Agenda and minutes

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. 

By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

The Chair referred Members present to agenda item 1 regarding filming at the  meeting and Members noted the information contained therein.

There were no apologies for absence.

None.

None.

None.

The minutes of the meeting on 23^rd November were agreed as a correct record.

To receive and note the minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels and to approve any recommendations contained within:

Housing and Regeneration – 19th November 2020

Environment and Community Safety - 3 November 2020

Children and Young People – 9^th November 2020

Adults and Health – 17th November 2020

RESOLVED

The minutes of the following Scrutiny Panels were received and noted and any recommendations contained within were approved:

Housing and Regeneration – 19th November 2020

Environment and Community Safety - 3 November 2020

Children and Young People – 9^th November 2020

Adults and Health– 17th November 2020

Verbal Update

The Committee received a verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Planning and Corporate Services around his portfolio, followed by a Q&A session with the Committee. Richard Grice - Director of Customers, Transformation and Resources, Maurice Richards – Principal Transport Planner, and Rob Krzyszowski – Interim Assistant Director, Planning, Building Standards & Sustainability were all present for this agenda item. The following key points were noted:

a.    The Cabinet Member advised that the Planning Policy team were undertaking the first stages of developing a new Local Plan and an initial consultation process had been started, which went beyond the minimum legal requirements. There were still two and a half weeks left on this initial phase of public consultation.

b.    Strategic Transport had received £860k from TfL for the implementation of three low traffic neighbourhood schemes in Bruce Grove, St Ann’s and Bounds Green. £5.1m of capital budget had also been allocated for this area.

c.    The Council’s apprenticeship scheme was due to be launched during the 8-12 February, which was National Apprenticeship Week.

d.    The Fairness Commission implementation Plan was being developed, following the Cabinet meeting March where the recommendations of the commission were formally agreed. The Cabinet Member noted that the implementation of this had unfortunately been delayed due to Covid-19.

The following was raised in discussion of this agenda item:

a.    In response to a question around what the engagement plan was for implementation of these schemes, the Cabinet Member advised that that the initial phase of consultation around the new Local Plan would be followed by subsequent consultation and engagement phases on both the draft and the final plans. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that there had been some high profile reports in the media around problems with other borough’s low traffic neighbourhoods schemes and advised that there had been significant lessons learned from some of these perceived mistakes. Government guidance had also changed on these schemes so that the Council was now required to consult widely before implementing such schemes. Officers added that there would be a widespread 3 stages engagement process with residents around the LTN schemes, including working closely with the emergency services and a six month consultation once the schemes had been put in place.

b.    In response to a question, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that the progress of the Fairness Commission had been impacted by Covid-19 but advised that this work was still progressing and that he was particularly keen to underline the socio-economic considerations of the work the commission was undertaking, especially given the impact of Covid-19. Officers advised that they the administration was particularly keen that this wasn’t just another consultation process and that there would be a number of stages and that a communication and engagement plan was in place. A number of virtual engagement sessions were taking place with stakeholders and work had been undertaken with the RNIB and the Bridget Renewal Trust to ensure that the consultation documents were as accessible as possible and that as wide a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The Committee received a report which set out the Council’s 2021/22 Draft Budget / 5-year Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2021/22 – 2025/26 along with savings proposals relating to the Your Council priority. Attached to the covering report were the draft MTFS paper that went to Cabinet in December, the capital bids relating to Your Council, the new savings proposals within Your Council and the

pre-agreed savings for Your Council. The report was introduced by Richard Grice, Director of Customers, Transformation and Resources as set out in the agenda pack at pages 57-160. Also present for this item were: Frances Palopoli, Head of Corporate Financial Strategy & Monitoring; Andy Briggs, Assistant Director for Corporate & Customer Services; Paul Dooley, Chief Information Officer and Christine Addison, Assistant Director for Capital Projects and Property. Also present were the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Licensing and the Cabinet Member for Transformation and Public Realm Investment.

The following was raised in the discussion of this item:

1. In response to a question, the Committee was advised that the total revenue savings within Your Council, totalled £4m from a circa £30m budget in total. However, some of the items within Your Council were delivered by services across the Council and so that £30m total was slightly misleading.
2. In response to a question around the service growth adjustment figure on page 83 of the agenda pack, officers advised that this related to a small figure being put into the budget for 2022-23 which was to cover the ongoing cost of the Civica Mid-call solution which facilitated online payments being taken in a secure way. There was also £300k allocated for a new welfare assistance fund and £67k into HR to recruit local people. In response to a follow-up question, officers advised that this was not a reallocation of budgets from Your Council, it came from elsewhere across the organisation.
3. In response to a question, officers advised that Digital Together was a programme of work to enable the Council to streamline processes to help it carry out the work it undertook. This included, for example, the digitising and automation of processes and effectively modernising the work of the organisation. Officers advised that they had a high level of confidence that the savings set out in the report could be achieved and that significant inroads had been made already in the planning of this programme, which had built on the knowledge and lessons from the Customer First programme.
4. The Committee sought clarification around the finance savings put forward at the February Cabinet meeting and queried whether there were any job losses involved and whether these had already gone through. Officers advised that these were restructure savings that predominantly related to vacancies and that these savings had been delivered. The Committee sought clarification around the number of posts involved. Officers agreed to provide a written response on this. (Action: Richard Grice).
5. In relation to the previous saving YC06 in relation to a £365k saving in Libraries, the Committee expressed a degree  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

The Committee received a report which outlined the development of work plans for the Committee and itsPanels for 2020-21 and beyond. The report was introduced by Rob Mack, Principal Scrutiny Officer.

It was agreed that the following Councillor’s would be appointed to the Task & Finish Group on the Whittington proposals. Councillors Ahmet, Dogan, Connor, Brabazon, Das Neves, Da Costa, Palmer .

It was agreed that Rob Mack would circulate an email to cooptees to ascertain who would like to sit on the Task & Finish Group. If there were more than three people interested the Chair would make a decision. (Action: Rob Mack). 

RESOLVED

1. That the current work programmes for the main Committee and Scrutiny

Panels at Appendix A of the report were noted and any amendments were agreed as appropriate.

2. That the Task and Finish Panel set up to respond to proposals from Whittington Health regarding their estates and services be comprised of:

· The Chair of the Committee;

· The Chair plus two other Members from the Adults and Health and the

Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panels; and

· Three non-voting co-opted Members.

N/A

18 January 2021

15 March 2021

18 January 2021

15 March 2021