BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY(STEWARDSHIP) COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY (STEWARDSHIP) COMMITTEE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL OFFICES, CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH ON TUESDAY, 29 JANUARY 2008
Quick Links
- 54 Declaration of Interests
- 55 Minutes
- 56 Petitions
- 57 Questions from Members
- 58 Call-in: Strategy Committee meeting held on 10 January 2008 - Capital Programme 2007/08
- 59 Local Authority Modernisation Programme (LAMP) Project - Timescales and Payment Profiles
- 60 Budget Scrutiny
- 61 Use of Resources Assessment 2007
- 62 Risk Management Annual Report
- 63 Managing the transition to a new National Performance Framework
- 64 Work Plan
PRESENT: Mr D M Busby – Chairman
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Mr J C Brand
Mr J R B Cave
Mr D G Grutchfield
Ms J A Jenkins |
Mr D M Walton
Mr G S White
Mr L H Young |
Mr C A Roberts was unable to be present.
Mr N A Ridley was present for the call-in item referred to in Minute No. 58 below to explain why the Strategy Committee decision was made.
Mr A F D W Osborne was present for the call-in item referred to in Minute No. 58 below and spoke on the item to explain the reasons for Call-In.
The following also attended the meeting for the call-in item referred to in Minute No. 58 below and spoke on the item as witnesses:-
Mrs C Bailey, Clerk to Hadleigh Town Council
Mrs S Brotherwood, Clerk to Sudbury Town Council
Mr N A Ridley was present for the item referred to in Minute No. 60 below and spoke on the item with the consent of the Chairman.
Mr G S White declared a personal interest in respect of the item referred to in Minute No. 60 below by virtue of the fact that he is a Member of the Board of the South Suffolk Leisure Trust.
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RESOLVED
(1) That the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2007 be confirmed and signed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:-
In Minute No. 49, after “possible reasons for the poorer performance on other planning applications were discussed” insert “as well as the impact on the amount of planning delivery grant which had reduced from £300,000 to around £100,000”.
(2) That subject to the concurrence of the Overview and Scrutiny (Community Services) Committee, the Minutes of the joint meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny (Stewardship) Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny (Community Services) Committee held on 11 December 2007 be confirmed and signed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:-
In Minute No. 6 delete “The SFP had not accepted a proposal put forward by the Information Management Task Group to fund a new post of Security Officer.” And substitute “The proposal put forward by the Information Management Task Group to fund a new joint post of Security Officer had yet to go through the SFP process”.
In Minute No. 6, recommendation (6), remove the comma after “opportunities” and insert a comma after “car parking”.
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None received.
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None received.
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The Head of Corporate Services advised that following the Decision Notice circulated on 11 January 2008 outlining decisions taken by the Strategy Committee on 10 January 2008, a call-in request had been submitted and had been circulated to Members as Paper G192, together with a copy of the report the subject of the call-in (Paper G175).
Members noted that the call-in decision was to release expenditure to carry out certain schemes of planned maintenance, including installing car park ticket machines in Sudbury and replacing existing machines in Hadleigh.
Under the call-in protocol the Committee could look only at the process by which Strategy had reached its view and not at the merits of the decision. Further, it could only consider matters specified in the call-in request covered by the call-in protocol.
Members were asked to focus on the following issues:-
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Whether the Strategy Committee had acted unreasonably in failing to consult relevant stakeholders.
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Whether there was evidence to show that the Strategy Committee had overlooked a material consideration in reaching its decision.
The Head of Contract and Asset Management, as author of the report the subject of the call-in, confirmed that the decision had not yet been implemented.
Mr D M Walton and Mr A F D W Osborne presented their reasons for call-in. In addition, the Committee noted a letter from Mr B Riley in support of the call-in.
Members of the Committee questioned Mr Walton and Mr Osborne.
Mr N A Ridley, Chairman of the Strategy Committee, explained why the decision was made.
Members of the Committee questioned Mr Ridley.
Mrs S Brotherwood, Clerk to Sudbury Town Council, explained how and when she had been informed of the proposal to install ticket machines in the short stay car parks in Sudbury.
Mrs C Bailey, Clerk to Hadleigh Town Council, stated that in the period since September 2006 the Town Council had not been consulted about the proposal to replace ticket machines in the short stay car parks in Hadleigh.
Members of the Committee questioned Mrs Brotherwood and Mrs Bailey.
The Head of Contract and Asset Management explained the background and reasoning behind the proposal to install car park ticket machines in Sudbury and replace existing machines in Hadleigh. Members noted that Officers regarded the subject of car park ticket machines as an operational matter and not a strategic issue that might require consultation.
Members of the Committee questioned the Head of Contract and Asset Management.
Mr N A Ridley stated that the Strategy Committee had identified the decision as approving expenditure on a scheme within the capital programme. It did not relate to the management of the car parks, nor to car parking charges, as these items were not in the budget for 2007/08. Mr Ridley left the meeting at this point for the remainder of the item.
Members discussed the evidence they had heard and noted the options open to them as follows:-
(i) To concur with the Strategy Committee’s decision.
(ii) To refer the matter back to Strategy Committee for reconsideration.
(iii) To refer the matter to the Council for the final decision or referral back to Strategy Committee.
A motion to concur with the Strategy Committee’s decision was proposed and seconded. A recorded vote was requested, to which the Committee agreed, and the voting was recorded as follows:-
FOR |
AGAINST |
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Mr J C Brand
Mr D M Busby
Mr J R B Cave
Ms J A Jenkins
Mr G S White |
Mr D G Grutchfield
Mr D M Walton
Mr L H Young |
The motion as set out below was carried.
RESOLVED
That the Committee concurs with the process by which the Strategy Committee authorised expenditure from the Council’s General Fund to install ticket machines in short-stay car parks in Sudbury and replace ticket machines in short-stay car parks in Hadleigh.
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The Head of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper G190) updating Members on the timescales and payment profile for the LAMP project, as requested by the Committee at its meeting held on 9 October 2007.
RESOLVED
That the information contained in Paper G190 be noted.
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The Head of Finance presented a report (Paper G186) concerning scrutiny of the draft budgets. These had been approved by the Strategy Committee on 10 January 2008.
In the ensuing discussion, the following were among the points noted:-
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The proposed Council Tax increase was based on the headline RPI rate of inflation of 3.9% in September 2007, which would again achieve the Council’s aim on limiting increases to no more than inflation.
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The Committee was not asked to comment on the issue of the Council’s future financial strategy, as this would require further consideration once the 2008/09 budget had been approved.
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Paragraph 5.9 of Paper G186 updated Members on proposed amendments to the budgets to reflect changes which had occurred since the Strategy meeting. These related to a Government increase in statutory fees for planning applications, the current situation on the Hadleigh pool/leisure facilities budget, and potential expansion of facilities at the Kingfisher Leisure Centre during 2008/09. -
At a future meeting Members would have an opportunity to challenge the auditors on their proposed fee increase of 33%.
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Over the previous three years the total salary and wages bill had increased by between 3.5% and 4% per annum. Over the same period there had been a small but steady decrease in the number of full-time equivalent posts, from around 280 in 2004/05 to just over 270 in 2008/09.
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Paper G169 had not been considered by the SFP Group, as it had been decided at an early stage that the Group should concentrate on broader issues.
RECOMMENDED TO STRATEGY COMMITTEE
That the draft budget for 2008/09 be approved as set out in Papers G186 and G169.
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The Head of Finance presented a report (Paper G187) advising Members on the outcomes of the Audit Commission’s Use of Resources Assessment for 2007, and overall progress on meeting the 2008 Level 3 requirements.
RESOLVED
(1) That the Audit Commission’s use of resources assessment for 2007 as set out in the Appendix to Paper G187 be noted.
(2) That overall progress on meeting the Level 3 use of resources requirements for 2008 as set out in Paper G187 be noted.
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The Head of Finance presented a report (Paper G188) summarising risk management actions and outcomes over the past year and indicating changes in arrangements that would result in the further embedding and strengthening of risk management in the organisation.
RECOMMENDED TO STRATEGY COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL
That the Annual Report on Risk Management, including the updated Risk Management Strategy as set out in Paper G188 be approved.
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The Head of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper G189) concerning potential changes needed to aspects of the Council’s Performance Management systems as a result of the requirements of the new National Performance Management Framework. Members noted that at their next meeting they would be asked to make recommendations to the Strategy Committee about Performance Indicator targets for 2008/09.
RESOLVED
That the project plan “Managing the transition to a new National Performance Framework” be approved as set out in Appendix A to Paper G189.
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The Head of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper G191) which provided details of the Committee’s anticipated work for the remainder of 2007/08, including items that may be the subject of call-in procedures.
It was agreed that the review of the call-in procedures should be dealt with at the Committee’s meeting scheduled for 18 March 2008.
RESOLVED
That the Work Plan submitted as Paper G191 be noted.
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Note: The Committee adjourned for refreshments between 11.00 a.m. and 11.20 a.m.
The business of the meeting was concluded at 1.03 p.m.
Chairman
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