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.

To consider the last minutes as an accurate record

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:

1. Considered and commented on the information contained within this report, noting the positive performance and thanking staff for their work.

2. The Cabinet considered the proposed management actions already in place to be adequate to improve performance to the desired level. 

3. Agreed this report and any appendices as the latest position for Somerset County Council against its Council Vision

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider this report.

DECISION

The Cabinet agreed to:

 1. Carry forward requests of £0.417m to be used against future commitments (section 4 and appendix B);

2. The creation of new earmarked reserves totalling £9.020m (section 5, table 5) to fund future commitments as detailed in section 4 and appendix C;

3. The elimination of the negative balance of £2.936m of the Repairs & Maintenance (R&M) and Buildings Maintenance Indemnity Scheme (BMIS) reserves (sections 2 and 5) and;

4. The creation of a new earmarked reserve of £2.556m to enable the Council to support ongoing priorities with delegated authority to be given to the Leader, Cabinet Member for Resources, Chief Executive and Director of Finance (section 2)

The Cabinet further noted the contents of this report and the outturn position for 2018/19:

1.     The transfers to and from existing reserves (section 3, table 2 and section 5)

2.     The planned future forecast position of the General Fund and Earmarked Reserves (section 5, table 5 and appendix C).

3.     The use of Capital Receipts Flexibilities (section 6)

4.     The delivery of the agreed savings for 2018/19 (section 7)

5.     The Aged Debt position (appendix D)

6.     The early outlook for 2019/20 (section 8)

The update on the Core Council Programme (section 9)

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:

• A virement of £1.224m from the underspend to fund additional Highways Small Improvement and Integrated Transport Schemes;
• The supplemental approvals as detailed in Section 2.9:

£1.463m Devolved Formula Capital Grant for Schools;

£0.312m Healthy Pupil Capital grant applied to Taunton Nerrols Primary School build.

The Cabinet further noted the contents of this report, including the managed overspends detailed in Section 2.10.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider this report.

DECISION

The Cabinet:

• Agreed £850k to be made available for the Improving Lives to Prevent Demand Fund.
• Agreed £125k to be made available for the Members’ Improving Lives Grant Scheme based on £2k per Member and £15k for resource to administer the fund. Agree £25k to be made available for Somerset Young People’s Fund.
• Authorised the proposed approach, governance and process for the Improving Lives to Prevent Demand Fund and Members’ Improving Lives Grant Scheme and provide delegated authority to the Director of Public Health following consultation with SLT and Improving Lives Prevention Panel to take officer decisions on the separate bids.
• Delegated authority for the Director of Public Health in conjunction with the Director of Children’s Services to approve the governance and decision-making arrangements for the Somerset Young People’s Fund.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider this report.

DECISION

DECISION

The Cabinet:

1. Welcomed and considered the Annual Report of the South West Heritage Trust (SWHT) for the 2017/18 period

2. Agreed in principle to the award of a new annual grant to the SWHT at the level set out in this report for a period of five years from 1 November 2019;

3. Pursuant to recommendation 2 above, delegated authority to the Director of Economic and Community Infrastructure, Commissioning, in consultation with the County Solicitor, to negotiate and agree such changes as are necessary to renew the funding agreement between SCC and the SWHT for a period of five years from 1 November 2019.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report

To consider this report.

DECISION

The Cabinet:

1) approved the updated Policies and Principles of Early Years and School Place Planning as set out in section 2 of this report.

2) authorised the Head of Education Partnerships in consultation with the Lead Cabinet Members for Children and Families and Education and Transformation to publish the School Place Infrastructure Growth Plan and Early Years County Wide Sufficiency Report on an annual basis.

3) endorsed the recently published DfE guidance on securing developer contributions for education which confirms that contributions must cover the full cost of providing the new school places that are required as a result of new housing developments.

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.