Agenda and minutes

Venue: Grey Room - York House - Windsor

Contact: David Cook  01628 796560

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

To receive any apologies for absence

Minutes:

There were no apologies received.

2.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 219 KB

To receive any declarations of interest

Minutes:

Councillor Rayner declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in item 6iii Financial Update regarding Heathrow expansion. She left the room for the duration of the discussion and voting on the item.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 76 KB

To consider the Part I minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2019.

Minutes:

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Part I minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2019 were approved.

4.

Appointments

Minutes:

Property was added to Cllr Johnson’s portfolio making him the Lead Member for Infrastructure, Transport Policy, Housing and Property.

5.

Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 68 KB

To consider the Forward Plan for the period August 2019 to November 2019

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the contents of the Forward Plan for the next four months and noted the changes since the last meeting including the reports Maidenhead Station Car Park Lease and the Communications Strategy being added to August Cabinet.  That the Drug and Alcohol Services Contract Extension and Sierra House move from August to September Cabinet.  That a report Windsor Town Centre Master Plan be added to the September Cabinet.

6.

Cabinet Members' Reports

6a

Highways and Transport Investment Programme 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 228 KB

Minutes:

The Lead Member for Infrastructure, Transport Policy, Housing and Property introduced the report regarding the implementation of the highways capital works programme.

 

Cabinet were informed that the budget for 2019/20 approved by Council included  investment of £11.8 million to further maintain and improve highways infrastructure including roads, bridges, street lighting and road safety. Within the £11.8 million was an allocation of over £3 million for annual works programmes, such as road resurfacing.  This report seeks approval to the detailed schemes which make up the generic works programmes.

 

This investment was part of the administration’s commitment to invest £50 million over the next four years including the 24 hour pot hole pledge.   The Lead Member also informed that he intended to bring forward the following schemes from the reserve list and accommodate them in this year’s programme, they were: 

 

·         Boyn Hill, Stamfird Road, Lexington Avenue, Longleat Gardens, Welbeck and Penhurst.

·         Wraysbury, Railway Bridges and associated works.

 

The Chairman mentioned that the report represented significant investment and asked if the brought forward schemes could be accommodated within budget.  The Lead Member confirmed that the schemes added to the list could be accommodated with the allocated budget and that this was significant investment with works underway. 

 

The Lead Member for Finance and Ascot reported that he was pleased to see the flood relief schemes in Ascot with additional land drainage supplementing the £90k spent the previous year.

 

The Lead Member for Planning thanked the Lead Member for including Oakley Green Road speed reduction scheme as this fulfilled a promise to residents. 

 

The Leader of the Local Independents asked what priorities appendix A would be  changed to accommodate the additions from the reserve list.  The Lead Member reported that the costings from the reserve list schemes was still underway but as soon as any amendments were known he would let the appropriate ward members know.

 

The Lead Member for Adults, Children and Health reported that he was pleased to see the schemes in Boyn Hill being added to the list especially Stamfird Road, Lexington Avenue.

 

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

i.              Endorses the implementation of the programme of work set out in Appendix A.

 

ii.            Delegates authority to the Interim Director of Adult Services and Deputy Director Strategy & Commissioning, in consultation with the Lead Member for Infrastructure, Transport Policy, Housing and Property, to agree minor amendments to the approved schemes (within approved budgets) and implement reserve or substitute schemes should this become necessary

 

6b

Energy Contract Procurement pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Minutes:

The Lead Member for Sustainability, Waste Services and Economic Development introduced the report regarding how the Council planned to procure its electricity and gas and if the Council wished to purchase electricity generated from renewable sources.

 

Cabinet were informed that the Council purchased approximately £2 million a year of electricity and gas through the Crown Commercial Services framework. The framework ensured OJEU compliance and provided good value for money due to its £2 billion purchasing power.

 

Approval to continue with this arrangement was requirement to ensure compliance with the Council’s own procurement rules and the addition spend to ensure only renewable energy sauced tariffs were used.  The Lead Member informed Cabinet that no nuclear power would be purchased.  The Corporate Leadership Team, in consultation with the Lead Member, would look at specific purchasing strategies. 

 

Resolved unanimously:  that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

      I.        Agrees to continue using Crown Commercial Services frameworks to purchase electricity and gas.

    II.        Delegates authority to the Corporate Leadership Team in consultation with the Lead Member on specific purchasing strategies

   III.        Commits to only purchasing electricity generated from renewable technologies

 

6c

Financial Update pdf icon PDF 260 KB

Minutes:

(Cllr Rayner left the room for the duration of this item and did not take part in the discussion or vote.)

 

The Lead Member for Finance and Ascot introduced the latest financial update report. 

 

Cabinet were informed that revenues and benefits had reduced its overspend by £150,000 to £200,000 as a result of housing benefit overpayment and debtor reduction.  That there was an addition of £30,750 to member budgets, it was noted that the allocation of these budgets would be at a reduced administrative burden.  There was also £75,000 to be allocated to the revenue budget for the continued legal challenge to Heathrow airport.

 

The Managing Director had confirmed that there were no variances in his directorate, there continued to be pressures within domiciliary care but this was being managed.  There were also potential pressures in relation to parking income and within communications.  The tourism function within communications was due to be delivered under a different model, as our partners had not initially been willing to contribute to this function there is an emerging pressure, further discussions with partners are ongoing that may see them contribute to retaining the tourism centre.

 

The Chairman reported that there was an error in section 4.1 and instead of the reported overspend of £509,000 it should read a projected position of £359,000.

 

Cllr Targowski attended Cabinet in his role as Chairman of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Panel and asked that given the reported pressures and long term borrowing forecast was the Lead Member confident in the financial management and budget controls of the council.

 

The Lead Member replied that the Managing Director was adamant that all identifiable risks be exposed within the financial update report and at the last Cabinet meeting the Lead Member had reported that unless there were exceptional circumstances there would be no additional capital or revenue spend.  Cabinet were also informed that Corporate O&S Panel would also be considering the auditor’s report and looking at the audited accounts. 

 

The Lead Member informed that the Managing Director and Head of Finance promoted a whole system approach where accountants interacted with service managers with quality reports being produced that identified risks and challenged service areas.  This was a proactive approach and he was content with the financial controls.

 

Cabinet were also informed that with regards to borrowing he had introduced a new histogram to the report.  There was an extensive capital and regeneration programme backed up with cash flow, the Lead Member was confident with the council’s ability to pay down any borrowing.   Work was ongoing reviewing the management of the capital programme.  The Lead Member said that there was considerable strength in managing high risk, high cost services, there was a better analytical approach and borrowing was under control. 

 

Cllr Jones asked for clarification on sections 4.5, parking pressures and 4.10 Communities, Enforcement and Partnerships.  She also asked if long term and short term borrowing was under control.  The Lead Member replied that they were being reported as potential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

6d

Old Windsor Neighbourhood Plan Decision to Proceed to Referendum pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Planning introduced the report regarding the Old Windsor neighbourhood plan, which has been scrutinised by an independent examine, and was ready to go to referendum.

 

The Lead Member thanked Cllr Bateson,  who had been the lead on neighbourhood plans over the past few years, for all her work that had resulted in the Royal Borough having two planned areas, three more seeking area designation and a further two under examination.  Old Windsor was the fourth plan to reach this stage in the process of adoption. 

 

The cost of the referendum was covered by the Government and it required 50% of those voting in the referendum for it to proceed.  The Lead Member thanked the parish council and local residents for all their work on the plan.

 

Cllr Jones, who was a ward member for Old Windsor, reported that this was great news for Old Windsor lead by the parish council chairman.  She however did question why recommendation three gave permission to the Head of Planning to make amendments.  The Lead Member informed that the amendments were non material and usually just typing errors.   It was agreed that any amendments would also be in consultation with the Old Windsor Planning Group. 

 

Cllr Bateson reported that she was pleased to see the Old Windsor plan get to this stage and thanked all the local residents that lead on this.

 

Resolved unanimously: that Cabinet notes the report and:

 

i)     Confirms that the plan meets the Basic Conditions tests and an SEA has been carried out.

ii)    Accepts the proposed changes to the Neighbourhood Plan set out in Appendix B.

a.    Gives delegated authority to the Head of Planning to issue a decision statement; and

b.    agrees to put the modified Neighbourhood Plan to referendum.  The date of the referendum to be set in accordance with the legal requirements; and

iii)   Delegates authority to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning and the Old Windsor Neighbourhood Planning Group, to make minor, non material, amendments to the Neighbourhood Plan prior to the referendum being announced.

iv)   Provides advance funding up to £20,000, if required, for the referendum; this will then be claimed back from Government.