

8.

Local Transport Capital Block Funding: Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant pdf icon PDF 117 KB

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report on the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant from the Local Transport Capital Block Funding. It was noted that Lancashire County Council would receive £234,613 from the Department for Transport's Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant, which was to upgrade traffic signal systems by replacing obsolete equipment. It was also proposed to add the money to the Highway Block of the Capital Programme for 2024/25.

 

Resolved: That approval be given for the £234,613 funding from the Traffic Signal Obsolescence Grant, to be added to the Highway Block of the Capital Programme for 2024/25.

9.

SEND Sufficiency Strategy Implementation - Provision of Special Educational Needs Units in Mainstream Schools and Special School Places pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report that provided the results of the formal consultations to create Special Educational Needs Units at Barrowford Primary School, Rushton Street, Barrowford, and Brunshaw Primary School, Morse Street, Burnley.

 

It was noted that approval was being sought to delegate the final decision to increase the number of places available at Morecambe Road School, Morecambe to the Executive Director for Education and Children's Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, following the conclusion of the statutory formal consultation.

 

Resolved: That, following consideration of the results of the formal consultations, following the publication of the statutory proposal:

 

  1. The creation of Special Educational Needs Units within Barrowford Primary School, Nelson and Brunshaw Primary School, Burnley, be approved;
  2. The Executive Director for Education and Children's Services be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to review the outcomes on conclusion of the formal consultation, and to make a final decision to increase the number of places available at Morecambe Road School; and
  3. The Executive Director for Education and Children's Services and the Director of Finance be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to approve the funding for building alterations/adaptations and/or acquisition of resources or necessary expenditure. 

 

10.

Urgent Decisions taken by the Leader of the County Council and the relevant Cabinet Member(s)

The following urgent decision has been taken by the Leader of the County Council and the relevant Cabinet Member in accordance with Standing Order C15(1) since the last meeting of Cabinet, and can be viewed by clicking on the relevant link:

 

-  Request for Waiver of Procurement Rules - Permanent Cold-lay Surfacing Material

Minutes:

Resolved: That the urgent decision taken by the Leader of the County Council, and the relevant Cabinet Member, since the last meeting of Cabinet, be noted.

11.

Urgent Business

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.

Minutes:

There were no items of Urgent Business.

12.

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on Thursday 11 July 2024 at 2.00 pm at County Hall, Preston.

Minutes:

It was noted that the next meeting of Cabinet would be held at 2pm on Thursday, 11 July 2024 at County Hall, Preston.

13.

Notice of Intention to Conduct Business in Private

No representations have been received.

 

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

Minutes:

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

14.

Exclusion of Press and Public

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.

 

Minutes:

Resolved: That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and 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.

15.

Universal Support

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The report contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). 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.

Minutes:

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The report contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). It was considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Cabinet considered a report that provided an overview of the Department for Work and Pensions Universal Support programme (supported employment programme targeted at the economically inactive with disabilities/health condition/disadvantage).

 

Resolved: That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.