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 the report

DECISION

The Cabinet:

1. Authorised the County Council to enter in to a call-off contract with the winning contractor (as identified in Appendix B) under the Southern Construction Framework for the construction of a 160-place special school at Bower Lane, Bridgwater for September 2020 at a gross maximum project cost (detailed in Appendix B).
   
   
2. Agreed that Appendix B be treated as exempt information and to be treated in confidence, as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information.
   
   
3. Delegated authority to the Head of Corporate Property, in consultation with the County Solicitor, to finalise and execute the call-off contract referred to in recommendation 1.

.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider the report

DECISION

The Cabinet approved and endorsed:

1. The proposal to implement new Safeguarding Partnership arrangements alongside changes to the Children’s Trust arrangements.
2. Consultation with the wider partnership on the proposed new integrated arrangements to meet the Council’s and other local agencies’ duties to children under the Children and Social Work Act 2017 and Children Act 2004.
3. That the Director of Children Services and the Head of Legal services undertake further discussions with local Safeguarding Partners with a view to agreeing contractual arrangements whereby certain safeguarding duties and tasks will be undertaken by identified members of the regional Safeguarding Partnership.
4. Delegation to the Director of Children’s Services of final approval of the Somerset Safeguarding Partnership arrangements to be published by 29 June 2019 following consultation with Scrutiny for Policies, Children and Families Committee and a further report having been brought to the Cabinet meeting on 10 June 2019.
5. The retention of a maximum of the current Somerset County Council budget allocation for this first year, and the identification of efficiencies with partners for 2020/2021, hence delivering a reduced budget requirement in future years.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider the report

DECISION

The Cabinet agreed:

1. To approve the revised Local Memorandum of Understanding (including the Constitution of the SRA) set out in Appendix 1 and authorise the Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Community Infrastructure to sign this on behalf of Somerset County Council;
2. The case (set out in ‘legal implications’ for exempt information) for Appendix 2 Budget Confidential to be treated in confidence, as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information.
3. To approve the SRA Budget for 2019/20, (Appendix 3 Budget Public) in accordance with the recommendations of the SRA Board from its meeting on the 1^st of March 2019.
4. To the release of funding committed from all sources in 2019/20 for the purposes of the SRA, subject to receipt of those funds, in accordance with the budget for 2019/20 as set out in item 3 above.
5. To provide forward funding for the delivery of Flood Action Plan projects in advance of drawing down Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal funding.
6. That the detailed management of the 2019/20 Budget and Enhanced Programme within the control total allocated to the SRA is undertaken in accordance with the constitutional, financial regulations and decision making arrangements of SCC as accountable body. 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider the report

DECISION

The Cabinet:

1. Agreed and endorsed the proposed five Equality Objectives for the organisation from April 2019 till April 2023.
2. Agreed and endorsed the revised Joint Equality and Diversity Policy
3. Requested Directors to identify further actions to support the identified Objectives.
4. Requested an annual review of the equality objectives and outcomes achieved by 30 September 2020.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider the report (Appendix 2 to follow)

DECISION

The Cabinet approved:

1. The refreshed Social Value Policy Statement.
2. For the statement to be published as a statement of Somerset County Council’s agreed social value priorities

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider the report

DECISION

The Cabinet:

1. commented upon 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 reserves to improve the resilience of the Council for future years;
2. noted the additional uses of the revenue contingency budget (£0.212m);
3. noted the potential for specific carry forwards where funds have been received in advance of need or are unspent against specific projects.
4. Supported the use for urgency and agrees to set the Council’s net budget requirement for 2018/19 (Revenue Budget) as £317,881,900 (see section 1.7)

The Chair of Scrutiny Committee for Policies and Place agreed the case for urgency for the decision relating to recommendation 4 to enable that decision to be taken by Cabinet and reported to the next meeting of Full Council.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

The Chair may raise any items of urgent business.

To consider the report

DECISION

Following debate on Cllr Rigby’s recommendations, the Cabinet were assured by the Lead Commissioner for ECI services and the planned service review in Spring 2019 that was agreed at the Cabinet meeting in February 2019.