Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Chitty, Doe and Hackwell.

The record of the meeting held on 8 March 2022 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 provided details of a revised Youth Justice Plan, which would set out how youth justice would be delivered locally within available resources.

The report stated that the Plan was completely new and that the format of the Plan followed guidance and headings provided by the national Youth Justice Board.

The report had been considered by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 3 March 2022 and its comments were set out in section 6 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken on the Strategy, details of which were set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

Reasons:

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, requires Local Authorities to have a Youth Justice Plan, which is updated annually to set out how youth justice will be delivered locally within available resources.

Background:

This report provided details of the Director of Public Health’s Annual Public Health Report (APHR) for 2020/21. The report stated that this edition of the APHR focused on digital exclusion and the challenge of ensuring that all residents, particularly those who would gain most benefit, were able to access digital services.

The report stated that the main focus of the APHR was digital exclusion and the Covid-19 pandemic. This had seen a rapid increase in the use of technology and resultant impact on access to online services.

The APHR had been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 10 February 2022 and by the Health and by the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 10 March 2022, details of which were set out in sections 5 and 6 of the report.

Reasons:

There is a statutory duty for Directors of Public Health to produce an Annual Report and local authorities to publish the report.

Background:

This report outlined the rationale and process for three Medway grammar schools to change their admissions arrangements from single sex to co-educational provisions. It requested Cabinet approval for the Council to consult on the principle of this change and act as a co-ordinator for the process. It also requested in principle Cabinet approval for funding to provide necessary building modifications to ensure appropriate facilities would be available.

The report stated that the gender split for secondary school selective places did not currently match the population and cohorts of pupils coming through the primary school system who would require a place in secondary selective schools in the near future.

As part of a joint ambition with Medway Council to address the inequality, Holcombe Grammar (boys), Fort Pitt grammar (girls), and Chatham Grammar (girls) were proposing to change from single sex to co-educational admissions. This would provide 685 co-educational places in total, with 203 boys’ places and 205 girls’ places at the remaining single sex schools. These changes would give an approximate 50/50 split in boys’ and girls’ places overall.

The report was accompanied by an Exempt Appendix. This set out a proposed Memorandum of Understanding between Medway Council and the relevant schools.

Reasons:

By approving the recommendations in section 11 of the report, the Cabinet will be ensuring that the Council meets its statutory duty to ensure sufficient good quality school places are available, and that the appropriate informal and statutory processes have been undertaken.

Background:

This report set out a detailed Project Phase Development Proposal for the establishment of a Low Carbon Heat Network in Chatham, which would also cover an area of Gillingham. This would be a significant, four-year project, which would aim to achieve an expected reduction of 7,600 tonnes of carbon per year and would help Medway to achieve its commitment to being Net Carbon Zero by 2050.

The report advised that the project had completed a Techno-Economic Feasibility study and would require up to £60k of Council funding to complete the Detailed Project Development phase. That phase would incorporate an outline business case which would address key risks, conduct soft market testing and develop the delivery and commercial strategy. It was anticipated that the future Heat Network delivery phases would be extensively financed by private investment and government funding.

The report was accompanied by three Exempt Appendices. These set out a Feasibility Study and related documents.

Reasons:

For up to £60k of funding Medway would access £180k of work. Project Management fees are also paid for by BEIS. The DPD phase could show that the CHN would have significant benefit in terms of carbon reduction helping Medway achieve net carbon zero and socio-economic benefits, while addressing some of the current risks.

It was agreed that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the exempt material relating to agenda items 9 and 10 because consideration of these matters in public would disclose information falling within Paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as specified in agenda item 8, and, in all the circumstances of the case, the Committee considers that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Background:

This fully Exempt report updated the Cabinet on proposals relating to the development of the Queen Street car park site.

Before making its decision, there was a short adjournment to the enable the Cabinet Members to consider additional exempt information that had been provided.

Reasons:

For the reasons set out in section 12 of the Exempt report.

Background:

This fully Exempt report set out details in relation to a legal claim against Medway Council and asked the Cabinet to agree a course of action.

It was noted that in line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in could be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interests. In this case, it was proposed that call-in be waived for the reasons set out in paragraph 1.3 of the Exempt report. The Vice-Chairman of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-In.

Reasons:

For the reasons set out in section 7 of the Exempt report.