Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest from any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

None to declare.

No urgent matters at the time of dispatch of this agenda.

None to declare.

To submit for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 9^th September, 2013.

Submitted for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on

9^th September, 2013.

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 9^th September, 2013 be confirmed as a true record.

To submit the report of the Head of Service (Policy).

Submitted - The report of the Head of Service (Policy) seeking approval of the Executive’s Forward Work Programme for the period November, 2013 to April, 2014.

Councillor R Meirion Jones was of the opinion that Item 8 on today’s agenda should have first been considered by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and identified thus on the Forward Work Programme.  He expressed concern that scrutiny was not being given a high priority within the Council.

The Leader in response stated that it was important to identify matters for scrutiny on the Forward Work Programme and he intended to speak to Councillor Jones in this respect following today’s meeting.

RESOLVED to confirm the updated work programme for the period November, 2013 - April, 2014, subject to the minor amendments referred to at this meeting.

To submit a joint report by the Head of Service (Planning and Public Protection) and the Legal Service Manager.

Submitted – A report by the Deputy Monitoring Officer/Senior Solicitor (Planning) for recommendation to the Council.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer/Senior Solicitor (Planning) stated that the recommended changes to the Constitution were as follows :-

Planning Procedure Rules (the Rules):

Change 1 (paragraph 3.5.3.15.5) – That, in future, departure applications made by Councillors, relevant Officers or their close family or friends may, rather than being referred to the Planning Committee (the Committee) as at present, be refused by Planning Officers under delegation and then be subject to a full report to the next Committee meeting.  Where Officers want to approved such a departure application then it could only be approve by the Committee;

Change 2 (section 4.6) – The Rules be amended to reflect the legal position and to take account of Section 25 of the Localism Act 2011.  That Members of the Committee are allowed to express an opinion on the merits of an application even before it comes to the Committee for a decision provided the opinion they express is a predisposition and not a predetermination.  This would include allowing Members of the Committee who are also Members of a Town/Community Councils to participate in a planning matter at meetings of their Town/Community Council. 

RESOLVED to recommend to the full Council that the changes to the Rules in the Council’s Constitution as detailed in the Appendices to this report are made and that authority be given to Officers to make the relevant changes to the Constitution.

To submit the report of the Head of Service (Housing).

Submitted – A report by the Head of Service (Housing) requesting the Executive to:-

·      Consider the potential short and long term impacts of the Energy Island

     Programme on the local housing market;

·      Endorse the recommendations from the ‘Housing Needs for local residents and

     Housing Solutions resulting from the Energy Island Programme Report’

     (September, 2013); the findings of which will inform the evidence base for the

     Local Housing Strategy and Local Development Plan, and hence the Anglesey

     Viable and Vibrant places bid;

·      To consider the wider strategic and policy context for the Local Authority and

     plant appropriately to minimise risks and maximise legacy housing opportunities.

Councillor H E Jones was of the opinion that the Executive should receive a report from the Head of Service (Housing) as regards the provision of social housing/affordable housing on the Island.

RESOLVED:-

·        To note and endorse the recommendations from the ‘Housing Needs for local residents and Housing Solutions resulting from the Energy Island Programme Report’ (September, 2013);

·        That the findings of the Report will inform the evidence base for the Local Housing Strategy and Local Development Plan, and hence the Anglesey Viable and Vibrant places bid;

·        To consider the wider strategic and policy context for the Local Authority and support the actions outlined within the Report to plan appropriately thereby minimise risks and maximise legacy housing opportunities;

·        To support that dialogue takes place with the developers with regards to the way forward and additional staffing capacity to take forward the recommendations within the Report;

·        To note that early engagement with EIP developers is required and a commitment from those developers to identify and support solutions which deliver more than solely short-term accommodation solutions, if significant legacy benefits are to be delivered in the longer term;

·        To note that the Council is likely to require support from local and national partners in discussions with the EIP developers and in developing the mechanisms to deliver the housing solutions.

·        That the Head of Service (Housing) be requested to report back to the Executive on the provision of social housing/affordable housing on the Island.

To submit the report of the Head of Service (Property).

Submitted – A report by the Head of Service (Property) with regard to concerns relating to the condition of the Brwynog Residential Care Home and to consider options for remedial work together with the allocation of a budget to enable that work to be carried out.

Councillor R G Parry, OBE expressed concern that the Council were still awaiting the report on the transformation of adult social care on Anglesey and questioned as to whether this was the right time to undertake such remedial work.

The Director of Sustainable Development in response stated that the preferred option would enable the condition of the building to be brought up to a reasonable standard of accommodation throughout and ensure all rooms are available and acceptable for occupation.  This advice would meet minimum CSSIW standards in regulatory terms.

RESOLVED that bearing in mind the future suitability of the building and the restricted availability of budget, that Option 1 be approved, namely to restore all rooms to a reasonable standard of accommodation at a cost of £120 k.

To submit the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

Submitted – A report by the Deputy Chief Executive outlining the additional capacity required in order to support the delivery of the Transformation Plan and, for the Executive to approve the funding of these short term internal development posts from the cost of change budget.

The transformation of services is critical to the future sustainability of the Council.  Many of the Council’s services are in need of modernisation to both ensure their effectiveness in meeting need, present and future aspirations and to become more efficient and/or sustainable.

Councillor H Eifion Jones proposed that the matter should be deferred for consideration to an extraordinary meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and that the results of their deliberations should be reported back to the Executive as soon as possible.  He also suggested that an invitation be extended to all Members of the Council to be in attendance.  However, he considered that the additional capacity required with regard to data security should proceed in order to deliver on time by August 2014 (Para 4 of the report refers).

Councillor Bob Parry, welcomed the suggestion to refer the report to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee as it would provide an opportunity for Members to raise some concerns in this respect. 

RESOLVED:-

(a)          To defer consideration and that the matter be considered at an extraordinary meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee (with an invitation for all Members of the Council to be in attendance) and that the results of the Committee’s deliberations be reported back to the Executive as soon as possible;

(b)              That authority be given to Officers to move ahead with the additional capacity required in order to comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office audit of July 2013 with regard to the security of personal information held by the Council (Para 4 of the report refers).