Agenda and decisions

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To consider the options for revising the Authority’s Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy

Author: Paul White, Specialist Environmental Health Officer, Huw Owen, Principal EHO

Contact Details: paulwhite@monmouthshire.gov.uk; huwowen@monmouthshire.gov.uk  

That Members note the content of the report entitled ‘Monmouthshire County Council’s Contaminated Land Inspection Strategy – Progress Summary’ May 2016 (Appendix A), and recommend to adopt Option A - Dealing with land contamination through the planning regime as the Authority’s future approach.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To agree the updated Sundry Debtor Policy, to ensure that the Authority continues to adopt a consistent and transparent approach to the management of its sundry debts.

Author: Ruth Donovan – Assistant Head of Finance: Revenues, Systems & Exchequer

Contact Details: ruthdonovan@monmouthshire.gov.uk  

That Members approve the updated Sundry Debtors Policy.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to provide Members with information on the forecast revenue outturn position of the Authority at the end of reporting period 4 which represents the financial outturn position for the 2015/16 financial year.

This report will also be considered by Select Committees as part of their responsibility to assess whether effective budget monitoring is taking place; monitor the extent to which budgets are spent in accordance with agreed budget and policy framework; challenge the reasonableness of projected over or underspends; monitor the achievement of predicted efficiency gains or progress in relation to savings proposals.

Author: Mark Howcroft – Assistant Head of Finance, Dave Jarrett – Senior Accountant Business Support

Contact Details: markhowcroft@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Members consider a net revenue outturn underspend of £579,000, an improvement of £878,000 on quarter 3 outturn predictions.

Members consider a capital outturn spend of £18.3m against a revised budget of £18.8million, after proposed slippage of £43.7 million, resulting in a net underspend of £508k, of which circa £433k is available for recycling onto other projects/priorities which it is recommended will be held pending review of the additional pressures identified in paragraph 3.6.3.

Consider and approve the £43.7m capital slippage recommended, paying attention to those schemes included in paragraph 3.5.4 where slippage has been requested by the service manager but is not being recommended to slip (£170k), and notes the significant level of slippage required at outturn not manifest earlier in the year highlighting a concern in managers capital forecasting going forward.

Considers the use of reserves proposed and notes the significant decline on earmarked reserve levels at end of 2015-16 and the likely indication at end of 2016-17.

Approves the reallocation of reserve balances, as per paragraph 3.9.5 following the actuarial review of the insurance reserve and review of other small reserve balances, in order to address reserve pressures and the apportionment of general underspend in supplementing reserve levels as follows:

·         £1million to Redundancy and Pensions reserve

·         £359k to IT reserves

·         £350k to Invest to Redesign reserve

·         Approves the use of the Invest to Redesign reserve during 2016-17 totalling £30,835 as MCC’s additional contribution to enable the work on the City Deal initiative to continue.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To gain the approval of Cabinet, for the publication of the Monmouthshire Carers Strategy 2016-2019.

Author: Bernard Boniface, POVA Manager

Contact Details: bernardboniface@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet approves the publication of the strategy and approves the strategy as a monitoring and evaluation tool for service provision and future planning of services for carers and service providers.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To introduce the Draft Volunteering Strategy 2016-19

Author: Owen Wilce, Programme Lead, A County That Serves

Contact Details: owenwilce@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet approves the draft Monmouthshire A County That Serves - Volunteering Strategy, to allow engagement and feedback from employees, communities and Third Sector partners ahead of it being presented back to Cabinet for approval.

That Cabinet endorse and promote the draft programme plan as a living document to be updated and refined as further evidence of need is established. The document needs to be adaptable to meet the ever changing needs of volunteers, as the world of volunteering is changing at a rapid pace we must ensure we can respond.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To seek member approval for highway and transportation schemes as part of Welsh Government transport grants and Section 106 agreements associated with new developments throughout Monmouthshire as shown in appendix A and B.   

Author: Paul Keeble, Traffic and Network Manager

Contact Details: paulkeeble@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That capital budgets be created in 2016/17 to carry out the projects set out in 2.2 below and detailed in Appendix A and B and that these are funded by corresponding capital contributions from the respective grant claims and Section 106 balances held by the County Council and that revenue budgets are created to carry out the expenditure set out in 2.3 over the next couple of financial years;

That the capital projects set out below and as detailed in Appendix A be approved:

That the revenue expenditure set out below and as detailed in Appendix B be approved:

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To consider re-allocating up to £30,000 from the S106 Newport Road Improvement fund to the Caldicot Linkage Scheme

Author: Debra Hill-Howells, Head of Community Delivery

Contact Details: debrahill-howells@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet agrees to the re-allocation of up to £30,000 from the S106 Newport Road Improvement fund to enable the Caldicot Linkage Scheme project.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To approve the hosting of a twelve month trial of 20 Riversimple Hydrogen cell cars in Monmouthshire

Author: Roger Hoggins, Head of Operations; Ben Winstanley, Estates Manager

Contact Details: benwinstanley@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Monmouthshire County Council supports the trial of the Riversimple Rasa by the provision of space within a current open space or public car park to provide a refuelling station and office/exhibition accommodation;

That the space be made available via license to Riversimple at no cost for a period of up to twelve months with an option to extend for a further twelve months (if required);

That the actual site (in either Abergavenny or Monmouth) and the details of the trial be approved by the Head Operations in consultation with the relevant Cabinet member following detailed discussions with Riversimple regarding safety of the vehicles and refuelling point;

That an invite be forwarded to all members to attend a presentation of the Riversimple Rasa car and concept. This to be held at 1.00 p.m. prior to Council on the 16th June 2016 (the car will be available at County Hall Usk for members to view);

That secure parking for up to 20 vehicles be provided at Raglan depot, if required, for the vehicles of motorists taking part in the trial.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To seek approval to formally agree the Supplemental Agreement to the Collaboration and Members Agreement (CAMA) for the Education Achievement Service (EAS) April 2016. This supplemental agreement seeks changes on the following three levels Governance; EAS operation outside of SEWC and Funding

Author: Sarah McGuiness

Contact Details: sarahmcguiness@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet approve the adoption of the Education Achievement Service (EAS) Supplemental Agreement (Appendix 1) to the Collaboration and Members Agreement (CAMA) for the EAS (Appendix 2) April 2016 as explained in this report.

Division/Wards Affected: Caerwent

Purpose: To update Cabinet on project progress and proposed action with regards to the Compulsory Purchase Order in relation to Caerwent House.

To seek Cabinet’s endorsement of the proposed heads of terms for the legal agreement with Spittalfields Trust and of the proposed financial arrangements.

To seek Cabinet’s endorsement that the Head of Planning be authorised to enter into the back-to-back agreement with Spittalfields Trust and to undertake any associated work in concluding the Compulsory Purchase Order proceedings.

Author: Amy Longford – Heritage Manager, Mark Hand – Head of Planning

Contact Details: amylongford@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet approves the recommendations in the report.