Agenda and decisions

364/2002 Cabinet approved the proposed scheme to introduce waiting restrictions 8am to 10am Monday to Friday in the following roads: -Berengrave Lane, Broomcroft Road, Bushmeadow Road, Childscroft Road, Dignals Court, Hartpiece Close, Iversgate Close, Parkfield Road, Streetfield Road and Wooldeys Road.
365/2002 Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Development and Environment, in consultation with the portfolio holder for Key Services, to consider any valid objections received following the advertisement of the intention to make the traffic regulation order, and to decide whether to proceed with the making of the order, with or without modifications.

356/2002 The Cabinet agreed to give the retail sector greater prominence and consideration in the forthcoming revisions/reviews to the Council's Tourism Strategy and Economic Development Strategy;
357/2002 The Cabinet noted the support of the Committee to the transfer of the management of street markets and farmers markets from the environmental health unit of the front line task force to the tourism and retail sector unit of economic development and neighbourhood renewal;
358/2002 In support of decision number 357/2002 the Cabinet agreed for the budget transfer from the community safety budget head to the regeneration and renewal budget head.
359/2002 The Cabinet agreed to formalise the current market contracts prior to a complete re-tendering of the service in 2003 for implementation in April 2004;
360/2002 The Cabinet agreed in the budget setting process to permit the additional income raised via street markets (over budget expectation for 2003/2004) to be retained by the Town Centre Management service in order to add value to future developmental and marketing programmes.

361/2002 Cabinet approved the proposed scheme to introduce a controlled parking zone from 8am to 7pm Monday to Saturday in the following roads: -Quinnel Street, Holding Street, Longley Road, Station Road (from its junction with the High Street to its junction with Solomon Road). Plan B attached to the report showed details.
362/2002 The Cabinet agreed that the parking places in Holding Street be allocated to both permit holders for unlimited use and short stay visitors for a maximum period of two hours.
363/2002 The Cabinet agreed that following the advertisement of the intention to make the traffic order the Director of Development and Environment and Portfolio Holder for Key Services consider any objections received and bring a further report to Cabinet if any modifications are necessary.

350/2002 The Cabinet noted the provisional settlement figures as part of the budget setting process.

368/2002 The Cabinet agreed to vary the restrictive covenant contained in the transfer of 284-286 Darnley Road to allow the property to be used as two dwellings on the terms set out in the report;
369/2002 The Cabinet agreed to remove the restrictive covenant in respect of the Veterinary Centre at Union Street, Chatham on the terms set out in the report.

See decision number 348/2002 in attached record of decisions below.

349/2002 The Cabinet welcomed the broad thrust of the Passenger Transport Best Value Review, however, the following issues were referred back to Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration:-(i) Concessionary fares - further analysis is required of the demand and take-up levels and the relationship with existing subsidised transport for some school children. This is to incorporate any lessons learned from the existing scheme.(ii) The implications of the recent Government guidance on Integrated Transport (Public Subsidy for the Bus Industry by the Commission for Integrated Transport) for this best value review be considered.(iii) Costings - further analysis is required of the financial implications to enable decisions to be made on the options as set out in the report.(iv) Education Service Transport Team - to ensure that appropriate consultation is carried out with this team on this review. That a further report be brought back to Cabinet for consideration at the earliest opportunity.

370/2002 That the Council makes a loan to Medway CVS for the value and on the terms set out in paragraphs 7.1 and 7.2 of the report.

354/2002 Cabinet approved the following changes from 1 April 2003:(i) the SEN formula for secondary schools to be simplified by using Key Stage 2 results only in assessing the prior attainment of pupils in Key Stages 3 & 4;(ii) the Education Welfare Service funding formula for secondary schools to be allocated on the basis of a lump sum of £1,300 and the remainder using the SEN formula (unless the DfES requires that it be retained centrally);(iii) pay and grading review funding to be delegated to schools based on three factors: the SEN formula, a lump sum and the number of age-weighted pupils, with the balance between these factors being determined so as to reflect the costs to each school as closely as possible;
(iv) Key Stage 1 class size funding to be delegated to infant and primary schools based on the difference between the number of Key Stage 1 pupils and the next multiple of 30;(v) devolved formula capital allocations to be devolved to schools at the start of the financial year to which they relate;
(vi) all schools to operate local bank accounts from 1 April 2003;(vii) changes to Medway's Scheme for Financing Schools (as detailed in the consultation document) for submission by 31 January to the Secretary of State for approval.
355/2002 Cabinet agreed that the Director of Education and Leisure be given delegated power to approve, in consultation with the Education portfolio holder, and taking into account the views of schools and the Schools Forum, from 1 April 2003:(i) the formula for allocating funding to split-site schools (ii) the formulae for delegating funding for school improvement, inclusion, the induction of newly qualified teachers and for performance management and threshold assessment.

The Cabinet reaffirmed its previous decision of an immediate freeze on all posts, other than those posts for which job offers have already been made, with the exceptions detailed below. It was also agreed that a report be submitted to Cabinet in the New Year giving details of the vacant frozen posts and the process by which exceptions will be judged and brought forward to Cabinet for consideration. SEE DECISION NO. 366/2002 IN RECORD OF DECISIONS BELOW FOR LIST OF EXCEPTIONS

351/2002 The draft scheme was approved by Cabinet
352/2002 The Cabinet agreed that the scheme be finalised by officers in consultation with the portfolio holder for Corporate Services and the Chair and Spokespersons of the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee and with consideration given to the comments and proposals submitted by the Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee.
353/2002 The Cabinet supported the Local Government Association's view that Freedom of Information Act requirements should be aligned with Access to Information rules.