Agenda and minutes

1.         This meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking.

2.         The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the Internet and will be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available for those that request it.

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you have any concerns about this, you should speak to the webcasting officer”

The Chairman made a short address to remind all present that the meeting would be broadcast on the Internet, and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings. The Panel noted the Council’s Protocol for Webcasting of Council and Other Meetings.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

The Panel noted that there were no substitute members.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider and agree the notes of the meeting the Panel held on 14 January 2008.

The notes from the last meeting, held on 14 January 2008, were agreed.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Panel noted  the work programme and terms of reference. It was noted that the new Best Value Performance Plan would be produced in June 2008.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Panel considered the quarterly performance monitoring for Key Performance Indicators. A range of forty three Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for 2007/08 had been adopted by the Cabinet at its meeting in July 2007. The Panel noted that some indicators would not be reported until the end of the year because little change was likely over each three month period.

The Panel went through the indicators concentrating on the ones that may not meet their target by the end of the year.

BV008 – Councillor Mrs Collins thought that there was a good chance that the Council would meet this objective and that officers were being too conservative in classing the outcome as being ‘uncertain’.

BV012 – it was noted there had been some improvement,  managers are now receiving monthly reports on sickness absence and staff are recognising the importance of keeping their sickness levels in check.

BV066a – the Director of Housing noted that the Council was very close to achieving the target. Asked if people were getting into trouble now because of the sub prime issue with mortgages, the Director of Housing replied that it was safe to say that people were currently experiencing problems with debt and the Council had to follow its rent arrears protocol before they could take someone to court.

BV078a – it was noted that the Council has 9 BVPI’s in the benefits section at present that will go down 2 in April. They still have temporary staff in that section and there was a good chance they would not meet their targets this year because of the low staffing levels.

BV082a (i) – it was noted that this target would be met although the garden waste season does go on longer than it used to. 

Councillor Mrs Smith asked if household compost went towards our total figures. The Director of Environment and Street Scene replied that it did not and this is a problem for all local authorities. There will be new Government targets coming in and we will be focusing on those targets.

BV084a – Councillor Jacobs remarked that it looked like we would not achieve that target. What steps can we take to meet this target, especially as when we collect grass cuttings, if they are wet, it would increase the weight of the collection. The Director of Environment and Street Scene said that there was no easy solution, but the Council did benefit from home composting as it reduced the weight given to us. Councillor Bassett commented that as we were so good at recycling, had this had any effect on flytipping? The Director replied that flytipping incidents had gone down over the last 12 months.

BV109a,b & c – the Assistant Head of Planning Services reported that ‘b’ and ‘c’  were headed in the right direction; 109a and b should hit their targets at the end of the year.

Councillor Morgan asked how much the figures would improve if the three week cycle for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Panel considered the report on the ‘Use of Resources Assessment – Auditors Judgements 2007’ and noted the Council’s results. It was a ‘good news’ item, where we have improved from an adequate level 2 to a good level 3. It was noted that the Council had made good improvements (although it had gone down on one of its assessments), and officers should be congratulated on this improvement.

It was noted that this was no longer a draft report but the final version.

Councillor Jacobs queried the figure on page 60, item 2.3 – ‘Council manages its assets base’. This had gone down from a 3 last year to a 2 this year. Officers were not clear why this had gone down. The officer’s group will be focusing on this theme as something the Council would need to improve on. They will be producing an action plan to address weakness around this area. Page 65 showed the Audit Commission’s views on how we can improve this.

The Chairman drew attention to page 69 and the findings on Value for Money. He wanted to know if officers could identify sections of unintended areas of high spending and intended areas of high spending. He was told that officers were looking at this in detail through the Use of Resources Working Party and focusing on all issues of Value for Money. They will identify them and any further work to be done on them.

            RESOLVED:

That the Scrutiny Panel noted the Council’s results in respect of the annual Use of Resources Assessment for 2007, including the key findings, conclusions and improvement opportunities identified by the Audit Commission.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

It was noted that the Council had been producing BVPPs since the late 1990’s, but this will no longer be  required by the Government. A summary version is published with the annual Council tax demand, while the full version has to be published by 30 June each year. Officers will circulate a copy of this to each member of the Panel in the new municipal year for their views and put it to Council for final agreement. It will also be circulated to the Cabinet for their views.

Councillor Bassett thought that the statement at the end of page 77 that “we have  reviewed our parking policies and now provide free parking on Saturdays throughout the year” needs more of an explanation.

The Chairman commented on that if Cabinet members were accountable for meeting the targets and commitments, then they should have the opportunity to comment on the document and on the lack of statistics.

Councillor Mrs Collins said that it was urgent that this summary went out, but it needed updating as it looked old fashioned, there were lots of things that the Council  had accomplished this year that was not in it, such as Choice Based Lettings. There is a need for an update. Officers will liaise with Mrs Collins to update the summary.

            RESOLVED:

(1)   That subject to comments received from Cabinet members, the altered draft will be circulated again to members of this Scrutiny Panel and the Summary Best Value Performance Plan for 2008/09 be agreed; and

(2)   The Panel agreed the proposed arrangements for the consideration of the full version of the Best Value Performance Plan for 2008/09.

(Director of Finance and ICT) to consider the attached report.

The Assistant Head of Finance introduced the Quarterly Financial Monitoring report for the third quarter of 2007/08.

The Panel noted that:

• The income budgets (pages 87 & 88 of the agenda) have improved slightly;
• That recycling credits (page 89) were performing particularly well;
• The revenue side of the HRA (page 92) was looking better than it had been;
• The capital shown on page 95 will have an underspend at year’s end;
• There was an underspend on heating, this was because last year a rise in heating costs was anticipated for this year, but it may have been on the high side;
• The latest total project cost for the Springfield Improvement Scheme (page 100) would be reduced to £3,548 million instead of £4,124 million this was due to the overall cost being reduced slightly from 2% to -12%.

            RESOLVED:

That the Panel noted the Revenue and Capital Financial monitoring report for the third quarter of 2007/08.

(Deputy Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Performance Improvement Manager introduced the report on the new National Outcome and Indicator Set that is to be introduced from April 2008. This has been introduced by the Department for Communities and Local Government as a set of new national indicators to replace all other suites of performance indicators including Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs). Currently a review is being held of all existing BVPIs and Local Performance Indicators (LPIs)

The White Paper ‘Strong and Prosperous Communities’ outlined a new performance framework for local government, aimed at:

• reducing the burden on local authorities to collect performance information, by imposing fewer indicators centrally;

• local authorities setting their own priorities, determining performance measurement, and monitoring performance through partnership working, thereby focusing on and responding to local priorities; and

• devolving power to local authorities and their partners by making them accountable for all delivery of service to their citizens.

The new National Indicators are grouped into four themes:

• Stronger and Safer Communities;
• Children and Young People (the Council has no NIs under this theme);
• Adult Health and Wellbeing and Tackling Exclusion and Promoting Equality; and
• Local Economy and Environmental Sustainability.

The Panel noted that:

• the appendix attached to the report was the published national Indicator set. The ones greyed out were the ones that were thought to be applicable to this Council. The Panel went through this list and noted that the following two indicators, NI 14 and NI 179, were statutory;
• Some of the information to be collected may be the responsibility of other organisations;
• Service Directors have been asked to critically review existing BVPIs that are still important to the Council, such as waste management issues and come forward with a shorter list of old BVPIs and LPIs that may still have value. This will be reported to the Cabinet on 10 March and brought back to this Panel at their March meeting;
• Indicators will be more of a corporate nature;
• Members of the Panel were asked if that had any current indicators they would like to see continued.

Councillor Mrs Collins commented that the new indicators based on concepts and perceptions looked almost impossible to measure. The Performance Improvement Manager said that perception indicators would be measured by a survey. As from next year we will be required to do a two yearly survey. We have yet to receive the methodology on how they are to be conducted.

Councillor Mrs Richardson asked that as some survey will be undertaken by the LSP and not the Council, who would fund them? She was told that the Council was currently in discussion with the LSP on this. There may be economies of scale on conducting these surveys. About 35 would be shared with the County. Councillor Bassett asked if they were obligatory and was told that they were. It may be we would want to incorporate some of the BVPIs that we wish to keep, into these new surveys.

The Deputy Chief Executive suggested that as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

To report back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that this Panel had considered in detail the new National Outcome and Indicator Set.

To note this is the last scheduled meeting of the Panel for this municipal year. However, an extra meeting might be needed in March 2008. The following dates have been identified as being free. The Panel is asked to decide on a suitable date from the following:

• Tuesday, 11 March
• Thursday, 13 March
• Tuesday, 25 March and
• Thursday 27 March

The Panel agreed that an extra meeting be added to their schedule and that this should be set for Thursday 27 March 2008.