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

To confirm and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Cabinet held on Friday 23 May 2025. 

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests or Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

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

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

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

There are no matters referred to the Cabinet by a Committee on this occasion.

To seek Cabinet’s, in principle, approval of the Freeport East Retained Business Rates Agreement, acting as the Billing Authority, in line with the Council’s ‘Freeport East Policy for Managing Retained Business Rates’, and to set out the next steps to finalise the Agreement.

To ask Cabinet, acting as Founding Member, to approve the Freeport East Ltd Annual Business Plan for 2025/26, as required by the Members’ Agreement.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)        in its role as Billing Authority, notes the progress made to date to complete the Freeport East Retained Business Rates Agreement, and agrees the approach as proposed in Appendix A to the Leader of the Council’s report (A.1);

(b)        authorises the Deputy Chief Executive and the Section 151 Officer to approve and sign the final Freeport East Retained Business Rates Agreement in line with the Council’s Freeport East Policy for Managing Retained Business Rates and Freeport East Policy for Granting Non-Discretionary Domestic Rates Relief; and

(c)        in its role as a Founding Member, and in accordance with the Members’ Agreement, approves the 2025/26 Freeport East Ltd. Annual Business Plan.

To seek Cabinet approval:-

1.    to appropriate Council-owned land at High Street car park, Carnarvon Road, Clacton-on-Sea for the purposes of the Carnarvon Terrace Development;

2.    of authority to grant a unilateral undertaking to the Planning Authority, to secure:-

(a) obligations relating to the Recreational Disturbance Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy (RAMS); and

(b) Commitment to use the appropriated land solely for the delivery of affordable housing as part of the Carnarvon Terrace Development.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)         agrees to the appropriation of the site including the High Street Car Park and the former Carnarvon House site, Carnarvon Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 6QF, for the purposes of the Carnarvon Terrace Development incorporating planning purposes, housing and commercial uses, as indicated in the plan at Appendix A ti the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.2);

(b)         approves that the Council, in its capacity as landowner and developer, grants an Unilateral Undertaking (UU) to the Planning Authority to discharge both the Affordable Housing and RAMS payment conditions in lieu of a Section 106 agreement for obligations in relation to planning permission 24/01890/FUL (“the Carnarvon Terrace Development”);

(c)         authorises the Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Place and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Corporate Director (Finance and IT) & Section 151 Officer and Legal Services, to undertake the necessary legal steps to complete the appropriation process including, but not limited to, notification of those who may be affected, publication of the relevant appropriation decision notices, and executing memorandums as required by the relevant legislation;

(d)         authorises the Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Place and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Corporate Director (Finance and IT) & Section 151 Officer and Legal Services to approve the final terms of the necessary legal instrument required for the purposes of the unilateral undertaking to be given to the planning authority by the Council in its capacity as the owner and developer of land; and

(e)         notes that further decisions will be required following the outcome of the procurement exercises and on-going use of the land for different purposes to ensure the Council is fulfilling its various legal duties.

To present to Cabinet the Annual Housing Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report for scrutiny and challenge, which includes a self-assessment carried out against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code for 2024/25 prior to publication and submission.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    in accordance with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code and in compliance with Cabinet’s scrutiny and oversight requirements, formally receives and notes the Council’s Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report, which includes the Annual Self-Assessment against the Code, as set out in Appendices A and B to the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.3);

(b)    formally approves its response, as submitted by the Leader of the Council at this meeting and recorded above, to the Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement report, for publication; and

(c)     authorises Officers to publish both the Service Improvement Report and the Cabinet’s response thereto on the Council’s website within the section relating to complaints and to submit the self-assessment to the Housing Ombudsman by no later than 30 September 2025.

To advise Cabinet of the Council’s outturn performance against the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures for 2024/25.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the Council’s Outturn Performance Report against the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, for publication on the Council’s website and submission to the Regulator of Social Housing by 30 June 2025; and

(b)    requests the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery) to ensure that the Council’s Tenants Panel examines the data presented in this report and to develop an action plan for continuous improvement.

Following a successful funding bid by the Council to contribute towards the delivery of four new Football Foundation Playzones in the District, this report requests Cabinet permission to accept the grant, agree the Council’s financial contribution and continue the project through to completion.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)     formally agrees to accept Football Foundation funding of £839,355 towards the development of four new Playzones at Clacton Leisure Centre, Dovercourt (Cliff Park), Jaywick Sands (Crossways) and Walton-on-the-Naze (Bathhouse Meadow), with a total project cost of £1,119,257; and furthermore, authorises the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health), in consultation with the Corporate Director (Law and Governance) to enter into a funding agreement on behalf of the Council;

(b)     agrees to contribute £204,643.88 from Section 106 monies and £75,168.12 from the Corporate Investment Fund, making a total of £279,812as match funding towards this project;

(c)     authorises the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health), in consultation with Legal Services, to enter into a Joining Agreement with the Football Foundation, to become part of the Football Foundation's Framework Alliance Contract for the duration of the project;

(d)     authorises the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health), in consultation with Legal Services, to enter into a Pre-Construction Services Agreement with McArdle Sport, Edge Public Solutions and Sportslab UK, to undertake the detailed design proposals and to submit planning applications for the new Playzones, under the pre-procured Football Foundation Framework;

(e)     agrees for £40,000 of the Council’s agreed match funding contribution set out in resolution (b) above to be committed towards the Playzones design phase and costs of submitting the planning applications;

(f)       authorises the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Public Realm, to submit planning applications where applicable, for the four facilities listed in the executive summary of the Portfolio Holder’s report (A.5);

(g)     agrees that, following consultation with local organisations, decision making for the future management options for the Playzone facilities be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Public Realm, in consultation with the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health), the Corporate Director (Law & Governance) and the Corporate Director (Finance & IT);

(h)     agrees that the approval of the final business plans and associated actions, including the decision to enter into a JCT agreement with McArdle Sport for the construction phase of the Playzone Project, be delegated to the Leader of the Council & Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance and the Leisure and Public Realm Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Corporate Director (Finance & IT), the Assistant Director (Sport, Culture and Health) and Legal Services; and

(i)       agrees the inclusion of four new Playzone facilities within the Capital Programme in 2025/26, with a total budget of £1,119,257.

To update the Cabinet on the activities of Career Track, the Council’s apprenticeship training provider. Furthermore, this report satisfies the requirements of the Governors' framework, which aims to implement and provide a quality experience for apprentices and employers and meet the expectations of funders and regulators, whereby the Board will undertake to provide clarity between the Board and the Cabinet with a yearly update.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)    notes the annual review undertaken by the Career Track team, including the proposed actions to deliver the forecast subsidy reflected in the long-term financial plans; and

(b)    requests financial updates on Career Track to be included as part of the quarterly financial reports, as deemed necessary.

There are no Management Team items on this occasion.

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 16 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, of the Act.”

To confirm and sign the exempt minute of the last meeting of the Cabinet held on Friday 23 May 2025.