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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1

Contact: Democratic Services Tel: 01684 272021  Email:  democraticservices@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

47.

Announcements

When the continuous alarm sounds you must evacuate the building by the nearest available fire exit. Members and visitors should proceed to the visitors’ car park at the front of the building and await further instructions (during office hours staff should proceed to their usual assembly point; outside of office hours proceed to the visitors’ car park). Please do not re-enter the building unless instructed to do so.

 

In the event of a fire any person with a disability should be assisted in leaving the building.

Minutes:

47.1           The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was advised to those present. 

47.2           The Chair welcomed Councillor Rob Garnham, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel, to the meeting and indicated that he would be providing an update at Agenda Item 7.  It was noted that Councillor Gill Blackwell, Lead Member for Organisational Development - which included scrutiny - was also present as an observer.

48.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions

To receive apologies for absence and advise of any substitutions. 

Minutes:

48.1           Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J E Day.  There were no substitutions for the meeting. 

49.

Declarations of Interest

Pursuant to the adoption by the Council on 26 June 2012 of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct, effective from 1 July 2012, as set out in Minute No. CL.34, Members are invited to declare any interest they may have in the business set out on the Agenda to which the approved Code applies.

Minutes:

49.1           The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

49.2           There were no declarations made on this occasion.

50.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 106 KB

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2017.

Minutes:

50.1           The Minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2017, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

50.2           With regard to Minute No. OS.46.5, the Head of Corporate Services advised that the resolution to introduce a standard template for action plans arising from Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviews had been implemented.  The new template had been included in Item 10 – Disabled Facilities Grants Review Monitoring Report and would be used across all actions plan which were presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

51.

Consideration of the Executive Committee Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 72 KB

To determine whether there are any questions for the relevant Lead Members and what support the Overview and Scrutiny Committee can give to work contained within the Plan.

Minutes:

51.1           Attention was drawn to the Executive Committee Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 11-15.  Members were asked to determine whether there were any questions for the relevant Lead Members and what support the Overview and Scrutiny Committee could give to the work contained within the plan.

51.2           A Member wished to acknowledge the visit to the modular housing factory in Nuneaton which had initially been held for Executive Committee Members and subsequently for Planning Committee Members.  He had found it extremely interesting and felt that it had a lot of potential for the future.  Another Member expressed a desire to visit the factory and the Head of Development Services indicated that others had also expressed an interest; she was sure that another visit would take place in the future and Members would be informed once any arrangements had been made.  A brief discussion ensued around the merits of modular housing and several other Members expressed the view that this was an exciting new concept which should be embraced.  The Chief Executive confirmed that the Council, and one or two registered social landlords including Severn Vale Housing Society, were all potentially interested; however, it was important to keep in mind that this was not the only product available.  The Council was currently in the process of engaging the former Deputy Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency at a strategic level to take forward the work on Junction 9 of the M5 and to gain advice on the range of products and construction methods for modular homes.  There would inevitably be more information to come and Members would be kept up to date as and when there was anything further to report.

51.3           A Member noted that a ‘Tewkesbury Borough Plan Consultation’ report was due to be taken to the Executive Committee meeting on 3 January 2018 and he sought assurance that work had progressed sufficiently to achieve this date.  The Head of Development Services advised that a very productive meeting of the Tewkesbury Borough Plan Working Group had taken place earlier that day and, whilst there were a lot of detailed issues to work through, it was still the intention to go out to consultation early in the New Year. 

51.4           A Member raised concern that the Spring Gardens/Oldbury Road Regeneration item had been removed from the Agenda for the meeting on 22 November 2017 due to the need for additional resources to be brought in; she questioned what additional resources were required and when they would be introduced.  In response, the Head of Finance and Asset Management explained that the level of skill required for the detailed and complex transactions to deliver what the Council wanted for the site were not available within the authority so it would be necessary to bring in those skills.  One of the main difficulties this year was that multiple projects were being run across the Council so capacity was limited.  Discussions had taken place about the aspirations for the site, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

52.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 74 KB

To consider the forthcoming work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Minutes:

52.1           Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2017/18, circulated at Pages No. 16-20, which Members were asked to consider.

52.2           A Member noted that the draft Planning Enforcement Policy was being taken to the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 January 2018 and he hoped that it would give Officers some real powers to take action.  The Head of Development Services confirmed that the policy intended to make clear the Council’s remit and the legislation behind that.  A Senior Enforcement Officer had recently been recruited who would bring a range of skills and expertise to help to deliver the policy and, in terms of the Planning Service review, enforcement was a key part of the work plan.  The details of the policy could be discussed more fully when it was brought forward to the next meeting.  It was noted that the Committee would also be receiving a presentation on the Aston Project at its meeting in January and a Member sought clarification as to what the project was about.  The Head of Community Services advised that it was funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office and had been set up in 2011 in memory of Cheltenham Neighbourhood Officer PC Lynn Aston.  It aimed to work with young people aged 9-17 to address crime and anti-social behaviour.  He pointed out that Members would also be receiving an update on its sister project ‘Great Expectations’ as part of the presentation.

52.3           With regard to the Ubico Update, due to be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 20 March 2018, a Member sought assurance that the situation had improved.  The Head of Community Services confirmed there had been significant progress, particularly in relation to missed bins, although there was still work to do on grounds maintenance which he hoped could be addressed over the winter period.  He would be very happy to update Members further in due course.

52.4           A Member suggested that an item be included on the Agenda for the February meeting to review the Joint Core Strategy process.  In response, the Chief Executive explained that the adoption of the Joint Core Strategy was a Council decision and it could not be called-in by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Head of Development Services advised that any challenge would be a legal challenge i.e. a judicial review following adoption.  The issues in terms of the merits of the strategy had already been dealt with through the examination process and public consultation had been allowed as part of that, as such, a challenge could only be made on a point of law.  In response to a query, clarification was provided that, if a challenge was made, it would be a court process.

52.5           It was

RESOLVED          That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2017/18 be NOTED.

53.

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel Update

To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last meeting.

Minutes:

53.1           Members received an update from Councillor Rob Garnham, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel, on matters discussed at the last meeting of the Panel held on 8 November 2017.

53.2           Councillor Garnham advised that the Chief Executive’s report had acknowledged that, whilst crime was rising, Gloucestershire was performing well in comparison with the areas in its “Most Similar Group” of forces – Tewkesbury was fourth out of 15 compared to Cheltenham in tenth position.  It was noted that, whilst there was a lot of fear of crime in the Cotswolds, the crime rate in that area was almost 2.5 times lower than the national average.  The Police and Crime Commissioner had provided reassurance that regular “holding to account” meetings were held.  The report had also covered the issues surrounding Her Majesty’s Courts in Cheltenham and Gloucester, in particular the poor state of the buildings and the distressing situation whereby victims and those giving evidence had to be in close proximity to alleged offenders.  He advised that work was ongoing to see if land at Waterwells would be a suitable site for a single court to serve the county.  Concern had been raised about public transport and assurance had been given that this would be investigated.  The shortage of Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) was highlighted as a concern, particularly as attendance figures had shown that there were no visits when the Police were most under pressure i.e. on Friday and Saturday nights.  Chief Constable recruitment was ongoing and the Police and Crime Panel intended to hold its statutory confirmatory meeting on 18 December.

53.3           The Panel had received an update on child protection following Gloucestershire’s poor report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).  ACC Moss had now taken responsibility for child protection and a Public Protection Service Delivery Board had been set-up which included the heads of all departments across the constabulary.  HMIC had carried out an effectiveness inspection and the report would be published in February 2018. 

53.4           Councillor Garnham advised that there had been little comment on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s annual report, which had been deferred from the last meeting, and the Panel had also received the quarterly Police and Crime Panel priorities highlight report. Superintendent Rob Priddy had given an update on the restructuring of the force control room which included new recruitment, changes to shift patterns and triaging of calls.  It was noted that just under 7,000 999 calls had been received in August 2017; over 23,000 101 calls - 5% of which were actually Grade 1 incidents (999 calls) - and 4,500 emails were received each month.  The same number of staff had been engaged in the control room since 2014 but demand had increased significantly.  The Police and Crime Commissioner had updated the Panel on “The Compassionate Approach” which set out his expectations in terms of how the Police and partners dealt with environmental matters and included a “root and branch review of the environmental footprint”.  It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 53.

54.

Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee Update

To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last meeting. 

Minutes:

54.1           The Chair indicated that, Councillor Janet Day, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee had given her apologies for the current meeting and therefore was unable to give her update in person.  She had instead prepared a written update on matters discussed at the last meeting of the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 14 November 2017 which had been circulated prior to the meeting.  Members were asked to consider the information that had been provided.

54.2           It was

RESOLVED          That the feedback from the last meeting of the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee be NOTED.

55.

Performance Report - Quarter 2 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 131 KB

To review and scrutinise the performance management information and, where appropriate, to require response or action from the Executive Committee.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

55.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 21-64, attached performance management information for quarter 2 of 2017/18.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was asked to review and scrutinise the performance information and, where appropriate, identify any issues to refer to the Executive Committee for clarification or further action to be taken.

55.2           Members were advised that this was the second quarterly monitoring report for 2017/18 and progress against delivering the objectives and actions for each of the Council Plan priorities were reported through the Performance Tracker, attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  Key actions for the quarter were highlighted at Paragraph 2.3 of the report and included the acquisition of two additional properties; receipt of the final Inspector’s report for the Joint Core Strategy; and the new missed bin reporting form “going live”.  Due to the complex nature of the actions being delivered, it was inevitable that some would not progress as smoothly or quickly as envisaged and details were set out at Paragraph 2.4 of the report.  In terms of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Members were informed that the status of each indicator was set out at Paragraph 3.2 of the report.  Of the 15 indicators with targets, 13 indicators were on target and one was unlikely to achieve its target [the other action had some issues or delay but there was no significant slippage in the delivery of the action].  Areas of interest included: KPI 14 in relation to the percentage of minor planning applications determined within eight weeks which was significantly below target; KPI 19 which showed a substantial reduction in reported enviro-crimes; KPI 23 relating to the average number of days for the Benefits Team to process a change in circumstances which had dropped to 3.46 days compared to the national average of nine days; KPI 28 where the average number of sick days per full-time equivalent had increased by 96.49% during the first two quarters; KPI 29 in respect of percentage of waste recycled or composted which was above the 52% target; and KPI 30 which showed a 100 tonne reduction of waste sent to landfill compared to quarter 1.

55.3           During the debate which ensued, the following queries and comments were made in relation to the Performance Tracker:

Priority: Finance and Resources

P32 – Objective 3 – Action a) Deliver the aims and objectives of the commercial property investment strategy – A Member sought clarification as to when the acquisition of the three new commercial properties would be complete.

The Head of Finance and Asset Management advised that two of the properties had been acquired and were on the Council’s books; the third was currently going through the legal process and it was hoped that outstanding issues would be resolved within the next two or three weeks so that would also be on the books by Christmas.

P32 – Objective 3 – Action b) – Undertake a review of the discretionary trade waste service to ensure that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

56.

Disabled Facilities Grants Review Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To consider progress against the recommendations arising from the Disabled Facilities Grants review. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

56.1           The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 65-72, provided an update on progress against recommendations arising from the Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) Review.  Members were asked to consider the report and whether it would be more appropriate to receive updates on an annual, as opposed to six monthly basis, going forward.

56.2           Members were advised that updated progress against the recommendations was set out at Appendix 1 to the report; all outstanding recommendations were intrinsically connected to the funding and delivery of DFGs which was under review by both central government and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group. 

56.3           A Member drew attention to Action 1 - those enquiring who may be eligible for DFGs to be supported to see if a possible move to more suitable accommodation would be a better outcome for them, and to provide suitable assistance and support to make this happen, should the person so wish - a Member questioned whether this meant there were people who could have had their properties adapted.  In response, the Head of Community Services advised that Officers worked closely with Severn Vale Housing Society and other registered providers to assist people to have adaptations.  The Member sought clarification as to how many people had attended the workshop for builders and agents in May 2017 which had been held as part of Action 2 - Look at methods of procuring work, such as (but not limited to) schedules of rates and preferred contractors, as ways that could reduce the time taken for a contractor to be on site, which had been marked as complete - and how many had registered as a result.  The Head of Community Services indicated that he did not have the figures for how many had registered but he had attended the workshop and there had been 10-12 local tradesmen present.  He had looked at the website earlier that day and there was a fairly good list of tradesman, both locally and within the Gloucestershire area; he undertook to find out the exact figures and advise Members following the meeting.  The Member questioned whether DFGs could be promoted in a better way given that the budget was underspent and he was advised that, whilst the Council could advertise the fact that DFGs were available, applicants needed to be assessed by an Occupational Therapist from Gloucestershire County Council who would then make a referral so eligibility and need was not within the remit of the Borough Council.  In terms of promotion, DFGs were advertised on the Council website and a new leaflet had recently been produced which he circulated around the table.  The report stated that £167,618.61 had been spent on DFGs up to 30 September 2017; however, he had received updated figures that week which showed that this was now £318,000 so there had been an increase.  His best guess was that the final spend would be on par with the previous year. 

56.4           A Member noted from Paragraph 2.3  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.