Agenda and minutes

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  Councillor Kevin Parry made a personal, non-prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of agenda item 5 Consideration of Cabinet Decisions – Minute 23 – References from other Council Bodies – Health and Wellbeing Board, as he was a Governor at the Great Western Hospital.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 19^th June 2017.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 19^th June 2017, be confirmed and signed as a correct record subject to minute 4(a) 6(2) being amended as follows:

‘That the Adult’s Health, Adult’s Care and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee be asked to consider, at its meeting on 19^th September 2017, an interim report on fire safety standards for residents of tenants in high rise blocks, in light of the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, London’.

16.      Grenfell Tower, London

Resolved – That Minute 16 of the Cabinet be noted.

20.      Budget Management Update

Councillor Russell Holland, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercialisation, responded to questions put by the Chair and Councillors Mark Dempsey, Dale Heenan, Des Moffatt, James Robbins, Gary Sumner and Chris Watts on the following matters:

·        Savings associated with the first phase of the headcount reduction programme.

·        The increase in demand for support for people with a physical disability following the transfer of clients previously funded by Health to the Housing Revenue Account Shelter Schemes.

·        The funding of the transfer referred to above.

·        Housing acquisition programme, improvements to properties and the cost floor continuing to apply to these properties.

·        Updates on the identification of savings opportunities in relation to procurement and proposals being developed for digitisation.

·        Delivery of savings and proposals to maintain targets.  

·        Overspend on the Housing Revenue Account and reasons for the variances.

·        Streetsmart budget pressures and proposals to balance the budget.

·        Collection of waste from community centres run by Parish Councils.

·        Overspends within the General Fund and identification of savings to bridge gaps.

·        Pressures created in Housing Services budgets by the loss of the £60 admin fee on private sector leasing properties.

·        Reduction in funding to the council following the introduction of the Flexible Homeless Support Grant.

·        The impact of the Support Grant tenants leasing private sector properties.

·        Universal Credits and a reduction in the level of rental income collected.

·        The affordability of new homes for potential purchasers on low incomes.

·        Housing developments on land not included in the Local plan.

·        Affordable housing and more realistic solutions for purchasers.

·        Provision of affordable housing within small developments.

·        Lead in times for Universal Credits and work undertaken by the Citizens Advice Bureau.

·        The pressures on the Adult Services budget due to the unexpected demand from young people with physical difficulties.

·        The underlying causes for the increased number of applications to court for care orders to protect children.

·        Collection of car parking penalty charge notices compared with the collection of Council Tax debts.

Resolved – That Minute 20 of the Cabinet be noted.

21.      Education Transport Policy 2018/19

Councillor Fionuala Foley, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and School Attainment, responded to questions put by the Chair and Councillors Mark Dempsey, Dale Heenan and Gary Sumner on the following matters:

• The impact of the changes within the Education Transport Policy 2018/19.
• Transport support for 16 to 18 year olds.
• The delivery of the digitalisation of the service and travel apps to assist parents when taking up personalised travel budgets.
• Maintaining the existing transport arrangements within the Ridgeway transport area.
• Decisions on discretionary support made on a case by case basis.

Resolved – That Minute 21 of the Cabinet be noted.

22.      Debt Management

Councillor Russell Holland, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercialisation, responded to questions put by the Chair and Councillors Des Moffatt and Chris Watts on the following matters:

·        The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Law and Democratic Services setting out the topics for inclusion in the 2017/18 Scrutiny Work Programme as agreed by the Committee at its meeting on 19th June 2017 and copies of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees’ Work Programmes for 2017/18.

The Committee were reminded that discussions had taken place about the development of the Scrutiny process and the introduction of a government style ‘Green Paper’ approach.  This approach would allow Members the opportunity to be involved in the oversight and development of matters of interest detailed in the Cabinet Forward Plan, prior to Cabinet consideration.

The Chair informed the Committee that the Overview and Scrutiny Committees’ Work Programmes had been circulated so that the Committee could consider the most appropriate way to deal with those topics that appeared on more than one Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme, in order to reduce duplication and the production of multiple reports by officers.

            Resolved – (1) That the work programme 2017/18 be noted, subject to the inclusion of a review of Full Council decisions and their implementation.

(2) That the Scrutiny Committee review reports/topics of the five Overview and Scrutiny Committees’ work programmes when requested to do so by a Member of the Council.

The Committee received an updated report advising on the status of outstanding issues and member requests for information.

            Resolved – That the report on the status of outstanding issues and member requests for information be noted.