The Cabinet is asked to note any apologies for absence received from Members.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors G V Guglielmi (Deputy Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance), I J Henderson (Leader of the Labour Group), M C Newton (Portfolio Holder for Business & Economic Growth) and M E Stephenson (Leader of the Tendring Independents Group).

The Leader of the Council reminded Cabinet that today was Holocaust Memorial Day and that many members of the Council were participating in services of commemoration across the District.

The Leader then led all persons present in a short period of silent reflection.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Cabinet held on Friday 16 December 2022.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet, held on Friday 16 December 2022, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of Interest made by Members at this time.

The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by the Leader of the Council.

There were no announcements by the Leader of the Council on this occasion.

The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by Members of the Cabinet.

There were no announcements by Cabinet Members on this occasion.

There are no matters referred to the Cabinet by full Council on this occasion.

There were no matters referred to the Cabinet by full Council on this occasion.

To enable the Cabinet to consider the recommendations submitted to it by the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee following that Committee’s scrutiny of the Cabinet’s budget proposals at its meeting held on 11 January 2023.

RESOLVED that the recommendations made by the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee be noted and that it be further noted that the response of the Portfolio Holders thereto will be considered as part of items 10 and 11 of the agenda.

Cabinet considered the recommendations submitted to it by the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee following that Committee’s scrutiny of the Cabinet’s budget proposals at its meeting held on 11 January 2023. That Committee had recommended that Cabinet -

“a)   requests a comprehensive piece of work be undertaken to assess the true costs of services subject to discretionary Fees and Charges (including full on-costs) to ensure that cost recovery is being achieved and that inadvertent subsidy of services from Council Tax income does not exist where those full costs should be met through relevant Fees and Charges;

b)    requests that progress be made (at pace) in the coming months to ensure that Zero Based Budgeting is applied consistently to all major net expenditure areas for the Council and that this process should involve robust challenges to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and economy of those service based budgets;

c)    makes any necessary arrangements so that, particularly while the current economic conditions prevail, strict caution is observed around estimates of costs of proposed projects/schemes (provided in support of decisions around those projects/schemes) with a view to supporting realistic budgetary allocations being made that more closely align with the costs identified for the projects/schemes following procurement in respect of those projects;

d)    records that the failure of the External Auditors (to conclude in a timely fashion the Audit of the Council’s accounts for 2020/21) is an impediment to good governance, including through this Overview and Scrutiny process, and to support the sterling efforts by the Council’s Audit Committee to address this failure with the External Auditors;

e)    concurs that, for future years, the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee, shall be requested to examine and enquire into the spend in relation to grants to statutory and voluntary sector partners and to submit its findings to the Resources & Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee in time for its budget scrutiny process;

f)     takes measures (without delay) to ensure that the Housing Stock Survey of the Council’s homes is commenced at the earliest opportunity (with a view to it being completed within 2023/24), that regular updates on the Survey be made to all Councillors and that steps be taken to dispose of vacant Council homes that have particular long term maintenance issues with a view to the disposal sum being re-invested in properties that are easier to maintain and, potentially, meeting housing need locally more closely;

g)    supports the statements to the Resources & Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, that the New Homes Bonus for 2023/24 be held without being allocated until after the 4 May 2023 elections;

h)    proposes to Council that the shortfall between income and expenditure which would otherwise occur in 2023/24 be met by utilising the Forecast Risk Fund and that the use of the Corporate Investment Plan ‘Reserve’ and Building for the Future Use be applied to balance the budget in 2024/25 if required; and

i)     arranges that an update on the approved and pipeline schemes within/through the Corporate Investment Plan, since  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98.

To update Cabinet on progress with Freeport East, and draw Cabinet’s attention to the obligations placed on Tendring District Council (TDC) by the Freeport East Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

To recommend that authority to agree the final Freeport East MoU, on behalf of TDC, acting as Billing Authority, be delegated to the Deputy Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance.

To set out the new TDC Business Rates Retention Policy for Freeport East and to agree a Freeport Business Rates Relief Policy.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)       notes the progress made with the Freeport East Programme as set out in the joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Governance (A.2);

(b)       delegates the authority, acting on behalf of the Council as Billing Authority, to agree the final Freeport East Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the Deputy Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance;

(c)       approves and adopts TDC’s Freeport East Policy for Managing Retained Business Rates, as attached as Appendix B to item A.2 of the joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Governance;

(d)       approves and adopts the Freeport Business Rates Relief Policy, as attached as Appendix C to item A.2 of the joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Governance;

(e)       delegates authority to the Assistant Director (Finance & IT) to implement and administer the Business Rates Relief Policy as adopted; and

(f)        delegates authority to the Assistant Director (Finance & IT), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Housing to amend the scheme to reflect any emerging Government guidance / legislation.

Cabinet considered a joint report of the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Governance (A.2) which:-

updated it on progress with Freeport East, and drew its attention to the obligations placed on Tendring District Council (TDC) by the Freeport East Memorandum of Understanding (MoU);

recommended that authority to agree the final Freeport East MoU, on behalf of TDC, acting as Billing Authority, be delegated to the Deputy Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance; and

set out the new TDC Business Rates Retention Policy for Freeport East and sought Cabinet’s agreement for a Freeport Business Rates Relief Policy.

Business Case

It was reported that during 2022 Freeport East had responded to the ‘critical actions’ to refine the business case requested by Government. The final version of the Full Business Case with the response to those actions had been assessed by HM Treasury at the end of November 2022. The Full Business Case had been approved on 10 January 2023, with a number of outstanding actions for completion. Following that approval, a Parliamentary Reception event had been held by Freeport East Ltd to engage partners with the local MPs, officials and the Government Minister and a Freeport East local launch event was planned, expected in February 2023.

Company

Cabinet recalled that the Leader’s Freeport East Working Party, at its meeting held on 31 August 2022, had recommended that the Council joined the Freeport East Company as a founding Member; that the Council entered into a Members’ Agreement with other partner organisations in Freeport East; and that the Leader of the Council (Councillor Stock OBE) joined the Board of the Company as the Member representative Company Director from Tendring District Council (TDC). Freeport East had been formally incorporated as a company on 6 December 2022 and Councillor Neil Stock OBE had been appointed to Freeport East’s board of directors, in line with the Cabinet’s decision, with the Chief Executive (Ian Davidson) as his alternate, in line with Full Council’s decision.

Senior roles and groups

It was reported that Freeport East had appointed a Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Beel, who had started in this role on 21 September 2022, and a new Chairman, Mark Lemmon, who had chaired the first meeting of the new company Board on 7 December 2022. The company was now implementing aspects of the business case, such as setting up a Management Committee, to be chaired by Stephen Beel, and the first of the Theme groups, which would develop future proposals for Freeport East. Those included skills, innovation, and trade and investment. TDC would be represented by officers on the Management Committee and Theme Groups.

Investment Zones

Members were made aware that an Expression of Interest (EOI) had been submitted by Freeport East in response to the Government’s call for submissions for Investment Zones, which included the Freeport East area. However, since the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022 the Government’s Investment Zone policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99.

To provide the Cabinet with an update on the positive progress with the Highlight Priority Actions adopted for 2022/23 towards the Council’s Corporate Plan Themes for 2020/24.

RESOLVED that -

(a)    the contents of the report together with the proposed realignment of particular milestones and adoption of new milestones, for particular highlight priority actions set out in the report be noted and endorsed; and

(b)    Officers be authorised to commence early engagement with partners and the public to seek insight on future priorities for the Council in readiness for development of the Corporate Plan during 2023.

Cabinet considered a report of the Leader of the Council (A.1) which provided it with an update on the positive progress with the Highlight Priority Actions adopted for 2022/23 towards the Council’s Corporate Plan Themes for 2020/24.

The Cabinet was aware that the Corporate Plan 2020/24, adopted by Council, set out the strategic direction and policy objectives for the Council over that period.  Taking into account the Corporate Plan Themes, Cabinet at its meeting held on 25 February 2022 had adopted a series of highlight priority actions for 2022/23 with individual milestones for each of those actions.  This meeting of Cabinet provided an opportunity to report on the nine month position on each of those highlight priority actions and the specified milestones.

Members were reminded that circumstances generally (and as individual highlight priority actions were progressed) could impact on the achievement of individual milestones associated with those actions.  The Leader’s report invited Cabinet to realign (or further realign) certain milestones as set out in the Appendix to that report where such circumstances had impacted on the timing of individual milestones.

Members were aware that, normally, this meeting of Cabinet would also finalise its proposals for highlight priority actions for 2023/24. However, with the proximity of the election of all 48 District Councillors on Thursday 4 May 2023, the adoption of highlight priorities now could be seen as making commitments that would bind the Council following the elections. This seemed un-necessary and to run counter to the approach being taken in the budget process where the opportunity existed to leave allocation of the Revenue Support Grant and new Homes bonus to the Council’s administration after 4 May. As such, it was proposed to use the start of the 2023/24 financial year to complete/progress the highlight priorities for 2022/23 where there were matters to be progressed/completed.

Cabinet was informed that the Corporate Plan would continue to guide activity in that period. During that period and in advance of the administration following the election being confirmed formally, Officers would seek to gain insight of partners and the public on the priorities of, and pressures on, the Council to support decision making later in 2023 and the development of the 2024-28 Corporate Plan. The focus of the next Corporate Plan might be more restrictive than the current Corporate Plan due to the ongoing and future pressures on the Council.

In considering this report, Cabinet also reflected on the range of significant matters that the Council had delivered in the previous six months.  It had been a busy six months and a range of the bids, and deliverables in that period were set out in the background section of the Leader’s report and covered matters including:-

(1)    Tendring4Growth Business Fortnight to champion local Firms;

(2)    New rubbish bags for community litter picks;

(3)    BOFSTED reports good progress in Apprenticeship provider (Career Track);

(4)    Gold Award to TDC as positive employer of Armed Forces community;

(5)    Learning from Junior Ambassadors showcased at celebration event;

(6)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

To enable Cabinet to:

·      consider the updated financial forecast, including budget changes in 2022/23 and budget proposals for 2023/24;

·      agree the latest financial forecast / budget proposals and council tax amount for 2023/24 for recommending to Full Council; and

·      approve delegations to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to agree the detailed budget proposals and formal draft resolutions / ‘technical’ appendices required for Full Council on 14 February 2023.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     approves the updated Financial Forecast including a revised position for 2022/23 and proposed position for 2023/24, as set out in the Portfolio Holder’s report and Appendices (A.4) and recommends to Full Council a Band D Council Tax for district services of £188.11 for 2023/24 (a £5.47 increase), along with the associated council tax requirement of £9.603m;

b)     agrees a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to agree the ‘technical’ appendices and resolutions for the budget proposals for recommending to Full Council on 14 February 2023;

(c)  approves that, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder, the Chief Executive reports directly to Council in respect of the formal resolutions necessary to implement the Executive’s budget proposals along with any late information or notifications received from the Government;

(d) approves a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to agree / adopt a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure mandatory business rate relief scheme for 2023/24;

(e) approves a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to agree any associated expenditure from the £250,000 Climate Change budget set out in Appendix A to his report;

(f)  approves / adopts the proposed Council Tax Support Fund Scheme as set out within the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.4) and that any remaining balance be transferred to the existing Council Tax Hardship scheme; and

(g)   agrees a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to approve the draft Treasury Strategy 2023/24 for consultation with the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet considered a report of the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder (A.4) which:-

·      set out the updated financial forecast, including budget changes in 2022/23 and budget proposals for 2023/24;

·      sought its agreement for the latest financial forecast / budget proposals and council tax amount for 2023/24 to be submitted to Full Council; and

·      sought delegations to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance to agree the detailed budget proposals and formal draft resolutions / ‘technical’ appendices required for Full Council on 14 February 2023.

It was reported that since the Cabinet’s meeting held on 16 December 2022, additional changes had been required, primarily as a result of new or revised information becoming available which included the Government’s Financial Settlement announcements. The changes required had resulted in a reduced deficit for 2023/24 of £2.487m, a change of £0.946m compared to the £3.433m deficit presented to Cabinet in December.

Appendices A and Bto the Portfolio Holder’s report provided further details across the various lines of the forecast, with the most significant change being the receipt of the revenue support grant and other associated funding from the Government.

Given the impact of the various changes to the forecast across the remaining forecast period, it was proposed by the Portfolio Holder to transfer the remaining balance of funding of £1,643,290 as set out within Appendix A to the Forecast Risk Fund. This was required to support the forecast across 2024/25 to 2026/27 based on the updated estimated position set out in Appendix B.

Cabinet was informed that in order to enable the detailed estimates along with the various resolutions / ‘technical’ appendices required for Full Council on 14 February 2023 to be finalised, a delegation to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance and Governance was required. A further delegation was also required to enable a business rate relief policy, associated with a 2023/24 mandatory Government relief scheme, to be finalised in advance of bills being printed and sent out before the start of the next financial year.

This report also set out a proposed Council Tax Support Fund Scheme, which reflected the associated Government guidance.

Members were made aware that the recommendations also included a delegation to the Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder to agree expenditure to support climate change initiatives, following an associated adjustment to the budget for 2022/23 set out within Appendix A.

It was likely that the budget position set out in this report would change, as further adjustments would be required as part of finalising the budget for presenting to Council on 14 February 2023, with a further delegation included in the report’s recommendations to reflect this.

Cabinet was informed that, based on the final proposed budget for 2023/24, the Council Tax requirement was £9.603m, which was based on a 3% (£5.47) increase for this Council’s services, with a Band D council tax of £188.11. Those figures would remain unchanged and therefore would be reflected in the various budget resolutions / ‘technical’ appendices proposed to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

To advise Cabinet of the proposals for redevelopment of the Honeycroft, Lawford site following an open tender process.

To seek approval of the acquisition and redevelopment scoring/appraisal for use of the site for housing for older persons purposes.

To seek Cabinet’s approval to proceed with the scheme and with the bid made by Rose Builders.

To seek Cabinet’s recommendation to Full Council that funding from receipts is allocated to the proposals.

To delegate authority to the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery) in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder to determine the detailed scheme content.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    agrees to the principle of re-development of the Honeycroft site to provide additional housing accommodation to be used for the sole purpose of occupation by  elderly persons;

(b)    agrees the scoring matrix for the use of the site Honeycroft site for redevelopment purposes in accordance with the Council’s Acquisition and Development Policy Assessment, as set in Appendix A to the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.5);

(c)    approves the re-development of the Honeycroft site on the basis of the scheme proposed by the recommended supplier, including the optional flat above the proposed community building and agrees to enter into a contract with them to deliver the Scheme, subject to funding being approved by Full Council as part of setting the HRA budget; and

(d)    authorises the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery), in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to determine the detailed scheme content and implement the redevelopment of the Honeycroft site subject to the funding being agreed by Full Council on 14 February 2023 as part of their consideration of the wider HRA Budget Proposals for 2023/24.

Cabinet considered a report of the Housing Portfolio Holder (A.5) which:-

advised it of the proposals for redevelopment of the Honeycroft, Lawford site following an open tender process;

sought its approval of the acquisition and redevelopment scoring/appraisal for use of the site for housing for older persons purposes;

sought its approval to proceed with the scheme and with the bid made by Rose Builders;

sought its recommendation to Full Council that funding from receipts be allocated to the proposals; and

sought a delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery), in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to determine the detailed scheme content.

Cabinet recalled that, following completion of the demolition of the former Honeycroft sheltered accommodation in June 2021, it had decided on 16 July 2021 to seek proposals in respect of the redevelopment of the site. An open tender process had now been undertaken in conjunction with procurement partners at Essex County Council.   

Members were made aware that the specification for the scheme had enabled bidders to propose their own designs and construction methods. However, it had been requested that the scheme should be as energy efficient as possible and bidders had been encouraged to be innovative in this regard.  A range of local developers and builders had been advised of the bidding opportunity as were a number of manufacturers and consortia who had contacted the Council over the recent past promoting their development and construction services.

It was reported that proposals had now been received and evaluated, with the preferred scheme made up of fully accessible and adaptable bungalows; a small community facility with optional additional accommodation above; and all associated parking and landscaping to benefit the site.

Members were informed that three submissions were received which had been evaluated by Officers on a combined price, quality and social value basis. The recommended bidder was Rose Builders who had put forward a scheme (proposed site plan attached at Appendix C to the Portfolio Holder’s report) to construct 13 new lifetime bungalows, a small community building with an optional flat above and all the associated landscaping and parking necessary for the site.

The proposed scheme incorporated many carbon reducing technologies, including solar panels, heat pumps, water butts, electric vehicle charging points and even the option of a green wall.

The tender cost submitted for the development was £2,828,717.05, however, there were a number of caveats to this and therefore the sum of £3,250,000.00 was requested as the budget for the scheme.

Recognising that –

the proposed development would provide specialist accessible properties that reflected the past use of the site and were much needed to meet the current housing demand (scoring under the Housing Acquisition and Development Assessment showed an aggregate score of 28);

the properties would be lifetime homes and would provide accessible living for later life and enable people to stay in their own community despite changing physical needs;

the scheme incorporated many carbon and energy saving measures to meet current and future energy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

To seek Cabinet’s approval of the updated Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan for years 2022/23 and 2023/24 along with final HRA budget proposals for 2023/24 (including fees and charges, capital programme and movement in HRA Balances) for recommendation to Council on 14 February 2023.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    approves the updated HRA 30 year Business Plan, which includes the proposed position for 2022/23 and 2023/24, as set out in Appendix A to item A.6 of the Joint Report of the Housing Portfolio Holder and the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder;

(b)    authorises the Assistant Director (Finance & IT), in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to adjust the forecast / budget, including the use of reserves, if the financial position changes prior to Council considering the HRA budget on 14 February 2023; and

(c)    endorses and approves for submission to Full Council on 14 February 2023 a 7% increase in dwelling rents in 2023/24 along with the detailed HRA Budget proposals for 2023/24, as set out in Appendices B to E to the Joint Report of the Housing Portfolio Holder and the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder (A.6).

Cabinet considered a joint report of the Housing Portfolio Holder and the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder (A.6), which sought its approval of the updated Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan for years 2022/23 and 2023/24 along with the final HRA budget proposals 2023/24 (including fees and charges, capital programme and movement in HRA Balances) for recommendation to Council on 14 February 2023.

It was reported that, since the Cabinet’s meeting on 16 December 2022, a number of minor changes had been required in 2023/24, with 2022/23 remaining unchanged.

The changes required in 2023/24 had resulted in the overall deficit increasing marginally to £0.296m a change of £0.022m compared to the position reported to Cabinet in December 2022. Appendix Ato the joint report set out the updated Business Plan, in terms of 2022/23 and 2023/24, with Appendix B setting out the proposed detailed budgets that reflected this latest position.

Members were made aware that this position remained subject to further adjustments that might be required as part of finalising the budget for presenting to Council on 14 February 2023, with a delegation included in the joint report’s recommendations to respond to that possibility.

Cabinet was informed that Appendix C set out the proposed fees and charges for 2023/24, which broadly reflected inflationary uplifts of 7% where relevant or changes to better reflect the cost of providing the associated service.

The proposed HRA Capital Programme for 2023/24 was set out in Appendix D, which now included the Honeycroft New Build Scheme and the redevelopment of Spendells House.

Cabinet was advised that the average weekly rent remained unchanged to the figure reported in December 2022 at £93.68, an increase of 7% over the comparable figure of £87.55for 2022/23.

It was reported that the HRA general balance was forecast to total £3.754m at the end of 2023/24, which retained a strong financial position against which the associated HRA 30 year Business Plan could continue to be delivered / developed. The HRA balances, together with the proposed rent increase for 2023/24 were important elements of delivering a sustainable HRA in the longer term.

Cabinet was notified that the HRA debt continued to reduce year on year as principal was repaid with a total debt position at the end of 2023/24 forecast to be £33.949m(a reduction of £1.414m compared with the figure at the end of 2022/23).

Members were informed that it was proposed to consult with the Tenants’ Panel on 7 February 2023, with any comments planned to be reported to Members either ahead of, or directly at, the Full Council meeting on 14 February 2023.

In order to enable the most up to date HRA Business Plan which sets out a revised position for 2022/23 along with the proposed HRA budget for 2023/24, and to enable associated recommendations to be presented to Full Council on 14 February 2023:-

It was moved by Councillor P B Honeywood, seconded by Councillor Bray and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    approves the updated HRA  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103.

To seek approval for the adoption of a Tendring District Council policy in respect of applications for temporary road closures under section 21 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     approves and adopts the Tendring District Council Local Road Closure Policy for special events;

b)     authorises the Assistant Director (Building and Public Realm), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism to update the policy with any future legislative, or best practice, changes; and

c)      approves that fees will be waived for street parties organised for the weekend of the Coronation of His Majesty the King, or of national importance as determined by the Portfolio Holder at the relevant time.

Cabinet considered a report of the Leisure and Tourism Portfolio Holder (A.7), which sought its approval for the adoption of a Tendring District Council policy in respect of applications for temporary road closures under section 21 of The Town Police Clauses Act 1847.

Members were aware that the number of applications for temporary road closures had increased in recent years, which had highlighted the need for, and benefits associated with, clearer rules associated with road closure applications.

Consequently, a (draft) Tendring District Council Local Road Closures Policy for special events under section 21 of The Town Police Clauses Act 1847 was attached to the Portfolio Holder’s report as Appendix A for Cabinet’s consideration.

Recognising that the adoption of a Local Road Closure Policy for events applied for under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 would improve administration and efficiency associated with applications for the temporary closure of roads; provide a basis for setting fees and charges; reduce complaints concerning inconsistency of decisions made; and increase clarity around the roles and responsibilities of both applicant and administrator:-

It was moved by Councillor Porter, seconded by Councillor McWilliams and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

a)     approves and adopts the Tendring District Council Local Road Closure Policy for special events;

b)     authorises the Assistant Director (Building and Public Realm), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism to update the policy with any future legislative, or best practice, changes; and

c)      approves that fees will be waived for street parties organised for the weekend of the Coronation of His Majesty the King, or of national importance as determined by the Portfolio Holder at the relevant time.

To provide Cabinet with an update regarding the proposal to erect a Covid 19 Memorial within the District of Tendring.

RESOLVED that –

(a)    the contents of this report be noted;

(b)    external funding streams continue to be pursued to install a piece of public art within the District as opportunities arise;

(c)    if successful a more general piece of public art, rather than a Covid-19 memorial maybe more likely as the availability of external funding streams appear to be linked to economic growth and tourism;

(d)    the Council’s general fund is not considered as the appropriate funding route for this project in light of current budgetary pressures; and

(e)    theAnglefield, Clacton-on-Sea site be approved for the installation of a piece of public art, if future funding can be secured.

Cabinet considered a report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder (A.8), which updated it regarding the proposal to erect a Covd-19 Memorial within the District of Tendring.

Members recalled that, further to the decision taken by Full Council at its meeting held on 30 November 2021 (Minute 94 referred), the Leader of the Council had informed Cabinet at its meeting held on 25 February 2022, that he had requested the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships (Councillor Lynda McWilliams) to work with Councillors Mark Stephenson and Gina Placey on the installation of a Covid-19 Memorial and to report back to Cabinet in due course. He had urged them to ‘think positive and think big’ and gave by way of an example of a public art project the “Angel of the North”.

Following this Officers and the aforementioned Councillors had worked together to explore the relevance and need for a large piece of public art to reflect on lives lost and changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of a piece of prominent art would be to provide communities with a space to reflect how those communities had supported each other during times of challenge and uncertainty and to create a space to represent lives lost. This work had included background research, site visits and a bid to the Arts Council for funding.

Acknowledging that:-

1)  the working group of Councillors had identified that Clacton-on-Sea, with the largest population in the District should be identified as the preferred area for the installation of the piece of public art; and

2)  that following a visit to various sites across Clacton-on-Sea with the Head of Public Realm a potential site had been identified at Anglefield. This site required improvement but had the necessary space to install a piece of public art which could be viewed by residents and visitors to the District.

It was moved by Councillor McWilliams, seconded by Councillor Bray and:-

RESOLVED that –

(a)    the contents of this report be noted;

(b)    external funding streams continue to be pursued to install a piece of public art within the District as opportunities arise;

(c)    if successful a more general piece of public art, rather than a Covid-19 memorial maybe more likely as the availability of external funding streams appear to be linked to economic growth and tourism;

(d)    the Council’s general fund is not considered as the appropriate funding route for this project in light of current budgetary pressures; and

(e)    theAnglefield, Clacton-on-Sea site be approved for the installation of a piece of public art, if future funding can be secured.

To present to Cabinet a four-year Equality and Inclusion Strategy and seek approval for its adoption and roll out.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)   approves for publication the Equality and Inclusion Strategy, as set out in the Appendix to item A.9 of the Report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder? and

(b)   approves the proposed roll out plan for the Equality and Inclusion Strategy.

Cabinet considered a report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder (A.9), which presented it with a four-year Equality and Inclusion Strategy and which sought its approval for its adoption and roll out following a period of consultation.

Cabinet was made aware that, in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act, 2010, all public bodies, including local authorities, were subject to what was referred to as the ‘Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED)’. This duty required public bodies to pay due regard to the following:

·      Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct

·      prohibited by the Act.

·      Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and

·      Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

As part of this PSED local authorities were required to have and publish their equality and diversity objectives, showing how they would meet those requirements. This Equality and Inclusion Strategy set out how Tendring District Council (the Council) would meet its obligations under the PSED over the period of 2023 to 2027.

Following the period of consultation Cabinet was asked to approve this strategy for publication and implementation.

Members were informed that the Equality and Inclusion Strategy set out five objectives underneath each of which were listed the ways in which the organisation would seek to achieve them over the lifetime of the Strategy. The contents were aligned to the existing Corporate Plan and priorities and other documents such as the forthcoming Community Engagement Strategy, Local Plan, Housing Strategy, Economic Growth priorities and by working in close partnership with other providers. The five objectives were:

1.    Engage and communicate in appropriate and accessible ways

2.    Ensure we deliver inclusive and responsive services

3.    Foster good relations with and within the community

4.    Break the cycle of inequality and improve life chances

5.    Develop and support an inclusive workforce

In order to enable the adoption and publication of an Equality and Inclusion Strategy for this Council:-

It was moved by Councillor McWilliams, seconded by Councillor Stock OBE and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)   approves for publication the Equality and Inclusion Strategy, as set out in the Appendix to item A.9 of the Report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder? and

(b)   approves the proposed roll out plan for the Equality and Inclusion Strategy.

To update Cabinet on the progress of the Essex Anchors initiative, including specific work relating to the District of Tendring.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the progress of the Essex Anchor initiative across Greater Essex to date;

(b)    supports the anchor approaches and pledges, as highlighted in Appendix A to item A.10 of the Report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder, acknowledging the ethos is already in place across the Council;

(c)    formally recognises Tendring District Council as an Anchor Organisation seeking to maximize social value through their role as workforce developers, employer and procurer, through its core business and linkages to the place they operate; and

(d)    commits to continuing to embed the ethos through existing and new policies, procedures and initiatives within the resources and capacity available.

Cabinet considered a report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder (A.10), which updated it on the progress of the Essex Anchors initiative, including specific work relating to the District of Tendring.

It was reported that Anchor organisations were usually large organisations which were locally based and had the leverage to maximise social value through their role as workplace developers, employers and procurers, their core business (for example health and education) and the linkages they had to the place they operated. They were typically large, non-profit organisations such as hospitals, local Councils and universities.

Members were informed that, over the past 18 months, 30 Anchor organisations had come together across Greater Essex to work collaboratively on a number of priorities including Climate Action, Employability and Social Value.

Cabinet was made aware that the Chairman of the Essex Anchors Initiative was TDC’s Chief Executive (Ian Davidson) and the Vice Chairman was Ed Garratt, the Chief Executive of the North East Essex/Suffolk Integrated Care Board.

Recognising that the work of the Essex Anchors Initiative had made progress in the areas of Employability, Climate Action and Social Value; that there were also plans in place for the future development of the Anchors’ work; and that the Anchors’ work was already showing success, including additional funding being pooled to deliver apprenticeships (£1m), fuel poverty training for front line employees, reverse job fairs and active travel:-

It was moved by Councillor McWilliams, seconded by Councillor P B Honeywood and:-

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the progress of the Essex Anchor initiative across Greater Essex to date;

(b)    supports the anchor approaches and pledges, as highlighted in Appendix A to item A.10 of the Report of the Partnerships Portfolio Holder, acknowledging the ethos is already in place across the Council;

(c)    formally recognises Tendring District Council as an Anchor Organisation seeking to maximize social value through their role as workforce developers, employer and procurer, through its core business and linkages to the place they operate; and

(d)    commits to continuing to embed the ethos through existing and new policies, procedures and initiatives within the resources and capacity available.

There are no items submitted by the Management Team on this occasion.

There were no Management Team items submitted for Cabinet’s consideration on this occasion.

The Cabinet is asked to consider passing the following resolution:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Item 19 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, of the Act.”

It was moved by Councillor Stock OBE, seconded by Councillor McWilliamsand:-

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Item 19 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, of the Act.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the exempt minute of the meeting of the Cabinet held on Friday 16 December 2022.

It was RESOLVED that the exempt minute of the meeting of the Cabinet, held on Friday 16 December 2022, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.