Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from County Councillor Azhar Ali.

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 declared.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2020 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Cabinet received a report that provided an update on the county council's 2020/21 revenue and capital financial position, as at the end of December 2020 and an updated Medium Term Financial Strategy covering the period 2021/22 to 2023/24.

It was noted that there was an ongoing and unprecedented uncertainty in relation to future local government funding and the financial impact of the COVID-19 emergency has exacerbated the problem.

Following the presentation of the report, it was proposed and agreed that consideration of recommendation (iv) be deferred to the next meeting of Cabinet on 4 February 2021.

Cabinet also passed on their thanks to the Leader, as the Cabinet Member with responsibility for finance and all officers for their continued effort to manage the council's finances.

Resolved: That;

  i.  The current forecast underspend of £7.951m on the revenue budget in 2020/21 be noted;

  ii.  The revised funding gap of £53.956m covering the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 as set out in the revised financial outlook forecast for the council be noted;

  iii.  The budget adjustments for 2021/22, and following years' changes, included in the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy, be approved;

  iv.  Recommendations to Full Council on 11 February 2021 for a Band D Council Tax for 2021/22, be deferred until the next meeting of Cabinet on 4 February 2021;

  v.  The contents of the county council's reserves position be noted; and

  vi.  The revised 2020/21 capital delivery programme of £157.979m and the forecast outturn of £124.772m, be noted.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the commencement of a procurement exercise in accordance with the county council's procurement rules for the provision of IT Hardware.

Resolved: That, the commencement of a procurement exercise for the provision of IT Hardware be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on revising the criteria for the Residents Parking Schemes, following an increasing number of request from residents.

Resolved: That, the Residents Permit Parking Schemes Essential Criteria as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

Cabinet considered a report that sought approval to revise the Skid Resistance Code of Practice which sets out the county council's approach to monitoring skid resistance, interpreting data, investigating accident sites and developing an annual programme of remedial and/or resurfacing works across Lancashire's A, B & C road network.

Resolved: That;

  i.  The Skid Resistance Code of Practice for A, B and C class roads be revised as described in this report and as set out at Appendix 'A', be approved; and

  ii.  The Director of Strategy & Performance be authorised to approve and publish the Skid Resistance Code of Practice, in consultation with the Deputy Leader of the County Council and Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval to submit the Schools Block budget pro-forma and the Early Years, High Needs and Central Schools Services Block budgets for 2021/22.

Resolved: That;

  i.  The report, including the 2021/22 Dedicated Schools Grant allocations, the final budget proposals for each funding block and any comments made by the Lancashire Schools Forum, be noted;

  ii.  The Acting Head of Service – Schools Finance be authorised to submit the final Schools Block budget pro-forma for 2021/22 to the Education and Skills Funding Agency by 21 January 2021, on the basis set out in this report;

  iii.  The 2021/22 budgets for the Early Years, High Needs and Central Schools Services Blocks be approved;

  iv.  The Dedicated Schools Grant Reserve underwrite the uncertainties around the 2020/21 Schools Budget; and

  v.  The decision be implemented immediately for the purposes of Standing Order C28(3) as any delay could adversely affect the execution of the county council's responsibilities. The reason for this is to ensure that the necessary pro-forma can be submitted to the Education and Skills Funding Agency by the required deadline of 21 January 2021.

Cabinet considered a report setting out the Children Looked After Sufficiency Strategy 2021 – 2024 and how the county council intended to meet its Sufficiency Duty for the children looked after, improve the quality and choice of placements, ensure the value for money and minimise the likelihood of suitable placements not being available locally.

Resolved: That, the Lancashire Children Looked After Sufficiency Strategy 2021 - 2024, as set out at Appendix 'A' of the report, be approved.

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

Cabinet received a report providing an update on the procurement process for Wennington Hall School and a proposal to consult on the Discontinuance of the Local Authority's Maintenance of the School.

It was noted that Appendix 'A' of this report was in Part II and appeared at Item 19 on the agenda.

Resolved: That;

  i.  The current position and next steps with regard to the implementation of the procurement process be noted; and

  ii.  A stage 1 consultation on the proposed discontinuance of the local authority's maintenance of Wennington Hall School be approved and that a further report on the outcome in March 2021 be received.

Cabinet received a report that proposed to increase the provision to support children to remain at home with support; to establish 2 reception units enabling better assessments of children in crisis, and to reconfigure the residential provision to enable Lancashire to care for more children and young people within the county boundary.

It was noted that this report had been originally published in Part II of the agenda, but had since been revised and re-published in Part I of the agenda.

Resolved: That;

  i.  The proposals to increase provision to support children and young people to remain at home, with support be agreed;

  ii.  The establishment of two reception units, enabling better assessments of children in crisis be agreed; and

  iii.  The reconfiguration of the offer to create additional capacity for complex children and young people enabling Lancashire to care for children and young people within the County be agreed.

Cabinet considered the draft Lancashire Safeguarding Adults Board Annual Report for 2019/20 attached as Appendix 'A' to the report.

Resolved: That, the contents of the report be noted.

The following urgent decisions have been taken by the Leader of the County Council and the relevant Cabinet Member(s) in accordance with Standing Order C16(1) since the last meeting of Cabinet, and can be viewed by clicking on the relevant link(s):

·  Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) led Mass Testing by Lateral Flow Device in the Lancashire County Council Upper Tier Local Authority Area

·  COVID-19 Designated Settings

·  Covid19 - Staff Reward

·  COVID-19 Winter Grant

·  Lead Member Appointment

·  Expansion of Mass Testing in Support of Department of Health and Social Care "Surge" Requirements

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

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 4 February 2021 at 2.00pm.

It was noted that the next meeting of Cabinet would be held at 2pm on Thursday 4 February 2021 as a virtual meeting.

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.

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.

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.

Cabinet considered a report on the Housing Infrastructure Fund - South Lancaster Growth Catalyst.

Resolved: That the recommendations set out in the report be approved.

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

Resolved: That Appendix A to Item 10 - Progress on the Implementation of the Procurement Process for Wennington Hall School and Proposal to Consult on the Discontinuance of the Local Authority's Maintenance of the School, be noted.