Agenda and decisions

To receive apologies for absence from Cabinet Members who are unable to attend this meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Khan.

To approve the Minutes of the Meetings of the Cabinet held on 21 September 2021, 5 October 2021 and 12 October 2021.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Meetings held on 21 September 2021, 5 October 2021 and 12 October 2021 be approved as a correct record.

Cabinet Members will be asked to advise if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion or participating in a vote upon the item, or any other interests.

No interests were declared.

Most agenda items will be considered in public session, however, it shall be advised whether Cabinet will consider any matters in private, by virtue of the reports containing information which falls within a category of exempt information as contained at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

It was noted that Agenda Item 19 was exempt from publication.

The Cabinet will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.

No deputations or petitions were received.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11(5), the period allowed for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

No deputations or petitions were received.

Cabinet will receive any questions from Elected Members.

In accordance with Executive Procedure Rule 2.3 (2.3.1.6) a period of up to 30 minutes will be allocated.

Questions were received under Executive Procedure Rule 2.3.

To receive the outcome of the Scrutiny call in review meeting into the Cabinet decision of 12 October 2021 on A62 Cooper Bridge Improvement Corridor.

Wards affected: N/A

Officer: Leigh Webb – Governance Manager

RESOLVED – That the recommendations of the Economy and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Panel, as set out at para. 2.4 of the considered report, be accepted.   

To receive additional information in relation to the A62 Cooper Bridge Corridor Improvement scheme.

Wards affected: Ashbrow, Liversedge & Gomersal and Mirfield.

Officer: Sarah Kearns – Major Projects Project Officer

RESOLVED –

1)    That the scheme, as set out within the considered report be agreed in principle.

2)    That the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) be authorised to submit the outline business case to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on the basis of the scheme as set out within the report.

3)    That authorisation be given to the Council accepting and entering into any agreement with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for funding to work up the A62 to Cooper Bridge Scheme to full business case stage.

4)    That the Council be authorised, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to incur expenditure in the working up of the scheme to full business case stage if the Council’s application to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for funding is successful.

5)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) to negotiate and agree the terms of any agreements that may be necessary to work up to the A62 to Cooper Bridge Scheme to full business case, including the funding agreement with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

6)    That authority be delegated to the Service Director (Legal, Governance and Commissioning) to enter into the grant agreement with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the funding of the A62 to Cooper Bridge full business case stage and any other relevant agreements and documents to which the Council is party.

7)    That authorisation be given to the acquisition of land in principle as part of a land assembly.

8)    That the design team’s commitment to undertake further appraisal of contentious elements of the scheme and work with and place shape the scheme with residents and businesses be noted.

9)    That it be noted that land acquisitions will commence subject to funding approval of the outline business case.

10)That it be noted that a further report will be submitted to Cabinet in order to secure authority to make Compulsory Purchase Orders in relation to the scheme, where necessary, and prior to full business case submission to present the final scheme.

To endorse receipt of grant funding for the Home Office Afghanistan Refugee Programmes.

Wards affected: all

Officer: Jo Richmond – Service Director of Communities and Customers

RESOLVED –

1)    That the receipt of grant funding related to Afghanistan Refugee Programmes, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 22.4, be endorsed.

2)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Children and Families), in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Learning, Aspiration and Communities), to approve any changes to the approach and allocation of resources or adjustment to the number of families or individuals accommodated, within financial regulations as specified by Home Office funding Regulations, as set out at Appendix A, and the fair share allocation principle.

3)    That any future changes to the programme be delegated to the Strategic Director (Children’s Services), within the parameters of financial and contractual procedure rules and any future Home Office Guidance relating to changes, based upon consideration and recommendations from the Tactical Group.

4)    That, pursuant to (3) above, any significant delegated decisions be reported to a future meeting of Cabinet.

5)    That it be acknowledged that a longer term approach is being developed to manage resource implications in order to ensure that adequate resources to respond are in place, including housing, welfare and exchequer.

6)    That the Council’s ongoing engagement with regional and national bodies to managing any challenges arising from Home Office requests be endorsed.

To consider the Youth Justice Plan 2021 – 2025.

Wards affected: all

Officer: Ian Mottershaw – Head of Service, Contextual Safeguarding and Youth Engagement Service

RESOLVED – That the Youth Justice Plan 2021-2025 be endorsed and submitted to the meeting of Council on 17 November 2021 with a recommendation that (i) the plan be approved and (ii) authority be delegated to the Service Director (Family Support and Child Protection) to make any minor updates to the plan within the 2021-2025 period of the plan.

To receive the Corporate Financial Monitoring Report, Quarter 2 (2021-2022).

Wards affected: all

Contact: James Anderson – Head of Accountancy

RESOLVED –

1)    That in regard to the General Fund (i) the Forecast Revenue Outturn position at Quarter 2 be noted (ii) the forecast year end position on corporate reserves and balances at Quarter 2 be noted and (iii) it be noted that the regular monitoring and review of corporate reserves in 2021/2022 will be reported to Cabinet as part of the quarterly financial monitoring cycle.

2)    That the Collection Fund forecast position as at Quarter 2 be noted.

3)    That the Housing Revenue Account position and forecast year-end reserves position at Quarter 2 be noted.

4)    That, in regards to Capital, (i) the Quarter 2 Capital Monitoring Position 2021/2022 be noted (ii) approval be given to the re-profiling across years of the Capital Plan (appendix 6 refers) (iii) approval be given to £483k self-funding within the Kirklees Active Leisure Capital Plan towards the invest to save Phase 2 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, as detailed within the report (iv) approval be given to a £350k grant allocation from MHCLG and that authority be delegated to the Head of Technology to progress works on increasing the level of Council cyber security and resilience as appropriate and (v) approval be given to a £85k match fund grant to Marsden Mechanics Trust as part of a lottery fund bid to be drawn down from the Regeneration and Greening of Smaller Towns and Villages Capital Plan programme line.

To consider the Youth Places to Go Plan.

Wards affected: all

Officer:  Michelle Wheatcroft, Head of Service – Early Support

RESOLVED –

1)    That the proposal, as detailed within the report, be endorsed and that approval be given to the allocation of a maximum amount of £1m capital funding to set up a Youth Places to Go capital funding scheme for a time of limited duration, the financial year 2022 to 2023 in line with the VCSE Investment Strategy, to be submitted to a future meeting of Cabinet.

2)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Children’s Services) to design and implement the capital grant scheme and award grant agreements in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules.

3)    That authorisation be given, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, to a broad scheme as set out at Appendix 3 and for the Strategic Director (Children’s Services), in consultation with Senior Leadership Team and relevant Cabinet Members, to develop a detailed scheme to be used by a grant panel to recommend grants for approval.

4)    That, pursuant to (3) above, the Strategic Director (Children’s Services) be authorised to amend details of the scheme in consultation with Senior Leadership Team and Cabinet Members.

To consider the designation of Netherton and South Crosland Neighbourhood Form and Neighbourhood Area.

Wards affected: Crosland Moor and Netherton

Officer: Jo Scrutton – Planning Policy Team Leader

RESOLVED - That approval be given to the designation of Netherton and South Crosland Neighbourhood Plan Forum and Neighbourhood Area, as outlined at Appendix C, for the purposes of neighbourhood planning.

To consider proposals to provide assistance to households in most need of support.

Wards affected: all

Officer: Julian Hobson – Senior Manager, Welfare and Excehquer Services

1)    That approval be given to the £3,702,823 Household Support Fund government grant being allocated to support financially vulnerable families and individuals in accordance with the requirement that (i) a sum equivalent to at least £50 per means-tested Free School Meal child be provided to schools and colleges in order that they can provide a voucher for food and fuel for the December holiday (ii) a sum equivalent to at least £25 per means-tested Free School Meal child be provided to schools and colleges in order that they can provide a voucher for food and fuel for the February holiday and (iii) the balance of funding available, estimated to be £2.05m, be allocated to the Local Welfare Provision budget to support the meeting of additional support for food, fuel and other essentials in accordance with the grant determination and guidance issued by the Secretary of State.

2)    That delegated authority be given to the Strategic Director (Corporate Strategy, Commissioning and Public Health) and the Service Director (Children’s Services), in consultation with Cabinet Member (Corporate Services) and Service Director (Finance), to further amend the indicative resource allocations across interventions as set out within the report to ensure full utilisation of the £3.7m Government funding to 31 March 2022.

To consider the proposals for Dewsbury Town Park.

Wards affected: Dewsbury East, Dewsbury South and Dewsbury West

Officer: Peter Thompson – ER Project Manager

RESOLVED –

1)    That approval be given to the physical scope and the preferred design concept of the Dewsbury Town Park, as set out within the considered report, specifically the inclusion of the site of the Walsh building (Customer Service Centre) and associated car park within the scope of the scheme.

2)    That the allocation of £7.5m capital resources to fund the project be approved.

3)    That approval be given to the progressing of detailed signs.

4)    That approval be given to the principal of relocating the services currently delivered from the Walsh Building (Customer Service Centre) to another location within Dewsbury Town Centre, and that authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member to approve the detailed plans and implementation.

5)    That the intention to carry out further public consultation during 2022 on the detailed plans and proposals for the project be noted.

6)    That approval be given to the principle of acquiring the land for the Town Park and if necessary by using Compulsory Purchase Order Powers.

7)    That approval be given to progressing legal procedures necessary to implement the Town Park, including road closures and traffic regulation orders.

To receive an update on the development of the Cultural Heart Programme.

Wards affected: Newsome

Officer: David Glover – Senior Responsible Officer, Cultural Heart

RESOLVED –

1)    That approval be given for the scheme to be progressed in accordance with the proposals and recommendations in the strategic outline case to gateway 2, within the agreed funding limits approved at the meeting of Cabinet on 22 June 2021.

2)    That, pursuant to (1) above, authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) to deliver the programme to gateway 2 – outline business case.

To resolve that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Determined.

(Exempt information relating to Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, namely that the report contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information and providing greater openness in the Council’s decision making).

To receive exempt information in relation to Agenda Item 17.

The exempt information was noted prior to the determination of Agenda Item 17.