Meeting documents

Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Thursday, 23rd October, 2014 7.30 pm

Date:
Thursday, 23rd October, 2014
Time:
7.30 pm
Place:
New Council Chamber, Town Hall, Reigate
 
Min NoDescriptionResolution
Part I
11 MINUTES
 RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 26th June 2014 be approved as a correct record.
12 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
 Committee Members: Councillors J.C.S Essex (substituted by Ms S. Finch), N.D. Harrison (substituted by Mrs J. Bray), S. Parnall, D. Powell, P. Shillinglaw and Mrs R. Turner.

Other Members: Councillor M.J. Selby
13 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
 None.
14 THAMES WATER
Minute for Minute Number 14
RESOLVED that Thames Water be thanked for their informative presentation and for responding to the Committee's questions.
15 DEPUTY LEADER BRIEFING
Minute for Minute Number 15
RESOLVED that the Deputy Leader be thanked for briefing the Committee and responding to questions.
16 CORPORATE PLAN 2015-20
Minute for Minute Number 16
RESOLVED that:
(i) the draft Corporate Plan 2015-20 be noted; and
(ii) the Executive be asked to note the comments made by the Committee, as set out above.
17 BUDGET SCRUTINY REVIEW PANEL
Minute for Minute Number 17
RESOLVED that the:
(i) membership and timetable for the preparation for the budget for 2015/16 be agreed, as set out in the report; and
(ii) scope of the Budget Scrutiny Review Panel work during 2014/15 be agreed, as set out in the report.
18 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK SCRUTINY REVIEW PANEL
Minute for Minute Number 18
RESOLVED that the:
(i) membership of the Local Development Framework Scrutiny Review Panel be agreed, as set out in the report; and
(ii) scope of the Local Development Framework Scrutiny Review Panel work during 2014/15 and beyond be agreed, as set out in the report.
19 EXTERNAL AUDITORS REPORT (ISA 260) 2013/14
Minute for Minute Number 19
RESOLVED that the:
(i) report of the Council's External Auditors on the Council's Statement of Accounts for the financial year 2013/14 be noted; and
(ii) Members and Officers involved in the preparation of the Statement of Accounts be congratulated on their work.
20 EXECUTIVE
 It was reported that there were no items arising from the Executive that might be subject to the ‘call-in' procedure in accordance with the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 5.14.
21 ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS
 None.

Minute

Min NoMinute
14The Chairman welcomed representatives from Thames Water, Rob Nason, Regional Performance Manager, and Hilary Murgatroyd, Local/Regional Government Liaison, to the meeting. The Committee received a presentation regarding Thames Water's responsibilities within the borough, their response to the adverse weather of the previous winter and lessons learned from this, and their level of involvement in local planning matters.

Three advanced questions had been received by the Committee, and these were responded to within the presentation.

The Committee welcomed the presentation, with further questions and comments made regarding:
• Localised flooding that had occurred in Horley the previous winter, and overlapping agency responsibilities;
• The age of much of the network and the impact of this on its resilience;
• Opportunities to provide upgrades when replacing pumps in specific locations;
• Spending proposals for the 2015-20 period;
• Communications with customers to inform them about what they can and cannot flush or put down their sinks;
• Large housing developments and the ability of Thames Water to intervene where it judges that the network does not have the capacity to accommodate increased flows.

The Committee suggested that the Council's Communications team assist in informing residents about unsuitable products to put down toilets and drains.
15The Chairman welcomed the Deputy Leader, Councillor A.J. Kay, to the meeting. The Deputy Leader provided a briefing to the Committee on the Executive's priorities, objectives and ways of working.

The briefing focused on the new methods of working that had been introduced and how these had led to a more inclusive and transparent Executive.

The Committee had received one advanced question regarding Gatwick Airport, which fell within the Deputy Leader's Portfolio, and this was addressed within the briefing.

Additional questions and comments were made regarding:
• Recent changes to flight corridors that affected the borough;
• The possible expansion of Gatwick Airport and its infrastructure implications within the borough;
• The work of the Public Sector Board in 2014/15.
16The Committee received the draft Corporate Plan, which had been approved for consultation by the Executive on 18 September.

The Committee received three advanced questions and responses regarding the draft Corporate Plan. The responses would be placed in the eMembers Room.

The Committee discussed the draft plan, with questions and comments made regarding:
• The possibility of further exploring renewable energy as an income source, for example placing solar panels on Council owned car parks and developments;
• The ways in which the Council would encourage existing businesses to thrive and attract new businesses to the borough. The Committee noted that rents on vacant retail premises in Redhill and Horley were high and that this did not encourage other uses. The Committee suggested that the high retail rents and restrictive nature of many retail leases be discussed with the relevant MPs;
• The organisational requirements associated with encouraging volunteers to help maintain public spaces, and the need to celebrate volunteers;
• The need to engage with residents and to target the Council's audiences with appropriate methods of communication. The Committee noted that this would include new online formats as well as the existing Borough News publication;
• The perception of the word ‘commercial' by residents, and the need to handle a commercial approach to fees and charges carefully;
• The Council's social responsibility to support residents to lead healthy lives, and the positive impact of this in decreasing demand on Council services.
17The Committee received a report setting out the proposed approach to the budget scrutiny process for 2015/16. The Committee noted that the process and scope of the Panel's work was very similar to that of previous years.
18The Committee received a report setting out the proposed approach to the scrutiny process for Local Development Framework (LDF) work during 2014/15 and beyond.

The Committee agreed that the role of the Panel would be extremely valuable in helping to progress this work.
19The Committee received the report of the Council's External Auditors, KPMG, on the Council's Statement of Accounts for the financial year 2013/14. The Statement of Accounts had been previously circulated to the Members of the Committee for reference.

The Auditor's report was unprecedented in that not a single recommendation had been given, and the Auditor's had issued an unqualified Value for Money conclusion. The Committee noted that this was a great credit to the Council.