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Minutes To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the previous meeting. (To follow as an addendum) Supporting documents:
Minutes: RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 January 2025 be approved and signed. RESOLVED that the exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 January 2025 be approved and signed. |
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Apologies for absence and substitutions To receive any apologies for absence and notification of any substitute Members in accordance with the Constitution. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillor Walsh, Councillor Blacker was his substitute. |
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Declarations of interest To receive any Declarations of Interest (including the existence and nature of any Party Whip). Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Summary of Budget Movements November 2024 to January 2025 To consider the updated elements of the Budget 2025/26 and Capital Programme 2025 to 2027 proposals before Executive on 30 January 2025. (This report will follow as an addendum). Supporting documents:
Minutes: In addition to the summary of budget movements November 2024 to January 2025 that had been published in an addendum to the agenda pack, an annex summarising budget movements in table form was tabled at the meeting. The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance & Assets thanked the Chief Finance Officer and the Finance team for their work to ensure a balanced budget for the year. He noted that a draw on the General Fund Reserve had not been necessary. The Executive Member for Finance and Assets invited Members to ask questions on the report. In response, the following clarifications were provided: Horley Toilets A query was raised regarding the provision of funding for the refurbishment or replacement of the Horley toilets. It was confirmed that a report outlining options for these works was expected to be presented to the Executive in March; however, this would not be available before the budget setting in February. Concerns were expressed about ensuring sufficient funds would be available in the 2025-26 budget to cover any proposed works. It was confirmed that while the details were not yet available, any proposals that came forward would be included in the capital budget following approval by the Executive and Council. Grants and Funding Changes It was highlighted that the Minimum Funding Guarantee Grant would no longer be received, with a new Funding Floor Grant replacing it. The Chief Finance Officer explained that there had been minimal movement in core spending power from 2024-25 to 2025-26. The relevant data was included in the budget papers for the forthcoming Executive meeting, which had been published the previous day. Maintenance of Pathways A Member requested assurance that there was sufficient revenue budget to deal with maintenance of pathways and greenspaces. The Chief Executive assured the Committee that there was in place a maintenance budget to provide a rolling programme of works to be carried out in the following year. It was possible that certain areas would take priority, there was no guarantee that all pathway works would be completed. Members were asked to contact the Portfolio Holder with any particular areas for concern. 2025/26 Budget Consultation A Member requested further information on the comments in regard to the Harlequin Theatre received in the budget consultation responses. It was confirmed that there were a few comments in the survey suggesting that budget provision be made for re-establishing the Harlequin Theatre in some form. Reserve for Expenditure Arising from Local Government Reorganisation. In response to a Member question, it was confirmed that provision had been made for a £0.5million reserve, transferred from the Corporate Plan Delivery Fund, to help cover expenditure arising from Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Work on LGR had commenced and currently resource was being redirected from existing staff. Any expenditure incurred before the start of the next financial year would be funded by the Corporate Plan Delivery Fund. National Insurance Contributions The Chief Finance Officer explained that, as a point of prudency, the additional cost attributable to the ... view the full minutes text for item 71. |
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People Portfolio Holders Update To receive a briefing from Executive Members of the People Portfolio areas of work: Leisure, Greenspaces, Housing & Support, and Community Partnerships, and to consider any issues that arise. Supporting documents:
Minutes: Members received briefings from the People Portfolio Holders overseeing the Council’s work in Greenspaces, Leisure & Culture, Housing & Support, and Community Partnerships. The presentations from each of the Executive Members / Portfolio Holders were published on the Council’s website as part of the Committee’s agenda pack which can be viewed here: Greenspaces, Leisure & Culture Councillor Moses, Portfolio Holder for Sustainability & Leisure gave an overview of the Council’s work in Greenspaces and Leisure. Although it sits within her Portfolio, Councillor Moses advised no update on the Harlequin Theatre had been included this evening, as the Committee has been updated about the ongoing work and plans at an extraordinary meeting earlier that month. This was the first year of a combined Greenspaces and Leisure Portfolio, and a real synergy existed between the work of these teams. Over the last 10 months, there had been some changes to the operation of the teams, including a new Head of Service and a new Greenspaces Manager along with several changes within the team. The Portfolio Holder thanked the team for their ongoing diligence and commitment to their roles and for the positive impact they have every day for residents. The teams were responsible for two large pieces of work currently, which would help to shape the future direction of the portfolio: The first was the Greenspaces Strategy which was due to be adopted later this year. This document would set out the vision and priorities for the Borough’s Greenspaces, and the Portfolio Holder thanked the O&S Greenspaces Strategy Review Panel for their support in delivering this critical document. The Strategy would be presented to Overview & Scrutiny Committee later in the year. The second was to look at the Leisure Centre contract, which was due to end in March 2026. Options for this were being progressed quickly to ensure a continuation of service for residents. The Portfolio Holder, Councillor Moses, invited Members to ask questions on the presentation. In response, the following clarifications were provided: Health Scheme Referral Programme Leisure Centre Contract The Head of Greenspaces, Leisure & Culture reported that a working group had been set up to consider the options for the leisure centre contract and he was confident that the available options would be presented to the Executive at the meeting in March 2025. The Chief Executive added that there was an option to further extend the contract with GLL, and that due to LGR, the timelines for large procurement projects were being reviewed. In response to a Member question the Head of Greenspaces, Leisure & Culture explained that although the services worked closely with local schools, the Council did not work in direct partnership with schools in terms of delivery ... view the full minutes text for item 72. |
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Commercial Strategy Progress Update 2024 To receive a progress update on work aligned with the Council’s Commercial Strategy and objectives. RECOMMENDED that Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Notes the update on the Commercial Strategy Report and Annex 1 and makes any observations and the recommendation to the Executive to approve the conclusion of the strategy. Supporting documents:
Minutes: Councillor Lewanski, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance & Assets, introduced the report which set out an update on the progress of the Council’s Commercial Strategy during 2024. The report also recommended that the Executive approve the conclusion of the Commercial Strategy and asked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to make any observations for the Executive to consider. As set out in the report, the Council’s Commercial Strategy was adopted in two parts; part 1 in November 2020 and Part 2 in December 2021. The main purpose of the update was to give details of the implementation of progress against the two objectives in the 2020-2025 Corporate Plan – those objectives being to: · ‘Be a financially self-sustaining Council’; and, · ‘Generate additional income and build our financial resilience, in order to sustain services, through responsible and sustainable commercial activities’ This report provided the latest annual update on the Strategy, setting out the current position that: · The work areas and activities identified in the Strategy were now substantially complete, or had become part of the Council’s ‘business as usual’ · The updated CIPFA Prudential Code and PWLB lending terms mean that local councils are effectively no longer able to undertake new commercial activity for the purposes of income generation Aligning with this current position, the draft Corporate Plan for 2025-2030 did not carry forward the previous objective on commercial activity, although it would continue to recognise the importance of income generation in other ways. The report therefore recommended that the Executive reflect these factors and approve the conclusion of the Commercial Strategy. As referenced, the Council continued to recognise the importance of sound financial planning, robust and ethical governance, and evidence-based decision making. These points, along with the role of existing commercial property in generating income, were represented in the emerging Corporate Plan for 2025-2030, and would continue to guide future decision-making. Accompanying these points, and following from the Marketfield Way lessons learned exercise, the Council was also reviewing project management procedures to ensure that all development activity is supported by robust business cases. The Executive Member for Finance and Assets invited Members to ask questions on the report. In response, the following clarifications were provided: The Chief Executive reassured the Committee that closing the Commercial Strategy would not result in the absence of reporting on ongoing items, reporting would continue through budget reporting, property asset reporting and the new Corporate Plan annual reports. In addition, the Chair noted that property reports were presented to the Partner Shareholder and Trustee Executive Sub Committee where real estate concerns could be discussed. He further suggested that commercial activities be discussed during the annual budget processes. A debate took place regarding the proposed conclusion of the Council’s Commercial Strategy. Concerns were raised about the need for a Commercial Strategy to continue, particularly in relation to managing housing and commercial properties effectively. It was suggested that the Commercial Strategy should not be concluded until the Development Strategy was in place. The importance of ensuring a seamless transition ... view the full minutes text for item 73. |
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Calendar of Meetings 2025-26 To consider the Calendar of Meetings 2025/26 and make any observations to the Executive. RECOMMENDED that Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Considers the draft Calendar of Meetings for the 2025/26 Municipal Year (Annex 1) and makes any observations to the Executive. Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance & Assets requested that the Committee consider the draft Calendar of Meetings for the 2025/26 Municipal Year and make any observations to Executive on 30 January on the proposed meeting dates and times within Annex 1 of the report. The draft Calendar was considered by Group Leaders on 6 January and by the Leader’s meeting on 20 January. Feedback from those two meetings was considered in preparing the 2025/26 Calendar of Meetings. The draft calendar for 2025/26 broadly reflected the schedule of meetings in the current municipal year and avoided committee meetings during school holidays and pre-election periods where possible. There were two proposed changes worth noting – · Firstly, the draft calendar avoided scheduling Audit Committee meetings in the same week as Overview and Scrutiny meetings where possible, as the current arrangement presented challenges for reporting timelines and responding to advanced questions. · Secondly, it was proposed that the default start time for meetings, except for Full Council and Executive meetings, changes to 7.00pm instead of the current 7:30pm start time. The second proposal was informed by the results of the meeting time survey, which were included within the published addendum. It would remain open to individual committees to agree an alternative start time in the new municipal year, should they wish to. The Committee discussed the potential change in meeting start times moving from the existing 7:30pm start time to the earlier option of 7:00pm. It was noted that the survey results indicated a split preference among councillors, with 53% favouring a 7:30pm start, 22% opting for 7:00pm, and smaller percentages for earlier times. Conversely, officers favoured earlier start times, with 49% preferring 6:00pm. The key concerns raised included the difficulties some councillors would face in attending earlier meetings after work, particularly those commuting from London. It was also mentioned that, particularly in winter, late finishes might pose a challenge for officers who work long hours. However, there was also a concern that there was the potential for longer meetings if the start time were to shift earlier. Several Members expressed the view that, while officers' preferences were considered, the convenience of councillors and their ability to attend meetings should be prioritised. The Committee demonstrated a strong preference for retaining the 7:30pm start for meetings requiring high councillor attendance, such as Planning, Overview and Scrutiny, and Full Council meetings. The possibility of adjusting start times for smaller committees, such as Audit, was acknowledged. It was confirmed that Full Council meetings and Executive meetings would retain a 7.30pm start time. It was also noted that the decision on meeting start times would be at the discretion of individual committee chairs. RESOLVED that Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Considered the draft Calendar of Meetings for the 2025/26 Municipal Year and the recommendation to change the start time of meetings to 7.00pm and made the following observations to the Executive: · The existing 7:30pm start for meetings requiring high councillor attendance, such as Planning, and Overview and Scrutiny ... view the full minutes text for item 74. |
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Overview and Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme To consider and agree any changes to the schedule for Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Forward Work Programme 2024/25 and to consider the Action Tracker from the previous meeting. Supporting documents:
Minutes: The Chair noted that some items had been deferred to the Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 12 June to accommodate the Thames Water Scrutiny on 13 March. However, two new items, Horley Community Centre Modernisation and the Development Strategy, had been added to the work programme for 13 March to enable these reports to be considered before being presented to the Executive at their meeting on 20 March. He suggested that the March meeting may need to have an earlier start time of 7.00pm in order to consider all the business on that agenda. The Chair noted that the Q3 2024/25 Performance Report, which had been deferred from 13 March to 12 June, should be removed from the work plan, as the Q4 2024/25 Performance Report would be considered at the June meeting. The Chair also noted that a report on the implementation of Marketfield Way recommendations would be presented to Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 10 July. The Chair also recommended that the committee consider and comment on the new suite of KPIs for 2025/26 by email before the March Executive meeting where the KPIs would be agreed. It was reported that Thames Water had confirmed that representatives would be attending the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 13 March. RESOLVED that Overview and Scrutiny Committee: i) Agreed the changes to the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2024/25. ii) Noted the action tracker. |
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Executive To consider any items arising from the Executive which might be subject to the ‘call-in’ procedure in accordance with the provisions of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules set out in the Constitution. Additional documents: Minutes: 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 the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules. |
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Any other urgent business To consider any item(s) which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered as a matter of urgency - Local Government Act 1972, Section 100B(4)(b).
(NOTE: Under the Committee and Sub-Committee Procedure Rules set out in the Constitution, items of urgent business must be submitted in writing but may be supplemented by an oral report.) Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair reported that as Councillor Baker was now a member of the Executive, he must relinquish his position on the Overview and Scrutiny Greenspaces Strategy Scrutiny Panel. The Committee agreed to the proposal of Councillor Fairhurst as a replacement member of the panel. |