Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bhadye, Brennan and Geach.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2023 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2023 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.

There were none.

To consider the appointment of trustees for Laleham Village Hall and Recreation Ground.

The Committee considered nominations for representative trustees to Laleham Charities Village Hall and Recreation Ground. The charity was advised the term for two of their current trustees was expiring and were encouraged to advertise vacancies. The Charity supplied the Council with the names of the trustees they intended to re-appoint which included Colin Squire OBE, and Matthew Calvert  who had previously served as trustees and met the criteria set out in the charity scheme.

The Committee resolved to appoint Colin Squire OBE and Matthew Calvert as representative trustees to Laleham Village Hall and Recreation Ground for a period of four years.

The final version of the report was not attached to the agenda. As such, this report is accessible as part of the minutes document.

To review and approve the draft proposed fees and charges for 2024-25 for this Committee and recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee that they approve the proposed fees and charges for 2024-25.

The Committee considered the Fees and Charges under the Administrative Committee’s remit as part of the annual budget process. The Chief Accountant advised Committee members that following instruction from Corporate Policy and Resources Committee on 22 January 2024, any discretionary fees over £25 would be rounded upwards to the nearest pound, which was reflected within the report for this Committee.

The Committee queried a section in the summary of the report which stated this Committee will be asked to review and approve the proposed Fees and charges from all the other committees. The Chief Accountant confirmed this was an error which should instead be included in the report for Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.

The Committee also queried a figure on land charges which had increased but were not creating extra income. The Chief Accountant confirmed these figures were produced in October 2023 and would fluctuate in ever changing economic conditions. The Committee also sought clarification on the service ‘CON29R’ and what this delivered. The Chief Accountant confirmed he would check this with the relevant budget manager and send a written note to Committee members.

The Committee resolved to:

1)    Approve the proposed Fees and Charges for 2024-25 for this Committee

2)    Recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee that they approve the proposed Fees and Charges for 2024-25

To formally review and approve the proposed Revenue Growth Bids, Capital Growth Bids and Savings Plans for 2024-25, and recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee that they approve the proposed Revenue Growth Bids, Savings Plan and Capital Growth Bids for 2024-25.

The Committee considered the revenue growth bids, capital growth bids and savings plans under the Committee’s remit for 2024-25. The Chief Accountant noted that as part of producing a balanced budget, the Fees and Charges raised from services provided are an important element of the Council’s budget, accounting for approximately 22.5% of its total annual income.

The Chief Accountant highlighted a minor presentational issue on Appendix F, Detailed Budget by Cost Centre which listed previous Mayors accounts and were due to be removed.

The Committee resolved to:

1.     Approve the proposed Revenue Growth Bids, Capital Growth Bids and Savings Plans for 2024-25 for this Committee

2.     Recommend to Corporate Policy and Resources Committee that they approve the proposed Revenue Growth Bids, Capital Growth Bids and Savings Plans for 2024-25.

To receive an update on projects.

The Committee considered an update on current projects activity and the status of ongoing development related to the project management site. The Control and Systems Manager explained that the report attached to the agenda was initially circulated as part of the Members Briefing Pack on 12 December 2023 following which feedback was received and had been addressed accordingly. A main step in actioning feedback was though contacting owners of live projects on the dashboard and seeking relevant updates and clarification. 

The successful completion of a number of projects were highlighted, including the launch of the new user portal, launch of an improved communication platform, FOI system and the procurement of waste and street cleansing vehicles. There had also been challenges encountered in some of the ongoing projects, specifically 3^rd party delays

The Committee resolved to note the update.

To receive a verbal presentation on a summary of reported issues.

The Committee considered a verbal update on the new Councillor eform. The Control and Systems Manager reported that this platform had been in place for some months now and a total of 190 reports had been submitted via the eform. Constant improvements were being implemented to the system following review and feedback which included increased functionality, accuracy and reporting capabilities.

The Control and Systems Manager shared a brief demonstration of reporting metrics associated with the eform which helped enabled transparency in recording which Councillors were submitting forms and to differentiate the forms by subject and ward.

The Committee resolved to the verbal update and demonstration.

To consider the Forward Plan for committee business.

The Committee considered the forward plan for Committee business.

The Committee resolved to note the forward plan with no suggestions for future business.

Meeting ended at 19:49.

The following actions arose from the meeting:

The Chief Accountant confirmed he would seek a response from the relevant service manager on whether there was a link between the new Community Engagement Officer and Surrey’s Community Officer.

The Chief Accountant confirmed he would seek clarification on the Con29R service and what this provided by the relevant service manager.

The Chief Accountant confirmed he would provide clarification on the late growth bid related to internal audit arrangements.