Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor John Getgood, who was replaced by Councillor Peter Fookes, and Councillor Tom Papworth. Councillor Will Harmer and Councillor Graham Arthur, Resources Portfolio Holder, sent apologies for having to arrive late.

Councillor William Huntington-Thresher declared an interest as a member of the Affinity Sutton London Regional Scrutiny Board in relation to the report on the Bromley Youth Employment Project (minute 306 (a).)

Councillor Ruth Bennett declared an interest as she lived near the Holy Trinity Convent development in relation to item 17 on the Executive’s agenda (Payment in Lieu: Framework for Capital Process.) 

During consideration of item 12 on the Executive’s agenda (Commissioning Strategy for Older People – Day Opportunities and Respite Care) Councillor Peter Fookes declared an interest as a trustee of Melvin Hall.

During consideration of item 13 on the Executive’s agenda (Gateway Review: Adult Direct Care Services) Councillor Douglas Auld declared an interest as his wife was employed as a social worker.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions to this Committee must be received in writing 4 working days before the date of the meeting.  Therefore please ensure questions are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Friday 25^th January 2013.

No questions had been received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd January 2013 (excluding exempt information) be confirmed.

Report RES13025

The Committee received an update on matters arising from previous meetings. It was noted that there was an update on the new Technology Working Group’s report later on the agenda, and that the report requested by the Committee at the last meeting on London Councils was scheduled for the meeting on 27^th March.

The Committee received the latest version of the Forward Plan of Private and Key Decisions.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions to this Committee must be received in writing 4 working days before the date of the meeting.  Therefore please ensure questions are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Friday 25^th January 2013.

No questions had been received.

The Resources Portfolio Holder to present scheduled reports for pre-decision scrutiny on matters where he is minded to make decisions.

The Committee considered the following reports for pre-decision scrutiny where the Resources Portfolio Holder was minded to take a decision.  

Report RES13021

The Committee noted a summary of treasury management activity for 2012/13 and in particular the third quarter ending 31^st December 2012. The report included an update on the Council’s investment with Heritable Bank. Officers commented that the Localism Act could open up some opportunities for a wider range of investment opportunities but this needed to be balanced against achieving security, liquidity and yield – in that order.

RESOLVED that the report be noted and the recommendation be supported.

Report RES13022

The report set out the proposed Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Strategy for 2013/14 which were required by the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management in the Public Services to be approved by full Council. The report also included prudential indicators and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement, both of which required full Council approval.  The report recommended the inclusion of Certificates of Deposit, Commercial Paper and Floating Rate Notes as eligible investment vehicles.

Members asked whether there had been any consideration of working with other boroughs on treasury management. Officers confirmed that all opportunities were being investigated, but referred to a recent issue where the cost of actuarial valuation advice for Bromley was already lower than the London framework price. Members also noted that at present the advice was to invest for terms of just one year. 

RESOLVED that the report be noted and the recommendations be supported.

The Chairman invited Cllr Stephen Carr, Leader of the Council, to address the Committee. He summarised some of the issues that he was focussed on as Leader. Much of his work centred on the budget and ensuring that there was a consistent, long-term approach to the Council’s finances. The draft 2013/14 budget had been built from a baseline review/zero-based budgeting approach, with public consultation meetings in November and consideration by all PDS Committees in January. There had been a number of meetings with government Ministers and letters sent lobbying on behalf of the borough. The merger of the former Children and Young People and Adult and Community Services Departments had produced efficiencies, and he expected that further efficiencies would be achieved. He emphasised that the movement of staff out of national terms and conditions was vital for the Council’s culture and for supporting staff, and that his administration was determined that it would succeed.

Other important issues that he was dealing with included the security concerns at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, public transport options and the Council’s priority of seeking an extension of the DLR to Bromley, the financial problems at the South London Hospitals Trust, the public meetings on Policing, the safeguarding work of the Children’s Board, the issues around planning and the Green Belt (he had met with Nick Boles MP, the Planning Minister), library provision in Penge and Anerley, Crystal Palace Park (where there was potential for using Heritage Lottery Funding to invest in the Park), the Orpington Priory Scheme, the Bromley North Village improvements and the other forthcoming developments in Bromley Town Centre at Site K and the old Town Hall. 

The Leader responded to questions from the Committee. He confirmed that in setting the 2013/14 Council Tax Bromley would be staying within the rules set by the Government and would take a decision in the best interests of Bromley residents. He agreed that the Building a Better Bromley priorities needed to be updated and given a clearer focus. Asked about executive responsibility and scrutiny arrangements for Public Health, the Leader stated that these issues were being considered, but final decisions had not yet been made. A Member commented that there needed to be a clearer public understanding of where funding was from for some of the major initiatives across the borough, such as the Bromley North Village improvements and the Bromley Youth Employment Project. Another Member added that even when there was little or no Council funding involved, such as with the Orpington Business Improvement District (BID) proposals there were important messages about the Council’s role and Bromley being “open for business.” The Leader agreed that the Council needed to work in partnership to bring in both public and private investment for key schemes, to use its own funds to invest in the right capital schemes, and to take credit for initiating a number of schemes. He agreed with another Member that when new facilities were opened there should be opportunities to share facilities across  ...  view the full minutes text for item 299.

Members of the Committee are requested to bring their copy of the agenda for the Executive meeting on 6^th February 2013.

The Committee considered the following reports on the agenda for the meeting of the Executive on 6^th February 2013.

(5)  Bromley’s Local Plan – Options and Preferred Strategy for Consultation

Report DRR13/022

The report set out the Options and Preferred Strategy document on Bromley’s Local Plan.  The Committee noted that the Development Control Committee had considered the report in detail at its meeting 29^th January 2013.

(6)  Parking Shared Service – Collaboration Agreement

  Report ES13019

At its meeting on 28^th November 2012 the Executive had agreed to establish a shared parking service with LB Bexley. The Executive had requested a further report so that they could consider and approve the draft Collaboration Agreement; this had now been prepared. It was intended that the shared service would become operational on 1^st April 2013. 

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported.

(7)  Budget Monitoring 2012/13

Report RES13017

The report set out the latest position on the 2012/13 budget based on expenditure and activity levels up to the end of November 2012; a projected net underspend of £3,261k was forecast. Members raised the following issues –

• Members commented that it was important to reduce budgets where underspends occurred and not spend money for the sake of it. Managers were able to allocate resources within their budgets, but large surpluses needed to be put in contingency.

• The Committee was informed that contracts had been exchanged that morning for the purchase of one of the three properties proposed to be acquired from the Investment Fund, but it was possible that the other two purchases might not proceed. This was because due diligence had uncovered certain issues with the buildings. The consultants involved would only receive payment if the purchases were completed.

• It was confirmed that there was a provision for risk in respect of failing to achieve car parking income. It was important that shortfalls were highlighted so that action could be taken to find income or savings elsewhere. This was also the case if charges were not increased with inflation each year.

• The £300k to be set aside for the commissioning work was to enable business cases to be drawn up.

• Members commented on the possibility of renegotiating the lease for Biggin Hill Airport; for the Council to achieve a satisfactory change it would require both parties to be flexible. 

• Members requested that they be provided with a complete register of property owned by the Council, including all costs and highlighting all empty properties.

• It was noted that attempts to share legal services with LB Bexley had largely not materialised, but negotiations were still ongoing with Medway. 

RESOLVED that the recommendations be supported.

(8)  Council Tax 2013/14

Report RES13033

The report identified the final issues affecting the 2013/14 revenue budget and made recommendations to the Council meeting on 27^th February on the level of the Bromley element of the 2013/14 Council Tax and also on the schools budget. It was confirmed that the GLA would not be meeting to agree  ...  view the full minutes text for item 300.

Report RES13029

The Committee received an update on progress with implementing the recommendations of the New Technology Working Group. Councillor Will Harmer, who chaired the Working Group, reported that it had reconvened on 24^th January and decided to pursue several issues, in particular a digital vision for Bromley, assistive technology and Member’s technology, where the business case for widespread use of tablets needed further consideration. 

Members commented as follows on a number of aspects of the Working Group’s report –

• Members requested information on the amount of accommodation used for storage and the cost of this. It was confirmed that the Council did have a document retention policy, and a Member commented that it was essential that archivists and historians were involved so that documents vital for understanding the borough’s heritage were preserved. The recent office moves had resulted in the destruction of many unnecessary files and a reduction in office space used for storage. 

• Freedom of Information (FoI) requests had continued to increase and were now being received at a rate of more than fifteen hundred per annum. There was concern that, with relatively few of these coming from local residents, the Council needed to ensure that the resources spent on responding were minimised.

• Members raised concerns at the level of security around the Council’s systems, which appeared to be “gold-plated” compared to other organisations.

• A Member raised the issue of increasing wi-fi coverage, and reminded the Committee about the concerns about mobile phone masts. The wi-fi system covering the Committee rooms was currently not working, but was expected to be operational within a few weeks. 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report RES13027

The Committee noted updates that had been circulated from PDS Chairmen from their Committees’ meetings in January.

Councillor Douglas Auld, as Chairman of the Public Protection and Safety PDS Committee, drew Members’ attention to the financial implications of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. Under the Act, local authorities would be responsible for providing coroner’s officers, rather than the Police – the cost was estimated to be in the region of £200k per annum and transitional arrangements had not yet been established. He also reported that £132k of the savings identified in the2013/14 Public Protection and Safety budget had not been accepted; the money would now need to be found from other budgets.

The Care Services PDS Committee had considered the changes to housing benefit which encouraged tenants in larger properties than they needed to downsize.  A Member reported that he had been informed that tenants with three bedroom properties were being prevented from moving into two bedroom properties. The Chairman of the Committee, Councillor Judi Ellis, informed the Committee that the Department for Work and Pensions had attended a recent Health Social Care and Housing Partnership Board meeting. They had provided training for the local Citizens Advice Bureau and staff at the Mottingham and Cotmandene Learning Shops. They had been persuaded to carry out more home visits and had taken on more staff to do this.

The Chairman of the Environment PDS Committee, Councillor William Huntington-Thresher, reported on the trial scheme for littering fines operated by XFOR. As intended, the scheme was covering its costs, but it was too early to tell whether it was helping to reduce littering. The number of fines being issued was still relatively small - these fines were originally £80, but were now £100. Another Member stated that he did not consider that there was a littering problem, that offenders should be warned before they received fines, and that shopkeepers and shoppers were against the XFOR patrols.  Councillor Huntington-Thresher confirmed that young people under 18 had been pursued through the courts for littering offences. Another Member added that scientists at Bristol University had found a way to stop chewing gum from sticking to pavements making its removal much easier.

Report RES13028

The Committee received an update on its work programme and the progress of PDS Working Groups. Members discussed the timetable for preparing the annual PDS Report, which would go to this Committee on 27^th March for referral to the full Council meeting on 22^nd April. One Chairman commented that his report would need to be considered by his Committee after the deadline for the Executive and Resources Committee agenda.    

The Chairman confirmed that the Local Government Finance Working Group would be reporting to the Committee’s meeting on 27^th March.  

The Chairman to move that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business listed below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

RESOLVED that the Press and public be excluded during consideration of the items of business referred to below as it is likely in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the Press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

The following summaries

refer to matters

involving exempt information

The exempt minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd January 2013 were confirmed.

The Committee scrutinised the following proposed decision of the Resources Portfolio Holder.

The Committee considered proposals to award a contract for the provision of a Youth Employment Project.

The Committee scrutinised three reports on the part 2 agenda for the Executive’s meeting on 6^th February 2013 concerning (17) Payment in Lieu: Framework for Capital Progress, (18) Penge and Anerley Libraries, 46 Green Lane, and (19) Capital Receipts.