To receive apologies for absence.

An apology for absence from the physical meeting room was given by Councillor Billings, however Councillor Billings was present in the virtual meeting room from where he contributed to the meeting but was not part of the decision making process.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18 November 2025.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18 November 2025 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

(a)       To receive declarations of non pecuniary interests in respect of items on this agenda.

For reference: Having declared their non pecuniary interest members may remain in the meeting and speak and, vote on the matter in question. A completed disclosure of interests form should be returned to the Clerk before the conclusion of the meeting.

(b)       To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on this agenda.

For reference: Where a Member has a disclosable pecuniary interest he/she must leave the meeting during consideration of the item. However, the Member may remain in the meeting to make representations, answer questions or give evidence if the public have a right to do so, but having done so the Member must then immediately leave the meeting, may not vote and must not improperly seek to influence the outcome of the matter. A completed disclosure of interests form should be returned to the Clerk before the conclusion of the meeting.

(Please Note: If Members and Officers wish to seek advice on any potential interests they may have, they should contact Governance Support or Legal Services prior to the meeting.)

No declarations of interest were made.

The Chair announced an opportunity for the community to acquire the Old Monastery on Berry Drive, Paignton, for a nominal sum of £1.  The Chair explained that the Old Monastery was first approved for disposal by Cabinet back in 2019, with an invitation for bids from community groups. At that time, no proposals were received. More recently, the Council’s Estates Team has reviewed under-performing assets, including the Old Monastery, for potential disposal.

Following circulation of this schedule, the Cabinet received strong representation from the local community, expressing significant interest in acquiring the property for community-based use. In response, Cabinet is set to agree to provide the community with the opportunity to acquire the Old Monastery for £1, subject to key conditions:

• Legal entity formation: The community must establish a legal entity to transact with the Council.
• Time-limited option: The acquisition opportunity will remain open until 31 March 2026.
• Restrictive covenant: The property’s Land Registry Title will be limited to community-based operations.
• Overage clause: Should the property’s use change in future, any uplift in value will be returned to the Council.

This proposal provided the community with every opportunity to bring the Old Monastery back into beneficial use and was a positive step forward for Paignton and for community-led regeneration.

The Cabinet considered the following matters, full details of which (including the Cabinet’s decisions and recommendations to Council) are set out in the Record of Decisions appended to these Minutes.

To consider a report on the above.

To consider a report that sets out the Corporate Parenting Strategy which builds on previous versions and represents the Council’s unrelenting intention to fulfil its role to the highest standard thereby ensuring that our children and young people receive the best possible support.