Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the Part A minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2018 as an accurate record.

The part A minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 11 June 2018 were received. The Leader of the Council signed the minutes as an accurate record.

The part A minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 11 June 2018 were received. The Leader of the Council signed the minutes as an accurate record.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to register disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) and gifts and hospitality to the value of which exceeds £50 or multiple gifts and/or instances of hospitality with a cumulative value of £50 or more when received from a single donor within a rolling twelve month period. In addition, Members and co-opted Members are reminded that unless their disclosable pecuniary interest is registered on the register of interests or is the subject of a pending notification to the Monitoring Officer, they are required to disclose those disclosable pecuniary interests at the meeting. This should be done by completing the Disclosure of Interest form and handing it to the Democratic Services representative at the start of the meeting. The Chair will then invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3. Completed disclosure forms will be provided to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion on the Register of Members’ Interests.

There were none.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

The Leader informed Cabinet that a joint letter with the Leader of the Opposition would be sent to the Home Office regarding the Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers funding shortfall, and would call for greater equity of funding with other councils.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Education congratulated the young people of the borough, and thanked parents and teachers for the work which had gone into the Key Stage 2 SATS. Provisional results indicated that the borough had performed above the national average, at 64%. It was stated that the council would continue to be ambitious for young people and would continue to work on delivering good quality school places for all children.

Officer: David Butler

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the successful delivery of the pledge to raise the profile and voice of children and young people through the election of a Young Mayor.

2.    Commend the high level of engagement of children and young people in the democratic process

3.    Commend the work of the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor to date and note future engagements

4.    Support the manifesto pledges of the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor through committing to direct engagement (including Cabinet meetings), consultation and championing their aims and objectives as representatives of Croydon's young people

The Young Mayor, William Awomayi, and the Deputy Young Mayor, Shea Williams, gave a presentation to the Cabinet on their first four months of tenure and what they planned to do.

The Young Mayor stated the reason he stood for office was due to the overflowing potential in Croydon which needed to be nurtured, while the Deputy Young Mayor stated she had stood in the election with the aim to make a difference in young people’s lives in Croydon.

Their commitment was to be a voice and to represent young people. Furthermore the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor sought to work with young people to help them realise their ideas.

Members were informed that the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor had attended weekly forums and had attended meetings with the Borough Commander to discuss initiatives to stop knife crime and improve police connections with young people. A panel for young people to collaborate with the police would take place.

The Deputy Young Mayor informed the Cabinet that the Young Mayor’s Fund had been launched, and the initiative would be similar to ‘Dragon’s Den’, giving young people the opportunity to pitch their ideas.

The Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor spoke of their priorities and mandate which was to create enriching activities to incentivise young people to leave crime. It was felt that there was a disconnect between young people and organisations and they sought to bridge that gap and break the stereotypes.

Upcoming areas of work included organising entrepreneur masterclasses with successful people from Croydon which would seek to motivate and inspire young people. Furthermore a Young People Scrutiny Committee would be organised which would enable young people to have a voice, in addition to a debate show.

The Leader thanked the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor and stated their work and passion was shattering any stereotypes. The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning further stated that the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor spoke eloquently and passionately about furthering the cause of young people in the borough.

The Cabinet Member noted the commitment to raise the voice and aspirations of young people and that it was intended the role of the Young Mayor would continue. Members noted the number of votes cast in the election which equated to a turnout of over 50% which showed that young people were engaged right across the borough and believed in the mandate they were elected to.

Members were asked to work with the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor to help them deliver their commitments and were further requested to invite them to any meetings and give them an opportunity to speak on their work.

The Cabinet Member informed Members that the Young Mayor and Deputy Young Mayor had an open invitation to attend Cabinet and Council meetings and would also have civic chains. It was further noted, by the Leader, that it was intended that the council’s Constitution would be updated to enshrine their role.

Cabinet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55/18

Officer: Richard Simpson

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to approve

1.      The approach to ensuring the financial challenge of the period 2018/20 continues to be managed efficiently and effectively including delegation of decisions on the 2018/19 budget to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources in consultation with the relevant Cabinet member as set out in paragraph 4.12.

2.      The revised capital programme as detailed in section 5 and appendix 2 of this report. 

3.      The continued use of capital receipts for funding transformation as detailed in section 6.

RESOLVED to note

1.    Final outturn of the 2017/18 budget as detailed in section 3.

2.    The update on the Revolving Investment Fund as detailed in section 3.21.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources thanked officers for their work to successfully complete the accounts within two months rather than three.

Members were informed that the bottom line had improved and while there had been a £5 million overspend, the council had been able to fund the overspend using minimal general reserves.

There had been £28 million growth in 2019/19 which had been monitored very closely, as were all savings options. While over the summer there would be a review of some areas of policy and charging to ensure the budget would be balanced for the rest of the year, however financial pressures would continue including £7 million for Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers.

The Cabinet Member stated the report reflected the difficult financial pressures experienced, however it was noted that the council continued to the deliver on the manifesto commitments of the Administration.

In response to Member questions, it was stated the £2 million at paragraph 5.5 of the report was a cost, however it would be outweighed by the savings within the waste contract.

The Leader responded to queries regarding Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers stating that the case was made two years before to Home Office officials that the funding was not sufficient, and that it was not appropriate that Croydon received less funding than Kent which had also been a lead authority. Members were informed that officers were making a robust case for additional funding which would form part of the joint letter to the Home Office.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources noted the slippage in the capital budget was due to slower drawdown of capital borrowing by Brick by Brick than originally planned but it would be achieved in 2018/19. In regards to plans to increase income it was stated that all charges, including planning and licensing application charges, would be reviewed as many were not at the statutory maximums. Work had begun in regards to this and the new fees and charges schedule for parking and permits had been reviewed by the Traffic Management Advisory Committee.

The Cabinet Member for Homes & Gateway Services informed Members that the cost for gas entries related to ensuring gas safety inspections took place when tenants had not given access to their properties.

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to approve

1.      The approach to ensuring the financial challenge of the period 2018/20 continues to be managed efficiently and effectively including delegation of decisions on the 2018/19 budget to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources in consultation with the relevant Cabinet member as set out in paragraph 4.12.

2.      The revised capital programme as detailed in section 5 and appendix 2 of this report. 

3.      The continued use of capital receipts for funding transformation as detailed in section 6.

RESOLVED to note

1.    Final outturn of the 2017/18 budget as detailed in section 3.

2.    The update on the Revolving  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56/18

Officer: Denise Bushay

Key decision: yes

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below

RESOLVED: To

School Place Planning

1.   note the progress made on delivering the Education Estates supply strategy for mainstream and special schools for the 2018/19 to 2020/21 academic years. (Appendix 1 of the report - Capital Programme Budget summary).

Special Educational Needs and Disability

2.   agree the revised SEND supply strategy and budget to provide additional places for children with special educational needs and disability - Appendix 2 of the report.

3.   approve the start of statutory process - publication of statutory proposal and formal consultation – in the autumn term relating to the proposed extension of the age range at Red Gates School.

4.   note that the Department for Education(DfE) has approved/announced the provider for Croydon’s new special free school. 

5.   note progress relating to the proposed partnership with Croydon Further Education (FE) college to establish new local post 16 places in an SEN Centre of Excellence.

6.   delegate authority to the Executive Director, Children, Families and Education in consultation with the Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning to spend from the £6.833m of DfE Basic Need funding for 2019/20 to provide additional places at St Nicholas and Red Gates Special School, and relocate Springboard – Pupil Referral Unit. 

Alternative Provision / Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)

7.   agree to the relocation of Springboard Tuition Service – PRU - and delegate authority to the Interim Director, Children, Families and Education in consultation with the Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning to make decisions relating to capital funding required for the relocation. Cabinet are asked to agree to commission the necessary works, subject to agreement from the site owner, including feasibility and design development; and capital funding for this relocation. At the time of writing, the estimated cost is in the region of £500k.

Early Years Provision

8.   note information relating to early years provision in the borough.

                 School Admissions

9.   note the percentage of Croydon’s pupils who have been offered a place at their first and top three preferred primary and secondary schools.

                 School Maintenance and Compliance

10.   note the Schools’ Maintenance Plan (Appendix 3) for the 2018/19 academic year which includes £2m for fire safety works in community schools (plus an additional £1m for 2019/20), all as agreed in the Education Estates Strategy report at Cabinet in January 2018. In light of the issues set out in paragraph 7.7 below, it is recommended  that the Executive Director, Children, Families and Education, should be given delegated authority to vary the plan to reflect actual prices and new urgent issues that may arise, including authorising spend against the allowance for emergency and reactive works. The Executive Director, Children, Families and Education shall report back to members in respect of any exercise of such authority.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning provided Cabinet with an update on the progress of the Estates Strategy and ensuring that good school places were being delivered which provided a diverse education sector and gave parents’ choice. It was noted that a number of schools had been inspected and showed that high quality school places were being provided, and the Cabinet Member congratulated teachers, parents and students for their work. However, it was also noted that there were two schools which officers were working with closely to improve standards.

It was noted that there had been an increase in the number of young people who required SEND support, which had been higher than surrounding boroughs. Work to support young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) had continued, with a new dedicated school to be opened by September 2020 and work with Croydon College progressing to provide post-16 provision.

Members were informed that an outcome from the Take Over Challenge had been young people’s interest in continuing to study in the borough, and work had continued to open a university in the borough.

The Cabinet Member stated that the borough’s work on improving phonics for early years had been commended by the Education Minister, and there had been a request to share good practice. Furthermore, Key Stage 4 attainment levels were above the England average and Key Stage 5 remained positive. While these improvements were noted it was recognised that it was important to ensure all young people got the education they deserved.

It was recognised that the council had much less oversight of schools in the borough which provided a challenge to ensure high quality education, however it meant the authority had adapted to becoming an influencer and the role of the link officers had become more important.

Robust forecasting remained an important area for the council and officers’ work on ensuring there was a sufficient supply of school places was commended. Members were shown a video of the new schools that had been developed across the borough and the improvements to some sites.

In response to Member questions, the Cabinet Member committed to providing the Shadow Cabinet Member with the attendance figures for Pupil Referral Units. It was further recognised that it was important to understand what led to young people being excluded from school, and the Chair of the Health & Wellbeing Board informed Members that the Board was keen to look at how standards could be improved as it was recognised that exclusions had a long term effect on the health and wellbeing of the young person.

Accurate school place planning was noted to be a challenge, however the council sought to have a 5% surplus in places to ensure parent choice remained and continued to monitor the available data carefully to ensure in-year places were also available.

In response to Member questions, the Cabinet Member confirmed that discussions had taken place with parents of St Andrews school students. The issue had been that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57/18

Officer: Steve Iles

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to

1. Note the forthcoming changes associated with the collections service as part of the SLWP Lot 1 Contract which will be introduced in Croydon from September 2018.

2. Note the benefits associated with the new contract which include improved service standards for both street cleansing and waste collection.

3. Note the progress to date for the Don’t Mess with Croydon Campaign

The Cabinet Member for Clean Green Croydon informed Members that the South London Waste Partnership was a partnership of four boroughs which sought to work together to get a synergy of services and be more efficient.

A change in the street cleaning service was introduced in March 2018, which included the capital investment for street vacuums. Members were informed that the service was being monitored more closely by Croydon than by other boroughs, and that it had been found that the results had been mixed. The Cabinet Member stated that it had been raised with the Partnership that a forum should be created so concerns could be raised in regards to Veolia’s performance.

The Cabinet Member stated that changes to the waste contract was a bold move by the council to reduce the amount of landfill waste. The boxes for recycling had been unpopular and spillages had occurred on windy days, which Veolia was expected to clear, and the new service sought to remove the boxes.

Whilst it was noted that a number of residents had raised concerns regarding the new bins, the Cabinet Member for Clean Green Croydon stated that the additional space required was 22 x 5 inches and is expected that properties which could fit the new bins would be expected to take them as it would not be possible to have a bespoke system for each property.

It was felt that residents would become accustomed to having three wheelie bins, however if they had concerns they could contact the council through the dedicated email address or phone number. Additional roadshows had been arranged to enable residents to raise concerns with the council, however the Cabinet Member requested residents and Members worked with the council to achieve the greater recycling rates as councils which had introduced the new service had seen major increases in recycling rates. The rise in recycling not only led to savings from landfill taxes but also made a step towards helping the planet.

The Cabinet Member assured Members that any assisted collections would continue with the new service and officers would be monitoring the behaviour of operatives if there were concerns.

Members noted that there were some residents who did not recycle, and the contract was required to flag these properties. The residents would be written to, given advice and if required enforcement officers would engage with the residents.

The Leader noted that the new service was a huge step towards becoming London’s greenest borough and that lessons had been learnt from other councils’ mistakes.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member informed Members that it would have been necessary to make a capital investment into bins due to the new contract and that the savings associated with the contract would be realised.

The Cabinet Member stated that there was no intention to cut street cleaning, however with the wheelie bins it was anticipated there would be fewer spillages. The change in bin sizes had been found by industry experts to encourage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58/18

Officer: Philip Segurola

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to note the progress made in development of Croydon’s Partnership Early Help Strategy and proposed plan for implementation. 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Learning gave Members an update on the progress for developing a partnership Early Help Strategy which formed part of the work to deliver universal services. It was noted that it was the business of everyone and that it was important to provide support to families and young people at the earliest opportunity.

The vision that all children and young people in Croydon will be safe, healthy and happy, and will aspire to be the best that they can laid at the centre of the Strategy which would be a shared Strategy with collective delivery and funding.

The work of the Best Start programme was highlighted with a review early in the year commending the work; however it was noted that more work could be done which would build upon the work started. It was further noted that there was a void in support for children and young people 10 years and older, and that the borough had the highest number of any London Borough of residents in this age group. It was stated that it was important the Strategy enabled families to receive the right support at the right time and provided opportunities at every level.

Members were informed that a workshop was due to take place that week with partners to develop the Strategy and it was intended the Strategy would be considered at the Cabinet meeting in September 2018 which would have an agreed approach and support from all partners.

Members stated that it was a key policy and important to get right to facilitate further improvements in the service. While it was agreed that developing the Strategy as a partnership was integral to the success, there was a degree of urgency and that it was important that it was in place as soon as possible.

In response to Member questions the Cabinet Member stated the report was to note the direction of travel for developing the Strategy, and that it was important to ensure the partnership was developed successfully. It was noted that it was the responsibility of the council to work with partners and community groups, and this work was being developed. Delivering the vision of the council was integral to delivering the Strategy as it was important to support families to be as resilient as possible.

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to note the progress made in development of Croydon’s Partnership Early Help Strategy and proposed plan for implementation. 

Lead Member: Councillor Sean Fitzsimons, Chair of Scrutiny & Overview Committee

Officer: Richard Simpson

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to receive the recommendations arising from the meetings of the Streets, Environment and Homes Scrutiny Sub-Committee (20 March and 26 June) and to provide a substantive response within two months (i.e. at the next available Cabinet meeting on 17 September 2018).

The Chair of Scrutiny & Overview Committee highlighted the work the scrutiny committee had undertaken on the issues of trams and the Govia Thameslink train timetable. It was noted that the recommendations in the report would also be sent to the relevant organisations for their consideration.

The recommendation at 3.3 of the report was noted and Leader stated that it was important for the council to be an important partner in the trams as significant expansion of the tram network was required. The Leader further stated that the performance of the train service had been disgraceful and that residents had suffered from the incompetence of the train companies for too long.

In response to questions, the Acting Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport & Regeneration (Job Share) stated that all Labour councillors were champions of the tram in Croydon. Administration Members had met with Heidi Alexander, Deputy Mayor for Transport, previously and would be meeting her later in the year to continue to make the case for an expansion on Tramlink. The Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport & Regeneration (Job Share) further noted that the tram network was important to the development of the borough and would be supported.

The Leader of the Council delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below.

RESOLVED to receive the recommendations arising from the meetings of the Streets, Environment and Homes Scrutiny Sub-Committee (20 March and 26 June) and to provide a substantive response within two months (i.e. at the next available Cabinet meeting on 17 September 2018).

Officer: Sarah Warman

Key decision: no

The Leader of the Council has delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below

RESOLVED to

1.    Note the contracts over £500,000 in value anticipated to be awarded by the nominated Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources or, where the nominated Cabinet Member is the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Leader.

2.    Note the list of delegated award decisions made by the Director of Commissioning and Procurement, between 30/04/2018 – 01/06/2018.

3.    Note the property acquisitions and disposals to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources before the next meeting of Cabinet.

4.    Recommend to the Leader of the Council that prior to the next meeting of Cabinet in September, in respect of any contracts and property acquisitions and disposals valued over £500k and  that have not previously been notified or reported to Cabinet, the nominated Cabinet Member in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources or, where the nominated member is the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to agree the award of such contracts. Note that any awards made under this delegation will be notified in the standard contracts report to the next meeting of Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources highlighted the ongoing close work with the Clinical Commissioning Group which was evidenced by the commissioning of Occupational Therapy. Furthermore it was noted that the council continued to deliver on commitments on fire safety with a number of contract awards associated with improved safety. The Cabinet Member finally noted that the council would receive capital receipts from Brick by Brick following progress on developments.

The Leader of the Council has delegated to the Cabinet the power to make the decisions set out below

RESOLVED to

1.    Note the contracts over £500,000 in value anticipated to be awarded by the nominated Cabinet Member, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources or, where the nominated Cabinet Member is the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Leader.

2.    Note the list of delegated award decisions made by the Director of Commissioning and Procurement, between 30/04/2018 – 01/06/2018.

3.    Note the property acquisitions and disposals to be agreed by the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources before the next meeting of Cabinet.

4.    Recommend to the Leader of the Council that prior to the next meeting of Cabinet in September, in respect of any contracts and property acquisitions and disposals valued over £500k and  that have not previously been notified or reported to Cabinet, the nominated Cabinet Member in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources or, where the nominated member is the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to agree the award of such contracts. Note that any awards made under this delegation will be notified in the standard contracts report to the next meeting of Cabinet.

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

The item was not required.

To approve the Part B minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2018 as an accurate record.

The part B minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 11 June 2018 were received. The Leader of the Council signed the minutes as an accurate record.

The part B minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 11 June 2018 were received. The Leader of the Council signed the minutes as an accurate record.