Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Group held on 2nd July 2018.

The minutes of the meeting of the Group held on 13th August 2018 were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

No disclosures were made.

No declarations were made.

No questions were submitted.

No questions were submitted.

A report of the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Wellbeing to consider two aspects of the Environmental Services contract: the options available to the Council for future delivery from June 2020 and the options around the ownership of the fleet required for the provision of this contract.

This report includes exempt appendices, circulated to members.  If it is necessary for reference to be made to information contained within those appendices, members of the public will be excluded for that part of the meeting on the grounds that it will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

A report of the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Wellbeing considering the two aspects of the Environmental services contract: the options available to the Council for future delivery from June 2020 and the options around the ownership of the fleet required for the provision of the contract was discussed by the Group. (item 06A on the agenda filed with these minutes).

          The Lead Member for Major Contracts, The Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Wellbeing and the Head of Cleansing and Open Spaces attended the meeting to assist with consideration of the item and gave the following responses to issues raised:

(i)         A blended funding approach would be taken to purchase the fleet required and money would be sued from the Council’s reserve fund and borrowing.

(ii)        The procurement process will captured all the specification requirements for the new vehicles such as the range and size. The vehicles transferred over to the new fleet would be the latest models and have a larger capacity for refuse collection.

(iii)       The Group was advised that the project group had considered alternatives to extending the current contract but it was felt that Serco were providing a good service and they were established in the market so were the best option.

            RESOLVED that the Cabinet be informed that the Group supports the recommendations as set out in the report of the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Wellbeing.

Reason

Having considered the report and asked questions of the Lead Member for Major Contracts, the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Community Wellbeing and the Head of Cleansing and Open Spaces on the matter, the Group concluded that it would be appropriate for the Cabinet to approve the recommendations set out in the report.

A report of the Strategic Director for Corporate Services to consider the Council’s participation in a pilot scheme in which a substantial element of government funding would be received by retaining ‘75%’ of business rates collected (to follow).

A report of the Strategic Director for Corporate Services setting out the case for the Council’s participation in a pilot scheme in which a substantial element of government funding would be received by retaining 75% of business rates collected was considered by the Group (item 06B on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Lead Member for Finance and Property Services and the Strategic Director for Corporate Services attended the meeting to assist with consideration of this item and gave the following responses to the issues raised:

(i)         It was clarified that the Council would still receive at least 95% of its funding under the new scheme but may lose some of the grant funding. This would mean a potential loss but it was felt unlikely that would happen.

(ii)        There were no cost implications to the Council in applying to join the pilot scheme and as a pool arrangement already existed some of the potential issues were already known.

            RESOLVED that the Cabinet be informed that the Group supports the recommendations as set out in the report of the Strategic Director of Corporate Services.

Reason

Having considered the report and asked questions of the Lead Member for Finance and Property Services and the Strategic Director of Corporate Services on the matter, the Group concluded that it would be appropriate for the Cabinet to approve the recommendations set out in the report.

A report of the Cabinet setting out its responses to recommendations of the Group on pre-decision scrutiny items.

A report of the Cabinet was considered setting out its responses to the recommendations of the Group on pre-decision scrutiny items (item 7 on the agenda filed with these minutes).    

RESOLVED that the Cabinet’s responses to the Group’s recommendations be noted.

Reason

The Group was satisfied that it added value where appropriate and welcomed the Cabinet’s consideration of the Group’s views and recommendations as part of its decision making process.

A report of the Head of Strategic Support setting out the list of forthcoming Executive Key Decisions and the Group’s Work Programme for consideration, in order to identify items for future scrutiny.

A report of the Head of Strategic Support was considered, to enable the Group to consider its work programme and forthcoming Key Decisions and decisions to be taken in private by the Cabinet in order to schedule items for pre-decision scrutiny and to provide an opportunity for members of the Group to raise suggestions on issues for scrutiny (in addition to pre-decision scrutiny) which fell within the Group’s remit, for scheduling by Scrutiny Management Board (item 8 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The Group considered the report (and further information on the forthcoming Key Decisions and decisions to be taken in private by the Cabinet provided by the Chief Executive at this meeting) and agreed to schedule items for pre-decision scrutiny prior to the next Cabinet meeting.

RESOLVED that the Group’s current work programme be noted and there were no changes.

Reason

To ensure effective and timely scrutiny, either to provide Cabinet with advice prior to it taking a decision or to ensure that the Council and external public service providers and partners were operating effectively for the benefit of the Borough.