THE CABINET Venue: Town Hall, Moorgate Date: Wednesday, 8 February 2006 Street, Rotherham Time: 10.30 a.m. A G E N D A 1. To consider questions from Members of the Public. 2. To determine if the following matters are to be considered under the categories suggested in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972. 3. To determine any item which the Chairman is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency. 4. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 25th January, 2006. (copy supplied separately) - to approve as a true record. 5. Local Area Agreement (report attached) (Local Area Agreement - Final Submission supplied separately) (Pages 1 - 4) - Chief Executive to report. - to approve the agreement. 6. Corporate Services Programme Area (report attached). (Pages 5 - 8) - Chief Executive to report. - to approve the re-naming of the Resources Programme Area to Corporate Services Programme Area. 7. Autistic Spectrum Disorders Strategy - Progress Report (copy attached). (Pages 9 - 24) - Senior Executive Director, Children & Young People’s Services to report. - to note progress on the Strategy Group. 8. Proposals to Create South Yorkshire Destination Management Partnership (report attached) (APPENDIX 2 Supplied Separately). (Pages 25 - 39) - Executive Director, Economic & Development Services to report. - to note progress towards creating a Destination Management Partnership and approve the key principles proposed and delegate the final approval of the Partnership agreement to Cabinet Member for Economic and Regeneration Services. 9. Local Transport Capital Expenditure 2006-2007 (report attached). (Pages 40 - 44) - Executive Director, Economic & Development Services to report. - to note the Local Transport Capital Expenditure Settlements for 2006/2007. 10. Regeneration & Asset Board (Report and Minutes attached). (Pages 45 - 55) - Executive Director, Economic & Development Services to report. - to receive the minutes and note key issues. 11. Exclusion of the Press and Public The following item is likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under the paragraph, indicated below, of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972:- 12. Anston Parish Council (report attached). (Pages 56 - 57) - Executive Director of Finance to report. - to consider a request for financial support. (Exempt under Paragraph 7 of the Act – information relating to the financial or business affairs of a Company other than the Authority) Page 1 Agenda Item 5 ROTHERHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL – REPORT TO MEMBERS 1. Meeting: Cabinet 2. Date: 8th February 2006 3. Title: Draft Final Submission - LAA 4. Programme Area: ALL 5. Summary Rotherham has been successful in its bid be one of the second wave Local Area Agreement authorities. The attached report describes further progress since the previous report in November 2005 and attaches for Cabinets consideration the current draft of what will be our final submission, which will need to be with GOYH by 24th February. Negotiation and refinement of targets is expected right up to the final signing date at the end of March. 6. Recommendations a) That Cabinet notes progress to date. b) That Cabinet considers the attached draft LAA and makes comments on it. c) The draft submission attached be agreed as a basis for progressing Rotherham’s bid to be signed in March 2006. Page 1 Page 2 7. Proposals and Details As described in previous reports to Cabinet, Rotherham MBC in conjunction with Partners is developing a Local Area Agreement. Our bid is in the “second wave” consisting of 66 local authority areas. All remaining authorities who have not agreed one will be required to enter an LAA bid in 2007. This demonstrates central government commitment to the LAA principle and the need for Rotherham to develop as good a LAA document and process as possible. Attached is a draft of Rotherham’s 3rd Submission. This draft follows on from the 2nd submission that Government office for Yorkshire and the Humber required for 24th November 2005. Since late December considerable feedback has been received from GOYH and central government departments covering the general direction and vision of the bid as well as detailed comments on each Block and targets. Feedback and comments have been very positive, in particular the significant input from the Voluntary/community sector, (seen as a general weakness across the other LAA bids) and on the robustness of the Performance Management proposals. Since December officers and Partners have been working to develop the bid further both qualitatively and to respond to any queries or concerns expressed by GOYH, ODPM and/or Partners. Some elements still need work on and there is a continuing dialogue with GOYH to address the issues especially around stretch targets, (see below) and Freedoms and Flexibilities. We have been advised that we should have robust reasons for requesting any Freedoms and Flexibilities. We have applied a “need” test so that requests are only being made for those that will materially help the delivery of the LAA. This approach has enhanced our credibility with GOYH and thus added weight to those Freedoms and Flexibilities we have actually asked for Key freedoms and Flexibilities are within the LAA document but are shown at appendix 1 for clarification. The completed submission will need to be finalised by the first week in February so that all Partners can approve it through their various structures. Our submission needs to with GOYH by 24th February. There will then be a period where clarification and some negotiation is conducted with GOYH and central government departments. GOYH have advised us that this process can go up to the actual date of signing on 24th March 2006. It will therefore be difficult to give a definitive draft prior to this. Members (and Partners) need to understand and agree for officers to undertake technical negotiations and agreements which can only later be ratified by partners, Cabinet and LSP governance arrangements. Cabinet should be aware that there is a growing pressure on all authorities to include central government department requirements in LAAs. For example, with the Safe Block the Home Office insisted on specific wordings and targets. Whilst pressures will be resisted it may mean that some objectives and targets reflect more national priorities than Rotherham ones. Our understanding is that advice to 3rd wave areas will be even more directive – limiting the scope for a “local” approach still further. Page 2 Page 3 On 30th January there was a major local consultation event which mirrored the initial launch event in August last year. Comments from organisations and partners have been factored into the draft before members. However, comments reflecting views from other consultation events such as that with Town and Parish councils will need adding later. It is not expected that these will materially affect the main part of the LAA though some targets and/or target dates may need to be reconsidered. Given these provisos, attached to this report is a draft that is considered very close to the final agreement. LPSA targets The LPSA2 reward element is being negotiated at the same time as an integral part of our LAA. Government guidance shows that if stretch targets cannot be agreed in time for the LAA launch then we would have to wait a further year before we could start that element. In order to clarify the position on stretch targets, a meeting was held between GOYH, RMBC and Partners on 20th January. The outcome of this meeting was positive with a greater and clearer understanding as to which Targets would probably gain approval, which needed more work on them, and which needed reconsideration. Again work to finalise the Stretch Targets will continue up to signature date. 8. Finance The LAA in itself does not make any demands on budgets. However, over time there will be increased need to look at increasing partnership working as a result of objectives contained in it. This may affect the way in which budgets are constructed and how they are spent. Partners in the LAA have not attempted to increase “pooling” of budgets but rather stimulate “aligning” further across the life of the agreement. Again this may affect budgets in the medium and long term Funding streams are outlined against each Block together with external funding streams linked to the LAA and paid in monthly instalments from April 06. 9. Risks and Uncertainties The key risk is that the LAA would be rejected by Government. Given comments made by GOYH so far this seems very unlikely. The other key risk is that there will be greater government demands being made to conform to directive advice, thus limiting the ability of the LAA to respond to local need and priorities. This could result in non- Public Sector Partners losing confidence and commitment to the LAA. 10. Policy and Performance Agenda Implications The LAA affects much of the council’s policy and performance agenda as it is aligned to the Community Strategy and, via that, to the Corporate Plan. Therefore many of the targets in the LAA are also Corporate Plan targets. The LAA Performance Management Framework was designed to ensure that systems are as compatible as possible with that of RMBC to avoid confusion or duplication of data catchment. Page 3 Page 4 Background Papers and Consultation Partner organisations including Rotherham MBC, have been fully involved in developing the LAA. All partners have been involved and or consulted at each step of the process. Contact Name: Lee Adams Assistant Chief Executive [email protected] extn. 2788 Colin Bulger, Head of Policy and Partnerships, Chief Executives Department [email protected], extn. 2737 Page 4 Page 5 Agenda Item 6 ROTHERHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL – REPORT TO MEMBERS 1. Meeting: Cabinet 2. Date: 8 February, 2006 3.