Agenda and minutes

Overview and Scrutiny Management Board - Wednesday 30 June 2010 2.00 pm

Venue: Council House (next to the Civic Centre)

Contact: Mrs Katey Johns, Democratic Support Officer 

Items
No. Item

1.

APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR

The Board will appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2010/11.

Minutes:

Agreed to appoint Councillor James as Chair and Councillor Ball as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2010/11.

2.

Welcome and Vote of Thanks

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed all new members to the first meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and congratulated them on their appointment.  He also offered a vote of thanks to the contribution made by former Board members.

3.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

The following declarations of interest were made in accordance with the members’ code of conduct –

 

Name

Minute

Reason

Interest

CouncillorWildy

 

9

Partner is a contractor

with Devonport Regeneration

Community Partnership

Personal

Councillor Thompson

9

Plymouth Community Homes Board member

Personal

 

4.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 96 KB

The Management Board will be asked to agree the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March, 2010.

Minutes:

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2010 as a correct record.

5.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

6.

TERMS OF REFERENCE pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Members will note the Terms of Reference for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

Minutes:

Members considered the current terms of reference and the role of the non-chair members.  Rather than spending too much time on the detail in the meeting it was agreed that –

 

(1)

 

the Lead Officer would circulate a revised draft terms of reference to all Board members via e-mail for comments;

 

(2)

 

the non-chair members would give particular consideration to their role and report back to the next meeting;

 

(3)

 

the revised draft terms of reference be considered at the next meeting of the Management Board, prior to submission to City Council on 2 August, 2010.

 

7.

CO-OPTED REPRESENTATIVES pdf icon PDF 50 KB

The Board will consider the appointment of co-opted representatives and/or confirm existing co-opted representatives.

Minutes:

Agreed to confirm Mr. Douglas Fletcher as co-opted representative to the Board for the municipal year 2010/2011.

8.

TRACKING DECISIONS pdf icon PDF 43 KB

The Management Board will monitor progress on previous decisions.

Minutes:

Members considered a schedule which tracked progress against decisions made at previous meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.  With regard to –

 

(a)

 

minute 81(c), the Plymouth Local Investment Plan be referred to the Growth and Prosperity OSP;

 

(b)

 

minute 94(a)2(d), the scrutiny of housing issues was being led by the Growth and Prosperity OSP;

 

(c)

 

minute 104a(1), CIP score cards were now a standard item on all panel agendas;

 

(d)

 

minute 104a(2), scrutiny of S106 revenue also featured in the work programme of the Growth and Prosperity OSP;

 

(e)

 

minute 109c(2), two particular areas of concern were identified –

 

  • locating the document on the Council’s website
  • the current format of the template

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

 

to avoid duplication, scrutiny of S106 revenue remain the responsibility of the Growth and Prosperity OSP;

 

(2)

 

with regard to the Forward Plan –

 

·        the issue of public accessibility to the document on the Council’s website and the inadequacy of the ‘search’ engine be raised with the web team

·        a new template be drafted and circulated via e-mail to all members for comment

 

9.

JOINT FINANCE AND PERFORMANCE REPORT pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To receive the Joint Finance and Performance Report as submitted to Cabinet on 8 June, 2010, and identify issues for further review / monitoring by panels.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Property, People and Governance and the Director for Corporate Support commented on the Council’s recent success and then responded to questions on the report.  Highlights of the Council’s recent successes included –

 

·        winning the 2010 Municipal Journal Achievement Award for being the UK's best achieving council

·        receiving excellent results in the Ofsted and CQC inspection, that looked at how well we take care of our looked after children and safeguard all children and young people in the city

·        Adult Social Care winning the Dignity in Care Award

·        that the Council was demonstrating through its Treasury Management function how effectively it was beginning to repay and reduce its borrowing

 

In response to questions raised, the Board was advised that -

 

(a)

 

with regard to invest to save schemes, a robust business case was being put together to take to the next meeting of Cabinet.  This report would provide full details of the projects involved which were expected to deliver significant revenue savings;

 

(b)

 

there had been a 25 per cent cut in the Performance Reward Grant across the country but precisely what this meant for Plymouth was still not yet known, possibly a reduction of £750k;

 

(c)

 

the first two of the three tranches of government announcements had taken place on 10 and 22 June and had included –

 

·        a £1.8m cut to Plymouth City Council’s revenue

·        a £1m cut to Plymouth City Council’s capital funding

·        a national cut to funding for dealing with contaminated land from £17m to £10m

·        a 25 per cent cut in DCLG funding over 4 years

·        a pay freeze for staff earning over £21k

·        a freeze on council tax

 

the third was expected on 20 October as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.  As these were in-year cuts and we were already three months in to this year’s budget, the Council was faced with making urgent and difficult decisions  A report on the impact of government announcements would be submitted to the next meeting of Cabinet;

 

(d)

 

the impact on Education was not yet fully known and whilst there had been a £1.8m cut to the Area Based Grant there was still flexibility as to how this could be used.  It did not necessarily mean that there would have to be a cut in Education Services.  With regard to Building Schools for the Future (BSF), there had been no official announcement as yet;

 

(e)

 

written responses would be provided to Board members on –

 

·        how the Council could plan a budget based on ‘anticipated’ parking penalty charges

·        what the £40m of Homes and Communities Agency Investment would be used for and by whom.

 

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member and Director for their attendance and suggested that should members have any further questions on this item they e-mail Adam direct.

 

(Councillors Wildy and Thompson declared personal interests in respect of the above item).

10.

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY pdf icon PDF 774 KB

To consider the Medium Term Financial Strategy as presented to Cabinet on 8 June, 2010.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Property, People and Governance and the Director for Corporate Support were in attendance to respond to questions on the report.  Members were advised that –

 

(a)

 

engagement continued to feature high on the agenda and the Council would be engaging in more meaningful consultation on its priorities for 2011/12, along with how those priorities would be resourced;

 

(b)

 

a more detailed breakdown of capital expenditure could be found in paragraph 6.1 of the report submitted in respect of the previous item;

 

(c)

 

the income received from the sale of Citybus was in the bank earning interest;

 

(d)

 

scrutiny would be engaged as part of the Transformational Change Programme and this had been picked up as part of the budget scrutiny process.

 

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member and Director for their attendance and suggested that should members have any further questions on this item they e-mail Adam direct.

Agreed that –

 

(1)

 

a report explaining the annual expenditure of £1m on insurance compensation be submitted to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board;

 

(2)

 

full details of the Lime House Scheme be referred to the Customers and Communities OSP for consideration.

 

11.

MEMBER DEVELOPMENT UPDATE pdf icon PDF 54 KB

The Director for Corporate Support will submit a briefing note highlighting the key achievements in member learning and development in the period 2009 to 2010. The briefing note also explores ongoing work in this area and some of the future challenges.

 

Minutes:

The Board noted the briefing paper submitted highlighting the key achievements in member and learning development in the period 2009 to 2010.

 

Agreed that future monitoring of member and learning development be referred to the Support Services OSP.

 

(Councillor Wildy’s proposal, having been seconded by Councillor Williams, was put to the vote and declared carried).

12.

BUDGET SCRUTINY RECOMMENDATIONS pdf icon PDF 38 KB

To monitor progress against recommendations arising from budget scrutiny undertaken on 15 and 17 February, 2010.

Minutes:

With regard to R6.7, Councillor Stevens queried whether the Growth and Prosperity OSP would be looking at performance of the Amey Contract as part of its Highways PID.  In response, Councillor Nicholson advised that the PID to be considered later on this agenda focussed purely on Highways Maintenance.  However, once this piece of work had been completed, the Growth and Prosperity OSP could undertake a formal review of the totality of the Amey contract.

 

Agreed that –

 

(1)

 

responsibility for allocating the nine recommendations made to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board to the relevant scrutiny panels be delegated to the Lead Officer;

 

(2)

 

a full and detailed action plan responding to the recommendations made to Cabinet be presented to the Board in September.

 

13.

SOUTH WEST DEVON WASTE PARTNERSHIP - OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PROJECT MANDATE pdf icon PDF 93 KB

The Board will receive proposals for a joint scrutiny review of the South West Devon Waste Partnership with Devon and Torbay.  Members will be asked to consider nominations to represent Plymouth City Council.

Minutes:

Agreed that Councillors Nicholson, Nelder and Berrow be nominated to City Council to represent Plymouth on the joint scrutiny review of the South West Devon Waste Partnership.

14.

URGENT EXECUTIVE DECISIONS pdf icon PDF 13 KB

Members will be advised of urgent Executive Decisions that have been taken since the last meeting of the Management Board (31 March, 2010).

Minutes:

Agency Staff Procurement – Contract Extension

 

The Assistant Chief Executive submitted a report on action taken by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board regarding the approval of an urgent decision (in accordance with Special Urgency rules as set out in Paragraph 16, Part 6 of the Constitution) taken by the Cabinet collectively on 8 June, 2010.

 

Members highlighted the fact that they still had not received a response to a question raised at the last meeting relating to the number of temporary staff employed by the Council.

15.

ANNUAL SCRUTINY REPORT

To consider the annual scrutiny report for the year 2009/10.

Minutes:

Agreed to defer this item to the next meeting on 28 July, 2010.

16.

OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL UPDATES AND RECOMMENDATIONS pdf icon PDF 53 KB

To receive and consider recommendations from panels for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, Cabinet or Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Agreed to approve the recommendations of the –

(1)

 

Support Services OSP - minute 8 – to be formally involved in any consultation on the bills recently announced during the Queen’s speech relating to policy areas within the Panel’s terms of reference;

 

(2)

 

Health and Adult Social Care OSP – minute 60 (2) – that the Assistant Director for Governance and Democracy be asked to look at whether licensing legislation allows for the impact on a neighbourhood’s health to be taken into account when considering licence applications;

 

(3)

 

Health and Adult Social Care OSP - minute 60 (3) – that the Alcohol Strategy be presented to the Licensing Committee for information;

 

(4)

 

Health and Adult Social Care OSP - minute 60 (4) – that the Director for Community Services be requested to notify ward councillors on receipt of licensing applications, similar to what is already in place for planning applications;

 

(5)

 

Health and Adult Social Care OSP - minute 61 (2) – that The City Council lobbies the City’s three MPs to support progress of the 2009 Health Bill – Tobacco Control – through Parliament;

 

(6)

 

Health and Adult Social Care OSP - minute 69 (2) – that if a Night Time Economy Manager is appointed, with responsibility for the whole of the city and not just to city centre trade, this post would ideally be funded in the majority by Statutory Partners with a contribution from the trade.

 

17.

WORK PROGRAMMES

17a

To receive new items from the Forward Plan with a view to identifying items for scrutiny pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board considered the following new additions to the Forward Plan -

 

  • Eastern Corridor Major Scheme: Deep Lane Proposals
  • Fairer Contributions Policy, Charging within a Personalised System

 

Concern was expressed at the level of consultation proposed on both items.  With regard to the Eastern Corridor Scheme, Councillor Nicholson expressed concern that nobody within the city boundary had been consulted.  However, as briefings for the Eastern Corridor scheme already formed part of Growth and Prosperity’s work programme, he would be raising this point with the Cabinet Member for Transport at a future meeting.  With regard to the Fairer Contributions Policy and Councillor Wildy’s suggestion that consultation ought to be widened to include all members, it was felt that this point could be picked up through consultation with the Health and Adult Social Care Panel.

17b

To consider and approve work programmes for each of the Panels pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In considering the work programmes, the Board also received a progress update from each of the panel Chairs, highlights of which included –

 
  •  

that all panels were aware of the significance of the Queen’s Speech and would be making allowances within their work programmes to consider any issues arising

 
  •  

discussion on work programme formats - that of the Growth and Prosperity OSP being the preferred option

 
  •  

with regard to the Children and Young People’s OSP, that –

 

 
  •  

consideration was still being given to the co-option of representatives, having concerns about possible conflicts of interest and whether it was right to permanently co-opt young people or whether it would be better to invite them as witnesses when required

 
  •  

it would be looking at support for young carers

 
  •  

the joint report of the Children and Young People and Health and Adult Social Care OSPs – A Focus on Reducing Teenage Conception Rates in the City – would be submitted to the next meeting of the Board

 
  •  

it would be visiting Riverside Primary School and Lipson Community College immediately prior to its next meeting and that the meeting itself would be held at Lipson Community College
  •  

with regard to the Growth and Prosperity OSP, that –

 
  •  

it had concluded the work of the former panel in regard to the Hoe Foreshore Task and Finish Group

 
  •  

it had heard from Mr. Douglas Fletcher, Chair of the Wealthy Theme Group

 
  •  

it had produced a PID in order to look at Highways Maintenance
  •  

with regard to the Health and Adult Social Care OSP, that –

 
  •  

there was a huge agenda to work through for the year and it had already been necessary to hold extra meetings to consider the Quality Accounts for both the PCT and PHT

 
  •  

in light of the Queen’s Speech it would be working even more closely with the City’s Health Partners
  •  

with regard to the Customers and Communities OSP, that –

 
  •  

under CIP 1, it would be looking at the Life Centre and its Management Contract

 
  •  

it would be looking at the overspend on Anti-Social Behaviour

 

The Board agreed –

 

(1)

 

(2)

 

the work programmes for each of the Panels;

 

in future, if Chairs had substantial update reports to present to the Board, they would be submitted in writing in order that they could be despatched with the agenda.

 

17c

To agree Project Initiation Documents / Task and Finish Groups pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Minutes:

The Board agreed the Project Initiation Document submitted by the Growth and Prosperity OSP for a Review of Highway Maintenance.

 

(Councillor Nicholson’s proposal for a task and finish group in respect of Member Development, having been seconded by Councillor Wildy, was put to the vote and declared lost).

18.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) … of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.