THE “CALL IN”PERIOD FOR THESE DECISIONS
EXPIRES AT 5.00 PM ON THURSDAY, 25 JULY 2002. NONE OF THE DECISIONS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL AFTER THAT DATE.
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE
EXECUTIVE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON TUESDAY, 16 JULY 2002
COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM
Present :
Mrs
S A Smart (Chairman), Mr R R Barry, Mr E Fox, Mr P G Harris, Mrs
M A Jarman, Mr D J Knowles, Mrs B Lawson, Mr R G Mazillius, Mr H
Rees, Mrs J L Wareham
Also present non-voting :
Mr J H Fleming, Mrs D Gardiner,
Mr P D Joyce, Mr A J Mundy,
Mr A A Taylor, Mr D T Yates
59. MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 2 July 2002 be confirmed.
60. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
There were no declarations
received at this stage.
61. DEPUTY LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
(a) Pump Priming Bids – Best Value Reviews 2001/2
The budget for 2002/3 allowed £250,000 to be spent on Best Value service improvements that required pump-priming money for one year. These improvements had been identified through the Best Value Review process and had met the criteria approved by the Directors Group. The Deputy Leader informed members that the pump primping bid for Youth Services had not met the criteria and the monies identified for that item would now be added to the bid from the Economic Development Unit.
RESOLVED :
THAT the following list of pump priming bids be approved;
Service
|
Pump-Priming Project
|
Amount - £ (000)
|
Economic
Development Unit |
External
Fund Finder |
40 |
Community
Fire Safety |
Fire
Prevention Demo Unit |
13 |
Environmental
Health |
Reception
Area at St Nicholas House |
10 |
Leisure
Services |
Extension
to One Card for Young People |
50 |
Community
Care Services |
Project
Management + Store Manager |
40 |
Fire
Service Procurement |
Equipment
Management Software |
4 |
Children
SEN |
Project
Officer |
51 |
Fire
Service Procurement |
Replace
Stores ICT Software |
7 |
Economic
Development Unit |
Central
Research Unit One Post – One of two people transferred from IWEP |
30 |
Community
Fire Safety |
Fire
Safety Livery |
5 |
|
|
|
Total
for Approval |
|
250 |
(b) The Best Value Performance Plan 2001/02
The Best Value Performance Plan 2001-2 had been published on the 28 June 2002. The document set out the Council’s performance for 2001/2 against national and local indicators, set targets for the future and showed how improvements would be made.
RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND COUNCIL:
THAT the Council’s Best Performance Plan 2001/2 be adopted
62. PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR RESOURCES
(a) Capital Strategy and Asset Management Plan
Members were informed that the Authority was required to produce and submit to the Government a capital strategy and asset management plan. This was due to be submitted by the end of July 2002. The Government would assess these with a financial reward for a good or satisfactory grading. The guidance for this year had altered slightly to reflect movement between primary and secondary requirements with a stronger focus on performance and outcome of the asset management and capital planning process. Each document would be scored separately and there was potentially a maximum of £100,000 of capital allocations that could be earned.
RESOLVED :
THAT the draft capital strategy and asset management plans be approved for submission.
(b) Capital Programme and Asset
Management – Acquisition and Disposal of Assets
Consideration was
given to the proposal by the Portfolio Holder for Resources to begin using the delegated powers procedure
in the Council's constitution, as agreed by the Council in April 2002, to buy
and sell property where those decisions were in accordance with Council
policy. The use of this delegated power
would relate to property required for highway or school improvements, to extend
existing assets that were in existing policy and for the sale of surplus
non-operational assets. Details were given
of the procedure that would be followed when a portfolio holder wished to
exercise their delegated authority. The
Strategic Director confirmed that the call in period would apply to decisions
made under delegated authority and the decisions would be subject to the same
consultation procedure as decisions made by the Executive.
RESOLVED :
THAT this approach be endorsed for all future property transactions for `the following categories:
(i) Highway and school improvement
(ii) The disposal of surplus non-operational assets; and
(iii) Where an opportunity arises to extend existing asset where falls within existing policy
63. CAPITAL STRATEGY: PROPOSED TRANSFER OF PROCUREMENT FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTIONLINE
(Mr A J Mundy declared a personal interest due to a possible family connection)
(Mr P Joyce declared a personal and prejudicial interest as a director of F W Marsh Ltd and left the room for this item)
The Executive
considered the replacement of the
Council’s existing selective tender lists for building and civil engineering
consultants and contractors with a scheme called Constructionline, a nationwide
register of qualified construction services, that was managed and maintained by
the Government. As part of the
Modernising Agenda the use of Constructionline had been promoted by the
Government under the ‘Rethinking Construction’ agenda and Best Value
initiatives. Constructionline was
designed to streamline the pre-qualification and procurement procedures by supplying
the construction industry and its clients with a single national qualification
system. The Portfolio Holder outlined
the benefits of Constructionline and advised members that it was currently a
free service to the Council and would save approximately £12,000 per year
in maintaining in-house selective tender lists for consultants and contractors.
RESOLVED :
THAT the Council move to using
Constructionline for the procurement of building and civil engineering services
for the Council’s Capital programme.
64. FAIRWAY PARK, THE FAIRWAY, LAKE PARISH, ISLE OF WIGHT
The Leader informed members that further
consultation with Lake Parish Council and the Council’s legal department were
required before a decision could be made.
RESOLVED :
THAT the matter be
deferred to the next meeting of the Executive
65. URBAN CAPACITY AND THE MANAGED RELEASE OF HOUSING SITES
As part of
the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) review, an Urban Capacity Study had been
undertaken to assess the potential of the settlements on the Island to
accommodate new development. Members recognised the importance of providing
affordable housing. The Executive considered the Consultation Draft Urban
Capacity Study and the Consultation Draft Phasing Report so that these
documents could go out to public consultation, with the view to adoption as
Supplementary Planning Guidance. The Economic Development, Planning, Tourism
and Leisure Services Select Committee on 24 June 2002 had considered the
Studies. The results of the consultation would be brought back to the Executive
for consideration during October 2002.
RESOLVED :
THAT the Consultation Drafts of the Urban
Capacity Study and Phasing Report be approved for public consultation with a
view to eventual adoption as Supplementary Planning Guidance
66. RURAL BUS SUBSIDY GRANT
Members were reminded that the award of contracts for the provision for local bus services subsidised by the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant had been deferred from the last meeting of the Executive. This was to allow for further negotiations to take place in respect of the combination bid received from Southern Vectis.
The Portfolio Holder updated members as to the progress of negotiations in respect of the content of the combination bid and the modification of some routes and timings. No agreement had been reached regarding the reduction of the length of tender period although some changes to routes, in particular the Nettlestone to St Helens service had been agreed.
RESOLVED :
THAT the Southern Vectis Group Tender combination bid for a two year period at a cost of £142,000 in 2002/03 and £167,000 in 2003/04 be accepted.
67. FORWARD PLAN
In order to update the Executive, each Portfolio Holder gave an oral summary of the current work being undertaken within their remit and identified items due to be reported in the near future to the Executive
68. MEMBERS’ QUESTION TIME
Questions were put to the Chairman as follows :
Mr Bartlett asked a question in
relation funding for Undercliffe Drive (MQ46/02)
The Leader asked a question on
behalf of Mr Mazillius relating to the pension fund. (MQ47/02)
Copies of the questions and replies given are contained in
the Members' Question Register.
CHAIRMAN