Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests made.

(a)  To agree the minutes from the meeting of Cabinet on 30^th August 2016

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 30^th August 2016 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources, which would also be considered by Council on 11^th October 2016, that presented a Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), incorporating an Efficiency Plan for 2017-2020 for adoption by the City Council.The previous strategy was approved in December 2015.The Strategy set out the financial planning foundations that supported the Council’s vision and priorities and lead to the setting of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets.

The government was to commit to 4 year funding settlements to local authorities in order to encourage efficiency savings. To qualify, each local authority needed to produce an Efficiency Plan setting out how the authority intended to increase efficiency over the planning period.

Looking forward, the Council’s pre-budget report would be brought to members on 29th November 2016, followed by the budget setting report in February 2017.

Local authorities would continue to face severe financial pressures for the foreseeable future in what were very uncertain times. Although the previous government policy of targeting a budget surplus by 2020 had been dropped, following the EU referendum, the downgrading of growth forecasts indicated that the severe financial pressures on public finances would continue.  The fundamental factor shaping the City Council’s MTFS remained that of unprecedented financial pressure leading to further significant reductions in spending levels that were likely to continue in the period up to at least 2020.

In summary, the national and local contexts that framed this Strategy included:

·  A paramount need to protect the most vulnerable people in the city including children at risk, children and young people in care, victims of domestic abuse and vulnerable adults and older people;

·  Significant reductions in government resources with a fall of c£95m in the 5 years to 2016/17 and a further fall of c£25m in the next 3 years;

·  Fast population growth causing greater demand or expenditure pressures in areas such as housing, social care and waste disposal;

·  A move towards greater localisation of income, including business rates by 2020, and uncertainty arising from the review of the business rates system and other funding programmes;

·  The increasing importance of promoting growth in the local economy;

·  Upward pressure on Pension Fund contributions, in particular to fund pension past service deficits;

·  The transfer of schools to Academy status putting increasing pressure on the Council’s core education functions and other services that trade with the city’s schools;

·  More complex service delivery models across the Council driven by the need to modernise and rationalise services and work in tandem with partners and neighbouring authorities;

·  Continued expectations on the Council to maintain service levels and standards across the full range of core services despite the financial challenges;

·  The development of the West Midlands Combined Authority providing a source of financial support for key transformation programmes.

Taken together, these factors represented a combination of reducing resources, challenging underlying economic and demographic conditions, increased demand, a heightened need to improve the quality of services and new challenges represented by government reform  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that set out proposals for the rebuilding of Tiverton Primary School on the former Alice Stevens School site that would provide an additional 46 places for pupils who had severe and complex learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Following public consultation, an Official Journal of the European Community tender process was carried out to select a consultant design team and partnering contractor. IDP Architects and Farrans Construction were appointed. The design proposal had been developed with the school and a planning application submitted in July 2016. Subject to approvals construction work was planned to commence in October 2016, for the new school building to become operational in autumn 2017. Based on the scheme proposals, the estimated total costs were £10.5m which would be funded by Department for Education grant allocations as detailed in Section 5.1 of the report.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Approves plans for the rebuilding of Tiverton Primary School as part of the Council’s Broad Spectrum Special Education Needs Strategy;

2)  Approves total capital expenditure of £10.5m for the rebuilding of the school to be funded by DfE capital grant allocations as set out in Section 5.1 of the report.

3)  Delegates authority to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills to approve any subsequent changes to the Scheme arising from the ongoing assessment of future demand for Special Educational Needs places within the Authority.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought the approval of amendments to the Public Space Protection Order (Coventry Dog Control) (the Order) that had been approved by the Cabinet on 6^th January 2016 (minute 97/15 referred).

Following implementation of the Order on 15^th June 2015, the Cabinet created a Cabinet Consultative Committee to monitor the efficacy and effectiveness of the Order and make such recommendations as were deemed necessary. Their views and recommendations had resulted in proposed minor changes to areas within parks that were covered by the Order. A 30 day public consultation was carried out on the proposed changes and details of the findings were set out in an appendix to the report, a further appendix provided maps of parks and the proposed changes. Cabinet were requested to agree the suggested amendments from the Public Consultation and the Cabinet Consultative Committee.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet agrees to the amendments to the designated areas under the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (Coventry Dog Control). 

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which would also be considered by Council on 11^th October 2016, that sought endorsement of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the planned distribution of employment land within Coventry and Warwickshire.

The MoU, attached as an appendix to the report, was presented to the Coventry, Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth Joint Committee (CWHJC) at its meeting on 21^st July 2016. For the avoidance of doubt, the report only related to the six local authorities of Coventry and Warwickshire (Coventry City, Rugby Borough, Warwick District, North Warwickshire Borough, Stratford on Avon District and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough). The MoU was accompanied by a covering report which recommended the MoU be endorsed by each of the six authorities.

The MoU sought to ensure the current employment land requirements of the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region were planned for in full during the current round of Local Plans. In doing so it primarily responded to the fact that Coventry City was unable to accommodate its full employment land requirements within its own boundaries. In this respect it was similar to the housing requirements MoU agreed at the Joint Committee in September 2015 and endorsed by the City Council in January 2016. It was also a vital component of the City’s ability to demonstrate its responsibilities under the Duty to Cooperate were satisfied in relation to the delivery of employment land.

Over the course of 2016, the MoU had been developed by all six authorities with further support from Warwickshire County Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Its development had been supported by an officer and member reference group of the CWHJC. It had been informed by updated evidence of economic growth forecasts and land requirements at a range of geographies across the sub region. It contained points of agreement that related to the quantum of employment land that should be distributed across the sub-region. This distribution supported both demographic and workforce growth, market signals and demand as well as considering commuting flows between the six authorities and opportunities to combat deprivation.

The MoU proposed the following distribution of employment land requirements to be taken forward into plan making.

The MoU was supported by all relevant Members of the CWHJC.

As part of this agreement, the CWHJC sought a formal commitment from each of the individual Local Authorities represented to formally endorse the MoU by the end of October 2016. This was with a view to supporting the timely progression of Local Plans (including Coventry’s) and the Council’s responsibilities under the Duty to Cooperate.

The report also provided an update on the housing requirements MoU which confirmed that all authorities  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought approval to proceed with a procurement process to set up a multi-supplier framework for Professional Services.

Coventry City Council along with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (and subsequently Telford and Wrekin) entered into a Shared Professional Services Contract (SPSC), following a competitive tendering process led by WCC, that commenced in June 2013. The SPSC was a suitable procurement vehicle for the planning, design and provision of highway, transport and flood risk infrastructure and management and its use had enabled Coventry to deliver a large amount of work against tight delivery timescales, in particular, scheme designs for projects associated with European Regional Development Funding.

By using the same framework agreement for the majority of design and engineering requirements over the last four years, collaborative relationships had been developed which allowed better understanding of the drivers and the requirements of both parties, allowing for more efficient delivery, cost savings and innovation. It was hoped that the new framework would allow the same collaborative style of working to be continued.

The current arrangement expired on 31^st May 2017 and therefore new arrangements must be in place for 1^st June 2017.

RESOLVE that the Cabinet:

1)  Approves proceeding with the procurement process which will be led by Warwickshire County Council, in conjunction with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and Telford and Wrekin Council, to set up a multi-supplier framework for Professional Services.

2)  Authorises the Executive Director of Place to approve the appointment of Suppliers to the Framework and to award the Professional services contracts and, in conjunction with the Executive Director of Resources, enter into them on behalf of Coventry City Council on terms and conditions agreeable by the Authority.

Report of the Executive Director of Place

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which would also be considered the Council on 11^th October 2016, that sought authorisation of a new and additional Public Realm programme of works and to enter into Local Growth Deal funding agreements.

Since 2011 the City Council had delivered over £33M public realm improvements in Coventry City Centre.  Schemes such as Broadgate, Council House Square, Gosford Street and the route from Bull Yard to the railway station had transformed the city’s environment, provided more green space and created a more attractive city for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy. Phase 3 of the public realm improvements was completed earlier this year, using European Regional Development Fund and Local Growth Deal grant, along with some private investment to deliver improvements, including to the route between Coventry University campus and the city centre, Far Gosford Street, Lidice Place, Belgrade Plaza and Whittle Arch.

The impact of this work had been significant, attracting developers to invest in the city such as Shearers Property Group who cited the improvements to Broadgate as part of the reason they took the decision to invest to transform Cathedral Lanes into a vibrant restaurant quarter, with plans for further investment for phase 2 which was set to commence shortly. Broadgate continued to host popular events, from farmers markets to concerts and exhibitions which attracted visitors into the city centre. An increasing number of the city’s bars and restaurants were taking the opportunity to provide more outdoor seating areas to enable people to sit out and enjoy the newly improved urban and green spaces. Footfall in the City Centre during the evening was up 23%, well above the national average.

The Council had successfully secured £1.9M Local Growth Deal funds from Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) to deliver Phase 4 of city centre public realm improvements. The investment would focus on delivery of high quality schemes as per previous schemes in the city centre within the funding available.

To ensure that the public realm programme could be delivered within the available budget, a priority order for the schemes was proposed. A pipeline of public realm schemes had been established in priority order for investment:

·  Transformation of Greyfriars Lane, Pepper Lane and relocation of the Coventry Cross to help unlock phase 2 of the Cathedral Lanes redevelopment and improve links to the Cathedral, through the creation of high quality attractive route;

·  Improvements to the public realm in Fairfax Street;

·  Funding to undertake feasibility studies for improvements at J4 and J5 of the ring road;

·  Introduction of more public art into the city centre, including the reinstatement of local pieces in locations to be decided;

·  Improvements to West Orchards Car Park Access, which will be match funded by West Orchards.

And if funding allowed:

·  Work to improve city centre coach parking facilities;

·  Improvements to the cobbles in Cuckoo Lane, following on from the previous Hill Top improvements;

·  Enhance the area on Corporation Street  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To approve the attendance of Councillors Abbott, Lapsa, Maton, Ruane and Seaman and Gail Quinton, Kirston Nelson and John Gregg, at the National Children and Adult Services Conference to be held in Manchester from 2nd to 4th November 2016

RESOLVED that the Cabinet approve the attendance of Councillors Abbott, Lapsa, Maton, Ruane and Seaman and Gail Quinton, Kirston Nelson and John Gregg, at the National Children and Adult Services Conference to be held in Manchester from 2nd to 4th November 2016.

Report of the Executive Director, Resources

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources that listed an outstanding issue and summarised the current position of the item.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet approves the date for future consideration of the outstanding issue item listed in the report.

There were no other items of public business.