Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and notification of substitutions.

16 January 2023 Meeting

Apologies were received from Cllrs Mitchell, Rybinski and Siva.

Cllr H Harvey acted as substitute for Cllr Rybinski and Cllr Gething acted as substitute for Cllr Mitchell.

Cllr Sexton attended the meeting via Microsoft Teams.

23 January 2023 Meeting

Apologies were received from Cllrs Doran, Dunn, Mitchell, Rybinski and Siva.

Cllr C Bateson acted as substitute for Cllr S Dunn, Cllr H Harvey acted as substitute for Cllr Rybinski and Cllr Gething acted as substitute for Cllr Mitchell

To confirm the minutes of the meetings held on 23 and 28 November 2022 as a correct record.

The Committee requested that an amendment be made to the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2022. The Committee had been advised at this meeting that a ‘Lessons Learnt’ Report on 12 Hammersmith Grove would be produced and brought before the Committee in February 2023.

Subject to the above amendments the minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

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

Cllrs Attewell, Mooney and Sexton declared that they were Surrey County Councillors.

The Chair, or his nominee, to answer any questions raised by members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 40.

Note: the deadline for questions to be considered at this meeting is 5pm on day, date i.e day after agenda publication.

At the time of publication of this agenda no questions were received.

There were none.

To consider any issues raised by ward councillors in accordance with Standing Order 34.2

Note: the deadline for ward issues to be notified for consideration at this meeting is 12 noon on day, date i.e day after agenda publication.

At the time of publication of this agenda no ward issues were received.

There were none.

To move the exclusion of the Press/Public for the following items, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

At the meeting on 16 January 2023

It was proposed by Councillor Barratt and Seconded by Councillor Noble and resolved that the public and press be excluded during consideration of the following items, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) because it was likely to disclose information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in being able to undertake even-handed negotiations and finalising acceptable contract terms:

Item 7 – Procurement Service Plan

Item 8 – Assets Service Plan

Item 19 – Annual Commercial Property Report 2021/22

Item 19a – Urgent Item – 2^nd Floor charter Building, Uxbridge

Committee to consider the Procurement Service Plan for 2023/24.

The Committee considered the Procurement Service Plan 2023/24.

The Committee resolved to defer this item until the meeting of the Committee on 20 February 2023 so that the Service Plan could be enhanced with the additional information requested. 

Committee to consider the Assets Service Plan for 2023/24.

The Committee considered the Assets Service Plan.

The Committee requested that this report be brought back to the next meeting of the Corporate Policy & Resources Committee on 20 February 2023 to be reconsidered.

The Committee resolved to defer this report until the next meeting of the Committee.

The Committee is asked to make a recommendation to Council to approve:

1.    The gross Council Tax Base for 2023/24 is determined at 41,185 (2022/23: 40,867) after taking account of the Council’s agreed Council Tax Support Scheme, and

2.    The net Council Tax Base for 2023/24 calculated as Band D equivalents, is determined at 39,949 (2022/23: 39,233) after adjustment by 3% to allow for irrecoverable amounts, appeals and property base changes.

This item was considered at the carry over meeting on 23 February 2023

The Committee considered a report from the Chief Accountant that sought approval to make a recommendation to Council to agree the gross and net Council Tax base for 2023-24.

The Committee were advised that there was a legal requirement to set the Council Tax base and to advise Surrey County Council and the Surrey Police Commissioner between 01 December 2022 and 31 January 2023.

The Committee resolved that, in accordance with its delegated powers the following recommendations, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 be made to Council:

A.   the gross Council Tax Base for 2023/24 is determined at 41,185 (2022/23: 40,867) after taking account of the Council’s agreed Council Tax Support Scheme, and

B.    the net Council Tax Base for 2023/24 calculated as Band D equivalents, is determined at 39,949 (2022/23: 39,233) after adjustment by 3% to allow for; irrecoverable amounts, appeals and property base changes.

To review the budget, fees and charges, growth bids, savings bids and capital bids for the committee’s areas of responsibility.

The Chief Accountant advised the Committee that this year’s budget setting process had been amended to take into account feedback received from members following last year’s process. The report presented to the Committee was to consider only what was allocated to the Corporate Policy & Resources Cost Codes; a detailed report that covered all committees would be brought before the Committee on 20 February 2023.

The Committee were advised that savings had been identified by removing budgets that were no longer being used and that the miscellaneous figures were being looked at. Any amount over £5,000 showing as miscellaneous would have to be allocated to a budget.

The Committee resolved to agree the report.

Report to follow.

The Committee considered a report from the Chief Accountant that asked them to note the current projected budget gaps set in in the report.

They were also asked to recommend that:

1.    Council seeks to protect its council tax base over the four-year outline budget period by increasing the council tax by the maximum allowed by the Government limits,

2.    Council utilise the sinking Fund Reserves to maintain the £10,8m income support for frontline services, affordable housing and regeneration programme, and

3.    Council uses all of the initiatives in the report to close the forecast budget gaps for the years 2024-25 to 2026-27, as set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy

The Committee were advised that it is currently forecast that there would be a deficit of £574,000 though this figure could change once all the information from the other Committees had been collated.

Councillor Beardsmore proposed moving Standing Orders to allow the meeting to conclude at 22:30 in order to finish this item.

The Committee agreed

A Budget Briefing session had been scheduled for 25 January 2023 and the Chief Accountant stated that he was happy to arrange a briefing solely for members of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee if required.

The Committee resolved note the projected Budget gaps and to recommend to Council that all the recommendations outlined in the report be agreed.

The Committee are asked to provide feedback on the 2023/24 Budget setting process.

The Chief Accountant asked the Committee to provide him with any feedback on the Budget setting process so that comments could be considered and amendments made for the 2024/25 process if it was felt that the change would make the process more efficient.

Report to follow.

This item was deferred to the meeting of the Corporate & Policy Resources Committee to be held on 20 February 2023.                        

The Committee is asked to approve the Calendar of Meetings for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 1 of the Report.

This item was considered at the carry over meeting on 23 February 2023

The Committee considered a report that outline the proposed Calendar of Meeting for the municipal year 2023/24.

The Committee requested that Committee Services review the proposed dates for December’s meetings as a number conflicted with Christmas events in the Borough that members wanted to attend, particularly if they are within their Ward.

The Committee resolved to recommend to Council that they approve the Calendar of Meetings for 2023-2024 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Report to follow.

This item was considered at the carry over meeting on 23 February 2023

The Committee considered a report from the Chief Executive and the Group Head of Governance that outlined the Terms of Reference for a Corporate Establishment Review that had been requested at a previous meeting of this Committee.

The Committee were advised that the Terms of Reference was circulated to  Group Leaders and the report takes into account all the feedback received.

The Chief Executive advised that this review should take no more than six months to complete using existing staffing resource within the Council but if some external assistance could be brought in to assist Human Resources this would be reduced to three months.

The Committee requested that it be made clearer in the report that the reason for this review was to ensure that the Council was being run as efficiently as possible.

The Committee resolved to agree:

1.    The Terms of Reference for the Corporate Establishment Review’

2.    Delegation of any expenditure to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Corporate Policy & Resources Committee; and

3.    To secure through a procurement process additional HR capacity resource to accelerate the Corporate Establishment Review.

To consider the Forward Plan for committee business.

The Committee resolved to note the contents of the Forward Plan.

To note those urgent actions which have been taken by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader since the last Corporate Policy and Resources meeting on 28 November 2022.

There were no urgent actions.

To move the exclusion of the Press/Public for the following items, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

At the meeting on 23 January 2023

It was proposed by Councillor Barratt and Seconded by Councillor Beardsmore and resolved that the public and press be excluded during consideration of the following item, in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) because it was likely to disclose information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in being able to undertake even-handed negotiations and finalising acceptable contract terms:

Item 20 – Temporary Adoption of the Staines Development Framework

Committee is asked to approve the Annual Commercial Property Report for the year ending 31 March 2022 and to agree the recommendation that Option B is approved and that the report should be made publicly available on the Council’s website..

The Committee considered the Annual Commercial Property Report for Financial Year 2021/22 that sought approval of the report and agreement to make it publicly available on the Council’s website.

The Committee resolved to approve the Annual Commercial Property Report for the year ending 31 March 2022 and agreed that the report should be made publicly available on the Council’s website.

To consider approval of expenditure for 2^nd floor separation & miscellaneous works.

This item is urgent because there is a financial risk to the Council if this floor remains unoccupied.

Reason for exemption

This report contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006:

Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in the bidding process for the site/services by allowing other bidders to know the position of the Council.  This in turn prejudices the Council by (i) distorting the bids process and (ii) prejudicing the opportunity for the Council to acquire a site/services in order to enable regeneration in the Borough.

The Committee considered an urgent exempt report on the Charter Building, Uxbridge.

It was resolved that the recommendations outlined in the report were approved.

Committee are asked to consider a report from the Chief Accountant and make a recommendation to Council in respect of the Motion brought before Council on 20 October seeking a temporary adoption of the Staines Development Framework.

The Committee considered the Motion in respect of the Temporary Adoption of the Staines Development Framework before it was brought back before Council on 23 February 2023.