Cabinet - Thursday 12 June 2008

Present at the meeting:

• Councillor P R C Smith (Executive Leader)(In the Chair)
• Councillor K Anderson (Cabinet Champion for Neighbourhood)
• Councillor J B Baldwin (Cabinet Champion for Cultural)
• Councillor K Cunliffe (Cabinet Champion forHealthier Communities and Older People)
• Councillor T W Halliwell (Cabinet Champion for Equality)
• Councillor J Hilton (Cabinet Champion for Lifestyle)
• Councillor Mrs S Loudon (Cabinet Champion for Children and Young People)
• Councillor D T Molyneux (Cabinet Champion for Environment and Regeneration)
• Councillor C Ready (Cabinet Champion for Improvement)
• Councillor P Prescott (Cabinet Champion for Organisational Change)

20 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 29 May 2008 were approved as a correct record.

21 Exclusion of the public - section 100a Local Government Act 1972: Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Cabinet discusses the following items for the reasons set out below:-

22 Children and Young People’s Plan 2008/11: The Cabinet considered a report informing Members of the draft Wigan Children and Young People’s Plan. The report also sought approval of the proposals that had been put forward by the Wigan Borough Partnership for Children, Young People and Families.

The Executive Leader requested the Director of Children and Young People’s Services to amend the plan to make reference to increasing the aspirations of children and young people, and to indicate that the priorities were of equal importance.

There were no alternative options available for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet approves the Children and Young People’s Plan for 2008/11 as now amended.

23 Annual Performance Assessment 2008: The Cabinet considered a report informing Members of the Ofsted Annual Performance Assessment (APA) of services for children and young people in Wigan for 2008 and seeking approval of proposed self assessment grades.

There were no alternative options for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet approves the self assessment gradings for APA in 2008 as set out in the report now submitted.

24 Annual Governance Statement (formerly Statement on Internal Control): The Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of the authority’s Annual Governance Statement for the year ended 31 March 2008. The Audit Governance and Improvement Review Committee had endorsed the report (minute 9 refers).

The report set out details of the alternative options to be considered. The reason for selecting the one recommended was because the requirement to produce an Annual Governance Statement was a statutory responsibility. The Annual Governance Statement had been produced in accordance with legislation and formatted to accord with current CIPFA and Audit Commission guidance.

Resolved: The Cabinet approves the Annual Governance Statement as set out in the report now submitted.

(Councillors J B Baldwin, K Cunliffe, D T Molyneux and P R C Smith declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because they are Board Members of Wigan Metropolitan Development Company Limited appointed by the Council. Councillor J B Baldwin declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because he is a Board Member of the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust appointed by the Council. Councillor T W Halliwell declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because he is a Board Member of Wigan and Leigh Housing appointed by the Council).

25 Food service plan 2008/09: The Cabinet considered a report on the food service plan for 2008/09. The Community Protection Plan had endorsed the report (minute 10 refers). The aim of the plan was to ensure that food produced, consumed and sold in the Borough was wholesome and safe to eat.

There were no alternative options available for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet recommends the Council to approve and adopt the food service plan for 2008/09 as part of the Council’s Policy Framework.

26 Marketing income: The Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of the Wigan Town Centre marketing income strategy as a framework to generate income which would be reinvested in the town centre. The strategy would also generate match funds from the private sector and contribute towards Town Centre Management overheads.

The report set out details of the alternative options to be considered. The reason for selecting the one recommended was to provide a budget for a programme of events and marketing.

Resolved: The Cabinet:-

• approves the Wigan Town Centre marketing income stategey as set out in the report now submitted; and
• requests the Director of Environmental Services to bring a report to a future meeting of Cabinet to update Members on the progress that has been made on the strategy.

27 Integrated community equipment service – pooled budget 2008/09: The Cabinet considered a report updating Members on the performance of the integrated community equipment service, which was in its third year of operation. The report also sought approval for the pooled budget contribution for 2008/09.

There were no alternative options available for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet:-

• notes the progress made in the third year of the integrated community equipment service;
• approves the Council’s pooled budget contribution for 2008/09; and
• authorises the Director of Adult Services to take any decisions under delegated authority in future years.

28 Post Office closures (minute 328 refers): The Cabinet considered a report on the Post Office’s decisions to close five branches within the Borough, contained in the area plan proposal for the Merseyside, Wirral and Cheshire with Wigan, Leigh and Makerfield areas.

The Deputy Chief Executive also advised Members that the Post Office had now begun a review of Post Offices within the Greater Manchester area. The Post Office had notified the Council that, as part of this review, a proposal to close the Post Office situated on Manchester Road, Leigh had now been submitted.

There were no alternative options available for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet:-

• notes the decisions of the Post Office in relation to branch closures across the Borough as detailed within the report now submitted;
• requests the Deputy Chief Executive to undertake the necessary consultation with ward members, in relation to the proposed closure of the Post Office situated on Manchester Road, Leigh; and
• requests the Deputy Chief Executive to submit Cabinet’s objections to the proposed closure to the Post Office situated on Manchester Road, Leigh along with those submitted directly by ward councillors and local residents.

29 Bickershaw Country Park – site management arrangements: The Cabinet considered a report on the proposals for the strategic management of the Bickershaw Country Park site.

The report set out details of the alternative options to be considered. The reason for selecting the one recommended was to provide the most cost effective solution for the management of the site.

Resolved: The Cabinet:-

• agrees to defer this item to a future meeting of Cabinet; and
• requests the Director of Environmental Services and the Service Director – Borough Solicitor to invite representatives from the Land Restoration Trust and English Partnerships to attend that meeting.

(Councillor J B Baldwin declared a prejudicial interest in this item because he is a Board Member of the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and left the meeting during consideration of this item)

30 Decisions authorised by the Director of Adult Services under Chief Officers' delegated powers: The Cabinet considered a report informing Members of the decisions made by the Director of Adult Services under delegated powers which incorporated a value of less than £150,000.

There were no alternative options available for consideration.

Resolved: The Cabinet notes the report.