Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 17th July 2014.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 17th July 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary or other interests in relation to any item.  See Notes below.

No declarations were received.

To receive a report from the Corporate Office containing details of the Council’s performance against its priority objectives.

Noted the progress made against key activities and performance to date in the corporate plan and agreed to replace the measure of “time taken from first visit to completion of work on Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) with a value of over £1,000 (weeks)” by “average time (in weeks) between date of referral to practical completion for minor jobs up to £10,000”.

Further to Minute No 13/82 and with the assistance of a report by the Policy and Performance Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet considered the Council’s performance against key activities identified in the Council’s Corporate Plan for the period 1st April to 30th June 2014. The report had been considered by all the Overview and Scrutiny Panels whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

In referring to the layout of the report Executive Councillors endorsed the presentation of the performance information as it was easy to understand and could be traced back to the Corporate Plan.  However, Members felt that the document would benefit from the inclusion of a named contact officer and Portfolio Holder for the corporate performance and contextual indicators.

Having been advised of a change to the performance indicator for the measuring of Disabled Facilities Grant which has arisen as a result of the work being undertaken by the shared HIA service, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the progress made against key activities and performance to date in the corporate plan be noted; and

(b)  that the measure of “time taken from first visit to completion of work on Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) with a value of over £1,000 (weeks)” be replaced by “average time (in weeks) between date of referral to practical completion for minor jobs up to £10,000”.

To receive a report from the Environment Team Leader seeking approval for the sale of the two Green House project houses in St Neots.

Approved the sale of the two Green Houses with the St Neots property being sold as soon as possible and the St Ives Green House early next year, using a local agent and the best price sought; authorised the Head of Operations, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to accept the best offers for the sale of the properties and agreed to allocate the capital receipts from the sale of the houses in accordance with the emerging Capital Strategy.

Further to Minute No 11/52 and with the assistance of a report by the Environmental Team Leader (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet was invited to consider the future of the Green House properties located in St Ives and St Neots with a view to bringing the scheme to a close. The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) whose comments were relayed to the Cabinet.

By way of background, the Cabinet were reminded of their previous decision to retain the St Ives Green House as a showcase energy saving property until March 2014 and to rent out the St Neots property.  It was reported that the educational use of the St Ives house had passed its peak with the number of visitors dropping significantly and that the tenants in the St Neots property had recently moved out.

In concurring with the Panel that the properties have served their purpose Members were advised that the Council was committed to providing educational visits for the St Ives property until Spring next year as part of the DECC funding scheme.  It was therefore recommended that any marketing for the sale of the house be advertised for a completion date of March/ April 2015.

Having referred to the emerging Capital Strategy which will outline the Council’s future approach to capital investments and the intention to reinvest any capital receipts received from the sale of the houses in revenue yielding assets, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the sale of the two Green Houses be approved with the St Neots property being sold as soon as possible and the St Ives Green House early next year, using a local agent and the best price sought;

(b)  that the Head of Operations be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to accept the best offers for the sale of the properties; and

(c)  that the capital receipts from the sale of the houses be allocated in accordance with the emerging Capital Strategy.

To resolve:-

that the public be excluded from the meeting because the business to be transacted contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED

that the press and public be excluded from the meeting because the business to be transacted contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

To consider a report by the Projects and Assets Manager.

  Agreed that the disposal of Council-owned land at St. Mary’s Street, Huntingdon in this financial year using an approved agent be approved and the best price sought; and authorised the Head of Resources, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, to act in the best interest of the authority on the sale of the site.

Further to Minute No.12/82 the Cabinet considered a report by the Projects and Assets Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Annex to the Minute Book) outlining the latest position with regard to the sale of an area of Council-owned land at St. Mary’s Street, Huntingdon.

In response to the views expressed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being) on the matter, the Cabinet stressed that the Council was not in a position to build its own accommodation on the site and that the provision of social housing should remain with the appropriate registered landlords.

Having referred to the need to produce a strategy for the future disposal and acquisition of assets, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the disposal of Council-owned land at St. Mary’s Street, Huntingdon in this financial year using an approved agent be approved and the best price sought; and

  (b)  that the Head of Resources, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Resources, be authorised to act in the best interest of the authority on the sale of the site.

Having been advised by the Chairman that Mrs Taylor would shortly be leaving the District Council having secured an appointment elsewhere, the Cabinet thanked Mrs Taylor for her contribution to their meetings and wished her well in her new post.