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Agenda and minutes

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 30th January, 2024 4.00 pm

Venue: the Council Chamber - Council Offices, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services, 

Media

Items
No. Item

OS.27

Apologies

To receive any apologies for absence. The Quorum for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is 3 Members.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors Jon Wareing and Gary Selwyn.

OS.28

Substitute Members

To note details of any substitution arrangements in place for the Meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Patrick Coleman substituted for Councillor Gary Selwyn. Clare Turner acted as Vice-Chair in the absence of Councillor Selwyn.

OS.29

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of interest from Members and Officers, relating to

items to be considered at the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

OS.30

Minutes pdf icon PDF 89 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 January 2024

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no amendments to the minutes.

 

RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8 January 2024.

OS.31

Actions Arising from the Minutes pdf icon PDF 424 KB

To review actions from previous meetings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair noted that this item was now a regular agenda item and welcomed its addition, stating that the document summarising actions was very useful.

 

It was noted that the next budget consultation survey would be added to the work plan for 2024/25 to be presented before publication.

 

OS.32

Chair's Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Chair

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Councillor Tristan Wilkinson onto the Committee and thanked Councillor Roly Hughes for their work. Councillor Hughes resigned from the Committee due to a diary conflict.

 

The Chair stated that they would not be able to attend the next meeting and that Councillor Gary Selwyn, the Vice-Chair would Chair it, with Councillor Clare Turner acting as Vice-Chair.

 

The Chair also referenced the recommendation to Cabinet and Council to form a Moreton-in-Marsh Working Group, stating that this had been agreed by Council, which was welcome. 

 

The Chair stated that a work planning meeting would be set up in March, inviting all Members to have an input onto the Committee’s work plan for 2024/25.

OS.33

Public Questions

Members of the public may ask up to two oral spoken questions at Ordinary Meetings of the Council, Cabinet and Committees. A maximum period of fifteen minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for open forum questions. Prior notice of oral questions is not required. The time limit for an oral questions is one minute.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no Public Questions.

OS.34

Member Questions

To deal with written questions by Members, relating to issues under the

Committee’s remit, with the maximum length of oral supplementary questions at

Committee being no longer than one minute. Responses to any supplementary

questions will be dealt with in writing if they cannot be dealt with at the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Angus Jenkinson asked a Member Question, addressed to Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing;

 

“I am pleased to see the policy of encouraging active transport for both health and climate benefits, and indeed — often — social benefit. Are there other situations in the Cotswold District like one in Moreton-in-Marsh and will the cabinet member work with planning to identify what can be done to address such issues? The reference problem is this: Fosseway Garden Centre is a major destination retail centre in the town providing a very much wider variety of services and products than its name suggests. These include leisure activities for children. It is located a little outside the centre of town and could be a pleasant walk, but it is not. The path that was supposed to be built has never happened because it was contingent on other developments. Meanwhile, a large estate is being built almost opposite with regular periods of roadworks. Even without these the road has heavy traffic, including freight, and yet there is no path to reach the centre from the town without walking on the road or along a muddy track/grass verge. We have people in the town without cars, who are effectively cut off from this. Mothers with pushchairs or young children cannot possibly walk to the retail centre. The situation that is being called out is therefore one in which developments are failing to provide essential infrastructure that supports active transport in a timely way. Can we not make the creation of such fundamental infrastructure an early or prior requirement rather than a residual one that can await years?”

 

CouncilllorHogkinson thanked Councilllor Jenkinson for their question, stating that they would discuss it with Councillor Layton to provide a full response to Councillor Jenkinson but agreed that the Council was committed to enabling active transport wherever possible.

OS.35

Review of Leisure and Cultural Services provision pdf icon PDF 592 KB

Summary/Purpose      

This report considers the Council’s role in contributing to healthy communities through its leisure and cultural services.

It provides updates on the delivery of the Active Cotswold leisure strategy, mobilisation of the new leisure and cultural contracts, and the Council’s work with other health and wellbeing partners.

The recently adopted playing pitch strategy is referenced and future plans and initiatives are described.

 

Recommendations

That the Committee resolves to:

1.            Consider and note the report’s content;

2.            Make recommendations to the Cabinet that could further improve the district’s leisure and cultural services offer.

 

Invited

Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture

Andy Barge, Assistant Director for Communities

Jacqueline Wright, Business Manager for Leisure and Wellbeing

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture introduced the purpose of the report, which was to consider the Council’s role in contributing to healthy communities through its leisure and cultural services.

 

The report provided updates on the delivery of the Active Cotswold leisure strategy, mobilisation of the new leisure and cultural contract and the Council’s work with other health and wellbeing partners.

 

The recently adopted playing pitch strategy was referenced and future plans and initiatives were described.

 

The Cabinet Member provided an update to members stating that they were confident that the service provision was improving after the appointment of Freedom Leisure as the provider. The Cabinet Member also took the opportunity to highlight community based leisure initiatives such as the Mr Motivator session. The Cabinet Member also highlighted the importance of the Council’s cultural services provision.

 

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for their work.

 

The Committee discussed the report, asked questions on the various aspects of the report;

  • Questions were raised about missing information in the printed report. It was explained that this was an issue with printing the bold text which had not affected the online version.
  • Questions raised about Chipping Campden and the need for information.
  • Members asked about the Active Environment work stream, and the fact that the recruitment of a new Sustainable Transport Officer was on hold. The Cabinet Member stated that in light of financial pressures, there was no budget to replace the role in the upcoming or current financial year, but that they would discuss this with Senior Officers.
  • There was discussion on the economic value of cultural investments, and the Cabinet Member emphasised the value of this in retaining young people within the district and promoting tourism.
  • The Business Manager for Health and Wellbeing confirmed that Social Prescribers were working across their communities, including training as walking leaders and working with GPs. The Health and Wellbeing Business Manager also added that once a new Community Support Officer was appointed they would be working closely with Town and Parish Councils to do this.
  • Work was undertaken through the Community Food Programme to recognise and utilise the benefits of allotments to wellbeing.

 

As part of this, the Cabinet Member stated that written response would be circulated to the following;

  • Members discussed that references to bowls were not made in the strategy despite being a popular sport in the Cotswolds. The Cabinet Member stated that this was due to Sports England classification, and stated that a written explanation would be recirculated to Members.
  • Members asked for the costs for the capital programme of work, including figures on the capital fund required to complete works and the quotes that were behind target on page 25 of the report.
  • Members requested further detail on the 14 projects within Crowdfund Cotswold.

 

The Committee agreed to review the future performance of leisure provision against performance indicators on a yearly basis.

 

RESOLVED: To note the update and revisit the topic in a year’s time.

OS.36

24/25 Ubico Business Plan Engagement pdf icon PDF 690 KB

Purpose

For the Committee to receive a verbal presentation of the Ubico 2024/25 Business Plan.

 

Recommendation

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the plan and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 1 February.

 

Invited

Beth Boughton, Managing Director, UBICO

Rob Heath, Operations Director, UBICO

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair reminded members to focus on the budget items at the strategic level due to the busy agenda.

 

The Deputy Leader as the Cabinet Member for Finance provided an overview of the fees and charges report. They highlighted that the Council reviews fees annually and the current report considered a 6.7% inflation change. Certain charges were proposed to remain unchanged, especially where services were already delivered at a cost basis. Specific attention was given to the garden waste charge, with a proposed increase to £64 for a green bin license and a 50p increase for sacks and containers.

 

Members raised the following points, on which the Cabinet Member stated a written response would be provided on specific fees and charges relating to crematorium use including the scattering of cremated remains, and casino charges, where the charge existed but did not seem to be applicable.

 

RESOLVED: To note the report.

OS.37

2024/25 Budget – Fees and Charges Report pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Report to follow

 

Recommendation

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 1 February.

 

Invited

Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance

David Stanley, Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair reminded members to focus on the budget items at the strategic level due to the busy agenda.

 

The Deputy Leader as the Cabinet Member for Finance provided an overview of the fees and charges report. They highlighted that the Council reviews fees annually and the current report considered a 6.7% inflation change. Certain charges were proposed to remain unchanged, especially where services were already delivered at a cost basis. Specific attention was given to the garden waste charge, with a proposed increase to £64 for a green bin license and a 50p increase for sacks and containers.

 

Members asked questions on which the Cabinet Member stated a written response would be provided. The response would provided on specific fees and charges relating to crematorium use including the scattering of cremated remains, and casino charges, where the charge existed but did not seem to be applicable.

 

RESOLVED: To note the report.

OS.38

Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024/25 pdf icon PDF 963 KB

Report to follow

 

Recommendation

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 1 February.

 

Invited

Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance

David Stanley, Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader (as the Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the item and outlined the Council’s financial position. Following debate at the Full Council meeting in November the Council resolved to request a budget with a surplus, which the Deputy Leader stated was reflected within the budget.

 

The Deputy Chief Executive (Section 151 Officer) added that they were still awaiting the final Local Government settlement, which was due in February.

 

Members discussed the report, and asked questions of the Cabinet Member and Deputy Leader, during which the following points were raised;

  • The risks outlined in the report, and how this related to the Publica review. The Deputy Leader stated that the assumption was that there was no update in the cost of services for the 2024/25 financial year, but that the Committee would be updated if this were to change.
  • Members highlighted the value of member training on financial matters, and the Deputy Chief Executive took the opportunity to remind Members of the upcoming briefing on the Budget the following week.
  • Members also discussed that other authorities had been able to charge more council tax following a referendum, but the Deputy Leader stated this would be too risky due to a cost of £200,000 to hold a referendum with no guarantee on income. It was also stated that the Council had lobbied the Government through the LGA for a raising of the council tax limit without a referendum requirement from £5 to £10 (for a band D property), but this had been declined.
  • Some minor typographical and syntax errors were noted. It was confirmed that they would be addressed.
  • Members discussed that the only tools available to the Council to achieve a balanced budget were to increase charges and cut spending on services, the Deputy Leader stated that it was important to look at ways to reduce cost through efficient delivery, and take difficult decisions as early as possible to maximise income.  However, there was still an expected funding gap between spending and Government funding in future years, which is why the Council required a surplus in the coming financial year.
  • Efficiencies through better use of technology were also discussed, which various service areas such as planning were exploring.
  • Members asked for further detail on the environmental spending, which the Deputy Chief Executive stated could be found in Annex D of the report.
  • Members also asked about further investment of £1.2million into leisure centres which was being made, noting that the service had been contracted to a new provider. It was stated that this was for refurbishment and improvement to these, such as structural improvements and roof works.

 

The Chair recognised the work of Officers and Members and thanked them.

 

RESOLVED: To note the report.

OS.39

Updates from Gloucestershire County Council Scrutiny Committees pdf icon PDF 31 KB

Purpose

For the appointed representatives to update the Committee on the work of:

·                   Gloucestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny (HOSC) – Cllr Dilys Neill

·                   Gloucestershire Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee (GEGSC) – Cllr Angus Jenkinson

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At 18:21 the Committee took a break before commencing onto the next item and resumed at 18:28. Upon reconvening, the Chair reordered the agenda, looking at external scrutiny reports before proceeding on the agile working and public convenience reports.

 

The Chair thanked the Members who represented the Council on external scrutiny bodies for their clear and detailed reports, which was on Members’ desks and on the website.

 

Councillor Dilys Neill was asked what the acronym “ACE” in the report referred to. Councillor Neill explained that this was “adverse childhood experiences”.

 

Councillor Angus Jenkinson explained that the Committee meetings due to be attended were cancelled, but that they had shared work undertaken outside of meetings.

 

RESOLVED: To note the updates.

OS.40

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 111 KB

For the Committee to note and review its work plan and to select Cabinet decisions for pre-decision scrutiny at future committee meetings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members discussed the items on the work plan raising the following points;

  • The Head of Climate Action had departed the organisation, so the emphasis would be on the ecological emergency instead.
  • The Publica Transition Plan was due to be looked at by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the meeting in February but was contingent on external partners, so an additional meeting would provisionally be set up in March in case of slippage.
  • The Democratic Services Business Manager encouraged Members to consider what they wished to consider as part of the Sewage item.

 

A Work Planning Meeting would be set up in March or April. The Chair encouraged members to consider items they would like to consider at this.

 

RESOLVED: To note the work plan.

OS.41

Matters Exempt from Publication

If the Committee wishes to exclude the press and the public from the meeting during consideration of any of the items on the exempt from publication part of the agenda, it will be necessary for the Committee to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

 

The Committee may maintain the exemption if and so long as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair explained that annexes related to the subsequent items were exempt, and proposed entering a private session so that these could be discussed.

 

The proposal was seconded by Councillor Cunningham.

 

The proposal was agreed by the committee unanimously and carried.

 

RESOLVED: That the Committee exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting under section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that their presence could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, with the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighing the public interest in disclosing the exempt information.

 

 

OS.42

Agile working and future tenancies at Trinity Road Council Offices pdf icon PDF 237 KB

Purpose

To update Cabinet on the work that has been completed to make changes to the Trinity Road offices to facilitate agile working and free up space for tenants and to make recommendations on a future tenant for the space created

 

Recommendation

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the report and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Cabinet meeting on 1 February.

 

Invited

Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance

David Stanley, Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader introduced the item. The purpose of the item was to update Cabinet on the work that has been completed to make changes to the Trinity Road offices to facilitate agile working and free up space for tenants and to make recommendations on a future tenant for the space created

 

The Deputy Leader also explained that as the MTFS did not yet assume any income from the let of offices, the resultant letting would generate a boost in income to the MTFS regardless.

 

RESOLVED: To note the proposal.

 

OS.43

Report of the Public Conveniences Review Group pdf icon PDF 255 KB

Summary/Purpose      

To present to Cabinet the recommendations of the Public Conveniences Review Group

 

Recommendation(s)

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolves to:

1.    Approve the report for submission to Cabinet.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Tony Slater, as the Chair of the review group introduced the report. Councillor Slater summarised the report, which had been distributed to Members ahead of the meeting. The Chair of the review group thanked members of the group and officers on the

 

The charge was discussed, and Members of the working group explained that bringing the charge up to 70p was considered to be a good balance. The Cabinet Member welcomed the recommendation, but stated that they would wait until more data was available following the installation of card readers in order to make a decision on this.

 

The Cabinet Member thanked members and officer for their work on the report.

OS.44

Exempt Annex A- Agenda item 13

OS.45

Exempt Annex B - Agenda Item 14

 

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