On behalf of the Chair, there will be an announcement about the arrangements in case of fire or other events that might require the meeting room or building’s evacuation.

If any receive;-

All members of Cabinet were present.

Members are invited to disclose any interests in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting. Members may still disclose an interest in an item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 2026 and to authorise the Chair to sign them.

The minutes of the meetings held on 8^th July 2026, were agreed as a correct record and the Chair signed them.

Report attached.

Report Title: Award of contracts for Ofsted-registered provision

Presented by: Cllr Kevin Gill, Cabinet Member for Children

Cabinet:

Approved the award of contracts to three Ofsted-regulated providers of alternative provision that the Council currently use. Two of these providers are multi academy trusts and therefore fall outside the scope of the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23). However, one of the proposed direct awards is to a private school and therefore within the scope of the PA23.

Cabinet agreed a waiver of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (CPR) for the award to Koru Independent AP Academy (Academy).

Report attached.

Report Title: Arnold's Field (Launders Lane) Update

Presented by: Councillor Keith Prince, Leader of the Council

Cabinet Members noted:

1.            Once land has been determined as “contaminated land”, the Council must, by law, consider how that land should be remediated and, where appropriate, it must issue a Remediation Notice to require such remediation.

2.         Following due consideration, a Remediation Notice is being prepared for serving (after further analysis of recent fires) on the appropriate persons/entities as specified in the law in relation to the “contaminated land” at Arnold’s Field.

3.         The Notice would require the appropriate persons to address the smoke pollution (significant contaminant linkage) from the site – which arises from fires due to the combustion of waste both on the surface and the subsurface of the land – by carrying out specific remediation (installing a covering on select areas of the site) with all works to be completed within a set timescale.

4.         Failure to comply with the Notice could lead to the above persons being fined and could also lead to the Council carrying out the necessary “works in default” (chargeable to the above persons) under the Council’s “step in” powers.

5.         Whilst all efforts would be made to move as speedily as possible, the course of legal proceedings (including any appeals and enforcement etc.) may mean that the works (in default) may not take place for another two to three years and so there may be a further two to three years of fires, smoke and harm to health.

Cabinet Members agreed:

6.         To delegate, to the Strategic Director of Place in conjunction with the Strategic Director for Resources, authority to:

a.         exercise, if necessary and at the appropriate point in time, the Council’s “Step In” powers to execute any required “Works In Default” in line with the Remediation Notice; AND

b.         utilise Council funds of up to £200,000 for these purposes.