Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 May 2024 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations were made.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources which presented the action taken and the performance achieved in respect of the treasury management activities of the Council in 2023/24.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 4’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr. Breckon CC reiterated that treasury management was an integral part of the Council’s overall finances.  He stated that the action taken in respect of the debt portfolio in recent years had been extremely beneficial and had resulted in significant savings.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

REASON FOR DECISION

The Authority’s full adoption of the CIPFA Code of Practice for treasury management requires an annual report on Treasury Management activity and performance to be considered by both the Cabinet and the Corporate Governance Committee before the end of September each year.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities which presented the findings of the consultation on the future of the Transitions Learning Programme (TLP) delivered by the Council’s Adult Learning Service (LALS) and sought approval on the proposal to close the service.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 5’, is filed with these minutes.

Members agreed that it was not possible for the service to continue due to the low number of users and the condition of the building.  All options had been considered and members were reassured that the two remaining young people using the service would be provided with alternative support. 

RESOLVED:

a) That the outcome of the consultation on the future of the Transitions Learning Programme (TLP) be noted;

b) That the proposal to close the TLP at the end of the 2023/24 academic year on 5 July 2024 be approved;

c) That ongoing support meetings with parents and learners currently accessing the service be prioritised to manage a planned transition to alternative provision.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION

The current model of delivering the TLP service is not financially sustainable due to reduced funding and low numbers of learners.

The TLP is currently operating with two learners and the service is forecasting a deficit of £135,000 for the 2024/25 financial year.

The site from which the service operates is in a poor state of repair and is reaching the end of its usable life.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adults and Communities presenting the proposals put forward for consideration by the Adults and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the future development of the Archives, Collections and Learning (ACL) Centre.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 6’, is filed with these minutes.

Members commented that the proposal to develop the ACL Centre was the most viable, cost effective long term solution.

RESOLVED:

a) To note the outcome of the discussion at an Adults and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee workshop;

b) To consider the following recommendations from the Adults and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 3 June 2024:

i) The development of the Archives, Collections and Learning (ACL) Centre be reaffirmed, and that consideration be given to allocating funding, as detailed in the report, for this development in the 2025/26 Capital Programme to be considered by the County Council in February 2025;

ii) A more detailed appraisal, to compare the new building costs of the ACL Centre with the costs associated with continuing at the current site over the 25-year period equivalent to the minimum life of the ACL Centre, be developed;

iii) The partnership agreements with Leicester City Council and Rutland Council be reviewed and renewed to reflect the ongoing commitment to the partnership of the Record Office of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

REASONS FOR DECISION

In May this year, The National Archive (TNA) published the outcome of the Accreditation Assessment.  The Record Office of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (ROLLR) had retained Accredited status on a provisional basis for up to two years, until a solution to the lack of capacity for archival standard storage could be identified and implemented.  If these issues are not addressed by March 2026, Accreditation could be removed.

The current ROLLR has already exceeded capacity resulting in items being stored inappropriately and there is no future capacity to continue to receive documents and records.  The ACL Centre offers a robust storage and access solution for the Council’s expected archive and museums collections storage and access requirements for the next 25 years.

The alternative solutions to address the lack of future capacity would require significant revenue expenditure for which there is no current provision within the County Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

The current storage facilities of the County Council’s Museum and Heritage Service does not meet the required standards.

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport informing of the development of the Council’s Road Safety Strategy (RSS), which includes new casualty reduction targets, and seeking approval of the Strategy.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 7’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr. O’Shea CC commented that the Road Safety Strategy would help to meet future safety challenges and acknowledged that road safety was everyone’s responsibility.  The RSS would also help to maximise future funding opportunities to improve road safety relating to new and emerging technology.  It was also noted that the RSS contributed to the Council’s strategic outcomes, including safe and well, for example by helping to reduce the fear of collisions.

A request was made that Active Travel featured in any new developments, in particular the provision of public transport and zebra crossings.    

RESOLVED:

a) That the Council’s Road Safety Strategy (attached as Appendix A to the report) be approved, noting the inclusion of new casualty reduction targets;

b) That the Director of Environment and Transport, following consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member, be authorised to make future minor amendments as considered necessary to the Road Safety Strategy.

REASONS FOR DECISION

The Road Safety Strategy (RSS) is not a new approach or policy, but it presents in one document, for the first time, everything that the Council does to improve road safety.  It informs Leicestershire’s communities what the Council does, how it does it, and how the approach may need to evolve in the future to meet new challenges.

To set new ambitious casualty reduction targets, which will support continuous improvement to road safety and road casualty reduction.

Where appropriate, minor amendments will ensure that the Strategy is kept updated.

The Cabinet considered a joint report of the Chief Executive and Director of Public Health which provided an update on the County Council’s funding award to become a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC).  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 8’, is filed with these minutes.

Members congratulated officers in securing the funding to undertake research and commended the progress that was being made. 

RESOLVED:

a) That the successful Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) funding award and the progress to date be noted;

b) That the planned HDRC activity be supported;

c) That the use of research evidence in decision and policy making be advocated.

REASON FOR DECISION

Support for the HDRC from elected members and senior officers is critical to moving the County Council towards being a research active organisation that produces knowledge and uses it in decision making.

There were no items referred from Overview and Scrutiny bodies.

The press and public are likely to be excluded during the following item of business in accordance with Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972:

·       East of Lutterworth Strategic Development Area

RESOLVED:

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 and 10 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act and that, in all circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information:

·       East of Lutterworth Strategic Development Area.

The Cabinet considered an exempt report of the Chief Executive and Director of Corporate Resources advising of the progress with the delivery of the East of Lutterworth Strategic Development Area (SDA) project, the disposal options available and seeking agreement to progress the scheme in line with the Option 2, which is detailed in the report.  A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 12’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:

a) That Option 2 for the disposal of part of the East of Lutterworth Strategic Development Area (SDA) site in two phases, as detailed in paragraphs 59 – 68 of the report, be approved;

b) That the Council implements the current planning consent for the East of Lutterworth SDA by discharging the relevant pre-commencement conditions and constructing a short section of highway to facilitate the development of the B8 site or the Swift Valley Business Park;

c) That the Council continues to:

          i) progress the review of the affordable housing provision for the site;

          ii) engage with government organisations to try to secure grant funding           for the project;

          iii) work on the delivery strategy for the residential element of the site;

d) That the Director of Corporate Resources, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance and the Cabinet Lead Member(s) be authorised to oversee and manage the terms and delivery of the land disposal, associated timings and expenditure, taking into account all necessary financial, legal and procedural implications.

(KEY DECISION)

REASONS FOR DECISION

The Council’s financial position and market conditions necessitate a phased approach to delivery of the SDA site.

Discharging the pre-commencement conditions of the existing planning consent and carrying out the minor highway works will secure the consent, which otherwise expires in May 2027.

A soft marketing review carried out by the Council in March 2024 suggested that under the current market conditions, developers would struggle to bring the residential site forward at the present time.  The soft marketing exercise has also informed the options for development of the other elements of the site.

Authorising the Director of Corporate Resources to proceed with the necessary actions to implement Option 2 will expedite the process.