Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

The Cabinet Update

Welcome to the Cabinet Update - this is where you can find out about all the key decisions made by Stockton Borough Council's Cabinet. 

Here you can find out on a month to month basis details of decisions taken by the Council's Cabinet that the public may find of particular interest. These also include relevant contact information to find out more about the particular subject; and offer suggestions of where more help and advice can be obtained from. The Blog provides details about the members of the Cabinet; and how you can contact them, and also contains a Forward Plan of issues it proposes to consider in the next four months, with details of how we intend to carry out consultation on each occasion. Members of the public are invited to submit their views on any of the matters referred and can, if they wish, attend the meeting themselves when the matter is to be considered and speak on the item with the agreement of the Chairman (Leader).

How it works

Cabinet is the executive decision making body of the Council. It has responsibility for implementing the agreed policies of the Council by making decisions within that framework. These policies and decisions can affect, and ultimately benefit, all areas of the Borough. The cabinet can also seek to recommend changes that it wishes the full Council to make to its existing policy framework or its budget/financial arrangements (Medium Term Financial Plan).
 
It is made up of nine councillors; each with responsibility for different services of the Council's operation; and referred to as Portfolios. Details of the Cabinet membership and individual Portfolios are available at cabinet portfolios

Cabinet meet every four weeks, usually in the Lecture Hall at Stockton Central Library. Details of the dates of future meetings and copies of agendas, reports and minutes, are available at meetings

Members of the public are welcome to attend the meetings, except on rare occasions when items being discussed involve confidential or exempt information - for instance when considering the financial or business affairs of a third party; or matters concerning employees.

Members of the public attending the meeting may speak provided they have obtained the permission of the Leader, who chairs the meeting. Further information on the public protocol of meetings of the Cabinet is available at Protocols for Questions and attendance at Council meetings

Below are dated entries about some of the most important decisions taken by Cabinet at its latest meetings. More in-depth information is available at - cabinet decisions

You may also want to look at the Forward Plan and Officer Executive Decisions. If you would like to receive email when your chosen topic is mentioned in a decision record, you should look at Topic Alerting Registration, which you can also access from the same page.

Thursday, 10 June 2010

Leven Bridge-Repair Strategy

Cabinet was advised of the issues that had forced the closure of the road going over Leven Bridge.

It was explained that the visible cracking in the road surface at Leven Bridge prompted a road closure in February 2010. The intervening period since then had resulted in a number of investigations being carried out to determine the cause and assist in identifying the solution. These investigations had found that scour in the river bed and river bank had undermined the upstream corner of the north road bridge abutment and footbridge abutment resulting in a partial lack of support to both the road bridge and footbridge.

Remedial measures had been identified that involved filling the void with special grout bags and reinstating the river bed with anti scour material that would prevent the problem re-occurring. These were being implemented. An appropriate contractor was appointed on an emergency basis to assist with the development and delivery of the solution. In parallel officers had been working closely with the Environment Agency, utility companies and landowners to secure the necessary consents to ensure the works could be expedited at the earliest convenience.

It was anticipated that the works should be completed in July 2010 and the bridge re-opened to traffic in that period.

Officers were working closely with the contractor and other agencies to ensure that the cost implications in implementing the project were kept to a minimum, but it was recognised that the extent of works that were required could be up to £500,000. The Acting Head of Technical Services had been in dialogue with Government Office North East and the Department of Transport since early March to try and source financial support for the situation. Mixed messages had been received however, it was the intention to continue to lobby at the highest level to try and secure the support that was rightly needed to fund the project. The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport had also written to the Secretary of State for Transport to strengthen this message.Cabinet noted that, where possible, and appropriate, officers would pursue other potential sources of funding where liability was proven to be a significant contributory factor to the damage to the bridge. This may be in the form of a cocktail of contributions based upon where the liability sat and the level of contribution to the overall problem. It was recognised however that the provisions within the new Flood and Water Management Act which received Royal assent in April 2010 in respect of defining responsibilities for maintenance of flood defence assets would not be able to be applied retrospectively.

The closure of the bridge and the arterial route it carries had had an impact not only on local residents and commuters but also local businesses in the immediate vicinity including those in Yarm, Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby. Throughout the period officers had given regular updates to Ward Councillors and to the wider public through dialogue with the media. Officers would continue to ensure that the progress and completion of the project was effectively communicated.

For further details regarding the Council's plans to address the damage caused to the Borough's roads by the recent bad weather, contact Russell Smith, tel. 01642 526935; e-mail Russell.Smith@stockton.gov.uk.

Supply of Primary School Places Across the Borough

Cabinet heard details of how between 1999 and 2009 the number of primary school pupils in the borough had fallen by almost 3,000. During that time the pupil capacity of many primary schools was reduced, and 1,700 places were removed in order to maintain the level of unfilled places at around 10% overall.

The latest projections (based on January 2010 data) show a rising trend in the number of pupils of primary school age in the borough beginning in September 2010 and continuing for at least four years.

It now seems likely that pupil numbers will rise more rapidly than projected last year. The number of applications for reception places in September 2010 was over 100 greater than projected. In some areas of the borough there will be very few vacant reception places in September. There is now a need to identify options for increasing capacity in those areas of the borough for 2011 and beyond, and to consider how those options might be funded.

In all areas of the borough the number of pupils attending Catholic schools is projected to increase beyond present capacity. It would therefore be necessary to discuss possible options with the two Catholic dioceses.

A further report containing options that could be developed to ensure a sufficient supply of places in all areas of the Borough taking into account the availability of resources, would be presented to a meeting of Cabinet later in the year.

Further details regarding the above can be obtained by contacting Tony Beckwith, Head of Support Services, tel. 01642 527052; e-mail Tony.Beckwith@stockton.gov.uk 

Health & Wellbeing Strategy for Stockton on Tees

Finally, Cabinet received and endorsed a Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Stockton on Tees; which had been developed by the Council and its partners to improve the health and wellbeing of families and communities and adults in the Borough by tackling health inequalities and focusing on the following key priorities:-

• Mental Health
• Alcohol
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Health Inequalities
• Sexual Health

Copies of the strategy can be obtained by contacting Ruth Hill, Assistant Director of Health Improvement, tel. 01642 352354; e-mail Ruth.Hill@northteespct.nhs.uk