Agenda and minutes

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7th June 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7th June 2022 was confirmed as a correct record and signed.

For information, disclosable pecuniary interests and registrable interests relate to entries that are included, or should be included, on a councillor’s register of interest.  Non-registrable interests relate to any other matters.

No disclosures were made.

No questions were submitted.

No questions had been submitted.

A report of the Director, Finance Governance and Contracts.

A report of the Director, Finance, Governance and Contracts was submitted to obtain approval by the Committee for the introduction of a revised Essential Car User Allowance Scheme and Policy (item 5 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

It was noted that the Trade Unions ballot (Annex I) had indicated acceptance of the final management proposal.

Members discussed the following:

i.        the proposed pool car scheme and how it would operate -  it would be a pilot scheme with one hybrid car initially to determine the demand and that it would be available for all staff to access, irrespective of whether they were in receipt of ECU allowance.

ii.        how the reduction from the anticipated 200K savings to half that amount would impact the budget – it would impact this year’s budget but the revised figure would be included in future budgetary considerations and would follow the usual route for approval by Cabinet and Council.

iii.        the importance of promoting the green agenda and that as the scheme would be reviewed annually this could provide an opportunity to look at greener options such as the use of public transport and moving away from cash lump sums to a flat mileage rate to encourage the use of lower emission greener vehicles.  Promoting the green agenda was key to the Council and moving to the HMRC mileage rate in future could incentivise the use of hybrid / electric vehicles. 

iv.        that staff morale should be prioritised and the challenges of recruitment was recognised.  It was noted that issues with recruiting was a national matter not just limited to the public sector and that policies to support retention and recruitment of staff would be considered separately to the ECU scheme at a future committee meeting.

Members welcomed the agreement of a fixed and variable, based on contractual hours, payment to part time employees.

RESOLVED that

1.    The Personnel Committee agreed the proposed Essential Car User Allowance Policy and principles of the criteria set out for the scheme;

2.    The Travel, Subsistence and Other Allowances Policy be amended to reflect a future HMRC change to mileage rates at that point in time, should this be agreed as part of the revised scheme;

3.    The Appeals Policy and Procedure is also amended to reflect Essential Car user Allowance Policy Stage 2 appeals under the scope of that policy should the principles of the appeal be agreed.

Reasons

1-3      To gain agreement on the revised Essential Car User Scheme and proposed policy and associated policy amendments.  A review of the scheme has been undertaken based on the busines case reasons outlined within this report.  This includes ensuring that the Council has a fair and transparent scheme with the parameters clearly set out, that the scheme is appropriate and cost effective alongside considering green issues as part of the review.  A timeline of events has been attached in the background section of this report to highlight the extensive negotiation and consultation process that has been undertaken.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.