Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2016.

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2016 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.

The Committee will receive a training session on the role of scrutiny, facilitated by Ann Reeder, an Adviser and Regional Advocate for the South of England with the Centre for Public Scrutiny.

The attached documents are for background information:

Ø  Overview and Scrutiny Committee Terms of Reference

Ø  Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

Ø  Review of the work programme 2015-2016

Ø  Current draft work programme for 2016-2017

Ø  Cabinet Forward Plan

During this session, councillors will be invited to consider suitable topics for inclusion on the Committee’s Work Programme.

If councillors already have in mind any particular topic they wish to raise it would assist the Chairman if you could notify him in advance of the meeting, providing a broad outline of the matter.

Councillors will still be able to add further topics at the Committee meeting.

Ann Reeder, an expert advisor and regional advocate for the South of England with the Centre for Public Scrutiny facilitated a training session on the role of Overview and Scrutiny. The session gave an outline of what Overview and Scrutiny is, how it works and what it can achieve.

The Committee discussed and identified topics it would like to consider for inclusion in its work programme for the coming year.

Members raised concerns referred to them by local residents concerning the actions of a private car park in Ashford which was deterring people from shopping in the high street. The Chairman noted that he was also aware of parking issues in Stanwell caused by its proximity to Heathrow airport. He proposed that the Committee as a whole undertake an assessment of parking amenities, both public and privately run in Ashford and Stanwell, and consider any changes that may be required.

Members reported that residents were not aware of what the Council was doing and suggested that a task group be set up to look at the Council’s Communications Strategy and the activities that the Council needed to promote.

Members also felt that the parks’ bylaws and the management of open spaces generally were in need of review. The Chairman proposed that a task group be set up to look at these matters.

The Committee agreed to set up two Task Groups: to review the Council’s Communications Strategy, to include Councillors Capes (Lead member), Doran, Islam and Mooney and to review the parks and open spaces bylaws and management of open spaces, to include Councillors Francis (Lead member), Islam and Spoor.

The Chairman advised that he had received a number of complaints from taxi drivers about the provision of taxi ranks in the Borough and how this provision impacts on the economic needs of the Borough. Taxi drivers had also queried whether they were getting value for money from the Council’s charges.

The Committee agreed to review the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy, with particular regard to provision of taxi ranks, whether the economic needs of the borough are adequately served by the present regime and whether the present fees charged represent value for money.

Members also raised issues in relation to economic matters which the Chairman agreed the Economic Development Task Group would be happy to look at, and highways matters which needed to be referred to Surrey County Council’s Local Committee in Spelthorne.

Resolved to:

1.    include in the Committee’s work programme for 2016-2017:

(a)       An assessment of parking amenities, both public and privately run in         Ashford and Stanwell, and consider any changes that may be required;    and

(b)          A review of the Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy, with particular regard to    provision of taxi ranks, whether the economic needs of the borough are          adequately served by the present regime and whether the present   fees charged represent value for money; and

2.    set up Task Groups to review:

(a)       the Council’s Communications Strategy, comprising Councillors                 Capes, (Lead member), Doran, Islam and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 162/16

To note the provisional revenue outturn spend for 2015/16.

The Committee received the report on the provisional revenue outturn for 2015/16 and noted that £13.925m had been spent against the full year revised budget of £14.536m. Taking into account the use of carry forwards, investment income, reduced use of reserves and business rates retention the net underspend was approximately £261k. Carry forward requests for 2016-2017 amounting to £96k would be accommodated from the underspend.

Resolved to note the provisional revenue outturn for 2015/2016.

To note the provisional capital outturn spend for 2015/16.

The Committee received the provisional capital outturn for 2015/16. It noted that £1.599m had been spent against the revised budget.

Due to rescheduling of some schemes to 2016/17, there would be an under spend for the 2015/16 financial year of £611k of which £522k had been requested as carry forwards to 2016/17.

Resolved to note the provisional capital outturn for 2015/2016.

To note the Treasury Management annual report.

The Committee received the Treasury Management Annual Report on treasury performance for 2015/16, covering the council’s activities in the borrowing and investment market and the associated monitoring and control of risk.

The Committee discussed some concerns about all the financial reports being received at this meeting, with the Cabinet member for Finance, Councillor Howard Williams and the Principal Accountant.

Members asked whether the information provided could be made clearer for the ordinary reader as they were concerned that the wording and content of all the financial reports was too complex to understand in its current form.

Members also asked the purpose of reports before them and whether it was necessary to receive all the reports on the same agenda.

The Principal Accountant explained that the Council's budget was complex as it covered many services, and in consequence the reports were quite broad ranging and detailed.   

The purpose of the reports was to provide feedback to councillors on how the Council’s income and expenditure did in the last complete financial year compared to what we predicted in the budgets. He said that it was important that feedback was provided on both revenue (i.e. day to day spending on services covering employees, supplies and services, fees and charges etc.) and capital (i.e. expenditure on items which will provide benefits to the Council beyond one year). Treasury Management was reported separately because of its key contribution in supporting the revenue budget.

The reports provided at subsequent meetings in the year would focus on how income and expenditure at each quarter was doing against the budget. The frequency of the monitoring reports had reduced in recent years (although the Council was required by accounting standards to provide at least a half yearly monitoring report and an outturn report on Treasury Management).

The Principal Accountant advised that Accountancy was always looking to improve the simplicity and usefulness of its reports to councillors and was open to make further improvements so that the reports were easier to read. Councillor Williams offered to run a short training session for all councillors to help them understand these reports.

Resolved to:

1.         note the Treasury Management annual report for 2015/16; and

2.         invite Councillor Williams and the Council’s finance team to run a short    training session on finance terminology and reading accounts for all   members and strongly recommend that all members attend.

To note an update on the Council’s Project Management programme.

The Committee received an update report on progress with the Council’s key projects and the Towards a Sustainable Future (TaSF) programme. The report noted that as the Council’s focus and priorities had changed towards property acquisitions and housing, some of the previous priority/flagship projects had either been put on hold, delayed or had closed early. Further details of the progress made in each area were outlined in the report and appendices.

Resolved to note the progress report on:

1.    the Towards a Sustainable Future programme and work stream updates

2.    Corporate Projects; and

3.    the work the Corporate Project Team was undertaking to promote good practice and support project managers and sponsors.