Agenda, decisions and minutes

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

1.         Notes the contents of the Corporate Performance Report in relation to the delivery of the Corporate Plan priorities and outcomes; and

2.         Agrees that the Performance Report is shared with the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to inform and support their ongoing work programme.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

CORPORATE FINANCE PERFORMANCE

1.         Notes the £13.7M projected overspend on the Council’s General Fund in 2022/23;

2.         Notes that £10.9M of this relates to exceptional risks referenced as part of setting the 22/23 budget in February 2022 which have now materialised;

3.         Notes that these cost pressures will be funded via the use of one-off reserves in this financial year pending the development of a mitigation / transformation plan to address anticipated financial pressures in 23/24 and beyond;

4.         Notes that the remaining £2.8M relates to unanticipated cost pressures across several Council services;

5.         Requests that action plans are drawn up to mitigate overspends as far as is possible and that those are submitted to Cabinet as part of the Q2 performance management update:

• Children in Care [Children’s Services]

• Assessment & Care Management [Children’s Services]

• Estates – Commercial Rental Income [Growth & Sustainability]

• Car Parking Income [Growth & Sustainability]

• Home to School Transport [Growth & Sustainability]

• Assisted Living Technologies [Public Health & Communities)

• Legal Costs / Income Shortfall [Core]

6.         Notes the current 22/23 forecast position on the Housing Revenue Account;

7.         Approves the write off of historic bad debts totalling £0.9M as detailed in the report.

CAPITAL PROGRAMME PERFORMANCE

8.         Notes the forecast position on the Capital Programme (paragraphs 2.11 to 2.17 of the report refers); and

TREASURY MANAGEMENT

9.         Notes the key messages from the Council’s Q1 Treasury Management activities (paragraphs 2.18 – 2.28 of the report refers).

RESOLVED that Cabinet supports the proposal for the Council to become a National Fostering Network ‘Fostering Friendly’ employer.

RECOMMENDATION TO FULL COUNCIL ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2022

RECOMMENDATION TO FULL COUNCIL ON 29 SEPTEMBER 2022

RESOLVED:-

1.         That the outcomes of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection, together with the next steps, be recommended for consideration by Full Council; and

2.         That the draft ‘Written Statement of Proposed Action’ in response to these  outcomes be presented for Cabinet’s approval at the meeting on 19  October 2022, with this date subject to the Overview and Scrutiny  Committee waiving its right to ‘call-in’ the Statement, if required (please see Paragraph 2.9 of this report).

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves:-

1.         Arrangements leading to the refurbishment and expansion of the former Elmhirst Youth Centre into a satellite facility for providing education to pupils with special educational needs as summarised in the report, with effect from the 2022/2023 school year;

2.         The commissioning of up to 40 places for pupils with SEND including complex needs at the Elmhirst Youth Centre, as detailed in the report;

3.         The financial implications arising from the report, be included in the Capital Programme and released in accordance with the financial regulations Code of Practice C5.2(a);

4.         That, as part of the report’s proposals, the granting of a new lease to the NEXUS Multi Academy Trust for up to 25 years at the former Elmhirst Youth Centre at nil rent;

5.         That the Head of Property Services be authorised to finalise Heads of Terms for the new lease to the NEXUS Multi Academy Trust; and

6.         That the Service Director (Law and Governance) be authorised to complete the new lease to the NEXUS Multi Academy Trust.

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves:-

1.         The project to carry out required remedial works through a tendered planned programme of works to be complete predominately within the 2023-24 financial year; and

2.         The required HRA funding for the project up to the total estimated cost of £1.150M.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

1.         Approves the continued development of projects included within the Levelling Up Fund bid submissions for Barnsley inclusive of all relevant supporting procurement activity and appointment of providers to support; and

2.         Agrees to resource the ‘at risk’ spend required to take schemes included within both bids up to RIBA Stage 3 from the feasibility fund allocations as provided by SYMCA to support projects in Barnsley.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

1.         Notes the progress on the delivery of the A61 and A635 Active travel schemes;

2.         Notes the tender returns show that the prices are within the indicative budget allocation, subject to the due diligence checks which are ongoing.

3.         Subject to the approval of funding by SYMCA:-

a.    Agrees to award the tender to the successful contractor to deliver the works;

b.    Approves acceptance of grant funding from SYMCA for the construction of the works;

c.    Approves acceptance of the grant funding from SYMCA for the delivery of the Station Access Improvement Scheme for the Council’s Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) to deliver; and

d.    The Service Director of Finance in consultation with the Executive Directors of Legal and Place be authorised to negotiate the terms and conditions of, and final approval of the SYMCA grant funding agreements, for the delivery of the A61 and A635 Active Travel Schemes.

It is likely that the public and press will be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the items so marked because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the specific paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, subject to the public interest test.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:-

1.         Approves the revised scheme costs. The scheme has previously been approved in principle and will be financed from a combination of HRA Reserves, 1-4-1 receipts, S106 funding and grant funding;

2.         Approves in principle the acceptance of SYMCA Brownfield Funding and SOAHP grant funding (and associated legal sign offs); and

3.         Approves the appointment of the preferred contractor following a competitive tender exercise.