Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mrs. J. M. L. A. Griffiths.

No declarations of interest were received.

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 3rd December 2008 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record.

Consideration was given to a report on the Medium Term Financial Plan 2009/10 – 2011/12.  The Portfolio Holder for Financial Services gave his thanks to the Head of Financial Services, officers and the Budget Jury for their work in producing a comprehensive report.  He then gave a presentation on the current position in relation to the Medium Term Financial Plan (revenue and capital budgets) for 2009/2010 – 2011/2012.  Further discussion took place with the following amendments being proposed and agreed.  The Head of Financial Services undertook to ensure that the amendments were incorporated into the Medium Term Financial Plan to be submitted to the forthcoming meeting of the Council.

• Key deliverable bids for Local Neighbourhood Partnerships.  Members agreed that the trial had proved successful and that the budget pressures identified as high be amended to reflect the revised funding.  Local Neighbourhood Partnerships to be funded according to the number of district councillors: Hagley and Rural - £20,000  commencing 2009/10, Charford - £10,000 commencing 2009/10.  An additional £30,000 to be included in the budget pressures 2010/11 and 2011/12, to enable two Local Neighbourhood Partnerships to be rolled out each year. 

• The car parking charges to remain static in 2009/10.  Members agreed that due to the significant costs associated with the implementation of the VAT reduction in relation to car parking charges, an additional  “free parking” period be given to compensate customers for not receiving a reduced charge during 2009/10.

• Proposed Capital Programme, Street Scene and Community, £290,000, 2009/2010, upgrade of the CCTV Control Room, to be removed.  Officers were instructed to request funding from West Mercia Police to enable the project to be undertaken.  In addition Members requested further investigation of the Worcestershire Countywide Telecare Strategy and evaluation of the impact of the impact of these proposals on the CCTV service.

RECOMMENDED:

(a)               that the budget pressures identified as high in Appendix A of the report be included within the Medium Term Financial Plan as follows:

                              2009/10          £505,000

                              2010/11          £423,000

                              2011/12          £459,000

(b)               that the budget pressures identified as unavoidable in Appendix B of the report be included within the Medium Term Financial Plan as follows:

                              2009/10          £577,000

                              2010/11          £580,000

                              2011/12          £550,000

(c)               that the recommended savings as identified in Appendix C of the report be included within the Medium Term Financial Plan as follows:

                                    2009/10          £566,000

                                    2010/11          £1,035,000

                                    2011/12          £1,196,000

(d)               that the revised Capital Programme as detailed in Appendix D of the report be included within the Medium Term Financial Plan as follows:

                                    2009/10          £3,389,000

                                    2010/11          £2,161,000

                                    2011/12          £1,510,000

(e)               that the release of balances of up to £198,000 to fund the costs associated with redundancy and early retirement for those staff not redeployed within the Council, be approved.

(a)       To receive and note the minutes

(b)       To consider any recommendations contained within the minutes

The minutes of the meeting of the Joint Overview Board and Scrutiny Board held on 2nd December 2008 were submitted.  The Chairman invited Councillor P. M. McDonald, Chairman of the Joint Overview Board and Scrutiny Board to respond to any questions from Members on the recommendations contained within the minutes.  Following further discussions it was agreed that bid for £25,000 in 2009/10 to fund an improvement manager for 6 months would remain and that a rise in car parking charges, at approximately the rate of inflation, would not be included, as the car parks were currently not being fully utilised due to the current economic climate.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the minutes be noted;

(b)       that the recommendations contained at Minute No. 3/08 (Joint Countywide Flooding Scrutiny Report), be approved;

(c)        that the recommendation contained at Minute No. 4/08 (to approach    Worcestershire County Council for funding towards the new bids     ‘Disability Group and Finding a Voice’ and ‘Self Advocacy), be             approved;

(d)       that West Mercia Police be requested to consider making a financial

            contribution towards the replacement of CCTV equipment; and

(e)       that the recommendation contained at Minute No. 4/08 (to consider     ensuring all funding relating to the chargeable green waste collections     is separate to the funding required for the refuse and recycling             collection service), be approved.

(a)       To receive and note the minutes

(b)       To consider any recommendations contained within the minutes

The minutes of the meeting of the Audit Board held on 15th December 2008 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted.

Consideration was given to a report requesting that the report back on the closure of the museum, as resolved at the Council meeting on 12th November 2008, be delayed until February 2009.  The Executive Director – Partnerships and Projects informed Members that he had attended the first meeting of the ‘Friends of the Norton Collection Charitable Trust’.  More detailed information was required on the position of the ‘Friends of the Norton Collection Charitable Trust’ to purchase the Museum building, and the specialist removal, storage and future management of the artefacts.  It was therefore proposed that the report back be delayed until April 2009.  Members agreed that this would not delay the closure process.  Members were also reminded that in its role as Trustee the Council had a duty to act in the best interests of the Trust.

RECOMMENDATION that the report to the Council on the closure of the museum be delayed until April 2009.

Consideration was given to a report providing information on the Worcestershire Telecare Strategy and outlining the implications for Bromsgrove District Council’s Life Line Service.  Members who had visited the demonstration flat at Mendip House, Redditch had been impressed with the assisted technology facilities available and which enabled people to continue to live independently.  The report also highlighted that technology could never be a substitute for human contact, which Members agreed was vitally important.

RESOLVED that the Worcestershire Countywide Strategy for Telecare 2007-2011 as set out in Appendix 1 be adopted.

(a)       To receive and note the minutes

(b)       To consider any recommendations contained within the minutes

The minutes of the meeting of the Performance Management Board held on 16th December 2008 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted and the recommendations approved.

The Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to enter into an agreement with Worcestershire County Council for the storage and disposal of abandoned vehicles in Bromsgrove and to discharge on behalf of the County Council the functions set out in that Agency Agreement relating to the storage and disposal of abandoned vehicles.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that Cabinet notes the procurement exercise currently being      undertaken;

(b)       that the Head of Street Scene and Community Services be authorised            to enter into an Agency Agreement with Worcestershire County Council   for the storage and disposal of abandoned vehicles within Bromsgrove;

(c)        that the Senior Solicitor be authorised to finalise the terms of the          proposed Agency Agreement in consultation with the Portfolio Holder          and Head of Street Scene and Community Services; and

(d)       that the Scheme of Delegation be amended to delegate authority to the          Head of Street Scene and Community Services to discharge all of the   Council’s functions relating to abandoned vehicles including such    functions as are delegated to Bromsgrove District Council by the         County Council (including storage and disposal).

Consideration was given to the draft programme of Council and Committee meetings for 2009-2010.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee Programme for 2009-2010, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

The Cabinet considered a report on the findings and recommendations as set out in the second scrutiny investigation undertaken by the Refuse and Recycling Task Group on Value for Money.  The Leader welcomed the Chairman of the Task Group, Councillor C.R. Scurrell to the meeting.  Councillor Scurrell briefly introduced the report and highlighted some key points.  He also thanked all Members and officers who had contributed to the scrutiny process with specific thanks to the Scrutiny Officer for her hard work in supporting the Task Group and to the Manager for Street Scene and Waste Management for attending every meeting.  He also highlighted that all Task Group Members had been impressed with the diligence of officers and staff in ensuring that a value for money service was being provided.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that in relation to Recommendation 1 (Additional wheelie bins for green          waste service): 

            Once the chargeable green waste collection service has been implemented and the take up of the service is known, Street       Scene             officers be requested to investigate the option of providing             additional       wheelie bins for green waste on request at an additional charge;

(b)       that in relation to Recommendation 2 (Monitoring on-street recycling):              Officers from Street Scene be requested to monitor on-street recycling trials being undertaken by other Councils to see if there is any      evidence to suggest it would provide value for money; and

(c)        that in relation to Recommendation 3 (Investigate alternative methods             of service delivery, e.g. Private contractor): 

            When the new co-mingled    service has been in operation for a            minimum of one year, the option of delivering the service using an    alternative method (including using a private contractor) be             considered to see if it would be an appropriate    time for market testing          and comparisons to be undertaken.

Consideration was given to the Improvement Plan Exception Report for October 2008.

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the revisions to the Improvement Plan Exception Report and the    corrective action being taken be noted and approved;

(b)       that it be noted that, for the 141 actions highlighted within the plan for   October, 73.8 percent of the Plan was on target (green), 5.0 percent     was one month behind (amber) and 10.6 percent was over one month behind (red).  10.6 percent of actions had been reprogrammed with     approval.

The minutes of the Equality and Diversity Forum held on 16th October 2008 were submitted.  The Chairman expressed his thanks to the Equality Officer for the success and the number of attendees present at meetings.  Members also expressed their thanks for the Diwali event held, which had been a success despite unforeseen technical difficulties.

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted.

“RESOLVED: that under Section 100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act, as amended, the relevant paragraph of that part, in each case, being as set out below, and that it is in the public interest to do so:-

            Item No.          Paragraph

               17                         4           “

RESOLVED that under Section 100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the items of business the subject of the following minutes on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act, as amended, the relevant paragraph of that part being set out below and that it is in the public interest to do so:-

                Minute No                   Paragraph 

135/08                                      4

136/08                                   4

The minutes of the meeting of the Shared Services Board held on 18th December 2008 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be noted.

(a)               Electoral Services Business Case

(b)               Community Safety Business Case

(a)       Electoral Services Business Case (pages 209 – 252)

            Consideration was given to a report seeking Members agreement to setting up a shared Electoral Service between Bromsgrove District        Council and Redditch Borough Council.  The report provided an             overview of the business case recommended by the Shared Services             Board.  Further discussion took place on how the shared service would be monitored.  The Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services            informed Members that a review and evaluation of the shared service was built into the Business Case along with agreed Key Performance     Indicators.  The Executive Director – Services undertook to provide             the       Council with the costs of providing the Electoral Service without the             proposed merger. 

            RESOLVED: that Cabinet approve the business case as set out in the           appendix to the report.

            RECOMMENDED:

            (a)       that the Council approve the setting up of a shared Electoral                              Service with Redditch Borough Council, led by Bromsgrove                            District Council, under the following conditions:

                        1.         That the shared service be delivered in a phased                                                approach (as detailed in the business case)

                                                     1. Implementation

                                                     2. Migration

                                                     3. Review and evaluation

                        2.         The shared Electoral Service be delivered within the                                           budgets identified in the medium tem financial plan.

                        3.         Redditch Borough Council retain a client function to                                            support the Electoral Returning Officer and Electoral                                             Registration Officer at Redditch Borough Council.

                        4.         Strand be engaged to deliver the IT system.

                        5.         The timetable for implementation be agreed and formal

                                    Consultations begin.

6.                  An SLA be set up to confirm the arrangements.

(b)       Community Safety Business Case (supplementary documentation       pages 7 – 42)

            Consideration was given to a report seeking Members agreement to setting up a shared Community Safety Service between Bromsgrove         District Council and Redditch Borough Council.  The Deputy Head of         Street Scene and Community responded to Members questions on the           shared service.  He emphasised that local delivery would be    maintained through the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership             (CDRP), Tasking process and Neighbourhood Wardens.  The Deputy             Head of Street Scene and      Community undertook to provide the          Council with the costs to deliver the Community Safety Service without          the proposed merger.  The Chairman thanked all officers involved in    the Shared Services process, including officers at Redditch Borough          Council.  

            RESOLVED: that Cabinet approve the business case as set out in     the       appendix to the report.

            RECOMMENDED:

            (a)       that the Council approve the setting up of a shared Community                         Safety Service with Redditch Borough Council, led by Redditch              Borough Council, to achieve the     following:

1.                  A shared service which will lead to an improved quality to the residents of both Councils.

2.                  Improved levels of satisfaction and efficiency.

3.                  Improved resilience within the two districts against the new funding regimes.

4.                  Improved quality of management and strategic influence for both Redditch and Bromsgrove Councils.

5.                  Development of the sharing of commissioning data and expertise.

6.                  Retention of local delivery focus, whilst providing a more robust local tasking process.

7.         The creation of the building blocks for any future merge of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 136.