Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Nesil Caliskan welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Ian Davis (Chief Executive).

Members of the Cabinet are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non pecuniary interests relevant to items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To note, that no requests for deputations have been received for presentation to this Cabinet meeting.

NOTED that no requests for deputations had been received for presentation to this Cabinet meeting.

To confirm the minutes of the previous Cabinet meeting held on 13 March 2024.

AGREED that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Cabinet held on 13 March 2024 be confirmed as a correct record.

A report from the Executive Director - Environment and Communities is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5735)

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to:

I. Adopt the revised Climate Action Plan 2024.

II. Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment and Communities in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member to implement the Climate Action Plan.

III. Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Environment and Communities, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member to update the Action Plan and make amendments, as long as they do not change its core value or have financial implications, so that all implementation, delivery and management requirements continue to be sufficient and effective.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

A report from the Executive Director – People is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5706)

(This item contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person – including the authority holding that information) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended).

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to:

I. Provide ‘approval to spend’ for the £19.74m revised schools’ 2024/25 capital budget as detailed in restricted Appendix A (subject to Council approval of revised capital budget KD 5744 elsewhere on this meeting agenda).

II. Approve the strategic objectives as set out in the report.

III. Give approval to commence the delivery of projects detailed in restricted Appendix ‘A’ to allow tenders to be pursued in compliance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

IV. Note that the £19.74m revised schools’ capital budget includes a £0.5m contingency budget for urgent works and / or new schemes not yet identified as priority works.

V. Note that the 2024/25 capital programme is funded from DfE capital grant, assumed education s106 contributions and ringfenced capital receipts.

VI. Delegate authority to the Lead Member for Children’s Services to:

a. Approve the procurement and award of works and services contracts for the SEN projects which are over £0.5m including professional and technical expenses as detailed in restricted Appendix ‘A’ given their strategic importance for delivering SEN places to address the increasing demand.

b. Approve the award of works contracts over £5m for all condition related projects, decarbonisation projects and works resulting from the sale of Caretaker Houses.

VII. Delegate authority to Executive Director of People to:

a. Approve the award of works contracts up £5m for all condition related projects, decarbonisation projects and works resulting from the sale of Caretaker Houses.

b. Approve the award of works contracts up £0.5m for any SEN projects.

c. Add urgent projects to the programme funded from the approved contingency (total £0.5m).

VIII. Delegate authority to Executive Director of Resources or the Executive Director of People to accept any future funding rounds from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) or Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) and to add this to the Schools Capital Programme.

IX. Note and authorise applications to the Department for Education (DfE) for Secretary of State consent in respect of any disposal or repurposing of the vacant caretakers / site managers properties.

X. Note Cabinet’s previous approval (KD 5373) of the approach in relation to the disposal or repurposing of the vacant caretaker properties, allocating income generated to support the delivery of SEN provision as a strategic priority as well as undertaking works at each individual school.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

A report from the Chief Executive is attached.  (Non Key)

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to note the progress being made against the key priority indicators for Enfield.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

AGREED to reverse the order of agenda items 8 and 9. The minutes follow the order of the meeting.

A report from the Executive Director – Resources is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5744)

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed:

I. To recommend that Council:

a. Approves the carry forward of £35.4m unspent budget from 2023/24 to future years (Appendix B), of which £15.68m is funded by borrowing.

b. Approves the revised 2024/25 capital programme (Appendix D).

c. Approves the growth in Pipeline projects (Appendix E), noting that these projects will be subject to a full business case review prior to being moved into the main capital programme (KD5502 delegated to Cabinet authority to approve Pipeline projects up to £10m).

d. Notes growth of £7.5m in the 2023/24 capital programme (Appendix C) and approves growth of £12.8m in the 2024/25 capital programme (Appendix D1).

II. To note:

e. 2023/24 capital expenditure of £198.8m, against approved November budget of £283.1m.

f. An overall net reduction of £20.0m in the 2023/24 programme (Appendix C).

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

A report from the Executive Director – Resources is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5743)

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to note the report prior to submission to Council.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

A report from the Executive Director – Resources is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5725)

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to:

I. Approve the HGL Business Plan for delivery in 2024/25.

II. Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Resources to enter into a new borrowing facility agreement with HGL of up to £29.4m to finance planned capital spend in 2024/25 and refinance £3.9m of properties purchased by HGL but not yet financed by borrowing.

III. Delegate authority to Executive Director (Resources) to refinance the existing loans to HGL (i.e. revise the existing loan agreements) to ensure that loan repayments from HGL are fully reflective of Council borrowing costs.

IV. Delegate authority to the Executive Director (Resources) to enter into a working capital facility with HGL for up to £2m.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

A report from the Executive Director – Resources is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5597)

(This item contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person – including the authority holding that information) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended).

See also Item 14 in Agenda – Part 2.

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed to note Energetik’s Operating Plan 2023 – 2026.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.

To note that the next meeting of the Cabinet is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 11 September 2024 at 7:00pm.

NOTED the next meeting of the Cabinet was scheduled to take place on Wednesday 11 September 2024 at 7:00pm.

A resolution was passed under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 excluding the press and public from the meeting for the items of business listed on Part 2 of the agenda on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in those paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

A report from the Executive Director – Resources is attached.  (Key decision – reference number 5597)

(This item contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person – including the authority holding that information) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended).

DECISION:  The Cabinet agreed the additional recommendations set out in the Part 2 report.

The report sets out the options considered, if any, and the reasons for the recommendations and the decision.