Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 1st December 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 1^st December were approved as a correct record.

To receive questions and statements from the public, if any.

None.

To determine any other items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972

None received.

Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the following items on the agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requries that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (see attached guidance and flowchart)

None.

To receive oral questions from Members, if any

None received.

To consider any recommendations referred to the Cabinet by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for consideration by the Cabinet in accordance within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

There were no recommendations to Cabinet from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on the 10^th of December 2025.

Decision

RESOLVED to

·               Grant a ’99 years less one day’ lease to UKPN for the construction and operation of a substation on Trap Lane land.

·               Delegate approval to the Asset Strategy Manger or the Assistant Director for Finance and Assets to agree the exact terms of the above legal agreement.

Reason for the decision:

The substation is essential for the leisure centre expansion project. Without this lease, the new substation cannot be built which would mean the power demands of the new facility could not be met.

Cllr Shires introduced the report and explained that in order to service the FLASH project the electrical cabinet, that UK Power Networks service, would need to be upgraded.

The Chair invited questions from the Cabinet.          

Cllr Toye wished to thank everyone involved for keeping the project going.

Cabinet RESOLVED unanimously to provide approval to:

·                Grant a ’99 years less one day’ lease to UKPN for the construction and operation of a substation on Trap Lane land.

·                Delegate approval to the Asset Strategy Manger or the Assistant Director for Finance and Assets to agree the exact terms of the above legal agreement.

Reason for the decision:

The substation is essential for the leisure centre expansion project. Without this lease, the new substation cannot be built which would mean the power demands of the new facility could not be met.

Decision

RESOLVED

-      Agrees to accept the £871,000 of Local Authority Housing Fund grant if successful in our higher bid, or (if not successful with the higher bid)

-      Agrees to accept the £611,000 of Local Authority Housing Fund grant (as per the original offer)

-      Uses the LAHF grant to part fund the purchase of four or six (dependent on level of grant secured) further units of temporary accommodation

-      Gives delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer [or other member of Corporate Leadership Team] in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Peoples’ Services, to agree the actual purchases of the properties (within the identified budget limits).

Reason for the decision:

To seek approval for the Council to accept the LAHF grant and use the grant to help acquire further homes to use as temporary accommodation

It was outlined by Cllr Boyle that it had been offered more funding to put towards temporary accommodation. There were two levels to this funding a £611,000 grant and a higher bid of £871,000 for which they had just applied for.

The Chair felt this would make a significant difference to many residents in need through temporary accommodation being located within the community.

The Chair invited questions from the Cabinet.

Cllr Toye wished to thank Cllr Boyle for her first Cabinet paper and he wished to comment that he approved in the way the recommendations were worded, baring in mind it might take some time for the result of the application towards the higher bid to be known.

Cabinet RESOLVED unanimously to the Decision

-       Agrees to accept the £871,000 of Local Authority Housing Fund grant if successful in our higher bid, or (if not successful with the higher bid)

-       Agrees to accept the £611,000 of Local Authority Housing Fund grant (as per the original offer)

-       Uses the LAHF grant to part fund the purchase of four or six (dependent on level of grant secured) further units of temporary accommodation

-       Gives delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer [or other member of Corporate Leadership Team] in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Peoples’ Services, to agree the actual purchases of the properties (within the identified budget limits).

Reason for the decision:

To seek approval for the Council to accept the LAHF grant and use the grant to help acquire further homes to use as temporary accommodation

To pass the following resolution:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs _ of Part I ofSchedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.”

None