Agenda Item No: C2 Appendix 2

Democratic Support Service PO Box 136 County Hall NN1 1AT

CABINET

Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2007

Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall

(Meeting held in public)

PRESENT:

Councillor Jim Harker (Chairman and Leader) Councillor Brian Binley Councillor Rosemary Bromwich Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage Councillor Bill Parker Councillor Bob Seery Councillor Ben Smith Councillor Liz Tavener

Also Present: (for all or part of the meeting) Councillor Sally Beardsworth Councillor George Blackwell Councillor Robin Brown Councillor Mark Bullock Councillor Richard Church Councillor Stan Heggs Councillor Michael Hill Councillor Brian Hoare Councillor David Hugheston-Roberts Councillor Bernard Ingram Councillor Christopher Lamb Councillor Roy Mayhew Councillor Steve Osborne Councillor Rupert Reichhold Councillor Judith Shephard Councillor Maureen Shram Councillor Gina Ogden Councillor Jonathan West Councillor Terry Wire Councillor John Yates

Also in attendance: (for all or part of the meeting) Rory Borealis Director for Customers and Strategy Danny Brennan Director for Community Leadership Mark Charters Director for Community Services Vivienne Farrell Committee Assistant (Customers and Strategy) (minutes) Peter Gould Chief Executive Paul Hanson Committee Manager (Customers and Strategy) Graham Mabbutt Liberal Democrat Political Assistant (Customers and Strategy) Mick O’Leary Labour Group Political Assistant (Customers and Strategy)

There were 5 members of the public in attendance.

35/07 Apologies for non attendance

Councillor Joan Kirkbride

36/07 Notification of request from members of the public to address the meeting

None

37/07 Minutes of the meetings held in public and private on 25 January 2007 and 12 February 2007

Following questions from Councillor Binley, the Monitoring Officer confirmed: The Constitution makes provision for urgent meetings of the Cabinet; and The meeting of 25 January had been convened by the Deputy Leader, with his advice.

RESOLVED: Cabinet agreed the minutes of the meetings held in public and private on 25 January 2007 and 12 February 2007.

38/07 Declarations of Interest by Councillors

Item Councillor Type Nature B1 Binley Personal Shareholder, Northampton Town Football Club and Northampton Town Football Club Supporters Trust* B1 Mayhew Personal Member, North Joint Planning Committee B1 Seery Personal Member and former Chairman, North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Committee A1 Smith Personal Member, West Northamptonshire Development Company Member, Anglian Regional Flood Defence Committee (Northern) A1 Wire Personal Wife works for a company that has tendered for the and contract prejudicial

* Councillor Binley explained that it was his understanding that both the Stadium and its environs were not owned by either of these bodies and he therefore had no financial interest in any planning matters relating to them.

39/07 Announcements

An official welcome was made to Councillor Osborne, who had just been elected to serve the Long Buckby Division.

40/07 Sandy Lane Improvement North, Northampton

SUBMITTED by: the Director for Community Leadership

Councillor Seery introduced the report and appendices (copies of which had been circulated at the meeting) and made the following points:

The report was of a technical nature and the improvements to Sandy Lane were necessary; Substantial consultation was undertaken before the report was produced and the next stage of the process would be to purchase the land and negotiations were already underway with the relevant landowners; and

The urgency of the project was highlighted as the funding was ring-fenced and needed to be spent within the time limit. There could also be the possibility of developer contributions.

The following points were raised by Councillors:

The accuracy of the traffic flow figures in the report was questioned; It was asked if there was the possibility of a dual carriageway road; Attention was drawn to the section that stated there would be an increased risk of flooding, and that the project should be carefully managed from a drainage point of view; The traffic flow numbers and flooding projections that were presented were correct and that a sustainable drainage system would be put in place; The purpose of enlarging the road was so that houses could be built on either side; The speed limit of the road was questioned as at the time planning permission was granted the report stated 60mph however the limit was reduced to 40mph; and The Environment Agency had increased powers to call in a decision that was in contravention to its advice. With this knowledge it would be reasonable to suggest that the flood mitigation measures were adequate.

Councillor Seery stated that there may be the possibility that some parts of the road could accommodate a dual carriageway. However, due to the urgency of the project these possibilities could not be incorporated at present. He also confirmed that the speed limit was set at 40mph.

RESOLVED: Cabinet

1. Agreed to give authority to acquire 12.965 hectares (32.03 acres) comprising 5 plots of land as required for the construction of the Sandy Lane Improvement North, Northampton, on terms to be approved by the Head of Property, or such further revision as may be agreed by the Cabinet Members for Highways and Transportation, on terms to be approved by the Head of Property.

2. Agreed that the conditions contained in the planning permission, granted on 19th February 2007, be suitably addressed.

41/07 Countywide Parking Contract

SUBMITTED by: the Director for Community Leadership

Councillor Seery introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

The Parking Strategy was approved in principle in 2004; The decision would approve the framework for residents parking charges but not decide what charges would be put in place; There have been county parking meetings and all but 2 districts and boroughs agreed with the proposals; It was important that this would not be seen as a way of making more money but as a way of maximising the use of highways in a safe, congestion free way;

It was proposed that the contract would be for a five year period which could then be renewed for a further five years; There had been some publicity surrounding the charging for different sizes of vehicles, and this would be consulted upon; and After an initial small deficit there would be a surplus of approximately £500,000.

The following points were raised by Councillors

Residents’ parking was supported by some residents who were unable to park outside their own homes. However, many of the homes that faced directly onto the street were in areas of deprivation, residents would therefore not be able to afford an increase in prices. It was hoped that there would be good consultation with all concerned; The issue of roads being made more effective was linked with the wider council strategies. It would be unfortunate to see National Car Parks Limited profits increase as people paid for permits; South Northamptonshire Council had expressed their some concern as they did not wish to be included as they felt that parking charges would affect the business in areas such as Stoke Bruerne, Towcester and Brackley; The report was welcomed in that it followed the London Borough of Richmond in considering the introduction of a ‘green tax’. It was suggested that there should be a lower tax, or no tax for the first vehicle and then a much higher tax for any additional vehicles. Also that everyone, including Councillors, who park at County Hall, should be subject to charges; The issue of enforcement would have to be addressed, for example there was not sufficient parking activity in Corby town centre to raise enough revenue to cover the cost of enforcement in that area. It was suggested that if individuals spent money in shops in the local area, they could be given discounts for parking and The issue of vehicle size should not be seen in isolation but in a wider context as an individual may have a larger car but may also be heavily involved in recycling.

Councillor Seery said that he was encouraged by the responses he received and raised the following points:

That the charging policy would be determined in the future and that proper consultation would be involved; South Northamptonshire Council was present at the meeting when the paper was discussed and that the only two councils who did not want to be included were Daventry and Kettering, he agreed to look into this further; No new charges were to be implemented until August 5th 2007; The awarding of the contract was not a money making scheme; The cost of enforcement would be looked at against applications; and Ideas of lower charges for the first vehicle would be investigated.

RESOLVED: Cabinet

1. Approved the award of the Parking services Contract to National Car Parks Limited.

2. Approved the framework for residents parking charges.

42/07 Extending the Empowering Councillors Scheme

SUBMITTED by: the Head of Democratic Support Service

Councillor Harker introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

The pilot scheme had been warmly welcomed and was very successful; He proposed that the Cabinet agree the advice with the exception of points 1iii, 1iv and appendix 3 as they did not cover what was wanted to be achieved locally; and It was important that the scheme is uncomplicated and un-bureaucratic as then more money could go to the community.

Councillor Binley seconded the proposed resolution.

Councillors raised the following points:

The scheme had been well received across all areas of Kettering. It was asked that as Kettering had received the first amount of funding then a different area should receive the next stage. Also, that tax payers were given a clear understanding of why one area was receiving funding and another was not; That the scheme should be open to all Councillors or none, or that the allocations of money should be divided according to need; It was suggested that the allocation to Councillors should be reduced to £5k so that more Councillors could be involved; Some Councillors felt unable to spend their money as they were standing for election in Kettering Borough Council in May 2007 and it may have been seen as a form of electioneering; and It was made clear that the scheme was not designed to support government targets, for example neighbourhood renewal, as much funding has already been put into this area.

Councillor Harker responded to the comments and made the following points:

Kettering was chosen as the area for the pilot scheme as it had a mixture of political parties and divisions split across rural and urban areas; The scheme would be fairly spread across Councillors by 2008/09; Resources were scarce so if the approach of all or none was taken then no-one would benefit; If funding was reduced to £5k then there would not be a sufficient amount of money to make a significant impact; and Councillors who had not spent their money were certainly not failing as they would be carrying their allocation forward.

Councillor Harker then thanked Councillor Brown for spearheading the scheme.

RESOLVED: Cabinet

1. Agreed to extend the Empowering Councillors scheme by 20 divisions in 2007/08, with the following changes:

i. That in future, decisions on the Cabinet Member’s own division should be taken by an alternative Cabinet Member; ii. That the timing cycle be adopted to allow more time for identification and consultation of schemes to ensure proper decision making; iii. That this scheme would sit outside the normal rules on ‘carry forward’, allowing Councillors to carry forward unspent funds as the default position.

2. Agreed that the determination of the divisions to be included in the extension of the scheme be made by a formal decision of the Leader after consultation with the Leaders of the other 2 Groups.

3. Agreed that the proposal for the phasing extension of the Empowering Councillors scheme, included as appendix 3 to the report, would not be adopted.

43/07 Response to the Submission of the Core Strategy for North Northamptonshire

SUBMITTED by: The Director for Community Leadership

Councillor Smith introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

The Core Strategy was an integral part of the Local Development Framework; The response to the Strategy showed the right level of detail and was clear about the growth of Corby, Kettering and , however it was felt that there was a lack of clarity for areas outside of North Northamptonshire; The Strategy was in line with the Milton Keynes sub regional strategy; and A minimum density of 40 dwellings per hectare was proposed within the strategy.

Councillor Binley stated that infrastructure needed to be looked at in line with the Core Strategy.

Councillor Smith replied by stating that:

The infrastructure and housing would be put in place at the same time; and That the issues and options paper would not go out until June.

RESOLVED: Cabinet agreed the response to the Submission Core Strategy for North Northamptonshire with the omission of representation 11.

44/07 Strategic Cultural Investment and Growth: Royal and Derngate Theatres

SUBMITTED by: the Head of Culture and Healthier Communities

Councillor Gonzalez de Savage introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

There had been a loss of capital grants to the Royal and Derngate;

The County Council must work hand in hand with partners; and The money asked for would not come out of any vulnerable people projects.

Councillors made the following points:

That the Council should give support for the project for the longer term not just a one off year payment; That the advice in point 2 should be left to the control of the Borough and Trust; It was astonishing that the Finance Officer had not seen a business plan or financial plan before a decision was made and that the solvency of the business should have been checked before any money was allocated; It should be requested that, in light of the support being given to the Royal and Derngate by the County Council, the concessionary scheme for reduced admission prices for matinee performances for older people and people with disabilities be extended; It was difficult for low income families to go to the theatre therefore there should be more emphasis on Derngate attracting higher levels of the arts; and A balance sheet from Northampton Borough Council should have been requested as they may have been receiving funding from other sources.

Councillor Gonzalez de Savage said in return that:

If the Royal and Derngate were to close then this would impact on businesses in the area including restaurants and car parks; A £200k investment was worthwhile; and He agreed the recommendation of a concessionary scheme be included in the advice.

RESOLVED: Cabinet

1. Agreed to commit a one off in-year sum of £200,000 to the Royal & Derngate, funded from a drawdown of General Reserves.

2. Requested that Northampton Borough Council explores, as a matter of urgency, the transfer of the theatre buildings/freehold to the Royal and Derngate’s control and ownership – subject to discussion and negotiation with all relevant parties.

3. Requested that, in light of the support being given to the Royal and Derngate by the County Council, the concessionary scheme for reduced admission prices for matinee performances for older people and people with disabilities be extended;

45/07 Strategic Investment in Tourism

SUBMITTED by: the Director for Community Leadership

Councillor Gonzalez de Savage introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

Tourism was dependent on promotion and investment would ensure that events were packaged and promoted; and That the proposal was already in support of tourism at a Partnership level.

The following points were raised by Councillors:

It was a shame that there had been no time for consultation, and that there had been no joint working involved; and It was proposed that 9 years ago that Sessions House be used as a centre where joined up thinking could have been done.

Councillor Gonzalez de Savage responded by saying that the plan proposed was also a manifesto pledge, and that there had been consultation around the issue of Session s House.

RESOLVED: Cabinet

1. Agreed to commit a one off in-year sum of £220,000 to Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, funded from a drawdown of General Reserves.

2. Agreed that Northamptonshire County Council would work with Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited and Tourism to secure a stable financial position, in the context of the withdrawal of tourism finance from Northampton Borough Council, that will secure the significant regional and national funding for tourism and the promotion of Northamptonshire to visitors, inward investment and local communities’ use of the county’s amenities and attractions in the longer term.

46/07 Monthly Financial Report: March

SUBMITTED by: the Director for Business Support

Councillor Parker introduced the report (copies of which had been previously circulated) and made the following points:

That the projected overspend had improved by dropping from £3m to £1m; and That the report did not take into account proposals from the last report which had reduced the general reserves.

The following points were raised by councillors:

The format of the report was changed and figures had been moved which was not helpful to the reader; In reference to section 4.3 of the report a divisional Councillor was not consulted about the proposed move of a school; It was suggested that the format of the reports be looked at; and It was argued that the extra £220k that was taken from the reserves could come out of next year’s budget allocation for services

Councillor Parker responded by saying that he has been in discussion with John Neilson about the format of reports and that there would hopefully be an improved version in the future.

RESOLVED: Cabinet noted the current financial position for 2006-07.

There being no further business, the meeting concluded at 16.25pm.

Vivienne Farrell Committee Assistant