Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. 

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There was no urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 November 2011.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2011 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The following report contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraph of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

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

Members are reminded that whilst the following item has been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded form the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.”

Resolved

That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded form the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of that Act.

The Council has to adopt a budget for 2012/13 as the basis for calculating its level of Council Tax and has to base that budget on its plans for service delivery during the year, recognising any changes in service demand that may arise in future years. 

Between September and December 2011, the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board undertook a review of the budget. The budget scrutiny process for 2012/13 has involved a review of the current budget for 2011/12 of £15.8m with a detailed review of Discretionary areas of spend.  Discretionary spend for Cherwell District Council in 2011/12 totalled a net expenditure of £3.1m (27% of the Council’s net budget) and the capitals bids received as part of the 2012/13 process. The recommendations and conclusions from the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board, which were agreed by the Board on 22 November 2011 and considered by Executive on 6 December 2011, are attached at Appendix 1 for information.

The Head of Finance will update Members on the outcome of the Executive’s consideration of the recommendations and conclusions.

At the Board’s November meeting, Members had deferred consideration of the following items:

1. Capital Bids

i.         Cherwell Community Led Housing Project - The Board agreed that in principle the proposal was sound and was minded to recommend the bid for approval but requested additional information be provided.

ii.       Community Intelligence Hub – The Board requested that this bid be re-evaluated and brought back to the Board’s January meeting for consideration

iii.      Telephony Development - Members requested that additional information relating to this bid be submitted to the Board’s January meeting for consideration

2. Communications – Controllable / Uncontrollable costs

The Board noted that a full review of the service was being undertaken. Members requested that officers bring proposals detailing how the service could save 25% of its controllable budget to the Board’s January 2012 meeting for consideration

3. Linked to Communications, Members requested that officers consider savings related to Cherwell Link

An exempt briefing pack on these items will be circulated to Board Members under separate cover.

The final budget will be presented to Council on 22 February 2010.

Recommendations

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board is recommended:

(1)       To consider the additional information and make recommendations to the Executive accordingly.

The Chairman opened the discussion with a brief resume of the work that the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board had undertaken to review the 2012/13 budget.  The budget scrutiny process for 2012/13 had involved a review of the current budget for 2011/12 of £15.8m with a detailed review of discretionary areas of spend, a review of staff savings suggestions and the capital bids received as part of the 2012/13 budget process.

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board had agreed a number of recommendations, conclusions and comments at their 22 November 2011 meeting which had been considered and endorsed by the Executive as part of draft 1 of the 2012/13 budget at their meeting on 6 December 2011. There were a number of areas where the Board had deferred making recommendations and had instead requested further information.

i.        Capital Programme 2011/12

At the Board’s November meeting, Members had agreed that capital Bid 16, Cherwell Community Led Housing Programme, should be recommended for inclusion in the capital programme 2012/13 subject to officers circulating additional information (including the report to Executive in May 2010 and modelling) to Members of the R&PSB and them being satisfied with the additional information. Members were satisfied with the supplementary information provided and agreed that the Finance Scrutiny Working Group should retain a watching brief on the Programme.

Members had agreed to defer making a recommendation on Bid 2 Community Intelligence Hub and had requested that officers rescore the bid taking into account their queries regarding potential efficiency savings, whether the bid represented an invest to save opportunity and whether there may be any other contributions available for the Hub. The Head of Finance and Procurement circulated a briefing note which outlined how the bid could be considered as a spend to save initiative. Members raised concerns about the achievability of the savings and noted that as the proposal was principally for the use of the Joint Management Team, the costs of the Hub should be split. The Board noted that due to the shared arrangements currently in place and anticipated future shared arrangements, it was likely that shared bids would be submitted. Members agreed that a process for considering such bids should be developed. The Board agreed to defer making a recommendation on Bid 2 and agreed instead that officers be requested to develop a process for considering joint bids. 

The Board had deferred making a recommendation on Bid 17, Telephony Development at their November meeting. The Head of Finance and Procurement reported that this bid had now been withdrawn by the Head of Community Services.

The Head of Finance and Procurement advised the Board that four additional bids had been received by the Capital Programme Monitoring Group for consideration in the 2012/13 budget: Environmental Improvements in Grimsbury; Buildings at Risk Intervention Fund; Environmental Improvements in Market Square, Bicester; and, Shop Front Improvements.

The Board was satisfied with the supporting information presented for the bid relating to Environmental Improvements in Grimsbury. Members noted that it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

Should Members decide to readmit the press and public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That the press and public be readmitted to the meeting.”

Resolved

That the press and public be readmitted to the meeting.

The Chairman and the Head of Finance and Procurement will lead on a discussion on the Board’s scrutiny review of the 2012/13 budget. This will be an opportunity for Members to reflect on the process and consider the approach for budget scrutiny 2013/14.

The Chairman and the Head of Finance and Procurement led a discussion on the Board’s scrutiny review of the 2012/13 budget. This was an opportunity for Members to reflect on the process and consider the approach for budget scrutiny 2013/14.

The Head of Finance and Procurement began by reminding Members that the Council’s net expenditure had reduced to £14.6m over the past 5 years primarily due to the Value for Money programme, which had now completed its second cycle and no further reviews were scheduled, not relying on investment income and reductions in Government grants. The Local Government Resource Review was currently underway, the purpose of which was to review how local government was funded. It was expected that the Council would have to reduce expenditure further and the savings would primarily come from reductions in discretionary spending, nonetheless, it would be increasingly difficult to achieve a balanced budget.

In terms of the review of the capital programme undertaken annually by the Board as part of the budget scrutiny process, the Head of Finance and Procurement acknowledged that it was important for Members to receive information as early as possible. Members agreed that it would be useful for them to also be involved in the scoring element of the process. The Head of Finance and Procurement confirmed that the proposed timetable for bids for 2013/14 was: deadline for submission – September 2012; scoring – October 2012; Recommendations on bids – November 2012.

At the suggestion of the Head of Finance and Procurement, the Board agreed that they should hold a workshop on the Local Government Resource Review at their July meeting to enable Members to gain a greater understanding of the review and consider areas that could form part of their work programme and budget scrutiny.

The Board considered other areas that could form part of the budget scrutiny 2013/14 and noted that fees and charges were scheduled to be reviewed. Members commented on the need to constantly review discretionary spend and noted the role that the customer satisfaction survey and public consultation in informing the Council’s priorities. In considering the public consultation, Members acknowledged that it represented a snapshot in time with the outcomes potentially being dependent on events at the time. Additionally, the number of people participating in the consultation was relatively low. The Board agreed that a review of the public consultation process to ensure it reflected the public view would be beneficial.

Resolved

(1)               That Finance Officers be requested to give a presentation on the Local Government Resource Review to the Board’s July meeting.

(2)               That the Corporate Performance Manager be requested to review the public consultation process to ensure it reflected the public view.

Report of Head of Law and Governance

Summary

To update Members on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12.

Recommendations

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board is recommended to:

(1)               Note the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board element of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12 as set out at appendix 1.

(2)               Note that a detailed review of the work programme will be presented to the February meeting of the Board.

The Board considered a report of Head of Law and Governance which updated Members on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12.

The Board noted that there were a number of items on the work programme that were for monitoring purposes only. Additionally, a number of items had arisen out of the budget scrutiny

The Chairman reported that there was currently a vacancy on the Performance Scrutiny Working Group. Members agreed that Councillor Magee be appointed to this vacancy.

Resolved

(1)               That the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board element of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12 be noted.

(2)               That a detailed review of the work programme be undertaken at the February meeting of the Board.

(3)               That Councillor Magee be appointed to the Performance Scrutiny Working Group.