Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Chamber, Quadrant, The Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, NE27 0BY.

Contact: Yvonne Harrison  Email: democraticsupport@northtyneside.gov.uk

Note: (Due to Covid precautions anyone wishing to attend should first notify the contact officer) 

Items
No. Item

CAB12/21

Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

 

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

 

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

 

Minutes:

CAB13/21

Minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on the 24 May 2021 (previously circulated).

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 May 2021 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

 

CAB14/21

Report of the Young Mayor

To receive a verbal report on the latest activities of the Young Mayor and Young Cabinet.

Minutes:

In the absence of the Young Mayor who was unable to attend the meeting, it was agreed that her report would be circulated to all parties for information.

 

The Elected Mayor took the opportunity to praise the work of the young people.

 

CAB15/21

Engie Sub-group Report pdf icon PDF 229 KB

To consider a report of the Engie Sub-group.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report detailing the recommendations of the Engie Sub-Group’s report, on behalf of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee.

 

Councillor S Graham, Chair of the Engie Sub-group, presented the report on behalf of sub-group.

 

The Overview, Scrutiny & Policy Development Committee had a programme to undertake in-depth reviews into the out-sourced partnerships that delivered services on behalf of the Authority, with the aim to see if the Authority and its residents were receiving the service specified in the contracts. 

 

The Committee had established the Engie Sub-group to undertake this work to gain a clearer understanding of the partnership and its operation.  This was the final in-depth scrutiny following those undertaken for the Kier and Capita Partnerships.  

 

The Sub-group had started its work in early 2020; however, as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic the sub-group had been paused and had resumed its work in December 2020, where it had been decided that due to hiatus, to restart the scrutiny from afresh.

 

Continuing the policy to encourage cross party/committee involvement in scrutiny, an invitation had been made to all Non-Executive Members of the Council to be part of the sub-group. The sub-group had met on ten occasions where it had received information from senior lead officers of the Council and its Engie Partners for each of the contract workstreams.  The sub-group had completed its work in March 2021.

 

The Sub-group had made a total of three recommendations for Cabinet’s consideration:

 

1)    In its benchmarking activity pay particular attention to the strategic aspects of service delivery of the partnership.

 

2)    Following benchmarking testing, it believes if the Partner is not providing value for money it should consider amending the contract to assure best value and/or investigate all options to in-source parts/all services.

 

3)    The group feels that as and when legally possible and at the best and earliest opportunity that these services should be returned and insourced to the local authority.

 

The full report and recommendations of the review were attached at Appendix 1.

 

Cabinet was asked to consider the recommendations and was required to provide a response to the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee within two months.

 

Councillor Graham thanked all officers from the Authority and its Partners who had helped with the review and provided the information that gave the sub-group the insight needed into the contract and the services it delivered to formulate its findings and views.

 

The Elected Mayor thanked Councillor Graham on behalf of the Engie Sub-group for the report. 

 

Resolved that the report of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee on the in-depth review of the Authority’s Engie partnership be noted, and a detailed response to the recommendations be provided at a future Cabinet meeting, no later than August 2021.

 

(Reason for decision – Cabinet has a statutory duty to respond to the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee recommendations within two months of receiving them).

 

CAB16/21

Council Plan Refresh pdf icon PDF 290 KB

To seek approval to the initial proposals for an updated Our North Tyneside Council Plan following the Mayoral election in May 2021; and to undertake engagement with residents and other key stakeholders on these initial proposals. 

 

(*Note: In accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, notice is given that this item has not been subject to 28 days’ notice due to the need to approve a refreshed Council Plan following the mayoral election in May 2021 and in advance of Cabinet’s consideration of budget proposals in the autumn this year.)

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to the initial proposals for an updated Our North Tyneside Council Plan following the Mayoral election in May 2021; and to undertake engagement with residents and other key stakeholders on these initial proposals.

 

The current Our North Tyneside Council Plan 2020-2024 had been approved by full Council on 18 February 2021. Following the Mayoral election on 6 May 2021 the Council Plan needed to be updated to reflect the policy priorities of the incoming administration.  As per the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework as set out in theCouncil Constitution, the Council Plan requires final approval by full Council following consideration on initial and final proposals by Cabinet and the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee. 

 

The proposed refreshed Council Plan was around a vision of building a better North Tyneside looking to the future.  Throughout all that the Council did, there would be a clear focus on listening to and working with residents, businesses, the community and voluntary sector and all other stakeholders to ensure that things were delivered in partnership and in line with the different needs of the borough. 

 

The Council Plan future vision was of a North Tyneside in the following five themes: thriving; family-friendly; caring; secure; and green.

 

It was proposed that each of these five themes had a clear set of policy priorities and outcomes as set out in the report.

 

The Authority was committed to being an organisation that worked better for residents and to ensure that it listened and cared, was ambitious and provided good value for money.  This commitment included giving residents and other key stakeholders an opportunity to be involved in setting the key priorities for what it would deliver as set out in the Council Plan.  This would be done through a comprehensive engagement approach.

 

The aim of the engagement approach was to reach different parts of the borough’s population including residents, customers/users of council services, businesses, community and voluntary sector organisations as well as other key stakeholders and particular groups of people, including those with protected characteristics.  The approach also ensured reach with particular interest groups such as carers, older people, children and young people, council housing tenants and people from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities.  The approach comprised targeted activity with both internal and external stakeholders as set out below.

 

The approach to engagement would be consistent with the principles of the Authority’s corporate engagement strategy, as described in the report.

 

The Elected Mayor commented that, through this plan the Authority would build on its excellent track record of delivery over the past eight years and address the key challenges it now faced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  It was a plan to build a better North Tyneside and to restore hope and confidence in the future where the Authority tackled inequalities and discrimination and ensured that no-one was left behind.

 

The engagement approach was welcomed by Members and partners, and Cabinet was informed that VODA would  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB16/21

CAB17/21

Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries pdf icon PDF 238 KB

To consider the initial proposals of the Boundary Commission for England in relation to the North East that were published on 8 June 2021, in particular to the two Parliamentary Constituencies located within the Borough of North Tyneside.

 

(*Note: In accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, notice is given that this item has not been subject to 28 days’ notice as the Boundary Commissions proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and they are required to be considered at this meeting to enable Cabinet to consider the initial proposals and to consult full Council prior to the submission of the Authority’s views by the deadline of 2 August 2021.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet was informed that the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) was currently conducting a review of the boundaries of all Parliamentary constituencies in Englandand would report to the Parliament on its recommendations for boundary changes in July 2023. A report was considered which outlined the initial proposals of the BCE that had been published on 8 June 2021, in particular to the two parliamentary Constituencies located withing the Borough of North Tyneside.

 

The rules governing the 2023 Review retained the overall number of constituencies across the UK at 650, but they applied a distribution formula that resulted in an increase in the number of constituencies in England from 533 to 543.  The rules required the Boundary Commission to ensure that every recommended constituency,apart from two ‘protected’ constituencies (in the Isle of Wight), had roughly the same number of electors; no fewer than 69,724 and no more than 77,062.

 

The initial proposals allocated 27 constituencies for the North East – a reduction of 2 from the current number.  There was a proposed reduction in the number of constituencies in the Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, and Northumberland sub-region from 9 to 8.

 

The number of electors for the current North Tyneside and Tynemouth constituencies exceeded the permitted electorate rate and the Commission had therefore proposed some significant changes for those constituencies as follows and which were illustrated on maps of revised boundaries that were appended to the report.:

 

The North Tyneside constituency would be divided up and its wards allocated between the proposed Tynemouth constituency and Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency.

 

The Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency would comprise five wards within the North Tyneside Council area - Benton, Camperdown, Killingworth, Longbenton and Weetslade wards - together with four wards within the Newcastle City Council area - with an electorate of 74,087.

 

The Tynemouth constituency would comprise ten wards – Battle Hill, Chirton, Collingwood, Cullercoats, Howdon, Northumberland, Preston, Riverside, Tynemouth and Wallsend with an electorate of 76,984.

 

A new Whitley Bay and Cramlington constituency would be created comprising five wards within the North Tyneside Council area - Monkseaton North, Monkseaton South, St Mary’s, Valley and Whitley Bay wards – together with nine wards within the Northumberland County Council area with an electorate of 74,510.

 

The Boundary Commissionwas consulting on its initial proposals for an 8-week period, from 8 June to 2 August 2021.

 

Further consultation arrangements following feedback from the consultation on the initial proposals and the process for the formal submission by the Commission of its final recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Commons were set out in the report.

 

The submission of the formal final report concluded the BCE’s involvement in the constituency review process. The procedure to subsequently implement new constituencies was the responsibility of the Government.

 

The Elected Mayor and Cabinet Members expressed their opposition to the BCE’s proposals for the following reasons:

 

·         The primary aim of the proposals appears to be a numeracy exercise to ensure constituencies are more  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB17/21

CAB18/21

The Gambling Act 2005 - Draft Statement of Licensing Policy (Gambling) 2022 - 2025 pdf icon PDF 256 KB

To seek approval for the initial proposals for the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy (Gambling) 2022-2025.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report seeking approval for the initial proposals of the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy (Gambling) 2022-2025.

 

Each local authority was required by the Gambling Act 2005 to publish a Statement of Licensing Policy and to revise the Policy at least every three years. The report detailed the revision process and provided guidance as to how the Authority would exercise its functions under the Act. The revised Policy had to be in force by 31 January 2022 when the existing Policy would expire. Under the Act, the Authority as a licensing authority was responsible for issuing Premises Licences and Permits.

 

Premises Licences were specific to the type of premises offering gambling to the public and included Casino Premises; Bingo Premises; Adult Gaming Centre Premises; Family Entertainment Centre Premises; and Betting Premises.

 

The Authority did not have the authority from the Secretary of State to issue Casino Premises Licences. Section 175 of the Act limited the overall numbers of types of casinos that would be permitted in Great Britain and, until such time as the current limit on the number of casinos was increased, no further Casino Premises Licences would be issued.

 

In terms of Permits, the Authority as a licensing authority could issue Unlicensed Family Entertainment Centre Gaming Machine Permits; Club Gaming Permits; Club Gaming Machine Permits; Alcohol Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permits; and Prize Gaming Permits.

 

Section 153 of the Act set out the principles to be applied by the Authority when considering an application for a Premises Licence; and emphasised the importance of the Authority’s Statement of Licensing Policy (Gambling) in determining any application for a Premises Licence made to the Authority as a licensing authority. 

 

The draft revised Policy, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, contained the information that the Gambling Act 2005 (Licensing Authority Policy Statement) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006 had prescribed should be included in the Policy document, as referred to in the report.

 

Council on 22 November 2018 had passed a ‘no casino’ resolution which meant that the Authority would not grant any Casino Premises Licences in the Borough if it was given the power to do so. This resolution remained in place for the duration of the Policy, even if the number of national Casino licences increased as indicated in the report. The decision whether or not to pass a further ‘no casino’ resolution would form part of the consultation process concerning the revision of the Licensing Policy.  If Council passed a ‘no casino’ resolution, then it would bind the Authority for a further three years (unless another resolution was passed in the interim) and would prohibit the Authority from issuing Casino Premises Licences in that period.

 

In preparing the draft revised Policy document, regard had been given to the Gambling Commission’s statutory guidance and the Regulations issued in order to assist licensing authorities in the preparation of their Policy statements.  The draft revised Policy statement included reference to the new Council Plan and included additional information in relation  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB18/21

CAB19/21

Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy pdf icon PDF 339 KB

To seek approval for the draft Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy following appropriate consultation; and for delegated powers arrangements for the future setting of charges for housing enforcement actions.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received a report seeking approval for the draft Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy, following appropriate consultation, and for delegated powers to be granted for the future setting civil penalty charges.

 

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 gave Local Housing Authorities additional powers for dealing with landlords and property agents who had failed to maintain the standards expected of them. This included the ability to issue civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to the prosecution of landlords, letting agents or property managers for relevant housing offences. The 2016 Act also permitted the inputting of problematic landlords’ data onto a national database. In relation to prolific offenders, the Authority had the ability to apply for banning orders, banning a person from the letting or management of property.

 

In October 2018, Cabinet had agreed to permit the use of these additional powers.  At that time, it was envisaged consideration would be given to developing a Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy as good practice to support the use of these powers.  Cabinet had approved the necessary delegated authority to enable that.  Since then officers had worked regionally with other Local Housing Authorities to shape a new policy, taking into account other new legislation and guidance subsequently introduced and had undertaken a comprehensive consultation exercise which had been affected by the national lockdown restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

 

The Government had made it clear in guidance that it expected each Local Housing Authority to have a Housing Enforcement Policy so that the public, tenants and landlords and agents were aware of how it was likely to use its new powers under the relevant pieces of legislation. The aim of the Policy was to support good landlords and set out policies and procedures in place for tackling those landlords who did not comply with their legal obligations. This Policy would fit into the wider work that the Authority was undertaking to ensure North Tyneside was a great place to live, work, and visit. The Policy would provide a framework to ensure consistency and proportionality in decision-making.

 

The Private Sector Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, provided a staged approach to enforcement action that could be taken against landlords and property agents. The Policy had been developed in line with the principles set out in the published North Tyneside Statement of Enforcement Policy.

 

The Housing Enforcement Policy was required to comply with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) guidance documents issued under the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

 

The Housing Enforcement and Civil Penalties Policy set out the level of charge that would be applied by the Authority as a means of  recovering administrative and other expenses incurred for taking any of the enforcement actions set out in section 49 of the Housing Act 2004. The taking of enforcement action would be proportionate to the hazard and risk posed to the occupants, and in accordance  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB19/21

CAB20/21

North Tyneside Transport Strategy Annual Report pdf icon PDF 276 KB

To consider the annual report outlining activities and trends relating to transport in the borough over the last year as required by the North Tyneside Transport Strategy.   

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet received the North Tyneside Transport Strategy Annual Information Report which summarised the work undertaken to demonstrate progress against delivery of performance of the Transport Strategy for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

 

A Transport Strategy Data Factsheet summarising the key performance data for 2020/21 was included at Appendix 2. A further Factsheet which highlighted the changes in travel following the Covid-19 pandemic was included at Appendix 3. 

 

The five principles of the Transport Strategy guided the Authority’s actions and acted as a framework for measuring performance. The annual information report summarised the Authority’s performance against each of the principles below:

 

·         Principle 1 – Improve safety, health and well-being outcomes and sustainability; in relation to people, communities and the environment;

 

·         Principle 2 – Support economic growth; through effective movement for people, businesses and goods and to support the regional aim of “more and better jobs”;

 

·         Principle 3 – Improve connectivity; with all parts of the borough, the region, the rest of the country and the world;

 

·         Principle 4 – Enable smart choices for all; help people, businesses and visitors find out how to get to where they need to; and

 

·         Principle 5 – Manage demand; on transport networks and assets and address current and future transport challenges.

 

The report indicated that North Tyneside’s transport network was becoming safer: the number of road accident cluster sites continued to decrease, from six in 2019 to five in 2020, which reflected the Authority’s targeted major scheme investment over recent years. The total number of road collisions had decreased by 17% in 2020, having shown a broadly steady trend over the previous three years, while collisions involving cycling were below the 2018 level, although higher than 2019 against a background of increased cycling. 2020 had also seen a decrease of 32% in pedestrian casualties, which, except for a c.30% lower figure in 2017, had been at a similar level over recent years.

 

Cycling was becoming even more important as a way of getting around North Tyneside, with cycling trips increasing by 59% in the last year, much higher growth than was seen in Tyne and Wear as a whole. This was enabled in part by temporary cycling schemes including the 4km pop-up cycleway along the coastal strip. To support the growth in everyday cycling in North Tyneside, the Authority continued to invest in cycling infrastructure and continued to seek opportunities to improve the Authority’s cycling network. This was demonstrated through the upcoming investment in 14km of new strategic cycle network to be delivered between 2021 and 2023.

 

Air quality throughout the borough had been confirmed as compliant with legal standards, assisted by recent measures such as retrofitting technology to reduce emissions from buses on the A1058 Coast Road.  However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel patterns meant that securing a shift away from car use had been difficult in the short term, and overall motor traffic volumes in April-May 2021 were slightly greater than pre-Covid levels. Public  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB20/21

CAB21/21

Date and Time of Next Meetings

Monday 2 August 2020 at 6.00pm.

Minutes:

6.00pm on Thursday 15 July 2021 (Extraordinary Meeting)

6.00pm on Monday 2 August 2021 (Ordinary Meeting)