Agenda and draft minutes

There were none. 

The Leader wished his son Ned a Happy 6^th Birthday for that day.

The Leader welcomed everyone to the meeting being held at the new Cozenton Park Sports Centre (formerly Splashes) which would officially open on Wednesday 17 July 2024.

The Leader congratulated former Cabinet Members Councillors Edwards, Khan and Osborne on their recent success in the General Election and was proud that they had been given the opportunity to serve their constituents as Members of Parliament and thanked them for their work as Cabinet Members. He also took the opportunity to thank the outgoing MPs for all their work.

The Leader welcomed three new Cabinet Members: Councillor Gurung (Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure), Councillor Paterson (Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement) and Councillor Louwella Prenter (Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness). He also advised that there had been some changes to some of the Portfolio Holder titles and responsibilities.

The record of the meeting held on 11 June 2024 was agreed by the Cabinet and signed by the Leader as correct. 

Disclosable pecuniary interests

There were none.

Other significant interests (OSIs)

There were none.

Other interests

There were none.

Background:

This report requested Cabinet consider recommending Full Council to adopt care experienced as a protected characteristic.

The duties towards care leavers were defined within the Children Act 1989, the Leaving Care Act 2000, and the Children and Social Work Act 2017, but did not include the more recent terminology of care experienced. Care experienced was used to define people who have been looked after at some point in time by the local authority and was recommended as a protected characteristic in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care published in May 2022. To date over 90 Local Authorities had agreed to add Care Experience as a protected characteristic.

The report was previously considered by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the comments of which were set out in sections 8 and 9 of the report. Following Cabinet, the Plan would be presented to Full Council to agree on 18 July 2024.

As part of the debate a video was shown highlighting the positive reasons for the proposed scheme.

Reasons:

Medway Council are aspirational for children in care and care leavers, as such want to go beyond our statutory requirements and ensure that the needs of care experienced people are at the heart of all decision-making. 

Medway Council is committed to putting the needs of disadvantaged people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration.

Medway Council will provide greater authority to employers, businesses, public services, and policy makers to put in place policies and programmes which promote better outcomes for those with care experience. 

Medway Council will join the national campaign like other councils, to agree to make being care experienced a protected characteristic in law.

Background:

This report set out a consultation document in the preparation of the new Medway Local Plan and sought approval to publish for a period of formal consultation at Regulation 18 in the summer. It also presented an updated version of the Medway Statement of Community Involvement, which guided how the Council consulted on planning matters. The report outlined progress on the Medway Local Plan and presented key options for consultation on managing growth in Medway up to 2041.

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable consideration of the matter at the earliest opportunity given that the next scheduled Cabinet meeting would not take place until after the consultation was due to commence and not meeting the consultation start date would have impacted on the entire Local Plan delivery timeline.

Reasons:

To progress work on the Medway Local Plan and provide opportunities for consultation prior to finalising the content of the Pre-Submission Draft Local Plan.

Background:

This report sought approval to the adoption of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy 2023-2028, which had been out for consultation. The update sought to recognise areas which had increased in flood risk, policy changes at both the national and local level and took account of new development within the borough. 

Reasons:

A Local Flood Risk Management Strategy is required under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and the current strategy was adopted in 2014. The LFRMS complements and supports the National Strategy published by the Environment Agency, which outlines a national framework for flood and coastal risk management and aims to balance the needs for communities, the economy and the environment.

Background:

This report provided details of the Moving Traffic Enforcement initiative including the results of the recent informal public consultation and proposed next steps. The report also sought approval to take forward to implementation, the enforcement of the Moving Traffic Offences.

Tranche 2 of the Safer Healthier Streets key initiative was the addition of 17 existing moving traffic restrictions for ANPR Moving Traffic Enforcement, which would enable residents, visitors, and businesses to move around Medway’s network safely and with the benefit of improved journey times. The initiative would reduce congestion across the road network by allowing more efficient traffic flows. It was explained that following the changes made to Cabinet portfolios earlier in the day, the recommended delegation should reference the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Highways and Enforcement instead.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix B to the report.

Reasons:

The Moving Traffic Enforcement initiative, within the Safer Healthier Streets Programme, meets several key strategic polices and action plans set out by the Council. The implementation of the recommendations creates a more reliable and safer road network.

Background:

This report set out the proposed Community Safety Partnership Plan 2024 – 2027 which formed part of the Council’s Policy Framework.

The report was previously considered by the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 13 June 2024, the comments of which were set out at section 7 to the report. Following Cabinet, the Plan would be presented to Full Council to agree on 18 July 2024.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 3 to the report.

Reasons:

The Community Safety Plan discharges the Council’s statutory requirement to produce a plan for community safety.

Background:

This report set out proposals to redesign the weekly organic waste (garden and food) collection service, limiting the quantity of garden waste households could present for free in Medway. 

Households who regularly generated more than one brown bin of waste every week would have the option of a new subscription garden-only collection service.  Income from the subscription garden-only service would help cover the cost of collections and maintain critical front-line services.

The Cabinet accepted the report as urgent to enable consideration of the matter at the earliest opportunity given that the next scheduled Cabinet meeting would be too late in terms of allowing time for mobilisation and ICT integration to take place.

Reasons:

Kerbside garden waste collection is a non-statutory service.

Weekly kerbside collection of food waste is a statutory service.

The proposed redesigned organic waste collection service retains free weekly household food and garden co-collection for all eligible households and minimises any substantial decrease in Medway’s recycling rate.

The new subscription garden-only collection service would be available for households who regularly generate more than one brown bin of waste every week and the income will help offset collection costs.

The proposed redesigned organic waste collection service provides Medway households with an increased capacity for garden waste recycling compared to many other Council’s including all Kent authorities.

Background:

On 16 January 2024 Cabinet recommended that £41,925,000 be added to the Capital Programme for the purchasing of Temporary Accommodation (TA) as well as taking on leases of properties for use as TA and the set-up of an internal lettings department. This was approved by Full Council on 24 January 2024. This report sought delegated authority for the purchasing of properties for Temporary Accommodation use so that potential purchases could be progressed.

Reasons:

This will enable the service to effectively and efficiently purchase property for TA purposes, using the capital addition already agreed by full Council.

In addition to the decisions taken in January, providing this delegated authority will further assist the Council in delivering its services to address demand relating to homelessness and temporary accommodation.

Background:

This report provided sought permission to award the procurement of the SEND Transport Contract.

An updated Exempt Appendix 1 to the report set out financial analysis in relation to the procurement and recommended the provider the contract should be awarded to.