Minutes : Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19/06/2006

Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 19/06/2006
Minutes

MINUTES of the MEETING of the COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE held on 19th June 2006

(To be read in conjunction with the Agenda for the meeting)

*	Mrs P M Frost (Chairman)	*	Mr J C S Mackie
*	Mr A Rayner (Vice-Chairman)	*	Mrs A E Mansell
*	Mr P Betlem	*	Dr P M Marriott
*	Mr M J Blower	*	Mr W M Marshall
*	Mrs E Cable	*	Mrs P N Mitchell
*	Mrs P Ellis	*	Mrs J Rawlings +
*	Mrs M E Foryszewski		Mr P S Rivers
*	Mr P B Isherwood		Mr B G Shelley
*	Mrs J R Keen	*	Miss P Wright +
*	Dr M-G Lane

* Present
+ Tenants’ Panel Representatives

Mrs C Cockburn spoke on Agenda Item 10, Appendix E

20. MINUTES (Agenda Item 4)

The Minutes of the meeting held on 22nd May 2006 were confirmed and signed.

21. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE (Agenda Item 5)

Apologies for absence were received from Mr B G Shelley. No substitutes were available.

22. DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS (Agenda Item 6)

The following members declared personal interests and remained in the meeting during consideration of the respective items:-

Mr A Rayner	Item 6 Choice Based Lettings – Allocation Policy	He is employed by the new Downland Housing Association which is a Waverley Partner.
Mrs A E Mansell	Item 9 - Developing Community Based Services for Older people and Item 10 - Brightwells Gostrey Centre	The Gostrey Centre is in her ward and part of the East Street Development and her husband is the Portfolio Holder. She is also a Waverley representative on the Brightwells Gostrey Centre Committee
Mrs P M Frost	Item 10 - Brightwells Gostrey Centre	She is a Surrey County Council representative on the Brightwells Gostrey Centre Committee
Mr J C S Mackie	Item 12 - Citizens' Advice Bureaux	Representative on the Haslemere Citizens' Advice Bureau

Mrs E Cable	Item 13 - Meals on Wheels	Her husband is a member of the Womens Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) and delivers meals
Mrs P N Mitchell		Member of WRVS

Mr M J Blower and Dr P M Marriott declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 10, Appendix E, Brightwells Gostrey Centre and left the chamber.

Miss M Ghavami, Committee Secretary, declared a personal interest in Item 10, as she is acquainted with the Vice-Chairman of the Brightwells Gostrey Centre Committee. She remained in the Chamber during consideration of this item.

23. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS - ALLOCATION POLICY (Appendix A, Agenda Item 6)

There was a presentation held before the meeting on Choice Based Lettings (CBL) by Jane Vincent from Guildford Borough Council. All Members of the Council and Tenants' Panel Representatives were invited.

was an opportunity to hear

At its meeting in May the Committee received an update report advising on the progress being made in implementing a Choice Based Lettings Scheme in Waverley and the Council's participation in a sub-regional CBL scheme with Guildford, Rushmoor and Hart. This sub-regional approach had resulted in an award of Ł100,000 towards the setting up of CBL across the four boroughs using a common approach and technology.

This report noted that the introduction of a CBL scheme would necessitate a revision of the Council's current Allocation Policy in order for a CBL approach to work. Accordingly, the report considered by the Committee proposed that the Council should change its allocation scheme and presented a new Allocation Policy.

The Director of Housing gave a presentation about the new Allocation Policy around the slides attached at

Annexe 1

As part of the discussions the Committee stated that the CBL scheme was website based and that this could possibly limit tenants unable to use or without access to a computer. It was confirmed by Officers that there would be measures to prevent this, including relatives and friends acting as proxy voters and that the locality offices and council staff were there to assist.

RESOLVED that:-

1. the draft Allocation Policy (Scheme) be received; and

2. the draft Allocation Policy (Scheme) be passed to the Executive and Council for adoption

24. EXECUTIVE - FOUR MONTH ROLLING PROGRAMME (Agenda Item 8)

The Committee received and noted the four month rolling programme adopted by the Executive on 13th June 2006.

25. COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME (Agenda Item 9.1)

The Committee was updated that the discussion document 'Creating an NHS Fit for the future', which was circulated to Members at the meeting, had been received and that Officers would be making a response. All responses needed to be made by 21st July 2006.

RESOLVED that the work programme be noted.

26. FUTURE WORK PROGRAMME (Agenda Item 9.2)

The Committee discussed its future work programme. At the last meeting, Members had agreed that the Waverley Partnership Fund Grants criteria should be an item that is subject to an in-depth review in 2006-07. The Committee usually identifies two major in-depth reviews each year and having agreed the Partnership Fund grants criteria as one review, members were invited to confirm the second in-depth review which would be added to the Committee's work programme for the current Council year. Members had been contacted after the last meeting to submit their suggestions. The suggested items put forward made by Members included; day centres, Town/Parish Liaison, annual inspection of the Council Housing Stock and to discuss the conversion of grass verges for use as off-street car parking.

RESOLVED that

1. Waverley Partnership Fund Grants criteria be confirmed as an area for in-depth review; and

2. scoping reports be brought to the next meeting, and the other area for in-depth review be confirmed at that meeting.

27. DEVELOPING COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES FOR OLDER PEOPLE (Agenda Item 9, Appendix D)

At its last meeting, members of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee had suggested that there would be merit in having a discussion about the Council’s broad approach to supporting community-based services for older people. A report was considered which provided some background information about demographic change, the varying needs and aspirations of older people, and duties of various statutory bodies in this regard, as well as considering the important role of the voluntary sector.

The intention was that this report would help the Council to determine its approach to supporting community-based services for older people across Waverley.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

28. BRIGHTWELLS GOSTREY CENTRE, FARNHAM (Agenda Item 10, Appendix E)

The Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee had asked officers to undertake some work to ascertain the potential costs of providing a new building for the Brightwells Gostrey Centre in Farnham, and to look at alternatives. The report considered by the Committee advised on this matter and provided an update in respect of the proposals for the centre as part of the East Street regeneration programme.

The Committee felt very strongly about the matters arising from this report and subsequently agreed the following recommendation.

RESOLVED that the Community Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommends to the Executive that:-

1. it takes the initiative to provide a new community centre for Farnham;

2. a new community centre be provided within the East Street re-development site;

3. the Brightwells Gostrey Centre remain in its current premises until a new centre is provided; and

4. the Council works in partnership with the Brightwells Gostrey Centre Committee to make the new community centre a reality.

29. WAVERLEY HOPPA COMMUNITY TRANSPORT – PROGRESS REPORT (Agenda Item 11, Appendix F)

The Committee considered a report which detailed the progress of work of Hoppa following the Council’s injection of a one-off revenue grant for 2006/07. The Council had given Hoppa a number of targets so that it can work towards a level of financial sustainability.

RESOLVED that;

1. the Committee notes and welcomes the ongoing progress made by the Hoppa and the initiatives it is undertaking to achieve long term sustainability;

2. the Committee acknowledges the need for ongoing financial support for Hoppa from Waverley Borough Council, albeit at a likely reduced level to that of the current financial year; and

3. the Committee receives a further report later in 2006 when it will be clearer exactly what level of additional funding Hoppa has been able to generate and as a consequence how much funding is required from the Borough Council.

30. REVIEW OF CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX – UPDATE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WAVERLEY DISTRICT MODEL CAB SERVICE (Agenda Item 12, Appendix G)

The Committee agreed as part of its work programme in 2005/06 to undertake an in - depth review into the Citizens’ Advice Bureaux (CABx) that operate in the Borough. A report was considered which provided an update on the resultant development of the new district based CAB service for Waverley.

RESOLVED that the report be noted and that the introduction of the new Waverley wide CAB service, Waverley Citizens Advice, be welcomed and that the national body, Citizens Advice, be thanked for its work and support in helping create the new organisation.

31. MEALS ON WHEELS (Agenda Item 13, Appendix H)

A report was considered which updated the Committee on the work of the Meals on Wheels Sub-Committee. The Meals on Wheels Sub-Committee was set up to assist the Meals on Wheels review process. The Sub-Committee had met on Monday 12th June 2006 and appointed Mrs Keen as Chairman. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the visits undertaken by the Sub-Committee members and officers with Womens Royal Voluntary Service Volunteers (WRVS) when they were delivering meals and secondly to consider the eligibility criteria used by other authorities for their MOW service.

RESOLVED that the update report be noted.

32. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

RESOLVED that pursuant to Procedure Rule 20 and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded during the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in Paragraph 3 of Part I of the revised Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972; viz:-

Item 33

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). (paragraph 3)

33. INTERIM - REVIEW OF HOUSING SERVICES (Agenda Item 15, (Exempt) Appendix I)

RESOLVED that the Executive be advised that the Committee supports the recommendations contained in the (Exempt) Appendix I.

The meeting concluded at 9.15 p.m.

Chairman

comms/o&s2/2006-07/027