Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence with all Cabinet Members being present.

There were no declarations of Members' Interests.

DECISION: that the record of decisions of the Cabinet meeting held on 3 March 2014 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The attached report by the Director of Children's and Adults' Services and Child Support Services Commissioning Manager provides the Cabinet with an update on plans for implementing the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reforms in Portsmouth.

The report sets out how it is proposed that this funding is used to ensure that best value is achieved from the grant and that Portsmouth is ready for implementation from 1^st September 2014.

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet:

(a)          Approve the full allocation of the Special Educational Needs Reform Grant of £253,647 in 2014-15.

(b)          Approve the proposals for utilising the grant to enable the successful implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reform in Portsmouth as set out within the report.

the Cabinet

(1)       Approved the full allocation of the Special Educational Needs Reform Grant of £253,647 in 2014-15.

(2)       Approved the proposals for utilising the grant to enable the successful implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reform in Portsmouth as set out within the report.

Julia Katherine, Child Support Commissioning Manager, introduced her report and explained that additional work is required for the transition to the new system coming into effect in September 2014 and that there would be restructuring of services to deliver this.

DECISIONS: the Cabinet

(1)       Approved the full allocation of the Special Educational Needs Reform Grant of £253,647 in 2014-15.

(2)       Approved the proposals for utilising the grant to enable the successful implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Reform in Portsmouth as set out within the report.

The attached report by the Director of Regeneration is to gain Cabinet approval of a report on delivering apprenticeships for Portsmouth and endorsement of the proposed Delivery Plan.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet:

(1)          Approve the Apprenticeships report and endorse the proposed Delivery Plan.

(2)          Delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development to make any future amendments to the Delivery Plan.

(3)          Agree the development of a renewed and ambitious apprenticeships programme within the City Council,  along with an Apprenticeships Policy which includes provision for care leavers, to be approved by the Council's Employment Committee.

Agree that progress on increasing apprenticeship numbers within each of the Council's Services is reported to Strategic Directors and Employment Committee on a regular basis.

the Cabinet:

(1)          Approved the Apprenticeships report and endorsed the proposed Delivery Plan.

(2)          Delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development to make any future amendments to the Delivery Plan.

(3)          Agreed the development of a renewed and ambitious apprenticeships programme within the City Council,  along with an Apprenticeships Policy which includes provision for care leavers, to be approved by the Council's Employment Committee.

(4)         Agreed that progress on increasing apprenticeship numbers within each of the Council's Services is reported to Strategic Directors and Employment Committee on a regular basis.

(5)         Thanked Penny Lane for her report and all the officers working on the implementation of these initiatives.

Penny Lane, Strategic Intelligence and Information Manager, presented her report which was welcomed by the Cabinet Members who were supportive of PCC's enabling role and appreciated the cross-department involvement in taking forward apprenticeships.  The Housing Service already employs apprentices and Councillor Sanders as Cabinet Member for Housing was keen that they are local appointees where possible.  Penny Lane was formally thanked for her report.

Councillor Donna Jones spoke, reiterating the links with the Business Growth & Skills Plan and Solent LEP, especially with job losses at BAE and the moving of apprentices there to BAE's Maritime Services wing.  She had visited a Hilsea precision engineering company who recruited from local schools and stressed the importance of encouraging girls into engineering services.

DECISIONS: the Cabinet:

(1)          Approved the Apprenticeships report and endorsed the proposed Delivery Plan.

(2)          Delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development to make any future amendments to the Delivery Plan.

(3)          Agreed the development of a renewed and ambitious apprenticeships programme within the City Council,  along with an Apprenticeships Policy which includes provision for care leavers, to be approved by the Council's Employment Committee.

(4)         Agreed that progress on increasing apprenticeship numbers within each of the Council's Services is reported to Strategic Directors and Employment Committee on a regular basis.

(5)         Thanked Penny Lane for her report and all the officers working on the implementation of these initiatives.

The attached report by the Head of Transport and Environment is to:

(i)            Inform Cabinet of the results of the public consultation for North Portsea Island Flood Defence Schemes.

(ii)          Advise that the project is currently on programme to meet the requirements of the Environment Agency's Programme of Acceleration and Growth (PAG) and officers now seek agreement to undertake detailed design based upon the preferred option identified from the public consultation exercise undertaken in February and March 2014.

RECOMMENDED:

That in order to implement the Council adopted Shoreline Management Plan and Portsea Island Coastal Strategy, Cabinet agree:-

(1)          To commence development of the detailed design using the information gathered from the public consultation exercise. 

(2)          That whilst option D is shown to be the preferred option, the final design for the scheme will also have to take into account costs, local topography and various stakeholder interests. It is likely that the final scheme will be a combination of options C and D and that detailed design should commence on this basis.

(3)          To delegate authority to the Head of Service for Transport and Environment to submit the final business case to the Environment Agency in consultation with the Cabinet Member/Portfolio Holder for Environment and Community Safety.

That in order to implement the Council adopted Shoreline Management Plan and Portsea Island Coastal Strategy, the Cabinet agreed:-

(1)          To commence development of the detailed design using the information gathered from the public consultation exercise. 

(2)          That whilst option D is shown to be the preferred option, the final design for the scheme will also have to take into account costs, local topography and various stakeholder interests. It is likely that the final scheme will be a combination of options C and D and that detailed design should commence on this basis.

(3) To delegate authority to the Head of Service for Transport and Environment to submit the final business case to the Environment Agency in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety.

Simon Moon, Head of Transport & Environment, introduced his report and reported that the Environment Agency had been impressed by the consultation work undertaken on the scheme.  He anticipated that construction work would commence on site in March 2015.  Councillor Hugh Mason thanked officers for their work in carrying out consultation at an early stage and stated that whilst Options D and C were favoured there would be some areas where it may be necessary to use another option.

DECISIONS: That in order to implement the Council adopted Shoreline Management Plan and Portsea Island Coastal Strategy, the Cabinet agreed:-

(1)          To commence development of the detailed design using the information gathered from the public consultation exercise. 

(2)          That whilst option D is shown to be the preferred option, the final design for the scheme will also have to take into account costs, local topography and various stakeholder interests. It is likely that the final scheme will be a combination of options C and D and that detailed design should commence on this basis.

(3)          To delegate authority to the Head of Service for Transport and Environment to submit the final business case to the Environment Agency in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety.

The attached report by the Chief Executive is

(1)          To outline the current approach to enforcement of environmental crime, and options for improving the cleanliness and tidiness of the streets by changing the approach.

(2)          To provide the Cabinet with details of a scheme whereby a private enforcement company issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) for environmental and dog fouling offences on behalf of local authorities and to ask Members to consider that such a scheme be introduced in Portsmouth on a pilot basis.

RECOMMENDED that

a.)          A 6 month pilot scheme is delivered by 3GS for the issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental and dog control offences (as listed in para 8.1);

b.)          The Strategic Director - City Solicitor & Monitoring Officer be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Environment & Community Safety and the Head of Service - Transport & Environment, to determine all matters relating to the pilot scheme;

c.)          A further report is presented to the Cabinet following evaluation of the pilot scheme.

d.)          The existing work being undertaken to improve the current approach to enforcement of environmental and street cleanliness issues be noted.

that

(1)    A 6 month pilot scheme be delivered by 3GS for the issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental and dog control offences (as listed in para 8.1);

8             (2) The Strategic Director - City Solicitor & Monitoring Officer be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety and the Head of Service for Transport & Environment, to determine all matters relating to the pilot scheme;

9             (3) A further report is presented to the Cabinet following evaluation of the pilot scheme.

10          (4)The existing work being undertaken to improve the current approach to enforcement of environmental and street cleanliness issues be noted.

Simon Moon, Head of Transport & Environment, introduced this report.  Councillor Luke Stubbs was generally supportive but urged caution in the implementation of enforcement against leaflet distribution in the street where this was a legitimate activity.  Councillor Donna Jones also spoke to ask for targeted enforcement against dog fouling at the right locations/times (such as sports pitches) and she also felt that there should be clear guidelines regarding unauthorised distribution of literature.

Councillor Jason Fazackarley responded that this had been proposed to deal with two of the main issues raised with ward councillors, dog fouling and littering, and would supplement the efforts of PCC's enforcement team, for a trial period. Councillor Sandra Stockdale as Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety welcomed the proposals to deal with the city-wide problems.  The Cabinet Members were grateful to Councillor Fazackarley for bringing this forward to increase street cleanliness and stressed that this would be monitored, would not be target-driven to ensure the right response was taken and publicised so that fines did not come as a shock to transgressors. It was hoped that this would also enable Stewart Lennard's enforcement team to give increased focus to fly-tipping and members were grateful for the work they were currently undertaking.

DECISIONS: that

(1)          A 6 month pilot scheme be delivered by 3GS for the issuing of Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental and dog control offences (as listed in para 8.1);

(2)          The Strategic Director - City Solicitor & Monitoring Officer be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety and the Head of Service for Transport & Environment, to determine all matters relating to the pilot scheme;

(3)          A further report is presented to the Cabinet following evaluation of the pilot scheme.

(4)          The existing work being undertaken to improve the current approach to enforcement of environmental and street cleanliness issues be noted.

The attached report by the City Solicitor is to seek Cabinet's approval to the attached draft policy.

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet approves the attached draft policy.

(1)                 The Cabinet approved the draft policy, subject to the financial year for moving to sustainable management be 2015/16 rather than 2016/17;

(2)          Delegated to the City Solicitor in agreement with the Leader of the Council the approval of any amendments subsequently agreed by Havant Borough Council.

Councillor Donna Jones spoke to support the Council's strategy to reduce financial assistance to the Langstone Harbour Board and to review its governance arrangements.  Councillor Luke Stubbs also welcomed the report and the intention for LHB to become more efficient.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson wished this efficiency to come into effect for the 2015/16 financial year (not 2016/17 as specified in the policy within the appendix to the report).  Michael Lawther, the City Solicitor, asked that the recommendations include delegation to him in consultation with the Leader, to agree amendments as this policy had not yet been considered by Havant Borough Council.  The Cabinet Members were supportive of the suggested approach and as one of the major stakeholders PCC should be setting the parameters of the organisation's operation to encourage its sustainability.

DECISIONS:

(1)          The Cabinet approved the draft policy, subject to the financial year for moving to sustainable management be 2015/16 rather than 2016/17;

(2)          Delegated to the City Solicitor in agreement with the Leader of the Council the approval of any amendments subsequently agreed by Havant Borough Council.

The attached report by the Head of Corporate Assets, Business and Standards is to update members on the current occupancy rates of the city's retail centres, set against the national and South East averages.

As an information item there were no decisions taken and this is not subject to call-in.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson had requested this item by the Head of Corporate Assets, Business and Standards, and welcomed the retail occupancy rates which were noted to be above the national and South East region averages.

Councillor Donna Jones also spoke to welcome the report; the Cosham shopping centre had benefitted from the one-way system and pavement widening, but there were still issues with the length of time for train crossings, but this was outside PCC control.  Northern Quarter was a disappointment at this stage but may effect occupancy rates in the future. 

The Cabinet Members welcomed the good rates of occupancy across the retail centres, thanking Barry Walker the City Centre Manger and those officers working to promote the centres.  They believed that the development of the Northern Quarter would be delivered by Centros in the future and Councillor Terry Hall, Cabinet Member for Planning, Regeneration & Economic Development stressed the need for a good quality design for the scheme.

(As an information item there were no decisions taken and this is not subject to call-in.)