The Leader of the Council.
Decision:
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That the proposed areas of expenditure, with a total value of £5.138m and as set out at paragraph 4.5 of this report, be agreed in principle.
1.2 That authority be delegated to the relevant Assistant Director in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member to finalise the detail of the programmes of work and to make minor amendments if required.
1.3 That authority be delegated to the relevant Assistant Director in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree the criteria for the allocation of new loans and grants.
REASON FOR DECISION
To enable the new and extended programmes of work to commence to support the delivery of the Council’s strategic objectives.
Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:
To rely on existing levels of core funding to deliver these strategies.
Any Declarations of Interests Declared: Councillor Whitehead declared a local non-pecuniary interests as Director for Gateway 14 Ltd.
Any Dispensation Granted: None
Minutes:
Note: The meeting was adjourned between 11:50 am and 12:03pm.
65.1 The Leader of the Council, Councillor Morley introduced the Item and proposed recommendations 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 in the report.
65.2 Councillor Flatman seconded the recommendations.
65.3 The Chair invited the Cabinet Members for Communities, Housing, and Health and Wellbeing to provide introductions for their proposals in the Strategic Priorities.
65.4 The Chair provided an introduction on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, as he had forwarded apologies to the meeting.
65.5 The Chair invited questions from Cabinet Members and other Members attending the meeting.
65.6 In response to a question regarding the staff resources required to meet the projects set out in the Strategic Priorities, the Chief Executive stated that the report detailed the requirements for staff resources and that it varied whether recruitment for vacancies would for permanent or temporary arrangements. A breakdown of staff requirements for each Service Areas would be provided to Members after the meeting.
65.7 In response to questions from other Members attending the meeting the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing advised that the Youth Prescribing scheme would be made available through the integrated neighbourhood teams. The delivery plan would also include engagement with opposition members. The Holiday Scheme eligibility would in the first instance be based on those who received free school meals. The Department of Education provided funding for all other holiday schemes except for those provided in the half-term breaks, which the Council funded.
65.8 In response to questions in relation to the funding allocated for sustainable travel, the Assistant Director for Economic Development and Regeneration detailed the work of the Sustainable Travel Officer and stated that the funding supported this work with stakeholders such as Suffolk County Council and businesses.
65.9 The Strategic Director responded to a question in relation to members’ involvement in developing the proposals included in the Strategic Priorities. There would be opportunities at the upcoming All Member Briefings to provide input to the proposals and to discuss further.
65.10 Additional questions from other Members attending the meeting related to the funding allocation for the proposals, the timing for the expenditure of the funding and the previous exemplar scheme for construction of housing.
65.11 The Assistant Director for Housing stated that the housing developments were on HRA sites, and that it was pertinent to look at new technological developments, as they come forward, to improve energy performance in housing.
65.12 Members debated the issues including the impressive array of investments in action, that small sums of funding were important to smaller organisations, that non-permanent appointments should be made to time limited projects, and that the reserves were spent as a result of prudent savings and would be put to good use in the Community.
65.13 In addition to the Council providing money for core funded services, the Council could also deliver the new services identified in the Strategic Priorities, these were funded from the reserves, recirculating loans and from external match funding. The Council was in a fortunate position to be able to develop and recover from the effect of the past months and to support residents and businesses, enabling them to grow.
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That the proposed areas of expenditure, with a total value of £5.138m and as set out at paragraph 4.5 of this report, be agreed in principle.
1.2 That authority be delegated to the relevant Assistant Director in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member to finalise the detail of the programmes of work and to make minor amendments if required.
1.1 That authority be delegated to the relevant Assistant Director in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and the Cabinet Member for Finance to agree the criteria for the allocation of new loans and grants.
REASON FOR DECISION
To enable the new and extended programmes of work to commence to support the delivery of the Council’s strategic objectives.
Supporting documents: