Agenda and decisions

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 9 July 2024.

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to Kate.Critchel@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  by 8.30am on Thursday 5 September 2024.

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to kate.critchel@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk  8.30am on Thursday 5 September 2024.

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13 

To consider the draft Cabinet Forward Plan.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Place Services.

Decision

(a)      That the contents of the report be noted.

(b)      That, Cabinet notes that the Council already contributed £276,160 towards condition works prior to 31 March 2024 and a further £604,407 had been provided to the Trust as part of the exit arrangements, to be spent by March 2025

(c)       That, Cabinet notes that as the Council had no legal interest in the leisure centre, the future use of the facility was a matter for the Trust to determine.

(d)       That, Cabinet agreed to progress and accelerate the Leisure Strategy to ensure there was a strategic and informed approach to leisure provision which would deliver the Council priorities of building stronger and healthier communities

(e)       Cabinet agreed that, in the event that the trust brings the swimming pool back into operation, to use reasonable endeavours to work with the trust and community groups to identify ways in which the pool can be made available for school and community group usage. 

(f)         Recognising that realistic, affordable solutions were available to facilitate public use of the leisure centre, Cabinet committed to providing reasonable officer support to the trust to assist them in achieving that outcome. 

Reason for the decision

The council was in the process of developing a new leisure strategy that would enable it to consider and adopt a more strategic and informed approach to the way it operated its leisure facilities and services.

The council did not own the Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre and its leisure spend across the East Dorset area was considerably higher than other areas of Dorset Council. A key aim of the leisure strategy would be to address this issue.

Feedback from local swim groups had highlighted the value of the swimming pool at QELC and the importance of being able to access it. This included Wimborne Wagtails Swimming Club for the Disabled, who for 30 years had provided swimming sessions to a diverse group of disabled swimmers of all ages with physical, learning and hidden disabilities. 

Dorset Council had contributed funds to enable improvements to the swimming pool air handling system, pool plant, pool hall roof and wet side changing areas. The trust had stated that the pool air handling and roof works were being looked at and being worked towards. They already had experience of operating a local school swimming pool with school and community group use and had suggested a similar model for QELC. This could complement the other sports facilities which were currently being made available for school and community club use. Dorset Council would be fully supportive of this proposal. 

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills.

Decision

That the Aspire Adoption Annual Report and Statement of Purpose be approved.

Reason for the Decision

Cabinet was satisfied that the Aspire Statement of Purpose accurately described the activities that the agency discharged on behalf of Dorset Council and the Annual Report satisfied the report that these activities were discharged to a high standard in the last year.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Children Services, Education and Skills.

Decision

That the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children’s Partnership Annual Report April 2023-24 be approved.

Reason for the decision

Work had already commenced and would continue under the new Dorset Safeguarding Partnership which came into effect on 1 August 2024.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Development and Transformation.

Decision

(a)           That Cabinet supports the adoption and supporting definitions for the 7 local protected characteristics.

(b)           That Cabinet approve the EDI Strategy and Action Plan 2024 – 2027

(c)           That Cabinet approve the supporting detailed EDI Action plan which covered the period 2024 – 2027.

Reasons for the decision

To ensure that Dorset Council’s workplace and services were meeting the need of everyone, we had the responsibility to listen and respond better. As one of the county’s largest employers, we also had responsibility to lead by example.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Housing.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning.

Decision

That the Nitrogen Reduction in Poole Harbour Supplementary Planning Document be withdrawn.

Reason for the decision

Since Natural England updated their advice on nutrient neutrality in March 2022, the Nitrogen Reduction in Poole Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) was no longer considered to offer a robust mechanism for delivering nitrogen mitigation in the Poole Harbour catchment. The SPD therefore needed to be formally withdrawn to enable an alternative approach for delivering nitrogen mitigation within the Poole Harbour catchment.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Emergency Planning.

Decision

That the response to the consultation questions, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report to Cabinet – 10 September 2024, be submitted to Government by the 24 September deadline. The suggested responses included support for many of the proposals, but concern about the effects of the increased housing targets for Dorset.

Reason for the decision

The proposed changes could support the council’s strategic priorities of driving economic prosperity and creating sustainable development and housing, but the significant increase in housing targets was likely to conflict with the aim of protecting the natural environment, climate and ecology, due to the environmental constraints of Dorset.

Introducing new targets so quickly would result in much development taking place as a result of the “presumption in favour of sustainable development” rather than through the more strategic plan-led approach.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Capital Strategy.

Decision

(i)         That the SLT forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of July 2024 including progress of the transformational and efficiency savings incorporated into the budget, be noted.

(ii)        That the capital programme be noted.

Reason for the decision

The Council provided a mix of statutory and discretionary services to communities across Dorset and was legally required to set a balanced budget every year, and so must deliver services within the resources made available.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Capital Strategy.

Decision

(i)         Cabinet agreed, to begin each procurement processes listed in Appendix 1 to this report, and

(ii)        That in each instance the further step of making a contract award be delegation to the relevant Cabinet Member, in consultation with the relevant Executive Director.

(iii)       Cabinet agreed, to publish the proposed Modern Slavery Transparency Statement for 2023-2024.

Reason for the decision

Cabinet was required to approve all key decisions with financial consequences of £500k or more.  It was good governance to provide Cabinet with a summary of all proposed procurements prior to them formally commencing. It was a requirement for the Council to publish a Modern Slavery Transparency Statement on an annual basis.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

Exempt appendix 3 – it set out at item 19.

Decision

(i)         That the recommendation from People and Health Overview Committee of 23 July 2024, for the proposed model for the future commissioning and reshaping of day opportunities provision in Dorset, be agreed.

(ii)        That the model described and the approach to implementation and consultation, be adopted.

Reason for the decision

Day services were a vitally important part of the Dorset support offer for several hundred local residents, providing meaningful activities during the day for those who need support. Our research had shown that people were increasingly wanting flexibility, variety and social connection, which points to a need to modernise the offer around day opportunities. Our commissioning strategies had previously committed the council to this direction of travel, and the additional insight gained from consultation in 2023 had now confirmed and firmed up the next steps.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

Recommendation  

That in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in item(s) No 19 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.  

The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered. (Any live streaming will end at this juncture).  

Reason for taking the item in private

Paragraph 3 - Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).  

Exempt Appendix 3 associated with item 16 above “Towards a new model of day opportunities”