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 the report of the Head of Service (Policy).

Submitted - The report of the Interim Head of Democratic Services seeking approval for the Executive’s updated Forward Work Programme for the period December 2013 - April 2014.

RESOLVED to confirm the updated work programme for the period December, 2013 - April, 2014 and subject to the minor amendments agreed to at the meeting.

To submit the report of the Head of Function (Resources).

Submitted - The report of the Head of Function (Resources) providing an updated budget strategy and the initial draft revenue budget for 2014-15.

The Leader was requested to respond in the strongest possible terms to the Welsh Government upon the provisional local government settlement by the close of consultation on 20^th November, 2013.

RESOLVED:-

·        That the draft standstill budget be adopted by the Executive as a basis for the 2014-15 revenue budget;

·        That the Executive should seek to make sufficient savings in 2014-15 to balance the revenue budget without use [of reserves] of general reserves;

·        That the Executive should plan to  cover unavoidable costs of severance, or other one-off costs of delivering savings, from slippage on the current budget for cost of change and without the use of general reserves;

·        To request savings proposals from departments to be completed by 16^th November, 2013;

·        To agree that management now arrange for voluntary redundancy to be offered across the Council, subject to usual controls and conditions.

·        That authority be given to the Leader to respond to the Welsh Government in the strongest possible terms as regards the provisional settlement for Anglesey.

·        To submit the report of the Head of Service (Policy) as submitted to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 28^th October, 2013.

·        To consider their observations thereon.

Reported by the Interim Head of Democratic Services - That in accordance with guidance on the Wales Programme for Improvement, the Council was required to publish its annual improvement objectives (Improvement Plan) as soon as practicable after the beginning of April each year.  The Authority delayed the adoption of these following the 2013 election. This followed the example of the North Wales authorities last year.  It was also reported that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 28^th October, 2013, had no observations to make thereon.

RESOLVED:-

·        To note that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 28^th October, 2013 had no observations to make.

·        To agree the content of the Improvement Plan in identifying the main priorities of the Council to be adopted within the framework of the corporate business plan which will be operational up to 31^st March, 2014.

·        To submit the report of the Head of Service (Policy) as submitted to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 28^th October, 2013.

·        To consider their observations thereon.

Reported by the Interim Head of Democratic Services - That the corporate score card was developed to identify and inform its users of progress against indicators which explicitly demonstrated the successful implementation of day to day activity of the Council.  It was also reported that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 28^th October, 2013 had no observations to make thereon.

RESOLVED to note the contents of the report and to also note that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 28th October, 2013 had no observations to make thereon.

To submit the report of the Legal Services Manager.

Submitted - A joint report by the Head of Regulation and the Legal Services Manager seeking Executive approval to make a recommendation to full Council to make changes to the Planning Matters Procedure Rules permanent following the end of a second 12 month trial period.

Concern was expressed by the Planning Portfolio Holder and other members of the Executive as regards making permanent restricting members of that Committee to only participating if they had attended all previous meetings on that item (including site visits) (Para 2.2.1 of report refers) and in preventing a local member on the Committee from voting, proposing or seconding on an application in their ward (Para 2.2.2 of report refers).  The Executive had no opposition to clarifying planning applications by which officers, and by the relatives of members and officers should be reserved for decision by the Planning Committee (Para 2.2.3 of report refers).

Reference was made to the fact that Council members had reduced from 40 to 30  members and similarly on the Planning Committee from 14 to 11 and restrictions on participation increased the risk of the Committee becoming inquorate.

It was also mentioned that the 2013 RTPI Cymru “Study into the Operation of Planning Committees in Wales” recommended that the whole Planning Committee need not visit sites and that failure to visit sites should not prohibit those members who had not seen the site from participating in the matter at Committee.

RESOLVED to recommend to the County Council:-

·        That it makes permanent the changes to the Council Constitution as detailed in Para 2.2.3 of the report, namely clarifying planning applications by which officers, and by the relatives of members and officers should be reserved for decision by the Planning Committee;

·        Not to make permanent changes to restrict members at the Planning Committee to only participating if they had attended all previous meetings on that item (to include any official site visit);

·        Not to make permanent prevent a local member on the Committee from voting, proposing or seconding on an application in their ward.

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

Submitted - A report by the Head of Service (Housing) seeking Executive approval of the adoption of a new Housing Services Income Management Strategy.

Councillor R G Parry, OBE referred to various issues within the report and a response thereon was provided by the Head of Service (Housing).

RESOLVED to approve the Income Management Strategy.

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

Submitted - The report of the Head of Service (Housing) outlining the current arrangements of the Council for raising service charges for Tenants and Leaseholders, the scope for introducing service charges as well as highlighting some of the issues involved.

RESOLVED:-

·        That authority be given to the Head of Housing Services to enter into the collaborative project with other North Wales stock-retaining Authorities;

·        To accept the findings and recommendations from stage one [this report];

·        To agree to Housing Services proceeding to stage two, implementation and roll-out;

·        That a further report detailing costs is presented to the Executive, post consultation with Tenants and Leaseholders.

To submit the report of the Director of Community.

Submitted - The report of the Director of Community seeking Executive approval of the Welsh Public Library Standards Annual Report for 2012/13 together with the Welsh Government’s (CyMAL) assessment of the Library Services 2012/13 Annual Library Report and any issues arising.

The Executive wished to record their appreciation to the staff for their work in this respect.

RESOLVED:-

·        To approve the Welsh Public Library Standards Annual Report for 2012/13.

·        To note the Welsh Government’s (CyMAL) assessment of the Library Services 2012/13 Annual Library Report and the issues arising.

To submit the report of the Director of Lifelong Learning.

Submitted - A report by the Director of Lifelong Learning informing the Executive of the changes in the School Organisational Code that came into force on 1^st October, 2013 and how this would affect the Council’s way of dealing with opposition to a statutory notice to close a school.  Options available were to refer the matter to the Executive or set up a Local Decision Making Committee.

RESOLVED that in a situation of receiving opposition to a decision by the Executive to issue a statutory notice to close a primary school under the new School Organisation Code that came into force on 1^st October, 2013 - the matter be referred to the Executive to exercise this function.

To submit the report of the Head of Service (Economic Development).

Submitted - The report of the Head of Economic and Community Regeneration seeking Executive approval to progress with the development of strategic priority projects which could secure EU Convergence Funding (2014-2020).

RESOLVED:-

·        To support and endorse the priority strategic projects (Annex A) which could secure EU Convergence Programme Funding (2014-2020) Convergence Programme support;

·        To support the further development of strategic priority projects in accordance with the new Corporate Governance arrangements;

·        To recognise that the ability of this Authority to secure future EU Structural Funding will be partly influenced by the amount of resources dedicated to the development of projects/interventions.

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

Report by the Head of Service (Property) - That the canteen provision within the main offices had been operating at a loss for the past 18 months since the service was brought in house during 2012.  Following a staff survey in 2013 and the receipt of a petition, a decision was now required to confirm the future of the facility.  It was clear that insufficient use was being made of the canteen on a regular basis to enable the facility to cover operating costs.

RESOLVED that the main office canteen facility be permanently closed at the earliest opportunity, that options be explored for a lunchtime sandwich service to be provided within the building by external caterers at no cost to the Council, and that a review of the best use of the space currently occupied by the canteen is undertaken as part of the Smarter Working Project Team.

To consider adoption of the following:-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test”.

RESOLVED:-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test”.

To submit the report of the Head of Economic and Community Regeneration.

Submitted - The report of the Head of Economic and Community Regeneration on the disposal of Council owned land to Bangor University to support their development of a Science Park.

Councillor R Dew, Portfolio Holder considered that any income generated from the land in question should be ring fenced and invested within the Smallholdings Estate.

RESOLVED:-

·        To commence negotiations with Bangor University for the possible disposal of IACC land at Gaerwen without a prior marketing campaign and at the same time obtaining advice from the District Valuer’s Office.

·        To investigate the County Council’s potential future role in any Science Park related entity or organisation.

·        To ensure the ring fencing of any income generated to invest in the smallholdings estate.