Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2018 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 July 2018 were approved as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

There were none.

No Cabinet decisions have been called in.

No Cabinet decisions had been called in for review.

A copy of the latest Forward Plan is attached.

If any members of the Committee have any issues they want to raise in relation to the Cabinet Forward Plan, please inform Terry Collier, Deputy Chief Executive, 24 hours in advance of the meeting with reasons for the request.

The Cabinet Forward Plan was noted.

To note the treasury outturn position for 2017-18 and the financial environment in global markets.

The Committee received the Treasury Management Strategy Annual Report on treasury performance for 2017/18, covering the Council’s activities in the borrowing and investment market and the associated monitoring and control of risk.

Members asked about the Council’s investment strategy and whether there was a target income or limit on borrowing.  The Chief Finance Officer explained that the Council has reviewed and updated its borrowing limits and that the level of borrowing was based on the principle that it was prudent and financially sustainable. He explained that the strategy was driven by the need to offset the loss of grants from central government, the loss of services delivered by Surrey County Council and to fund housing delivery.

The Chief Finance Officer advised the Committee that a new requirement had been introduced for the Council to approve a Capital Strategy giving an overarching narrative on its financial assets, how they were managed, risk mitigation and the rationale for the Strategy. The new Capital Strategy had to be in place by March 2019.

The Chairman suggested the Committee could have a role in pre-decision scrutiny of the Capital Strategy, to which members agreed.

The Leader, Councillor Ian Harvey, added that the purpose of the Council’s property acquisitions strategy was to maintain and enhance the level of service the Council gave to residents and deliver housing. He confirmed that as long as cuts to funding or County Council services continued to be made, the Council would continue to look for further property acquisitions.

Resolved to:

1)    Note the report; and

2)    Include the Capital Strategy on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme for consideration at its November 2018 meeting, or the meeting prior to its consideration at Council if this is later.

To receive an update from the Environment Agency on the latest developments in regards to Temporary Flood Defence Schemes proposed for Spelthorne, following the latest analysis they have carried out for each of the sites.

Tina Donaldson, Community Resilience Advisor with the Environment Agency (EA), gave a presentation (attached to these minutes) to update the Committee on the progress being made with temporary flood defence schemes for Spelthorne.

She explained the background and use of Temporary Defence Deployment Plans (TDDPs) which were now more sophisticated than those used in the floods of 2014.  TDDPs were used where there was no permanent flood defence in place.

She detailed the work that had been done to identify the right locations for the

barriers and then to prepare those areas to be ready to take the temporary defences when the need arose.

In identifying the three alignments in Spelthorne at Thameside (Littleton Lane), Chertsey Road (Shepperton Mead Farm) and Staines, the EA had undertaken modelling for the defences to ensure each alignment was effective and did not make flooding for other communities worse. They had consulted with relevant landowners and made residents aware where there was a direct impact on them from the barriers.

Ms Donaldson also updated the Committee on other EA work in Spelthorne involving management of floating Pennywort and maintenance work to weirs.

Resolved to note the update from the Environment Agency on Temporary Defence Deployment Plans and thank Tina Donaldson for attending.

To consider the report on a review of Community Safety issues for Spelthorne Borough Council during the period 2017-2018.

The Committee will also be pleased to hear from Surrey Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) on community safety matters, and A2D on their work with the Spelthorne Safer Stronger Partnership.

The Group Head for Neighbourhood Services presented her report on a review of Community Safety for 2017-18 which covered the key issues facing the Spelthorne Safer Stronger Partnership in reducing crime and combatting anti-social behaviour. The report provided police data on specific crimes and highlighted the actions being taken to address the priorities of the Partnership covering: serious and organised crime, Closed Circuit Television, community engagement and water safety.

Temporary Borough Inspector Maxine Cilia gave an update on policing in Spelthorne since she took the post in February 2018 including: a dedicated police officer for Stanwell, resources allocated to safeguarding those at risk from high harm of ‘cuckooing’, working on the key priorities of dwelling burglary, high harm, domestic abuse, and making sure victims of crime are cared for properly. 

Dawn Whiteman, Director of Housing and Lilian Buttle, anti-social behaviour manager at A2Dominion spoke about their initiatives in Stanwell to address anti-social behaviour and improve community engagement. These included: problem individuals referred to meet support needs; improving victim reporting of ASB via face-to-face opportunities through door-knocking and drop-in centre. Ms Whiteman gave an overview of activities and events held at the Stanwell Rose Community Centre around youth development, health and well-being and community cohesion and provided a pack for members with detail about these activities (attached to these minutes).

Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro gave a presentation (attached to these minutes) outlining his role, the structure of the police force in Spelthorne and his main concerns which included:

·         Anti-social behaviour (Most residents do not come into contact with high impact crime)

·         Burglary – this has gone up in Surrey and nationally, partly due to changes in categorisation. A lot of offenders had been arrested, charged and were in prison due to ‘old fashioned’ police work.

·         Child Exploitation (CE)

·         Domestic Abuse – still under reported and not taken seriously enough.

·         Drugs/Alcohol offences - Running a campaign this autumn to remind people who is affected by users use of drugs

·         Fraud

·         Modern Slavery

·         Unauthorised Encampments – police will treat criminality wherever it occurs but need evidence to charge any individual. The police think there is a serious gap in Surrey as there are no transit camps. This would give somewhere for the Travellers to go and it would enable the police to move unauthorised encampments on to such a site.

Members of the Committee asked questions about the crime data, community engagement, the 101 service and problems caused by the use of nitrous oxide gas cartridges.

Inspector Cilia offered to clarify some of the crime data, following the meeting. She detailed the community engagement work being done through local police panels, social media panels, initiating a cadet scheme in Spelthorne, Partnership Action Days (PADs) with the JET (Joint Enforcement) team, Crime Stoppers bus and promotion of police information by their Volunteer section.

Mr Munro stated that the 101 service was now working well following a lot of effort in making improvements. The number of calls had increased and in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 213/18

To receive an update on progress with corporate projects across the Council.

The Group Head for Commissioning and Transformation presented an update report on progress being made with Corporate Projects and responded to members questions on specific projects.

The Committee was pleased with the improvement in the way information was presented and noted that further improvements would be made.

Resolved to note the Corporate Project Management update.

To consider and approve the Committee’s draft work programme for the 2018-2019 Municipal year.

An updated draft Work Programme was circulated at the meeting for the Committee’s consideration and is attached.

The Committee had already identified at this meeting that it wished to review the draft Capital Strategy at its November 2018 meeting.

The Committee also agreed to include an item on task groups at the November 2018 meeting and that consideration of the Leisure Centre consultation be moved to the January 2019 meeting.

Resolved to approve the draft Work Programme for 2018-19 subject to the inclusion of:

a)    the Capital Strategy and Task Groups at the November 2018 meeting and

b)    the Leisure Centre consultation at the January 2019 meeting.