Agenda item

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had requested that the relevant Portfolio Holders attend the last meeting of each Select Committee in the municipal year to present their Business Plans, which were developed on a Directorate basis. This would enable each Committee to undertake a more in-depth scrutiny role regarding the numerous services which made up each Select Committee.

Planning and Governance Portfolio

The Planning and Governance Portfolio holder, Councillor J Philip gave a presentation of his portfolio’s business plan for 2018/19. He advised that the Local Plan was a key part of this portfolio and was moving forward. During the public examination by the Inspector it was important that the Council could show that it would be able to meet the numbers for housing. An Implementation Team had been set up to support the delivery of the Local Plan. The Team would implement arrangements to ensure information was available to assess Local Plan policies. The Council would be looking at Planning Performance Agreements, which would enable it to maintain a timescale for delivering housing through masterplanning schemes.

All of the Local Plan documentation to date could be viewed on the Council’s website. The reports were backed up by evidence and policies. On neighbourhood planning, the Council would provide advice to local councils. The Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) could also provide additional assistance to facilitate this and ensure that the neighbourhood plans did not conflict with the Local Plan. The Council would provide input into the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town project and three other project sites, the sustainable transport corridors around Harlow that came under the Sustainable Development Board. The Council was well prepared to take the Local Plan through the public examination process.

Technology and Support Services Portfolio

The Technology and Support Services Portfolio holder, Councillor A Lion gave a presentation of his portfolio’s business plan for 2018/19.

The Committee noted that the central support functions of Legal Services, Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud  supported the Council and underpinned the Corporate Plan. Their support was provided to all Council services and enabled both internal and external transformation.

The Legal Team provided a cross business function across the Council. Below are some of the other activities that Legal Services are also involved in:

·        Giving support to Planning, the Local Plan, Licensing;

·        Litigation defence and prosecution;

·        Corporate fraud litigation;

·        Negotiating housing sales;

·        Leases and Land Registry;

·        Involved in new legislation; and

·        Converting paper files into an electronic database.

The Recruitment of staff for Legal Services in a competitive job market. There was a problem in in getting the right person for the right job as specialist skills were in high demand.

Internal Audit and Corporate Fraud had interesting processes that had their own structures of organisation:

·        Internal Audit

Looked as business functions and processes.

·        Corporate Fraud

Successful in prosecutions and the Council were looking to shared services with other authorities.

Councillor Philip advised the Select Committee that Planning had difficulty in the ability to attract staff and found this to be exceptionally challenging. It was a very difficult job market and Planning staff were in high demand. Epping was close to London where the unitary authorities could offer larger salaries to experienced staff.

In January 2018 the Planning fees were raised by 20% but these monies had to be ploughed back into the Council’s services. Planning applications had decreased this year as against last year, although smaller applications had increased the larger applications had decreased.

Councillor Wixley expressed concern regarding shared services of the Corporate Fraud Team with other authorities and asked if there was sufficient resource and capacity in the Corporate Fraud Team to accommodate a shared service.

Councillor Lion replied that there was sufficient resource and capacity to accommodate a shared service.

Councillor Patel asked in terms of land and knowing who owns the land does the Council have a register set up.

Councillor Philip replied that the Council had no powers to make use of that information.

Councillor Bassett expressed concerns regarding recruitment and retaining staff and asked if the Council were preparing a team that was competent.

Councillor Philip advised that the Council had a level of expertise through internal staff and shared services. He stated that the Council had a Monitoring Officer that was a solicitor now they had a Monitoring Officer who was not a solicitor so the Council would use the services of an outside solicitor.

Councillor Basset asked both Portfolio Holders what was your biggest challenge from your services.

Councillor Philip stated that his biggest concern was the Local Plan and Councillors not realising the seriousness of it.

Councillor Lion stated that his biggest concern was staffing issues and having to staff differently by using shared services.

RESOLVED:

That the Governance Directorate Business Plan for 2018-2019 be noted.