Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence. 

Councillor Mike Murray had sent his apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 30 June 2017. 

RESOLVED: to adopt as a correct record the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 30 June 2017 and agree that the chairman signs them as such. 

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None

None

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

Councillor Debby Hallett had requested to address Cabinet on the items set out below. 

To consider the head of corporate strategy’s report. 

Cabinet considered the report of the head of HR, IT and technical services, which sought approval of the corporate delivery plan.  The plan set out in detail the actions required to deliver the corporate plan 2016-2020. 

Scrutiny Committee had considered the delivery plan and made suggested amendments to improve the format.  Councillor Debby Hallett addressed Cabinet, reporting that Scrutiny Committee’s comments were largely on the format of the document and requesting that the goals were specific and measurable.  The officer reported that these suggestions had been incorporated into the plan.   

Cabinet welcomed the delivery plan and noted that it would receive regular progress reports. 

RESOLVED: to approve the corporate delivery plan as set out in the report of the head of HR, IT and technical services. 

To consider the report of the interim head of development, regeneration and housing. 

Cabinet considered the report of the interim head of development, regeneration and housing.  This set out an approach to provide temporary housing accommodation for the period 2017 to 2022.  The report proposed deleting the £920,000 capital budget to purchase four homes in Abingdon and instead to create a capital budget of £885,000 to convert the council’s two hostels into self-contained units.  This would reduce the projected revenue costs by £25,000 per annum. 

The Scrutiny Committee had welcomed the proposal.  Councillor Debby Hallett addressed Cabinet, reporting that Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations had been incorporated and thanked the officers for their work on this. 

Cabinet considered the options:

1.         Refurbishing the two hostels in their existing configuration of shared accommodation.

2.         Reconfiguring the Wantage hostel only into self-contained units, selling the Faringdon hostel and purchasing replacement units.

3.         Reconfiguring the Faringdon hostel only, selling the Wantage hostel and purchasing replacement units. 

4.         Selling both hostels and purchasing equivalent accommodation. 

5.         Reconfiguring both hostels into self-contained units. 

Cabinet preferred option 5 as existing shared bathroom and toilet facilities in the hostels were unsuitable for housing homeless families and individuals.  The council had a duty of care to homeless applicants placed in temporary accommodation.  Therefore, Cabinet considered that both hostels should be reconfigured into self-contained units. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)       approve the approach to temporary housing accommodation provision as set out in the report of the interim head of development, regeneration, and housing;

RECOMMENDED: to Council to

(b)       delete the current capital budget provision of £920,000 for the estimated costs of purchasing four two-bedroom houses in Abingdon; 

(c)       create a capital budget of £885,000 to convert the council’s two hostels into self-contained units; and

(d)     note that by approving recommendation (c) above, this will result in a reduction in the revenue budget of £25,000 per annum. 

To consider whether to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business under Part 1 of Schedule 12A Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 on the grounds that:

(i)        it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1-7 Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

(ii)       the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

RESOLVED: to exclude members of the press and public from the meeting for the following item of business, under Part 1 of Schedule 12A Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, on the grounds that:

(i)        it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and

(ii)       the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

To consider the chief executive’s report. 

Cabinet awarded a contract to carry out the refurbishment works on the Abbey Meadow outdoor swimming pool in Abingdon, and its plant and changing areas.