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.

None.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 December 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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 C35(7).

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

There were three questions for Cabinet.

A copy of the questions and the responses are attached to the minutes.

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

1. Adult Community Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services
2. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Service & Maintenance
3. Horticultural and Landscape Goods and Services
4. Residential Digital Front Door Platform
5. Openreach Agreements

Additional information, setting out the Equality and Diversity implications of each procurement exercise, had been circulated in advance of the meeting and is appended to these minutes.

It was noted that at the conclusion of the procurement processes, any award of contracts would be made under Section 9.52 (36) of the county council's Scheme of Delegation to Officers.

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

1. Adult Community Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Services
2. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Service & Maintenance
3. Horticultural and Landscape Goods and Services
4. Residential Digital Front Door Platform
5. Openreach Agreements

Cabinet considered a report that set out a proposed change on the codes of practice in relation to highway drainage cleansing, to deliver more effective cleansing of all gully assets.

In presenting the report, County Councillor Swarbrick indicated that paragraph 24 of the report should, for the purposes of clarity, be amended to remove the words "of flooding". Therefore, the paragraph would read:

"24. In addition to the reports considered on the matrix above, all reports relating to highway drainage systems will be carefully considered, in particular:

-  Information and evidence provided.

-  History of the area.

-  Date of the next scheduled cleanse.

-  Potential impact of issues reported."

Resolved: That

1. The 2 year (2025/2026 and 2026/2027) expansion of the cyclic gully cleansing programme and risk based approach to reactive gully cleansing to encompass all highway gully assets within the county council's remit, be approved; and
2. The Director of Highways and Transport be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, to make the associated amendments to the county council's guidance and codes of practice in relation to gully cleansing.

Please note that Appendix 'A' to this report is in Part II and appears as Item No. 17 on the Agenda.

Cabinet considered a report proposing the allocation of schools capital funding to address a further phase of high priority building condition repairs on Community, Voluntary Controlled and Maintained Schools in Lancashire.

Cabinet also received a brief update on the Preston Secondary Schools Development proposals.

It was noted that Appendix 'A' to the report was in Part II and appeared at Item No. 17 on the Agenda.

Resolved: That

i.  The proposed list of maintenance schemes in Lancashire schools, as detailed at Appendix 'A' of the report, totalling £13.999m, be approved as a further phase of high priority school repairs, subject to the grant settlement for 2025/26 being £14m; and

ii.  The Director of Finance and Commerce be authorised, in consultation with the Executive Director for Education and Children's Services and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, to approve any necessary adjustments to the programme once the final funding settlement is announced.

Cabinet considered a report on the Schools Budget for the 2025/26 financial year.

It was noted that Appendix 'B' of the report, which related to the recommendations of the Lancashire Schools Forum made at its meeting on 10 January 2025, had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting, as part of a Supplementary Agenda.

In presenting the report, Cabinet thanked Daniel Ballard, Chair of the Schools Forum, and all members of the Schools Forum for their work.

Resolved: That, following consideration of the recommendations made by the Lancashire Schools Forum at Appendix 'B' of the report:

  i.  The 2025/26 budget allocations for the Schools Block, Early Years Block, High Needs Block and Central Schools Services Block for 2025/26, be approved; and

  ii.  The Principal Accountant – Schools Finance be authorised to submit the final Schools Block budget return for 2025/26 to the Education and Skills Funding Agency by 22 January 2025, on the basis set out in the report.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to prepare a full business case for the A582 Major Road Network Focused Scheme, as well as requesting use of the county council's powers of Compulsory Purchase and to authorise both the preparation of Compulsory Purchase and Side Road Orders and a Statement of Reasons for the junction configuration at and near the Croston Road Junction in the Moss Side and Farington Division, and to acquisition by agreement to facilitate that part of the scheme.

The report also sought approval to use up to £6m of previously approved local match funding to facilitate the ongoing development activity, including the matters in the report, and land acquisition.

Resolved: That

  i.  The preparation of a Full Business Case for the A582 Major Road Network Focused Scheme be approved;

  ii.  The use of the county council's powers of Compulsory Purchase contained in the Highways Act 1980, and all other enabling legislation, to acquire all the necessary land and rights of access for the construction/improvement and future maintenance and drainage of the proposed Croston Road Junction forming part of the A582 Focused scheme and the realigned rights of way network associated with this together with landscaping and ecological mitigation, as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved;

  iii.  The preparation of Compulsory Purchase and Side Road Orders and a Statement of Reasons for the junction configuration as part of the Focused scheme at and near Croston Road Junction and other appropriate Notices, Orders and Schemes under the Highways Act 1980 and the taking of all other procedural steps in connection with the Orders and Schemes be authorised, prior to approval and sealing and making of the formal Orders and Schemes in 2025.

  iv.  The acquisition by agreement in advance of Compulsory Purchase powers of all rights, interests, enabling arrangements to facilitate the A582 Major Road Network Focused Scheme, be approved; and

  v.  The use of up to £6m of the local match funding to be used earlier than previously approved to facilitate ongoing development activity and land acquisition, be approved.

Please note that Appendix 'A' to this report is in Part II and appears as Item No. 18 on the Agenda.

Cabinet considered a report setting out a proposal to develop an Innovation Hub facility at the internationally significant Samlesbury Enterprise Zone following an allocation of £6m Devolution Capital Funding as part of the broader £20m Lancashire Combined County Authority allocation by government for a series of projects across Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen.

The report also provided an update on a range of key workstreams facilitating the delivery of the Enterprise Zone including, progress made on the broader site preparation programme, the commercial master planning of Zone A to complement the proposed Innovation Hub, the securing of an updated Local Development Order and of the future marketing strategy. 

It was noted that Appendix 'A' to the report was in Part II and appeared at Item No. 18 on the Agenda.

Resolved: That

  i.  The allocation of the £6m devolution funding towards the proposed Samlesbury Enterprise Zone Innovation Hub facility, be approved.

  ii.  An initial allocation of £0.6m from Devolution Capital Funding to procure and commission the professional team to undertake a detailed design and costing exercise, advise upon the delivery programme and support the county council in assessing risk and a potential mitigation strategy, be approved.

  iii.  The Director of Growth and Regeneration be authorised, in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance, the Director of Finance, and the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Growth, to agree and enter into any legal documentation/contracts associated with the appointment of the professional team and required activities.

  iv.  The project principles as expressed in this report and the provisional allocation of a £7.2m county council contribution towards the current estimated total Innovation Hub capital cost of £13.2m be approved, subject to Full Council approving the proposed capital programme for 2025/26 onwards; and

  v.  The additional steps and actions as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on the Stronger and Safer Communities Framework. It was noted that the Stronger and Safer Communities Framework presented the roles and responsibilities of Lancashire County Council in relation to community safety, including serious violence. It was also noted that this was a significant policy impacting on communities across Lancashire which would facilitate compliance with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

Resolved: That

  i.  The Stronger and Safer Communities Framework as detailed at Appendix 'A' of the report, which set out the county council's responsibilities to meet the Serious Violence Duty, be approved; and

  ii.  The Director of Public Health, Wellbeing and Communities be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services, to make any future minor amendments to the framework.

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

There had been 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 were no items of Urgent Business.

The next meeting of Cabinet will be held on Thursday 6 February 2025 at 2.00pm at County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that the next meeting of Cabinet would be held at 2pm on Thursday, 6 February 2025 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 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.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. Appendix 'A' 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.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The appendix 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.

Resolved: That Appendix 'A' to Item 7 - Capital Strategy for Schools – Condition Led Capital Investment Programme 2025/26, be noted.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. Appendix 'A' 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.

Exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The appendix 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.

Resolved: That Appendix 'A' to Item 10 - Samlesbury Enterprise Zone Update and Innovation Hub Proposal, be noted.