Meeting documents

The Leader extended a warm welcome to Councillor K.P.Hughes who was attending his first meeting of the Executive as recently appointed Portfolio Holder for Education and Leisure. On behalf of the Executive he wished him well in his new post.

Councillor B.Owen declared an interest in Item 6 of these minutes and was not present at the meeting during any discussions or voting thereon.

The Head of Service (Education) declared an interest in Item 6 of these minutes at the meeting but did not take part in any discussion thereon.

Councillor K.P.Hughes declared an interest in Item 9 of the minutes remained at the meeting but did not take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

See Confidential Item number 2 at the end of these minutes.

RESOLVED  that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 27th April, 2010  be confirmed as a true record.

Reported by the Corporate Director (Education and Leisure) - That in accordance with the powers delegated to the Executive by the County Council on 4th March, 2010 and in accordance with the Council’s Delegation Scheme, members were requested to confirm the release of a maximum of £305,000 to finance one-off costs (in schools) which achieved future savings in respect of the period to 31st March, 2013.

The ability to grant redundancy or early retirement to avoid redundancy had been delegated to the Head of Service - Education. In the past, the cost of early retirement packages was borne by the Education Service reserves. Currently the level of Service reserves did not allow the Service to finance retirements/redundancies in the 2010/11 financial year. Consequently, the County Council at its meeting on 4 March 2010 resolved to delegate specific powers to the Executive.

In consultation with the Finance Service, and the Finance Portfolio Holder, it had been agreed that it would be reasonable to utilise a percentage of the general balances to finance retirements/ redundancies. Applications were received from four secondary schools, but the Head of Service - Education decided that the Authority should respond positively to 3 of the 4 application, This decision was based on the criteria outlined in the report.

In view of the fact that two different options were available to individual members of staff, the cost to the Authority would range from £136,000 and £305,000. Therefore, the recommendation to the Executive was to grant the release of a ‘maximum’ of £305,00.

The Head of Service verbally reported that the figure of £305,000 referred to within the report had increased to £330,737 as some of the teachers had been uncertain at the time which option best served them.

RESOLVED  to approve the release of a maximum of £330,737 from general balances to finance school retirements/ redundancies and achieve future savings.

Reported by the Corporate Director (Education and Leisure) - That the Authority was inspected between 2nd and 6th November 2009, and the final report attached with the report was published in February 2010.

The grades awarded appeared on page 6 of the report, and the recommendations for improvement appeared on page 10. The Authority’s Post-Inspection Action Plan was based on the recommendations that appeared in the ESTYN report.

A draft version of the Plan was presented to members of the Education, Health & Welfare Policy Overview Committee on 20 April, 2010, who accepted its contents for forwarding to the Executive.

RESOLVED to approve and adopt the Post-Inspection Action Plan prior to submitting the plan to ESTYN.

Reported by the Corporate Director (Education and Leisure) - That WAG had invited local authorities by October 2010 to submit strategic proposals in accordance with the 21st Century Schools Programme to ensure that their schools were fit for purpose. In the meantime, authorities had been invited to bid for capital funding under the Transitional Funding Programme and successful bids would be awarded grant of up to 70% of the costs with the grant available for the period 2011/12 -2013/14.

The relocation of Ysgol Y Bont had been a priority for the Authority over a number of years and the Transitional Funding Programme was seen as an opportunity to realise this project in advance of submitting the long-term strategy in accordance with the 21st Century Schools Programme.

Following discussions with Ysgol Y Bont and Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni the preferred site was part of the Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni site, adjacent to the old Cildwrn Depot.

Relocating Ysgol Y Bont would release the current school site and sufficient capital receipts should be achieved from the sale to match fund the grant.

Councillor R.Ll.Hughes stated that this school would bring several agencies together, not only Education, but Health and Social Services. It was important therefore, that these partners were involved in discussions from the outset. There was also an opportunity in conjunction with Health to provide services outside of school hours, e.g. the hydrotherapy pool.

The Leader was of the opinion that these other agencies needed to be made aware of the Council’s intentions in this respect so that they could plan their budgets accordingly and hopefully provide financial assistance towards its running. It was also reported that it was intended to submot a bid for £100,000 to carry out feasability studies and ceate Development Plans for the 5 secondary schools.

RESOLVED

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To approve the proposal to submit a bid under the Transitional Capital Funding Programme to relocate Ysgol Y Bont to the Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni site and to endorse the sale of the current schools’ site at Llangefni with sufficient resources from the sale proceeds being earmarked to match fund the grant.

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To authorise officers to undertake statutory consultations regarding proposals to relocate Ysgol y Bont to the Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni site.

(Councillor B.Owen declared an interest in the matter and was not present at the meeting during any discussion or voting thereon)

(The Head of Service, Education, declared an interest in the matter, remained at the meeting but did not take part in any discussion thereon)

Reported by the Head of Service (Property) - That the current policy only allowed succession on Council Smallholdings upon the death of the existing tenant. The situation had been discussed by the Smallholdings Task and Finish Group and it had acknowledged that an opportunity existed to make changes. It was therefore proposed that consideration be given to “lifetime” succession on Council Smallholdings, subject to strict qualifying criteria. By adopting this policy a large number of tenancies would be transferred onto Farm Business tenancies thus allowing the current tenant to retire and allow the son/daughter to take over the farm provided that they were eligible.

The Panel recommended to the Executive that the Council adopted the new Policy on Succession, a copy of which was attached to this report.

The Portfolio Holder referred to Section  3.2 of the Policy which mentioned holdings over 40 acres. He requested that this figure should be changed to approx 40 acres or higher, since there were some holdings totalling 38 acres and he felt that the Council should not be so restrictive. Members also mentioned the recent Age Discrimination legislation and that Officers should give careful consideration to the wording in respect of vacating tenancies at 65 years of age under Farm Business Tenancies.

RESOLVED to approve the Succession Policy as attached to the report, for implementation with respect to Council Smallholdings, subject to Section 3.2 of that Policy being amended to read ‘holdings of approximately 40 acres or higher.’

Submitted a joint report by Corporate Director (Finance), Corporate Director                (Education and Leisure) and the Head of Service (Property).

Reported by the Corporate Director (Finance) - That the report recommended strategic changes to the management of the David Hughes Endowment, part of the Anglesey Further Education Trust Fund, which in default of any other delegation in the Constitution was a function of the Executive. It followed other reports and decisions of the Executive on related matters.

The David Hughes Endowment had been in an unsustainable situation where expenditure had exceeded income in some years, and no fund available for distribution to charitable purposes. It was necessary to review the overall investment strategy and achieve some rationalisation of the David Hughes estate. New governance arrangements were recommended to improve monitoring of the trust in future.

The principal recommendation of this report was that the trustee accepted that selling at least some of the holdings of the estate was necessary and in the long-term interest of both charities.

The trustee ought to give consideration to a complete disinvestment from the agricultural estate. Consultation with portfolio holders indicated that a sale of some properties only should also be considered. The recommendation of the surveyor together with the analysis of this report suggested that this opinion too was feasible and could produce higher returns in the medium term. This may mean that the amounts distributed to the Anglesey Education Trust Fund and the David Hughes Charity for the Poor would not bounce back quickly in the short term - but both charities appeared to have been able to withstand this in recent years without having to scale back their charitable activities. The recommendations of the surveyor and the draft asset management plan summarised in this report outlined a strategy for doing so by selling vacant properties. Tactical changes may need to be made in response to changing circumstances, including the possibility of spending (from past asset sale proceeds) in advance of new sale proceeds.

Councillor Tom Jones wished to make it clear that the Executive had discussed the option of whether to continue to hold the estate of farms as part of the Endowment’s Portfolio of investments.

This was not an option in the opinion of the Executive since over a period of time land was still a good long term investment. There was potential in the future to sell development land within the Estate. Some tenancies were in regions where there might be future development. Also some of this land was located where other sources, or streams of income outside food production could be developed. The World’s population was increasing and the ability of agriculture to produce more food from less land and the efficiency of the industry was going to decrease.

During the 60’s and 70’s the UK could produce almost 40% more food from one unit of land than it did now. (It was about 2% now). There would be more and more demand in future to produce food. Based on that rationale the Executive could not sell the Estate in its entirety.

The Leader also took the opportunity of reading out the contents of a letter from G.O.Parry. MBE, Chairman of the David Hughes Charity for the Poor, dated 17th May, 2010.

Councillor E.Schofield was afforded the opportunity to speak by the Leader and he drew the Executive’s attention to various aspects contained within the Director’s report.

RESOLVED

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To agree that some properties of the estate should be sold .

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To adopt as an interim strategy the sale of the currently vacant properties, with part of the proceeds to be reinvested in priority improvements to the remainder of the estate, as identified by the surveyor’s report and asset management plan, with a view to improving the overall return on the estate.

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To accept that tactical variations within the Interim strategy may be required, evaluated by reference to the opportunity cost represented by current interest rate.

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That decisions within the Interim strategy on individual property transactions within the estate will be determined by the Head of Service (Property) within the Council’s delegation scheme, and in agreement with the Property portfolio holder, and decisions, on financial investments will be determined by the Head of Service (Finance) within the Council’s delegation scheme, and in agreement with the Finance portfolio holder.

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That a separate committee of the Council should be set up, outside the Executive function, to exercise the trusteeship role in relation to the Anglesey Further Education Trust Fund, including the David Hughes Endowment and the grant-giving activities, and to request officers to prepare the necessary documentation for the Council.

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That the separate committee, once established, should draw up an investment strategy to replace the interim strategy and should take over the decision making role given to portfolio holders above.

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That the Charity Commission should be informed of the proposed course of action.

Submitted - The report of the Acting Corporate Director (Housing and Social Services) on Performance, Improvement and Scrutiny which was a statement concerning the timescale and final steps in the process of preparing the Annual Report and which was a new statutory requirement.

Reported -That from April 2010 the Director of Social Services must report annually to the Council on Service delivery, performance and risk, and on plans for improvement of the whole range of Social Services functions. The report would have an important role in the development of the Council’s overarching Improvement Plan (Wales Programme for Improvement).

Significant progress had been made during the past 4 months with regards to the preparatory work as well as the drafting of the required Evidence Grids. At paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3 of the report was a resume of progress achieved. The final Report would be submitted for ratification and endorsement to the Executive scheduled to meet on 22 June, 2010 and would thereafter be in public domain.

RESOLVED

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To note progress to date.

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To ratify the final first Annual report of the Statutory Director of Social Services at the June meeting of the Executive.

(Councillor K.P.Hughes declared an interest in the matter, remained at the meeting but did not take part in any discussion or voting thereon)

Reported by the Acting Corporate Director (Housing and Social Services) - That the Cash Office booth situated at the Beaumaris Town Hall had been open to customers on Fridays only, and manned by two members of staff (one part time).

Following discussion with the Housing Portfolio Holder and the Local Member it was recommended that the facility at Beaumaris be ceased for the following reasons:

a) The two members of staff currently working at Beaumaris would be retiring at the end of May, 2010. There was no intention to replace the part time post and better use would be made of the new permanent post holder’s time in tune with the priorities of the services.

b) Security had been a concern with no safety glass and other safety measures to protect the staff. The booth would need alterations at extra cost to meet the Health and Safety requirements.

There were a number of other payment methods available for the residents of this area, and there was therefore justification for closing the Office.

The Leader of the Council on behalf of the Executive took the opportunity of referring to the fact that Mr Rhys Jones would soon be leaving the employ of this Authority. He thanked him for his service to this Council and wished him well in his new post.

The Leader requested the Head of Service on behalf of the Executive to write to Beaumaris Town Council thanking them their co-operation over the years as regards the location of the cash office.

RESOLVED approve the closure of the Beaumaris Area Office on Friday 25th June, 2010, being the last open day.

RESOLVED that Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion on the following items as they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Tests.

Reported by the Corporate Director (Education and Leisure) - That this report set out the latest situation with regard to cost estimates and that it was intended to report to the Executive on confirmed estimates at its meeting on June 22, 2010.

It was necessary to move on the acquisition of the proposed property since without this building the Council was without a viable, cost effective option. The purchase price indicated for the building had been confirmed by the vendor.

Officers from both the TNA and CyMAL had viewed the facility on 16th April, 2010, and concluded that the building in terms of its physical location, construction and internal configuration was suitable for conversion as a Record Office and repository.

RESOLVED

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That relevant officers of the Authority be authorised to enter into negotiations with the vendor and his agents, together with the office of the District Valuer, with regard to the purchase and adaptation of this property.

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To recommend to the County Council that it agrees to the release of the necessary purchase funds from Corporate unallocated contingency budgets.

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That Officers report back to the next scheduled meeting of the Executive on progress with negotiations and with further details of the overall project costs and timescales.

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That Officers be requested to investigate making use of under utilised floor space within the building as additional office space for Council employees.

                                        COUNCILLOR C.McGREGOR

                                                     CHAIRPERSON