Agenda, decisions and minutes

None to declare.

Councillor J Arwel Roberts declared an interest in Item 10 of these minutes since he had a close friendship with a sub-tenant and was also a member of the Holyhead Sailing Club.  He was not present at the meeting during any discussion or voting thereon.

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

None to declare.

To submit for information, the minutes of the meeting of the Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee held on 17^th January, 2014.

Submitted for information, the minutes of the meeting of the Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee held on 17^th January, 2014.

RESOLVED to note the contents of the minutes of the meeting of the Voluntary Sector Liaison Committee held on 17^th January, 2014.

To submit a report by the Interim Head of Democratic Services.

Submitted - The report of the Interim Head of Democratic Services seeking approval of the Executive’s updated Forward Work Programme for the period March to July, 2014.

RESOLVED to confirm the updated work programme for the period March - July, 2014, subject to the minor amendments agreed to at the meeting and subject to discussion between the Leader and the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee with regard to matters that need to be identified for scrutiny in the future.

To submit a report by the Head of Function (Council Business).

Submitted -The report of the Head of Function (Council Business) seeking Executive approval to update the Whistleblowing Policy in accordance with the Enterprise and Regulatory  Reform Act, 2013 (“legislation”) and for the Executive to make a recommendation to the full Council regarding the approval of the changes.

RESOLVED to recommend to the County Council that it amends the Whistleblowing Policy contained in the Constitution in the manner indicated in the appendix to the report and to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any consequential amendments to the Constitution.

To submit a report by the Head of Function (Council Business).

Submitted -The report of the Head of Function (Council Business) seeking the views of the Executive on suggested amendments to the Constitution to reflect the Local Government Democracy (Wales) Act, 2013, and for the Executive to consider making  a recommendation to full Council regarding the appointment of a Presiding Member.

Councillor Alwyn Rowlands, Portfolio Holder did not consider that there was any need to move ahead in this respect and requested the Executive to recommend such course of action to the County Council.

RESOLVED to recommend to the County Council that it does not proceed in this respect.

To submit a report by the Head of Housing Services.

Submitted - The report of the Head of Housing  Services seeking Executive approval to the rent levels to be charged on Tenants of Council Housing for 2014-2015, as set out by the Welsh Government at a rate of 5.45% which equated to an average rent increase of £3.47 per dwelling per week and 36 pence per week for garages.

RESOLVED

•  To approve the increase of rent by 5.45% on all dwellings for 2014-2015, which equates to an average increase of £3.47 per dwelling per week;

•  To approve the increase of garage rent of 5.45% for 2014-2015, which equates to 36 pence per week.

To submit a report by the Head of Housing Services.

Submitted -The report of the Head of Housing Services seeking Executive approval to the service charges costs for ground maintenance services for domestic and sheltered housing tenants for 2014-2015.

RESOLVED

•  To approve to change the threshold, to receive the ground maintenance for free from 60 to 70 years old.

•  To delegate power to the Head of Housing Services, to act, on the advice given by the Council’s Legal Services in relation to Right to Buy service changes.

•  To approve the costs to be charged for tenants of domestic properties, excluding Right to Buys, of £2.26 per week.

•  To approve the costs to be charged for tenants of sheltered properties excluding RTBs ranging from 13 pence to £2.25 per week, depending on the size of the communal grassed area;

•  That the charges be on a weekly basis for Council tenants and yearly for the leaseholders.

To submit a report by the Director of Lifelong Learning.

Submitted -The report of the Corporate Director of Lifelong Learning updating the Executive on developments in relation to school improvement services and seeking Executive approval to the new national model for school improvement.

Councillor K P Hughes raised issues around the increased responsibilities of the Regional Service whilst accountability remained with the Council. He also drew attention to the possible increase in funding of some £70k for Anglesey.

It was noted that Welsh Government would monitor progress against and hold consortia and local authorities to account for their performance against the business plan.

Councillor Hughes wished to minute that he would be abstaining from voting on the matter.

RESOLVED to approve the proposed National Model for Regional Working on School Improvement and that the Director be requested to develop a business plan with the intention of incorporating the additional services listed in the model within the Regional Services.

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 (Category 16) of the said Act. 

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 (Category 16) of the said Act.”

To submit a report by the Head of Service (Environment & Technical Services).

Submitted - The report of the Head of Environment and Technical on the Council’s leasehold interest at Newry Beach, Holyhead.

The Monitoring Officer explained that the Executive were required under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to consider reaching a decision to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on this matter, on the grounds that the report may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A (Category 16) of the said Act.

Category 16 of the Act related to ‘information in respect of which a claim to legal privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings’ and did not need to satisfy the public interest test.’

Having received preliminary advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Executive were in agreement that the press and public should be excluded from the meeting and the Monitoring Officer thereafter provided detailed advice to the Executive of the reasons why Property Services were against publication of the report in the public domain at this time.

Councillors Raymond Jones and R Llewelyn Jones (Local Members) wished to express their concerns that the local community were not being given the opportunity to respond to the proposal before the Executive reached a decision today.

Councillor H E Jones, in response stated that the report paid specific reference to this point in that it was a requirement to advertise the disposal in a local newspaper for 2 consecutive weeks and to give consideration to any objections received.  Today, the Executive were merely stating their intentions and inviting comments thereon.

RESOLVED that the offer currently available from Conygar Stena Line Ltd for the early surrender of the Council’s leasehold interest at Newry Beach, Holyhead is accepted, subject to the requirement of a two week public consultation and due consideration given to any objections received.

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

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 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 a joint report by the Interim Head of Democratic Services and the ICT Services Manager.

Submitted -The joint report of the Interim Head of Democratic Services/ICT Manager on the procurement exercise undertaken and seeking the Executive’s approval for the awarding of a contract under contract procedure rule 4.9.3.5.3 (v) to enable the Council to proceed with the webcasting of meetings for a two year pilot in order to utilise Welsh Government funding.

Some of the Members enquired as to whether a local company could have undertaken this work?  The Leader in response stated that this had not proved possible because of its specialist nature.

RESOLVED to approve the awarding of a contract to Public-i in accordance with contract procedure rule 4.9.3.5.3 (v).