EXECUTIVE BOARD
22nd MARCH 2010
PRESENT: |
Councillor M. Gravell (Chair); | |
Councillors: W.J.W. Evans, P.M. Hughes, P.E.M. Jones, W.H. Jones, K. Madge and G.H. Wooldridge; | ||
Also present as observers:- Councillors W.T. Evans and P. Hughes-Griffiths; | ||
Also Present: Councillor S.R. James in respect of Minute No. 3; | ||
The following officers were also in attendance: - | ||
Mr. M James |
Chief Executive; | |
Mr. R. Workman |
Director of Technical Services; | |
Mr. V. Morgan |
Director of Education and Children’s Services; | |
Mr. B. McLernon |
Director of Social Care, Health and Housing; | |
Mr. E. Bowen |
Head of Planning; | |
Mr. P. Davies |
Head of Public Protection; | |
Mr. L. Thomas |
Head of Administration and Law; | |
Mr. T. Sage |
Head of Transport and Engineering; | |
Mr. B. Stephens |
School Catchment Advisor; | |
Ms B. Dolan |
Senior Consultant; | |
Ms. D. Williams |
Press Manager; | |
Mr. M.S. Davies |
Democratic Services Officer. | |
(Chamber, County Hall, Carmarthen – 10.00 a.m. – 10.40 a.m.) | ||
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M.H. Evans, P.A. Palmer and H.C. Scourfield.
● The Chair referred to the fact that Mr. Vernon Morgan, Director of Education and Children’s Services, was attending his last meeting of the Executive Board prior to his forthcoming retirement. She paid tribute to him in both professional and personal terms adding that he was, she understood, held in high esteem by his staff and that the children of Carmarthenshire would see the benefits of the work that he had overseen. She wished Mr. Morgan a long and healthy retirement, a sentiment endorsed by the other members of the Executive Board. Mr. Morgan thanked the Board Members for their good wishes and paid tribute to his colleagues and staff for all their assistance in helping him in his role as Director;
● The Chair referred to a Strategic Leaders Conference she, and the Chief Executive, had attended in Cardiff on the 17th March 2010 at which there had been a debate, chaired by Dr. Paul Thomas [Director of the Welsh Research Unit Governance and Leadership], on ‘The Future of the Public Sector’ and the general consensus had been that the future, post 2011, was bleak. She added that in speaking to several WAG Ministers on separate occasions the message appeared to be that WAG had concerns over the worst performing local authorities in Wales and, tarring all authorities with the same brush, felt that changes were necessary. In view of the aforementioned an invitation had been extended to Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Social Justice and Local Government, to give an address on the challenge facing public services at an all-member conference being arranged for 25th May 2010.
Councillor |
Minute No. |
Nature of Interest |
P.M. Hughes |
7 - Petition re. Proposed introduction of charges for parking places, Lammas Street, Carmarthen; |
The supply of food to traders. |
With reference to minute 4 of the Social Justice Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 22nd January 201009 the Executive Board considered the final report of the aforementioned Scrutiny Committee's Task and Finish Group on the review of poverty in Carmarthenshire, as presented by the Committee’s Chairman who highlighted the hidden poverty in rural areas and the need to empower local members in help tackle poverty.
The Executive Board welcomed the report and expressed its appreciation to the Task and Finish group, together with officers, on producing the recommendations contained therein.
In response to comments by the Chief Executive on the problems encountered by people taking out paycheque loans, in some instances with 3000% [three thousand] interest, and the high number of young people who were unable to manage a simple household budget, the Head of Public Protection agreed to arrange a seminar for all members encompassing issues such as loans and credit unions.
It was also suggested that;
● the problems associated with poverty and the help available needed to be highlighted by ‘One Voice Wales’ [the principal organization for community and town councils in Wales] and in the Council’s own ‘Community News’;
● the Head of Safeguarding & Prevention be requested to look at arranging for the services of Credit unions [financial co-operatives offering a convenient way to save and the opportunity to access low cost loans and a range of other benefits] to be accessed at the network of 12 Family Centres developed across Carmarthenshire.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, subject to the above, that the recommendations detailed in the report of the Social Justice Scrutiny Committee's Task and Finish Group be endorsed.
The Executive Board considered a report which proposed replacing the historic paper-based catchment area map for Ysgol Abernant with a revised and definitive up-to-date electronic version following concerns raised by the school’s governors and the Authority’s [School Transport] Appeals Committee.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to accept the report.
The Executive Board was advised that the Business Management Group, at its meeting on 4th February, 2010, had agreed, following consideration of a report on the above section of the Members’ allowances Scheme which had not been updated since its adoption in 1996, that the Group Leaders would make their members aware of the tax allowances available and direct them to HMRC at Swansea if they required any additional information. The Business Management Group had also recommended that the section on Councillors’ tax allowances within the Members’ Allowances Scheme should be amended along the lines set out in Appendix ‘A’, which had been circulated to the Board, to reflect changes to allowances since its adoption in 1996. A revised version of Appendix ‘A’, which incorporated further revisions proposed by the Director of Resources, was circulated at the meeting.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that the section within the Members’ Allowances Scheme dealing with Councillors’ Tax Allowances be amended as indicated in the revised Appendix ‘A’ circulated at the meeting.
The Executive Board considered the Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales [IRPW] and the determinations and recommendations contained therein relating to councillors’ allowances. The Panel had been established in January 2008, under The Local Authorities (Allowances for Members) (Wales) Regulations 2007, to review councillors’ allowances in Wales and to prescribe the maximum levels of allowances payable by County and County Borough Councils in Wales. In the context of the Council’s budget it was noted that the IRPW’s recommended increases in the maximum payable for Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances to Councillors were within the allowance of 1% included in the Council’s budget proposals for increasing councillors’ allowances for 2010/11.
The Chair referred to the fact that in light of the severe pressures on public finances and the previous decision that there be no increase in senior officer pay over the next two years [minute 8 of the meeting held on the 2/11/09 refers] the Executive Board Members had agreed to freeze their remuneration this year.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the amended allowances prescribed in the report by the IRPW for 2010/11 be noted.
(NOTE: Councillor P.M. Hughes had earlier declared a personal interest in this item and left the meeting whilst it was discussed).
Further to minute 9 of the Executive Board meeting held on the 8th December 2008 the Head of Transport and Engineering reported that on 1st February 2010, following a surgery on the above proposals, a petition containing 1457 signatories had been presented to the Executive Board Member for Environment objecting ‘to the plan to introduce parking charges in Lammas Street, and (urging) the County Council to drop this proposal completely.” The Board was advised that the demand for parking places in Lammas Street was high and that the introduction of short stay on-street parking charges would encourage a greater turnover of parking spaces which should benefit local retailers. It was therefore recommended that the petition be noted and that the publication of a Draft Traffic Regulation Order on the introduction of the proposed changes to parking in Lammas Street, including for charging for parking spaces, be proceeded with and that a further report be brought back to the Executive Board following the expiry of the objection period so that any objections received could be fully considered.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that
8.1. the proposals to introduce a charge for parking in Lammas Street, Carmarthen, be formally published;
8.2. a further report on the matter be submitted to the Executive Board following the expiry of the 21-day objection period in order that any representations received can be considered.
The Executive Board considered a report which recommended the instigation of a pilot handy person scheme over 2009/10 - 2011/12 in partnership with Care and Repair Carmarthenshire. The scheme was aimed at:
n preventing older people’s homes from falling into disrepair;
n improving the suitability and safety of the housing stock to enable older people to continue living as independently as possible in their homes and their communities for as long as possible;
n providing timely, good quality repairs thus reducing the likelihood of health problems and accidents.
Funding for the pilot would involve £20k per year for direct financial assistance and £40k per year to employ a handyperson and other set up costs. This would be sourced from funding allocated to private sector housing and an evaluation of the scheme would be carried out after 2 years to establish its impact.
The Executive Board welcomed the initiative and expressed the hope that all Town and Community Councils would become involved. In this respect it was suggested that the scheme be commended to ‘One Voice Wales’.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that
9.1. the Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy be varied to provide financial assistance to elderly applicants on low incomes for critical repairs within their homes;
9.2. private sector capital funding totalling £60k be provided to Care and Repair Carmarthenshire for 2009/10 and 2010/11 to administer assistance, set up and run a pilot handy person service.
The Executive Board considered reports which documented the responses received to the consultation exercises undertaken in respect of the Local Development Plan [LDP] Preferred Strategy, the Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment [SA/SEA] and the Habitats Regulations Assessment [[HRA], and recommended revisions where appropriate. A further report sought endorsement for the revisions to the LDP Delivery Agreement agreed with the Welsh Assembly Government [WAG].
10.1. the recommended revisions set out within the Preferred Strategy, the SA/SEA Initial Report and The HRA Preliminary Screening Report in response to comments submitted during the recent consultation exercise be approved;
10.2. the recommended revisions to the Strategic Policies presented in the Preferred Strategy as a consequence of the Sustainability Appraisal be approved;
10.3. an extension to the LDP Delivery Agreement timetable be approved;
10.4. officers be authorised, where the revisions referred to above are incorporated into LDP documents, to correct typographical and grammatical errors and to make amendments which may enhance clarity of meaning.
The Executive Board was advised that under Section 438 and Schedule 16 of the Housing Act 1985 each Local Authority was required to charge whichever was the higher of the Standard National Rate, set by the National Assembly for Wales, or the applicable local average rate, based on the Authority's own borrowing costs.
The rate currently set by the Welsh Assembly was 3.93% whereas the estimated rate for the Authority's own borrowing costs was 5.64% for the financial year 2010/11.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that, in order to comply with Section 438 and Schedule 16 of the Housing Act 1985, the setting of the Local Authority Mortgage Interest Rate at 5.64% as from the 1st April 2010 be approved.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Board held on the 22ND March 2010 be signed as a correct record.