Agenda and minutes

For issues relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy

Mr. D. R. Parsons CBE, CC – Leader of the Council

Mr. M. B. Page CC – Lead Member for Resources, Finance and Performance Management

For the report on the Eco Town

Mr. P. A. Roffey CC – Chairman of the Review Panel

Mr. M. Griffiths CC – Review Panel Member

Mr. Frazer Robson – Independent Planning Consultant and Advisor to the Panel

Dr. R. K. A. Feltham CC – Member attending under the Local Issues Alerts Procedure

Mr. Ruairidh Jackson – The Co-operative Group.

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2008 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

Medium Term Financial Strategy

Mr Parsons CBE; CC and Mr Page CC declared personal prejudicial interest in respect of the reports on the ‘Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2009/10 to 2012/13’ having been present at the Cabinet meeting when the MTFS was discussed.

Eco Town – Report of the Review Panel

Mr Galton declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a member of the Campaign Against the Stoughton Eco Town (CASCET)

Mr Bown CC and Mr Fraser CC who were members of the County Council’s Development Control and Regulatory Board indicated their intention to withdraw from the meeting when this issue was discussed.

Mr Legrys CC declared a personal non prejudicial interest as a member of the Panel. He indicated he intended to remain in the meeting and participate in the debate.

Dr Feltham CC declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a member of the Campaign Against the Stoughton Eco Town (CASCET).

Mr Hart CC declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a local County Councillor and a member of Harborough District Council whose electoral division would be affected by the proposal.

Mr Boulter CC declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a local member of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council.

Mr Shepherd CC declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a member of the Regional Assembly.

LAA Refresh

Mr Shepherd CC declared a personal and non prejudicial interest as a member of the Leicestershire Together.

There were no declarations made under Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16.

The Chief Executive reported that no petitions had been received under Standing Order 36.

The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive and Director of Corporate Resources concerning the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the implications for the Chief Executive’s Departmental budget. A copy of the report, marked ‘B’, is filed with these minutes.

In response to questions, the Commission was advised as follows:-

i)                    the £150,000 growth for responding to the Pitt Report was to reflect the potential additional cost to the County Council  for the management and drainage of surface water. The Pitt report recommends an increase in civil engineering capacity but the County Council was discussing with the other upper tier authorities in the region how additional resources could be shared in order to provide the most effective service. The County Council would continue to work with District Councils and other agencies in this connection;

ii)                  the County Council and the Primary Care Trust had agreed to make up the anticipated shortfall in Government grant to District Councils to allow free swimming for under 16s and over 60s. It was now known that the Government’s grant aid budget had been undersubscribed and it had been agreed with the District Councils, who were in receipt of additional grant, that funds not required at this time be earmarked with a view to maintaining the free swimming programme at the end of the current two year period;

iii)                it was too early to specify how the additional £100,000 increase in grant aid to Citizens Advice Bureaux and Credit Unions would be deployed but one key aim would to reduce waiting times for debt counselling;

iv)                the additional £70,000 for legal services was to increase capacity for contracting and commercial work. The Legal Services Section would also be exploring opportunities to undertake work for other public sector bodies such as the Primary Care Trust.

RESOLVED

That the proposed budget for the Chief Executive’s Department be noted.

The Commission considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources concerning the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the implications for his department’s budget. A copy of the report, marked ‘C’, is filed with these minutes.

In response to questions, the Commission was advised as follows:-

i)                    the consolidation and externalisation of the Facilities Management function would result in the transfer, under TUPE, of some 200 staff. Consultation was currently taking place with staff and unions;

ii)                  savings of £100,000 would be achieved in the general maintenance budget primarily through better procurement practices. It was hoped that as the office accommodation strategy was rolled forward further savings could be achieved.

RESOLVED

That the proposed budget for the Corporate Resources Department be noted.

The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive and Director of Corporate Resources concerning the overall position on the Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2009/10 to 2012/13. A copy of the report marked ‘D’ is filed with these minutes. Appended to the report were the following documents:-

i)                    the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2009/10 to 2012/13 which had been approved by the Cabinet on 5^th January as a basis for consultation;

ii)                  the comments of the following Overview and Scrutiny Committees:-

·        Community Services;

·        Adult Social Care and Health;

·        Children and Young People’s Service;

·        Environment.

The Commission also considered a letter received from Mr Wilson CC requesting capital support for the proposed Palmer-Tomkinson Centre at Longslade Community College. A copy of the letter is filed with these minutes.

The Director of Resources advised the Commission that given the current economic uncertainties a number of items in the proposed budget were still being monitored and evaluated including in particular:-

• Interest on balances;
• Financing capital expenditure including possible debt rescheduling;
• The general and specific provisions made for inflation.

The Chairman of the Commission endorsed comments made by Messrs Legrys and Lewis concerning the important role played by the Chairmen and Spokesmen of Scrutiny Committees in leading the process of scrutinising the budget proposals and suggested that this should be drawn to the attention of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Concern was expressed by a number of members that the lateness of the request for capital funding submitted by Mr Wilson CC on behalf of Longslade Community College and that it had not been referred to the Children and Young People’s Service Scrutiny Committee.

The Leader advised the Commission that he welcomed the comments that had been made by the various scrutiny committees and would ensure these were considered further by the Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

a)         That the report and information now provided on the Medium Term Financial Strategy be noted and that the comments now made including those of the Scrutiny Committees be forwarded to the Cabinet.

b)         That the letter received from Mr Wilson CC requesting capital support for the proposed Palmer - Tomkinson Centre at Lonsdale Community College be noted and that Mr Wilson be advised to pursue the matter directly with the Cabinet or in consultation with the Chairman and Spokespersons of the Children and Young People’s Service Scrutiny Committee.

The Chairman has indicated that the discussion on this item will commence at 3.15pm.

A copy of the Panel's report has been circulated to all members of the Council via the Members' Information Service.

The Commission considered a report of the Scrutiny Review Panel established to consider the implications of the Co-Operative Group bid to develop an Eco-Town to the south east of Leicester. A copy of the report, marked ‘E’, is filed with these minutes.

Mr Bown CC and Mr Fraser CC who served as members of the Development Control and Regulatory Board withdrew from the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting:-

• Mr P. A. Roffey CC, the Chairman of the Review Panel
• Mr Ruairidh Jackson of the Co-operative Group.
• Dr R. K. A. Feltham CC who was attending the meeting as a local member under the Local Issues Alert Procedure.

The Chairman advised that he proposed to deal with this item as follows:-

• A brief Introduction to the report by Mr Peter Roffey CC;

• Invite brief comments from Dr Kevin Feltham CC and Mr S. Galton CC as the local members for the area;

• Invite the representative of the Co-op (Mr Jackson) to make a brief statement;

• Invite Mr Roffey CC or a member of the Review Team to make any final remarks in response to points raised by the Co-op;

• Open the debate to members and invite Mr Roffey CC and Mr Jackson to respond to questions.

He reminded the Commission that the Cabinet would be considering and determining its response to the Draft Planning Policy Statement for submission to the Department of Communities and Local Government at its next meeting on 10^th February and that its consideration of the issues would include the report of the Five Member Panel.

Mr Roffey, in his introduction to the report of the Panel, reminded members that the remit of the Panel was to review the Pennbury proposal and report areas of particular concern. It was not its task to make decisions on behalf of Council.

With regard to the recent press coverage, he advised that that it was coincidental that the Co-op published its critique of the Halcrow report (a report commissioned by the County Council and other local authorities to review the Pennbury proposal) at the same time as the Panel Report.   This appeared to have caused some confusion in the media reporting of this issue. He highlighted the following four areas where this had happened and indicated he would wish to address these in turn.

The first issue related to housing need. In an interview the Minister, Margaret Beckett had said that she understood why people had concerns but that these houses were needed for ‘our children and grandchildren’. Mr Roffey CC drew attention to findings in the report which indicated that:-

·        the proposed changes to the East Midland Regional Plan included a requirement to provide just over 4,000 dwellings annually in the City and County for the period 2006 to 2026. Sufficient land had already been allocated to meet virtually all of this need without Pennbury (paragraph 82 of the Panel Report). Future requirements after 2026 needed to be reviewed (paragraphs 83 and 84).

·        Harborough District Council could more than meet its Structure Plan housing targets for the period to 2016 (paragraph 20) and should be able to meet future needs identified through the Regional Plan without the need to develop Pennbury.

·        At the more local level, evidence presented to the Panel suggested that the greatest demand for social housing was in the City and Market Harborough and not in the Pennbury area (paragraph 88).  The report recognised that there was a need for social housing and suggested that the Council should do all it could to support provision in the areas of need.

The second  ...  view the full minutes text for item 183.

The Commission considered a report of the Director of Resources providing information on the 2008/09 budget based on the pattern of income and expenditure for the first seven months of the financial year. A copy of the report, marked ‘F’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:-

That the outcome of the latest budget monitoring exercise be noted.

The Commission considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources on progress in the delivery of the annual capital programme. A copy of the report, marked ‘G’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:-

That the progress on the delivery of the Annual Capital Programme be noted.

The Commission considered a report of the Director of Corporate Resources a review of the list of counterparties to whom the Council can lend money as part of its Treasury management activities.  A copy of the report, marked ‘H’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:-

a)         That the report be noted and that the Cabinet be advised that the Commission supports the matrix set out in Appendix A to the report as the criteria for the acceptability of individual counterparties as well as the maximum loan length and total sum outstanding to any counterparty at any one time;

b)         That the contents of the report be drawn to the attention of all members of the Council and posted on the Council’s website.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning the progress in finalising and refreshing targets in the Local Area Agreement (LAA2) .  A copy of the report, marked ‘I’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:-

That the progress made in refreshing the targets in the Local Area Agreement 2 be noted.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive concerning proposals put forward at a meeting of the Chairman and Spokesmen concerning the role of scrutiny in budget monitoring and performance.  A copy of the report, marked ‘J’, is filed with these minutes.

RESOLVED:-

That a five member Panel to be established to meet on quarterly basis with responsibility for receiving and considering in depth the quarterly reports on:-

a)         The revenue budget

b)         The capital programme

c)         Performance against key targets in the Local Area Agreement and Sustainable Community Strategy.

and to identify issues which might merit further consideration and refer these to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee (or Scrutiny Commission) to decide whether it would be appropriate to examine the issues in further detail and how this could best be done.

The next meeting of the Scrutiny Commission will take place on 4 March, 2009 at 2.00pm.

RESOLVED:

That the next meeting of the Commission be held at 2.00pm on Wednesday 4^th March 2009.