Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies at the meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2017 (minutes attached).

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2017 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Cabinet members are invited to declare any pecuniary or personal interests relating to specific matters on the agenda.

Please see note (a) at the end of the agenda

No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Written questions

To answer any written questions from a County Councillor, (or any person living or working in the county, or is affected by the work of the County Council), about any matter which relates to any item on the agenda for this meeting.

The closing date for the receipt of written questions was 4.00 pm on Thursday 9 November 2017.

Oral questions

To answer any oral questions from members of the public. An oral question may be asked by a member of the public about any item on the agenda for this meeting, provided notice of the question is given by the questioner to the Chief Executive’s representative at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Depending on the nature of the question, it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive answer at the meeting, in which case a written answer will be provided as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting.

Questions received and proposed responses do not accompany this agenda but will be circulated prior to the meeting.

A total of 11 member questions were submitted in advance of the meeting.

The following supplementary questions were asked at the meeting.

Question 1: Cllr Iain Dobie

Agenda item 8: Financial Monitoring Report 2017-18 (pages 47 to 68 of the agenda pack)

Cllr Dobie asked whether ‘consistently investing in supporting people with learning disabilities’ meant cuts of £4 million in the last two years and £7 million since 2014-15?

Cllr Kathy Williams stated that the Council continued to invest in services for people with learning disabilities.  She referred to the employment programme to get people with learning disabilities into work.

Question 2: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda item 8: Financial Monitoring Report 2017-18 (pages 47 to 68 of the agenda pack)

Cllr Hodgkinson asked what contingencies were being built in to the budget if the Adult Social Care Support Grant of £1.541 million was a one-off?

Cllr Roger Wilson explained that the Council’s budget for 2018-19 was currently being put together and careful consideration was being given to the level of funding required in future years.

Question 3: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda item 8: Financial Monitoring Report 2017-18 (pages 47 to 68 of the agenda pack)

Cllr Hodgkinson asked what increase in funding the Cabinet Member thought was required for Adult Social Care given that demand was increasing year on year?

Cllr Roger Wilson stated that a great deal of work was being undertaken on demand management.  Every area of the Adult Social Care budget was being examined to make sure that it was sufficient.  He recognised that it was a challenging time and cost pressures would only increase moving forward.

Question 4: Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Agenda item 8: Financial Monitoring Report 2017-18 (pages 47 to 68 of the agenda pack)

Cllr Hodgkinson asked how much the spend on consultants for 2017-18 so far compared with the same period for the previous financial year?

Cllr Ray Theodoulou advised that he did not have the information to hand but would provide it outside the meeting.

Question 5: Cllr Iain Dobie

Agenda item 8: Financial Monitoring Report 2017-18 (pages 47 to 68 of the agenda pack)

Cllr Dobie expressed concern that the percentage of the Council’s Public Health budget spent on Mental Health had reduced from 2 % to 1.2%, compared to the national average of 1.6%.  He asked the Cabinet Member whether he believed that the Council should be spending at least 2 %  of its budget on Mental Health?

Cllr Tim Harman recognised that what we do about mental health was one of the great challenges facing the county and the country. He noted the importance of funding available from the Public Health budget and other budgets.

To seek to:

a)    Extend all current recyclate contracts, (with the exception of wood), for a further period of two months and, to

b)    Tender and award new recyclate contracts for a term of three years, (three years and three months for the wood contract), with the option to extend for up to a further year in each case. 

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought approval to extend all current recyclate contracts (except for wood) for a further period of two months and to tender and/or aware new recyclate contracts.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to

Authorise the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:

1) Extend the duration of all the existing recyclate contracts:

(a) awarded using the Dynamic Purchasing System; and

(b) those awarded directly outside of the Dynamic Purchasing System

as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the Report (with the exception of the current contract for the recycling of Wood) by two months in each case so each will terminate on 31st March 2018.

2) Using the Household Recycling Centre Dynamic Purchasing System;

a) procure and award a new contract for the provision of wood recyclate services, the contract to have the term of three years and three months commencing on the 1st January 2018 with an option to extend for up to a further year and an estimated value of £2M over its full term.

b) procure and award a new contract for the provision of the remaining recyclate services as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report, the contracts in each case to have the term of three years commencing on the 1st April 2018 with an option to extend for up to a further year and an estimated value of £1.5M over their full term for the new metal and cardboard contracts respectively.

3) Where under the Houshold Recycling Centre Dynamic Purchasing System no contractors are registered for a Lot or where there is no bid or no viable bid is received in respect of a Lot to procure and direct award a recyclate contract in each case for those respective Lots with providers who are able to offer the Council best value for the provision of those respective services provided that the term of any such directly awarded contract.

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, sought approval to extend all current recyclate contracts (except for wood) for a further period of two months and to tender and award new recyclate contracts.  He confirmed that the cost of implementing the recommendations would be met from within existing budgets so no additional costs would be incurred.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, the Cabinet:

RESOLVED to authorise the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:

1) Extend the duration of all the existing recyclate contracts:

(a) awarded using the dynamic purchasing system; and

(b) those awarded directly outside of the dynamic purchasing system

as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report (with the exception of the current contract for the recycling of wood) by two months in each case so each will terminate on 31 March 2018.

2) Using the Household Recycling Centre Dynamic Purchasing System:

(a) Procure and award a new contract for the provision of wood recyclate services, the contract to have the term of three years and three months commencing on the 1 January 2018 with an option to extend for up to a further year and an estimated value of £2 million over its full term.

(b) Procure and award a new contract for the provision of the remaining recyclate services as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report, the contracts in each case to have the term of three years commencing on the 1 April 2018 with an option to extend for up to a further year and an estimated value of £1.5 million over their full term for the new metal and cardboard contracts respectively.

3) Where under the Household Recycling Centre Dynamic Purchasing System no contractors are registered for a lot or where there is no bid or no viable bid is received in respect of a lot to procure and direct award a recyclate contract in each case for those respective Lots with providers who are able to offer the Council best value for the provision of those respective services provided that the term of any such directly awarded contract.

To seek approval to authorise the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to conduct a competitive tender process for the award of the contract for the A419 Highway Improvement Scheme.

In addition, Cabinet to authorise the use of funds from the existing Highways Budget to fund the design works for the scheme, (to be recovered from the Growth Deal Fund Grant).

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure sought approval for the Commissioning Director: Communities & Infrastructure, to be authorised to conduct  a compliant competitive tender process and to award a contract in respect of the A419 Improvement Scheme proposals.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to

Authorise the Commissioning Director, Communities and Infrastructure to:

1)    Conduct a compliant competitive tender process for the award of a contract to a single supplier for the construction of the Stonehouse A419 Improvement Scheme;

2) Upon conclusion of the competitive tender process, and in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Director, Communities and Infrastructure, is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider;

3)    Make any other ancillary orders that might be required to successfully implement the scheme; and

4)    Use £0.52M of existing Highways budget to fund the design works which will be recovered

Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure sought approval for the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure, to be authorised to conduct  a compliant competitive tender process and to award a contract in respect of the A419 Improvement Scheme proposals.

Cllr Moor noted that the A419 was a key route into the Stroud valleys and the improvement scheme was important for the county’s economy. 

Cllr Vernon Smith, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Flood, welcomed the scheme which he believed would complement the wider investment in the local road network.  He expected work to start on site in Autumn 2018.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, the local member for Quedgeley, said that the scheme was particularly good news for residents of his division and those people living in Hardwicke.

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, the Cabinet:

RESOLVED to authorise the Commissioning Director: Communities and Infrastructure to:

1)    Conduct a compliant competitive tender process for the award of a contract to a single supplier for the construction of the Stonehouse A419 Improvement Scheme.

2)   Upon conclusion of the competitive tender process, and in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Member for Fire, Planning and Infrastructure, to enter into a contract with the preferred provider evaluated as offering the Council best value for money for delivery of the services. In the event that the preferred provider for the contract is either unable or unwilling to enter into that contract with the Council then the Director: Communities and Infrastructure, is authorised to enter into such contract with the next willing highest placed suitably qualified provider.

3)    Make any other ancillary orders that might be required to successfully implement the scheme.

4)    Use £0.52 million of existing Highways budget to fund the design works which will be recovered.

To approve the establishment of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the provision of care for vulnerable and older people in the urban zones of Cheltenham and Gloucester.

Cllr Kathy Williams, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, and Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, sought approval for the establishment of a dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for the provision of care for vulnerable and older people in the urban zones of Cheltenham and Gloucester.

Having considered all the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to

Delegate authority to the Commissioning Director: Adults (and

DASS) to: -

1)    Ensure an EU compliant competitive process by establishing a dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for the provision of care for vulnerable and older people in the urban zones of Cheltenham and Gloucester until 30 September 2023; and

2)    Throughout the term of the Dynamic Purchasing System, to admit or remove domiciliary providers to the system in accordance with the required selection criteria or any revised selection criteria set out in the system; and

3)    To award packages of care to domiciliary providers on the Dynamic Purchasing System where the Lead Providers are unable

Cllr Kathy Williams, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, and Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Vulnerable Adults and Commissioning, sought approval for the establishment of a dynamic purchasing system (DPS) for the provision of care for vulnerable and older people in the urban zones of Cheltenham and Gloucester.

Cllr Wilson recognised that certainty of care was critically important for vulnerable people.  He said that a dynamic purchasing system in Gloucester and Cheltenham would provide a similar approach to the rest of the county and allow the Council to purchase care services from alternative providers if necessary.

Cllr Williams stated that it was vitally important that continuity of care was in place going into the Winter months.

Having considered all the information, including known proposals and the reasons for the recommendations, the Cabinet:

RESOLVED to delegate authority to the Commissioning Director: Adults (and

Director of Adult Social Services) to

1)    Ensure an EU compliant competitive process by establishing a dynamic purchasing system for the provision of care for vulnerable and older people in the urban zones of Cheltenham and Gloucester until 30 September 2023.

2)    Throughout the term of the dynamic purchasing system, to admit or remove domiciliary providers to the system in accordance with the required selection criteria or any revised selection criteria set out in the system.

3)    To award packages of care to domiciliary providers on the dynamic purchasing system where the lead providers are unable to meet the assessed demand from health and social care.

To provide an update on the year-end forecast for the 2017/18 County Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets.  

Cllr Ray Theodoulou: Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, gave an update on the year-end forecast for the council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets 2017/18.

In noting the report, Cabinet

RESOLVED to:

1. Notes the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of September 2017 for the 2017/18 financial year of a net £0.087 million underspend.

2. Agrees the following revenue contributions to capital of:

2.1 £0.100 million from Support Services to the ICT capital programme to provide Wi-Fi in Children’s Services office accommodation.

2.2 £0.258 million from Highways to support the Highways Capital Programme

3. Approves the following budget virements:

3.1 the 2016/17 unallocated Adults Social Care Levy of £2.5 million be permanently allocated to Learning Disabilities

3.2 the one off Adult Social Care Support Grant of £1.541 million is allocated to support Older People/Physical Disabilities and Mental Health pressures in the current year.

4. Approves the transfer of £5 million from one off savings in the Corporate and Technical budget to the Transformation Reserve.

5. Approves £0.71 million from the Transformation Reserve to support costs relating to the implementation of the Ofsted Improvement Plan.

6. Approves a £10 million pre-payment to the Gloucestershire LGPS Fund  to generate revenue savings as outlined in the report.

7. Notes the forecast capital year end position for 2017/18 of £9.815 million slippage.

8. Approves the following changes to the Capital Programme:-

8.1  A transfer of £2.521 million of existing C&I unallocated capital funding (made up of £1.727 million of Highways, £0.478 million of Structural Maintenance and £0.316 million of Integrated Transport) to fund the additional works costs on phase one of Cinderford Northern Quarter Spine Road following on from the July 2015 Cabinet decision to proceed with the project.

8.2  An increase of £3.014 million to the Highways Capital budget, funded by £2.700 million DfT Grant for the Cross Keys Roundabout £0.258 million of revenue contributions from Highways revenue budgets and £0.056 million from external contributions.

8.3  An increase of £0.198 million to the Infrastructure Capital budget of the Saturn Multi Modal Transport model, funded from the Transformation Reserve.

8.4  An increase of £0.100 million in the ICT Capital programme budget to provide Wi-Fi in Children’s Services office accommodation. This will be funded by a revenue contribution from Support Services.

8.5  A new capital scheme at Bourton-on-the-Water Primary, funded by £0.754 million developer s106 contributions.

8.6  Notes transfer of £0.360 million from the ‘Sandford Park House Dilapidation Costs’ scheme in the Adults Capital Programme to the AMPS Capital Programme to reflect the current management and reporting of these works.

8.7  Notes the transfer of £0.375 million from the ‘Locality Solutions’ scheme in Children & Families Capital Programme to the AMPS Capital Programme to reflect the current management and reporting of these works.

9. Notes the risks and opportunities associated with entering into a

Gloucestershire 100% Business Rate Retention pilot and:-

9.1  Continues to support the application to the Government to pilot 100% Business Rates Retention in 2018/2019 for  ...  view the full decision text for item 8.

Cllr Ray Theodoulou: Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, gave an update on the year-end forecast for the Council’s Revenue and Capital Budgets 2017/18.

Cllr Theodoulou stated that there continued to be major pressures around the  Adult Social Care and Children’s budgets.  He noted that all of the savings’ programmes in Adult Social Care had been brought together under the Adults’ Single Programme.  He said that the Children’s budget had risks associated with it as the number of children in care was continuing to rise in common with other local authority areas.  There were significant costs associated with the improvement plan following the Ofsted inspection. 

He explained that adjustments had been made to the Communities and Infrastructure budget and it was no longer in a deficit position.  Reductions in the deficit on the Local Government Pension Scheme had allowed £4 million to be released into the Revenue Budget on a ‘one-off’ basis.  He noted that 86% of savings planned through the Meeting the Challenge 2 (MtC2) Programme had now been achieved. 

He advised that a number of proposals had been put forward to increase the Capital Programme in recognition of the slippage with some other projects. He said that the Council had put forward a bid with the District Councils to participate in the Government’s Business Rates Retention Pilot.  If successful, the Council could gain additional one-off revenue of as much as £5 million. 

In noting the report, the Cabinet:

RESOLVED to

1  Note the forecast revenue year end position as at the end of September 2017 for the 2017/18 financial year of a net £0.087 million underspend.

2  Agree the following revenue contributions to capital of:

2.1 £0.100 million from Support Services to the ICT capital programme to provide Wi-Fi in Children’s Services office accommodation.

2.2 £0.258 million from Highways to support the Highways Capital Programme.

3  Approve the following budget virements:

3.1    The 2016/17 unallocated Adults Social Care Levy of £2.5 million be permanently allocated to Learning Disabilities.

3.2    The one off Adult Social Care Support Grant of £1.541 million is allocated to support Older People/Physical Disabilities and Mental Health pressures in the current year.

4  Approve the transfer of £5 million from one off savings in the Corporate and Technical budget to the Transformation Reserve.

5  Approve £0.71 million from the Transformation Reserve to support costs relating to the implementation of the Ofsted Improvement Plan.

6  Approve a £10 million pre-payment to the Gloucestershire LGPS Fund  to generate revenue savings as outlined in the report.

7  Note the forecast capital year end position for 2017/18 of £9.815 million slippage.

8  Approve the following changes to the Capital Programme:-

8.1  A transfer of £2.521 million of existing C&I unallocated capital funding (made up of £1.727 million of Highways, £0.478 million of Structural Maintenance and £0.316 million of Integrated Transport) to fund the additional works costs on phase one of Cinderford Northern Quarter Spine Road following on from the July 2015 Cabinet decision to proceed with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.