ModGov Infozone - Click to go to Tamworth Borough Council website

Agenda and minutes

Cabinet - Thursday, 6th April, 2023 6.00 pm

Venue: Town Hall, Market Street, Tamworth. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  01827 709264

Media

Items
No. Item

129.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J Oates

130.

Minutes of Previous Meetings pdf icon PDF 112 KB

To receive the minutes of the meeting held of the 8th September 2022 and the minutes of the previous meeting held on the 16th March 2023.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 8th September 2023 and previous meeting held on 16th March 2023 were approved as a correct record.

 

(Moved by Councillor A Farrell and seconded by Councillor  T Clements)

 

131.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

 

When Members are declaring a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

Minutes:

There were no Declarations of Interest.

132.

Question Time:

To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Executive Procedure Rule No. 13

Minutes:

None

133.

Matters Referred to the Cabinet in Accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

Minutes:

None

134.

Corporate Scrutiny Committee Recommendations to Cabinet pdf icon PDF 60 KB

(Report of the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee)

Minutes:

Report of the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee to update Cabinet and to make recommendations to it following consideration of the report of the Chief Executive on the Solway (Tamworth) Limited Update.

 

Following its consideration of the above item, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee agreed to make recommendations to Cabinet as set out below:

 

Recommendations

 

RESOLVED that the Committee recommended:

 

1.   That Cabinet wind up Solway (Tamworth) Limited.

 

(Moved by Councillor A Cooper and seconded by Councillor S Goodall)

 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

 

 

agreed that Solway (Tamworth) Ltd be put into dormancy to release associated savings

 

 

(Moved by Councillor R Pritchard and seconded by Councillor M Summers)

 

 

 

 

135.

Infrastructure Safety and Growth Scrutiny Committee Recommendations to Cabinet pdf icon PDF 19 KB

(Report of the Chair of the Infrastructure, Safety and Growth Scrutiny Committee)

Minutes:

Report of the Chair of the Infrastructure Safety & Growth Scrutiny Committee to update Cabinet and to make recommendations to it following consideration of the Staffordshire Sustainability Board at the meeting on 23rd March 2023.

 

Following its consideration of the above item, the Corporate Scrutiny Committee agreed to make recommendations to Cabinet as set out below:

 

Recommendations:

 

Resolved:

That the Committee endorsed the recommendations from the report:

 

 

 

 

1.

That the Staffordshire Sustainability Board joint communications plan (attached as Appendix 1 to the report), which sets out the 12-month programme of climate change awareness-raising and behaviour change activity, be adopted.

 

 

2.

 

That the Staffordshire County Council Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy (as attached in Appendix 2 to the report), be adopted.

 

 

3.

That the Borough Council commissions a borough-wide bespoke strategy to provide a framework for making decisions around EV charging in Tamworth, is endorsed.

 

 

4.

That the EV Charging update on the installation of 4 fast charging points is endorsed.

 

 

The Committee recommended to Cabinet the following additional recommendations be added to the report:

 

5.

That the Tamworth Borough Council EV Charging Strategy is received by the Committee in its draft form before the end of 2023.

 

 

6.

That the Installation of Charging Points within Tamworth be treated as a Cabinet Priority moving forward.

 

 

 

(Moved by Councillor S Goodall and seconded by Councillor P Turner)

 

 

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet

 

 

Endorsed the  recommendations from Infrastructure Safety & Growth Scrutiny Committee including the additional recommendations 5 & 6.

 

 

(Moved by Councillor R Pritchard and seconded by Councillor S Doyle)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

136.

Social Housing Regulation and Compliance - Council Housing pdf icon PDF 491 KB

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Homelessness Prevention and Social Housing To update Cabinet on the requirements of the consumer regulation agenda significantly impacting the Councils Housing Service, previously reported on 10/11/22 and set out the resourcing arrangements over the next 2-years to fulfil the Councils’ obligations to meet the required regulatory standards across its housing stock including collation and submission of the 22 Tenant Satisfaction Measures required by the Regulator of Social Housing from April 2023/2024.

 

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet

 

1.

Acknowledged the findings of the Internal Audit report (February 2023) giving       Audit & Governance Scrutiny Committee substantial assurance that the Councils preparedness for the proposed legislation is robust

 

2.

Agreed that Homelessness Prevention & Social Housing Sub Committee will debate progress of the Councils preparedness for the Social Housing (Regulation) legislation and that this will inform policy proposals to Cabinet on overall compliance; further noting that the co-opting of members of Tenant Consultative Group is being built into the next Constitutional review.

 

3.

Agreed to delegate the final detail and submission (including the Tenant perception         measures) to the Portfolio Holder of Homeless Prevention and Social Housing to         ensure collation (from April 2023) & formal submission (in April 2024) as required             under the Regulators directions using the Regulatory portal

 

4.

Supported feedback from Corporate Scrutiny on 14/3/23 & Homelessness Prevention & Social Housing Sub Committee on 16/2/23, resulting in a             proposed Programme/Project plan (shown at Annex Two) that will replace the raw detail in the improvement plan previously shared & developed to ensure it is     SMART , appropriately rated so that progress is clear and that the improvement plan is simplified for easy reference publicly. 

 

 

(Moved by Councillor A Farrell and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

 

137.

Staffordshire Sustainability Board Update pdf icon PDF 290 KB

(Report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Skills, Planning, Economy & Waste)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Skills, Planning, Economy and Waste to ask Cabinet to adopt the joint Staffordshire Sustainability Board Communications Plan 2023 which has been developed with the Staffordshire Sustainability Board in conjunction with all district and borough councils to help residents to reduce their carbon emissions and also  to adopt the Staffordshire County Council Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy which has been developed in conjunction with all district and borough councils to help residents to transition to electric vehicles.

 

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet

 

1.

Agreed to adopt the Staffordshire Sustainability Board joint communications plan (attached as Appendix 1 to the report), which sets out the 12-month programme of climate change awareness-raising and behaviour change activity,

 

2.

Agreed to adopt the Staffordshire County Council Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy;

 

3.

Endorsed that the Borough Council commissions a borough-wide bespoke strategy to provide a framework for making decisions around EV charging in Tamworth, is endorsed;

 

4.

Endorsed the EV Charging update on the installation of 4 fast charging points;

 

5.

Agreed to receive the Tamworth Borough Council EV Charging Strategy in its draft form before the end of 2023; and

 

6.

Agreed that the Installation of Charging Points within Tamworth is treated as a Cabinet Priority moving forward.

 

 

(Moved by Councillor S Doyle and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

 

138.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

To consider excluding the Press and Public from the meeting by passing the following resolution:-

 

“That in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meeting and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, and Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public  interest in disclosing the information to the public”

 

At the time this agenda is published no representations have been received that this part of the meeting should be open to the public.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

That members of the press and public be now excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that the business involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

 

 

(Moved by Councillor R Pritchard and seconded by Councillor A Farrell)

139.

Recovery & Reset Programme - Exit Strategy

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

Minutes:

Report of the Leader of the Council to provide an overview of the Recovery and Reset programme’s achievements against its original aims, reflecting on the narrative of change due to several external factors impacting the programme, such as the Pandemic itself, dynamic and changing citizen expectations, the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, and the Councils continued need to deliver high quality responsive and accountable core and statutory services.

 

To celebrate the success of the programme, specifically the associated £6.9m in efficiencies attributable to Recovery and Reset and its wider reach, as confirmed in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy report of 28th February 2023

 

And also to reflect on the delivery of Recovery and Reset as a blueprint for programme infrastructure going forward, with internal learning supported by views of both internal and external auditors, with substantial assurance and recognised good practice in terms of its governance and oversight.

 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

 

            1.

Endorse the formal closure of the programme and associated governance arrangements through Scrutiny Committees; further noting the internal learning, external assurances, and governance of the programme have provided a framework for project and programme infrastructure for corporate projects going forward;

 

2.

Recognise the achievements associated with the Recovery and Reset programme, specifically:

 

  1. Customer Service – Reception Facilities at the Assembly rooms operating 6-days a week with an acceleration of digital platforms allowing citizen contact and 24hr electronic access.

 

b.   Supporting Vulnerable People – assessed pandemic impacts leading to a range of community outreach services; officer surgeries and increases in home visits.

 

  1. Financial Efficiencies & Re-purposing of budgets - £6.9m in efficiencies built into the Council’s MTFS as of February 2023.

 

  1. SMART workforce that identifies site, hybrid and home working to ensure responsiveness and accountability to citizens supported by a suite of policies to reflect new ways of working;

 

  1. Service Re-design approach providing cultural transformation across key services such as treasury management, revenues and benefits shared head of service and transition from Community Wardens to a Neighbourhood Impact service.

 

 

  1. Making better use of our Physical Assets – De-commissioning Marmion House for re-development & Investment in our Town Hall as the Councils municipal headquarters; with a staged move to the ground floor of Marmion House pending its closure.

 

  1. Organisational Effectiveness – Transformation and Culture Change through co-ordinated Programme activity based on shared and collaborative aims.

 

3.

Acknowledged the final project highlight reports, and programme dashboard which outline which activities and risks are to be carried over into legacy projects as the Programme ends and projects transition back to Business as Usual.

 

 

(Moved by Councillor R Pritchard and seconded by Councillor M Bailey)