Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Paul James declared a disclosable non pecuniary interest in the subject matter of agenda item 9 (Future of Gloucester City Council Events Coordination) being Chair of Marketing Gloucester Limited.

The minutes of the meeting held on 5^th February 2014 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

There were no public questions.

There were no petitions or deputations.

RESOLVED

(1)       to endorse the draft Council Plan for 2014-17;

(2)       to RECOMMEND that Council approves and adopts the draft Council        Plan for 2014-17.

            Cabinet considered a joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources presenting the second update of the draft Council Plan for 2014 – 2017 for comments and recommendations. The Council Plan detailed the priorities and plans for delivery over the next three years (Appendix 1) and the performance measures set against the proposed plan (Appendix 2).

The Leader of the Council commented that since last consideration, the draft plan had been strengthened and the content was in line and consistent with the City Vision document following consultation and enabled priorities to be aligned with resources.

RESOLVED

(1)       That the draft Council Plan for 2014-17 be endorsed.

(2)       That Council be RECOMMENDED to approve and adopt the draft          Council Plan for 2014-17.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations to Council be noted and endorsed.

Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources recommending that full Council approves the attached Treasury Management Strategy, the Prudential indicators and to note the treasury activities.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations to Council be noted and endorsed.

Cabinet noted that this matter would be the subject of a report to be submitted directly to Council and the item was withdrawn from the agenda.

            RESOLVED

(1)          A Central Events Team be created to co-ordinate all City events and provide a single point of contact for all event queries and advisory requests. 

(2)          The newly created Central Events Team be based at Marketing Gloucester Ltd (MGL) and managed by Jason Smith, MGL CEO. The TIC Manager will work in partnership with the Central Events Team to ensure a consistent approach to destination marketing and a vibrant visitor/customer experience.

(3)          The new team work with event organisers from other organisations across the City to integrate the City Council’s events into one comprehensive events programme.

(4)          The Schedule of Events shown at appendix 1 for 2014/15 and 2015/16, be approved.

(5)          The new Central Events Team co-ordinates the logistical and operational side of all the Council’s Civic events including the administration of invitations for the six key Civic events listed in paragraph 4.3.5. All other support for the Mayor and Sheriff will be provided by the Corporate Support Team.

(6)          The event bookings process and income management be managed by the Central Events Team.

(7)          The events budget and a proportion of the Civic hospitality budget be managed by MGL on behalf of the City Council.

(8)          The Central Events Team consists of the existing MGL’s Event Manager (seconded from the City Council) and two Event Co-ordinator posts (also to be seconded from the City Council) who will work collaboratively in the planning, programming and delivery of events. The City Council’s Rugby World Cup Co-ordinator will work with the team for the relevant parts of his work programme.

Councillor Paul James (Leader of the Council) having declared a disclosable non pecuniary interest at the start of the meeting vacated the Chair. Councillor Jennie Dallimore, the Deputy Leader, took the Chair for this item.

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Leisure seeking approval for changes to the City’s Events Programme and its delivery.

The report had also been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 3^rd March 2014 and the Cabinet had received an updated report reflecting a revised recommendation 2.2 (5).

RESOLVED

(1)          That a Central Events Team be created to co-ordinate all City     events and provide a single point of contact for all event queries    and advisory requests. 

(2)       The newly created Central Events Team be based at Marketing Gloucester Ltd (MGL) and managed by Jason Smith, MGL CEO. The     TIC Manager will work in partnership with the Central             Events Team to      ensure a consistent approach to destination            marketing and a vibrant           visitor/customer experience.

(3)       That the new team work with event organisers from other            organisations across the City to integrate the City Council’s        events into one comprehensive events programme.

(4)       That the Schedule of Events shown at appendix 1 for 2014/15 and        2015/16, be approved.

(5)       That the new Central Events Team co-ordinates the logistical and        operational side of all the Council’s Civic events including the         administration of invitations for the six key Civic events listed in        paragraph 4.3.5. All other support for the Mayor and Sheriff will be        provided by the Corporate Support Team.

(6)       That the event bookings process and income management be   managed by the Central Events Team.

(7)       That the events budget and a proportion of the Civic hospitality            budget be managed by MGL on behalf of the City Council.

(8)       That the Central Events Team consists of the existing MGL’s      Event Manager (seconded from the City Council) and two Event   Co-ordinator posts (also to be seconded from the City Council)        who will work collaboratively in the planning, programming        and delivery of events.             The City Council’s Rugby World Cup Co-      ordinator will work with the team for the relevant parts of his   work programme.

RESOLVED

(1)        To approve for consultation the draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy.

(2)        A consultation period is undertaken for a period of three months, and thereafter the strategy be    updated to take account of feedback and presented back to Cabinet and Council for approval.

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Leisure seeking endorsement of the draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy proposals to be published for consultation.

RESOLVED

(1)        That the draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy be approved for consultation.

(2)        That a consultation period is undertaken for a period of three months, and thereafter the strategy will be updated to take account of feedback and presented back to Cabinet and       Council for approval.

RESOLVED

That the report be deferred to further consider the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in addition to capturing comments from local ward members.

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Environment, the purpose of which was as follows –

(1)       To present to Cabinet for formal approval a new Open Space Strategy,       setting out a robust, strategic framework for managing open space resources in Gloucester.

(2)       To present a consultation summary report detailing the public          consultation carried out in May-July 2013.

(3)       To seek Cabinet approval to progress the draft Open Space Action Plans (one for each ward) to completion with additional community and        member consultation.

(4)       To seek Cabinet agreement to use the allocated fees within S.106 funding to procure consultants’ input to progress open space capital        improvement projects.

Cabinet received the minute of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting 3 March 2014 relating to the subject matter setting a number of comments and recommending that adoption of the report be deferred.

Cabinet Members commented on the need to consider in detail the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agreed to defer further consideration until their next meeting on the 2^nd April 2013.

RESOLVED

(1)       That the report be deferred in order to further consider the          comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in addition to             capturing comments from local ward members.

(2)       That a further report be considered at the Cabinet meeting 2^nd    April 2014.

RESOLVED

To note the achievements made in delivering the Cultural Strategy over the last six months (June 2013 – December 2013).

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture updating members on progress that had been made in achieving the Cultural Strategy’s targets over the last six months.

The Leader of the Council highlighted the activities and events that had taken place over the last six months and also highlighted forthcoming events including the possibility of celebrations in 2014 of the 300^th Anniversary of the birth of George Whitefield.

RESOLVED

That the achievements made in delivering the Cultural Strategy over the last six months (June 2013 – December 2013) be noted.

RESOLVED

That the tree management guidelines at Appendix 1 to the report be approved as the tree management guidelines for City Council owned trees.

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Environment seeking changes to the Council’s current tree management guidelines and to formally adopt the guidelines for City Council owned trees. The current tree management guidelines were in need of updating due to increased concern with regard to trees and their potential impact upon third party property interests.

The report had been considered and welcomed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their meeting on 3^rd March 2014.

Cabinet Members commented that the report demonstrated a proactive instead of a reactive approach to tree management especially in relation to City Council owned trees.

RESOLVED

That the tree management guidelines at Appendix 1 to the report be approved as the tree management guidelines for City Council owned trees.

RESOLVED

That the actions outlined in the report  be progressed

Cabinet considered a report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture updating Cabinet on the performance of Gloucester City’s economy and key action for the next 12 months.

In presenting the report the Cabinet Member commented that community safety was identified as an additional priority and that consideration would also be given to a name for the City Centre which would attribute a more attractive identity and 4 gates was suggested.

RESOLVED

That the actions outlined in the report  be progressed.

RESOLVED

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the following item of business on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press and public are present during consideration of this item there will be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Section 100(I) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.

Agenda Item No.                 Description of Exempt Information

16                                           Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information).

RESOLVED

That the recommendations set out in the paragraph 2(1) and 2(2) of the exempt report be approved.

Cabinet considered an exempt report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture briefing Members on revised proposals for the Tesco redevelopment and the disposal by long leasehold of 0.95 acres of land.

The special reason for non-compliance with Access to Information Rule 13 and Part 3, paragraph 9 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access To Information) (England) Regulations 2012 (that a Key Decision may not be taken unless a document containing information specified by the Regulations has been published at least 28 clear days prior to the meeting at which the decision will be taken) is that the Tesco negotiations had reached the stage where a decision on the land deal was required.

Tesco had indicated that they were shortly to submit a planning application and the earliest opportunity was therefore being taken to brief Cabinet Members for a resolution to a land deal prior to the proposals becoming public.

RESOLVED

That the recommendations set out in the exempt report be approved and adopted.