Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ground Floor Meeting Room G01A - 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

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    To receive any apologies for absence.

    Minutes:

    There were no apologies for absence.

2.

Notification of any items of Business which the Chair Deems Urgent

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    In special circumstances, an item of business may be added to an agenda within five clear working days of the meeting.

    Minutes:

    There were no late items.

3.

Disclosure of Interests and Dispensations

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    Members to declare any personal interests and dispensation in respect of any item of business to be considered at this meeting.

    Minutes:

    Councillor Richard Livingstone declared a personal, non prejudicial interest in item 12, ‘Southwark 2012 Capital Legacy Group: Recommendations for a £2m Package of Capital Investment’ as he had agreed an Individual Decision Maker (IDM) report in respect of this issue.

     

    Councillor Peter John also declared a personal, non prejudicial interest in item 12 as he was the chair of the capital legacy group.

     

    Councillor Veronica Ward declared a personal, non prejudicial interest in item 12 as she was a member of the capital legacy group.

4.

Public Question Time (15 Minutes)

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    To receive any questions from members of the public which have been submitted in advance of the meeting in accordance with the cabinet procedure rules.

    Minutes:

    The following public question was asked:

     

    Question from Ms Sue Plain

     

    “Given rising unemployment especially amongst young people and the council’s success and achievements in setting up apprenticeship schemes, will the council consider the use of apprentices rather than volunteers in libraries?”

     

    Councillor Veronica Ward responded

     

    “Bearing in mind that we are talking about volunteers in context overall, which will be covered in the report, I would not see volunteers as being an either/or in relation to apprenticeships and this is something we can look at.  Volunteers gaining experience can be a route to work.”

5.

Minutes

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    To approve as a correct record the minutes of the open section of the meeting held on 20 September 2011.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the open minutes of the meeting held on 20 September 2011 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chair.

6.

Deputation requests

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    To consider any deputation requests.

    Minutes:

    There were no deputation requests.

7.

Housing investment Programme - Confirmation of the Five Year Programme and Update on the High Investment Need Estates Options Appraisal Project

8.

Southwark Schools for the Future: Update to Cabinet and Delegation of Award of Phase 3b Contracts

    To note the financial close of phase 3a and the current status of the Building Schools for the Future programme.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    Decisions of the Cabinet

     

    1.  That it be noted that phase 3a of Southwark’s Schools for the Future (SSF) programme ‘investment at Bredinghurst, St Saviour’s and St Olave’s, The Charter and Notre Dame’ has reached financial close within the affordability parameters previously approved by cabinet.

     

    2.  That the current status of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme be noted.

     

    Decisions of the Leader of the Council

     

    3.  That authority be delegated to the cabinet member for children’s services in consultation with the strategic director of children’s services to approve the contract award for the contracts set out in Table 1 of the report, relating to the financial close of Phase 3b - a new Academy at St Michael’s and All Angel’s in Camberwell and the co-location of Highshore Special School, subject to:

     

    ·  confirmation of funding from Partnerships for Schools;

    ·  the council’s financial contribution being within the parameters set out in Table 3 of the report.

     

    4.  That authority be delegated to the cabinet member for children’s services in consultation with the strategic director of children’s services to enter into the school interface agreements with the school counterparties set out in Table 2 of the report.

9.

Library Services Review

    To consider a package of measures in order to deliver savings from the library service budget.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    A report from the regeneration and leisure scrutiny sub-committee providing comments and recommendations to the library services review report were circulated at the meeting.  Comments of the strategic director of environment and leisure to the scrutiny sub-committee report were also circulated at the meeting.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.  That the package of measures summarised below and described in more detail in the body of the report be agreed in order to deliver £397,000 of savings from the library service budget in the financial years 2012/13 and 2013/14.

     

    a.  Use of volunteers £40,000

    b.  Reshaping of opening hours at smaller libraries to offer more days open but with less hours overall.  This to be combined with an invitation for community management for the period of reduced hours £80,000

    c.  A staff reorganisation of £120,000

    d.  Sharing resources with other boroughs £50,000

    e.  Sharing space with Housing at Peckham Library and thereby reducing library costs by £57,000

    f.  New rental saving of £50,000 from the creation of the new Camberwell Library 

     

    2.  That officers be instructed to bring forward proposals on a new delivery model for the home library service as part of the 2012/13 budget setting process to achieve a budget saving of £104,000.

     

    3.  That it be noted that although additional income or fees and charges were not proposed within the report, some minor changes to fees and charges arising from this will be brought forward as part of the annual fees and charges setting process.  The service will continue to seek external funding and seek to improve its marketing in line with the recommendations from the libraries review consultation.

     

    4.  That officers continue to undertake further work on identifying possible future models of service to ensure the longer term viability of the library service in respect and / or savings.  These should include:

     

    a.  Community management of libraries including assessing the offers for the community management

    b.  Sharing services with other boroughs either through the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) Future Libraries Programme pilot project or any cross borough negotiations. 

    c.  Co-locating or integrating with other Southwark services

    d.  Working with the customer services division to support the emerging corporate customer services strategy

    e.  Seeking opportunities for resolving building issues through regeneration or other property opportunities 

    f.  Reviewing the effectiveness of volunteer arrangements introduced as a result of this report.

     

    5.  That the opportunity to replace Grove Vale Library as part of a new development adjacent to East Dulwich Station be welcomed; noting that there are both revenue and capital implications for this and that these issues will be addressed as part of the council’s budget-setting process for the next three years.

10.

Cycling Policy Review

11.

Policy and Resources Strategy 2012/13 - 2014/15: Scene Setting Report

    To reaffirm  commitment to the ten fairer future promises as set out in the council plan and medium term resources strategy and the seven budget principles to guide and underpin the work of officers in arriving at a balanced budget proposal in February 2012.

    Supporting documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.  Cabinet reaffirms its commitment to the ten fairer future promises as set out in the council plan and medium term resources strategy (MTRS) and the seven budget principles to guide and underpin the work of officers in arriving at a balanced budget proposal in February 2012.

     

    2.  That it be noted that this is the second year of a three year budget framework, agreed in February 2011 which was supported by an extensive consultation undertaken in autumn 2010.

     

    3.  That officers be instructed to continue to work on budget options for presentation to the cabinet in January 2012, for onward recommendation to council assembly.

     

    4.  That the continuing uncertainty in the budget environment for 2013/14 and future years be noted and it also be noted that the government is currently undertaking a consultation on the future of local government finance (the “Local Government Resource Review”).

12.

Southwark 2012 Capital Legacy Group: Recommendations for a £2m package of Capital Investment

13.

Residential Design Standards Supplementary Planning Document 2011

14.

Appropriation of Land for Planning Purposes, Site Silwood 4B, Land between Debnams Road and Corbetts Passage, SE16

15.

169 to 172 and 170a St Georges Mansions, Blackfriars Road and Pocock Street Garages, London SE1 8ER - Disposal of Freehold interest

16.

65 Grosvenor Park, SE5 - Disposal of Freehold Interest

Exclusion of Press and Public

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 and 5 of paragraph 10.4 of  the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Southwark Constitution.

 

The following is a summary of the decisions taken in the closed section of the meeting.

17.

Minutes

    To approve as a correct record the minutes of the closed section of the meeting held on 20 September 2011.

Minutes:

The minutes of the closed section of the meeting held on 20 September 2011 were approved as a correct record and signed by the chair.

18.

Disposal of 169 to 172 and 170a St. Georges Mansions, Blackfriars Road and Pocock Street Garages, London SE1 8ER - Disposal of Freehold Interest

Minutes:

The cabinet considered the closed information relating to this report. See item 15  for decision.