Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2010 were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Adults and Community which provided details of the outcome of the Service Inspection of Adult Social Care which had been carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

            The Board were reminded that the CQC was an independent regulator of health and social care in England and regulated care provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations. The report covered the background and methodology to inspection.

            The Board received a presentation from Sue Talbot, CQC Lead Inspector.It was noted that CQC judged performance of Councils using four grades. The CQC concluded that Halton was performing excellently in delivering adult social care in ‘safeguarding adults’ and ‘supporting increased choice and control for older people’  and was performing well in ‘ supporting improved health and wellbeing of older people’. In addition, CQC rated Halton’s capacity to improve its performance as excellent.

            The Chairman wished to place on record his thanks to Sue Talbot and her team, and the Executive Board Members and staff involved in helping to deliver an excellent outcome for the Adult Social Care service.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)         the  presentation from Susan Talbot, CQC Lead Inspector be received; and

(2)         the contents of the report and associated appendices be noted and agreed.

The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Resources on the Annual Audit Letter 2009/10.

The Board was advised that the Annual Audit Letter summarised the findings from the 2009/10 audit completed by the Council’s External auditors.  The Letter included messages arising from the audit of the financial statements and the results of the work that had been undertaken in assessing                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     the Council’s arrangements to secure value for money in the use of its resources.

Mike Thomas, District Auditor attended the meeting and reported that the Council had achieved an unqualified audit opinion on the Council’s  financial statements in line with the statutory deadlines. In respect of the use of resources which determined how well the Council managed and used their financial resources it had been concluded that the KLOE (key lines of enquiry) scores reflected that the Council had satisfactory arrangements to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in its use of resources during 2009/10.

RESOLVED: That the Annual Audit Letter be approved.

The Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance on the requirement for the Council to  determine the “Tax Base” for its area and the tax base for each of the Parishes.

The Council was required to notify the figure to the Cheshire Fire Authority, the Cheshire Police Authority and the Environment Agency by 31^st January 2011. In addition, the Council was required to calculate and advise, if requested, the Parish Councils of their relevant tax bases.

            The Board was advised that the Tax Base was the measure used for calculating the council tax and was used by both the billing authority (the Council) and the major precepting authorities (the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police Authority) in the calculation of their council tax requirements. It was arrived at in accordance with a prescribed formula representing the estimated full year number of chargeable dwellings in the Borough expressed in terms of the equivalent of Band “D” dwellings. Taking account of all the relevant information and applying a 99% collection rate, the calculation for 2011/12 gave a tax base figure of 38,200 for the Borough as a whole.

Reason(s) For Decision

The ‘Tax Base’ is the measure used for calculating the council tax and was used by both the billing authority (the Council) and the major precepting authorities (the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police Authority), in the calculation of their council tax requirements.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Implementation Date

The Council was required to set the Council Tax Base by 31^st January each year.

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended that

(1)    the 2011/12 Council Tax Base be set at 38,200 for the Borough, and that the Cheshire Fire Authority, the Cheshire Police Authority, and the Environment Agency be so notified; and

(2)    the Council Tax Base for each of the Parishes be set as follows:

The Board received a report on the completion of the final stage in the process of adopting the Council’s new model of governance in accordance with the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

The Board were reminded that Section 62 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 amended the provision of the Local Government Act 2000, compelling local authorities to adopt one of two new governance models – either a ‘new style’ Leader and cabinet executive or a Mayor and cabinet executive

Following a formal public consultation process, the Council at its meeting on 20 October 2010 agreed proposals outlining the Leader and Cabinet Executive as its preferred governance model, which were attached at Appendix 1. Members also considered the option to incorporate a provision in the Constitution to allow for the removal of the Leader by resolution prior to the expiry of his or her term of office.  Since then, the proposals had been published on the Council’s website as required.  There had been no representations following this process.

In accordance with the Act, the Council was now required to resolve formally that the new model of governance, as set out in the proposals, be adopted with effect from the third day after the ordinary election of Councillors in May 2011.

RESOLVED: That Council be recommended to

1)   adopt the Leader with Cabinet model of governance, as contained in the proposals attached as Appendix 1 to the report, with effect from the third day after the ordinary election of Councillors in May 2011; and 

2) a provision be incorporated in the Constitution allowing for the removal of the Leader by resolution.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Resources which advised them of changes to membership of Outside Bodies.

The list of Outside Bodies 2010/11 was submitted to and approved by full Council on 21 July 2010. Since then a review of the list had revealed a number of additional Bodies on which the Council had representation, but which did not appear on the approved list. In addition, one re-naming had taken place and two appointments had been amended.

RESOLVED : That Council

1) be recommended to approve the appointments to the additional Outside Bodies listed in Appendix A attached to the report, for the remainder of the 2010/11 municipal year with the amendment of Councillor Thompson as the representative on the Mersey Gateway Environment Trust;

2) be asked to note the re-naming of the North Cheshire Hospital Trust  as the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and confirm  that Councillor Kath Loftus continue as the Council’s representative on that Outside Body; and

3) be asked to  note that Councillor Harris had been nominated to replace Councillor Marie Wright as the representative on the North West Regional Housing Board and the Liverpool City Region Housing and Spatial Planning Board.

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People which considered the revised proposals for the Year 3 Playbuilder Projects in the light of the reduced but now confirmed capital allocation to be spent by 31 March 2011.

Members were reminded that on 8 April 2010 the Board considered and agreed proposals for the 9 play projects to be delivered with Playbuilder Capital in 2010/11. On the 15 July 2010 Halton received correspondence from the Department for Education advising that “with immediate effect and until further notice, all local authorities should avoid incurring any new contracted liabilities in relation to their play capital grants” However, at this point Halton had incurred costs of £7804. 

On the 20 October 2010 Halton received further correspondence advising of the revised allocation for this financial year. The reduced capital allocation (from £437.885 to £273,610) and the significantly reduced time frame in which to deliver projects (all spend to be achieved by 31 March 2011) inevitably led to a re-consideration of the original project plan which was detailed in the report.

                RESOLVED: That the revised proposals for Year 3 Playbuilder Projects in Halton as detailed in the report, be agreed.

The Board considered:

(1)       whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

(2)       whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

            RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information will be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

(NB:The following Councillors declared a personal interest in the following item of business for the reasons stated:

Councillor Nelson as Chair of  Governors and Councillor Stockton as a Governor both at the Grange School; Councillor Jones as a Governor at Wade Deacon School)

            The Board received a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Young People on the outcome of the tender evaluations together with an update on the changes to the Halton BSF Programme since 5 July 2010.

            The report outlined the tender process since it commenced on 17 August 2009, together with the evaluation of financial, ICT and legal aspects resulting in the selection of the of the selected bidder.

Reason(s) For Decision

This report sought to gain the approval of the Board to appoint the Local Transformational Partnership (LTP) as the Selected Bidder for the Halton Building Schools for the Future Programme.

By appointing the Selected Bidder, the programme team would be able to work with the selected bidder up to Financial Close in April 2011 and then to commence work on The Grange and Wade Deacon shortly afterwards.

Alternative Options Considered And Rejected

The alternative of appointing the other bidder (Halton and Warrington Learning Partnership) had been considered and rejected as it was felt that LTP offered more Value for Money.

The alternative of not proceeding with any appointment had also been considered and rejected as it was strongly believed that a delay to appoint would lead to a loss or significant reduction in the capital funds being made available to Halton for these projects.

Implementation Date

The Selected Bidder would be formally announced on 3^rd December 2010 to allow Financial Close to be achieved on 4^th April 2011.

            RESOLVED: That

1)              the decision to appoint the Local Transformational Partnership (LTP) as the Selected Bidder for the Halton Building Schools for the Future Programme be approved; and

2)     the Board permit the Fairfield School site to be managed on an interim and revocable basis as part of the Wade Deacon “campus” from 1^st September 2010 to continue to 1^st April 2014 or such date as the Chief Executive may prescribe, in consultation with the Leader.

MINUTES ISSUED: 6 December 2010

CALL-IN: 13 December 2010

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later than 5.00pm on 13 December 2010