SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (CORPORATE RESOURCES)

 

MINUTES of a meeting held on 23rd January, 2007.

 

Present:  H.J.W. James (Chairman); Councillor Mrs. C.V.L.  Clay (Vice-Chairman); Councillors Ms. L. Burnett, Mrs. J.E. Charles, Miss. J. Cole, A.D. Dobbinson, M.R. Harvey, N.P. Hodges, T.H. Jarvie, F.T. Johnson, Mrs. M. Kelly Owen, C.L. Osborne, A.J. Readman, K.R. Stockdale and M.R. Wilson.

 

Also present:  Councillors Mrs. M.E. Alexander and N. Moore.

 

 

725       APOLOGY FOR ABSENCE -

 

This was received from Councillor B.I. Shaw.

 

 

726       MINUTES -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meetings held on 5th December, 2006 and 9th January, 2007 be approved as a correct record.

 

 

727       DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -

 

There were no declarations received.

 

 

728       APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES/JOINT COMMITTEES (CALL-IN) -

 

The above matter had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 21st December, 2006 (Cabinet Minute No. C2832 refers).

 

The above Cabinet decision had been called in by Councillor H.J.W. James with the purpose of seeking clarification and justification for the appointments, the relevance of portfolio holders to some of the appointments and to further clarify what was legally appropriate and conformed with the Constitution and Member Allowance Scheme.

 

It was noted that a vast majority of appointments to outside bodies/joint committees had been dealt with by the Cabinet on 14th July, 2004 albeit a number of changes had since occurred.  Following the recent change in Council Leader and administration, and the consequential changes to Cabinet membership, Cabinet at its meeting held on 21st December, 2006 considered the current list of appointments and determined whether or not existing appointments/nominations should continue. 

 

Appointments/nominations applicable since 2004 had in many instances been by virtue of a specific position e.g. Leader or particular Cabinet Member.  The remainder were designated by reference to individually named Members.  The recent changes in appointment approved by Cabinet as set out in Appendix A to the report reflected the views of the Cabinet as to the most appropriate portfolio holder and/or specific named Member to represent the Council on a particular organisation. 

 

The Members Allowances Scheme contained in the Constitution provided for travel and subsistence allowances to be payable where expenses on travel or subsistence was necessarily incurred by a Member in the performance of an approved duty as a Member of the authority.  The Chairman referred to the Members Allowance Scheme and pointed out that attendance allowance was no longer applicable under the Council’s existing scheme and suggested that the Cabinet may wish to reconsider their original recommendation with regard to this matter so that it complies with the Council’s agreed scheme. 

 

Discussion ensued regarding the appropriateness of appointments to outside bodies and organisations and having regard to the above and related matters it was

 

RECOMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T Cabinet be invited to reconsider the following appointments:

 

           (i)         Arts Council of Wales: South Wales Area Committee - Cabinet be

                       requested to ascertain whether such an appointment still exists.

 

           (ii)        Barry YMCA Management Committee - Cabinet be requested to review

                      the Council’s role in / relationship with Barry YMCA, to include

                      consideration of operational and financial matters and the status of the

                      Council’s representatives of the Management Committee.

 

           (iii)       Friends of Bellevue Park - Cabinet be requested to consider the

                      appointment of an additional Member, i.e. Councillor P. Church, in order

                      that both Local Members are representatives.

 

           (iv)       Local Health Board - Cabinet be asked to note that membership would

                       need to be reconsidered in the light of proposed organisational changes

                       within the Directorate of Community Services.

 

           (v)        South Wales Police Authority - Cabinet be invited to reconsider the

                       matter in the light of the decision of the South Wales Police Authority

                       Joint Committee in 2004 that the Vale of Glamorgan Council would be

                       the one constituent Council on the South Wales Police Authority

                       represented by a Conservative Member (i.e. thereby reflecting political

                       balance across the constituent Councils).

 

           (vi)       Steel Action - Cabinet be requested to consider whether the

                      representative should, in fact, be the Leader given her portfolio included

                      responsibility for regeneration.

 

           (vii)      Vale of Glamorgan Buildings Preservation Trust - Cabinet be requested to

                      ascertain whether the appointment of the Chairman, or any Member, of

                      the Planning Committee as the Council’s representative constitutes a

                      potential conflict of interest.

 

           (viii)     Waterfront IT Centre Board - Cabinet be requested to consider the

                      addition of the Cabinet Member for Education and Training to the list of

                      representatives.

 

(2)       With regard to the South East Wales Transportation Alliance (SEWTA), the Leader confirmed that the representatives should, in fact, read the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation as well as the Chairman of Planning Committee.

 

(3)       Cabinet is also recommended to delete the words “attendance allowance” from the original recommendation (2) of minute C2832: 21st December, 2006.  This was to reflect the fact that attendance allowances were now incorporated within the overall allowances payable within the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme.

 

 

729       ONEVALE PROGRAMME (REF) -

 

The Head of Performance and Improvement apprised the Committee on progress to date on the OneVale Programme in particular he highlighted that there were nine core streams to the OneVale Programme which covered Customer Contact, Business Process Re-engineering, Information Management, Property, HR and Payroll, Finance, Procurement and ICT and Programme and Change Management. 

 

He reminded the Committee that the OneVale was a large and ambitious programme and was developed in order to provide a better service to the Council’s customers and as a means of preparing the Council for the challenges of the 21st century. 

 

Contact OneVale had commenced operation on 4th December, 2006 for all Visible Service enquiries and in addition the Contact Centre was also taking general enquiry calls for Electoral Registration.  From January 2007 the Contact Centre would be taking service requests, information provision and general enquiry calls for public housing maintenance and repairs and building control. 

 

Some initial bedding in problems had been identified, in particular peak services demands on Monday mornings, which required to be managed.  Current staffing arrangements were currently being assessed so as to ensure that staffing levels were appropriate to meet service demands when additional services were incorporated into Contact OneVale.  At the point when general enquiries for all services were being handled by Contact OneVale, a single number for the Council would be published.  This would occur later in the year, and would be advertised extensively throughout the Vale.   

 

The Chairman referred to performance management data and looked forward to receiving reports, which would inform Members and increase their knowledge particularly on a ward basis regarding issues of service delivery.

 

RECOMMENDED -

 

(1)       T H A T the progress in respect of the OneVale Programme including costs be noted.

 

(2)       T H A T the Head of Performance and Improvement be requested to make the necessary arrangements for this Scrutiny Committee and any other Member of the Council to visit the Contact OneVale Centre as soon as practicable.

 

 

730       APPOINTMENTS TO TASK AND FINISH GROUPS - USE OF CONSULTANTS (CX) -

 

The above Task and Finish Group had been appointed by the Scrutiny Committee on 14th March, 2006 and constituted with one Member from each political group. 

 

Having regard to recent changes in administration in the Council it was necessary to consider the consequential issues arising regarding membership of the above Group.

 

Having regard to the above and related issues, it was

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T having regard to the recent changes in administration of the Council the new membership of the Task and Finish Group - Use of Consultants be as follows:

 

Councillors Ms. L. Burnett, H.J.W. James, A.J. Readman and K.R. Stockdale.

 

 

731       REVENUE MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 30TH NOVEMBER, 2006 (DFICTP) -

 

The projected outturn for the 2006/07 Revenue Budget was detailed in the appendices to the report.  It was indicated that the current forecast was for a deficit of £4,383,000 on the General Fund and a balanced budget on the Housing Revenue Account.

 

Learning and Development was showing a projected balanced budget due to savings of £120,000 on Education and Schools arising from a lower than expected inflation increase on renewed large contracts such as school transport together with staff vacancies within the Education Department and this amount had been used to off-set the overspending on Lifelong Learning, Job Shop Extra (£10,000) and the Training and Heritage Skills Centre (£110,000). 

 

The Directorate of Community Services was showing a forecast of a balanced budget on the Housing Revenue Account and a deficit of £4,716,000 on General Fund Services. 

 

Children’s Services was currently showing a projected deficit of £1,481,000 on current expenditure, it was primarily due to the costs of child placements, with a further £65,000 expenditure on the service area as a result of a lower than anticipated available balance on the Social Services Reserve.

 

Community Care and Health was projecting an overspend of £2,58,000 a reduction of £288,000 on the previously reported figure.  This reduction reflected savings in Community Care commitments and improved income collection. 

 

Catering showed a projected adverse variance of £130,000 on catering and this was mainly attributed to the reduction in the number of meals being provided and increased costs in meeting National Assembly requirements on nutritional standards.

 

Private Sector Housing was showing a projected underspend on Private Sector Housing/Community Safety (£118,000) and was mainly attributed to an increase in subsidy income and savings on staff salaries. 

 

The Directorate of Environmental and Economic Regeneration was showing a projected deficit on Leisure Management (£150,000) due to a significant increase in utility costs, on Parks and Maintenance due to the increase in prices charged with external contractors for grass cutting and verge maintenance (£120,000) and the additional costs of grounds staff re the centenary celebrations at Dyffryn Gardens (£50,000) and on Building Maintenance (Trading Unit £150,000) attributed to pricing policies.  These deficits were to be off-set from underspendings elsewhere in the Directorate. 

 

Policy outturn was showing an anticipated saving of £333,000 and this was mainly attributed to additional external interest earned. 

 

The net overspend of £4.716 million on Community Services would have to be met from the General Fund balance.  However, at 31st March, 2007 this balance was predicted to be at £5 million.  This was after the use of £2.250 million approved by Council to balance the 2006/07 budget.  Consequently, a substantial amount of the overspend would have to be found by un-earmarking specific reserves.

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the position with regard to the 2006/07 Revenue Budget be noted.

 

 

732       CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 30TH NOVEMBER, 2006 (DFICTP) -

 

Details of progress on the Capital Programme were appended to the report including slippage from 2005/06 which had been referred to Council.  Schemes which were not anticipated to outturn on target were:

 

·        Directorate of Community Services - Adult Respite Care - carry forward of £500,000

         to be allocated as part of the Social Services Action Plan

·        Directorate of Environmental and Economic Regeneration - new facilities at Parc

         Bryn y Don - carry forward £257,000 due to delayed start of the scheme; Penarth

         Headland Link - projected outturn of the current year was anticipated to be

         £1,060,000; access road to Dunraven Bay, Southerndown - carry forward of

         £248,000 due to delay in start of scheme; Dyffryn Gardens Phase I - carry forward

         £500,000 due to delay in start of scheme; replacement footbridge, Barry Island

         Station - carry forward £205,000 due to delay in commencement of the scheme;

         Holton Road shop front improvements - carry forward £25,000 in anticipation of

         Town Improvement Grants being available from 2007/08; Atlantic Trading Estate

         infrastructure - increase of budget by £16,000 due to the need to dispose of

         asbestos found at the site. 

·        Policy - Disabled Access Audit and Improvements - a new budget profile was to be

         determined pending the outcome of a new production of a programme of works

         which have yet to be determined; Glamorgan Records Office - carry forward of

         £250,000 to reflect the Council’s capital contribution towards the building of a new

         Glamorgan Records office; Housing Advances - no applications had been received to

         date and therefore it was anticipated that this scheme would be under spent by

         £50,000; OneVale - carry forward of £1,311,000 due to delays on works to

         Provincial House, Barry. 

 

In addition, attached at Appendix 2 was non financial information on capital schemes with a budget over £100,000. 

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the position with regard to the 2006/07 capital programme be noted.

 

 

733       MATTER WHICH THE CHAIRMAN HAD DECIDED WAS URGENT -

 

RESOLVED - T H A T the following matter which the Chairman had decided was urgent for the reasons stated be considered.

 

 

734       RELATIONSHIP MANAGERS ANNUAL LETTER 2005/06 (REF) -

 

The above matter had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 21st December, 2006 and referred to this Scrutiny Committee for consideration. 

 

A copy of the Council’s Relationship Manager’s Annual Letter was considered.

 

In previous years the Relationship Manager’s Annual Letter the Relationship Manager had noted the Council’s position in relation to its improvement journey to date.  This year the Relationship Manager stated that “during 2005/06 the Council had continued to respond to the challenges it faced and had continued to make progress in many areas although there were some corporate and service areas that needed further attention of which these were detailed in the report. 

 

RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Relationship Manager’s Annual Letter 2005/06 be noted.