Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

Councillor J. Arwel Roberts declared a non-prejudicial interest in respect of item 7 on the agenda.

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

None to report.

To submit for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting of the Executive (Budget) held on 15^th December, 2014.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 15th December, 2014 were submitted for confirmation.

It was resolved that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 15th December, 2014 be confirmed as a true record.

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

The report of the Interim Head of Democratic Services incorporating the Executive’s Forward Work programme for the period from February to September, 2015 was submitted for consideration.

The Interim Head of Democratic Services reported with reference to the two scheduled meetings of the Executive in February that consideration of the 2015/16 Budget had now been deferred from the 9th to the 16th February meeting and subjects from the 16th February meeting brought forward to the meeting on the 9th. A request has been made by the Council Business Section to reschedule the matter of the Audit Committee’s Terms of Reference to the April meeting of the Executive. Likewise the Department of Lifelong Learning has asked that Schools Modernisation in the Rhosyr area be put back to the Executive’s March meeting and Schools Modernisation in the Llannau area be brought forward to the 9th February meeting.

It was resolved to confirm the updated Forward Work Programme for the period February to September, 2015, subject to the additional changes outlined at the meeting.

To submit a report by the Head of Housing Services.

The report of the Head of Housing Services incorporating the Local Housing Strategy for Anglesey for 2014-19 was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The Local Housing Strategy provides the Council’s vision of how housing for the people of the Island can be improved over a five year period and the priorities to achieve this.

The Portfolio Member for Housing and Social Services reported that the draft

Strategy had been the subject of consultation between August and September

2014, and had been endorsed by the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny

Committee.

The Head of Housing Services confirmed that the consultation had been supportive of the direction of the Strategy whilst asking for additional emphasis to be placed on affordable homes and allocation of social housing to local people. A newly established Anglesey Housing Partnership will be responsible for delivering the Strategy and reviewing the action plan annually.

The Chair proposed, and it was agreed, that the Executive be also updated annually on progress on performance against the Action Plan and Strategy.

It was resolved –

·      To recommend the Local Housing Strategy and accompanying  Action Plan for adoption by the County Council.

·      That the Executive be provided with an annual update on progress on

·      performance against the Action Plan and Strategy.

To submit a report by the Head of Adults’ Services.

To submit a report by the Director of Lifelong Learning.

The report of the Director of Lifelong Learning incorporating the combined Strategic Outline Case (SOC) and Outline Business Case (OBC) for a new primary school in Holyhead was presented for the Executive’s consideration and approval prior to the document’s submission to the Welsh Government as part of the funding arrangements for the project.

The Portfolio Member for Education reported that the document is divided into five sections covering the strategic, economic, commercial, financial and management dimensions of the project. The Welsh Government has allowed the Officers from the Authority to prepare a combined rather than individual SOC and OBC to save time. Welsh Government approval for the document will mean the release of finance for the project.

The Portfolio Member for Finance confirmed that the Interim Head of Resources and Section 151 Officer has indicated his support in principle for the combined document.

It was resolved –

·      To approve the combined Strategic Outline Case/Outline Business Case (SOC/OBC) for the new primary school in Holyhead, and

·      To approve the submission of the SOC/OBC to the Welsh Government.

To submit a report by the Director of Lifelong Learning.

The report of the Director of Lifelong Learning in respect of extending the consortium arrangements for the provision of the CAPITA ONE Technical Assisted Support Service was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

It was resolved to approve the procurement option outlined in the report for the extension of the CAPITA ONE Technical Assisted Support Service.

To submit a report by the Head of Environment and Technical Services.

The report of the Head of Environment and Technical Services incorporating an update with regard to the implementation of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Executive was agreed in endorsing the proposal that Dwr Cymru be called upon to upgrade its sewerage and combined sewerage and surface water systems at some critical locations on the Island. It was further proposed, and agreed that the Leader in collaboration with the Portfolio Holder and the Assembly Member and Member of Parliament for Anglesey seek a meeting with Officers from Dwr Cymru to expedite this matter.

It was resolved –

·      To note the contents of the report.

·      To urge Dwr Cymru by letter to upgrade its sewerage and c combined sewerage and surface water systems at some critical locations on the Island.

·      That the Leader in consultation with the Portfolio Member (Highways, Property and Waste Management), Assembly Member and Member of Parliament for Anglesey seek a meeting with Officers of Dwr Cymru to progress matters without delay.

To submit a report by the Director of Sustainable Development.

The report of the Director of Sustainable Development incorporating an overview of the options available for the reinstatement of the Llangefni Skate Park and the potential external grant funding sources that could assist that objective was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

The Portfolio Member for Economic Development, Tourism and Leisure confirmed that the County Council will be taking a lead on this matter in terms of providing support for local bodies to take the reinstatement of the skate park forwards. He emphasised the importance of establishing sound governance and accountability arrangements for the future management of a reinstated facility and those sentiments were endorsed by the Executive.

The Chair referred to comments presented by e-mail by Councillor Dylan Rees, a Local Member and by Councillor Victor Hughes who had originally instigated the scrutiny review of the skate park closure.

Councillors R. G. Parry, OBE and Nicola Roberts spoke as Local Members. Councillor R. Meirion Jones spoke in his capacity as Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and sought reassurance that the lessons learnt from the manner in which the closure of the skate park had been effected had been disseminated to Officers across all the Council’s departments. The Chief Executive confirmed that that could be arranged.

It was resolved –

·      That a meeting be arranged between Officers in Economic and Community Regeneration with the Llangefni Town Council and Llangefni Social Enterprise to agree a way forward on delivering a reinstatement scheme.

·      To formalise the future management and governance of any facility and learn lessons from past experiences.

·      To allocate Officer time from Economic and Community Regeneration (EC&R) to assist in the process of delivering any reinstatement scheme.

To consider adoption of the following:-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from 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”.

It was resolved under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion on the following item on the grounds that it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the Public Interest Test presented.

The Chief Executive referred to the process for assessing and determining whether issues need to be exempted from public discussion and he clarified that this occurs when specific matters deemed to be of a sensitive nature are under consideration e.g. employment matters and matters that involve individuals or personal details; commercial and contractual matters which if disclosed would prove disadvantageous to the Council.

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

The report of the Head of Economic and Community Regeneration with regard to the future of the Llangefni Golf Course and Driving Range in a context of increasing budgetary pressures was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

It was resolved to respond to the current financial pressures by maximising value from the golf course land asset to re-invest in other statutory County Council facilities (whilst minimising grant claw-back and enabling market value to be maximised in the public interest) by :

·      Closing the golf course in April, 2015;

·      Leasing the golf course land (short-term) for agricultural use;

·      Maintaining and managing the driving range and practice areas until 2017;

·      Reviewing and progressing options to maximise value from site disposal in 2017.