Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hollingworth B&C, First Floor, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16 1XU

Contact: Governance and Committee Services  Email: Governance.Committees@Rochdale.Gov.UK

Items
No. Item

47.

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor S. Smith, Councillor Wardle and Councillor L. O’Rourke.

 

An apology for absence had also been received from Councillor J. Taylor, Leader of the Conservative Group.

 

 

48.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 157 KB

To approve the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 29th August 2023.

Minutes:

Resolved - That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 29th August 2023 be approved as a correct record.

49.

Declarations of Interest

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

50.

Urgent Items of Business

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chair decides should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

Resolved

The Chair agreed to consider Agenda Item No. 11 - Transformation Programme as an urgent item.

 

The Transformation Programme had been listed on the Council’s Forward Plan for more than 28 days’ but had not been included on the agenda due to outstanding information having not been received prior to publication.

 

The Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that taking the decision was urgent and could not reasonably be deferred. 

 

The Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed to waiver the call-in process to allow the decision to be implemented immediately.

51.

Items for Exclusion of Press and Public

To determine any items on the agenda, if any, where the public are to be excluded from the meeting.

Minutes:

Resolved - That agenda Item No 10. Castleton Community Centre (Request for Capital Funding) and Item No. 11. Transformation Programme be considered following the exclusion of the press and public.

52.

Places for Everyone Modifications Consultation pdf icon PDF 348 KB

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing / Director of Economy.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing / Director of Economy that provided an update on the progress of the Places for Everyone Plan: A Joint Development Plan Documents for nine Greater Manchester local authorities and sought approval for the proposed modifications to the Plan.

 

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing introduced the report and explained that the next stage of the process was for the Council to undertake a consultation on the Proposed Main Modifications that were considered necessary in order to make the Plan sound.

 

Resolved

 

That Cabinet

 

1.  Noted the progress made in respect of the Places for Everyone Plan (PfE).

 

2.  Agreed that the PfE modifications (main, additional and those relating to the policies map), and associated supporting background documents, be subject to a period of representations, for a period of eight weeks commencing no earlier than 9th October 2023.

 

3.  Agreed the next steps for the production of the PfE Plan, as set out in section 5.17 of the report.

 

Reason for decision

 

In order to progress to adoption, the PfE Plan must be prepared in accordance with the 2004 Act and the 2012 Regulations.  The next stage of the process was the consultation on Proposed Main Modifications that were considered necessary in order to make the Plan sound.

 

Alternatives considered

There was not considered to be any reasonable alternative options. The proposed modifications had been identified in order to make the Plan ‘sound’. The regulations required consultation on any proposed main modifications and without this stage the Plan could not proceed.

 

The Chair of the Communities, Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed to waiver the call-in process, as it was necessary to commence the consultation period without delay.  Therefore the decision could be implemented immediately.

53.

Parking Enforcement Contract pdf icon PDF 180 KB

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Facilities / Director of Neighbourhoods.

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Facilities / Director of Neighbourhoods that sought approval to jointly procure a parking enforcement contract.

 

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Facilities commended the report, noting that the proposed arrangements represented the best value of the Council’s financial resources.

 

Resolved

 

That Cabinet

 

1.    Approved the proposal to jointly procure a new contract with Bolton, Trafford and Tameside Councils.

 

2.    Delegated authority to procure to the Director of Neighbourhoods, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Highways and Facilities, and the S151 Officer.

 

3.    Agreed that the Assistant Director (Legal, Governance & Workforce) be authorised to prepare and execute associated legal documentation in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

 

4.    Delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhoods, in consultation with the S151 Officer to award and sign any associated contracts, including extending the current provision to match the procurement timescales.

 

5.    Approved the Council undertaking a public consultation regarding the  Parking Enforcement Contract.

 

Reason for decisions

 

The decisions would allow the Council to undertake the work required to ensure it met its statutory duties.

 

Alternatives considered

 

For the Council to deliver the service ‘in-house’ – this option was not recommended.  Officers had produced a draft cost/budget plan for this option and it included the following assumptions:

 

  • Civil Enforcement Officers, TUPE would apply and there was a difference in staff contracts between the Council and NSL such as grade, training, working hours, holidays and sick pay.  This would result in the Council needing 12 officers to cover the same level of service that was currently provided by the contract.

 

  • Parking Team would need to restructure as the role of Parking Enforcement Manager was currently shared between Rochdale and Bolton within the contract and this generated a cost saving to both Councils.

 

  • Statutory training was required and budget would be required for this.

 

  • Recruitment of civil enforcement officers was considered continuous, as there was a relatively high turnover of staff in the role.

 

  • The Council was responsible for a lease on a building which NSL currently used, due to the Council moving mid-contract - in a new contract the cost would be passed back to the contractor.

 

  • Additional vehicle fleet and fuel, uniform and Personal Protective Equipment budget requirement.

 

  • Additional back office software and handhelds currently covered within the contract.

 

  • The annual budget estimate was £915k.  A breakdown of costs for this was provided in Appendix A of the report.

54.

Adult Social Care - Charging Policy Pre-Consultation Report pdf icon PDF 180 KB

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing / Director of Health & Care Integration.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing / Director of Health and Care Integration that sought agreement to commence a consultation regarding changes to the discretionary part of the Adult Social Care Charging Policy.

 

Resolved

 

That Cabinet agreed

 

1.    The proposed updates to the Adult Social Care Charging Policy, as set out in the report, be approved for public consultation.

 

2.    Subsequent amendments to the Policy, following consultation outcomes be delegated to the Director of Health and Care Integration (DASS & Deputy Place Lead) in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing.

 

Reason for decision

 

The Adult Social Care Charging Policy had been developed to incorporate all aspects of charging for Adult Social Care services and had last been reviewed in 2015.  In preparation of the Charging Reforms from the White Paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’, and as part of good practice; the current Adult Social Care Charging Policy had been reviewed.  A number of the proposed changes would either provide better clarity for people accessing care services or bring the Changing Policy in line with updated practice.

 

Alternatives considered

 

Not to approve public consultation on the updated Adult Social Care Charging – this option was not recommended.  It was considered best practice to regularly review the Council’s Charging Policy to ensure it met its legal obligations and the key principles upon which it was based. The last fundamental review of the Charging Policy was undertaken in 2015.

55.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To consider that the press and public be excluded from the remaining part of the meeting pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that discussions may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the provisions of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

Minutes:

Resolved

That, in accordance with the provisions under Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business.

 

Reason for the Decision: Should the press and public remain during consideration of the items, there may be a disclosure of information that was deemed to be exempt under Part 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

56.

Castleton Community Centre (Request for Capital Funding)

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment / Director of Neighbourhoods.

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment / Director of Neighbourhoods which set out the position in relation to a proposed refurbishment of Castleton Community Centre.

 

Councillor B. Sheerin, Ward Member for Castleton welcomed the report and highlighted the importance of the Community Centre to the residents of Castleton.

 

Resolved

That the recommendations, as set out in the private report, be approved.

 

Reason for decision

The detailed reasons for the decision were set out in the private report.

 

Alternatives considered

Full details of the alternatives options considered were set out in the private report.

57.

Further Delivery of the Transformation Programme

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for  Finance and Corporate / Director of Transformation.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance / Director of Transformation that provided an update regarding the Council’s Transformation Programme.

 

A financial discrepancy was noted in the recommendation.  It was confirmed that the information provided in section 4.3.1 of the report was correct.

 

Resolved

That, subject to an amendment to reflect the information provided in section 4.3.1 of the report, the recommendation be approved.

 

Reason for decision

The detailed reasons for the decision were set out in the exempt report.

 

Alternatives considered

Full details of the alternatives considered were set out in the private report.

 

The Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed the decision was urgent, as it would be detrimental to the Council to delay the Programme.  Therefore, it had been agreed to waiver the call-in process to allow the decision to be implemented immediately.