COUNTY BOROUGH OF BLAENAU GWENT
REPORT TO: / THE LEADER AND MEMBERS OF THEEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: / EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – 15TH MAY 2013
REPORT OF: /
EXECUTIVE/SCRUTINY OFFICER
PRESENT: Leader of the Council
Councillor H. McCarthy (Chair)
Deputy Leader/Executive Business Manager
Councillor S. C. Thomas
Executive Member – Governance
Councillor B. Sutton
Executive Member – Social Services –
Adult Services
Councillor H. Trollope
Executive Member – Social Services – Children & Active Living
Councillor A. Hobbs
Executive Member – Highways & Transportation
Councillor D. White
Executive Member – Skills & Works Preparation
Councillor D. H. Wilkshire
Executive Member – Waste Management & the Environment
Councillor K. Hayden
Education Commissioner
Bethan Guilfoyle
WITH: Chief Executive
Director of Social Services
Chief Legal Officer
Chief Finance Officer
Acting Chief Officer, Environment & Regeneration
Corporate Communications Manager
DECISIONS UNDER DELEGATED POWERS
ITEM / SUBJECT / ACTION1. / APOLOGIES
1.01 /
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APOLOGIESApologies for absence received from:
Councillor B. Scully – Executive Member, Economic Strategy & Development (on WLGA business)
Councillor J. McIlwee – Executive Member, Financial Management & Strategy
2. / DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND DISPENSATION
2.1. /
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND DISPENSATIONNo declarations of interest or dispensations were reported.
3. / MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Minutes of the Executive Committee held on 10th April, 2013 were submitted.
RESOLVED that the minutes be accepted as a true record of proceedings.
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Minutes of the Executive Committee held on 24th April, 2013 were submitted.
RESOLVED that the minutes be accepted as a true record of proceedings.
4. / GENERAL MATTERS
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CONFERENCES/COURSES
i) Auditor General: Welsh Leaders’ Seminar
19th June, 2013 – Cardiff City Stadium
RESOLVED that approval be granted for the Leader to attend.
ii) National Social Services Conferences
26th – 28th June, 2013 – Llandudno
The Leader of the Council referred to the recent changes to the Executive Portfolios, namely the creation of 2 Executive Members with responsibility for different areas within Social Services.
The Chief Executive stated that the National Social Services Conference would be covering all aspects of social services, and as a result it would be appropriate for both Executive Members to attend.
RESOLVED that approval be granted for 2 Executive Members to attend.
4.02 / 269/
MEMBERSHIPS/SUBSCRIPTIONS
2013/14 WLGA Employment Team Services Levy - £10,125.10
LGA National Negotiations on Local Government Services, Craft, Soulbury, Youth & Community, CEO & CO and Evidence Submissions and Engagement with STRB & DfE - £3,130.22
RESOLVED that the above subscriptions be approved.
5. / LEISURE & YOUNG PEOPLE MATTERS
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GRANTS TO ORGANISATIONS
Consideration was given to report of the Assistant Director Leisure Services & School Transformation.
Members were advised of the following additional grants, which had been submitted since the preparation of the report:-
ABERTILLERY
Abertillery Ward – Councillor N. Daniels
1. / Richard Ward / £502. / Abertillery Netball Club / £100
Abertillery Ward – Councillor K. Chaplin and Councillor
R. Jones
1. / Ebenezer Church / £1002. / Ebenezer Church – Fun Day / £100
3. / Abertillery Bluebirds AFC / £100
4. / Dragon League Indoor Bowls / £100
5. / Abertillery Ladies Netball Club / £100
6. / In the Pink / £100
Llanhilleth Ward – Councillor M. Bartlett, H. McCarthy &
J. McIlwee
1. / Hospice of the Valleys / £100NANTYGLO & BLAINA
Nantyglo Ward – Councillor J. Mason
1. / Adelaide Francis / £75Blaina Ward – Councillor L. Winnett & B. Pagett
1. / Westside & Forgeside Tenants Association / £1002. / East Pentwyn Residents Association / £100
3. / Cwmcelyn Residents Association / £100
4. / Blaina RFC / £100
5. / Blaina Cricket Club / £100
6. / Cwmcelyn Angling Club / £100
7. / Welsh Air Ambulance Service / £100
8. / Llys y Capel Residents Association / £100
9. / River Row Flats Residents Association / £100
10. / Llys y Efail Residents Association / £100
11. / 275 Nantyglo & Blaina Air Training Corps / £100
12. / Mayors Appeal / £100
13. / Ystruth Ladies Club / £50
14. / Blaina Monday Night Dance Club / £50
15. / Cwmcelyn Chapel / £50
16. / St. Peters Church / £50
17. / Gladstone Street Chapel / £50
18. / The Mimics / £50
19. / Blaenau Gwent National Autistic Society / £50
20. / Nantyglo & Blaina Charter Group / £200
21. / Blaina Ladies Bowls Club / £100
22. / Blaina Men’s Bowls Club / £100
23. / Abertillery & District Angling Club / £50
EBBW VALE
Beaufort Ward – Councillor G. Thomas
1. / Royal British Legion Rassau & Beaufort Branch / £502. / Beaufort Tenants & Residents Association / £250
3. / Raglan Terrace OAP Association / £100
4. / Beaufort Hill Old Age Pensioners / £100
5. / Garnlydan OAP Association / £100
Beaufort Ward – Councillor D. White
1. / Ebbw Vale Cricket Club / £502. / Beaufort RFC / £50
3. / Toppers School of Dance & Drama / £50
Rassau Ward – Councillor W.J. Williams
1. / Valleys Face Project / £302. / Beaufort RFC / £40
3. / Festival of Remembrance / £60
4. / Blaenau Gwent Heritage Forum / £40
A Member referred to the excellent work of the Blaenau Gwent Twinning Association, and urged all Wards to support them when considering their special levy donations.
RESOLVED, subject to the foregoing, that the report be accepted and the information contained therein be noted.
6. / EDUCATION MATTERS
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CREATION OF DEPUTY CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER POST – BLAENAU GWENT CBC AND NEWPORT CC
Consideration was given to report of the Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive spoke to the report which sought approval for the creation of a Deputy Chief Education Officer post to be shared by Blaenau Gwent CBC and Newport CC. He said the filling of this post was a matter of urgency, as the Officer who had been undertaking the duties in Newport had now left and taken up the position of Chief Education Officer in Pembrokeshire.
He confirmed that the Education Commissioner had approved the post, and it was important that the post be filled to build on capacity to progress work to improve education in Blaenau Gwent.
The Executive Member for Skills & Work Preparation agreed that the post needed to be filled as a matter of urgency, in order to ‘speed up’ the pace of change in education.
The Executive Member for Social Services – Adult Services stressed the importance of employing the right person for the job, and asked when the post would be advertised.
In response the Chief Executive said hopefully the job advert would appear in The Times education supplement and the Western Mail this week, with the closing date for applications by the end of May. Depending on sufficient quality of applications received, the interview process could be progressed immediately. The interviews would be undertaken jointly with Newport CC, and Blaenau Gwent would be represented by the Education Commissioner.
The Education Commissioner thanked the Executive Committee for their support, and confirmed that the Terms of Reference had been established. The post-holder would hold the EAS to account on a daily basis, have capacity to work with schools, and would work directly with the Chief Education Officer.
RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the establishment of a joint post of Deputy Chief Education Officer between Blaenau Gwent CBC and Newport CC be approved.
7. / REGENERATION MATTERS
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JUNCTION IMPROVEMENTS AT THE WALK, A4046 EBBW VALE – CONTRACTORS SELECTION
Consideration was given to report of the Acting Chief Officer, Environment & Regeneration.
The Acting Chief Officer spoke to the report which sought approval, in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders for Contracts, to simultaneously review the lowest and second lowest tenders received for the junction improvement works at The Walk, Ebbw Vale. He confirmed that a value engineering exercise had been undertaken, due to budget cost pressures, to ensure that the Authority appointed the most favourable tender on the basis of the lowest cost.
In response to a question raised, the Officer explained that the Sustainable Procurement Strategy included a social clause to provide employment and training on all capital schemes, and he confirmed that this contract came under that remit.
He said the scheme would link the Town Centre to the proposed mechanical link and new bus interchange and taxi rank schemes, and would allow the Authority to agree and sign off that link. However, work was ongoing with Welsh Government in relation to the proposed funicular railway, and options were still being considered.
RESOLVED to recommend that the report be accepted and:-
(i) The lowest and second lowest tenders received for the project be assessed against the revised scope of requirements in order to establish the lowest tender (as a result of the value engineering exercise); and to ensure that any subsequent award is fair, transparent and in accordance with the Authority’s Standing Orders for Contracts.
(ii) On satisfactory assessment of the tender to appoint the successful contractor on the basis of lowest cost.
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