Agenda item

Report of Head of Law and Governance

Summary

This report presents the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board work programme 2012/13 for consideration.

Recommendations

The Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board  is recommended:

(1)               To consider the Resources & Performance Scrutiny Board work programme 2012/13 as set out at Appendix 1 of the attached report.

(2)               To consider the update on the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership.

(3)               To consider the update of the Landscape Maintenance Contract.

(4)               To consider any comments arising from the meeting of the Finance Scrutiny Work Group.

The Board considered a report of the Head of Law and Governance presented the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board work programme 2012/13 for consideration. Members noted that the Finance Scrutiny Working Group had met on 3 July 2012 and reviewed the 2011/12 year end finance monitoring report. The notes of this meeting would be considered at the 17 July Board meeting.

Oxfordshire Waste Partnership (OWP) Update

The Chairman explained that the Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board had scrutinised the council’s role in the OWP in 2010/11 and agreed to retain the item on the work programme to monitor in light of uncertainty about the financial arrangements.

The Head of Environmental Services provided an overview of the financial arrangements that existed in the OWP, which were developed to encourage collection authorities to invest in collection systems to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. In 2011/12, collection rates had surpassed the targets resulting in payments by the County Council to the collections authorities of around £1m per year, which was less than if the County Council had had to pay for waste to go to landfill.

The Board was advised that the County Council had stated it wished to reduce payments to collection authorities but is unable to unilaterally implement changes as these need to be agreed by all partners. Any changes could potentially have significant financial implications on partners and discussions were ongoing between OWP partners A paper on the issue is being taken forward to the Chief Executives in mid- July before going forward to the Leaders group. It was expected that the issue would come back to the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership after responses from the Chief Executives and Leaders have been considered.

Members noted the update and requested that the Head of Environmental Services report back to the Board at the appropriate time on the proposed arrangements to allow Members to consider and provide comments to the Executive/Lead Member.

Contract Review: Landscape Maintenance Contract

The Street Scene and Landscape Manager provided an overview of the council’s landscape maintenance contract covering the history of the contract, the service level, agency and contract agreements, the officer time allocated to contract management, the contract management methods, the financial deductions that had been imposed where performance had not been up to the contract standard, the contractor performance and the three year contract extension until 2015 which had been agreed by the Executive in December 2010.

The Board was advised that the landscape maintenance contract was generally well performing although there were issues from time to time.  Monitoring/managing of the performance of the contract to ensure the contract standards were met was ongoing and officers continued to look for more efficient ways to provide the Landscape Service.

Some Members raised concerns about the performance of the contractor and highlighted some issues that had arisen across the district. Members also commented that it was important to provide assurance that areas of low performance were being addressed and that the council was adequately resourced to do this. Members who were also Bicester Town Council councillors highlighted some of the concerns of the Town Council and agreed that a meeting between officers and the Town Council would be useful to consider these concerns.

The Board agreed that they wanted to be involved in the contract renewal process. Members noted that the contract would commence in 2015 but the process would being in spring 2013 and agreed that this should be added to the work programme for consideration in April 2013.

Resolved

(1)               That the Resources & Performance Scrutiny Board work programme 2012/13 be noted.

(2)               That feedback from the 3 July 2012 Finance Scrutiny Working Group meeting be considered at the 17 July 2012 Resources and Performance Scrutiny Board meeting.

(3)               That the update on the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership be noted and that officers be requested to submit a further update, when available, advising the Board on the proposals for the revised financial arrangements.

(4)               That the update of the Landscape Maintenance Contract be noted and that this be retained on the work programme for Members to be briefed on the contract renewal process and timetable in April 2013.