Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of 18 April 2019.

The minutes of the meeting of 18 April were confirmed and signed.

To present the Annual Report of the Council for Cabinet to note the achievements made in delivering the Council's corporate priorities in 2018/19.

Members considered the Annual Report of the Council for 2018/19 presented jointly by the Chief Executive and Councillor Boden, which describes the performance of the Council over the last year linked to key priorities set out in the Council’s Business Plan.

Cabinet AGREED to approve the Annual Report of the Council 2018/19.

To consider the overall financial and operational performance of the Council’s treasury management activity for 2018/19.

Members considered the Treasury Management Annual Review Report 2018/19 presented by Councillor Boden. 

Councillor Boden requested it be placed on record that members note the comments in paragraph 3.6 of the report where it states that we are failing to comply with the gross borrowing and capital financing prudential indicator. This is for good reason as it would be imprudent of the Council to comply by paying the excessive premiums required. However, this continues to be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that we should not be taking any alternative action. Members will also note that our overall rate of achievement investments was 0.73%, this is compared with the seven day LIBID uncompounded rate for the year, and it may be a matter for Corporate Governance about whether LIBID is an appropriate measure to compare our returns with, given that LIBID is not a sterling rate. 

Cabinet AGREED to:

·       Note the report

·       Recommend that Council receive the Treasury Management Annual Report.

To consider the income and expenditure (known as “Outturn”) for the Council for 2018/19 and reasons for variations.

Members considered the Council Revenue and Capital Provisional Outturn 2018/19 report presented by Councillor Boden, highlighting that for at least the sixth successive year, the Council has an underspend on its income and expenditure account.

Cabinet AGREED to:

·       Note the Provisional Outturn for the Council’s General Fund Services 2018/19, as detailed at Appendix A and Section 2 of the report and approve the contributions to General Fund Balance detailed at paragraph 2.4 of the report

·       Note the reasons for the variations from estimate

·       Approve the proposed Capital Funding schedule for 2018/19 at Appendix B (i) of the report.

To consider the updated capital programme and variations in resources since February 2019.

Members considered the Capital Programme update presented by Councillor Boden. 

Cabinet AGREED to approve the updated capital programme and funding schedule at Appendix A of the report. 

To consider the establishment of a Project Board for the Fenland Stations Regeneration work.  To agree the Project Board remit, its membership and its terms of reference.

Members considered the Fenland Stations Regeneration Project Board report presented by Councillor Seaton. 

Councillor Seaton added that it has now been decided that there will be three separate meetings, one for each station, rather than one meeting for all three.

Councillor Boden asked for clarification that technically there would be three project boards given the separate representation from the three towns, with the intention that the three boards would meet consecutively as if they were one meeting. Councillor Seaton agreed this was correct. 

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows:

·       Councillor Tierney understands that the project is being undertaken to regenerate the existing stations in Fenland but asked if Cabinet are still fully behind the Wisbech Rail Project. Councillor Seaton confirmed that the Wisbech Rail Project is certainly a high priority and a great deal of work is being undertaken looking at this project with funding from the CPCA.

·       Councillor Hoy noticed that there was no representation from the County Council on the membership board and asked if they should be included, or at least be kept updated. Councillor Seaton replied that he is open to who will be on the board and agreed that this can be looked at, or at least will ensure County are kept updated. 

·       Councillor Boden pointed out that the purpose of the project boards is not consultative but to oversee the delivery of the project. Although involvement and support would be sought locally from the parish and town councils involved, there is no reason why County cannot be involved or informed about what is going on.   

Cabinet AGREED to:

·       Approve the establishment of the Fenland Stations Regeneration Project Boards

·       Approve the membership, objectives and Terms of Reference of the Fenland Stations Project Board as set out Appendix A of the report, with the amendment that with there being three separate boards that the representatives from the parish and two towns would only be representatives on that particular board. 

To adopt the proposed increase of the Hackney Carriage Vehicle Table of Fares

Members considered the proposed increase to the current Hackney Carriage Vehicle Table of Fares in the report presented by Councillor Sam Clark. 

Councillor Boden added that these are not prescribed rates, they are maximum rates and not all taxi drivers need to or will choose to increase their fares to match these particular rates. 

Cabinet AGREED to approve the proposed Table of Fares as set out in Appendix B of the report and ratified the decision made by the Licensing Committee. 

To receive an update on the work undertaken since the publication of the earlier feasibility works and the previous Cabinet update in July 2017.

Members considered the Wisbech Garden Town update report presented by Councillor Boden. 

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows:

·       Councillor Tierney is concerned with some of the terminology within the report, namely that there has been strong support for the project at every level of government. He said there had never been enough information about the future for full support, but what they have supported is further investigation of the project. He is also concerned that people in the areas affected have not been properly consulted. There is a lot to commend, but he anticipates the potential for future protests from local people who did not realise what it would mean for them. Therefore he would like to include in this recommendation a greater level of detailed consultation with local people, so they can make an informed view.

·       Councillor Boden said that it is almost impossible to consult with individuals with a sufficient amount of detail at such an early stage in the project. He suggested that when the request is put forward to the CPCA, we make the point that all levels of government support seeking further information on the scheme, and also that we recognise that it is important that we do have consultation with local residents at the earliest possible opportunity when such consultation can be meaningful.  Councillor Tierney stated he found this acceptable.

·       Councillor Tierney added that members of the public had told him they were concerned whether the schools and health centres etc. as mentioned within the report would actually be delivered, and they were also asking when are these going to happen and are they guaranteed? Many people are worried that the homes will be built but the necessary infrastructure slow to arrive.

·       Councillor Boden stated that it is extremely important to make the point that the community benefits on offer are necessary in order to have effective, efficient and sustainable communities in the areas that would be affected.  A number of infrastructure changes will be required at various stages but it is important to remember that we are talking about development over a 40-year period and so many of these changes will not be immediate.  

·       Councillor Tierney said he is not opposed to the Wisbech Garden Town Project, but we must negotiate our requirements strongly to ensure that residents can be satisfied with the development in the future. Councillor Boden agreed and said that the points concerning infrastructure would be made at the meeting of the CPCA on 31^st July.

Councillor Boden agreed a slight amendment to the recommendation to reflect the comment regarding effective consultation made by Councillor Tierney. 

Cabinet AGREED to: 

·       Note the progress to date contained in the report and associated documents

·       Approve the progression of further feasibility work on a Garden Town for Wisbech, with particular consideration to effective consultation, in order to inform the consideration and approval of the CPCA Board at its 31 July 2019 meeting.  

The purpose of this report is to enable Cabinet to review and agree the list of outside bodies and nominations for representatives on those organisations for 2019/20.

Members considered the appointments to Outside Bodies for 2019/20 presented by Councillor Wallwork. 

Councillor Mrs French queried why her name was not on the board of the March IDB as she had sat on this board for 20 years. Councillor Boden advised he had already noticed this and had included it in a list of proposed amendments and additions, which he announced as follows: 

·       Councillor William Rackley appointed to the Hundred of Wisbech IDB.

·       Councillor David Topgood appointed to the Kings Lynn IDB.

·       Councillor Mrs French appointed to the March Third IDB, March Fifth and March Sixth District Drainage Commissioners.

·       The Conservatives cede their positions on the Needham & Laddus IDB and Manea & Welney Drainage Commissioners to allow the appointment of Councillor Sutton to these.

Members made comments as follows: 

·       Councillor Mrs French mentioned the importance of filling the vacancy on the March Education Foundation although she would not be able to take this on herself.

·       Councillor Tierney noted the remaining vacancies. In the past there was a policy to appoint non-councillors to some of these posts. He asked if it would not be better to fill the vacancies and consider introducing the old policy for when opportunities for councillors to fill the posts have been exhausted. Councillor French agreed with Councillor Tierney, who added that perhaps consideration could also be given to offering the vacancies to town or parish councillors.

·       Councillor Boden advised the constitution would need to be checked to see at which level the policy decision could be reversed, however he thought it a useful suggestion to potentially consider for a future Cabinet and/or Council agenda. He added that it is important to ensure in the meantime that as many elected members as possible are encouraged to put their name forward for these positions, so that proper representation can take place on behalf of the Council.

Cabinet AGREED to:

·       The proposed nominations in respect of Outside Bodies which require Fenland District Council representation, as amended with the additional names put forward by the Chairman at the meeting

·       Note where requirements to provide representatives on outside organisations cannot currently be fulfilled

·       The addition of a number of organisations which require representation

·       Delegate to the Corporate Director and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Group Leaders the addition or deletion of outside bodies as the need arises during the municipal year and appointment of Members to vacancies on outside bodies during the municipal year. 

For information purposes.

Councillor Boden presented the draft Cabinet Forward Plan for information. Gary Garford, Corporate Director, clarified that 24 High Street will come in two parts, on 18^th July and at an additional special meeting to be arranged for August.

The purpose of this Cabinet report is to request that Members consider and agree to the disposal of 15 surplus property assets by Auction and to agree to the reserve prices as contained within Appendix 1 of the report.

Members considered the Proposed Disposal of Property Assets report and confidential appendix presented by Councillor Benney. Revised recommendations were circulated to Members at the meeting.

Cabinet AGREED to the revised recommendations within the Confidential Appendix to the report circulated at the meeting. 

(Members resolved to exclude the public from the meeting for this item of business on the grounds that the Appendix of the report involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).