| 518 | RECORD OF THE MEETING |
| | | The record of the meeting held on 16 October 2008 was signed by the Chairman as correct subject to Councillor Brake being added to the list of Members present. |
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| 519 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST |
| | | Councillor Griffiths declared a personal interest in any item concerning Danecourt School as his wife is an employee there and in any reference to the Primary Care Trust (PCT) on the grounds that he is a non-executive director of NHS Medway (previously Medway PCT). |
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| 520 | CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS |
| | | The Chairman reminded Members of the Committee that a briefing on Strategic Housing had been arranged on Thursday 18 December 2008 at 5.30pm. |
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| 521 | ATTENDANCE OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES |
| | The Portfolio Holder for Community Services gave a detailed presentation on the work carried out under his portfolio which covers Housing and Libraries.
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| Some areas that he updated the Committee on included:
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| | • | The introduction of comprehensive training programme for all housing staff including individual personal development plans for each staff member
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| | • | The successful licensing programme for Houses with Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and the introduction of an accreditation scheme for private sector landlords
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| | • | The overhauling of the complaints system including the drafting of a compensation policy
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| | • | Voids, the reduction in the average time for processing homelessness applications
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| | • | The recruitment of an Empty Homes Officer and temporary accommodation.
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| | • | The introduction of an new appointments system and debt help-lines
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| | • | Bench marking and the introduction of new performance indicators and the adoption of a traffic light system to assess such indicators
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| | • | The introduction of a new library management system
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| | • | Efforts to attract more young people into libraries, mobile libraries visiting schools and encouraging young people to have ownership of libraries.
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| | • | Efforts to make libraries community hubs and plans to place Contact Points into libraries
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| | • | Encouraging Council staff and major employers to encourage staff to join libraries
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| | • | The need to invest in the book stock.
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| Members welcomed the successes and asked the Portfolio holder a number of questions which included asking for assurances that unsuccessful bidders for Homechoice would get greater feedback and requested that officers give Members a demonstration of the new Housing software system outside of the meeting.
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| Members asked that Parish Councils should be involved in the consultation process relating to the Rural Housing Strategy and welcomed the proposed accreditation process for private sector landlords.
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| In relation to libraries Members stated that there was a need to encourage library staff to become knowledge facilitators and agreed that there was a natural synergy between libraries and Contact Points. Members asked for assurances around lone working in libraries and noted that there was a need to ensure that libraries are kept relevant and increase community interaction.
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| Councillor Doe was thanked for his attendance. |
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| | > Portfolio Holder for Community Services in attendance (pdf file 17.1kb) |
| 522 | SIX-MONTHLY REVIEW OF STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PLAN |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Assistant Director, Housing and Corporate Services introduced a report that gave Members an update on the Housing Improvement Plan and stated that the plan before Members was the up to date version, which is monitored by an officer steering group on a three weekly basis. It was noted that it was now a risk based plan in order that the higher risk areas could be prioritised for completion.
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| Members were informed that the new allocation policy was being trialled at present and were invited to view this system outside of the meeting. It was noted that Housing staff had received letters of commendation from both MHS Homes and Government Office of the South East (GOSE) in relation to Housing staff working over and above their duties and for good practice in relation to the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).
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| Members asked that officers look specifically at vacant properties whereby residents relatives die and the relatives then have problems selling these properties and also into landlords with "Buy-to-Let" mortgages who were receiving rent and not paying mortgages and then houses being reposessed and tenants being evicted.
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| Members stated that they were pleased to receive the Housing Improvement Plan as it was a good evolutionary document and noted that there was now a need to give the plan time to "bed-in" before looking at further trend analysis.
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| Members were also pleased to note that Housing officers had started to inspect properties used for temporary occupation and welcomed the reduction in the time people were housing in Bed and Breakfast accommodation. |
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| | > Six month review of strategic housing improvement plan (pdf file 16.1kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 Six month review of strategic housing improvement plan (pdf file 113.9kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | Members noted the progress on the Improvement Plan and the indicators they asked to monitor and asked the Assistant Director, Housing and Corporate Services to pass on the Committee's thanks to the Housing Team for their tremendous effort in laying down the foundations for improving the Housing Service in Medway. |
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| 523 | PRESENTATION: CPA TO CAA, STARTING THE JOURNEY |
| | | The Assistant Director, Communications, Performance and Partnerships gave Members a presentation on the implications for the Council of the changes from Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) and the new Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA).
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| The presentation comprised the following main issues:
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| | • | CPA 2008/9
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| | • | The new relationship between central and local government
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| | • | Comprehensive area assessment
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| | • | CAA opportunities and implications for O&S. |
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| 524 | PERFORMANCE PLAN 2008/09 MID-YEAR PROGRESS REPORT |
| | Discussion: |
| | The Assistant Director, Communications, Performance and Partnerships presented a report that summarised the Council's performance against its priorities for the first half of 2008/09.
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| Members asked in relation to indicators whereby data was missing that officers find ways of developing proxies and asked that quarterly interim reports are developed for indicators that are only reported on an annual or longer basis.
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| It was requested that officers investigate the progress relating to Councillor Jarrett's response to a question put by Mrs Boyes at the Full Council Meeting on 18 September 2008 in relation to the current Age Concern Premises in Chatham. |
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| | > APPENDIX 1 Performance (pdf file 135.4kb) |
| | > Performance REPORT (pdf file 36.0kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | Members noted the progress being made on delivering the Council's priorities and noted the remedial action to be taken as set out at Appendix A of the report. |
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| 525 | REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING 2008/09 |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Chief Finance Officer presented a report that summarised the revenue monitoring position for the current year to date and noted that the report was based on actual income and expenditure to September 2008.
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| Members stated that there was a need to not cash limit items on unavoidable expenditures and noted that it was imperative to build in redundancy costs in the year that it actually relates as these costs can no longer be taken out of reserves.
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| The Chief Finance Officer was asked to circulate the briefing note supplied to Members of the Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the revenue loss whilst areas of the Black Lion Leisure Centre was closed for on-going works.
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| The Chief Finance Officer agreed to provide Members with further information in relation to the forecasted surplus of £159,000 in the Housing Revenue Account. |
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| | > Revenue Budget Monitoring 2008-2009 (pdf file 23.1kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | | (a) | Members noted the report on the forecast outturn position for 2008/2009 and the management action proposed.
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| | (b) | That the Chief Finance Officer circulates the briefing note supplied to Members of the Regeneration, Community and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to the revenue loss whilst areas of the Black Lion Leisure Centre was closed for on-going works.
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| | (c) | That the Chief Finance Officer agreed to provide Members with further information in relation to the forecasted surplus of £159,000 in the Housing Revenue Account. |
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| 526 | CAPITAL BUDGET MONITORING 2008/2009 |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Chief Finance Officer introduced a report that presented the capital monitoring for the period to September 2008, with an outturn forecast for 2008/2009.
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| Members noted the increase in the number of A228 Residential Part 1 claims and the subsequent approximate £1.6 million overspend. They were concerned that firms had approached householders on a "commission only, no-win-no fee" basis and by the number of claims from householders whereby the road had been moved further away from their houses and who should actually now suffer less disturbance from the road. Members questioned whether officers had explored all possible avenues to resist such claims.
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| The Chief Finance Officer was asked to produce a briefing note that gave a breakdown on the Capital Programme for the Housing Planned Maintenance and the new schemes at Chatham South School and School Travel Plans.
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| Members asked that, once vacated, the Civic Centre should be demolished as a matter of urgency in order to reduce running costs but asked officers to ensure that the stained glass in the Edwardian Building be retained. |
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| | > Appendix Capital Monitoring - 1 Sept 08 (pdf file 94.6kb) |
| | > Capital Monitoring (pdf file 40.8kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | | (a) | The contents of the report were noted and the progress to date towards achieving the outputs set by the capital programme.
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| | (b) | A briefing note is provided giving a breakdown on the Capital Programme for the Housing Planned Maintenance and the new schemes at Chatham South School and School Travel Plans.
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| | (c) | Officers ensure that the stained glass mural in the Civic Centre be retrieved prior to the building being demolished. |
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| 527 | CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2009/2010 AND BEYOND |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Chief Finance Officer presented a report that set out a provisional programme of capital investment for 2009/2010 and beyond. It was noted that Cabinet, on 25 November 2008, considered the draft Capital budget for 2009/2010 and beyond and these budget reports were attached as an appendix to the report.
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| It was noted that the report offered little scope for change due to the reduction in capital receipts and to the reduction of reserves and Members asked that officers look specifically at the Building Maintenance Programmes and Ward improvement funds when the report returns in February 2009.
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| Members asked for assurances that officers who are completing bids for funding receive adequate training in completing such applications in order that the Council maximises its chances of success in grant applications.
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| The Chief Finance Officer clarified that the Council had borrowed against capital receipts, as it would be imprudent to sell capital assets in the current climate. |
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| | > Appendix 1 Capital Budget 2009-2010 Cabinet 25 11 08 (pdf file 100.7kb) |
| | > Capital Budget (pdf file 15.5kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | Members noted the provisional programme of capital investment for 2009/2010 and beyond and asked that the programme be forwarded to individual Overview and Scrutiny Committees. |
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| 528 | REVENUE BUDGET 2009/2010 |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Chief Finance Officer presented a report that presented the Council's draft revenue budget for 2009/2010 and gave Members a breakdown as to the potential resources for 2008/2012, the finance settlement and its implications and the implications of the £14.3 million shortfall for the Council.
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| Members stated that there was a need for the Council to be smarter at delivering services and there would be stark choices that would have to be taken. In particular Members asked that officers look at producing a sensitivity analysis on energy hyper-inflation immediately and also examine the organisational structure and look whether the Council can afford its present structure.
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| Concern was expressed about the effect of the fall in inflation rates especially in relation to existing contracts that have already been let and run into the following year and to the effect of the pressure on the Council on incremental payments to its staff and asked that these issues be included in the budget reports going to the February 2009 Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee. |
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| | > Appendix 1 Revenue Budget 2009-2010 (pdf file 509.4kb) |
| | > Revenue Budget (pdf file 13.7kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | Members noted the draft revenue budget for 2009/2010 and beyond and asked that it be forwarded to individual Overview and Scrutiny Committees. |
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| 529 | WORK PROGRAMME |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Committee considered the work programme but felt that there were no amendments needed. |
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| | > Appendix 1 Work programme - schedule (pdf file 12.7kb) |
| | > Appendix 1 Work programme - scrutiny activity (pdf file 12.1kb) |
| | > Work programme report (pdf file 17.3kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | Members noted the work undertaken by all overview and scrutiny committees in the last cycle and to be considered at the next cycle of meetings and made no amendments to the Business Support Overview and Scrutiny Committee's work programme.
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