SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (COMMUNITY WELLBEING
AND SAFETY)
MINUTES of a meeting held on 16th
July, 2007.
Present: Councillor Mrs. M.E.J. Birch
(Chairman); Councillor K.R. Stockdale (Vice-Chairman); Councillors
Mrs. S.M. Bagstaff, R.J. Bertin, Ms. R.M. Birch, Ms. L. Burnett,
P. Church, J. Clifford, G.C. Kemp,
Mrs. A.J. Moore, A.G. Powell,
Mrs. A.J. Preston, B.I. Shaw, J.W. Thomas and
W.C. Vaughan.
Also present: Councillors S.C. Egan and
N. Moore.
198 APOLOGIES
FOR ABSENCE -
These were received from Councillors
N.P. Hodges and H.J. W. James.
199 MINUTES
-
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the minutes of the
Scrutiny Committee (Community Wellbeing and Safety) held on
18th June, 2007 be approved as a correct record.
200
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST -
No declarations were received.
201 DRAFT
IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2007/08 (CX) -
The Draft Improvement Plan 2007/08 had been
circulated under separate cover. It was noted that WAG
guidance now required the publication of the Plan no later than
31st October, 2007; the change in date (from the
end of June to 31st October) had been made to allow
actual, audited data to be included in the Plan and for
consultation to have been undertaken prior to its
publication. It was further noted that the Plan contained all
available performance information required by WAG together with
several local indicators which measured corporate priorities.
That performance information would be used by the Wales Audit
Office to assess the Council’s ability to improve and was therefore
of critical importance for the reputation of the Council.
Information to be contained within the completed Plan was still
being provided by managers and the document was still in the
process of being completed.
Members were invited to inform the Chief
Executive of any comments on the content of the Plan in time for
the draft Plan to be submitted to Cabinet in September.
Members were of the view that further
discussions should be held on the completed Draft Improvement Plan
prior to its consideration by Cabinet, and it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Draft Improvement
Plan 2007/08 be reconsidered at the next meeting of the Scrutiny
Committee (Community Wellbeing and Safety) scheduled for
3rd September, 2007.
Reason for decision
To permit a full discussion on the completed
Draft Improvement Plan 2007/08.
202 REVIEW OF
THE COUNCIL’S PEST CONTROL SERVICE (REF.) -
The Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)
had, on 26th June, 2007 considered the above and
referred the same to Cabinet for consideration subject to the views
of this and the Scrutiny Committee (Economy and Environment) being
obtained on the matter. By way of background, it was
explained that the Council had specific statutory responsibilities
in respect of controlling pests. Under the Prevention of
Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities had a duty to take such
steps as might be necessary to secure so far as was practicable
that districts were kept free from rats and mice. That Act
had conferred powers on local authorities to require action by
owners and occupiers by serving legal notices. When there was
default on such a notice, local authorities themselves could take
action and recover reasonably incurred expenses.
The provision of pest control treatments
without the prior service of a notice was a discretionary service
provided by the Council and, in respect of pests of public health
significance, namely rats, mice, bed bugs and cockroaches,
treatments were provided and entirely subsidised by the
Council. It was noted that the private sector charged a fee
for similar services ranging from £25 to £45 per visit.
Given that all Directorates had been examining
ways of making efficiency savings due to budget pressures and the
need to make efficiency savings under the “Making the Connections”
agenda, it had become necessary to consider either limiting
resources for non-statutory services or increasing income in order
to maintain current service levels. The Local Government Act
2003 included a general power for local authorities to charge for
discretionary services and provided an opportunity for increasing
Regulatory Services charges to offset the budgetary pressures
facing the Council although charges made under the Act were limited
to the cost of recovery. It was reported that, with
increasing pressures on local authority budgets, an increasing
number of local authorities were beginning to charge for those
services. It was also noted that the demand for the Council’s
Pest Control Service currently exceeded the capacity of the service
to provide it in a timely manner with customers regularly waiting
in excess of three weeks for their first treatment. Appended
to the report considered by the Scrutiny Committee (Corporate
Resources) was a proposed scale of charges for Pest Control
Services for 2007/08. That Committee had also considered
three options, supporting the principle of charging for Pest
Control Services as set out in Option B subject to the views of
other Scrutiny Committees being obtained.
Option B provided for the Council to continue
to provide a Pest Control Treatment Service either in-house or by
contracting the service to the private sector but making a charge
for all or some pests of public health significance as well as
other pests. A variation on that option and favoured option
was to treat pests of public health significance inside domestic
properties free of charge but make a charge where they were
outside.
Views were expressed in favour of increasing
some of the fees, in view of the requirement on the Council to make
efficiency savings as a result of budget pressures, whilst opposing
views were expressed to the effect that, as the interests of the
public outweighed the Council’s need to make the proposed
efficiency savings, the free provision of the Council’s pest
control service for pests of a public health significance to
private residents should continue.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T Cabinet be advised that
it was the view of this Committee that the free provision of
Council’s pest control service for pests of public health
significance to private residents should continue.
Reason for decision
To advise Cabinet of this Committee’s
views.
203 AIR QUALITY -
PENARTH HEIGHTS (REF) -
Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources), on
26th June, 2007 was informed that local authorities in
the UK had a statutory duty under the Environment Act 1995 to
continually review and assess air quality to ensure levels of key
pollutants did not exceed the objectives set down in the Air
Quality (Wales) Regulations 2000. Where there was evidence to
suggest that air quality objectives were being exceeded or likely
to be exceeded, a detailed Air Quality Assessment had to be
undertaken in respect of the pollutant of concern. In the
event of the detailed assessment confirming that levels of
pollutants were exceeding or likely to exceed the levels set down
in the above Regulations, the local authority had a duty to declare
an Air Quality Management Area in the affected area. Within
12 months of declaring an Air Quality Management Area the local
authority must prepare an Air Quality Action Plan with the aim of
improving air quality.
The Council’s Environmental Health service was
routinely consulted by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) on
proposed developments. The impact of proposed developments on
air quality were an important consideration for environmental
health and this consultation provided the mechanism for ensuring
appropriate safeguards were in place to ensure proposed
developments did not lead to unacceptable deterioration in local
air quality.
On 5th December, 2006 the Council’s
latest Air Quality Update and Screening report was presented to
Cabinet for approval. This report highlighted the possibility
of the air quality objective in respect of nitrogen dioxide being
exceed in the vicinity of Windsor Road, Penarth / Barons Court and
Cardiff Road / Merrie Harrier. Since the infrastructure work
to signalise the Barons Court junction had not been completed at
this time, the Welsh Assembly Government advised that the local
authority should continue monitoring carefully at this location and
should there be any exceedance there, a detailed assessment be
undertaken.
Since the completion of the above
signalisation works, monitoring data has indicated that levels of
nitrogen dioxide have fallen and do not exceed the National Air
Quality Objective. Consequently a detailed Air Quality
Assessment was not required.
The Council’s Environmental Health service had
been in discussions with the developer of Penarth Heights site with
a view to assessing the impact of the development on air quality on
Windsor Road / Barons Court. As a result, consultants were
commissioned by the developer to determine what contribution
traffic emanating from Penarth Heights would have on air
quality. The consultant concluded that the contribution was
unlikely to lead to an exceedance of the air quality objective in
respect of nitrogen dioxide.
Discussion ensued regarding the nature of data
collected including historical data, weather conditions and the
frequency and type of monitoring undertaken at these sites.
Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources)
had
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the findings contained in the report be endorsed.
(2) T H A
T air quality monitoring continues in the vicinity of Barons Court
/ Windsor Road and Cardiff Road / Merrie Harrier.
(3) T H A
T the contents of this report be referred to the Scrutiny Committee
(Community Wellbeing and Safety) for information.
(4) T H A
T this Scrutiny Committee and other elected Members receive a
presentation on Air Quality Monitoring on an appropriate date and
time to be confirmed.
Scrutiny Committee (Community Wellbeing and
Safety), having considered the recommendations,
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the recommendations of
Scrutiny Committee (Corporate Resources) be noted.
204 REVENUE
AND CAPITAL MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD 1ST APRIL 2007 TO
30TH JUNE, 2007 (IDSS AND DLPPHS) -
Committee received a report which outlined the
position in respect of Revenue and Capital Expenditure for the
period 1st April, 2007 to 30th June, 2007
regarding those Revenue and Capital Budgets which formed the
Committee’s remit. The projected outturn for the 2007/08
Revenue Budget was shown in comparison with the Annual Budget at
Appendix 1 to the report. The current forecast was for a
surplus of £215,000 on the Housing Revenue Account budget and a
deficit of £1,630,000 for General Fund Services. The deficit
on General Fund would be eliminated if Social Services achieved
their targeted reduction in overspending.
As had been reported previously, the Housing
Revenue account was anticipated to outturn at £635,000, a surplus
of £215,000. The current favourable variance of £78,000 was
largely due to staff vacancies and slow spends at the beginning of
the financial year.
It was anticipated that Private Sector Housing
would outturn on target. The current favourable variance of
£76,000 was also mainly due to staff vacancies and slow spending at
the beginning of the financial year.
Committee were advised of the budget for each
division of service which reflected the allocation of the Temporary
Uplift of £3,641,000 approved by the Council and the savings of
£2,000,000 needed to achieve a balanced budget. In projecting
the outturn figures for 2006/07 and using information on current
commitments, the budget was projected to outturn with a deficit of
£1,630,000, a reduction of £100,000 from the previously reported
deficit. In order to achieve a balanced budget, it was
imperative that the actions proposed in the schedule of savings
which was being compiled and which would be reported to Cabinet and
this Committee at future meetings, were implemented and adhered
to. Monitoring of the budget would be regularly reported so
that the success of the proposals could be assessed, reflected in
the outturn figures, any problems or cost pressures identified and
remedial action taken.
The probably outturn for Children’s Services,
which reflected the level of the one-off uplift and efficiencies
allocated to the Service, was currently showing a deficit of
£379,000 a reduction of £100,000 from the previously reported
figure. The Children’s Placement commitments had reduced by a
further £60,000 due to movements in placements and £40,000 saving
was predicted due to a current underspend on the Fostering
budget. The Children’s Placement budget, staffing budgets and
Court associated expenses budgets were the main areas that must be
rigorously controlled and monitored.
The Community Care and Health Service was
projected to outturn with a deficit of £1,251,000 at year
end. The main pressures that needed to be controlled and
monitored in order to bring expenditure within budget were
Community Care Packages, Supported Housing Contract and staffing
budgets. The predicted outturn reflected an anticipated
continuation of the increased income generation achieved in
2006/07. A cautious estimate had been included as income
generation was dependant on both internal and external factors.
Financial progress on the Capital Programme as
at 30th June, 2007 was also reported.
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Revenue and Capital
Monitoring report for the period 1st April, 2007 to
30th June, 2007 be noted.
205 CHILDREN
AND FAMILY SERVICES SERVICE PLAN (IDSS) -
The report presented the new format for the
way in which Service Plans would be presented in the future.
The report included cross-cutting, service
objectives, service self-assessment and consultation processes.
Members of the Committee expressed
appreciation of the staff of the Children and Family Services
section for their tremendous efforts, and expressed a wish to meet
with those members of staff.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the Children and Family Services Service Plan be accepted.
(2) T H A
T the Interim Director of Social Services liaise with the Chairman
to arrange a suitable date to meet with the members of staff of the
Children and Family Services Division.
206 COMMUNITY CARE
AND HEALTH SERVICE PLAN (IDSS) -
The report presented the new format for the
way in which Service Plans would be presented in the future.
The report included cross-cutting, service
objectives, service self-assessment and consultation processes.
Members were advised that a significant focus
of the Service Plan was to manage the budget.
Following discussion on the contents of the
Service Plan, it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the Community Care and
Health Service Plan be accepted.
207
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION MONITORING REPORT - CHILDREN AND FAMILY
SERVICES (IDSS) -
Management Information relating to May 2007
was distributed at the meeting.
It was reported that the report demonstrated a
significant upturn compared to previous reports, in particular
reference SCC017 (percentage of child protection reviews carried
out within statutory timescales during the year).
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the Management Information be noted.
(2) T H A
T officers be congratulated for their efforts in achieving the
significant upturn.
Reasons for recommendations
(1)&(2) To
enable Elected Members to analyse performance data more effectively
and to ensure the views of the Committee are recorded.
208
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION MONITORING REPORT - COMMUNITY CARE AND
HEALTH (IDSS) -
Management Information relating to May 2007
was distributed at the meeting.
It was reported that the information contained
within the report demonstrated a major improvement on past
performance, and an improvement that would be difficult to maintain
in the future.
RECOMMENDED -
(1) T H A
T the Management Information be noted.
(2) T H A
T officers be congratulated for their efforts in achieving the
significant improvements.
Reasons for recommendations
(1)&(2) To
enable Elected Members to analyse performance data more effectively
and to ensure the views of the Committee are recorded.
209
PROGRESS UPDATE ON THE SCRUTINY REVIEW - A REVIEW TO EVALUATE HOW
THE COUNCIL CONTRIBUTES TO TACKLING AND PREVENTING DOMESTIC ABUSE
IN THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN (DLPPHS) -
Committee received a progress update on the
Scrutiny Review to evaluate how the Council contributes to tackling
and preventing domestic abuse in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The update indicated progress on each of the
recommendations of the Review.
Following discussions on the update it was
RECOMMENDED - T H A T the progress update be
noted.