Agenda and minutes

(Special), Cabinet Member - the Leader - Friday, 11th October, 2019 11.45 am

Venue: The Executive Meeting Room - Third Floor, The Guildhall, Portsmouth. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services Tel: 9283 4057  Email: joanne.wildsmith@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

The Chair read out the housekeeping information and welcomed everyone to the meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

2.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of members' interests.

3.

Forward Plan Omission - Crane Purchase

The Crane Purchase report by the Director of Finance & Resources, was omitted from the Forward Plan covering October 2019 published on 10 September 2019.  The Chair of the City Council's Scrutiny Management Panel has been notified and a public notice published.

 

RECOMMENDED that

 

(1) the omission to the Forward Plan for October 2019 be noted;

 

(2) that publication of the omission notice be noted.

Minutes:

The Leader apologised for the omission from the Forward Plan but all present were content to proceed.

 

DECISION

 

(1) the omission to the Forward Plan for October 2019 be noted;

 

(2) publication of the omission notice be noted.

4.

Exclusion of Press and Public - Crane Purchase (appendix only)

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet adopt the following motion:

 

“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the report(s) contain information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972”.

 

The public interest in maintaining the exemption must outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Under the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) England Regulations 2012, regulation 5, the reasons for exemption of the listed item is shown below.

 

Members of the public may make representation as to why the item should be held in open session.  A statement of the Council’s response to representations received will be given at the meeting so that this can be taken into account when members decide whether or not to deal with the item under exempt business.

 

(NB     The exempt/confidential committee papers on the agenda will contain information which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties.  Members are reminded of standing order restrictions on the disclosure of exempt information and are invited to return their exempt documentation to the Local Democracy Officer at the conclusion of the meeting for shredding.)

 

Item                                                                 Paragraph

 

5 - Crane Purchase (appendix only)      3 *

 

           

*Exemption Paragraph Numbers

3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

 

 

Minutes:

DECISION:

that the following motion be adopted:

 

“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act, 1985, the press and public be excluded for the consideration of the following item on the grounds that the report(s) contain information defined as exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972”.

 

However, the Leader said that the proceedings would be kept in open session so long as nobody wished to refer to the contents of exempt appendix A.

5.

Crane Purchase pdf icon PDF 192 KB

The report by the Director of Finance & Revenue (Section 151 Officer) seeks approval for a new crane to be purchased at Portsmouth International Port, and to be leased to Portico at a cost of £3m. 

 

The report will be submitted to Council on 15 October 2019 for approval.

 

RECOMMENDED

(1) The Council purchase a crane at a cost of £3.0m and this be added to the Capital Programme, to be funded by Prudential Borrowing.

(2) The crane is leased to Portico on terms and at a rate consistent with state aid rules.

Minutes:

(TAKE IN REPORT)

Chris Ward, Director of Finance & Revenue (Section 151 Officer) introduced the report which seeks approval for a new crane to be purchased at Portsmouth International Port, and to be leased to Portico at a cost of £3m.

It was intended that the report be submitted to Council on 15 October 2019 for approval.

 

Mr Ward explained that although this was already a planned purchase by Portsmouth City Council (as opposed to Portico), an opportunity for increased trade had occurred should the purchase of the crane be brought forward.  He said there was a clear financial case for bringing forward the acquisition of the crane as opposed to not doing so as the Council will be around £3m better off.

 

He advised that the Council's policy has been to acquire the cranes themselves and lease those cranes to Portico. Since cranes have strong re-sale value, it is considered that having ownership of the asset affords the Council the most secure method of underwriting the loan which has been taken out for the purchase.

 

Mark Webb advised that as part of the Council’s assessment of whether to invest in a new crane and lease to Portico, it needs to satisfy itself that this expenditure is commercially justified by asking the same commercially-based questions that a private shareholder in business would ask as set out in 4.6 of the report.

 

The Leader said that this matter should be progressed and should go on to full Council with the recommendations in the report.  The opposition spokespersons agreed with this approach.

 

The Leader RECOMMENDED to Council that

 

(1) The Council purchase a crane at a cost of £3.0m and this be added to the Capital Programme, to be funded by Prudential Borrowing.

(2) The crane is leased to Portico on terms and at a rate consistent with state aid rules.