THE “CALL IN”PERIOD FOR THESE DECISIONS EXPIRES AT 5.00 PM ON THURSDAY, 3 OCTOBER 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, 24 SEPTEMBER 2002 COMMENCING AT 9.30 AM

 

Present :

 

Mrs S A Smart (Chairman), Mr E Fox, Mr P G Harris, Mrs M A Jarman, Mrs B Lawson, Mr R G Mazillius,  Mr H Rees, Mrs J L Wareham

 

Apologies :

 

Mr R R Barry, Mr D J Knowles

 

Also present non-voting :

 

Mr A C Bartlett, Mr M J Cunningham, Mr A A Taylor, Mr A F Tiltman

 

 

 


109.          MINUTES

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the Minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 10 September 2002 be confirmed.

 

110.          DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

Interests were declared in the following matters:

 

Mr P G Harris declared a personal interest in Minute 114 (a) IW Citizens Advice Bureau – Service Level Agreement, as his wife was a volunteer for the Citizens Advice Bureau

 

Mrs B Lawson declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Minute 114 (a) IW Citizens Advice Bureau – Service Level Agreement, as a Vice Chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau

 

Mrs J L Wareham declared a personal interest in Minute 116 - Julia Margaret Cameron Trust as a Friend of the Trust

 

111.          PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

 

A Questions was put to the Chairman as follows :

 

Mr Mullins of 45 Fletchers Close, Bromley Close, Kent asked a question relating to Fairway Park, The Fairway, Lake

 

A copy of the question and reply given is contained in the Public Question Register.

 

112.          RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MEETING OF THE LIAISON COMMITTEE HELD ON 20 AUGUST 2002

 

Consideration was given to the recommendation from the Liaison Committee to amend its title to Co-ordinating Committee in order to reflect its role.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL :

 

THAT the title of the Liaison Committee be amended to the Co-ordinating Committee.

 

113.          LEAD COMMISSIONING PROPOSALS FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES FOR ADULTS

 

The Portfolio Holder referred to the proposals for the Lead Commissioning arrangements for Health and Social Care for adults which was due to be in place by January 2003. The results of consultations had strongly endorsed the scheme.  The report contained details of the proposed structure and staffing arrangements. Members were informed that up to £18 million of council services would be commissioned each year for which the Strategic Director would take ultimate responsibility for ensuring the funds would be spent wisely.  The cost of the restructuring would be contained within existing budgets and had enabled the Directorate to make a contribution to the savings target of £50,000 in 2002/03 and to fund 3 new posts and salary enhancements within the new structure.  The Strategic Director confirmed that although Children’s Services would fall within the remit of the Management Board there were no proposals to merge the commissioning arrangements for Children’s Services. However, the future of Children’s Services remained unclear and was awaiting Government response.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the proposed structure for adult services as set out in appendix 1 attached to the report be agreed.

 

114.          REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR RESOURCES

 

(a)               IW Citizens Advice Bureau – Service Level Agreement

 

(Mr P G Harris declared a personal interest as his wife was a volunteer for the Citizens Advice Bureau and left the room for the discussion of this item.

 

Mrs B Lawson declared a personal and prejudicial interest as a Vice Chairman of the Citizens Advice Bureau and left the room for the discussion of this item.)

 

Members were advised that the current Service Level Agreement with the Isle of Wight Citizen’s Advice Bureau was due to expire on 31 March 2003.  Details were given for the requirement for additional funding for the new Service Level Agreement, which amounted to £18,600 per annum.  Members were reminded that in the early years of the partnership, the National Association of Citizens Advise undertook the greater part of the funding but this tapered off towards the end of the agreement where most of the cost would fall to the Council. At the end of the arrangement the Council would provide the total annual amount funded on an ongoing basis. Consideration was given to two options.  The first allowed for the continuation of the current level of funding, plus an adjustment for inflation and the assumption of the final amount of the existing NACAB agreement to which the Council had already committed.  The second option included the NACAB Partnership Agreement for additional funding of £18,600.  There was budget provision for the first option. However, the additional sum requested in the second option would require a further provision to be secured of £4,650 in 2003/04, with obligations to identify a further £9,300 in 2004/05, £13,950 in 2005/06 and £18,600 for each year thereafter.

 

Members fully supported the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau and expressed concern that funding for the provision of specialist debt counselling would cease at the end of October this year.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(i)                  THAT Option 1 as set out in the report be approved subject to entry into a legally enforceable service level agreement being agreed by the Strategic Director of Corporate and Environment Services in consultation with the Portfolio Holder.

 

(ii)                THAT the additional sum required for Option 2 be considered as part of the Council’s annual budget process.

 

(b)               Appointment of Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing

 

The Executive received details relating to the selection process for the new Strategic Director of Social Services and Housing. Consideration was given to the setting up of a politically proportional Appointment Panel of no more than six Members who would determine the shortlist and make the final selection decision. Advertising and recruitment costs would be met from within existing budgets.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT a politically proportional Appointments Panel of six Elected Members be established.

 

(c)               Healthy Workforce Strategy

 

The Healthy Workforce Strategy was aimed at improving the health of the Council=s employees and reducing absence within the workforce. Members were aware that Employee ill-health could affect the ability of the Council to deliver high-quality services. Although the Council=s sickness absence was below the local authority average, there was an underlying increasing trend.  The Resources Select Committee had supported the impetus of the Healthy Workforce Strategy. 

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the Healthy Workforce Strategy be adopted.

 

115.          REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR TRANSPORT

 

(a)               Highway Scheme Improvement

 

Following recommendations made in the Best Value Inspection Report, a Scheme Prioritisation System had been designed to produce a programme of Capital Works for 2003/2004.  Other highway authorities had been contacted to establish present best practice in the priority assessment of schemes.  Following this, highway schemes undertaken by the Isle of Wight Council had been split into six types for prioritisation: -

 

·         Carriageway Structural Maintenance

·         Footway Structural Maintenance

·         Drainage

·         Minor Works and Safety Improvements

·         Safe Routes to School

·         Traffic Calming

 

An outline of the different methods used for prioritizing schemes was given. There were no financial implications for the implementation of this prioritization scheme except for carriageway structural maintenance.  A business case was in the process of being prepared for the upgrading of software at a cost of £14,000 with an ongoing commitment of £14,000 per year for a software licence.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the formal prioritization of Capital Highway Scheme be approved in accordance with the criteria set out in the report.

 

(b)               Newport Pedestrianisation – Traffic Management Improvements

 

Consideration was given to the outcome of consultations carried out on the proposals to reduce traffic passing through Newport, to improve public transport access and to pedestrianise sections of the High Street.  Consultation with residents of Pyle Street, Trafalgar Road and Crocker Street highlighted concerns over the speed and size of vehicles traveling through the town, worries of pedestrian safety, access for disabled and loss of parking.  Particular concerns were raised to the proposal to use Pyle Street as an alternative to the High Street.  In response to these concerns, a further option was developed which had been considered and recommended by the Environment and Transport Select Committee.  This option would retain the High Street as a vehicular route, whilst at the same time improve traffic management and pedestrian safety.  The proposal would :-

 

·                     Improve the pedestrian environment in the High Street.

·                     Provide safety improvements in Pyle Street.

·                     Provide significant safety improvements for pedestrians using Trafalgar Road by introducing a one-way traffic system.

·                     Make the best use of our car parks by installing variable message signs.

·                     Deflect unnecessary through traffic, around Newport by the use of strategic signing.

·                     Improve bus access by introducing a bus contra-flow in South Street.

·                     Increase traffic flows marginally in some streets.

 

This option would provide significant environmental, safety and traffic management improvements for the town.  It could be considered as stage one of a two-stage process to achieve increased pedestrian safety.  Stage two, full pedestrianisation, would only be put in place if an adequate alternative traffic route was made available to accommodate displaced traffic flows from the High Street.

 

Members were advised that the cost of implementation was likely to be in the order of £600,000 and would be met from existing Highways capital settlement.

 

RESOLVED :

 

THAT the above option as set out in the report be approved

 

116.          JULIA MARGARET CAMERON TRUST

 

Members were reminded the Executive had agreed at its meeting on 26 March 2002 to extend the loan period to 30 September 2002 in the hope of considering this matter with reference to a review of the Council=s procedures for making loans and grants. This review was due to be considered by the Executive in October.  Consideration was given as to whether another extension to the loan should be agreed.  Members discussed that whether the loan was to be converted into to a grant or whether payment was required, should be considered as part of the 2003/04 budget process

 

RESOLVED :

 

(a)               THAT the loan be extended until March 2003

 

(b)               THAT turning the existing loan into a one off grant should be considered as part of the 2003/04 budget process so that it could be considered against other priorities for the Council and if conversion to a grant was not agreed then the loan would be determined

 

117.          ANNUAL LIBRARY PLAN

 

The Portfolio Holder informed members that the Council was required to submit an Annual Library Plan to the Department of Culture Media and Sport by the end of September each year. The Plan was intended to be a working document that set out how the Council intended to deliver its library services over the next three years, especially in relation to the Government's targets for library services.  The Portfolio Holder and the Select Committee would be addressing the issue of the introduction of the minimum library standards that had been estimated to be as high as £180,000.

 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL :

 

THAT the Annual Library Plan be adopted

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAIRMAN