Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Kevin Thomas  01267 224027

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Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND OTHER MATTERS

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors E. Dole and J. Tremlett

 

Councillor M Stephens, at the conclusion of the meeting, presented an update to the Executive Board on the work being undertaken by the Council and other public bodies in the County in preparing for a potential coronavirus outbreak within the County. She advised the Council would be following advice issued by Public Health Wales and regularly updating its website with any new advice received and that members and officers of the authority, together with the public, were being urged to regularly check the website for new information and to follow public health hygiene advice.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTEREST.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of personal interest.

3.

TO SIGN AS A CORRECT RECORD THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD HELD ON THE 24TH FEBRUARY 2020 pdf icon PDF 328 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Board held on the 24th February, 2020 be signed as a correct record.

4.

QUESTIONS ON NOTICE BY MEMBERS

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair advised that no questions on notice had been submitted by members.

5.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS ON NOTICE

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

6.

COUNCIL'S REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING REPORT pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered the revenue budget monitoring report which provided the latest budgetary position as at 31st December 2019, in respect of the 2019/2020 financial year.

 

Overall, the monitoring report forecasted an end of year overspend of £2,750k on the Authority’s net revenue budget, representing a £1m reduction on that previously reported, with an overspend at departmental level of £4,055k. The HRA was predicting a £480k underspend to the year end.

 

The Executive Board was advised that the most significant pressure point was within the Education and Children Services budget which was forecasting an overall over spend of £3.937m at year end comprising a departmental overspend of £737k and a delegated schools budget overspend of £3.2m. Consequently, the department needed to critically examine that position.

 

The Executive Board Member advised that whilst the current forecasted results were based up to the 31st December, 2019 that presented the Authority with a significant challenge, which, if continued into the next financial year would be at an unsustainable level. It also needed to be recognised that the authority would be likely to incur additional expenditure as a consequence of the coronavirus outbreak. The Board was assured appropriate structures had been established to record additional expenditure and planning was taking place to ensure the authority had the necessary funds available to provide for appropriate expenditure. Officers were also liaising with the Welsh Government to ensure the authority could draw down any funds that may be made available in due course.

 

In light of the current forecast of a potential significant overspend at departmental level, the report recommended that Chief Officers and Heads of Service continue to critically review their budgetary positions and implement appropriate mitigating actions to deliver their services within their allocated budgets as a matter of urgency.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that:

6.1     the Revenue Budget Monitoring Report be received;

6.2     Chief Officers and Heads of Service continue to critically review their budgetary positions and implement appropriate mitigating actions to deliver their services within their allocated budgets as a matter of urgency.

 

7.

CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2019-20 UPDATE pdf icon PDF 119 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered a report which provided an update of the latest budgetary position for the 2019/20 capital programme as at the 31st December 2019.

 

It was noted that a net spend of £58,900k was forecasted compared with a working net budget of £60,454k giving a £1,554k variance. The net budget had been re-profiled by £2.020m from 2019/20 to future years to take account of updated spend profile information. The budget slippage from 2018/19 had also been included within the figures appended to the report.

 

In addition, the Executive Board noted that an Education and Children’s Services budget re-profiling exercise was currently being undertaken to reflect the progress of schemes within the 5 year capital programme on the MEP programme.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the capital programme update report be received.

 

8.

ERW FOR THE FUTURE pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered a report on Carmarthenshire’s position and response to the options appraisal produced on the future arrangements for ERW.

 

The Executive Board noted the report set out the background to ERW’S inception, challenges, drivers for change, future funding issues and the reasons why an alternative Consortia footprint was being considered. The report also set out the following four options, as detailed in Appendix 1 together with their pros and cons, that were to be presented to ERW for its consideration:-

 

·       Option 1 - Maintain the status quo

·       Option 2 - Transfer to a model based on the City Deal and growing Mid Wales Partnerships

·       Option 3 - Dyfed Powys (Ceredigion Proposal) and West Glamorgan footprints;

·       Option 4 - To operate school improvement as individual councils (those councils who wish to continue collaboration continue to do so).

 

The Executive Board’s attention was drawn to the four recommendations detailed within the report and to a suggestion that recommendation 1 be amended to remove the reference to ‘agree’ and replace it with ‘consider. If endorsed, the recommendation would then read “The Executive Board is requested to consider the Swansea Bay City Deal footprint, subject to the provisions of the legal agreement. That amendment was considered necessary so as to not commit the Council to any new footprint at the current moment and which would clearly link in with recommendation 4.

 

The Executive Board, having considered each of the four options, felt Option 2 to be the preferred footprint for Carmarthenshire, and that it would be advantageous if ERW’s other constituent authorities agreed with that option to avoiding them having to issue ‘Withdrawal Letters’.

 

RESOLVED:

 

8.1

That Option 2 be considered as the preferred option for Carmarthenshire, subject to the provisions of the Legal Agreement;

8.2

That Carmarthenshire County Council issues Notice to withdraw from ERW, should unanimous withdrawal not be agreed, subject to the provisions of the Legal Agreement;

8.3

That subject to the provisions of the Legal Agreement a one year transition period to 2020/21 be agreed

8.4

That the Director of Education and Children’s Services, the Executive Board Member for Education and Children’s Services, in liaison with the Leader and Chief Executive Officer develop the preferred model and ascertain the impact of any changes (including legal, HR and financial), subject to the provisions of the Legal Agreement.

 

9.

HOMES AS POWER STATIONS pdf icon PDF 304 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered a report on the Swansea Bay City Deal ‘Homes as Power Stations’ regional business case, being led by Neath Port Talbot Council (detailed as appendix 1 to the report) for submission to the Portfolio Management Office, in accordance with the City Deal Implementation Plan in order to secure City Deal funding approval.

 

The Executive Board noted that the programme’s aims were to facilitate the adoption of energy efficiency measures in both new build and retrofit homes across the region, to demonstrate the viability and benefits of energy efficiency homes and to mainstream the concept in the public and private sectors

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT:-

 

9.1

the Homes as Power Stations Business Case, detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, be endorsed and its formal submission to the Portfolio Management Office be authorised in accordance with the City Deal Implementation Plan to secure City Deal Funding approval;

9.2

delegated authority be granted to the Head of Regeneration, in consultation with the Leader and relevant Executive Board Members, to approve any amendments to the business case following approval in light of any amendments that may be required by the Joint Committee of the Swansea Bay City Deal;

9.3

the Head of Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Corporate Services, the Leader and any relevant Executive Board Members be authorised to enter into any grant agreements o associated documentation that might be necessary to draw down funding from the UK/Welsh Government or the Accountable Body of the Swansea Bay City Deal.

 

10.

PARC HOWARD COLLABORATION GROUP pdf icon PDF 404 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered a report on the membership of and the background to the Parc Howard Collaboration Group between Carmarthenshire County Council and Llanelli Town Council. The Board was requested to formalise the membership and governance arrangements for the Group.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:-

 

10.1

The Terms of Reference for the Parc Howard Collaboration Group be endorsed;

10.2

That the County Council Members appointed to represent the Council on the Parc Howard Collaboration Group be:

 

Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths

Councillor Hazel Evans

Councillor Giles Morgan

Councillor John Jenkins

10.3

That the substitute members for the Council’s representation on the Parc Howard Collaboration Group be drawn from the remaining members of the Executive Board.

 

11.

ANY OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS THAT BY REASONS OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHAIR DECIDES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 100B(4)(B) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair reported that there were no items of urgent business.

 

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