Agenda and minutes

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.

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

5.2             The Chair welcomed the Bureau Manager for the Gloucester and District Citizens’ Advice Bureau to the meeting and indicated that he was in attendance for Agenda Item 8 – Citizens’ Advice Bureau Presentation.  It was noted that the Leader of the Council / Lead Member for Economic Development/Promotion was present for Agenda Item 10 – Economic Development and Tourism Strategy and the Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing was also present as an observer.

5.3             The Chair issued a reminder in respect of the National Review of Scrutiny Workshop that was being held on Thursday 28 June at 1:00pm to which all Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been invited.  He suggested that the invitation be extended to the Executive Committee and it was agreed that would be appropriate.

6.1             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.

6.2             There were no declarations made on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the meetings held on 24 April (Special), 1 May and 15 May 2018.

7.1             The Minutes of the meetings held on 24 April 2018 (Special), 1 May and 15 May 2018, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as correct records and signed by the Chair.

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.

8.1             Attention was drawn to the Executive Committee Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 26-33.  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.

8.2             A Member understood that, at its meeting on 6 June 2018, the Executive Committee had approved an improvement action plan in respect of grass cutting and had agreed that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee monitor its delivery.  In view of that decision, he sought clarification as to when this report would be brought to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and how frequently it would be considered.  The Head of Community Services advised that the first monitoring report would be brought to the Committee within the next quarter and he would be suggesting it be considered on a quarterly basis initially.  It should be borne in mind that the action plan included several large pieces of work which may take a number of months to deliver.  Another Member indicated that grass cutting had been highlighted as a potential issue by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on a number of occasions previously, and he was aware of problems dating back to 2015 which he did not feel had been adequately addressed at the time and had subsequently worsened over the years.  He expressed his disappointment that it had required an Executive Committee decision to prompt action to be taken and felt this was something which could have been escalated at an earlier stage through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  In response, the Head of Community Services expressed the view that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been useful in terms of focusing attention on specific areas, particularly in terms of other services provided by Ubico.  Over the last six months, the Property Team had been carrying out a lot of work around grass cutting and had advertised for an additional Officer in order to conduct a further review of the service.  Following two rounds of unsuccessful recruitment he was pleased to report that the post had recently been filled.  Officers had always been mindful of the Committee’s concerns regarding Ubico and had taken this very seriously but, unfortunately, resources did not allow them to do everything.  The new Officer would be starting work on Monday and this would allow the action plan to be put in place.  The Member understood the issue with resources; however, he felt that lessons should have been learnt from previous years in order to prevent the problem from escalating.  The Head of Community Services indicated that he could not comment on what had happened before he had joined the authority but reiterated that the resources to carry out the review had been put in place and he provided assurance that the Council would not be in this position next year.

8.3             It was

RESOLVED          That the Executive Committee Forward Plan be NOTED.

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

9.1             Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2018/19, circulated at Pages No. 34-43, which Members were asked to consider.

9.2             The Head of Corporate Services advised that the Work Programme for 2018/19 had been approved at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 1 May 2018 and the pending items section had been updated to include a presentation from Gloucestershire Healthwatch which had been requested at that meeting – this would be incorporated into the Work Programme at a suitable point once he had made contact with the appropriate representatives.  In addition, as discussed under the previous Agenda Item, the Executive Committee had tasked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with monitoring the grass cutting improvement action plan and this would need to be added to the Work Programme.

9.3             It was

RESOLVED          1. That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2018/19 be NOTED.

2. That monitoring of the grass cutting improvement action plan be added to the Work Programme in accordance with the decision made by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 6 June 2018.

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

10.1           Members received an update from the Council’s reserve representative on the Gloucestershire Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on matters discussed at its last meeting held on 8 May 2018.

10.2           Members were informed that the non-emergency patient transport service was run by Arriva Transport Solutions and the National Head of Service Development had attended the meeting to present a paper with the Lead Commissioner for the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (GCCG).  Arriva had held the contract since December 2013 and provided 8,500 journeys per month with dialysis patients taking a 52% share.  An eligibility review was being introduced by the GCCG to focus on patients with the greatest medical needs and a Patient Transport Advice Centre had been established where NHS staff, working from a script, would decide if a patient met the new criteria for acceptance.  Arriva was working with Gloucestershire County Council to see if there was a possibility of using the local authority’s transport fleet during quiet periods; similar dedicated renal routes had been implemented in other areas and this had gone live in Gloucestershire at the beginning of May.

10.3           The Committee had also received the annual report on the Health and Wellbeing of Children and their Families in Gloucestershire from the Director of Public Health.  Members had liked the clarity of the report which had stated the intention to drive system-wide changes to improve outcomes for all of the county’s children and young people.  The Director had highlighted the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) work being led by the Gloucestershire Health and Wellbeing Board and it was noted that this initiative fed into the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy as it developed enhanced community input for closer focus on the population’s future health.  A recent peer review had emphasised a need to review the strategy to ensure it remained fit for purpose; this was accepted by the Board which would now formulate a plan to deliver the recommendations.  It was noted that the Director had announced the creation of a five year multi-supplier framework agreement for providing specialist domestic abuse services.  In addition, the Armed Forces Covenant now sat in the Prevention, Wellbeing and Communities Commissioning Hub under the leadership of the Director of Public Health and e-learning opportunities would be developed for county and district staff with Councils eventually being able to earn a ‘Forces Friendly’ mark.

10.4           The Committee had requested an update on the financial position of the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Members had been disappointed to note the deficit of £27.8M against a planned deficit £14.6M in February 2018, the last reported forecast for the year.  This was said to arise from reduced income in three main areas: reduced demand for services; loss of operational capacity following the introduction of a new electronic patient record system; and, loss of income resulting from deployment of the system as a consequence of being unable to capture and record all activity taking place.  Mitigation of risk was promised for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To consider the annual update on Citizens’ Advice Bureau activity in the borough. 

11.1           The Chair welcomed the Bureau Manager for the Gloucester and District Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB), to the meeting. Members were reminded that Tewkesbury Borough Council had had a relationship with the CAB for a number of years and gave it a grant on an annual basis. The Committee received an annual presentation which provided Members with information about the work of the CAB and a flavour of what was happening within the Borough. The CAB had a four year Service Level Agreement with the Borough and currently performance against that was reported on a quarterly basis through the performance tracker.

11.2           The Bureau Manager for the Gloucester and District CAB was invited to make his presentation to the Committee.  The presentation covered the following key points:

·      Aims – To provide advice people need for the problems they face; to improve policies and practices that affect people’s lives.

·      Principles - The CAB service provided free, confident and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities.  It valued diversity, promoted equality and challenged discrimination.

·      Locations – Tewkesbury Public Service Centre; Prior’s Park; Bishop’s Cleeve; Winchcombe – by appointment; Brockworth – by appointment; Cheltenham Town Centre; Gloucester City Centre.

·      How advice is requested – Majority still wanted face to face, approximately 75% of all contact; would like to do more by telephone or email but not practical.  

·      Employment Status - Employed - 33.4% (35.8% previous year); self-employed – 5.1% (3.9% previous year); carers – 7.7% (9.8% previous year); retired – 21.7% (18.6% previous year); unemployed – 14.7% (13.7% previous year); and permanently sick – 17.4% (13.7% previous year).

·      Disposable Monthly Income – Under £999 – 52.7% (54.7% previous year); £1,000-£1,499 – 23.8% (24.1% previous year); £1,500-£1,999 – 12.8% (8.2% previous year); and over £2,000 – 10.7% (12.9% previous year).

·      Disabilities - Physical disability – 8.7% (12.6% previous year); mental illness – 9.1% (9.1% previous year); long term health issues – 22.2% (21% previous year).

·      Issues dealt with – 3,002 in 2017/18 and 2,885 in 2016/17. Welfare benefits – 837 (862 previous year); debt – 668 (720 previous year); employment – 321 (284 previous year); relationships – 282 (219 previous year); and housing – 242 (204 previous year).

·      Significant issues during the year – Tribunal hearings; housing – repairs to private lettings; impact of rent caps and Universal Credit; employment practices; increase in complex cases.

·      Case Study A – 31 year old single mother with a child under 10.  Disabled (flat foot syndrome), obese and suffering from anxiety and stress.  Debts of £16,417, no money for gas and electricity, used blankets through the day to stay warm, constant chasing by creditors added to anxiety and stress.  Actions taken included: debt relief order, charitable donation, Employment Support Allowance claim and Personal Independence Payment, smart metre fitted.

·      Case Study B – 55 year old unemployed single man with angina and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) claiming Universal Credit including housing element (room rate for shared house).  Difficulty meeting conditionality requirements, difficulty budgeting, exhausted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

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

12.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 44-89, attached performance management information for quarter 4 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. 

12.2           Members were advised that this was the fourth quarterly monitoring report for 2017/18 and progress against delivering the objectives and actions for each of the Council Plan priorities was 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 Council’s commercial property portfolio which was now worth £31.09M and generated £1.1M of net income to support the Council’s budget in 2018/19; appointment of a Growth and Enterprise Manager in readiness for the introduction of the Growth Hub within the Public Service Centre; delivery of 233 affordable homes in 2017/18 above the annual target of 150; 227 homeless prevention cases meaning more households had been assisted to avoid homelessness than ever before; adoption of the Public Space Protection Order which was a key aspect of the Enviro-Crime Action Plan; and the garden waste project which was now in the final stages with almost 16,500 sticker licences sold, generating in excess of £742,000.  As always, 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 the details of these were set out at Paragraph 2.4 of the report.  Particular reference was made to the minor slippage in respect of the launch of the Growth Hub and letting out the top floor of the Public Service Centre.  With regard to the latter, it was noted that, since the report had been written, heads of terms had been agreed for a five year lease of one third of the remaining space on the top floor.  In terms of the 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, four had not been achieved as at the end of quarter 4.  Areas of interest included KPI 13 in relation to the percentage of ‘major’ planning applications determined within 13 weeks (or an alternative period agreed with the applicant) where the 2017/18 target and the 2016/17 outturn had been exceeded with 89.58% of applications being determined within the agreed timescales; KPI 19 which showed a significant reduction in the number of reported enviro-crimes compared to the previous year; KPI 28 which showed an increasing number of days being lost due to staff sickness – 10.5 days had been lost per full-time employee during the year which exceeded the previous year’s outturn and the seven day target set for 2017/18, however the figures had been impacted by a number of staff with critical illness who were on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

To consider the progress made against the Economic Development and Tourism Strategy during Year One and the actions identified for 2018/19. 

13.1           The report of the Community and Economic Development Manager, circulated at Pages No. 90-111, provided an update on the delivery of the Economic Development and Tourism Strategy 2017-21.  Members were asked to consider the progress made during year one and the actions identified for 2018/19.

13.2           The Community and Economic Development Manager advised that the Executive Committee had adopted the Economic Development and Tourism Strategy in June 2017 following its development by an Overview and Scrutiny Review Working Group.  A key element for the Working Group was the commissioning and development of an employment land review, economic assessment and business survey which had been carried out by Bruton Knowles.  A number of key actions from the strategy had been fulfilled over the last 12 months and examples were set out at Paragraph 2.1 of the report. Several actions had subsequently been developed for 2018/19 and notable priorities were set out at Paragraph 3.1 of the report.  The full action plan was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  The Community and Economic Development Manager explained that it was very much a corporate strategy reflecting the Council Plan and Officers across the organisation had contributed to its success. 

13.3           In terms of the work in 2017/18, the Growth and Enterprise Manager advised that the LEADeR programme had funded 15 schemes to date worth £500,000. These included a shop and workshop for Café au Chocolat in Tewkesbury Town Centre and equipment for the Spray Booth on Tewkesbury Business Park.  Members were encouraged to let Officers know if they were aware of any potential projects which may be suitable for funding during 2018/19.  She went on to refer to two business events that had been held during the year: the launch of Tewkesbury branding at the Porsche showroom in June 2017 and a Business Breakfast at Tewkesbury Park Hotel in May 2018.  Both events had attracted over 100 people and had been excellent opportunities to showcase the positive work that was being done.  In 2018/19 it was intended to move these events to Brockworth, Staverton or Winchcombe.  Regular one to one sessions were held with businesses through the year and there had been interest from a company which was currently located in Cotswold District which was looking to move to Tewkesbury Borough so Officers across various departments, including Planning and Environmental Health, would be working with them to find premises and make the process as smooth as possible.  One significant project was the development of the Growth Hub at the Public Service Centre which was on target to complete by the end of the month.  It was intended to have a soft opening in July/August 2018, when businesses could make appointments to use the Hub, with an official launch in September when the refurbishment of the Committee Suite and reception area had been completed.  In terms of service delivery, operational plans were in place to ensure that added value was provided by the Council, for example, key service areas would have Officer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider the update in respect of enviro-crimes and to agree that future reporting be via an annual enviro-crime report in June – detailing the types and quantities and effectiveness of the Council’s approach to enviro-crimes - and a six monthly update which also sets out the forward plan for the forthcoming year.

14.1           The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 112-131, provided an update on the current activity and actions being taken by the Council in respect of enviro-crimes.  Members were asked to consider the update and to agree that future reporting to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be via an annual report in June – detailing the types, quantities and effectiveness of the Council’s approach to enviro-crimes – and a six monthly update which also set out the forward plan for the forthcoming year.

14.2           The Head of Community Services explained that, at its meeting on 2 May 2017, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered a report regarding the Council’s approach to tackling enviro-crime within the borough which had included an action plan.  Since that time, six monthly updates had been provided to the Committee on progress against that plan, attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  It was noted that enviro-crimes had previously been dealt with on an ad-hoc basis but there were now proper procedures and processes in place which would be refined on an ongoing basis to reflect regulatory requirements and efficient working practices.  As such, it was proposed to continue to report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on a six monthly basis but to focus more on outcomes, such as number of fly-tips reported, number of fixed penalties issued etc.  The six month report would therefore be an interim report on the basic metrics, and any particular issues that had arisen, and the annual report - which was proposed to be brought to the Committee in June - would provide a more detailed review of the achievements and outcomes of the previous year.

14.3           The table at Paragraph 2.5 of the report provided a summary of the metrics that were currently collected: noise; dog fouling; fly-tipping; and abandoned vehicles.  The successful enforcement action taken during 2017/18 was detailed at Paragraph 2.7 of the report.  It was noted there had been six successful prosecutions for fly-tipping and failure to have the appropriate documentation relating to the transfer of waste, and 24 fixed penalty notices had been served for a range of offences.  Members were advised that new legislation had been introduced in April giving local authorities the power to issue fixed penalties to the registered keepers of vehicles from which litter was thrown.  Previously, local authorities could not issue fixed penalties to the keeper and there had been no obligation for the keeper to advise who was responsible for throwing the litter.  As such, it was expected to see an increase in the number of fixed penalties going forward which would hopefully act as a deterrent.  In terms of the action plan itself, the majority of actions had been completed or were ongoing. 

14.4           A Member questioned whether the figures for abandoned vehicles, set out in the table at Paragraph 2.5, were correct for 2015/16.  It stated that there had been 793 abandoned vehicles in 2015/16 compared to 237 in 2016/17  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

To consider the progress made against the actions within the Communications Strategy Action Plan during 2017/18 and to endorse the Action Plan for 2018/19.

15.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 132-146, gave an update on the delivery of the Communications Strategy Action Plan.  Members were asked to consider the progress that had been made during 2017/18 and to endorse the action plan for 2018/19.

15.2           The Interim Communications and Policy Manager explained that communication was at the heart of everything the Council did and clear communication helped to strengthen links with the public, residents, stakeholders, Members and staff.  It had been a very busy year with focus on providing continued support for the Public Service Centre; the Joint Core Strategy; new waste rounds; the new garden waste system; and the introduction of the new format of Tewkesbury Borough News.  In addition, the team had continued to produce all internal communications and had dealt with a significant number of media enquiries as well as producing regular newsletters and annual reports for various audiences.  It was noted that the Communications and Policy Manager and the Communications Officer had been on maternity leave during the year and contingency plans had been put in place to ensure there was no detrimental impact on day-to-day communications and delivery of the action plan. 

15.3           The majority of actions had been delivered or were ongoing and this was reflected in the action plan at Appendix 1 to the report.  With regard to the digital strategy, Members were advised that a great deal of work had been done in relation to online forms during the year; this action would carry over into 2018/19 as there was an ongoing need to support the digital strategy.  A short course on the Council’s approach to social media had been developed and this would be rolled out between June and September.  It was noted that Members had been briefed previously and one to one training had also been offered.  The Council’s media protocol had been reviewed and, whilst no major changes had been made, it was felt that the social media aspects warranted a more in-depth review during the forthcoming year.  Whilst the recommendation to issue a minimum of two press releases per week had been achieved on average, they were becoming less relevant with the popularity of social media and this needed to be recognised as an important platform for promoting the Council.  The review of internal communications had raised a number of questions but there was an opportunity to provide a more streamlined service using Office 365 and these ideas would be brought to Members at the appropriate time.  The Interim Communications and Policy Manager explained that opportunities had been taken to use video content, where appropriate, and this had been effective in increasing the number of likes and followers on social media.  It was noted that the Council had secured a double page spread in the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) magazine early in the year based on the Council’s approach to transformation and promoting the Council’s achievements in the local government arena would continue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.