Agenda, decisions and minutes
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Declaration of Members' and Officers' Interests relating to items on the Agenda Minutes: No declarations of interest were received. |
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: No apologies for absence were received. |
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Minutes: RESOLVED –
That the Minutes of the meeting of the Joint Cabinet and Employment and General Committee of 12 January, 2021 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. |
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Private Sector Housing Project Plan Additional documents:
Decision:
1. That the proposed Private Sector Housing Action Plan be approved and two new posts be established within the Private Sector Housing Team.
2. That the Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy (2021-2024) be approved.
3. That the Service Director – Housing be granted delegated authority to agree minor adjustments to the Renewal Policy and Action Plan between formal review periods.
REASONS FOR DECISIONS
1. To allow the Private Sector Housing Team to help more vulnerable tenants living in owner-occupied and private rented accommodation within the borough.
2. To enable the Council to offer financial assistance (other than Disabled Facilities Grants) to vulnerable homeowners which will allow them to continue to live independently in their own, warm and safe homes. Minutes: The Service Director - Housing and Private Sector Housing Manager submitted a report seeking approval for the Private Sector Housing Action Plan, Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy (2021-2024) and the establishment of two new posts within the Private Sector Housing Team.
The Housing Act 2004 and the Housing Grants Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 require Chesterfield Borough Council to ensure that minimum legislative standards are maintained within the borough’s private sector housing stock in order to safeguard the health and wellbeing of owner-occupiers and tenants living in private rented accommodation.
Significant progress had been made by the Private Sector Housing Team over recent years and to further build on this progress it was now felt necessary to improve the capacity and resilience of the team. It was therefore proposed that a new Senior Environmental Health Officer post be established to support existing team members with the ever increasing complexity of private sector housing enforcement work.
It was also proposed as part of a refresh of the existing Empty Homes Policy to establish a new Environmental Health Officer post to carry out specific responsibilities with regards bringing empty homes back into use.
The Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy (2021-2024), as attached to the officer’s report at Appendix A, had been written in response to Chesterfield Borough Council’s recently commissioned Stock Condition Survey and aimed to utilise the provisions contained within The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 to target assistance where most needed.
The report identified the financial implications of the proposed measures, set out a number of alternative options and referenced consideration of other implications.
*RESOLVED –
1. That the proposed Private Sector Housing Action Plan be approved and two new posts be established within the Private Sector Housing Team.
2. That the Private Sector Housing Renewal Policy (2021-2024) be approved.
3. That the Service Director – Housing be granted delegated authority to agree minor adjustments to the Renewal Policy and Action Plan between formal review periods.
REASONS FOR DECISIONS
1. To allow the Private Sector Housing Team to help more vulnerable tenants living in owner-occupied and private rented accommodation within the borough.
2. To enable the Council to offer financial assistance (other than Disabled Facilities Grants) to vulnerable homeowners which will allow them to continue to live independently in their own, warm and safe homes.
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Organisational Development Strategy and Programme Additional documents:
Decision:
1. That it be recommended to Full Council:
a) That the proposed Organisational Development Strategy, as attached at Appendix A of the officer’s report, be approved.
b) That funding be allocated from the Service Improvement Reserve to support the establishment of two fixed term posts, for a two-year period, to support delivery of the Organisational Development Strategy and its associated Delivery Plan.
2. That the proposed Corporate Project Management Framework, as attached at Appendix B of the officer’s report, be approved.
3. That, subject to full Council approval of the required funding, two fixed term posts be established, the Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for which are attached at Appendix C of the officer’s report.
4. That a further report be brought to a future Joint Cabinet and Employment & General Committee meeting to approve the final Organisational Development Delivery Plan and any associated resourcing requirements.
REASONS FOR DECISIONS
The recommendations are made in order to achieve:
· Continued successful delivery of Council Plan priorities · Effective prioritisation and use of resources · Increased organisational capability and capacity · Further growth of the Council’s positive culture and ‘can do’ approach · Delivery of efficiencies and financial savings · Increased organisational resilience · Increased maturity in planning and delivery activities · Continuous improvement and innovation Minutes: The Executive Director submitted a report seeking approval for the adoption of a new Organisational Development Strategy and Programme. The report also included a number recommendations that would require approval at Full Council.
As the Council had developed new strategies and plans to support the borough’s communities and economy to recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, consideration had turned to the Council’s longer-term capability, capacity, and culture to ensure successful delivery of the Council Plan through 2023.
The proposed Organisational Development Strategy, attached at Appendix A of the officer’s report, had been developed, alongside a supporting Corporate Project Management Framework, attached at Appendix B of the officer’s report, to provide strategic oversight and governance for the council’s future organisational development activities.
Work was already underway to shape the detailed Delivery Plan, but additional resources would be required to implement this work successfully. It was therefore proposed to establish two new fixed term posts for a 2-year period, a Head of Organisational Development (OD) and a Programme Management Office (PMO) Manager, to support the development and early implementation of the Delivery Plan and other significant Council led projects and programmes.
The Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for the proposed fixed term roles were attached at Appendix C of the officer’s report.
*RESOLVED –
1. That it be recommended toFull Council:
a) That the proposed Organisational Development Strategy, as attached at Appendix A of the officer’s report, be approved.
b) That funding be allocated from the Service Improvement Reserve to support the establishment of two fixed term posts, for a two-year period, to support delivery of the Organisational Development Strategy and its associated Delivery Plan.
2. That the proposed Corporate Project Management Framework, as attached at Appendix B of the officer’s report, be approved.
3. That, subject to full Council approval of the required funding, two fixed term posts be established, the Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for which are attached at Appendix C of the officer’s report.
4. That a further report be brought to a future Joint Cabinet and Employment & General Committee meeting to approve the final Organisational Development Delivery Plan and any associated resourcing requirements.
REASONS FOR DECISIONS
The recommendations are made in order to achieve:
· Continued successful delivery of Council Plan priorities · Effective prioritisation and use of resources · Increased organisational capability and capacity · Further growth of the Council’s positive culture and ‘can do’ approach · Delivery of efficiencies and financial savings · Increased organisational resilience · Increased maturity in planning and delivery activities · Continuous improvement and innovation
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Resources for Staveley Town Deal Additional documents:
Decision:
1. That the proposal to establish three new posts to manage the Staveley Town Deal together with associated budgets, as set out in section 4.13 of the officer’s report, be approved.
2. That the role to be played by the council as the Accountable Body for the Towns Fund, as set out in section 4.3 of the officer’s report, be noted.
3. That the Council makes a direct financial contribution towards the costs of programme management, as set out in section 7 of the officer’s report, to be and funded from the retained business rates from Markham Vale Enterprise Zone.
REASON FOR DECISIONS
To ensure that adequate resources are put in place to successfully manage a significant multi-year capital programme. Minutes: The Service Director – Economic Growth and Interim Director (Projects) submitted a report seeking approval to establish the resources required to ensure that the council was in a position to effectively manage the Staveley Town Deal.
On 15th December 2020, Cabinet had received a report setting out the background to the Staveley Town Deal and noting Chesterfield Borough Council’s role as the Accountable Body for any future Towns Fund allocation. Cabinet had also endorsed the Staveley Town Investment Plan for submission to the Government as part of the Town Deal process.
At Budget 2021 on 3 March, 2021 the Government had made a Town Deal offer of £25.2m for Staveley. Heads of Terms accepting this offer were signed by the Chief Executive and the Chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board on 19 March, 2021.
No additional resources had originally been allocated to local government for carrying out the Accountable Body role for the Town Deals. However, following a change in advice from the Government, it was now possible to use some of the overall allocation of the Towns Fund for Staveley for such purposes.
An analysis of the tasks which the council would be required to fulfil, and the resource implications was outlined in Appendix 1 of the officer’s report. It was proposed to establish 3 new posts to provide the capacity needed as detailed in section 4.13 of the officer’s report. Job descriptions for the proposed posts were attached at Appendix 2 of the officer’s report. As the Town Deal programme and its funding was time-limited, the newly established posts would be fixed-term appointments through 2025.
*RESOLVED –
1. That the proposal to establish three new posts to manage the Staveley Town Deal together with associated budgets, as set out in section 4.13 of the officer’s report, be approved.
2. That the role to be played by the council as the Accountable Body for the Towns Fund, as set out in section 4.3 of the officer’s report, be noted.
3. That the Council makes a direct financial contribution towards the costs of programme management, as set out in section 7 of the officer’s report, to be and funded from the retained business rates from Markham Vale Enterprise Zone.
REASON FOR DECISIONS
To ensure that adequate resources are put in place to successfully manage a significant multi-year capital programme.
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