Agenda and decisions

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To note the impact of the Scheme to date as set out in paragraphs 5.6 and 5.7.

2. To recommend Council to agree the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019/20 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 2018/19 Scheme agreed by Council on 24 January 2018 and that the main elements and method of calculating awards will be the same with the exception of:

•          Ensuring that applicants who are protected under the current scheme continue to be protected to the same level of support when they move to Universal Credit

•          Extension of the group of customers who pay 13.56% to claimants or partners who are:

•          in receipt of  Jobseeker’s Allowance Contribution Based.

•          in receipt of Main Phase Employment and Support Allowance and are in the Work Related Activity Group.

•          in receipt of Maximum Universal Credit and neither employed, self-employed or in receipt of any other income which is taken into account when calculating their Universal Credit award (such as an Occupational Pension or other unearned income).

•          in receipt of Universal Credit which includes either the limited capability for work and/ or work related activity.

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 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government may still issue changes to the known position for the National Pensioner Scheme. Required changes would then be incorporated into the final Scheme presented for adoption at Council on 30 January 2019.

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To agree that following consideration of the representation submitted and the recommendation of the Licensing Committee on the 4 December 2018 that no amendments need to be made to the draft Statement of Licensing Policy.

2. To recommend to Council approval of the Statement of Gambling Policy (Appendix 3a, to the Executive report).

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government (HM Treasury, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers, 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 and Parking Services.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To note the report.  

2. To continue to lobby Government (HM Treasury, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education in particular) along with local authority peers, 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 and Parking Services.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To approve the outline service changes detailed at Appendix6a as the basis on which the consultation and equality analyses will be undertaken with affected parties.

2. 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 to be determined by the Chief Executive.

3. 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, linking in with the CVFS leadership group, as appropriate as referred to in section 12 of the report. 

4. To refer this report to the Budget Scrutiny Panel scheduled to meet on Tuesday 18 December 2018.

The report for this item is public. However Appendix 7c contains information regarding the negotiations and the proposed or potential courses of action and are currently exempt from publication by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. It is considered on balance that the public interest would not be served by publishing the information as it could prejudice the proposed development.

The Executive agreed the recommendations as outlined above namely:

1. To agree that Appendix 7c, Heads of Terms, is not for publication by virtue of  Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

2. To agree to the adoption of the proposed Masterplan for ‘Blackpool Central’, as presented by the proposed Developer and included within Appendix 7b, to the Executive report. The Masterplan forms the basis for progressing a major leisure development on the site in line with the adopted planning framework in the Blackpool Local Plan Core Strategy and Leisure Quarter Supplementary Planning Document.

3. To agree to the Heads of Terms as presented in Appendix 7c, to the Executive report, which provide the principles of the agreement with the proposed developer.

4. To agree to the establishment of a ‘Blackpool Central’ Project Board to include the Leader of the Council, the Chief Executive, Senior Council Officers and the Developer to monitor, track progress and provide appropriate professional support and advice to both the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive in matters and decisions relating to the land sale.

5. To delegate authority to the Chief Executive after consultation with the Leader of the Council to enter into the detailed commercial and legal arrangements to deliver the proposals, based upon the principles set out in the Heads of Terms. This includes agreeing any changes to the Heads of Terms where it is appropriate for the successful delivery of the scheme and the protection of the Council’s interests.

6. To delegate authority to the Head of Legal to enter into any proposed legal agreements relating to the scheme.