Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 20th November, 2019, 5.00 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Civic Centre Folkestone

Contact: Jemma West 

Media

Items
No. Item

41.

Declarations of Interest

Members of the Council should declare any interests which fall under the following categories:

 

a)   disclosable pecuniary interests (DPI);

b)   other significant interests (OSI);

c)   voluntary announcements of other interests.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee declared an Other Significant Interest (OSI) in respect of minute number 43 (Otterpool Park - additional capital funding) and indicated that she would not take part in the vote or debate, and would leave the chamber during consideration of the report.  She stated that she had declared this as a voluntary declaration previously, but now that the project would be entering its first phase, likely to start at Westenhanger, it seemed appropriate to declare an OSI.

 

42.

Proposed changes to ICT service provision

This report relates to the provision of a future ICT service and the end of the current outsourced ICT contract. Due to changes in technology that are driving digital transformation the 10 year ICT outsourced service contract that was entered into in 2012 is becoming unfit for purpose in a number of ways as it was designed to support a working model of a largely static workforce based in a number of fixed offices. The contract does not take account of the range of devices that are increasingly being deployed and the uptake of the use of mobile working to drive efficiency are changing the requirements for supporting a modern workforce, nor does it take account of technologies such as cloud computing.

 

The ICT contractor, Sopra Steria, have approached the council to discuss possibility of a mutually agreed early termination of the contract as they are operating at a loss. Officers believe that there are advantages to agreeing to this request in that it will allow the ICT service to be reshaped to fit with the council’s wider transformation plans and provide the necessary support moving forwards as new technology is adopted.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The report related to the provision of a future ICT service and the end of the current outsourced ICT contract. Due to changes in technology that are driving digital transformation the 10 year ICT outsourced service contract that was entered into in 2012 is becoming unfit for purpose in a number of ways as it was designed to support a working model of a largely static workforce based in a number of fixed offices. The contract does not take account of the range of devices that are increasingly being deployed and the uptake of the use of mobile working to drive efficiency are changing the requirements for supporting a modern workforce, nor does it take account of technologies such as cloud computing.

 

The ICT contractor, Sopra Steria, had approached the council to discuss possibility of a mutually agreed early termination of the contract as they are operating at a loss. Officers believe that there are advantages to agreeing to this request in that it will allow the ICT service to be reshaped to fit with the council’s wider transformation plans and provide the necessary support moving forwards as new technology is adopted.

 

Proposed by Councillor Meyers,

Seconded by Councillor Peall; and

 

RESOLVED:

1.        That report C/19/33 be received and noted.

2.        That the mutual termination of the current, 10 year ICT contract prior to the natural end date of March 2022 be agreed, so that the ICT Service can be brought back in house enabling a new support model to be created that better fits to the Councils requirements to support new technology and digital transformation.

3.        That delegated authority be given to the Corporate Director – Customers, Support and Specialist Services in consultation with the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Digital Transformation and Customer Services to agree the ending of the contract at a time which is appropriate for the Council.

 

(Voting figures: 7 for, 0 against, 0 abstentions).

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

This reports highlights a number of issues with the current long term ICT outsourced contract and the advantages to the Council of agreeing to the contractors request to consider a mutually agreed early termination two years prior to the natural end date of March 2022.

 

43.

Otterpool Park - additional capital funding

This report sets out the history of the Otterpool Park project and its rationale, the work done to date, the financial implications and returns, the challenges in delivering the project and makes the case for additional capital funding to enable to project to progress.

 

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The report set out the history of the Otterpool Park project and its rationale, the work done to date, the financial implications and returns, the challenges in delivering the project and makes the case for additional capital funding to enable the project to progress.

 

Proposed by Councillor Monk,

Seconded by Councillor Peall; and

 

RESOLVED:

1.        That report C/19/23 be received and noted.

2.        That Cabinet recommends to Council that it makes available an additional one hundred million pounds to be drawn down over a period of up to five years to enable the Otterpool Park project to proceed;

3.        That decisions on spending the monies (if approved by council) be made by the decision maker, after having consulted the Otterpool Park Working Group, with decisions on expenditure in excess of £100,000 being subject to the approval of the majority of the Working Group members; and

4.        That the submission of the Garden Communities capacity fund bid to government be approved for 2019/20.

 

(Voting figures: 6 for, 0 against, 0 abstentions).

 

Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee left the chamber prior to the consideration of this item.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Otterpool Park project has reached the stage where the Council must commit to additional funding in order that it can proceed.