Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Boden announced that since the Cabinet agenda was first published on 6 June 2025, a subsequent decision was taken to lift the exemption in relation to item 7 concerning the Fenland Inspire! Project report and make it a public report. This followed the necessary checks and enquiries being concluded in relation to the potential business and financial implications of publishing the information and specifically in relation to procurement and the public interest in achieving best value.

To confirm and sign the public minutes of the meeting held 19 May 2025.

The public minutes of the meeting held 19 May 2025 were approved and signed.

For Cabinet to review and agree the list of outside bodies and nominations for representatives on those organisations for 2025/26.

AGREED to:

·         the appointments set out at Appendix A of the report

·         note where required representatives to outside bodies cannot currently be fulfilled.

·         Delegate to the Corporate Director and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Group Leaders the addition or deletion of outside bodies as the need arises during the municipal year and appointment of members to vacancies on outside bodies during the municipal year.

Members considered the Outside Bodies 2025/26 report presented by Councillor Boden.

Members commented as follows:

·         Councillor Tierney pointed out that the names of the Combined Authority outside body committees had been changed from those listed in the report and requested that records be updated with the new names. 

·         Councillor Mrs Laws said she could not see the Peterborough Flood Committee listed and queried whether this is an outside body. Councillor Mrs French commented that it is a body she sits on with representatives nominated by the County Council. Councillor Mrs Laws said she believed it was a district appointment, so Councillor Boden requested the matter be investigated and brought back to the next Cabinet meeting. 

·         Councillor Mrs Laws advised she sits on the Middle Level Navigation Committee which again is not listed but is due to meet next week, and so queried whether she is still on this. Councillor Boden advised that this will also be checked but as she is named as a member of the board, she will remain on it if so.

·         Councillor Seaton stated that he cannot see the A47 Alliance on this list which is an outside body he attends either virtually or in Norwich. Councillor Boden confirmed that Councillor Seaton is the representative, and he intends that Councillor Seaton be appointed to carry on. 

Councillor Boden advised an updated report would be brought back to the next Cabinet meeting on 15 July. 

Proposed by Councillor Mrs French, seconded by Councillor Mrs Laws and AGREED to:

·         the appointments set out at Appendix A of the report

·         note where required representatives to outside bodies cannot currently be fulfilled.

·         delegate to the Corporate Director and Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Group Leaders the addition or deletion of outside bodies as the need arises during the municipal year and appointment of members to vacancies on outside bodies during the municipal year.

To consider funding available from the Rural England Shared Prosperity Fund from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for a transitional one-year period ending 31 March 2026

AGREED to:

·         Recommend acceptance of Rural England Shared Prosperity Fund from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) for a one-year period 2025-26.

·         Recommend that officers be delegated to approve and liaise with the CPCA the Rural England Shared Prosperity Grant Funding Agreement 2025-26.

Members considered the Rural England Prosperity Funding 2025/26 report presented by Councillor Boden.

Proposed by Councillor Boden, seconded by Councillor Tierney and AGREED to:

·         recommend acceptance of Rural England Shared Prosperity Fund from the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) for a one-year period 2025-26.

·         recommend that officers be delegated to approve and liaise with the CPCA the Rural England Shared Prosperity Grant Funding Agreement 2025-26.

To update Cabinet on progress to date of the Fenland Inspire! project initiatives and to highlight potential risks.    

AGREED to note the content of the report on Fenland Inspire! and resolved:

·         to reaffirm Cabinet’s intent to use the Fenland Inspire! Programme to leave an inheritance for Fenland residents after FDC is abolished as a result of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

·         to further note that the timescale for LGR is not yet certain, and that although it is currently thought likely that LGR will go ahead on 1^st April 2028, there is at present no certainty as to the date of FDC’s abolition, assuming that LGR goes ahead at all.

·         to affirm that it is unacceptable for FDC to enter into spending commitments that it cannot meet and that FDC must therefore exercise caution in entering into spending commitments, in the interests of both current and future Fenland taxpayers.

·         to note the significant increase in the estimated costs of the Fenland Inspire! Programme. It would clearly be inappropriate to progress all of the current elements of Fenland Inspire! although, once Government publishes a Statutory Instrument, to effect LGR, it can be reasonably assumed that LGR will go ahead on the date stated in the Statutory Instrument.

·         to note that until Cabinet can reasonably assume that LGR will be going ahead, it would be imprudent to proceed with all of the Fenland Inspire! Projects, especially given that frustrated or wasted early costs on capital projects have to be accounted for as Revenue, rather than Capital, expenditure. However, several of the Fenland Inspire! Projects are already in the pipeline or are quite small in cost and low risk in implementation Most of the projects have already received approval from Cabinet or Council to progress. Moreover, if FDC was to wait until it can be reasonably assumed that LGR will be going ahead, it is clear that FDC would have real capacity limitations in delivering all the projects in the programme.

·         to approve that officers progress the projects, or parts of projects, listed in appendix 1.

·         that the list of projects in Fenland Inspire! is not definitive. Projects may be added to or deleted from the list by Cabinet.

·         that the Wisbech Chapel building improvement project is unsustainable and should be removed from the Fenland Inspire! Programme.

·         that in light of the uncertainty surrounding LGR, Cabinet will suspend further work on all projects, other than those listed in Appendix 1 below) until a comprehensive report is brought back to a future meeting of Cabinet.

·         that officers should, nevertheless, keep careful watch for external funding opportunities for all projects. 

·         the Leader will provide officers with an updated Schedule S, detailing which members are leading on which projects.

APPENDIX 1

1.    Wisbech Park Splash Pad: phase one only

2.    Wisbech 11/12 High Street

3.    Manor Leisure Centre, Whittlesey

4.    Chatteris Leisure Centre condition survey work

5.    District wide assessment: new play equipment

6.    New Village Green, Wimblington

7.    Civil Parking Enforcement

8.    St John’s Chapels, March

9.    New March Country Park: confirmation of land transfer agreement only

10. 3G pitches: preparing or submitting  ...  view the full decision text for item CAB4/25

Members considered the Fenland Inspire! Projects Update report presented by Councillor Boden.

Councillor Boden advised that a proposed resolution had been tabled at the meeting which he proceeded to read in full as follows:

“Cabinet notes the report on Fenland Inspire!

Cabinet reaffirms its intent to use the Fenland Inspire! Programme to leave an inheritance for Fenland residents after FDC is abolished as a result of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Cabinet further notes that the timescale for LGR is not yet certain, and that although it is currently thought likely that LGR will go ahead on 1st April 2028, there is at present no certainty as to the date of FDC’s abolition, assuming that LGR goes ahead at all.

Cabinet affirms that it is unacceptable for FDC to enter into spending commitments that it cannot meet and that FDC must therefore exercise caution in entering into spending commitments, in the interests of both current and future Fenland taxpayers.

Cabinet notes the significant increase in the estimated costs of the Fenland Inspire! Programme.  It would clearly be inappropriate to progress all of the current elements of Fenland Inspire! although, once Government publishes a draft Statutory Instrument to effect LGR, we can reasonably assume that LGR will go ahead on the date stated in the Statutory Instrument.

Until Cabinet can reasonably assume that LGR will be going ahead, it would be imprudent to proceed with all of the Fenland Inspire! Projects, especially given that frustrated or wasted early costs on capital projects have to be accounted for as Revenue, rather than capital, expenditure.

However, several of the Fenland Inspire! Projects are already in the pipeline, or are quite small in cost and low-risk in implementation.  Most of these projects have already received approval from Cabinet or Council to progress.

Moreover, if we were to wait until we can reasonably assume that LGR will be going ahead, it is clear that FDC would have real capacity limitations in delivering all the projects in the programme.

Accordingly, Cabinet approves that Officers progress the projects, or parts of projects, listed in appendix 1.  

The list of projects in Fenland Inspire! is not definitive.  Projects may be added to or deleted from the list by Cabinet.

Cabinet believes that the Wisbech Chapel building improvement project is unsustainable and that it should be removed from the Fenland Inspire! Programme.

In light of the uncertainty surrounding LGR, Cabinet resolves to suspend further work on all projects (other than those listed in Appendix 1) until a comprehensive report is brought back to a future meeting of Cabinet.

Officers should, nevertheless, keep careful watch for external funding opportunities for all projects.

The Leader will provide Officers with an updated Schedule S, detailing which members are leading on which projects.

APPENDIX 1

1. Wisbech Park Splash Pad: phase one only.

2. Wisbech 11/12 High Street

3. Manor Leisure Centre Whittlesey

4. Chatteris Leisure Centre condition survey work

5. District wide assessment: new play equipment

6. New Village Green Wimblington

7. Civil  ...  view the full minutes text for item CAB4/25

For information purposes.

The draft Cabinet Forward Plan was noted for information.

To confirm and sign the confidential minutes of the meeting held 19 May 2025.

The confidential minutes of the meeting held 19 May 2025 were approved and signed.