Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 24th January 2008 were taken as read and signed as correct record.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director - Corporate and Policy outlining the results of a Halton 2000 Survey. It was advised that, in November 2007, 2367 members of Halton's citizens' panel were sent a questionnaire on their opinion about a range of Council services: 992 people responded - a response rate of 425.

 

A number of key questions and the responses were outlined for the Board's consideration. It was noted that the survey had sought the public’s views on:

 

• Their overall priorities for the Borough;
• their spending priorities; and
• their views on the impact on Council tax levels.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)       the results of the survey be noted;

 

(2) the results be taken into account when considering the 2008/09 budget proposals; and

 

(3)       the results be drawn to the attention of the Policy and Performance Boards.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director - Corporate and Policy setting out a proposed calendar of meetings for the 2008/09 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to approve the Calendar of Meetings for the 2008-2009 Municipal Year, attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive outlining the results of the formal Polling District, Places and Stations Review; highlighting recommended changes to the polling scheme; and putting forward a revised polling scheme for approval.

 

It was noted that the Electoral Administration Act 2006 required the Council to carry out a review of all its polling stations every four years. The main purpose of the review was to ensure that all residents had reasonable facilities for voting.

 

The consultation process was outlined for the Board's consideration. It was advised that comments had been required by 12^th November and those received had been taken into account by the Polling Station Review Working Party on 18th December 2007 and 17th January 2008.

 

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to adopt the amendments to the scheme detailed in the appendix to the report for the period 2008-2011.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director - Health and Community, and the Director of Public Health, presenting the 'Promoting Mental Health' Strategy developed by the Primary Care Trust, which covered Halton and St Helens Local Authorities.

 

It was noted that the development of a 'Promoting Mental Health' Strategy was one of the requirements within the performance framework for mental health services and was monitored annually via a national self-assessment process, reported to the Strategic Health Authority. There was a high prevalence of mental illness in Halton and the strategy was a key component of the prevention agenda.

 

The consultation process undertaken was outlined for Members' consideration and it was noted that the strategy provided a framework for action to:

 

·                    co-ordinate mental health promotion and social inclusion activities across the Boroughs of Halton and St Helens;

·                    raise public awareness of how to look after our own and other people's mental health; and

·                    involve communities and organisations, across all sectors, in taking positive steps to promote and protect mental wellbeing.

 

Champions were identified for each setting and the action plan within the strategy would be implemented over a four-year period. Progress would be monitored on a quarterly basis and reported to the Strategic Health Authority via the annual self-assessment process. Reports would also be presented to the Healthy Halton Policy and Performance Board to chart progress.

 

In considering the strategy, Members requested an update report on mental health developments following the changes introduced in the service in 2007.

 

RESOLVED: That the Strategy be endorsed.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director - Corporate and Policy, which provided details of an application that had been made to the Twinning Grant Fund by Warrington Road Nursery School.

 

The application was for six members of staff and a governor to visit Tongling between 20th and 30th March 2008. The visit would further develop a friendship with St Mary's Primary School (Castlefields) and their newly twinned primary in Tongling (Shiyan Primary School) and assist in developing an English language programme for these schools. It would also explore aspects of hearing loss in primary aged children and explore aspects of child psychology including developmental delay and support offered in the twin schools.

 

Following this trip to Tongling, there would be information cascade and dissemination, sharing good practice amongst schools that were interested in developing such links.

 

The total cost of the exchange would be £10,360 and it was proposed that, in line with previous requests, £3000 be awarded, representing a grant of £428 per participant.

 

RESOLVED: That a grant of £3000 be awarded to Warrington Road Nursery School.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director - Environment advising of the announcement of the three year Local Transport Settlement (2008/09 - 2010/11) that was made on 27^th November 2007; and seeking approval to the Transport Implementation Programme for 2008/09 being included in the Council's 2008/09 Capital Programme.

 

It was noted that the December 2006 Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlement Letter provided indicative allocations for the Integrated Transport Block for the period 2008/09 - 2010/11, which were enhanced by reward funding of 25% due to the quality of Halton's delivery report for the first Local Transport Plan (LTP) and its second LTP. However, the Highways Capital Maintenance allocations were not provided for this period as they were to be subject to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review and a reassessment of the formula on which allocations were made.

 

The November 2007 Settlement letter confirmed the LTP Integrated Transport Capital Block allocations for the period 2008/09 - 2010/11 as being unchanged from that previously indicated in the December 2006 letter, and these were outlined for Members' consideration.

 

As the allocation of the Highways Capital Maintenance block was based on a new formula, there had been a reduction of £959,000 to Halton over three years to that previously indicated as the Provisional Planning Guideline to be used in the preparation of LTP2. However, Halton had also been allocated substantial additional funding from the Primary Route Network (PRN) Bridge Strengthening and Maintenance allocation, totalling £14.28m over the three years, which was over 12% of the total available, off-setting the reduction outlined above.

 

Further information was provided in respect of the PRN Bridge Strengthening and Maintenance Capital Allocation; the Road Safety Grant; and the Detrunked Roads Maintenance Grant 2008/09 - 2010/11. Schemes proposed to be implemented in 2008/09 were outlined in Appendix A to the report.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)       the 2008/09 - 2010/11 Local Transport Settlement be noted; and

 

(2)       the Transport Implementation Programme for 2008/09 in the sum of £8,237,000 (shown in Appendix A to the report) be recommended to Council for inclusion in the Council's 2008/09 Capital programme.

MINUTES ISSUED: 12^th February 2008

CALL IN: 19^th February 2008

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 19^th February 2008