Agenda and minutes

That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 1 February 2021 be confirmed and signed as an accurate record of the proceedings, and that the outstanding actions be noted.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Sue Macmillan.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that 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 disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant 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.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

Councillor Lisa Homan stated that the Council had two discretionary property licensing schemes which would expire in June 2022. These schemes required landlords of privately rented houses and flats which met the criteria of the schemes to apply to the Council for a licence for each property. This report requested approval for officers to conduct a public consultation with a view to re-designating both schemes from June 2022 for a further 5 years. There had been a number of improvements to the private rented sector achieved under the licensing schemes.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY CABINET:

To agree that the Strategic Director for the Environment carry out the process of evidence gathering and public consultation in respect of the re-designation of the additional and selective licensing schemes.

Councillor Larry Culhane informed that the paper on the agenda related to Queensmill Special School academy conversion. They were currently working with the school to ensure all aspects of the transfer were done correctly. As a result, this paper would be updated and come back to Cabinet for approval in April.

This report was withdrawn from the agenda.

The Key Decision List was noted.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 - ACCESS TO INFORMATION

Proposed resolution:

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 3 of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.       

There was no discussion of exempt elements.