Agenda and decisions

Minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on Tuesday 11 February 2025, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

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. 

2. 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. 

3. 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. 

4. 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. 

5. 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. 

Report of the Leader

Following Council approval of the 2025-26 budget and MTFP on 19 February this report requests that Cabinet approve the updated BEST Strategic Business Case which builds upon the previous business case approved in January 2023.

RESOLVED that the updated BEST Strategic Business Case be approved.

Report of the Leader

The report sets out the findings of the independent review of governance arrangements for oversight of Council owned companies undertaken by Local Partnerships and an action plan for addressing key recommendations.

RESOLVED that:-

(a )     the findings and recommendations set out in the Local Partnerships report be noted;

(b )     Cabinet approve the action plan at Schedule 2 to this report, to address key recommendations from the report and delegate authority to the Executive Director of Transformation and Resources and Director of Law and Governance to take the necessary actions to implement; and

(c )     the recommendation of Local Partnerships to increase membership of the Shareholder Cabinet Sub-Committee from 3 to 4 be agreed.

Report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Supporting Business and Opportunities

This report provides an update on the Borderlands Place Programme in Northumberland and seeks Cabinet’s approval to establish a new £9m Town Centre Transformation Package including a range of measures to accelerate project development and delivery.  The proposed package, funded by Northumberland County Council forms a key co-financing contribution as part of the £21m Borderlands Place Programme in the County.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      Cabinet approve the establishment of a £9m Town Centre Transformation Package (TCTP) contributing to the Programme’s delivery funded by Northumberland County Council from the £9m MTFP allocation for the Borderlands Place Programme; and

(b)      Cabinet approve a funding allocation authorising expenditure of up to £4,000,000 NCC funding to enable early delivery of the TCTP projects set out below and eligible capital project development expenditure across the Borderlands project pipeline from the current £9m MTFP allocation for the Borderlands Place Programme, of which £500,000 is profiled in 2025-26 and £3.5m is profiled in 2026-27 :

a.       Alnwick Town Centre TCTP Phase 1 (Northumberland Hall Enabling Works (Bailiffgate Museum), Town Centre Transformation Project including Transport Hub Bus Station Improvements) – up to £1.2m.

b.       Prudhoe TCTP Phase 1 (East Centre Enabling Works, The Glade Town Square and Public Realm, Wayfinding and Connectivity) – up to £500,000.

c.        Bedlington TCTP Phase 1 (Bedlington Station Heritage Café and Bistro, Town Centre Strategic Sites, Market Place Revitalisation Project and Public Realm, Wayfinding and Connectivity) - up to £600,000.

d.       Newbiggin by the Sea TCTP Phase 1 (Promenade Transformation Car Park Improvements) – up to £550,000.

e.       Bellingham TCTP Phase 1 (Station Yard Business Pods and Storage facilities) – up to £250,000.

f.        Haltwhistle TCTP Phase 1 (Visitor Facilities Package Phase 1) – up to £200,000.

g.       Rothbury TCTP Phase 1 (Town Centre public realm, wayfinding and connectivity) – up to £200,000.

h.       Place Programme eligible capital project development support – up to £500,000.

Report of the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Looking after our Environment

To update members on progress with the implementation of the Environmental Policy Statement Action Plan that was agreed by Cabinet in October 2023 and to seek approval to proceed with the project titled ‘Supporting Nature in Our Green Spaces’ which entails reviewing our grounds maintenance arrangements to identify how we can better support nature recovery and improved biodiversity in our public green spaces, which includes a community conversation to seek views on the broad principles and priorities that will help shape and guide the project.

RESOLVED that Cabinet note the excellent progress with the implementation of the Environmental Policy Statement Action Plan and give their approval to progress the project ‘Supporting Nature in our Green Spaces’, the next stage of which includes undertaking a community conversation using the questionnaire attached in Appendix A to seek views on the broad principles and priorities that will help shape the project outcomes.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Improving our Roads and Highways

To outline the feedback received to the draft plan following the recent consultation exercise and to seek agreement to the adoption of the Council’s new Rights of Way Improvement Plan for 2025-2035.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      the contents and policies of the Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) be noted;

(b)      the consultation responses (as summarised) be noted;

(c)      the concerns raised by the Joint Local Access Forum (JLAF) and survey respondents relating to the resourcing of the delivery plan be noted; and

(d)      the Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2025-2035 be adopted.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources

The purpose of the report is to ensure that the Cabinet is informed of the current financial position for the Council against the Budget for 2024-25.

RESOLVED that:-

The following be approved:

1.1      the re-profiling to the Capital Programme of £36.817 million from 2024-25 to 2025-26 to reflect estimated expenditure levels in the current financial year.

1.2      the creation of a new earmarked reserve for Leisure and the subsequent transfer of an estimated £1.300 million to this reserve following the liquidation of Active Northumberland. It is proposed that the reserve will be used to offset leisure pressures.

1.3      Delegate the utilisation of the reserve to the Executive Director of Public Health, Inequalities and Stronger Communities in consultation with the Section 151 Officer.

The following be noted:

1.4      the projected overspend on services of £2.997 million and the assumptions outlined in the report.

1.5      the supplementary estimates at Appendix A and the required changes to the budgets.

1.6      the delivery of the approved savings at Appendix B.

1.7      the use of the contingency shown at Appendix L.

1.8      the use of reserves shown at Appendix M.

1.9      the virements requested by services within delegated limits as shown in Appendix N.

1.10    the details of capital project reprofiling shown at Appendix O.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources

This report summarises proposed amendments to the Capital Programme considered by the Capital Strategy Group on 28 January 2025.

RESOLVED that:-

(1 )     Loan to Advance Northumberland – Longhorsley Scheme

a)       Cabinet approve the proposed spend of £9.665 million (£3.670 million in 2024-25 and £5.995 million in 2025-26) to provide a loan to Advance Northumberland Developments Ltd for the purchase of land at Longhorsley and subsequent construction of 55 new Ascent Homes. This spend will be funded from the existing Loans to Third Parties project in the capital programme. 

(2)      Energising Blyth Levelling Up Deep Dive: Town Centre Extra Care Facility

a)       Cabinet approve the proposed spend of £1.000 million (£0.075  million in 2024-25 and £0.925 million in 2025-26) in advance of a full business case in order to carry out property acquisitions and demolition work for the development of an Extra Care Facility. This spend will be funded from the existing Energising Blyth Levelling up Deep Dive – Housing Renewal and Town Centre Living project in the capital programme;

. 

b)       Cabinet approve the amendment to the capital programme to reallocate £1.000 million (£0.075 million in 2024-25 and £0.925 million in 2025-26) from the Energising Blyth Levelling up Deep Dive – Housing Renewal and Town Centre Living project to the Energising Blyth Levelling Up Deep Dive: Town Centre Extra Care Facility project in the capital programme;

c)       Cabinet delegate authority to the Executive Director for Place & Regeneration in consultation with the Executive Director of Transformation and Resources and the relevant Cabinet Member, to enter into a demolition contract relating to the project and to complete strategic property acquisitions subject to confirmation of associated funding being in place and the appropriate/compliant procurement processes being followed; and?

d)       Cabinet approve the appropriation of land, required to deliver the scheme, from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to the General Fund at market value.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Inspiring Young People

To update Cabinet on the outcomes of the tender process for the construction of new build secondary school for James Calvert Spence and seek the delegated approval to award the construction contract. 

An outline capital allocation for investment in Education has already been made within the Council’s medium term capital programme of £31,576,403.  The Final Business Case seeks to confirm the capital required for the construction and management of the proposed scheme, being £35,576,403. The increase has been included in the Capital Programme 2025-29 approved by County Council in February 2025.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)      authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Children, Young People and Education in consultation with the Executive Director of Transformation and Resources and the Director of Law and Corporate Governance to authorise the award of the final contract to Kier Construction Limited in the sum of £31.576.403;

(b)      Cabinet agree to issue an early works instruction to Kier Construction Limited as an extension of the current preconstruction services agreement, dated 3rd July 2024 (PCSA) up to the value of £0.700 million to prevent any increases in cost or delays in programme until the award of contract is complete in April 2025; and

(c)      Cabinet note the revised allocation of £46.932 million capital funding for the Coquet Schools Redevelopment which includes the increase of £4.000 million NCC Borrowing as approved by Full Council to amend the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan 2025-29 to deliver the scheme.

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.

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 Items          Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A

14                             3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, as without the exemption there is a significant risk that commercial transactions with third parties would be adversely affected.

15                             3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure because disclosure could adversely affect the Authority’s ability to conduct its affairs and achieve best value.

16                             3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure because disclosure would prejudice the ability for Northumberland County Council to obtain a competitive price through the re-tendering of the design and build contract.

Report of the Leader of the Council

To endorse the Leader of the Council consenting as a Director of the Newcastle Airport Local Authority Holding Company Limited (NALAHCL) to the sale of shares from the existing private sector partner.

This matter was withdrawn

This confidential appendix relates to item 10 in Part 1 of the agenda above. Unless Cabinet are of the opinion when considering the matter under item 10, 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.

This confidential appendix relates to item 11 in Part 1 of the agenda above. Unless Cabinet are of the opinion when considering the matter under item 11, 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.