Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were none.

The minutes of the meeting of 20 January 2010 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED:

(1)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 5A, “Recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee – to Investigate the Facilities for Older Children and Young Adults and What Further Facilities and Activities are Required”.

(2)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 6, “Outcome of Government’s Quinquennial Review of West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC)”.

(3)    That Mrs Beverley Mennell, Mr Chris Swinn and Councillors Clarke and Mildren be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 7, “Approval of Introductory and Secure Tenancy Agreements”.

(4)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 8, “Definition of Town Centre Primary Retail Frontages and Primary Retail Area”.

(5)    That Councillors Clarke and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 9, “Wootton Conservation Area Re-Appraisal”.

(6)    That Mr Norman Adams, Mr Chris Swinn and Councillors Clarke and Mildren be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 10, “Award of Build Contract on the Local Authority new Build Scheme”.

(7)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 11, “Leisure and Sport Strategic Business Review – Facilities Strategy”.

(8)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item12A, “Performance Monthly Report – December 2009”.

(9)    That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 12B, “General Fund Revenue Budget Monitoring – December 2009”.

(10)          That Councillors Clarke and Mildren be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 12C, “Housing Revenue Account Monitoring – December 2009”.

(11)          That Councillors Clarke and Mildren be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 12D, “Capital Programme Monitoring, Project Appraisals and Variations – December 2009”.

(12)          That Councillors Clarke, Mildren and Hawkins be granted leave to address Cabinet on Item 14, “The Service and Maintenance of Hard Wired Sheltered Housing Schemes and Private Life Lines”.

Ms B Mennell addressed Cabinet on Item 7. She repeated comments that she had made to a recent Overview and Scrutiny meeting in that she was happy with the content of the new agreement.  She was disappointed, however, that only three of the seven members of the tenants’ forum had attended a consultation meeting. She then commented on the wording in the document claiming that it did not reflect the independent eye of the tenant.  She further commented on the late arrival of the Cabinet’s paperwork for this item

Mr N Adams then addressed cabinet on Item 10 and referred to the proposed building of council houses at Kings Heath.  He referred back to a question he had posed at a previous Council meeting in relation to the investigations into a number of contractors accused of ‘cover pricing’. Although he accepted that the contract could legally be awarded to these companies, he was of the opinion that it was morally wrong.

Mr C Swinn addressed Cabinet. He stated that the agreement had been a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Councillor Church declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Item 6: “Outcome of Government’s Quinquennial Review of West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC)” as a member of the WNDC Board.  He left the meeting for the duration of the item.

Councillor Church also declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in Item 8: “Definition of Town Centre Primary Retail Frontages and Primary Retail Area” as a close family member operated a retail premises in St Giles Street.

The recommendations to Cabinet from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee are noted and it has been agreed that a copy of the report will be sent to the County Council.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and commented that older children had been a concern of Northampton for many years because their needs had not been met by either the Borough or County Councils. Most current provision was made by the voluntary sector and the Borough Council now needed to approach the County and acquire their resources to provide the services themselves. It was of particular concern that there were no facilities for older children in the Castle ward.

Councillor Mildren then addressed Cabinet.  He described the recommendations by Overview and Scrutiny to Cabinet as a wish list but warned that there would need to be acceptance and co-operation from the County Council to succeed in increased provision or to allow the Borough Council to do the work.  He suggested that it would be good for neighbouring schools to combine resources and offer community facilities, particularly in the light of the uncertainty over Community Centres.  He also recommended a website to communicate what was currently available. 

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet. She was impressed at the depth and range of the review but was concerned as to what would happen next. She recommended the report and asked for an assurance of a positive outcome.

As former Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, Councillor Simpson presented the report to Cabinet. He described how the issue of facilities for older children had been selected by the Committee and explained some of the work that had gone into the report.  He suggested that the report was a starting point and urged cabinet to take the work forward in line with the recommendations.

In response to a question from Councillor PD Varnsverry, Councillor Simpson confirmed that the Council’s Youth Forum had been involved in the work, as had representatives from Connexions and the NAYC.  It was further noted that communication was important to ensure that young people were aware of what was already available for them. 

Cabinet gave their endorsement of the report and instructed Overview and Scrutiny to pass the policy to the County Council.  It was also requested that the Council work together with the County Council in the delivery of the recommendations.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations to Cabinet from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee be noted and that a copy of the report be presented to the County Council.

Report of the Director of Planning and Regeneration

1.      Cabinet has noted the Government announcement following the Quinquennial Review of WNDC and welcomes the statement that the regeneration of Northampton remains a Government priority.

2.      Cabinet has noted that many points which were pressed by the Council through Scrutiny and Cabinet and Council have been accepted in whole or part by the Government.

3.      Cabinet has welcomed the commitment to return planning powers to the Borough Council and urges that this should happen as quickly as possible.

4.      Cabinet has welcomed the commitment to replace WNDC with a locally accountable delivery vehicle at the end of its life and urges that this should happen earlier if at all possible.

5.      Cabinet has reiterated this Council’s view that any replacement for WNDC must have a prime and clear priority focus on the growth and development of Northampton as a town.

6.      Cabinet has welcomed the Government’s commitment to operational efficiency and instructs Officers to create one of the most, if not the most, efficient and effective Planning and Regeneration services in the country.

7.      Cabinet has instructed the Chief Executive and the Director of Planning and Regeneration to work positively with WNDC and partners on the implementation of the conclusion of the Quinquennial Review and to report back to Cabinet and Scrutiny as required.

Councillor Church left the meeting for the duration of this item.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and questioned the purpose of the WNDC. He commented that west Northants was not a geographical area and it therefore did not make sense to have a strategic body to manage it. He mentioned that NCC was to withdraw funding from the JPU and expressed concern that this would impact on the NBC contribution. He felt that the Council should be the drivers in this and should dictate change rather than wait for it to happen.

Councillor PD Varnsverry asked if Councillor Clarke had evidence regarding the NCC funding of the JPU.  Councillor Clarke responded that the matter had been set out in the County Council’s budget and spoken of at the County Council’s Cabinet meeting the previous day.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet stating that the process to get planning matters back with the Borough Council by April 2011 was too slow. He pointed out that at some stage bigger and more crucial applications would come under control of democratically elected authority. He was not convinced that the regeneration Northampton remained a Government priority.

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet and told of her disappointment in what she felt were bland recommendations.  She would prefer to see SMART recommendations with more detail.

In the absence for this item of the relevant Portfolio Holder, the Leader, Councillor B Hoare presented the report to Cabinet and referred to the Director of Planning and Regeneration for a fuller explanation. There was disappointment that timescales did not meet the ambition of the Council, but there was still a role for managing the development control powers earlier than set out and this was being worked on.  It was expected that Northampton would be at the heart and focus of future discussions and, far from being bland, the recommendations set levels of attainment and instructed officers to manage and seek early resolutions of issues.

It was made clear that any reduction in NCC funding would affect a reduction in all partners’ contribution, as they were calculated proportionally.  Such a reduction would not necessarily be an extra burden to the Council, but would make things harder for the JPU.

Cabinet was reminded that a motion had been passed by Full Council in December 2009 to call for the return of planning powers to the Council and the Council had been successful in achieving this.  It was further clarified that all partners had signed up for their financial commitment and South Northants was the main accountable body for this.

RESOLVED

1.      That Cabinet notes the Government announcement following the Quinquennial Review of WNDC and welcomes the statement that the regeneration of Northampton remains a Government priority.

2.      That Cabinet notes that many points which were pressed by the Council through Scrutiny and Cabinet and Council have been accepted in whole or part by the Government.

3.      That Cabinet welcomes the commitment to return planning powers to the Borough Council and urges that this should happen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

B Report of the Director of Housing Services

The draft Introductory Tenancy agreement and the draft Secure Tenancy agreement attached respectively in Appendices 2 and 3 of the Cabinet report are approved and authorisation is given to the variation of tenants’ existing terms and conditions of tenancy.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet, expressing frustration that nothing had been done to replace NTACT, which had been disbanded in November 2008.  He pointed out continuing issues surrounding the Council’s consultation processes with tenants. He called for a steady tenants’ participation body and asserted that there had been insufficient consultation on the final tenancy agreement document.  Referring to the contents of the document, he pointed out that there were not four rent-free weeks as claimed, rather that the 52 weeks of rent was paid over a 48 week period and that tenants paid rent in advance.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet reiterating the importance of the Council having a democratic tenant participation scheme in place at the earliest opportunity. He commented that the Council reviewed rents annually in accordance with a formula laid down by central Government but that the Council could vary the amount during the course of the year in certain circumstances.  Referring to the issue of dogs in flats, he questioned the rule for flats that were on the ground floor and with gardens.  He asked for a definition of a dangerous or venomous animal and queried the legality of keeping an untaxed vehicle in a council-owned garage.

As Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Beardsworth asked Cabinet to consider the results off the consultation and to approve the final drafts for implementation.  The previous agreements had been drawn up in 1997 and were no longer fit for purpose.  She described the consultation process, which had been extended from 28 days to 12 weeks and thanked those residents present at the meeting for their input.  There had also been interaction with tenants’ sounding boards, neighbourhood forums and an Overview and Scrutiny group, who had undertaken an appreciative enquiry.

It was confirmed that the proper processes had been followed within the consultation toolkit and every effort had been made to consult those affected by the decisions.  Officers were congratulated on their thoroughness and it was noted that there had been 46 amendments to the document in response to the consultation. Clarification was given that the final version of the draft document had been drawn up after all the comments had been addressed and that, once agreed, the draft document would become the final agreement.

RESOLVED

That the draft Introductory Tenancy agreement and Secure Tenancy agreements attached in Appendices 2 and 3 of the report be approved and authorisation be given to the variation of tenants’ existing terms and conditions of tenancy.

Report of the Director of Planning and Regeneration

1.      Cabinet has noted the proposed amended timetable for the adoption of the Central Area Action Plan as set out in the West Northamptonshire Local Development Scheme submitted to Government Office for the East Midlands in December 2009 and the changes to PPS4.

2.      Cabinet has approved the primary and secondary frontages and a primary shopping area within the town centre for consultation.

3.      The primary and secondary frontages and a primary shopping area are to be used to inform the Council’s planning policy position in the determination of planning applications by it and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet offering respect for the planning team who had made huge inroads and now showed signs of excellence.  However, he was concerned that the public was not being given enough choices to consider prior to consultation.  He felt that the issues surrounding Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS4) should be separated from the issues of the frontages and the Central Area Action Plan (CAAP).

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet with disappointment as he did not feel that report was as aspirational as it could have been.  He would have like to have seen St Giles Street and the whole of the Market Square as premier areas and he mentioned the benefit of the redevelopment of the Grand Hotel in Gold Street.

Councillor Hawkins addressed cabinet asking for the consultation to go beyond internal groups and encompass the local Civic Society.  She then referred to a magazine article advocating the use of research councils for information about the development of policies.

Councillor Church, as Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration, presented the report to Cabinet guiding members to the appendices that showed the defined frontages. He explained that the timetable for the adoption of the CAAP, Joint Core Strategy (JCS) and Local Development Scheme (LDS) were now approved by the Government office and asked for Cabinet endorsement on this. He advised Cabinet of the Government policy to protect town centres and ensure that any proposed out of town retail development recognised this policy. Having already had consultation on the CAAP, there was now to be a further consultation on the definition of frontages and the proposal in the report was a starting point for this and contained a variety of alternative options.

RESOLVED

1.      That Cabinet notes the proposed amended timetable for the adoption of the Central Area Action Plan as set out in the West Northamptonshire Local Development Scheme submitted to Government Office for the East Midlands in December 2009 and the changes to PPS4.

2.      That Cabinet approves the primary and secondary frontages and a primary shopping area within the town centre for consultation.

3.      That the primary and secondary frontages and a primary shopping area be used to inform the Council’s planning policy position in the determination of planning applications by it and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

Report of the Director of Planning and Regeneration

It is agreed that:

·              The responses to the consultation and officer responses be noted.

·              The appraisal and management plan, including the proposed boundary amendments, attached to the Cabinet report be approved.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet. He was concerned that the Council did not have adequate resources to review conservation areas every 5 years.  He asked when Wootton Conservation Area had previously been appraised and commented that, although lots of work was being done, there was still more to do.

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet and congratulated the officers who had produced the report.  She stressed the importance of heritage protection and called for a design criteria to protect interesting buildings.  Whist she appreciated the limited resources available, she felt that maintaining a local list of buildings of architectural and historical interest was increasingly important.

Councillor Church, as the relevant Portfolio Holder, presented the report to Cabinet.  He confirmed that at least six local conservation areas had already been successfully reviewed by the current administration.  He drew Cabinet’s attention to the proposed changes in boundaries as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report.

RESOLVED

That:

·              The responses to the consultation and officer responses be noted.

·              The appraisal and management plan, including the proposed boundary amendments, attached to the Cabinet report be approved.

B Report of the Director of Housing Services

1.      It is agreed that the Director of Housing in Consultation with the Portfolio Holder, is to be given delegated authority to approve the appointment of the successful tender and agree the final terms of contract.

2.      It is agreed that the Borough Solicitor in Consultation with the Director of Housing and Portfolio Holder for Housing is to be given delegated authority to consider, amend if necessary and execute the local authority new build grant agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and referred to a question posed at Full Council in relation to the companies identified by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) as having dishonestly over charged councils. He accused the Administration of not coming clean about their relationship with such companies and asked for a list of all companies that the Council had dealt with that had been found guilty of illegal price fixing.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet.  He appreciated the burden placed on the Director and Portfolio Holder in relation to the selection of companies that had been found guilty of price rigging and asked that the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer ensure that due diligence was undertaken to assure that the Council was dealing with bone fide contractors for the protection of the people of Northampton.

As Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Beardsworth presented the report to Cabinet.  She was pleased to announce the proposal to build eight three- and four-bed properties with a high specification for energy saving efficiencies on the site of some disused garages in the Kings Heath area of the town.

The Section 151 Officer then explained in detail the process for invitation for tendering and assured the Cabinet that all contractors were independently vetted.  Contracts included exclusion statements for contractors to verify.  She confirmed that the Council could not legally exclude submissions form companies who were currently under investigation.

It was further explained that, where a company had been found guilty of malpractice, the appropriate employees and directors had normally been disciplined or dismissed and that a Limited Company could then continue to operate with the bulk of the workforce unchanged.  It was felt that companies should not be penalised for the actions of a small number of its employees.

Cabinet expressed their satisfaction that the appropriate safeguards were in place and Councillor Beardsworth expressed regret that the member of public who had raised the issue about companies under investigation by OFT had not been present to hear the reassurances.

RESOLVED

1.      That the Director of Housing in Consultation with the Portfolio Holder, be given delegated authority to approve the appointment of the successful tender and agree the final terms of contract.

2.      That the Borough Solicitor in Consultation with the Director of Housing and Portfolio Holder for Housing be given delegated authority to consider, amend if necessary and execute the local authority new build grant agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency.

B Report of the Director for Environment and Culture

1.      Cabinet has approved the Facilities Strategy, attached to the Cabinet report and produced by Knight, Kavanagh and Page (KKP), as the basis for future development of such facilities.

2.      It is noted that the Strategy will form part of the robust evidence base for the Local Development Framework (LDF), and that further consultation of the Strategy and proposals within it which are proposed to be adopted by the LDF will take place as part of the LDF process.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and asked why this report had been deemed necessary when a similar report had been produced previously on behalf of the WNDC at some considerable cost. He pointed out contradictions between the two reports and asked to which one the Cabinet was agreeing.  He referred to the content of the report, suggesting errors in relation to local sports provision and their impact on other local towns.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet. He conceded that the report was well written but questioned the resource implications and queried why there had been no details about the costs in the budget consultation documents. He was concerned about the requirement to work with the NCC and felt that the issue of running costs had not been adequately addressed.

Councillor Hawkins addressed cabinet commenting that the document was rather thin.  She asked the Portfolio Holder to explain the implications of the report for the people in her Ward of Eastfield.

As the relevant Portfolio Holder, Councillor P D Varnsverry presented the report to Cabinet. He outlined the need for such a strategy in order to deliver the health agenda and mentioned the partnership working that had taken place with the Primary Care Trust.

Cabinet commented on the significant investment requirement and revenue implications that were implied in the report and its implementation would therefore require innovative ways of service provision. The report was welcomed as a benefit to the sustainable communities agenda, particularly with the proposed provision of leisure and sports facilities to serve the growing population of the town. There was also positive feedback on the proposal to improve school facilities and to make them available for community use.

RESOLVED

1.      That Cabinet approve the Facilities Strategy, attached to the Cabinet report and produced by Knight, Kavanagh and Page (KKP), as the basis for future development of such facilities.

2.      That Cabinet notes that the Strategy will form part of the robust evidence base for the Local Development Framework (LDF), and that further consultation of the Strategy and proposals within it which are proposed to be adopted by the LDF will take place as part of the LDF process.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive

The contents of the report are noted.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet with a plea to change the emphases on the report as he found the presentation of some of the data to be confusing and inconsistent.

The Leader explained that reports were soon to be produced in an improved format and invited Councillor Clarke and other members to attend a training session to help their understanding of the data.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet.  He asked if the reduction in the number of people visiting museums was as a result of the reduced opening hours.  He further questioned the figures relating to the collection of Council Tax following recent newspaper coverage of the NCC’s announcement that they were several £million short in their own collection.  He asked if this council was therefore performing better than its local counterparts.

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet and referred to the expected failure to meet the target for museum visits.  She asked for strategies to be put into place to inspire and encourage more young people to take advantage of what museums had to offer.

As Portfolio Holder for Performance, Councillor B Markham presented the report to Cabinet and drew their attention to a number of data sets in the attached appendices.  He then congratulated waste collection staff for maintaining their service throughout the recent severe weather conditions.

It was pointed out that the figures relating to museum visits did not include outreach work undertaken with schools and local communities. It was noted that young people were introduced to culture and heritage in a number of ways that were not recorded in the data presented.  Congratulations were passed on to the Housing Solutions officers who had ensured that no one had been placed in bed and breakfast accommodation during the previous nine months. It was further noted that there had been success in bringing empty properties back into use, with approximately 400 council tenants now in private rented accommodation.

Cabinet speculated that the shortfall experienced by NCC in council tax collection might be attributable to fewer new houses being built across the county than originally anticipated when the targets were set.

RESOLVED

That the contents of the report be noted.

Report of the Director of Finance and Support

The report and the forecast under spend of £283k net of management action are noted

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and an error in Appendix 2 of the report was noted. Referring to the proposed move from Cliftonville House, Councillor Clarke asked what would happen to the recently purchased furniture.  He made further comment about a number of the projected savings outlined in the report and requested information about the risk of redundancies.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet and was pleased to note that the Council was on course to balance the books, in spite of pessimism in Leisure, Culture and Environment.  He was pleased to see that corrective action was being taken.  He also pointed out that members’ expenses showed as an underspend in the figures.

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet. She expressed concern about the efficiency savings relating to community centres, particularly Abington Community Centre, in her Ward of Eastfield, which she contended was under resourced and overused. She expressed confusion that the report outlined an underspend, and yet there were no plans to improve and extend community facilities, especially in Eastfield.

Councillor Perkins, as Portfolio Holder for Finance, presented the report to Cabinet.  He pointed out that the report was consistent with activity throughout the year. He then explained that an underspend in one area did not automatically release money to be spent in another area. In response to Councillor Clarke’s comment, he confirmed that there had been no expenditure on office furniture over and above normal annual equipment renewal. It was pointed out that the shortfall in members’ expenses related mainly to training and was not connected to members’ allowances.

RESOLVED

That the report and the forecast under spend of £283k net of management action be noted.

Report of the Director of Finance and Support

The report and the forecast overspend of £110k on the Net Cost of Services are noted.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and repeated his praise at the previous meeting on the robustness of the HRA account. He then questioned the Portfolio Holder on the settlement of equal pay claims and asked what the Administration was going to forecast for the budget in respect of these claims.

Councillor Mildren declined to speak on this item.

As Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor Perkins presented the report to Cabinet, again pointing out that figures were consistent with the performance throughout the year.  He assured Councillor Clarke that adequate provision would be made in respect of pay and grading claims before the budget was finally set.

RESOLVED

That the report and the forecast overspend of £110k on the Net Cost of Services be noted.

Report of the Director of Finance and Support

1.      The following variations to schemes in the capital programme for 2009-10 are approved.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet. He asked for an explanation as to why capital works at Cooper Street had not been started as promised and requested assurance that it would be completed within this financial year.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet pointing to a number of details within the figures relating to forecast outturns and slippages.  He asked for assurance that all the proposed capital expenditure would be completed before the end of the financial year.

Councillor Perkins, as the relevant Portfolio Holder, presented the report to Cabinet and asked for their approval of the recommendations.  He explained that there was a lot of work to do to achieve the expenditure target and that some of the potential slippage was accounted for by un-invoiced completed works.

Councillor Beardsworth responded to Councillor Clarke’s query about the Cooper Street works and agreed to discuss the matter further with him and the Director of Housing outside of the meeting.

RESOLVED

1.      That the following variations to schemes in the capital programme for 2009-10 be approved.

THE CHAIR TO MOVE:

“THAT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS BE EXCLUDED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE MEETING ON THE GROUNDS THAT THERE IS LIKELY TO BE DISCLOSURE TO THEM OF SUCH CATEGORIES OF EXEMPT INFORMATION AS DEFINED BY SECTION 100(1) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS LISTED AGAINST SUCH ITEMS OF BUSINESS BY REFERENCE TO THE APPROPRIATE PARAGRAPH OF SCHEDULE 12A TO SUCH ACT.”

The Chair moved that the public and Press be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that there was likely to be disclosure to them of such categories of exempt information as defined by Section 100(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 as listed against such items of business by reference to the appropriate paragraph of Schedule 12A to such Act.

The Motion was Carried.

B Report of the Director of Housing Services

1.      Cabinet has approved an extension to the current contract for a maximum period of 12 months to:

·              allow for the tender of a new contract to ensure quality of service and value for money

·              ensure provision of essential maintenance service to the Council’s emergency alarm installations

2.      Cabinet has agreed to delegate any further decisions regarding an extension of the existing contract to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

3.      A further report is to be received by cabinet on the proposed award of the new contract at a later date.

Councillor Clarke and Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet.  Councillor Mildren declined to address cabinet on this item. 

As Portfolio Holder of Housing, Councillor Beardsworth presented the report to Cabinet, which was then discussed.

RESOLVED

1.      That Cabinet approves an extension to the current contract for a maximum period of 12 months to:

·              allow for the tender of a new contract to ensure quality of service and value for money

·              ensure provision of essential maintenance service to the Council’s emergency alarm installations

2.      That Cabinet agrees to delegate any further decisions regarding an extension of the existing contract to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

3.      That a further report be received by Cabinet on the proposed award of the new contract at a later date.