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MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE STRATEGY COMMITTEE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL OFFICES, CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH ON THURSDAY, 4 AUGUST 2005
PRESENT: Mr N A Ridley – Chairman
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Mr M P Booth
Mrs S P Clarke
Mr J J Quinlan
Mr D J Read
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Mr C M Spence
Mr R W Thake
Mr H N Todd
Mrs S M Wigglesworth |
The following Members were unable to be present:- Mr A C Bavington and Mr N A Bennett.
33 SUBSTITUTES
It was noted that in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 5, substitutes were in attendance as follows:-
Mr J J Quinlan (substituting for Mr A C Bavington)
Mr R W Thake (substituting for Mr N A Bennett)
34 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
Mrs S P Clarke declared a prejudicial interest, as the holder of a Bus Pass, in Item 12 – Concessionary Travel Bus Pass Scheme – Free Travel for Older and Disabled People – and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of the item.
Mr J J Quinlan declared a personal interest in Item 14 – Parking Improvements at Corks Lane, Hadleigh by virtue of his membership of Hadleigh Town Council but indicated that his interest was such that he was able to speak and vote on the matter concerned.
Mr C M Spence declared a personal interest in Item 19 – CAST, by virtue of his membership of Suffolk County Council but indicated that his interest was such that he was able to speak and vote on the matter concerned.
35 MINUTES
RESOLVED
That the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2005 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
36 PETITIONS
None received.
37 QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS
None received.
38 ISSUES ARISING FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEES (OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY RULES 33 AND 34)
None received.
39 RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES
Overview and Scrutiny (Stewardship) Committee Minute No. 18 and Overview and Scrutiny (Community Services) Committee Minute No. 16 – Youth Strategy
Members had before them the report of the Head of Leisure and Community Services (Paper E52) which was submitted to both Overview and Scrutiny Committees with an accompanying presentation by the Sports Development and Leisure Inclusion Officers.
Ms J A Jenkins, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny (Stewardship) Committee presented the recommendation supported by both Committees, which was to approve the Action Plan appended to the report. She referred to the excellence of the presentation to Members and emphasised the number of actions underway, including the Community Sports Coach Scheme to which Mr C Hunt, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny (Community Services) Committee had particularly asked her to draw the Committee’s attention.
RESOLVED
That the proposed Youth Strategy Action Plan as set out in Appendix B to Paper E52 be approved.
40 STRATEGY COMMITTEE WORK PLAN
The Head of Legal and Administrative Services submitted a report (Paper E87) on items identified for future meetings of the Strategy Committee.
RESOLVED
That the Work Plan set out in Paper E87 be noted.
41 CORPORATE PLAN AND FINANCIAL STRATEGY
Geoff Kistner presented the joint report of the Corporate Director and the Corporate Support Manager (Paper E79) asking Members to recommend Council to approve the Corporate Plan for 2005/07 which had been reviewed and linked to the Council’s Financial Strategy. He informed Members that the Council’s Corporate Priorities had also been reviewed and that the plan included all the performance information necessary to meet the Government’s Best Value requirements.
During the course of the discussion on this item, reference was made to the assumption of a Government grant increase for next year, of 2.5% which was considered by the Committee to be somewhat optimistic in the light of recent information. Members also identified particular areas which they considered required rewording, and expressed the view that the 2006-07 Plan should be even more focused on priorities and more specific in identifying non priorities.
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL
That the Corporate Plan for 2005/07 attached to Paper E79 be approved, subject to appropriate amendments to cover the following:-
Page 12 The Babergh District – The Area
Include additional information on the number of parishes having a population of less than 1000.
Page 17 – Health and Leisure
Deletion of 4th bullet point – ‘[we will] carry out a feasibility study on Hadleigh Pool’.
Page 25 – Maintain a safe, clean and sustainable environment
Include more detailed information to enable specific areas of higher crime to be identified and targeted.
Page 39 – Priority 5
Paragraph 5 – include reference to effect of 30 – 40 age group returning to the area.
42 BABERGH LEISURE NON-PROFIT DISTRIBUTION ORGANISATION (NPDO)
Mr H N Todd, Chairman of the Procurement Task Group, presented the Group’s report (Paper E80) seeking Member approval to one of the key elements of the process to create the NPDO by agreeing the draft Memorandum and Articles of Association (attached as Appendix 1). Members were aware of the Council’s decision in April to create its own Leisure NPDO, and the Chairman of the Strategy Committee informed Members that the Hadleigh Swimming Pool Trust Committee had now given its agreement to the surrender to the Council of the existing lease. It was noted that the Member appointments to the NPDO will be made by the Council on 19th October 2005.
RESOLVED
That the Memorandum and Articles of Association contained in Appendix 1 to Paper E80 be approved subject to the Head of Leisure and Community Services being authorised to make minor amendments to the text in consultation with Lawrence Graham, Solicitors.
43 HADLEIGH SWIMMING POOL
Members had before them a report by the Head of Leisure and Community Services (Paper E81) asking the Committee to look at the principle of affordability for a new Swimming Pool in Hadleigh, together with an amended recommendation which was circulated to all Members at the meeting. Members noted an amendment to the wording in Paragraph 4.7 to delete the words ‘decision of Members on affordability, in principle’ and replace with ‘views in principle of Strategy Committee Members on affordability’
Members were aware during the course of the wide ranging discussion on this item that at this point in time the public needed a clear message on Members’ ‘in principle’ views. This information would be included in the consultation process on the Council’s priorities leading up to the State of the District Forums and Debate.
A proposal was moved and seconded to the effect that under the present circumstances and taking account of various constraints, in principle the project was not considered affordable. With the agreement of the proposer and seconder it was agreed to adjourn the meeting for a short period to enable a motion to be worded in more detail and when the meeting resumed, an amplified motion was carried on being put to the vote.
RESOLVED
(1) That in the absence of significant external funding from Government or other funding sources and taking into account the following:-
(a) the need to represent the interests of the District Council residents as a whole;
(b) the Council’s overall priorities;
(c) the Council’s desire to respond to the wishes of the public to keep Council Tax increases as low as possible;
(d) the risk of capping, even if Council Tax increases above the capping level were supported by the public
the Committee could not at this stage commend to the Council incurring the likely costs of building a new swimming pool in Hadleigh.
(2) That taking into account the views set out in (1) above, the principle of the affordability of a new pool forms part of the debate at the State of the District Forums being held in September and the special public meeting in Hadleigh at the end of August.
Mr J J Quinlan voted against the motion and asked that his vote be recorded in the Minutes.
44 CONCESSIONARY TRAVEL BUS PASS SCHEME – FREE TRAVEL FOR OLDER AND DISABLED PEOPLE
The Head of Customer and Office Services presented a report (Paper E82) seeking Member approval to the continued operation of the current County-wide (all day) Scheme from 1 April 2006 when free bus travel is introduced (under a Government scheme) for older and disabled people.
RESOLVED
(1) That the possible financial implications of the Free Travel Concessionary Scheme from 1 April 2006 as set out in Paper E82 be noted.
(2) That the continued operation of a County-wide Scheme with all day free travel for the Suffolk Saver Bus Pass from 1 April 2006 be approved.
45 CONCESSIONARY TRAVEL – VOUCHER SCHEME
The Head of Customer and Office Services submitted a report (Paper E83) seeking Member support for the approval in principle to an increased level of vouchers being made available to eligible persons in the Scheme. It was hoped that all Suffolk districts will agree on a consistent level of vouchers to be used throughout the County-wide scheme.
RESOLVED
That Babergh District Council approves in principle a level of £100 worth of vouchers per annum to eligible persons in the Concessionary Voucher Scheme and that the County-wide Concessionary Travel Scheme Group be informed accordingly.
46 PARKING IMPROVEMENTS AT CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH
The Head of Technical Services submitted a report (Paper E84) seeking approval to the completion and utilisation of the extended car park at the rear of the Council’s Headquarters.
RESOLVED
(1) That, in conjunction with UNISON and Council staff, the Green Travel Plan Stage 1 as set out in Appendix A to Paper E84 be implemented by the Head of Technical Services.
(2) That the Head of Legal and Administrative Services be authorised to negotiate and complete an annual rental agreement for the site (to a maximum value of £3,000 per annum) with Hadleigh Town Council.
47 DELEGATION TO HEAD OF PLANNING POLICY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HEAD OF TECHNICAL SERVICES
The Committee was asked to approve interim arrangements for the operation of the delegation to the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development whilst the post was vacant, and also to agree a minor amendment to the delegation on a permanent basis. In considering this matter, Members were aware that the Council at its meeting on 24 February 2005 adopted a General Delegation under which the Head of Service (and in his/her absence a Corporate Director) was given authority to deal with the following areas of responsibility:-
Planning policy: Conservation: Countryside management: Economic development and regeneration: Graphic design: Transport (other than Concessionary Fares)
RESOLVED
That whilst the post of Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development is vacant, the Development Plan Manager and in his absence the Economic Development Manager be authorised to deal with the above areas of responsibility subject to:-
(a) the requirements of the General Delegation, and
(b) the exclusion of the delegation in respect of transport matters other than those related to planning policy.
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL
That responsibility for transport (other than planning policy and concessionary fares) be delegated to the Head of Technical Services and that the Council’s Scheme of Delegation be amended accordingly.
48 REVENUES DIVISION – AUTHORISATION OF SERVICE MANAGERS TO ISSUE LEGAL NOTICE IN RESPECT OF UNPAID RENT
The Head of Revenues submitted a report (Paper E85) requesting the Committee to approve amended delegation arrangements for the issue of various legal notices.
RESOLVED
That the posts of Revenues Manager, Local Taxation Manager and Benefits Manager be designated as posts authorised to issue Notices Seeking Possession, Notices to Quit and Distress Warrants in relation to the Council’s housing and garage stock where a tenant has not met the terms of the tenancy in relation to the payment of rent.
49 CONTRACTS PROCEDURE RULE NO 2(a) -ACQUISITION OF SOFTWARE FOR IBS OPEN SYSTEM (REVENUES)
The Head of Revenues requested an exemption to Contract Procedure Rules to enable Document Image Processing (DIP)/Workflow software to be acquired in order to extend the functionality of the IBS Open System.
Members noted that the E-government Steering Group has a project to introduce DIP in Revenues, and that the Council’s Draft IT Strategy proposes that, where possible and appropriate, new software modules are purchased from existing suppliers (in this case, IBS Open Systems plc). The Head of Revenues reported that the estimated cost of supplying the DIP software and associated services is in accordance with the IBS Standard pricing schedule.
RESOLVED
That in accordance with Contracts Procedure Rule No 2(a) an exemption to CPR No 3 be approved to enable an order to be placed with IBS Open Systems plc for the supply of Document Image Processing/Workflow software and associated services without seeking competitive tenders, in the interests of standardisation.
50 EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC (WHICH TERM INCLUDES THE PRESS)
RESOLVED
That pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below, on the grounds that if the public were present during this item, it is likely that there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against the item.
At this point the meeting adjourned between 12.55pm and 1.30pm for lunch and when the meeting resumed the following Members were present:-
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Mr N A Ridley – Chairman
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Mr M P Booth
Mr J J Quinlan
Mr D J Read
Mr C M Spence |
Mr R W Thake
Mr H N Todd
Mrs S M Wigglesworth |
51 CAST (Exempt information by virtue of Paragraphs 8 and 9 of Part 1)
Mr D J Read, a Member of the CAST Group presented the Group’s report (Paper E78) seeking approval to various courses of action. Members were aware that following the Committee's decision on the way forward all Councillors would be given the opportunity to consider the issue in more detail at the Members' Seminar on 18 August.
RESOLVED
(1) That Babergh immediately enter into detailed discussions with Suffolk County Council; and, as appropriate, with other District/Borough and Town/Parish Councils in Suffolk and other bodies, to seek to agree an affordable shared vision for the delivery of joined up access to local government services. Further, that these discussions identify all possible financial and other benefits that might accrue from a collaborative approach to developing a common specification and a shared procurement process for joined up service access across the county.
(2) That the CAST Group be asked to investigate and prepare an outline plan and programme to implement Business Process Re-engineering across all Council services, having regard to all of the Council’s priorities as set out in the Corporate Plan and the overall capacity and resources available to the Council.
(3) That consideration be given to meeting upfront investment costs in Business Process Re-engineering and customer access over this year and next.
(4) That detailed consideration be given at the Members’ Seminar on 18 August to the issues raised in the findings of the CAST Group and this report in the context of the bigger picture of transformational change being pursued by Babergh.
Note: The meeting adjourned between 10.45 a.m. and 11.10 a.m. for refreshments and between 12.15 p.m and 12.25 p.m in connection with Minute No.43 above.
The business of the meeting was concluded at 2.20 p.m.
Chairman
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