Agenda and minutes

Two questions to the Committee were received for oral reply. Details of the questions (including a supplementary question) and replies are at

Appendix A.

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

Report FSD15025

Based on expenditure and activity levels to 31st January 2015, the latest

overall budget monitoring position for the Environment Portfolio 2014/15

showed an under-spend of £213k, with the controllable budget projected to be

underspent by £179k at year-end.

Details were provided of the projected outturn with a forecast of projected spend against each relevant Environmental Services Division compared to the latest approved budget. Background to variations was also outlined.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to endorse the

latest 2014/15 budget projection for the Environment Portfolio.

Report FSD15017

At its meeting on 11th February 2015, the Executive agreed a revised

Capital Programme for 2014/15 to 2018/19. Changes in respect of the

Environment Portfolio were outlined and a revised programme for the Portfolio

presented. Comments were provided on individual schemes and details of new schemes approved by the Executive for the Portfolio were also outlined.

Since approval of the Capital Programme in February, Report FSD15017 highlighted a forecast delay for the project to install more LED lanterns and reduce the number of lamp column replacements. Project completion was now forecast for May 2015 rather than March 2015 and a potential £1m underspend was estimated on the scheme in 2014/15, the amount having to be re-phased to 2015/16.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to confirm the changes agreed by Executive on 11^th February 2015 and to note the early warning that it will be necessary to re-phase £1m on the Street Lighting Invest to Save scheme (paragraph 3.4 of Report FSD15017).

Report ES15008

Report ES15008 presented a draft Cycling Strategy for Bromley setting out a delivery plan for improving cycling facilities, promotion, and training over the next three years to increase cycling in the borough. The Strategy highlights opportunities ranging from large scale infrastructure works e.g. major junction improvements on the A21, to ‘softer’ measures such as cycle training and secure cycle parking. By setting out local priorities and ambitions, the Strategy enables the Council to lobby for further funding through the Mayor’s ten year £913m cycling vision programme. Approval was sought for public consultation on the strategy before finalising during summer 2015.

The Strategy had been developed in partnership with a number of stakeholders including the Safer Transport Team, Bromley Cyclists (the local group of London Cycling Campaign), Transport for London, Southeastern, Orpington 1st Business Improvement District and the Parks, Road Safety, Traffic and Transport Strategy teams within the Council.

The Strategy included measures in partnership with the Metropolitan Police to promote safer cycle use and to deter cycle theft. Bromley’s Safer Transport Team (Metropolitan Police) offered Shed Audits to review the security of bicycle storage facilities (e.g. sheds, garages etc). The Strategy also referred to a continued promotion of improved locking practices for cycles. Officers worked closely with the Safer Transport Team on further measures. These included multiple Cycle Marking sessions at key locations to security mark cycles and have them registered.

To help keep cycle lanes free of parked cars, action could be taken against repeated parking on mandatory cycle lanes. L B Bromley had also proposed to the Cycling Commissioner that segregated cycle lanes be introduced along the A21.

In acknowledging that some highway locations/junctions in the borough could be challenging for vulnerable road users, reference was made to the Mayor’s Quietways Programme for directing cyclists toward quieter routes. Through the Mayor of London’s ten year cycling vision programme, £913m was available for cycling improvement across London; it was necessary to secure as much of the funding as possible for Quietway routes in the borough away from dangerous junctions. Should any Quietway route need to proceed via a junction, engineering solutions might be necessary to make the route safe.

For cycle safety and to provide further risk awareness for both cyclists and large vehicle drivers, the Metropolitan Police ran a programme of ‘Exchanging Places’ events at various London wide locations. The events allowed cyclists to sit in the driver's seat of a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) or bus to obtain a better understanding of what a driver can and cannot see, particularly in respect of cyclists on the nearside and directly in front of the vehicle. Similarly, HGV drivers were encouraged to undertake cycle training to experience a cyclist’s journey. A left turning HGV posed a particular concern for cyclists.

TfL had also introduced a Safer Lorry Scheme, coming into force on

1st September 2015, to ensure that most vehicles currently exempt under national legislation for basic safety equipment would have to be retrofitted with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50c

Report ES15027

Members considered a revised Bromley Biodiversity Plan which followed a slightly different format from previous Biodiversity Action Plans. The Plan contained information and advice on habitats and species, with a set of general principles for biodiversity management. Appendices included a set of Best Practice Guidelines for Land Managers, Planners and Developers, Friends Groups and Volunteers, and Schools.

The new Bromley Biodiversity Plan had been drafted by members of the Bromley Biodiversity Partnership whose membership includes experts from a range of local organisations with an excellent understanding and knowledge of biodiversity in Bromley.

The document would be used for reference by many partners as well as Council Officers. It recommended best practice guidelines for protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the borough and there was universal acceptance of the Plan across landowners. A number of planning requirements were also cross referenced with the document.

Officers agreed to consider outlining in more depth matters concerned with notifiable weeds and their control e.g. Japanese Knotweed.

The document would be subject to low key public consultation/scrutiny and the Chairman invited Members to email any detailed comments to officers.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

(1) note the updated Bromley Biodiversity Plan (2015 – 2020) and its new format; and

(2)  endorse the Plan, subject to public consultation.

Report ES15016

Members considered a recommendation that accident damage to cars leased to Council staff are repaired by Kent County Council (Commercial Trading Services) using the Vehicle and Plant Maintenance and Associated Transport Services contract. This would be effective from 1^st February 2015 to expiry of the contract on 5th April 2017.

As there was no response to a tender process for lease car bodywork repairs in November 2013, and to ensure the Council continued to meet its obligation to repair accident damaged lease cars, it was agreed (at Chief Officer level) to use the Council’s existing vehicle maintenance contract held by Kent County Council (KCC) from February 2014 on the basis of a one year trial.

The arrangement was successful and KCC proposed to continue providing the service with no increase in rates until April 2016 when it was proposed to apply the maintenance contract RPI increase to the labour rate for the final year. 

It was not anticipated that current market conditions would offer any advantage in tendering the service, particularly in light of the competitive rates offered by KCC. There would also be associated tendering costs. The contract had operated successfully with the Council’s wider fleet since April 2010. The KCC workshop understood the business requirements for lease car fleets in the context of local authority services and the importance of rapid turn-around and down-time minimisation.

Members supported the recommendation to the Portfolio Holder.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree that lease car accident repairs are undertaken by Kent County Council (Commercial Trading Services) for the period from 1^st February 2015 until 5^th April 2017, at an estimated value of £130k.

Report ES15021

Report ES15021 proposed that the Grounds Maintenance Contract with The Landscape Group (TLG) be varied to include Parks Management functions, currently delivered ‘in house’, and the Contract be extended to 31^st March 2019.

Savings of approximately £70-110k per annum would be released in 2015/16 with savings of £250-300k from 2016/17, whilst maintaining service levels and better integrating the management of operational and community engagement functions in the Parks and Greenspace Service (P&GS). The final savings sum would depend on the outcome of on-going negotiations with TLG but was estimated to be up to £1m by 31st March 2019.

Standards would be maintained and Bromley Friends’ Groups and stakeholders given a greater say in what happens on the ground in their communities. It was proposed that a holistic Parks and Greenspace service would be designed based on a Neighbourhood approach with localised teams responsible for all aspects of the service – both community liaison and the delivery of maintenance duties. This would integrate the two aspects of service delivery currently managed by L B Bromley and TLG as separate organisations.

The management contractor would work to a number of Key Performance Indicators, jointly agreed at the outset of the contract and would implement a transparent, real-time quality reporting system that could be accessed by Members and Officers. L B Bromley would retain a contract management team the structure of which would be subject to separate consultation following the Executive’s decision.

All Parks Management and Grounds Maintenance functions would be included in the enlarged Contract, the Contract extension enabling the contractor to realise the necessary efficiencies. The extension would also align the end date of the varied contract with other contracts within the Environment and Community Services (ECS) Department thereby allowing a strategic commissioning approach.

A Partnership Board would manage the contract with a proposed membership including: the Assistant Director, Street Scene and Greenspace, the Chief Executive of TLG and other key LBB and TLG management posts. The Board would manage strategic direction of the Parks and Greenspace service, set targets for performance and key deliverables, and establish freedoms to be allowed at local level in service choices, all within the Council determined Budget.

The Board would receive an Annual Plan from TLG for achievement of performance and deliverables, and monitor delivery quarterly. The Board would maintain a Contract monitoring function, assessing performance against an output based performance framework based upon agreed service standards, together with a set of key deliverables. Performance, as reported through the Quarterly Report to the Board would be linked to overall payment to the Contractor. In addition to the current KPIs for the Ground Maintenance contract, Key Performance Indicators and key deliverables would include:

To assist in strategic management of the P&GS service it was proposed to establish a Stakeholder  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51a

Report ES15020

L B Bromley’s current parking operations and enforcement contract with Vinci Park Services was due to expire in September 2016, coinciding with the planned end date for L B Bexley’s parking contract with NSL. Report ES15020 detailed proposals for the future delivery of enforcement services and other contracts managed within the parking shared service, outlining the range of services and existing contracts to review, and the method of evaluating the benefits of contracting out services. 

Approval to commence a Procurement Gateway review was given in July 2014. The review team considered the best approach for packaging services to achieve the greatest efficiencies and most competitive price. Substantial opportunities existed to realise economies of scale across L B Bromley and L B Bexley and there were a number of active and experienced contractors within the sector to ensure a competitive tendering process. A joint procurement of services provided:

• the best opportunity to ensure the most competitive price;
• the greatest opportunity to maintain service standards at the lowest cost; and
• opportunity for service improvement.

The British Parking Association’s “Parking Management and Associated Services Contract” (BPA Contract) was recognised as the industry standard contract and use of the template was recommended. It was not a framework agreement and allowed for both authorities to have their own specifications, KPI’s and management information. Many aspects of the specifications and KPI’s would be common between L B Bromley and L B Bexley but there was flexibility to allow differences to meet the needs of respective policies and/or standards. The service standards within the specification could be reviewed throughout the course of the contract and no minimum or maximum standards were set by the BPA contract - there was no expectation of having to adhere to ‘industry’ standards. The contract also rewarded good performance and penalised poor performance.

Both L B Bromley and L B Bexley would enter into legally separate contracts with common terms and conditions with a single successful contractor. Contractors would be invited to price each service being sought by the respective councils. Each service would have its own specifications and KPI’s. Each bidder would be required to give a percentage reduction for providing the service to both boroughs and the evaluation would be based on 60% price and 40% quality. The Environment PDS Parking Working Group supported the approach being taken.

Longer-term contracts of up to 10 years were common for parking services, encouraging investment by the contractor. The optimum minimum contract term was considered to be five years, primarily due to depreciation and life expectancy of hardware as a significant investment for the contractor. 

Appendix 1 to Report ES15020 highlighted a full list of services being recommended for inclusion in the contract. Each service area had sub categories and there was no requirement for either borough to adopt a particular service.

Members of the Parking Working Group had been involved in the development of the specification. The Committee supported the recommendations to the Executive. The Chairman indicated that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51b

Report ES15015

In supporting the Committee’s draft forward Work Programme for 2015/16, it was agreed to recommend that the new Committee for 2015/16 establish a Working Group to look at Quarterly performance reports to the Partnership Board managing an enlarged Parks Management and Grounds Maintenance contract.

The Chairman thanked Member colleagues on the Committee and officers for their work and contributions throughout the year.

RESOLVED that:

(1)  the Committee’s draft work programme for 2015/16 be supported;

(2) the new Committee for 2015/16 be recommended to establish a Working Group to look at Quarterly performance reports to the Partnership Board managing an enlarged Parks Management and Grounds Maintenance contract;

(3) progress related to previous Committee requests be noted; and

(4) a summary of contracts related to the Environment Portfolio be noted.

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.

Report ES15012

Report ES15012 recommended that the arrangement to supply lease cars through the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework be renewed when the current agreement expired on 15^th May 2015.