Agenda and minutes

Councillor Kevin Guy, as Chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting and made reference to the meeting contingency arrangements for this meeting.

The Chair will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out in the Notes

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an other interest,  (as defined in Part 2, A and B of the Code of Conduct and Rules for Registration of Interests)

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Council’s Monitoring Officeror a member of his staff before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

The Chair made reference to the urgent statement he had made at the virtual meeting on 31^st March 2022 about the Approach golf course, which is included in the minutes of that meeting.

Questions submitted before the deadline will receive a reply from an appropriate Cabinet member or a promise to respond within 5 days of the meeting.  Councillors may ask one supplementary question for each question they submitted, up to a maximum of two per Councillor.

There were 30 questions from Councillors and no questions from the public.  Any Councillors who wished to ask a supplementary question did so last night at the virtual meeting.

The Chair stated that the question-and-answer sheet (with any supplementary questions) will be published with the minutes of the meeting;

https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/documents/g6186/Public%20minutes%2031st-Mar-2022%2019.15%20Cabinet.pdf?T=11

Councillors and members of the public may register their intention to make a statement if they notify the subject matter of their statement before the deadline.  Statements are limited to 3 minutes each.  The speaker may then be asked by Cabinet members to answer factual questions arising out of their statement.

The Chair explained that members of the public and Councillors who wished to make a statement did so at the virtual meeting of the Cabinet held on 31^st March 2022.  Their statements, where provided, are attached to the minutes of this meeting;

https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/documents/g6186/Public%20minutes%2031st-Mar-2022%2019.15%20Cabinet.pdf?T=11

The Cabinet is asked to confirm the minutes of the following meetings as a correct record:

Informal virtual Cabinet meeting - 10 February 2022

Cabinet meeting - 11 February 2022

On a motion from Councillor Kevin Guy, seconded by Councillor Tim Ball, it was

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th and 11^th February 2022 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

This is a standard agenda item, to cover any reports originally placed on the Weekly list for single Member decision making, which have subsequently been the subject of a Cabinet Member requisition to the full Cabinet, under the Council’s procedural rules

This is a standing agenda item (Constitution rule 14, part 4D – Executive Procedure Rules) for matters referred by Policy Development and Scrutiny bodies.  The Chair of the relevant PDS Panel will have the right to attend and to introduce the Panel’s recommendations to Cabinet.

A list of Cabinet Single Member decisions taken and published since the last Cabinet meeting to note (no debate).

There were none.

As part of the national regionalising adoption agenda, Bath and North East Somerset Council, along with five other Local Authorities, set up a Regional Adoption Agency named Adoption West. The Agency commenced operation on 1 March 2019.

The Cabinet is asked to agree that the term of the original Commissioning Agreement (as defined) be extended for a period of up to five years. The original agreement allows for this extension and the Adoption West Board, which includes all six Local Authorities, including B&NES Council; is in support of this.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Alison Born, it was unanimously

RESOLVED

1.  To note that all other 5 Local Authority owners of Adoption West have approved the contract extension through their respective Executives;

2.  To approve the extension of the Commissioning Agreement with Adoption West for the delivery of services as per the original contractual specification, by 5 years until 28 February 2027; and directs the Director Of Children’s Services and Education  in consultation with the Directors of Finance, and Legal and Democratic Services and in consultation with the Cabinet member for Children's Services and Education  to agree in writing, in accordance with clause 3.2 of the Commissioning Agreement, a five year contract extension and execute any and all related documents required to implement that extension.

3.  To note that the AW Board, which Mary Kearney-Knowles, Director of Children’s Services and Education is part of; is unanimously supportive of the contract extension. This recognises that Adoption West is realising its potential, and delivers a good quality, consistent offer for children and adoptive families across its operational footprint.

The report introduces the Heritage Services Business plan for approval. The Plan sets out the strategy to rebuild visitor numbers and financial performance on a sustainable basis, whilst maintaining the high standards of visitor experience conservation and presentation that underpin commercial success.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Tim Ball, it was RESOLVED unanimously to;

1.  Approve the Heritage Services Business Plan; and

2.  Approve, in principle, the creation of a charity to support the new Fashion Museum and Collections Study Centre Project