Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

There were no apologies.

There were no apologies.

Councillors Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Brian Jones and Tony Thomas declared a personal interest in agenda item 6.

The following members declared a personal interest in agenda item 6 – Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020 –

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts – Governor/Parent of child in Denbighshire school

Councillor Brian Jones – Parent of child in Denbighshire school

Councillor Tony Thomas – Parent of child in Denbighshire school

No urgent matters had been raised.

No urgent matters had been raised.

To receive the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 24 April 2018 (copy enclosed). 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 24 April 2018 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Leader.

To consider a report by Councillor Hugh Evans, Leader and Lead Member for the Economy and Corporate Governance (copy enclosed) presenting the North Wales Regional Regeneration Plan and proposals for Targeted Regeneration Investment for approval to submission to the Welsh Government.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       approves –

·         submission of the final North Wales Regional Regeneration Plan (and broad priorities contained within it) to Welsh Government in order to access Targeted Regeneration Investment funds

·         the outline projects proposed for submission by the Council to the Targeted Regeneration Investment

·         delegated authority for the Corporate Director, Economy and Public Realm in consultation with the Lead Member for the Economy and Corporate Governance, Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services and Head of Finance (Section 151 Officer) to –

o   make any project funding applications necessary to secure resources from the Targeted Regeneration Investment programme for the period of its operation

o   accept and undertaken expenditure on projects accessing Targeted Regeneration Investment programme support, including award of grants to third parties

o   negotiate and enter into agreements with other North Wales councils where this is necessary to bid for or receive Targeted Regeneration Investment programme funds

(b)       notes that there will be an annual review of the Regional Regeneration Plan in line with governance and monitoring arrangements (set out in Appendix 1 to the report) offering opportunity for changes in strategy and direction that may focus resources on other towns/areas)

(c)        confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration.

Councillor Hugh Evans introduced the report and presented the North Wales Regional Regeneration Plan 2018 – 2035 (RRP) and proposals for Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) for approval to submission to Welsh Government.

The TRI programme had been launched by Welsh Government to provide funding for regeneration projects over three years with £22m allocated to North Wales.  A collaborative approach was necessary as funding was conditional upon submission of a prioritised RRP agreed by all six North Wales councils.  In line with funding requirements twelve areas across the region had been proposed as priority areas based on deprivation rankings which included Rhyl and Denbigh, with four priority areas (including Rhyl) identified for the initial three year funding period.  The reasoning behind the focus on Rhyl as a priority area was explained given the funding criteria set by Welsh Government and Rhyl’s ranking as the most deprived town in North Wales, and given the Council’s investment and commitment to the regeneration of Rhyl it was appropriate that potential funding avenues be used to help deliver that aim.  The report acknowledged both poverty associated with larger urban settlements and the need to address poverty and regeneration in small towns and rural areas which it was hoped would be realised during the course of the Plan.

Cabinet welcomed the funding allocation for the regeneration of areas within the region but recognised the constraints for accessing that funding given the criteria set by Welsh Government in terms of the methodology for prioritising regeneration areas and the need for a regional approach leading to consensus across all six North Wales councils which required a degree of negotiation and compromise on all parts.  Cabinet also noted that the criteria and thematic approach of the RRP was broadly aligned with other corporate priorities and highlighted the need for Denbighshire to maximise opportunities from regional working in that regard.

In response to questions the Lead Member and officers advised that –

·         the RRP had been approved by three councils and would likely be approved by the remaining councils given that the funding would otherwise be lost

·         in terms of monitoring baseline figures had been identified for different regeneration areas to measure progress and outcomes at a programme level and individual projects emerging from the Plan would have their own targets subject to scrutiny by Welsh Government prior to funding being allocated

·         there were further opportunities outside of the Plan to support other priorities and tap into a wide range of different Welsh Government initiatives and work was being undertaken to guide those other sources of support and investment over the long term

·         there had been positive engagement at officer level with agreement and commitment to key issues across the region – having worked collectively to agree priorities the RRP was considered a good and reasonable compromise

·         Rhyl had been ranked first in order of deprivation and had been identified for targeted investment in the first three years, however some funding may also be attracted to Denbigh in the short term across the thematic proposals of housing and key buildings and in the longer term Denbigh was well positioned to benefit given that it was ranked tenth in terms of deprivation

·         there was also an issue around smaller communities and rural poverty identified in the Plan and work was ongoing as to how best to address and prioritise those needs in the future whilst also complying with Welsh Government criteria

·         the TRI programme required match funding for projects of 30% which could come from a range of sources including officer time, public and private sector sources, and through the usual  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider a report by Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Lead Member for Education, Children and Young People (copy enclosed) presenting the Council’s proposed Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020 for approval.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       approve the proposed Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2017 – 2020 that had been approved by Welsh Government in March 2018, and

(b)       confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report) as part of its consideration.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts introduced the report and presented the Council’s proposed Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) 2017 – 2020 for approval (the draft WESP had been approved by Welsh Government in March 2018).

The Plan demonstrated how the Council aimed to meet Welsh Government targets by developing Welsh Medium education in the county and focused on improving skills, particularly oral communication and understanding.  The long term aim was for all children and young people in the county to leave full-time education competent and confident in using both Welsh and English languages.

Councillor Hilditch-Roberts referred to the Council’s proven track record of developing services through the medium of Welsh and investment in Welsh Medium education and the Council’s approach had been praised by Estyn during the recent inspection of education services.  The Plan would be delivered in partnership with key stakeholders including schools, Urdd, Mudiad Meithrin and Menter Iaith and the Welsh Government had made various funding streams available to help meet targets including £30m capital funding and £2m workforce development grants against which bids could be made.  The Head of Education and Children’s Services highlighted the comprehensive consultation process in setting the objectives and the role of the Welsh in Education Strategic Group in the Plan’s development and monitoring its delivery.  Key elements focused on (1) quality and standards of Welsh taught through schools’ curriculum, improving outcomes for learners and the level of proficiency across all schools, and (2) ensuring sufficiency of places in Welsh Medium education.  The Head of Service commended the Plan and the hard work in its development.

Cabinet welcomed the Plan as a means of further developing Welsh Medium education in the county and contributing to the national target of achieving a million Welsh speakers by 2050.  Tribute was also paid to those involved in developing the Plan with specific mention to the Welsh in Education Strategic Group.  Councillors Arwel Roberts and Emrys Wynne, who were members of the Welsh in Education Strategic Group, added their support to the Plan and commended the work with partners and the good work and success which had already been achieved in the county which had also been recognised in the recent Estyn inspection report.

During the ensuing debate –

·         further detail was sought regarding the financial implications of delivering the Plan and officers provided a breakdown of funding streams made available by the Welsh Government and how that funding could be used to meet outcomes, including funding for workforce planning and continual professional development

·         assurances were also provided that the council and its partners were continually working to capitalise on any external funding streams from other sources open to them in order to meet the aims and objectives within the Plan

·         the good work and success achieved in Denbighshire was highlighted with a renewed focus on further improvements within existing resources and capitalising on available external funding sources to focus on specific outcomes

·         the need for balance to ensure the right provision for learners taking into account parental choice and providing opportunities to learn the Welsh language was acknowledged and officers reported upon the comprehensive work undertaken in the county in terms of predicting demand for school places which had identified an increase in demand for Welsh Medium places

·         reference was made to the benefits of a bilingual education, particularly in terms of future employment opportunities where proficiency in the Welsh language was important, and the challenge to demonstrate the benefits of a bilingual education to non-Welsh speaking families so that informed choices could be made for learners from an early age

·         it was confirmed that Welsh language  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider a report by Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets (copy enclosed) detailing the latest financial position and progress against the agreed budget strategy.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       note the budgets set for 201/19 and progress against the agreed budget strategy, and

(b)       approve the use of a £1.2m one off Welsh Government capital grant on the priority highways schemes as outlined in the report and included in the Business Case (as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report).

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill presented the report detailing the latest financial position and service budgets for 2018/19 together with the Budget Summary Book 2018/19.  He provided a summary of the Council’s financial position as follows –

·        the net revenue budget for 2018/19 was £194.418m (£189.252m in 2017/18)

·        detailed agreed savings and efficiencies worth £4.6m including those which had already been achieved with the assumption that all service efficiencies/savings would be delivered – any exceptions would be reported to Cabinet if required

·        there were no variances to report at this stage in the financial year but a number of service pressures had been highlighted which required careful monitoring

·        provided a general update on the Capital Plan, Housing Revenue Account and Housing Capital Plan.

Cabinet was also asked to approve the use of a one-off Highways Refurbishment Capital Grant from Welsh Government for priority schemes as recommended by the Strategic Investment Group and outlined within the report.

The following matters were raised during debate –

·         the ongoing pressures on social care were discussed and officers reported upon work to model future needs advising that data trends had concluded a cost increase through the sector and an increase in complexity of some cases.  There was a need to focus on the immediate impact over the next few years to inform the Medium Term Financial Plan and the pressure was subject to annual review to inform the forthcoming year’s budget submissions.  The importance of leisure services was also highlighted as a key element in terms of building resilience and well-being with the effect of reducing demand on other services

·         the Leader welcomed the additional grant funding for highways from Welsh Government but highlighted the difficulties in managing one-off allocations at short notice and hoped any additional provision in future years would be allocated at an earlier stage, such as through the RSG settlement, in order to better aid financial planning.  He added that the merits of a three year budget instead of a one-off annual budget settlement for local authorities had been discussed by the Welsh Local Government Association

·         Councillor Brian Jones advised that Welsh Government officials would be attending a meeting of the Performance Scrutiny Committee on 7 June to discuss highway funding and he would raise the point about the need for timely funding allocations in order to plan effectively for highway works.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       note the budgets set for 201/19 and progress against the agreed budget strategy, and

(b)       approve the use of a £1.2m one off Welsh Government capital grant on the priority highways schemes as outlined in the report and included in the Business Case (as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report).

RESOLVED that Cabinet’s Forward Work Programme be noted.

The Cabinet Forward Work Programme was presented for consideration and it was noted that the following items would be added to the work programme for June –

·         Regional Growth Bid

·         Establishment of a Voids Maintenance Framework

RESOLVED that Cabinet’s Forward Work Programme be noted.

RESOLVED that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the Press and Public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider a confidential report by Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets (copy enclosed) seeking approval to award the contract for the supply of temporary agency staff to the named supplier as detailed within the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       appoints the named provider as detailed in the report as the supplier of temporary agency staff using the MSTAR framework agreement, and

(b)       authorises the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to finalise and enter into an appropriate form of contact with the named provider.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill presented the confidential report seeking approval to award the contract for the supply of temporary agency staff to the named supplier as detailed within the report.

Cabinet had received a report in December 2017 regarding the procurement exercise and resolved to ask the appropriate scrutiny committee to scrutinise that process together with alternative options open to the Council based on best value.  The findings and recommendations of the Performance Scrutiny Committee in that regard had been detailed within the report together with details of the tender evaluation procedure and the outcome and recommendation for award.  Councillor Huw Jones, Chair of Performance Scrutiny Committee confirmed he was satisfied with the recommendations to Cabinet going forward.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       appoints the named provider as detailed in the report as the supplier of temporary agency staff using the MSTAR framework agreement, and

(b)       authorises the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services to finalise and enter into an appropriate form of contract with the named provider.

The meeting concluded at 12.30 p.m.