Decisions

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2017/2018. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Elmes and Singleton of Marton Ward have requested £245 as funding to the Parks Department for the purchase and installation of a replacement tree outside 15 South Park Drive.

Councillors Campbell and Kirkland of Park Ward have requested £789 as funding to Boundary Primary School towards the development of an outside area for Year 1 to enable outdoor play by the purchase of outdoor clothing in the form of waterproof jackets and trousers.

Councillors Cross and Rowson of Ingthorpe Ward have requested £500 as funding to Aldon Construction Co Ltd for the purchase and installation of Christmas Trees for Bispham Village.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

The Council's delegated budgets scheme allocates budgets of £15,000 to each Ward covered for the financial year 2017/2018. The funding for this scheme can be spent on supplementing funding public services, for the benefit of the local community.

Councillors Galley and T Williams of Anchorsholme Ward have requested:

(i)£4,000 as part funding to the Highways Department for the re-surfacing of North Drive.

(ii)£2,385.84 as funding to the Facilities Management Team for a new CCTV System at Anchorsholme Library,

Councillors Hutton and L Taylor of Clifton Ward have requested £200 as funding to Mereside and Friends in Action (MAFIA) for a pre-Christmas Tree Light Switch On Children’s Party Event.

Councillor Mrs Henderson MBE  and Hunter of Highfield Ward have requested £6,000 as funding to the Highways Department for the re-surfacing of roads between Cheddar Avenue and Farnell Place and between Cheddar Avenue and Primrose Avenue.

Councillors Roberts and Stanfield of Stanley Ward have requested £1,190 as funding to the Illuminations Department for the purchase and installation of 14 mounted 6ft Christmas trees with LED lighting on Common Edge Road.

Councillors Cox and Humphreys of Squires Gate Ward have requested £5,300 as funding to the Alley Gates Team for the purchase and installation of 2 alley gates at Roselyn Avenue.

The Leader of the Council agreed the recommendation as outlined above namely:

To authorise the requests, as submitted.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To approve the draft Supplementary Planning Document for signage, as attached at Appendix 6a to the Executive report, for consultation for a period of 6 weeks.

2. To delegate the authority to adopt the Supplementary Planning Document to the Director of place if no objections are received.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government along with other local authorities facing similar pressures, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for more funding to cope with the mounting demand and new burdens presenting in Children’s Services.

3.      To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets, Parking Services and Treasury Management/Business Loans Fund.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government along with other local authorities facing similar pressures, the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services for more funding to cope with the mounting demand and new burdens presenting in Children’s Services.

3.      To require the respective directors and Director of Resources to continue to closely monitor and manage service financial and operational performances, specifically Children’s Services, Strategic Leisure Assets, Parking Services and Treasury Management/Business Loans Fund.

The Executive resolved as follows

1. To approve the outline service changes detailed at line 2.2 of Appendix 3(a)(Re: income generation from the Council’s wholly owned companies),to the Executive report, as the basis on which the consultation and equality analyses will be undertaken with affected parties.

(Councillor Cain and Smith having declared prejudicial interests left the room during consideration of the decision above.)

2. To approve the other outline service changes excluding line 2.2. detailed at Appendix 3(a), to the Executive report, as the basis on which the consultation and equality analyses will be undertaken with affected parties.

3. To approve the use of an Enhanced Voluntary Redundancy payment (EVR) incentive at a level of £3,000 (pro-rata for part time employees) for a set period of time determined by the Chief Executive.

4. To continue to engage through formal consultation mechanisms where budget proposals require appropriate feedback and to ensure that the Council is engaged with all partners. 

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To note the impact of the scheme to date.

2. To recommend Council to agree the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2018/19 as set out in Appendix 2d, to the Executive report.

3. To recommend to Council that the reduction applied to working age claimants remains the same as the 2017/18 Scheme agreed by Council on 25thJanuary 2017 and that the main elements and method of calculating awards will be the same with the exception of:

• Minor amendments to continue to align the Scheme to Housing Benefit.
• The provision of additional support for low income groups of claimants (in receipt of Income Support, or Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance, or Income-Related Employment Support Allowance) by amending the percentage reduction applied to their award from 27.11% to 13.56%. 

4. To recommend that the Council agrees to continue to operate a Discretionary Discount Policy to be awarded in cases of exceptional hardship as set out at Appendix 2a, to the Executive report. 

5. To note at this point in time the Department for Communities and Local Government may still issue changes to the known position for the Pensioner National Scheme. Required changes would be incorporated into the final Scheme presented for adoption at Council on 24 January 2018.

To consider which Councillor should represent the Council on the newly created Transport for the North.

To appoint the Leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Blackburn, to be the Council’s representative on Transport for the North.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.

To seek approval of a 10 year lease to Pure Jump (Rugby) Ltd at the former PAGL unit of the Golden Mile Centre, securing an all-inclusive rental income of £120,000 per annum, pending future re-development of the site which is accounted for by provision of a development break-clause after 3 years and then 12 months thereafter.  A relocation clause is also included to provide the opportunity for the Council to accommodate the business within the CLQ development within the first three years.

To approve 10 year lease to Pure Jump (Rugby) Ltd on basis outlined in Heads of Terms.

To formally agree the revisions to a cross-boundary agreement between Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council (‘the Parties’).

To enter into an updated cross boundary agreement between Blackpool Council and Lancashire County Council pursuant to powers created under section 8 of the Highways Act 1980 in relation to a number of highways which cross the administrative boundary between the Parties and previous arrangements and agreements will terminate. 

To note that the agreement is subject to an inspection of the new sections of network meeting Blackpool Council’s highways code of practice.  Anything defect above intervention level will be passed to Lancashire County to rectify prior to transfer.

To approve the appointment of Affinity Trust as the contractor for the Provision of a Step Up/Step Down Service, following completion of an OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) tendering exercise.

To approve the appointment of Affinity Trust of Thame, Oxfordshire as the contractor for the Provision of a Step Up/Step Down service. The contract is for a period of 2 years with the option to extend for a further 3 years subject to budget and satisfactory review.

The Head of Licensing Service deals with a number of requests for licences under the Licensing Act, the Gambling Act and other pieces of legislations. Details of the licences, applied for and granted are outlined in the report.

The Head of Licensing Service agreed to grant the licences as set out in the attached Appendices.