LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT FOR SURREY : Executive on 07/02/2006

Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Executive held on 07/02/2006
LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT FOR SURREY

Summary & Purpose

This report updates Members on the progress of Surrey County Council's Local Area Agreement (LAA), which is due to be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) on February 14th 2006. It draws particular attention to the themes that the Waverley Executive expressed an interest in pursuing at its meeting held on 6th September 2005.

APPENDIX X

Waverley Borough Council

Executive – 7TH FEBRUARY 2006

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Title:

LOCAL AREA AGREEMENT FOR SURREY

[Wards Affected: All]

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Summary and purpose:

This report updates Members on the progress of Surrey County Council's Local Area Agreement (LAA), which is due to be submitted to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) on February 14th 2006. It draws particular attention to the themes that the Waverley Executive expressed an interest in pursuing at its meeting held on 6th September 2005.

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Environmental implications:

A successful Local Area Agreement is likely to have a positive impact on the local environment, social inclusion, safe, healthy and active communities and the local economy.

Many of the themes will have positive outcomes for the environment. Actions such as increasing the local workforce, and reducing car usage will have measurable benefits for the County’s ‘sustainability’ targets.

Social / community implications:

The whole idea of LAAs is to bring improvements to the local environment and to combat social exclusion.

E-Government implications:

Local Area Agreements have no specific or new e-government implications, however, now that Waverley BC has achieved BVPI 157, access to projects by members of the public should be improved

Resource and legal implications:

The ODPM’s guidance on LAA refers to a number of funding streams that will support LAA. The concept of LAA is that partners will pool funding, for the more efficient and effective use of resources. However, new money for an LAA in Surrey seems unlikely.

A legal challenge has been made by District Councils in Suffolk to the legality of the LAA funding regime. Further guidance is expected on this matter from the ODPM.

The Surrey Strategic Programme Board is aware of this challenge.

There are resource implications for the Chief Executive and other officers who will be required to reappraise their service plans in due course.
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Local Area Agreement 2006

Background

1. Members will recall that the outcomes required from the County Local Area agreement are as follows:

i. A skilled and flexible workforce to support Surrey’s future economy
ii. A local responsive and integrated network of community transport.
iii. A broader range of housing options for Surrey citizens.
iv. Improved health and life chances for children.
v. Greater independence and choice for vulnerable adults.
vi. Safer and stronger communities
vii. Attitudes and behaviours that support more sustainable lifestyles and greater local engagement.

Current Position

2. Following the submission of the first draft LAA documentation to the Government Office of the South East, GOSE’s Locality Manager fed back initial comments to the SSP Programme Board on 7th December 2005. Broadly, GOSE felt that the document was advancing well, subject to final confirmation of the performance indicators to be included in the document and the addition of baselines and targets. GOSE also requested further information in relation to some of the enabling measures requested.

3. A round table meeting was held on 10th January 2006, attended by Surrey and GOSE lead officers. The meeting clarified the remaining detail to be included in the final version of the LAA. The updated position, including outstanding actions, is summarised in the two tables attached at Annexe 1.

4. Given that Surrey’s LAA contains no reward element, the SSP Programme Board is monitoring closely progress towards achieving agreement on the 17 enabling measures requested. Of these, four have so far been agreed, 12 are live and one has been refused.

5. A long list of projects for inclusion in the next iteration of the LAA, which will be updated and rolled forward in 12 months time, was gathered at the SSP conference in November 2005. It is anticipated that work to refine and develop the final list of projects for inclusion in the 2007 Local Area Agreement will begin from April 2006.

Next Steps

6. Subject to adequate progress towards agreeing the enabling measures, the SSP Programme Board will meet on 7th February to sign off the final LAA, prior to its submission to GOSE by 14th February 2006. The final deadline for GOSE to send the agreement on to ODPM is 28th February.

7. The final LAA will be circulated to each District on 14th February. Chief Executives are invited to present the LAA to their respective Executive for endorsement prior to 31st March. Subject to being signed off by the minister, the agreement will come into force from 1st April 2006.

Waverley Involvement

8. Members confirmed their commitment to the LAA and the interest already expressed to certain projects at their December meeting. However, as an “aide memoir” it may be helpful to list the projects together with a brief summary of the likely benefits for Waverley Borough Council.

1. Transport

a. The provision by Surrey County Council of Countywide Transport Co-ordination Centre which will have the potential to co-ordinate all types of transport in Surrey including transport provided by statutory bodies e.g. schools and social services, voluntary transport schemes such as dial-a-ride, local car share projects.

b. The relaxation of restrictions on taxis bus services. This will enable public service vehicle operators to introduce and vary routes and timings according to demand without the mandatory long term notice period currently required by the Transport Commissioners under section 12 of the Transport Act. The objective is to increase the ability of a Taxibus service to respond flexibly to varying demands on different occasions. E.g. young people wanting to return home after a pop concert.

2. Economic Development

The objective of this project is to increase the supply of suitably qualified candidates to fill the wide range of employment opportunities available in Surrey. Over the last decade Waverley BC has been involved in various initiatives to increase the skills base of the Waverley workforce, from “women returners” funded by the European Union through to the ongoing work of Waverley Training Services. The project also aims to increase the employment rate of people with disabilities, which is particularly welcomed. It is likely that this project will attract funding from the Learning and Skills Council and the NHS Workforce Confederation grants. This project fits well with the service plan for Waverley Training Services and the Council’s overall Corporate Strategy

3. Housing

The objective is to produce a broader range of housing options for Surrey Citizens. The project seeks the creation of a use class order for affordable housing supported by additional measures to ensure affordable dwellings provided on surplus public sector land remain affordable beyond the first sale.

The second strand is the proposal that a specific funding stream should be created within the Housing Corporation to support the reintroduction of a “mini-HAG” scheme. It is hoped that this will encourage landlords to rent out residential units above shops and commercial premises.

The third strand is the freedom to determine allocation policies locally in response to locally identified needs including key workers, rather than being limited to particular categories of workers/residents to “fit” centrally defined targets.

4. Improving Health & Life Chances for Children

The two main strands of this project relate directly to Education services and seek further powers to delegate greater responsibility to school confederations.

However, this delegation should feed into the work already in place in the area of active communities, which is lead by Environment and Leisure and is particularly focused on improving the fitness of more disadvantaged children.

5. Waste Management but not the Virtual Waste Authority

The objective of this project is to establish a coherent co-ordinated programme of citizen engagement, through a countywide campaign network and an agreed programme of connected campaigns delivered at the right time by the right organisations.

It is envisaged that the funding streams that will be brought together to facilitate this objective will be climate change funds, partners campaign funds for specific issues recycling/efficiency funds and central and regional campaign funds. Whilst Waverley may not wish to engage in every aspect of this proposal there is a clear link to Waverley’s Corporate Plan and therefore merit in engaging at this stage.

Conclusion

9. The success or otherwise of the County Council’s Local Area Agreement is likely to be a factor in the current debate on the form and function of local government. However, the agreement is progressing and it will be for the Council to maximise benefits for Waverley residents in due course.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members of the Executive note this report and the opportunities it presents for service improvement, if or when the agreement is “signed off” by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
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Background Papers (CEx)

Surrey LAA – Enabling measures requested 28th September version (template 5) working draft.
Correspondence with GOSE 22/11/05.
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CONTACT OFFICER:

Name: Christine L Pointer Telephone: 01483 523208

E-mail: cpointer@waverley.gov.uk

Comms/exec/2005-06/271