Meeting documents

Cabinet
Thursday 8 September 2005 6.30 pm

Date:
Thursday, 8th September, 2005
Time:
6.30 pm
Place:
Reception Room, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold
 

Attendance Details

ItemDescriptionResolution
81 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
Business for item 81
 
82 TO APPROVE AS A CORRECT RECORD THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD ON 18 AND 25 AUGUST 2005.
 RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meetings, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
83 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS.
Business for item 83
 
84 DEVELOPMENT CONTROL PERFORMANCE
Business for item 84
RESOLVED:

To note the above information and that the Head of Planning and Environment write to appropriate staff in the Department, thanking them for their work in helping to raise the level of performance above the National targets in all applications during the last four quarters.
85 "YOUTH MATTERS" GREEN PAPER
Business for item 85
RESOLVED:

1.To note that the Gedling Partnership Board has asked the Youth Action Group to submit its views in response to the paper and to seek the views of young people in the Borough. This would also include the views of local young people through the Gedling Area Youth Assembly.

2. That the report be referred to the Community and Quality of Life Scrutiny Committee, in view of their interest and involvement in these matters, and to request them to formulate a draft action plan for consideration by the Council.

3.That the Chief Executive make representations to the Department of Education and Science advising them that if they wish District Authorities to participate in the process then such Authorities need to be consulted in the proposals and recognition given to the differing functions of District Councils and that the Local M.Ps be urged to ensure that full recognition is given to the work of District Council's in the process.
86 SATISFACTION SURVEY 2005
Business for item 86
RESOLVED:

To endorse the questionnaire and the proposed method of implementation subject to the addition of the minor amendments discussed at the meeting and to be discussed with the Leader.
87 "THE STORY UNFOLDS - NOTTINGHAM AS A CORE CITY" AND RELATED MATTERS
Business for item 87
RESOLVED:

To note the report.
88 MEMBERS' QUESTIONS TO PORTFOLIO HOLDERS
Business for item 88
 
89 ACCESS STRATEGY
Business for item 89
RESOLVED:

To agree the Access Strategy.
90 PROGRESS REPORTS FROM PORTFOLIO HOLDERS
Business for item 90
RESOLVED:

To note the information.
91 PRUDENTIAL CODE INDICATOR MONITORING 2005/2006 AND QUARTERLY TREASURY ACTIVITY REPORT
Business for item 91
RESOLVED:

To note the Prudential Indicator Monitoring at Appendix 1 and the Treasury Activity Report at Appendix 2.
92 IRRV PERFORMANCE AWARDS 2005
Business for item 92
RESOLVED:

To note the report and to congratulate staff on reaching the finals.
93 FORWARD PLAN 01 OCTOBER 2005 TO 31 JANUARY 2006
 RESOLVED:

To approve the above Forward Plan as submitted.
94 ANY OTHER ITEMS WHICH THE CHAIRMAN CONSIDERS URGENT.
Business for item 94
 
The meeting closed at 8.10 pm.

Attendance Details

Present:
I.S. Gollop (Chairman), W.H. Golland, V. McCrossen, R.J. Nicholson, R.A. Poynter, R.F. Spencer
Observers:
A.J. Gillam, G.J. Griffiths(a), J.M. Parr

Business

Business
ItemBusiness
81Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Feeney and Griffiths.
83None declared.
84The Head of Planning and Environment reported that the Council had been designated a Standards Authority for the 2005/06 financial year in November 2004 because performance on processing minor applications to the year ending June 2004 was below the ODPM's performance thresholds.

Whilst performance had been above the National targets in all categories of application for the last four quarters, the Authority remained a Standards Authority until the end of the financial year and a further visit would be needed from representatives of the ODPM's Office.

Information had been received that present trends would indicate that it was unlikely the authority would be named as a potential Standards Authority for 2006/07.
85The Head of Cabinet Office submitted a report to make Cabinet aware of the ‘Youth Matters' Green Paper produced by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in July 2005, and sought views on any response.

An Executive Summary of the paper had been appended to this report at Appendix 1.

Given the cross-cutting nature of the issues raised, the Executive Summary of the report had already been shared with the Gedling Partnership Board.

The Board had subsequently tasked the Partnership's Youth Action Group to put forward its views in response to the paper, and to seek the views of young people in the Borough. It was understood that this would include seeking the views of local young people through the Gedling Area Youth Assembly.

Cabinet was invited to consider whether it would wish to submit any further response on behalf of the Council and, if so, what issues it would wish to raise.

Cabinet was further invited to confirm whether it would be appropriate to refer the report to Community and Quality of Life Scrutiny Committee, given its remit and previous interest and involvement in these matters.

Consultation responses were sought by early November.
86The Head of Cabinet Office reported that Councils were required to carry out a satisfaction survey every three years as part of Best Value requirements. The last of these surveys had been carried out in 2003.

As part of the 2005/06 Budget/Service Plan, Council had agreed to carry out this survey annually from 2005 onwards. This would allow performance against a range of key satisfaction measures to be tracked on an annual basis.

Through the inclusion of supplementary questions, it would also allow the Council to set benchmarks and measure progress towards its priorities. This was an important commitment made as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment Improvement Plan.

A final draft questionnaire had been produced and was submitted for information at Appendix A. The draft had been discussed with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council and with Senior Management Team.
87The Head of Cabinet Office submitted a report that informed members of proposals recently published by Greater Nottingham Partnership to progress development of Nottingham as a "Core City", and related developments with regard to city regions.
88None received.
89The Head of Personnel and Organisational Development reported that under the remit of the Resources and Management Scrutiny Committee, the Access Strategy Working Group had been looking at the development of a Customer Access Strategy in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder.

The Working Group had carried out a considered evaluation of all Access Channels themselves and the relative effectiveness of these for customers and for the services they required.

The analysis of this work was submitted as Appendix 1 to the report.

A consultant had been commissioned to carry out a survey in Newstead, as this was considered to be an area of the Borough which was geographically isolated and relative deprived. This had provided information on how people wished to contact the Council and their experiences. The results of this survey were submitted at Appendix 2 to the report.

The strategic vision and aims of the strategy were contained in sections 6 and 7, and the priorities for delivering these were described in section 8. The strategy also contained a series of standards for electronic communication at appendix A to the report.
90E-Government

Document Strategy and Housing Benefits systems progressing.
Availability of transactions on line.
Members Room - Change of use
Cabinet agendas change of format
Council Chamber accoustics- budget bid

Housing

Housing Stock Options still progressing
Strategic Partnership Core Group planned and responsive maintenance.
Working Group- Warden Aided Units
Hostels Working Group

Leisure

Tender documents opened for Standhill Road Skateboard Park and Muirfield Road Play area.
Signets and ducks stolen from Arnot Hill Park.
Application for Green flag status for Arnot Hill Park
'Friends of the Park Group'
Woodland Planting - Railway Embankment

Direct Services

Tender accepted for Arnold Master Plan Report

Finance

No further information from Audit Commission
Scrutiny Committees to consider budget information.
Financial Borrowing

Agenda 21 and Crime Reduction

Meeting with PCT
91The Head of Finance submitted a report that informed Members of the performance monitoring of the 2005/06 Prudential Code Indicators, and reported on the the quarterly treasury activity as required by the Treasury Management Strategy.
92The Head of Finance informed members that the authority had been selected as a finalist in the category "Revenues Team of the Year" by the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV).

As finalists the authority is expected to undertake an exhibition at the Awards Village as part of the IRRV's Annual Conference in Manchester and a team will be attending the awards dinner which is to be held on 20 October 2005.

It was expected that up to 10 staff would attend the presentation event and appropriate publicity and promotional items would be made available at the awards exhibition. it was anticipated the total cost of attending the awards ceremony and providing the associated exhibition display would be £1,000 and would be contained within existing budgets.
94None.