Agenda

Cabinet - Tuesday, 11th February, 2025 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall. View directions

Contact: Karon Hadfield 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on Tuesday 14 January 2025, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

3.

Disclosure of Members' Interests

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting; 

 

  1. Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter. 

 

  1. Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room. 

 

  1. Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room. 

 

  1. Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting. 

 

  1. Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it. 

 

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter. 

 

 

4.

Budget 2025-26 and Medium Term Financial Plan 2025-2029 pdf icon PDF 544 KB

Report of the Leader of the Council

 

The purpose of this report is to enable the Cabinet to make formal budget recommendations to the County Council.

 

The report provides the Revenue Budget for 2025-26 and Revenue MTFP 2025-29 and the Capital Budget for 2025-26 and Capital MTFP 2025-29, following the Government’s Autumn Statement on 30 October 2024, the Local Government Finance Policy Statement 2025-26 on the 28 November 2024, and the publication of the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement on 18 December 2024.

 

It is important to note that there may need to be some revisions to the figures following receipt of the Government’s final Local Government Finance Settlement figures in February 2025. It is proposed that any changes to the figures as a result of this announcement, which impact on the Budget 2025-26 and MTFP 2025-29 are delegated to the Executive Director of Transformation and Resources in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services. If the final Local Government Settlement is received prior to the Cabinet or 19 February 2025 Council meeting, then a supplementary report will be provided to Members advising of any changes.

Additional documents:

5.

Revenues and Benefits Policies 2025-26 pdf icon PDF 207 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

 

The purpose of this report is to update Members on the policies governing the administration of Revenues and Benefits and seek approval for the updates and amendments highlighted.

Additional documents:

6.

Corporate Fraud Policies for 2025-26 pdf icon PDF 152 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

 

The purpose of the report is to provide an update on the County Council’s policies and seek approval for updated policies.

Additional documents:

7.

Summary of New Capital Proposals considered by Officer Capital Strategy Group pdf icon PDF 339 KB

Reort of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services

 

This report summarises proposed amendments to the Capital Programme considered by the Capital Strategy Group on 19 December 2024.

8.

Energy Central Campus Phase 2: Energy Central Institute pdf icon PDF 320 KB

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Supporting Business and Opportunities

 

In accordance with the Energising Blyth Programme - Local Assurance Framework, the report seeks the endorsement of the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the Energy Central Campus Phase 2: Energy Central Institute.

 

Northumberland County Council (NCC) as Local Authority has a number of critical roles in relation to the Project:

 

a)       NCC is a founder member of ECC Ltd, is central to enabling project delivery acting as guarantor to the Grant Funding Agreements.

b)       NCC is the Accountable Body for the Town Deal Funding.

c)       NCC as freehold landowner of the development site.

9.

Northumberland Food Strategy pdf icon PDF 237 KB

Report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Supporting Business and Opportunities and Cllr Veronica Jones, Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequalities

 

The purpose of this report is to agree the strategic objectives and high level delivery priorities to support the development of Northumberland’s food system and agree early interventions.

Additional documents:

10.

Care Quality Commission assessment of adult social care pdf icon PDF 215 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Caring for Adults

 

This report summarises the conclusions of the assessment of adult social care in Northumberland by the Care Quality Commission, following their visit in August 2024.  Overall, the Council’s adult social care services were rated as “Good”.

Additional documents:

11.

School Admission Arrangements pdf icon PDF 423 KB

Report of the Cabinet Member for Inspiring Young People

 

This report informs Cabinet of the outcomes of the consultation on:

 

         School Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for the 2026/27 Academic Year as required by the School Admissions Code 2021.  Approval (determination) of these admission arrangements is also sought.

         School Transport Policy for Children of Compulsory School Age, September 2024.

Additional documents:

12.

Urgent Business

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

PART II

It is expected that matters included in this part of the Agenda will be dealt with in private.  Reports referred to are enclosed for members and officers only, coloured pink and marked "Not for Publication".

13.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Committee is invited to consider passing the following resolution:

 

(a) That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the Agenda as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act, and

 

(b) That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the following reasons:-

 

Agenda Item – 14

 

Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A – 3

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding the information). The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure because disclosure could adversely affect the business reputation or confidence in the person / organisation, and could adversely affect commercial revenue.

14.

Summary of New Capital Proposals Considered by the Officer Capital Strategy Group

This confidential appendix relates to item 7 in Part 1 of the agenda above. Unless Cabinet are of the opinion when considering the matter under item 7, that they wish to exclude the press and public to allow discussion of the confidential issues, and they pass the appropriate resolution at that point, then the confidential appendix will be taken as read, and the debate will be in public so far as practicable.