Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall. View directions
Contact: Stephen Boyd 01597 826374
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: There were no apologies for absence. |
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To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting held as a correct record. Minutes: The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 14th March 2017 as a correct record. |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda. Minutes: County Councillor AG Thomas declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item C83 – 2017 Admission Arrangements for the 2018-19 School Year as the Chair of Governors of Llangors C in W School who had written in was his neighbour.
The Leader advised that he was changing the running order of the agenda to take the report on the Brecon Cultural Hub next as the Portfolio Holder for Property, Buildings and Housing had to leave to attend another meeting. |
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Exempt Items The Monitoring Officer has determined that category 3 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules applies to the following items. His view on the public interest test (having taken account of the provisions of Rule 14.8 of the Council's Access to Information Rules) was that to make this information public would disclose information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
These factors in his view outweigh the public interest in disclosing this information. Members are asked to consider these factors when determining the public interest test, which they must decide when considering excluding the public from this part of the meeting.
Minutes: RESOLVED to exclude the public for the following item of business on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information under category 3 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007).
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Brecon Cultural Hub To consider a report on Brecon Cultural Hub. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet received an update report on Brecon Cultural Hub. Cabinet was advised that the costs of the project had increased since Council had agreed to provide additional funding for the project in January 2017. A funding shortfall caused by increases in construction costs and fees had been identified.
The Leader and Cabinet members expressed their concern at the rising costs of the scheme with the contingency sum recently approved by Council already committed and a further virement required. Cabinet also expressed concern at the project management of the scheme and at delays in identifying rising costs and bringing these to the attention of elected Members. Officers reported on a meeting that had been held with the consultants appointed as project manager. In addition the Council had appointed its own project manager. Officers would produce a report for the Audit Committee and Scrutiny on lessons to be learned. Cabinet was also concerned that the combined current revenue budgets for Brecknock Museum and Brecon Library would not be sufficient to run the Cultural Hub. Further detail on running costs would be provided to the Cabinet in the summer.
County Councillor Harris left the meeting. Cabinet went back into open session.
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Financial Overview and Forecast PDF 174 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Wynne Jones, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Minutes: Cabinet received the financial overview and forecast for the period ended 28 February 2017. The Portfolio Holder for Finance reported a projected overspend of £3,675k against the approved budget, an improvement of £682k on the January position. Schools delegated budgets remained a risk for the Council with a combined projected deficit of £4.4m in 2 years.
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Cabinet Response to Finance Scrutiny Panel Report on the Budget PDF 95 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Wynne Jones, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Minutes: In giving the Cabinet’s formal response to the Finance Scrutiny Panel’s report on the budget, the Portfolio Holder for Finance thanked the Panel for their work and the Chair, County Councillor John Morris, for his professional and constructive approach. Councillor Morris thanked his colleagues on the Finance Scrutiny Panel and officers for their support and wished Councillor Wynne Jones well.
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Cabinet response to the Finance Scrutiny Panel report on the Adult Social Care Budget PDF 93 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Stephen Hayes, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care. Minutes: The Portfolio Holder for Adult Services presented the response to the Audit / Finance Scrutiny Panel report into the overspend by Adult Social Care. The report set out the progress being made in relation to a number of the key areas addressed by the Audit/Scrutiny paper and the further work required.
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Admission Arrangements for the 2018-19 School Year PDF 79 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Arwel Jones, Portfolio Holder for Education. Additional documents: Minutes: County Councillor AG Thomas left the meeting while this item was being discussed having declared an interest.
Cabinet considered admission arrangements for primary schools in the Gwernyfed catchment area in 2018/19. Cabinet noted the letter received from the Chair of Governors of Llangors C in W School objecting to the reduction in admission numbers for 24 to 21 and the explanation in the report as to why the additional space should not be included in the school capacity calculation.
Councillor AG Thomas returned to the meeting. |
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ERW Business Plan 2017-20 PDF 77 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Arwel Jones, Portfolio Holder for Education. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet received the ERW business plan for 2017-2020.
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Powys Public Service Board - Well-being Assessment 2017 PDF 76 KB To consider a report by the Leader, County Councillor Barry Thomas. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet received the Powys Public Service Board (Powys PSB) Well-being Assessment. The Assessment was a key evidence base on which a statutory well-being plan would be developed and would also inform the council’s corporate planning arrangements.
Cabinet was advised that two emails had been received from members of the public challenging the data presented in the Environment Key Findings paper that there had only been 20 responses that expressed concern at the LDP Renewable Energy planning policy. Cabinet was adjourned for 5 minutes for members to read the emails. When Cabinet reconvened it was explained that the data was taken at a set point in time last year before the LDP consultation attracted hundreds of responses. Cabinet was advised that the emails would be forwarded to the Public Service Board and that the Environment Key Findings paper would be updated to reflect the responses received on the Renewable Energy planning policy. Cabinet was reminded that they were receiving the Well-Being Assessment for information and that the Powys Public Service Board was responsible for approving it.
Councillor Brown did not vote having missed the start of the debate. |
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2025: Powys Transformed - Strategic Planning PDF 107 KB To consider the report of the Chief Executive. Minutes: The Chief Executive set out the approach he had developed with his Management Team to deliver a long term sustainable service delivery model for the Council called 2025: Powys Transformed. The approach would be centred on 3 priorities with 2 further (enabling) priorities in place to support their delivery:
These would only be delivered by two ‘Enablers’
Management Team would continue to work on developing the narrative produced for Powys 2020 to illustrate what the transformed Powys will look like in 2025 for the new Cabinet and Council to consider after the local government elections.
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Strategic Overview Board PDF 74 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Wynne Jones, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Performance. Additional documents: Minutes: In presenting the minutes of the Strategic Overview Board meeting held on 21st March, the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Performance noted the positive contribution from the Scrutiny side. He asked that the information requested by the SOB be circulated before the end of this Council.
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Update from the Anti-Poverty Champion To receive an update from the Anti-Poverty Champion. Minutes: The Council’s Anti-Poverty Champion, County Councillor Joy Jones, supported by the Anti-Poverty Corporate Project Support Assistant reported back on the very successful Tackling Poverty Workshop held at Antur Gwy on 17 February. The event had been attended by 62 people representing Councillors, Council officers, third sector partners, service users and academics. Councillor Jones thanked Greg Thomas and Caroline Evans for their support. She wanted to build on the success by repeating the event and by establishing a Tackling Poverty Stakeholder Group.
The Leader thanked Councillor Jones for her work and expressed the hope that Anti-Poverty work would continue under the new Cabinet and asked for a further update report to be included in the Cabinet forward work programme for July.
Cabinet also thanked County Councillor Dawn Bailey for her outstanding work as the Council’s Dementia Champion. |
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Correspondence |
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Royal British Legion PDF 514 KB To receive and consider a letter from the Royal British Legion calling for the Council’s support for the Legion’s Count Them In campaign to change the UK census in order to capture data at a local authority level regarding the size and needs of the armed forces community. Minutes: Cabinet received a letter from the Royal British Legion calling for changes to the census to capture data regarding the size and needs of the armed forces community.
RESOLVED to refer the letter to full Council. |
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To receive such correspondence as in the opinion of the Leader is of such urgency as to warrant consideration. |
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Delegated Decisions Taken Since the Last Meeting PDF 50 KB To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting. Minutes: Cabinet received details of delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.
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Forward Work Programme PDF 63 KB To consider the Cabinet forward work programme. Minutes: Cabinet received the forward work programme.
The Leader closed the meeting by thanking his Cabinet colleagues, and in particular his deputy leaders, for their loyalty and dedication. He thanked the people of his ward for the honour of representing them and colleagues for the privilege of being made Chairman, then Leader of the Council. He was thankful for the help he’d received and expressed the hope that the Council would continue to provide backing for the dyslexia support officer. He wished retiring colleagues and those seeking re-election well for the future.
Members thanked County Councillor Barry Thomas for his leadership. Retiring Members, County Councillors Wynne Jones, Graham Brown, Tony Thomas and John Brunt, thanked the Leader for the opportunity to serve and paid tribute to fellow Cabinet members, including Avril York and to staff.
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