Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document
Meeting of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 10/09/2007
Minutes
MINUTES of the MEETING of the COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
held on 10th September 2007
(To be read in conjunction with the Agenda for the meeting)
*
Cllr V Duckett (Chairman)
*
Cllr Mrs C King
*
Cllr Mrs N Warner-O’Neill
(Vice-Chairman)
*
Cllr S J O’Grady
Cllr C R Baily
*
Mrs J Rawlings +
*
Cllr Mrs G M Beel
*
Cllr Mrs C E Savage
*
Cllr Mrs E Cable
*
Cllr K Webster
*
Cllr M Causey
*
Cllr R A Welland
*
Cllr S P Connolly
*
Cllr Mrs L Wheatley
*
Cllr Mrs P Ellis
*
Cllr C A Wilson
Cllr Mrs J P Hargreaves
*
Miss P Wright +
*
Cllr J P Hubble
* Present
+ Tenants’ Panel Representatives
Cllr B Morgan spoke on Agenda Item 9, Appendix C
12.
MINUTES
(Agenda Item 2)
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 18th June 2007 were confirmed and signed.
13.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTES
(Agenda Item 3)
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr C R Baily and Cllr Mrs J P Hargreaves.
14.
DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
(Agenda Item 4)
The following members declared a personal interest in Item 9 – Sponsored Organisation Scheme 2008-09: Grant Criteria and Timetable – and remained in the meeting during consideration of the item:-
Cllr Mrs Beel As a member appointed to the Brightwells Gostrey Centre
Cllr Mrs Cable As a member of Waverley Age Concern
Cllr Connolly As a trustee of a charity that has applied for a grant under the scheme
Cllr Causey As a member of Waverley Citizens Advice Bureau
Cllr Duckett As his partner is Chairman of the Trustees of the 40 Degreez Youth Project
Cllr Mrs Ellis As a member of Age Concern Waverley, Cranleigh Day Centre and Waverley Community Mediation Service
Cllr Hubble As a member of DISCASS
Cllr Mrs King As a member of the Haslemere Hall Committee
Cllr Mrs Savage As a member of Cranleigh Initiative and wife of a member of Cranleigh Arts Centre
Cllr Webster As a member of the Heathland Trust
Cllr Welland As a member of Sport Godalming
Cllr Wheatley As a member of the Rural Life Centre
No discussion took place on the individual organisations.
15.
EXECUTIVE - FOUR MONTH ROLLING PROGRAMME
(Agenda Item 6, Appendix A)
The Committee received and noted the four-month rolling programme adopted by the Executive on 4th September 2007.
16.
DEVELOPING A WORK PROGRAMME
(Agenda Item 7, Appendix B)
The Committee considered each of the suggestions for an in-depth review and received officers’ comments on each suggestion.
The Committee endorsed the officers’ view that a review of Rent Collection and Rent Arrears did not require an in-depth review as regular monitoring of this area and comparison with many other local authorities showed that Waverley had a good track record in both rent collection and the recovery of rent arrears.
The Committee considered that a review of Community Transport would be an interesting area to review, but that as Waverley was already liaising closely with Surrey CC Passenger Transport Group on a new community transport strategy and a Waverley Community Transport Forum already existed, this area would benefit more from regular updates to Committee rather than an in-depth review.
Grounds maintenance on housing estates was considered to be commendable area for review, however it was a complex issue with a number of anomalies surrounding ownership and responsibility for maintenance. Officers’ advised that the difficulties currently experienced with the standard of grounds maintenance across its sites was being addressed by the Environment and Leisure Department who manage the grounds maintenance contract. However, members requested that this area be added to the Committee work programme and officers liaise with the Environment and Leisure Department on practical issues and report back to this Committee in the New Year. Prior to that officers ask the Environment and Leisure Department to submit a short summary of the contract specification to the next meeting of this Committee.
The Committee endorsed the officers’ view that a review of efficiency and cost of repairs to Waverley owned homes did not require an in-depth review. Feedback forms completed by tenants’ following repairs showed that most were very satisfied with the standard of work. The Council had also reviewed its procurement and a new contractor was undertaking the day-to-day maintenance work which had been praised by tenants.
Following further discussion the Committee was of the view that fear of crime and anti-social behaviour should be the subject of an in-depth review to consider ways of tackling this very high profile issue. Reducing the fear of crime and anti-social behaviour was considered to be a priority for residents of the borough and members considered that working with our statutory partners could help to tackle this problem.
RESOLVED that
1. Fear of Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour be added to the already agreed review of Day Centres to make up the Committee’s two in-depth reviews for 2007/08;
2. a detailed scoping report be presented to the next meeting of the Committee; and
3. Grounds maintenance on housing estates be added to the Committee work programme. Officers to liaise with the Environment and Leisure Department on practical issues and report back in January 2008. Prior to that Environment and Leisure Department be asked to submit a short summary on the Grounds Maintenance contract specification.
17.
REVIEW OF DAY CENTRES
(Agenda Item 8)
A visit to the The Vyne Community Day Centre, Woking, had been arranged for members of the Day Centres Review Sub-Committee on Friday 14th September 2007. Officers would arrange a further visit for members of the Sub-Committee who were unable to attend on this date.
The Committee would be updated on the visit and the meeting of the Day Centres Review Sub-Committee, which was being held on 19th September, at the next meeting of this Committee.
18.
SPONSORED ORGANISATIONS SCHEME 2008-09, GRANT CRITERIA AND TIMETABLE
(Agenda Item 9, Appendix C)
The Committee received a report requesting consideration and comment on the grant eligibility, criteria and timetable for assessing applications for the Sponsored Organisation Scheme in 2008/09.
Members were concerned that the application form should not only focus on financial evaluation, but also consider the value of the contribution made to the residents of Waverley.
Members noted that the organisations Waverley supported under the Sponsored Organisation Scheme provided valuable services, which benefited a large number of Waverley’s residents. Members expressed concern that if the scheme was opened up for new organisations in 2008/09 all organisations in receipt of grant might suffer as constraints on the budget could mean that they receive reduced grant aid.
The Committee considered that small increase in the budget allocation to the scheme might alleviate the problem of admitting new organisations to the scheme without affecting existing organisations.
RESOLVED that the Executive be advised of the following observations:
1. the principle of supporting the Sponsored Organisation Scheme and the Waverley Voluntary Grants Partnership for 2008/09 using the application eligibility and grant criteria as set out at Annexe 2 to the report be agreed;
2. the proposed timetable for applying for Sponsored Organisation funding for 2008/09, as set out at Annexe 4 to the report be agreed;
3. the Sponsored Organisation Scheme should be open to new applicants for 2008/09;
4. Waverley contributes to the Waverley Voluntary Grants Partnership in 2008/09 on the same basis as in 2007/08 with two
nominated
members on the panel and with the results of the grants being reported back to the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Executive; and
5. the overall level of funding for the Sponsored Organisation Scheme and Waverley Voluntary Grants Partnership in 2008/09 be increased in line with inflation, but with the proviso that such an increase will have to be assessed alongside other demands on Council finances during the budget process.
19.
CONCESSIONARY FARES – INTRODUCTION OF NATIONAL SCHEME
(Agenda Item 10, Appendix D)
The Committee received a report which informed members of the extension of the statutory free concessionary travel on local bus services to a national scheme from 1st April 2008 and discussed the discretionary concessions offered by the scheme in Surrey.
Members were of the view that it would have a negative impact on Waverley residents to remove the concessions that they currently enjoyed and that were of great benefit to them.
RESOLVED that the Executive be advised that the Committee would
prefer the Surrey Concessionary Fares Group continue the current additional discretionary concessions (bearing in mind the final decision would be made by a majority of views from all Borough/District Councils)
20.
DEVELOPING AN EMPTY HOMES STRATEGY
(Agenda Item 11, Appendix E)
The Committee received a report and presentation which outlined the ways in which councils would deal with homes in both the private and public sector that were empty for long period time.
Members commended the draft Empty Homes Strategy and noted that although this was not a big problem in Waverley, the strategy aimed to address the issue by proposing a more comprehensive approach.
RESOLVED that the Executive be advised that the Committee endorses the draft Empty Homes Strategy.
21.
BEST VALUE AND LOCAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS: REVIEW OF WAVERLEY’S PERFORMANCE AT Q1 (APR-JUN) 2007/08
(Agenda Item 12, Appendix F)
The Committee received a report which detailed Waverley’s Performance Management Framework (PMF) and the statutory (BVPI) and locally defined (LPI) indicators that assist members and officers in identifying current improvement priorities. The indicators are reviewed quarterly by the Executive and the report detailed performance against those indicators pertinent to the remit of this Committee during the first three-month period of 2007/08.
RESOLVED that
1. the information presented in the report be noted; and
2. following endorsement by the Executive, a Sub-Committee be established for the purpose of reviewing performance management information.
22.
RENT ARREARS MONITORING REPORT
(Agenda Item 13, Appendix G)
The Committee received the Rent Arrears Monitoring Report and noted the additional information included in the report at the request of the last meeting of the Committee.
RESOLVED
that the report be noted.
There being no matters needing to be dealt with in exempt session, the Chairman declared the meeting closed.
The meeting concluded at 9.48 pm
Chairman
comms\o&s2\2007-08\027 - mins 100907.doc