Agenda and minutes

The Members had before them:

A.    The Agenda papers (previously circulated); and

B.    The Minutes of the meeting held on 29 March 2018 (previously circulated).

Apologies were received from Mr A T Amos and Mr J H Smith.

Mrs L C Hodgson declared an interest in Agenda item 6 as a Governor of the Heart of Worcestershire College.

Dr K Pollock declared an interest in Agenda item 6 as a Director of Malvern Hills Science Park.

Mr S E Geraghty and Ms K J May declared interests in Agenda item 6 as members of the Worcestershire LEP Board.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case Wednesday 18 April 2018).  Further details are available on the Council's website.  Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed below.

None.

The Minutes of the meeting of 29 March 2018 have been previously circulated.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 29 March 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Cabinet considered its response to the Notices of Motion on plastics and non-recyclable cups referred to it by Council at its meeting on 15 February 2018. The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing debate the following principal points were raised:

·         Members from outside the Cabinet welcomed the steps already being taken to reduce the amount of plastics and non-recyclable cups. The Council should take immediate symbolic action and provide a lead and act as a role for other organisations in the county

·         A member from outside the Cabinet suggested that cup holders could be provided which could be funded through crowd-funding or possibly Worcestershire County Divisional Fund

·         A member from outside the Cabinet suggested that plastic straws should no longer be used and plastic beakers no longer provided at water points at County Hall

·         A member from outside the Cabinet queried whether the ban on the use of plastics by the end of the year being proposed by the Government would override the terms and conditions of the Council's contract with the caterer at County Hall. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services responded that although he was not aware of the details of the catering contract, most of the contracts entered into by the Council included a 'change of law' requirement for the contractor to comply with changes in legislation although there may be a cost

·         The Cabinet Member for the Environment was pleased with progress made so far. He requested more time to allow a detailed report to be brought to the June 2018 meeting of the Cabinet which would set out options and costings to enable the right decision to be made. The catering contractor had indicated that they were not resistant to change

·         The key for the Council was to determine its approach to the disposal of plastic waste, rather than taking potentially ineffective symbolic action. This Council had a good record in terms of its environmentally responsible approach to waste disposal but individuals needed to take responsibility for their own actions in terms of not dropping litter and ensuring proper disposal. The Council's Envirosort and Energy from Waste facilities were vital

·         The Leader of the Council commented that the Council needed to be proactive not only in terms of the disposal of its own waste but also encouraging sustainable behaviour in the community and it was sensible to await a more comprehensive report.

RESOLVED: that

a)    the content of the Notices of Motion referred to it by Council in February 2018 and progress to date be noted; and

b)    a full and detailed report be made to the 14 June 2018 Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet considered proposals for the future use of the outreach children's centre building "Sunshine at the Grove", The Grove Primary School, Malvern. The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         The Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced the report and commented that The Grove Primary School was looking to act in an integrated way by leasing the children's centre building for the continued provision of early childhood services. The facility would provide a model for future provision. He had been impressed by the professional and enthusiastic approach of the nursery leader at the school

·         This proposal would allow the school to benefit from being able to utilise a building that was no longer required for its original purpose and to extend early years provision for 2 year olds. In addition, parenting groups would benefit from the continued provision of support services for families at the Sunshine Children's Centre in Malvern and in the locality and through other community venues

·         As a result of the consolidation of the services provided by Action for Children, support services for families would continue to be provided in the locality as well as other community venues and this was welcomed.

RESOLVED: that

a)    the proposals for the future use of the outreach children's centre building Sunshine at the Grove as outlined in paragraphs 5-7 in the report be approved; and

b)    the Director of Children, Families and Communities be authorised to take all necessary steps to give effect to the above.

The Cabinet considered a report on the Worcestershire 5G Consortium. The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         The Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure introduced the report and commented that the DCMS had committed £4.81 to Phase One of the 5G Testbed and Trials Programme in the county. As a public body, the County Council would be able to claim back 100% of eligible costs incurred on the project. The programme was being led by the County Council with the support of the WLEP. Of the six successful bids nationally, Worcestershire 5G Consortium was the only site to be led by a County Council. This project could give Worcestershire businesses the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative new technologies with the help of the WLEP and some of the bigger employers in the county. 5G would be an improvement over 4G with faster broadband

·         The opportunity to bring employment to the Malvern area was welcomed. This was an exciting project and highlighted successful partnership working. It would show-case Worcestershire as a centre of excellence especially in relation to cyber security and robotics

·         The Worcestershire 5G Consortium was the only project that included a unique blend of advanced manufacturing and cyber security, as well as the inclusion of an education element provided by the Heart of Worcestershire College. This project was at the forefront of new wave of technology and would provide a boost to productivity

·         This project was a great example of using local employment and enterprise to generate wealth for the county

·         A member from outside the Cabinet queried whether partner organisations had signed up to the financial commitment to the project. The Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure confirmed that partnership funding was guaranteed

·         A member from outside the Cabinet expressed concern that the funding for the project from the DCMS would be received in arrears and queried whether there would be any implications for the Council's cash flow, limited reserves and the provision of services. The Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure advised that it was usual practice to receive funding from the Government in this manner. The Council had adequate reserves and there would be no impact on the Council's resilience or the provision of services. The Leader of the Council gave an assurance that there would be no impact on any other projects. The Interim Chief Financial Officer commented that it was normal practice to incur expenditure before the money was received from Government. Cash flow was analysed on a daily basis and she was confident that the Council would be able to manage the project as outlined in the report

·         In the context of the Council's overall expenditure, the associated costs of the project were relatively small 

·         The Leader of the Council welcomed the project. Technology had a significant impact on the economy and the Council wanted to take a lead role as part of the West Midlands engine. It was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1845.

The Cabinet considered the Resources Report. The details were set out in the report.

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

·         The Leader of the Council introduced the report and made the following points:

-        There were continual pressures on the  budget in respect of Children's and Adult Social Care. As a result, the Council had invested further in children's placements and the improvement journey. However the Council's finances were robust and sound

-        Framework-i would no longer be supported by the provider from December 2018 and therefore a replacement Social Care Management System was being sought. Council was therefore being requested to approve the addition of £2m to the Capital Programme for a replacement system

-        The outcome of the Government's Fair Funding consultation would feed into the Fair Funding Review. This consultation was vital because the Funding Formulae would influence the allocation of business rates and impact on the sustainability of the Council in the future. The consultation looked at the key drivers of cost for the Council which included Children's and Adult Social Care and kilometres of road used by HGVs. A robust response was being prepared to ensure that the changes to the formulae took place in a timely fashion

-        A Freedom of Information Request had been received and issues had been raised in the press concerning slides presented by CIPFA. These slides had been presented by CIPFA to an informal meeting of Cabinet members and the Strategic Leadership Team as part of the early budget-setting process in June 2017. Although the meeting itself had been public, the pressures disclosed in the subject matter of the slides had been made open to the public as part of the budget-setting process. These slides would be presented to the OSPB to provide an opportunity to discuss CIPFA's advice and reassure members of the robustness of the Council's developing finances. He would also welcome any early feedback from OSPB on the Council's budget. The Council faced similar demand pressures to other councils and these pressures would be continually monitored and any changes reported back

·         The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care commented that he hoped that a well-used, tried and tested and reliable system would be found to replace Framework-i. The process was complicated by the need to integrate aspects of Children's Social Care into any new system

·         The general thrust of the Fair Funding consultation which concentrated on real cost drivers was supported. The current system needed to be simplified and should reflect the up to date population figures particularly in relation to the age profile as well as the rural nature of the County to ensure that the Council received the appropriate amount of funding

·         It would seem that the Government's distribution of the Area Cost Adjustment was based on an entirely false premise using the PAYE system and therefore should be abolished or radically reformed

·         The Cabinet Member for Children and Families commented that the pressures associated with Children's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1846.