Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

During the item on CCTV (Minute 231) Councillor Simon Fawthrop declared an interest as an employee of British Telecom.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions to the Executive 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 Thursday 18^th May 2017.

Questions had been received from David Clapham and Colin Willetts – the questions and replies are attached as Appendix A to these minutes.

Report CSD17057

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings held on 14^th and 22^nd March 2017 be confirmed.

Report CSD17069

The Executive noted the appointments made by the Leader for 2017/18, in particular the allocation of portfolios and the appointment of Executive Assistants -

The Executive

Cllr Colin Smith - Deputy Leader and Environment

Cllr Graham Arthur – Resources

Cllr Diane Smith – Care Services

Cllr Peter Fortune – Education, Children and Families

Cllr Kate Lymer - Public Protection and Safety 

Cllr Peter Morgan - Renewal and Recreation

Executive Assistants

Cllr Hannah Gray, Renewal and Recreation

Cllr Angela Page, Care Services

Cllr Tom Philpott, Education, Children and Families

Cllr Tim Stevens, Environment

Further details, including appointments to other executive bodies, are set out in Appendix B to these minutes.

RESOLVED that the Executive appointments for 2017/18 be noted.

(To follow)

Report CSD17130

The Executive received an update on progress with improvements to Children’s Services. The Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Education, Care and Health Services confirmed that recruitment was progressing well and that Ofsted and the DfE Commissioner were pleased with the direction of travel.

The Leader thanked the Deputy Chief Executive for the positive progress, but accepted that there were still areas of weakness and there was no room for complacency.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report CS18004

The report set out the findings of the Local Government Ombudsman in a case where the parents of a young person had complained that the Council had failed to ensure that their son continued to receive a support package following his 18^th birthday when he transitioned to adult social care. The Ombudsman had found fault causing injustice, and had issued a public report on 2^nd March 2017 which the Council was required to consider.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017. The Committee recommended that the Executive refer the case to the Care Services PDS Committee for review.

The Leader stated that it was important that the mistakes made in this case were not repeated, and that the Care Services Portfolio Holder should be kept informed.

RESOLVED that the action taken to resolve the complaint be noted, and the compensation payment of £6,032.10 be endorsed.

Report ES17020

The Community Safety CCTV control room was currently located within the Civic Centre complex, at the rear of the St Blaise building.  Notice had been given that the redevelopment proposals for the Civic Centre site included the need to vacate this building. Therefore an alternative location for the CCTV control room would need to be found or an alternative model of service delivery commissioned.

The current contract, under a 1 year extension, expired on 31 March 2018, with the option available for up to an additional extension of 1 year, delegated to the Executive Director of Environment and Community Services in consultation with the Portfolio Holder. The programme for this European tender process was anticipated to take 14 month and it would be necessary to increase the current extension to 14 months.

The report outlined the strategy for the Community Safety CCTV service and sought approval to start the process of market testing this service. At this stage various options were still open, including relocating the service (potential space had now been identified at the Council’s depot, but not at the Police Station), a shared service with another local authority and outsourcing. There were potential capital costs depending on the chosen option. The Council currently used its own cable network, and 3G where this was not available. A wireless service could be located anywhere, but the costs would need to be taken into account.

The report had been scrutinised by the Public Protection and Safety PDS Committee at its meeting on 29^th March 2017 and the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that

(1) The strategy for the continued delivery of the CCTV service including the market testing of the CCTV functions, whilst exploring alternative commissioning options, be agreed.

(2) A further report be received outlining the results of the commissioning process with a recommendation for the optimum service delivery model.

(Councillor Simon Fawthrop declared an interest during consideration of this report as an employee of British Telecom.)

Report CS18005

The report set out the commissioning intentions relating to substance misuse contracts, together with the benefits and implications for London Borough of Bromley. The current contracts for the Adult and Young People’s Substance Misuse services ran until 30 November 2017 with an option to extend for a period of one year. The report presented the case for extending the contracts for these services. Additionally, there were two smaller substance misuse contracts with community pharmacies which were due to expire in March 2018. These could be extended and then incorporated into the Adult Substance Misuse service when it was retendered to start on 1st December 2018.

Members noted that there had been a welcome 34% increase in the numbers of young people in treatment in Bromley in 2016. The report included further data on performance and activity levels across these contracts.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that

(1) The extension of the Adults and Young People’s Substance Misuse contracts with Change, Grow, Live be approved for a period of one year from 1 December 2017 to 30 November 2018 (as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report.) 

(2) The exemption from tendering of the Community Pharmacy Needle Exchange and Supervised Administration of Methadone services for a period of eight months from 1 April 2018 to 30 November 2018 to align with the above Adults and Young People’s Substance Misuse contracts be approved (as set out in paragraph 4.2 of the report.)

(3) All Substance Misuse Contracts be tendered for a period of three years plus an optional two year extension from 1 December 2018 to 30 November 2021 (3+ 1 + 1 years) as set out in paragraph 4.3 of the report.

Report ED15082

The New Burdens Grant was designed to ensure that local authorities delivered changes to SEND services within a specified timeframe. The focus of the work was now on transferring statements into Education Health and Care Plans.

The Executive agreed to draw down the remainder of the 2016/17 SEND Implementation (New Burdens) Grant, the 2017/18 Grant and also the London SEND Regional Lead Grant for 2017/18 (shared with LB Enfield.). This was the final year of both grants. 

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that

(1) The drawdown of the final year of the SEN New Burdens Grant 2017/18 of £224,975 be approved.

(2) The drawdown of the remainder of the 2016/17 SEND Implementation grant of £20,508 kept in contingency be approved.

(3) The drawdown of the final year of the London SEND Regional Lead Grant 2017/18 of £27,522 be approved.

It was proposed that a sum of £250k be set aside in a new Earmarked Reserve to enable feasibility works to be undertaken on various sites, either currently identified or yet to be identified, within the Borough either for disposal to generate a capital receipt or to redevelop to provide new facilities or developments to generate efficiencies and/or economic growth. The allocation would be made with the important proviso that where allowable, expenditure was funded by the receipts generated from site sales, or feasibility costs for a re-development were capitalised.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017. The Committee had supported the recommendations, but had recommended that progress be monitored by the Contracts Sub-Committee, the list of sites for feasibility work be prioritised, and the alternative for the Aviation College site at Biggin Hill be removed from the list of sites. The Chairman of the PDS Committee asserted that the Airport had committed to provide the College; Members asked that the position be checked before any expenditure was incurred.  

Members emphasised that it was important that there was robust governance around use of this money and good communication with ward Councillors and residents’ groups from the earliest stages. The Portfolio Holder for Renewal and Recreation reassured Members that Cushman and Wakefield had the capacity to carry out this work and to give each project the necessary high priority.

RESOLVED that

(1) The creation of a new Earmarked Reserve be approved with an initial allocation of £250k to be funded from the Growth Fund to allow for the feasibility works to be commissioned against specific sites so as to inform the Executive of sites viability for disposal or re-development and potential scheme optimisation together with an appraisal as to worth.

(2) That officers are delegated authority to instruct appropriate consultants, in accordance with the Council’s Procurement Policies, with approval from either the Resources Portfolio Holder or the Renewal and Recreation Portfolio Holder as appropriate.

(3) It is noted that recommendations for future disposals/re-developments will be made by the Executive on a case by case basis but will be informed by the feasibility work.

(4) It is noted that monitoring of this allocation will be undertaken as part of the Capital Programme monitoring process.

(5) A variation of up to £250k to the contract with Amey be agreed to undertake this work.

(6) No further action be taken on potential alternative sites for a Biggin Hill Aviation College until the position is clarified.  

Report CS18006

The report summarised the current pressures around temporary accommodation provision and the activities currently underway, and sought approval to proceed to invite bids to pilot the use of modular homes for the provision of temporary accommodation as part of the overall strategy to reduce the current use of costly nightly paid provision. The scheme was intended to both provide much needed temporary accommodation and reduce expenditure. The Council would retain nomination  rights for such a scheme, and an experienced provider would be required to manage the units.  A site at York Rise, Orpington, which was due to be sold, had been identified for a pilot scheme with 30 to 36 family sized units. The Council spent more than £4.5m (net) procuring temporary accommodation for homeless households every year and demand for this service was forecast to increase.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017. The Committee had supported the recommendations, but with the additional suggestion that the sale of the site be delayed and the modular accommodation be provided for longer than three years, with no restrictions made on removing it from the site. The Committee had been concerned that there might have been abortive expenditure on preparations for disposing of the site – this would be checked. The Chairman of the Committee also enquired whether the units provided would contribute towards the Council’s housing targets in the Local Plan, and whether the project could become part of the Mears scheme.

Members were in largely favour of keeping options open and seeking a longer period than three years, and of purchasing rather than leasing the modular homes, but the market testing would reveal the likely costs and benefits of the various options. A number of other local authorities had experience with such schemes and had offered to share their expertise. It was suggested that the presentation of the project needed to focus on the provision of modular homes rather than on homelessness.

A PDS Member suggested that the Council should also explore the use of static mobile homes, and approach the owners of local sites who might have vacant plots.

RESOLVED that

(1) Progression to invite bids from prospective providers to undertake a pilot temporary modular home development on York Rise for use as temporary accommodation to meet the Council’s statutory rehousing duties in relation to homeless families be agreed.

(2) The proposed next steps for procurement and evaluation and appointment of a provider be approved as set out in paragraph 9.3 of the report, subject to the comments set out above.

Report CS18007

The Executive received an update on the current homeless pressures and the business case to approve drawdown from the contingency budget. This would be used to both pilot an early intervention model in preparation for the Homeless Reduction Act and to establish a dedicated visiting fraud prevention service to avoid unnecessary financial costs regarding non-occupation of temporary accommodation. These measures are part of the overall strategy to tackle the growing level of homelessness and reduce the associated costs of temporary accommodation provision.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that

(1) The release of up to £230K set aside in the central contingency for homelessness and welfare reform to pilot the early intervention initiative set out in the body of the report as part of the range of activities being undertaken to prepare for the requirements of the Homeless Reduction Act and to address the current cost pressures in relation to temporary accommodation provision.

(2)  The release of £80K set aside in the central contingency for homelessness and welfare reform be approved to pilot the visiting fraud prevention initiative set out in the report as part of the range of activities being undertaken to address the current cost pressures in relation to temporary accommodation provision.

Report FSD17040

The Executive considered the design for a local discretionary relief scheme for businesses facing significant increases in their Business Rates liability as a result of the 2017 revaluation. A period of consultation was required before the scheme was finalised; Members considered that as the proposals would be generally welcomed a relatively short consultation period could be allowed so that the scheme could be implemented as quickly as possible. Members also urged that the scheme be kept simple to administer.

The report had been scrutinised by the Executive and Resources PDS Committee at its meeting on 18^th May 2017.

RESOLVED that

(1) A consultation exercise be undertaken with the scheme proposed in the report being recommended for adoption.

(2) The consultation should last for three weeks starting after the end of the “purdah” period for the general election with a view to a final decision being taken at the Executive’s meeting on 19^th July.

Report CS18008/1

The Executive considered a summary of a part 2 report providing an overview of the tendering process for the 0-4 years Health Visiting Service (incorporating the Family Nurse Partnership.)

There were no additional issues reported from Executive and Resources PDS Committee.

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 meetings held on 14^th and 22^nd March were approved.

The Executive awarded the contract for 0-4 Years Health Visiting Service.

Cray Valley West Ward

A contract was awarded for construction works at Leesons Primary School.

The Executive agreed to the Council participating in a new Framework Agreement for community equipment services and awarding a contract under the new Framework.