Agenda and minutes

Venue: Bromley Civic Centre

Contact: Philippa Gibbs  020 8461 7638

Items
No. Item

29.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND NOTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Pauline Tunnicliffe.  Councillor Wells attended as substitute.

30.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

There were no additional declarations of interest.

31.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCILLORS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDING THE MEETING

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions that are not specific to reports on the agenda must have been received in writing 10 working days before the date of the meeting. 

 

Questions specifically on reports on the agenda should be received within two working days of the normal publication date of the agenda.  Please ensure that questions specifically on reports on the agenda are received by the Democratic Services Team by 5pm on Friday 9th September 2021.

Minutes:

No questions were received.

32.

MINUTES OF THE EXECUTIVE, RESOURCES AND CONTRACTS PDS COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON 23 JUNE 2021 (EXCLUDING EXEMPT ITEMS) pdf icon PDF 349 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 June 2021, were agreed and signed as a correct record.

33.

MATTERS OUTSTANDING AND WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 342 KB

Minutes:

Report CSD21093

 

The report dealt with the Committee’s business management including matters outstanding from previous meetings and the proposed work plan for the remainder of the year. 

 

A Member reminded the Committee of the requirement to report to Members on the evaluation of contracts, once completed, as part of the Gateway process and requested an evaluation report for the Total Facilities Management (Amey) contract.  Noting that the Committee was due to receive an update on the Transformation of the Property Service, the Chairman requested that this report include the evaluation for the Amey contract.

 

The Chairman also reported that the Vice-Chairman would lead a Housing and Capital Finance Task and Finish Group focusing on one of the Committee’s priorities for the year – that of sources of funding for the Council’s Housing and Capital Programme.  The Vice-Chairman would be reaching out to Members in due course.

 

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

 

34.

STATUTORY FORWARD PLAN OF KEY DECISIONS pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Minutes:

The Committee noted the statutory Forward Plan of Key Decisions covering the period August 2021 to November 2021.  The Chairman highlighted that the Procurement of the HR/Payroll Software report had been deferred until October.

 

35.

RESOURCES, COMMISSIONING AND CONTRACTS MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO - PRE-DECISION SCRUTINY

Portfolio Holder decisions for pre-decision scrutiny.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the following reports where the Resources, Contracts and Commissioning Portfolio Holder was recommended to take a decision.

35a

CAPITAL PROGRAMME MONITORING - 1ST QUARTER 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 648 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Report FSD21050

 

On 15th July 2021, the Executive received a report summarising the current position on capital expenditure and receipts following the 1st quarter of 2021/22 and agreed a revised Capital Programme for the four-year period 2021/22 to 2024/25. The report highlighted changes agreed by the Executive and the Leader in respect of the Capital Programme for the Executive, Resources & Contracts Portfolio. The revised programme for the portfolio was set out in Appendix A and detailed comments on individual schemes were shown in Appendix B with details of the 2020/21 outturn position included in Appendix C. 

In response to a question, the Director of Finance explained that one of the challenges with the HR/Payroll system was that it would need to link into other financial systems.  It was recognised that any new system would need the flexibility to handle reducing personnel numbers.  The report presented to October would set out any market testing undertaken to date.

The Director of Finance confirmed that further slippage of the report concerning the Civic Centre feasibility work was expected as there would now need to be a review of the impact of the increasingly agile ways of working following the Covid pandemic.  This would be done as part of the wider Council Transformation work.

The Chairman requested that the outstanding post completion reports be expedited and that where necessary shortened reports drawing out key points be presented to the Committee.

RESOLVED: That the Portfolio Holder be recommended to note and acknowledge the changes agreed by the Executive on 15th July 2021.

 

 

36.

PRE-DECISION SCRUTINY OF EXECUTIVE REPORTS

Members of the Committee are requested to bring their copy of the agenda for the Executive meeting on

Minutes:

The Committee considered the following reports on the Part 1 agenda for the meeting of the Executive on 22 September 2021:

 

(5)  MAKING BROMLEY EVEN BETTER

Report CSD21098

 

The report presented the refreshed corporate strategy “Making Bromley Even Better” 2021-2031.  The ambitions outlined would be delivered through a wide range of strategic and operational plans across the Council and partner agencies.

 

In opening the discussion, the Chairman noted the extensive work that had gone into gathering comments and developing the refreshed strategy and thanked the Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Transformation for this work.

 

The Assistant Director reported that in developing the Strategy, she had engaged in one-to-one discussions with at least 20 Members and this had facilitated the development of the Strategy presented for approval by the Executive on 22 September 2021.  There had also been an awareness of the need to reflect the requirements of the Council’s regulators, and this was one of the key reasons for updating the Corporate Strategy.  It was recognised that the development of the Strategy had been unfortunately delayed by 12 months as a result of the demands imposed by the Council’s response to the Covid pandemic.

 

Whilst the Strategy was a high-level plan it was not static.  The priorities set out in the Strategy would be delivered through the Portfolio Plans and delivery of objectives would be monitored through PDS Committees with amendments implemented as and when necessary. 

 

The Committee noted that monitoring would be undertaken through a formal annual report as well as through the Chief Executive’s appraisal process.  Through this monitoring process the corporate strategy would be reflective of Portfolio Plans and the key agendas within each Portfolio.

 

Members welcomed the document noting that it was important that, as a roadmap of the Council’s future intentions, the document was reflective of any significant changes in the direction of corporate strategy and policy and was updated as and when necessary.  It was suggested that as a working document it may be helpful to number paragraphs in future versions.

 

A Member suggested that there should be further clarity around the statistics relating to employment in the Borough, and it was noted that this detail was captured in the Economic Development Strategy.  In addition, noting that Bromley had the highest number of settled travellers in the United Kingdom a Member suggested that in fact the Borough had the highest number of settled travellers in Europe (although this statistic may be difficult to verify).

 

Noting the description of the Borough as the fourth most affluent borough in London, a Member highlighted that the Council should not hide away from the considerable areas of deprivation in the Borough.  In response, the Assistant Director highlighted that the Strategy included a number of actions and objectives setting out the ambitions for the more deprived areas of the borough.

 

The Committee noted that following Executive the Strategy would be presented to Full Council.

 

RESOLVED: That the Executive be recommended to approve the refreshed Corporate Strategy; Making Bromley  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36.

37.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS AMENDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) (VARIATION) ORDER 2006, AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

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.

Minutes:

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

 

 

38.

PART 2 CONTRACTS REGISTER AND CONTRACTS DATABASE

Minutes:

Report CSD21096A&B

 

The Report presented September’s Corporate Contracts Register and provided both the Council wide £200k+ register and the £50+ register specific to the Executive, Resources and Contracts Portfolio.  The register presented in Part 2 of the agenda included a commentary on each contract to inform Members of any issues or developments.

 

The Chairman noted that there was a plan in place for the two flagged reports and that a Member decision was expected in October.

 

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

 

Part 2 Reports

A Member suggested that when Committees moved into Part 2 of the agenda it may be helpful for the Chairman to state the relevant paragraph of Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 being relied upon.

 

Whilst appreciating that on occasions there were ‘grey areas’, the Chairman noted that the Committee agenda set out the relevant paragraph on which the Council was relying to move into closed session.  It was further noted that agendas were published 5 clear days in advance of the meeting and it was suggested that any Member who wished to challenge an exemption should raise the issue with the relevant Chairman and open dialog prior to the meeting.