Decisions

Record of Officer Urgent Decision

Chief Officers Pay Agreement 2023

Decision taken: To implement the Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Officers of Local Authorities Pay Award for 2023-24.

Decision of: Chief Executive

Reference: 23/Officerdecision/Civ1

Date of decision: 12 May 2023

Matter for Decision: Decision delegated from Civic Affairs Committee

Any alternative options considered and rejected: The pay award for the chief officer level posts (Directors, Heads of Service and Assistant Directors) is determined by national level collective bargaining between the national employers and trade unions.  Once agreed at a national level the City Council implements the pay award in accordance with the terms of staff contracts of employment.

Reason for the decision including any background papers considered: To implement the nationally agreed pay award for chief officers following receipt of notification by circular from the Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Officers of Local Authorities dated 5 May 2023.  The award is for an increase of 3.50 per cent on each pay point with effect from 1 April 2023.

Conflict of interest and dispensation granted by Chief Executive: The Chief Executive is exercising this decision as the Head of Human Resources has a personal interest in this pay award.

Comments: This decision is taken in accordance with the delegated authority from Civic Affairs Committee to the Head of Human Resources, as follows:

To implement any award of a joint negotiating body so far as it concerns rates of salary, wages, car allowances or other allowances payable to officers and other employees of the Council except where the terms thereof involve the exercise of a discretion by the Council provided that when any action is taken in pursuance of this paragraph members are advised by the Head of Human Resources and a record of that advice be made available to the public..

Contact for further information: Robert Pollock, Chief Executive

Matter for Decision: To agree the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report Appendix 1) to be published on the Councils’ shared planning service website. The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory and five-year housing land supply calculations have been prepared jointly with South Cambridgeshire District Council, consistent with the adopted Local Plans.

To delegate any further minor editing changes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters.

Why the decision had to be made (and any alternative options):  The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory is used by the Councils to calculate their five-year housing land supply and to demonstrate that anticipated housing delivery will meet or exceed the housing requirements set out in their Local Plans. The housing trajectory and five-year supply calculations are required to be updated annually. The new five-year period started on 1 April 2023, and therefore calculations for this period (2023-2028) need to be agreed and published.

Alternative options: An alternative option would be to not publish the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report. However, national planning policy and guidance requires that a local planning authority should identify and annually update their five-year supply of specific deliverable housing sites. A new housing trajectory is required to establish the Greater Cambridge five-year housing land supply for the purposes of making planning decisions.

Executive Councillor’s decision: The Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report (Appendix 1) to be published on the Councils’ shared planning service website.

To delegate any further minor editing changes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report to the Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development where they are technical matters

Reasons for the decision: The Greater Cambridge housing trajectory is used by the Councils to calculate their five-year housing land supply and to demonstrate that anticipated housing delivery will meet or exceed the housing requirements set out in their Local Plans. The housing trajectory and five-year supply calculations are required to be updated annually.

The new five-year period started on 1 April 2023, and therefore calculations for this period (2023-2028) need to be agreed and published.

Scrutiny consideration: The Chair and Spokespersons of Planning & Transport Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report: Appendix 1, The Greater Cambridge Housing Trajectory and Five-Year Housing Land Supply Report.

Click on link below to view Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Conflict of interest: None know

Comments: No comments were received on this out of cycle decision.

Matter for Decision: To agree to the adoption of the Street Naming and Numbering Policy which has been revised to align all three separate Councils policies into one Policy.

Why the Decision had to be made (and any alternative options): 3C Building Control is now responsible for Street Naming and Numbering for all 3 Councils - Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council. We would like to align all three separate policies into one for us to use going forward and to publish on our website.

The amendments to the Policy are minor and in effect align the three policies into one more concise Policy. We have contacted our Councillors at each Council and have received their approval to the Policy. Legal have been consulted and also given their approval.

We have already contacted Huntingdonshire District Council and are currently awaiting final approval. South Cambridge District Council have added this to the forward Plan which is going to council on 15^th May.

As the Cambridge City Committee are now not sitting till June, due to the upcoming elections, we would like this to be looked at out of cycle in order to expedite the process. To date it has taken over a year trying to get the revised Policy in place and getting the relevant approvals and due to timelines, we would appreciate your approval to the revised Policy.

The Executive Councillor’s decision: Agreed to the adoption of the Street Naming and Numbering Policy which has been revised to align all three separate Councils policies into one Policy

Reason for the decision: The Council has a statutory obligation for the naming and numbering of streets and buildings within its designated administrative boundary.  The purpose is to ensure that any new or amended street and building names and/or numbers are allocated logically and in a consistent manner to facilitate effective service delivery from both public and private sector bodies and in particular to ensure that emergency services are able to locate any address to which they may be summoned. 

The Street Naming and Numbering Policy has not been reviewed since 2011.  3C Building Control has now taken on responsibility for Street Naming and Numbering for all three partner Councils and there has aligned all three separate policies into one unified policy.

Following a review of policies of all three partner Councils in 2022, it is proposed to align these into a single unified policy document.  There are no major amendments, only minor changes.

It is proposed the new charges will take effect from 1 June 2023.

Although no formal consultation has been undertaken, service users will be advised following adoption that the annual subscription will be increasing

Scrutiny Consideration: The Chair and Spokesperson of the Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report: Appendix A 3C Building Control Address Management Policy.

Click on link to view Appendix A :      Appendix A

Conflict of interest: None

Comments: No comments were received on this out of cycle decision.