Agenda and minutes

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.

Councillor K Clark declared a registerable personal interest in agenda Item 5: 2022-23 Financial Management Report to 31 May 2022, (CAB23/22)as she was a Director and Employee at Justice Prince CIC which had contracts with North Tyneside Council funded from the Housing Revenue Account (Working Roots).

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2022.

Resolved that the Minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 June 2022 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

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

In the absence of the Young Mayor who was unable to attend the meeting as he was away on holiday, it was agreed that a full update would be submitted to the September meeting.

To receive the first budget monitoring report for the current financial year which reflects the first indication of the potential revenue and capital position of the Authority at 31 March 2023.

Cabinet considered the first monitoring report outlining the 2022/23 financial position. It provided an early indication of the potential revenue and capital financial position of the Authority as at 31 March 2023.

The report covered the forecast outturn of the Authority’s General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget including management mitigations where issues had been identified; the delivery of 2022/23 approved budget savings plans; and an update on the Capital Investment Plan, including details of variations and reprogramming, that was recommended for approval.

The Budget for 2022/23 was approved by full Council on the 17 February 2022.  The net General Fund revenue budget was set at £163.512m. This included £7.257m of savings to be achieved, of which £3.113m related to new business cases included in the 2022-2026 Medium-Term Financial Plan, £1.607m of full year effect of prior year business cases and £2.537m of savings previously achieved by one-off mitigations and non-permanent solutions.

Prior to any mitigation, the Authority’s approved net budget was forecast to outturn with a pressure of £18.456m.  Table 1 in the report set out the initial variation summary across the General Fund.

The Authority, as you would expect at this stage of the financial year, was taking a prudent approach to forecasting including in relation to the on-going impact of Covid-19 which currently was forecast to add pressures of £5.551m to the General Fund in 2022/23. These pressures were primarily where fees and charges income had yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, where additional fixed term staff were employed to cover increased demand or to enable front-line service provision to continue unimpacted by employees needing to self-isolate.  In addition to Covid-19, global market pressures existed around the Authority’s supply chain and current inflation levels, these combined added a further £5.293m to the overall pressure. The remaining £7.612m related primarily to staffing and other income related pressures across the services.

As part of the 2022-2026 Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) agreed by Council in February £2.200m was set aside from the Change Reserve to support additional pressures in Home to School Transport (£1.800m), Special Educational Needs (£0.400m), additional children’s social care provision (£1.200m) and for the development of the Customer Relationship Management programme (£0.200m).

In addition to the use of the Change Reserve, £2.000m was also set aside to create a Covid-19 Reserve as part of the 2022-2026 MTFP, this included (£0.650m) to support additional caseloads within Children’s Services, (£0.350m) to support Home to School Transport and (£1.000m) to support reduced fees and charges income following the pandemic. Within the 2022-2026 MTFP, £0.150m was identified as planned use of the Insurance Reserve to support additional Repairs and Maintenance costs within the Authority’s Commissioning & Asset Management Service Area. The use of this funding has been included in Table 2.

Included within the position for Central Items is (£7.713m) of contingencies; of which (£3.116m) was being used to offset the pressures in Children’s Social Care, (£1.301m) was supporting the under achievement of savings targets and (£2.335m) is being used  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB23/22

The Elected Mayor took this opportunity to thank Janice Gillespie, the Authority’s Director of Resources, for all her hard work and support before she embarked on a secondment with the North of Tyne Combined Authority, as their Chief Finance Officer. 

In her announcement the Elected Mayor expressed her gratitude to Janice as a valued member of the Senior Leadership Team, well respected by our Chief Executive, Assistant Chief Executive, Directors and Officers.  She was also trusted and well respected by all Elected Members across the Council. 

The Elected Mayor ended her announcement by thanking Janice for all the wonderful work she had led, and how much she had enjoyed working with her, how much she had valued her expertise, professionalism, and commitment to doing the right thing for North Tyneside Council and its residents. She has also been a key member of the Senior Leadership Team with the North of Tyne Combined Authority and wished her all the very best in her new role.

The Elected Mayor then invited the Chair of Council, Councillor Pat Oliver, to say a few words.

Councillor Oliver thanked the Elected Mayor for the opportunity to speak at Cabinet and was sure that all Councillors would want to join her, as Chair of Council, in thanking Janice for her years of dedication, loyalty and commitment to North Tyneside Council and its residents, and to wish her our very best for the future.  

To receive an update on performance, and to seek approval to an update of the Climate Emergency Plan that was produced in 2020 which included a proposal for the Action Plan to be re-titled the ‘Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan’.

A report was received on performance since the previous report to Cabinet in November 2021; which sought approval to an update of the Climate Emergency Plan that was produced in 2020, which included a proposal for the Action Plan to be re-titled the ‘Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan’ as appended to the report.

In July 2019, Full Council declared a Climate Emergency, setting a target to reduce the carbon footprint of the Authority and the Borough by 50% by 2023 and to become carbon neutral by 2050. Subsequently, in acknowledgement of the gravity and urgency of the climate emergency, the refreshed Our North Tyneside Council Plan 2021-25, approved by full Council in September 2021, included the following ambition;

“We will publish an action plan of the steps we will take and the national investment we will seek to make North Tyneside carbon net-zero by 2030.”

During 2020, the Authority worked with industry experts ‘The Carbon Trust’ and consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in the production of the Climate Emergency Action Plan. This was presented to Cabinet in October 2020. The Authority had been delivering against the strategic actions in that plan to successfully reduce carbon emissions. 

The updated Action Plan further refined and updated the initial work carried out by the Authority and representatives from all stakeholder groups in 2020 in accordance with the Plan. This further Action Plan update report was informed by evolving Government policy and strategy implemented since 2020. It also provided a more comprehensive suite of actions which would be undertaken by the Authority as an organisation, or in collaboration with others. 

The significant policy shift towards net-zero 2030 necessitated the updating of the Climate Emergency Action Plan. In line with the new policy priority, it was proposed that the Action Plan should now be called the ‘Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan’.

The Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan was based on the new Our North Tyneside 2021-25 policy commitment, and addresses areas of significant change, including National policy context; Resident survey and Citizens Assembly data; Performance; Governance arrangements; and the set of actions that the Authority would take.

The Climate Change Act 2008, amended in 2019, commits the UK to a net-zero 2050 target. Throughout 2021 and 2022, and particularly in the run up to COP26 in November 2021, key Government strategies, policies, and plans had been released that set out the Government’s approach to net-zero, building on the Ten Point Plan which was published the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy in November 2020.

The Authority had shaped the Carbon Net-Zero 2030 Action Plan around these key Government strategies, policies, and plans. This ensures that the Action Plan can realise the emerging opportunities for decarbonisation and economic growth and reflects where the differing timeline of national government targets will have an impact on the Authority’s carbon net-zero 2030 ambition.  As an example, the natural gas used in homes and businesses makes up 45% of the Borough’s carbon footprint. Understanding the current and  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB25/22

To receive the North Tyneside Transport Strategy Annual Report.

Cabinet received the North Tyneside Transport Annual Report outlining activities and trends relating to transport in the Borough over the last year.

The Authority was responsible for managing the borough’s network of highways, cycling, wheeling, and walking routes, alongside a range of other transport responsibilities. The North Tyneside Transport Strategy was originally adopted in 2017 and an updated version was approved by Cabinet on 18 October 2021. The document sets out the Authority’s vision for transport in the borough.

The strategy sought to ensure that “North Tyneside will have a safe, easy to use, healthy, affordable, accessible and integrated travel and transport infrastructure that works for residents, businesses and visitors effectively and efficiently”, and sets out five principles which were key to achieving this. As transport was a major contributor to carbon emissions, it had a vital part to play in the Authority’s response to its declaration of a Climate Emergency.

The report outlined that North Tyneside’s transport network was becoming safer, reflecting the Authority’s significant and targeted investment over recent years. Cycling was becoming even more prevalent as a way of getting around North Tyneside and the Authority continued to develop the ‘Go Smarter’ activities delivered through schools, including road safety education and Bikeability cycling training.

The updated North Tyneside Transport Strategy was approved by Cabinet on 18October 2021 and sets out the Authority’s vision for transport in the borough. It seeks to ensure that “North Tyneside will have a safe, easy to use, healthy, affordable, accessible and integrated travel and transport infrastructure that worked for residents, businesses and visitors effectively and efficiently”. It sets out five principles which were key to achieving this.

In order to provide regular information about transport in North Tyneside, the Transport Strategy contained a commitment to provide an annual information report to Cabinet.

Since the Transport Strategy was originally adopted in 2017, the following policies and strategies relating to transport in North Tyneside had been adopted; work was underway to update certain of these documents to reflect the revised Transport Strategy adopted in 2021:

·         Transport and Highways Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) – adopted May 2017; updated version in preparation

·         Highway Asset Management Plan (HAMP) – adopted September 2017

·         North Tyneside Parking Strategy – adopted February 2018; updated version prepared

·         North Tyneside Cycling Strategy – adopted March 2018

·         North Tyneside Travel Safety Strategy – adopted March 2018

·         North Tyneside Network Management Plan – adopted October 2018

·         North Tyneside Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Strategy – adopted November 2021

·         North Tyneside Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy – adopted February 2020

·         North Tyneside Home to School/College Transport Policy – refreshed 2020

One of the Transport Strategy’s key principles involved reducing carbon emissions, by encouraging modal shift and taking part in regional initiatives to encourage wider adoption of low-carbon technologies in both vehicles and transport infrastructure. The importance of this objective was emphasised when full Council formally declared a Climate Emergency at its meeting on 25 July 2019.

Transport accounted for just over a third  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB26/22

To seek approval for a revised NorthTyneside Parking Strategy.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval for the revised North Tyneside Parking Strategy. 

In October 2021, Cabinet approved the revised and updated North Tyneside Transport Strategy. Its vision is “Moving to a green, healthy, dynamic and thriving North Tyneside” and it sets out five key principles to achieve this.

There were a number of specific strategies and plans within the context of the North Tyneside Transport Strategy: these included the existing North Tyneside Parking Strategy, which was adopted by Cabinet in September 2017.

While North Tyneside was served by cycling and walking routes of improving quality and a comprehensive public transport network, the use of the private car or van remained a frequent choice for residents, businesses, and visitors, with growing use of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in preference to petrol or diesel vehicles.  Following the adoption of the updated Transport Strategy, the Cabinet Member for Environment requested that a review of the Parking Strategy, and its associated processes, should be undertaken.  Officers conducted a survey and held workshops with Members to obtain their feedback and seek to identify key areas of improvement. Through this engagement, key issues for residents and Members were highlighted such as timescales, criteria, and communication.

At its June meeting, the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee gave consideration to the Parking Strategy and noted the proposed changes to it following the review of the existing Parking Strategy.

The proposed revisions to the Parking Strategy, following the review exercise and reflecting the updated North Tyneside Transport Strategy, are set out in section 1.5.3 of the report. Following the review of the strategy, specific changes were also proposed to the internal processes relating to requests for parking restrictions and disabled parking bays, as described in section 1.5.4 of the report. These changes aimed to deliver better outcomes for the Authority’s customers and give greater visibility to Members.

The proposed revised Parking Strategy, attached as Appendix 1, incorporated the following specific changes to reflect the updated North Tyneside Transport Strategy and the recent Member engagement described above:

i.        The text had been revised to reflect the updated North Tyneside Transport Strategy and the Authority’s Carbon Net Zero objectives, and to make a specific link between the Parking Strategy and the recently adopted North Tyneside Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Strategy.

ii.        The list of types of parking permit had been updated to reflect the current position.

iii.        Regarding requests for disabled parking bays – the relevant section (Annex 5 in the draft strategy) had been amended to support residents to use equivalent proof of disability, rather than solely requiring proof of receipt of the ‘Higher Rate’ mobility component of the Government’s Disability Living Allowance. This is in relation to requests for disabled bays. It has also been amended to introduce greater flexibility in the case of an objection from another resident to a request for a disabled bay. Additionally, the specific needs of people with disabilities and their carers are to be carefully considered when developing a parking solution.

iv.  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB27/22

To receive Cabinet’s response to Economic Prosperity Sub-Committee’s Report on Green Skills for Retrofit Jobs.

A report was received which sought approval to Cabinet’s response to the recommendations identified in the Green Skills for Retrofit Jobs report, produced by the Green Skills Sub-Group which was appointed by the Economic Prosperity Sub-Committee of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee and presented to Cabinet on 23 May 2022 (Previous Minute CAB5/22).

In determining its work programme for 2021/22 the Economic Prosperity Sub-Committee agreed to appoint a Sub-Group to examine the Authority’s approach to adapting to a green industrial revolution and ensuring people had the right skills for the future green jobs.

The Sub-Committee subsequently appointed the Green Skills Sub-Group, drawn from members of the Economic Prosperity Sub-Committee, Environment Sub-Committee and Children, Education and Skills Sub-Committee, to:

a)    consider the steps required to ensure residential, public, commercial, and industrial buildings in the Borough have the lowest possible carbon emissions to support the Authority’s 2030 net-zero ambition.

b)    analyse the skills, qualifications, and accreditations that will need to be gained by the local workforce so that:

             i. they are equipped to deliver energy efficient buildings;

            ii. the need for imported skills is avoided; and

           iii. the Borough benefits from the low carbon economic growth;

c)   identify sources of funding that could be accessed for skills and training from a variety of sources to support the local economy; and

d)  make recommendations to the Elected Mayor and Cabinet on how the Authority and its partners might stimulate the local training market so that the required skills, qualifications, and accreditations can be taught to our residents by North Tyneside based providers.

The Green Skills Sub-Group held a series of evidence gathering meetings with officers and key stakeholders during January and February 2022 and, also had regard to a wealth of policy documents and research papers which have been published in relation to decarbonising the built environment and the skills and jobs that will be required to deliver it.

Cabinet received the report of the Economic Prosperity Sub-Committee’s Green Skills Sub-Group on Green Skills for Retrofit Jobs on 23 May 2022 which set out a series of recommendations for Cabinet to consider.

The ten recommendations in the report were extensive and complex.  At its meeting on 27 June 2022 (Previous Minute CAB18/22), Cabinet agreed to receive a further report and to provide a response to the recommendations on 1 August 2022, thus allowing additional time for the recommendations to be fully considered by Cabinet and appropriate officers.

In introducing the report, the Deputy Mayor thanked the members of the Green Skills Sub-Group who produced their detailed report and recommendations, and the officers and organisations who supported them in the development of the report.

He stated that the Elected Mayor and Cabinet recognised the importance that retrofitting of buildings had to the Authority’s Carbon Net-Zero 2030 journey, including improving energy efficiency, generating renewable energy and providing low carbon heat.  That was why we have supported a range of retrofitting projects to the Authority’s operational buildings and housing stock, both  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB28/22

Monday 19 September 2022 at 6.00pm.

6.00pm on Monday 19 September 2022.