Meeting documents

Details of Cabinet Member interests in District, Town and Parish Councils will be displayed in the meeting room. The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via the Community Governance team.

The Chair will allow members of the public to present a petition on any matter within the Cabinet’s remit. Questions or statements about any matter on the agenda for this meeting may be taken at the time when each matter is considered.

To consider this report

The Cabinet agreed and recommended to County Council:

1.     Approval of the proposed capital programme for the period 2019/20 to 2022/23of £224.121m, shown in Appendix A. Full details of individual schemes are available online as background papers. It is to be noted there is an existing programme approved in 2018/19 that overlaps with this one;

2.     That the Chief Executive and the relevant Senior Leadership Team Officer, following appropriate consultation and after giving due regard to the information contained within any associated impact assessments, are given delegated authority to decide on the individual projects to be delivered within block allocations;

3.     That the Section 151 Officer is given delegated authority to accept any additional grants or funding that is made available to the County Council together with authority to consequently expand the approved capital programme, providing there are no negative revenue budget implications as a result of that action.

To consider this report

The Cabinet:

1.     commented on the contents of this report and particularly noted the progress being made with controlling the budget for 2018/19, including the intention to partially replenish earmarked and General Fund reserves to improve the resilience of the Council for future years;

2.     supported the use for urgency and agrees the expansion of the Capital Investment Programme to incorporate the recently announced additional funds from the Department for Transport for Local Highways Maintenance.

3.     Delegated to the Council’s Chief Finance (S151) Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources, the authority to sign a new Building Schools for the Future Public Finance Initiative (PFI) contract on behalf of the Council if the evidence shows that it will be a long-term benefit to the Council. See paragraph 2.9

Note – the Chair of Scrutiny Committee for Policies and Place has agreed the case for urgency for the decision relating to recommendation 2 to enable that decision to be taken by Cabinet and reported to the next meeting of Full Council.

To consider this report

The Cabinet:-

1.     Approved the allocation of Dedicated Schools Grant for delegation to Somerset Schools and High Needs provision, including Academies and Free Schools.

2.     Devolved approval of the final formula allocations at individual school level for 2019/20 (total allocation received 17 December 2018) to the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, the Cabinet Member for Education and Transformation and the Cabinet Member for Resources.

3.     Requested the Cabinet Member for Education and Transformation and the Cabinet Member for Children and Families write to the relevant Secretary(s) of State to set out a request for additional DSG funding to be allocated to Somerset Schools and taken into account as part of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in 2019/20

To consider this report

The Cabinet agreed the determination of the Admission Arrangements for all Voluntary Controlled and Community Schools for 2020/21 as set out in this report, noting that there are no proposed amendments as the current arrangements are fit for purpose.

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.