Minutes:
The Resources Portfolio Holder, Councillor Graham Arthur, attended the meeting to update the Committee on his work and answer questions. Councillor Arthur summarised the following work currently taking place –
· World War 1 Commemorations – Officers were coordinating fifteen events, including a reconstruction of a WW1 allotment.
· Registrars Service – Councillor Arthur congratulated the Registrars Service on an outstanding inspection outcome which would result in a light touch inspection regime for the future. The Service had been very successful in generating business and now ran at a surplus.
· Electoral Registration – The annual canvass was being carried out for the last time, and a report was being prepared for General Purposes and Licensing Committee on arrangements for the 2014 local and European elections.
· Civic Centre facilities – The recent Coroner’s Inquest held at the Civic Centre included use of Skype to interview a witness in Hong Kong. Further investment in Civic Centre facilities was needed to increase lettings income.
· Finance – The budget was currently in balance, but there was a potential shortfall of £7m still to be addressed for 2015/16 and further savings were needed.
· Benefits – The full effects of the benefits changes had still to be fully felt, but Cllr Arthur had recently visited the Liberata team and had congratulated them on the job they were doing. He reported that the Government would be withdrawing its £993k funding for the Welfare Fund from 2015/16, resulting in a further burden for the Council.
· IT Manager – Work was being carried out with LB Southwark to recruit a senior IT professional to serve both boroughs, and other authorities had also expressed an interest.
· Economic Development and Investment Fund – property investments were now producing around £1m in income per annum, while disposals of operational property exceeded £30m. The Asset Management group were looking at the use of all assets very rigorously.
· Commissioning – The Customer Service Centre had recently been outsourced and in-depth reviews of all service areas had resulted in 7 bundles of work which would be scrutinised by PDS Committees. The annual report on Commissioning was due to be published in February.
· Partners – Other partners would be forced by budget restrictions to limit themselves to a minimal service in coming years – Cllr Arthur stated that most residents understood this.
The Chairman urged all Members to continue to tell MPs about the pressures on the Council and to urge them to reduce the Council’s statutory duties.
Councillor Nicholas Bennett referred to the line on Health Authority Clinics in the list of Council property holdings produced in the answer to Councillor Papworth’s question (minute 419), and stated that a clinic in Hawes Lane in his ward had been empty for 8 years. Councillor Arthur responded that there were regular discussions with health services about property matters, but NHS property was not controlled locally.
Councillor Nicholas Bennett asked whether the information he had requested on the cost of new statutory duties imposed since 2010 would be available, as this would be useful in lobbying MPs. Councillor Arthur responded that he would speak to the Director of Finance about this, and added that, with the Leader and Deputy Leader, he had met with the borough’s MPs to explain the impact of the Government withdrawing its funding for the Welfare Fund. He confirmed that the Fund was used each year.
Councillor Tony Owen asked about progress with underpinning works at Anerley Town Hall. Councillor Arthur responded that the quotes to carry out the work had been unacceptably high and a re-think of the project was needed. He agreed that in retrospect tenants might have been advised too early to make alternative arrangements while the work was carried out.
Councillor Russell Mellor asked how often the Council valued its property assets, and what the cost of this was. He was informed that there was a five year rolling programme of valuations carried out by consultants. The recent 20% tranche had cost £7,750. The values shown were not necessarily the market value were the property to be sold.