Agenda, decisions and minutes

8. New Homes Bonus: Construction Apprenticeships and Skills.

Councillor Barry Wood, Declaration, as he sits on the Apprenticeship Training Agency Board in a private capacity and has been formally approved to do so by CDC through a Lead Member decision and would leave the meeting for teh duration of the item.

Councillor John Donaldson, Declaration, as Cherwell District Council's appointed representative on the Apprenticeship Training Agency Board and would leave the meeting for the duration of the item.

To confirm as a correct records the Minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2017 and the special meeting held on 19 June 2017.

The minutes of the meeting held on meeting held on 6 June 2017 and the special meeting held on 19 June 2017 were agreed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

Report of Director – Strategy and Commissioning

Purpose of report

To provide an update on the joint Consultation and Engagement Strategy.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

 1.1        Note the changes following the benefits realisation review of the performance & insight team (now Strategic Intelligence & Insight Team (‘SIIT’)).

1.2         Note the changes within the action plan for 2017/18.

Resolved

(1)          That the changes following the benefits realisation review of the performance & insight team (now Strategic Intelligence & Insight Team (‘SIIT’)) be noted.

(2)          That the changes within the action plan for 2017/18 be noted.

The Director – Strategy and Commissioning submitted a report to provide an update on the joint Consultation and Engagement Strategy.

Resolved

(1)          That the changes following the benefits realisation review of the performance & insight team (now Strategic Intelligence & Insight Team (‘SIIT’)) be noted.

(2)          That the changes within the action plan for 2017/18 be noted.

Reasons

The council has undertaken regular consultations and engagement events since 2009 and the new strategy will build on this foundation. The strategy is supported by meaningful and relevant action plans to provide the detail for how this work will be carried out.

The 2017-18 action plan demonstrates how the council will continue to deliver consultations and public engagement and thereby support the stated equalities objectives over the coming year. Progress will be reported via the performance management framework on a quarterly basis. The equalities objectives are:

·         Fair Access and Customer Satisfaction

·         Tackling Inequality and Deprivation

·         Building Strong and Cohesive Communities

·         Positive Engagement and Understanding

·         Demonstrating Our Commitment to Equality

Alternative options

Option 1: To note the report

Option 2: To request additional information on items within this report

Report of Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy

Purpose of report

To seek £100,000 of New Homes Bonus grant to be made available to The Apprenticeship & Training Company Ltd. in order to fund the delivery of a number of construction apprenticeships and skills related objectives primarily during the 2017/ 2018 financial year. These objectives are being included withinCDC’s Economic Growth Strategy (2017-2020).

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To approve the grant of £100,000 New Homes Bonus to The Apprenticeship & Training Company Ltd (the ‘Company’). This will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a funding agreement between the Council and the Company to include a right for the Council to nominate a representative to the Company’s Board.

Resolved

(1)          That the grant of £100,000 New Homes Bonus to The Apprenticeship & Training Company Ltd (the ‘Company’) and it be noted that this will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a funding agreement between the council and the Company to include a right for the council to nominate a representative to the Company’s Board.

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management, to agree future allocations of New Homes Bonus provided for in the budget in accordance with the principles previously set out by the Executive.

(3)          That with regard to New Homes Bonus allocations, authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the relevant member of the Joint Management Team and Executive Lead Members (within whose area the proposed scheme falls e.g. for economic development schemes, this will be the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy and the Lead Member for Estates and the Economy) to determine the schemes in accordance with council policy on which these allocated funds should be spent.

The Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy submitted a report to seek £100,000 of New Homes Bonus grant to be made available to The Apprenticeship & Training Company Ltd. in order to fund the delivery of a number of construction apprenticeships and skills related objectives primarily during the 2017/ 2018 financial year. These objectives are being included withinCDC’s Economic Growth Strategy (2017-2020).

Resolved

(1)          That the grant of £100,000 New Homes Bonus to The Apprenticeship & Training Company Ltd (the ‘Company’) and it be noted that this will be subject to the satisfactory completion of a funding agreement between the council and the Company to include a right for the council to nominate a representative to the Company’s Board.

(2)          That authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Lead Member for Financial Management, to agree future allocations of New Homes Bonus provided for in the budget in accordance with the principles previously set out by the Executive.

(3)          That with regard to New Homes Bonus allocations, authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the relevant member of the Joint Management Team and Executive Lead Members (within whose area the proposed scheme falls e.g. for economic development schemes, this will be the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy and the Lead Member for Estates and the Economy) to determine the schemes in accordance with council policy on which these allocated funds should be spent.

Reasons

Increasing the number of new apprenticeships in England is a high profile Government objective. The Council supports this aspiration. The amount of new development taking place in the Council’s district over the next 20 years or so, coupled with the evidenced shortage of construction skills provides both an incentive and opportunity to secure the provision of new construction related apprenticeships.

The Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 1 as well as the Council’s Economic Strategy contain strategic aspirations relating to the need to support an increase in skills and training within the Council’s district. It is intended that the activities set out in section 5 of this report will be reflected within CDC’s Economic Growth Strategy (2017-2020).

The signals from informal discussions with developers to date are that they generally support the approach CDC is promoting, as a helpful initiative designed both to increase the number of local skilled construction operatives available to support the building industry, as well as promoting the construction trades generally as a valuable future career path for young people.

The setting up and operating of The Apprenticeship and Training Company Ltd to manage apprenticeships on behalf of developers and their contractors is a key element of delivering the apprenticeships and skills this area needs. However in order to be able to trade confidently over the first year of operation, the Company needs some financial support. It is in the Council’s interest to provide such financial support given the long term outcomes that will arise from the Company’s activities which will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

The following report contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following item has been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider it in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

No representations have been received from the public requesting that this item be considered in public.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Resolved

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt report of Interim Chief Executive

Resolved

(1)          That the contents of the report be noted.

(2)          That the contents of the Stage 3 report be noted.

(3)          That proceeding on the basis of the Phase 1 Works programme detailed in the Stage 3 report be approved.

(4)          That Full Council be recommended to approve the creation of a revenue and capital budget necessary to carry out the Phase 1 works.

(5)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve an appropriate model for the on-going maintenance arrangements associated with the Phase 1 Works.

(6)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve appropriate eligibility criteria and administrative process for the “Drive Application Fund Grant”.

The Interim Chief Executive submitted an exempt report to provide an update on work which has taken place since the last report to the March 2017 Executive, together with providing options for members to consider on the next stage of this piece of work.

Resolved

(1)          That the contents of the report be noted.

(2)          That the contents of the Stage 3 report be noted.

(3)          That proceeding on the basis of the Phase 1 Works programme detailed in the Stage 3 report be approved.

(4)          That Full Council be recommended to approve the creation of a revenue and capital budget necessary to carry out the Phase 1 works.

(5)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve an appropriate model for the on-going maintenance arrangements associated with the Phase 1 Works.

(6)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve appropriate eligibility criteria and administrative process for the “Drive Application Fund Grant”.

Reasons

The parking issue’s at Woodpiece Road, Arncott have been ongoing for a number of years and has been a consistent theme with the Parish Council. It stems from the design of the estate and the increase in car usage per household, reflecting national trends. It is now at a stage where the on-street parking is causing significant disruption with access through the road by anything larger than a normal size vehicle. i.e. delivery vehicles or emergency vehicles.

Some private households have converted their front gardens into driveways, which has helped ease the issue, however many of those households have 2 or 3 cars and therefore do utilise parking on the pavements as well as their own drive.

The District Council has retained several pieces of land which are currently grassed areas but could be converted into parking bays, providing a net increase in parking spaces available to residents.

Council officers have worked with planners, highways, Sanctuary Housing, the Parish Council and local residents to develop options which point to the pieces of land which are most viable for converting into parking spaces and at the same time are supported by all the stakeholders named above.

The 3^rd Stage Appraisal report highlights these site options and provides indicative costs to carry out the necessary works. It also breaks the works into two possible phases, the first being, to carry out works to Sites 3, 4 and 5, as these are deemed to be the most straight forward and widely supported sites for conversion. In order to arrive at a final cost estimate for the Phase 1 Works, there will need to be a tender exercise carried out, and thus although the works are likely to cost circa £35-40,000. Full Council would need to receive a recommendation to make that budget available.

Further discussions between the District Council and the Parish Council will need to take place over the on-going maintenance of the converted parking areas, should members agree to the recommendations. Due to the further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.