Agenda and minutes

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18^th July 2011 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

There were no apologies for absence.

If a Councillor has any prejudicial or personal interest in a particular report he/she should declare the existence and nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of the item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a prejudicial interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter. The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken, unless a dispensation has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Where members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance, then the Councillor with a prejudicial interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration, unless the disability has been removed by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

1.         That the changes to the capital programme as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

2.         That approval be given to the changes to the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account revenue budgets as set out in Appendix 2.

1.   That the Council has not undertaken any borrowing for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 be noted.

2.   That the investment activity for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 be noted.

That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Community Care, in conjunction with the Acting Director of Community Services and the Assistant Director (Legal and Democratic Services), to award a Framework Agreement for the provision of Self Directed Support Services.

That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Residents Services, in conjunction with the Director of Residents Services, to agree with the Council’s providers GLL and Virgin Active the terms, including any profit share, on which they will implement a new leisure card based on existing concessionary offers already provided and manage this on the Council’s behalf.

1.   That the lowest tender submitted by Bell Decorating & Building Limited be approved.

2.   That the contract is expected to start on 10 October 2011 for a period of 14 weeks be noted.

1. That Edith Summerskill House be declared surplus to Housing and Regeneration Department requirements (subject to consultation with secure tenants and leaseholders, to achieving vacant possession).

2. That tenants (and any leaseholders the Council will have a duty to rehouse) of Edith Summerskill House be awarded  decant status with immediate effect and that decant costs be paid.

3. That officers be authorised to serve (when they consider appropriate) interim and final demolition notices on secure tenants of Edith Summerskill House to inhibit any future Right to Buy applications.

4. That at the appropriate time officers are authorised to seek Secretary of State approval for a redevelopment scheme in respect of Edith Summerskill House for the purposes of Ground 10A of Schedule 2 Housing Act 1985 and do all things incidental, in order to recover possession; the Director of Housing and Regeneration to consider any representations received in any consultation connected with the approval of a redevelopment scheme for Ground 10A purposes or otherwise and to report back only if he considers it necessary.

5. That the Director of Housing and Regeneration be authorised (with the approval of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services) and in conjunction with the Head of Valuation and Property Services to acquire or terminate by negotiation or otherwise all interests in Edith Summerskill House and to authorise the making and implementation of any requisite compulsory purchase order and to do all things consequential or incidental to any of the foregoing.

6. That officers be authorised to procure from potential developers a bid or bids to purchase and refurbish or redevelop Edith Summerskill House (where   appropriate) via any applicable EU procurement route; the development brief to be approved by the Cabinet Members for Housing and for Environment and Asset Management and the final selection of purchaser/developer to be made or approved by Cabinet.

7.  That 100% of the capital receipt (after the deduction of appropriate costs) is used for future affordable housing and regeneration purposes be approved.

1.  That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Housing, in conjunction with the Director of Housing and Regeneration, to implement fixed service charges for all Council Tenants from 1 April 2012 for:

-              caretaking

-              CCTV

-              communal lighting

-              concierge

-              door entry

-              cleaning

-              grounds maintenance

-              heating

-              TV aerials

-              Fire alarms

-              lift maintenance

-              window cleaning

2.             That approval be given for funding of £50,000 to implement Fixed Service Charges.

1.     That the letting of a contract under the Decent Homes Partnering Framework Agreement Area 6 with Breyer Group PLC be approved.

2.     That contract is expected to start on 10 October 2011 for a period of 52 weeks be noted.

1. That Cabinet notes the contents of the report and approves the guidance to be provided to registered providers in the borough in determining their rent setting regime for the new affordable rent tenure for both new build and up to 50% of existing social rented dwellings converting to affordable rent as follows:

     1 bed rent of no more than £ 250 pw

     2 bed rent of no more than £ 290 pw

     3 bed rent of no more than £ 340 pw

     4 bed rent of no more than £ 400 pw

      (rents to include service charges)

2.  That the Director of Housing and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member of Housing, reviews this guidance on an annual basis.

3.  Where Registered Providers have nomination rights they should promote working households who can afford affordable rent. Registered Providers  should have regard to existing levels of benefit dependency in an area and seek to achieve mixed and balanced communities.

That the fee cost of a Development Agent to support the delivery of  new affordable homes be funded from the Decent Neighbourhoods Fund as capitalised expenditure, and from previously approved Section 106 balances in the case of revenue expenditure be approved. 

The Forward Plan was noted.

The summary was noted.

The summary was noted.

The Cabinet is invited to resolve, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the remaining items of business on the grounds that they contain information relating to the financial or business affairs of a person (including the authority) as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

[The following is a public summary of the exempt information under S.100C (2) of the Local Government Act 1972.  Exempt minutes exist as a separate document.]

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18^th July 2011 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

That the report be noted.

That the recommendation on the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendation on the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendation on the exempt report be approved.

That the recommendation on the exempt report be approved.

The Summary was noted.