Agenda and decisions

Wards/Divisions Affected: Caldicot, Chepstow, Mill, The Elms and Llanelly Hill

Purpose: To recommend to full Council the inclusion of capital funding in the 2019/20 Capital Budget;

To recommend the utilisation of accumulated S106 balances to a number of countryside/green infrastructure projects in the county.

Author: Colette Bosley, Principal Landscape Officer;

 Mike Moran, Community Infrastructure Coordinator

Contact Details: colettebosley@monmouthshire.gov.uk; 

                           mikemoran@monmouthshire.gov.uk  

That Cabinet agrees to a budget of £21,689 being created in 2019/20 to fund the following projects and that this is funded by a corresponding contribution from the Section 106 balances held by the County Council from the Section106 Agreements in relation to the following developments:

Finance                      Site                                                     Contribution

Code                                                                                       £

N588                           AB Inbev Brewery Site, Magor             5,000

N585                           Raglan Services Site A449                 1,968

N582                           Little Mill Sawmill Site                         2,329

N464                           Warrenslade Wood, Chepstow             12,392

Total                                                   £21,689

That the above funding be allocated to the following projects:

Project                                                                                    Amount

1. Magor walking routes, access and promotion                   £5,000

2. Caldicot Castle Management Plan implementation            £4,297

3. Warrenslade Woodland Management                               £12,392

That the unallocated balance of £23,020 from the Cae Meldon development in Gilwern, under capital budget code 98881, be used to part fund the Clydach Ironworks Improvement Scheme.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To consider the approval of the draft Digital Infrastructure Action Plan (Appendix A).

Author: Cath Fallon, Head of Enterprise and Community Animation

Contact Details: cathfallon@monmouthshire.gov.uk

For Cabinet to approve the attached Digital Infrastructure Action Plan and in doing so to also approve the following recommendations i.e. that the Council will:

1. Take a policy position to proactively encourage broadband providers to install full fibre broadband infrastructure in the County;

2. Establish a Strategic Broadband Working Group to ensure a proactive approach is taken in ensuring all necessary internal Council processes are expedited to enable broadband providers to move at speed;.

3. Consider commercial loans to companies wishing to progress digital infrastructure projects within the county that will address digital deprivation issues; and

4. Fully consider any opportunities to engage with funding opportunities to install 5G and LoRaWAN infrastructure within the County where there is a basis of evidence of need, opening up the County as a regional testbed and pathfinder for the variety of applications likely to be developed as a result.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: The purpose is to fulfil the expectation of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales that their report is brought to the attention of Cabinet and that is what we are doing.

To provide details of the Council’s Whole Authority customer feedback.

Author: Annette Evans, Customer Relations Manager

Contact Details: annetteevans@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet note the content of the PSOW’s annual letter (Appendix 1) and inform the PSOW of their considerations and any proposed actions by 31 October 2019.

That Cabinet note the content of the Council’s Whole Authority annual report (Appendix 2).

For DMTs to review its complaint handling performance, to improve the service they provide, taking into consideration the evidence from complaints received.

For DMTs to monitor responses to complaints and focus on good practice and compliance.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: The purpose of the report is for members to agree the Statutory Partnership Agreement having taken on board comments made by the Committee during its meeting in January 2019.

Author: Cath Saunders, Governance Manager, CYP

Contact Details: cathsaunders@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet agree the Statutory Partnership Agreement.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: This report seeks funding for the replacement or upgrade of workplace laptop stocks, bringing them up to a minimum of Windows 10 operating system and meeting our ICT network security requirements.

Author: Sian Hayward

Contact Details: sianhayward@monmouthshire.gov.uk

That Cabinet approves the use of one-off capital or reserve funding of £239,300 to ensure that our workforce and site equipment stocks meet the minimum required security standards of Windows 10 operating systems by January 2020.

That cabinet approves a one-off top up of the central equipment budget of £67,000 to cater for normal operational equipment renewals for the remainder of the financial year.

That cabinet acknowledges the increasing pressure on the central equipment budget resulting from an increase in overall devices as well as a reduction in laptop lifespan. In order to address this, Cabinet is asked to endorse this pressure being considered as part of the forthcoming annual budget setting process.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To consider proposals for a new Resource Directorate Management Team (DMT) structure, a revised senior finance structure and team restructures in Human Resources (HR), the Digital Programme Office (DPO) and the Commercial & Integrated Landlord Services teams.

To strengthen existing arrangements with devolved finance teams within the Children & Young People’s and Social Care & Health directorates.

For the Digital Programme Office to take on responsibility for information governance and security. 

Author: Peter Davies, Chief Officer for Resources

Contact Details: peterdavies@monmouthshire.gov.uk

To approve the new Resources DMT structure. (Appendix 1a)

To approve the senior finance restructure and notably the establishment of an additional Head of Service post (Head of Project Finance) and Project Finance team necessary to support delivery of projects of strategic significance. (Appendix 5)

To approve team restructures in HR, the DPO and the Commercial & Integrated Landlord Services teams. (Appendices 2, 3 and 4)

To update job descriptions for the Finance Managers within the Children & Young People’s Social Care & Health directorates and the acting Finance Manager in MonLife to ensure there is clarity around the line of accountability to the Chief Officer for Resources, S151 Officer and Deputy S151 Officer for professional, technical and statutory finance matters and to ensure effective Authority wide financial control, management and governance.

That full implementation of the restructure proposals will yield an overall initial saving of £32,000 in financial year 19/20. This is expected to rise to a minimum of £150k for financial year 20/21 and a minimum of £250k for financial year 21/22.

For the approved establishment to grow by 16.86 full time equivalents, 2 of these not being filled in the short-term, a breakdown and rationale for which is included in para 3.10.

For the funding model to see a fall in budgeted external professional fees of £25,000, a reduction in budgeted overtime of £17,000 and commercial income of £201,000. In so doing an appropriate internal economy of scale / skill mix will be created that will bring additional certainty / staff welfare benefit to programme and project delivery.

That changes that have an impact on service level agreement / charging relationships with schools will not be implemented unless / until it is clear that schools support the proposed change and understand / accept any charging adjustments that fall to their school budget shares.

That any costs associated with the implementation of the structure (e.g. redundancy costs) fall upon the overall Resource directorate budget to fund but should this prove insufficient, that corporate funding be sought to cover any one off severance costs.

That the Chief Officer for Resources proceed with the implementation of the new structure and make any amendments that might become apparent during the process in consultation with the Cabinet member for Resources.

Division/Wards Affected: All

Purpose: To provide an information only update for Members regarding the Council’s Preparedness for Brexit further to the report to Council on the 11^th April 2019.

Author: Frances O’Brien, Chief Officer for Enterprise

Contact Details: francesobrien@monmouthshire.gov.uk

No decision – for information only.