Brighton & Hove City Council
Policy & Resources Committee
4.00pm9 July 2020
Virtual Meeting - Skype
MINUTES
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Present: Councillor Platts (Chair) Yates (Deputy Chair), Mac Cafferty (Opposition Spokesperson), Bell (Group Spokesperson), Allcock, Clare, Gibson and Miller |
PART ONE
12 Procedural Business
(a) Declarations of Substitutes
12.1 Councillors Hugh-Jones and Williams decalred that they were attending the meeting as substitues for Councillors Druitt and Moonan respectively.
(b) Declarations of Interest
12.2 There were no declarations of interests in matters listed on the agenda.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public
12.3 The Committee considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any of the items listed on the agenda.
12.4 RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the items contained in part two of the agenda.
13 Minutes
13.1 The minutes of the last Ordinary meeting held on the 30th April and the Special meeting held on the 7 May were approved as a correct record.
13.2 The minutes of the P&R Urgency Sub-Committee meeting held on the 14th May were noted; and
13.3 The minutes of the P&R (Recovery) Sub-Committee meetings held on the 29th May and 24th June were noted.
14 Chair's Communications
14.1 The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave the following communications:
We remain in uncertain times even with the move to the recovery phase of the lock-down for Covid-19. As a local authority we are having to make difficult decisions, but I know that across the three political parties we are committed to rebuilding our local economy.
The Council has worked with local businesses to successfully pay out the £3.677million allocated for the discretionary grant fund. This has provided vital support to 304 of our local businesses, however the demand for support far exceeded the funds available. We are disappointed that we are now having to inform over 600 business that the help that they are seeking cannot be provided. But we are not giving up. Together with the Chamber of Commerce, Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership, the Federation of Small Businesses, our two universities and a range of business partners in the city we have written a joint letter to government to ask again for dispensation to use the unallocated sums from the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grant, and the Small Business Grant to help more local businesses survive
I want to repeat our thanks all council staff who continue to deliver vital services to our residents in difficult circumstances and to thank all the volunteers who are delivering food and medicines to vulnerable people and to all the essential workers who have to have kept going through such difficult times.
It’s been a big week for Brighton & Hove, as many of our hotels, restaurants, pubs and attractions have reopened with the latest phase of lockdown easing. Seeing more of our city come back to life and knowing that more of our valued businesses can finally begin trading is a really welcome step. Every small business has taken personal sacrifice to get off the ground, so we share in the relief of many business owners who have been able to open their doors again. I have personally visited many businesses to see how they are getting along.
Already, many seafront hotels are fully booked and restaurants are expected to be busy with extra visitors in town, so planning and booking ahead from now on is strongly advised. We’re used to sharing our city and are renowned for our warm welcome. In a typical year, we can expect to see up to 11 million visitors come to Brighton & Hove. They are a valued part of the city’s vibrant make-up and contribute hugely to its diverse personality and year-round buzz. They also support thousands of jobs and contribute an estimated £850m to the local economy annually.
As a council we are continuing to do all we can to keep the city safe for businesses to reopen and to welcome visitors back. These measures have included widening pavements, closing roads and installing signage. We have been giving businesses the guidance they need to reopen and make any temporary changes necessary for trading successfully and safely.
We want everyone who comes into the city centre to enjoy themselves and we all need to stay safe and look after one another.
Covid-19 has not gone away and the NHS is still working hard to save lives. We should all stay two metres apart if possible, use hand sanitiser and wear a mask on public transport, in shops and public spaces if you can.
I am pleased to announce that, following the agreement of this committee to introduce a Black or Minority Ethnic co-optee to this Committee, the terms of reference have been agreed. We have consulted and received the support of the Racial Harassment Forum for the proposals and one of their nominees will be on the interviewing panel selecting the candidate to serve on this committee. The information pack is being prepared and the position will be advertised shortly. We hope to have appointed the successful candidate - someone living or working in the Brighton & Hove area who is not active in party politics - before the next ordinary meeting of the committee in October. The co-optee will bring their lived experience and perspective as a person from a Black or Minority Ethnic background to enrich the deliberations of the committee. We are also planning to go further and, together with other public and private partners in the City, we are planning to introduce a Civic Leadership Programme so that people from under-represented communities will have the opportunity through mentoring, shadowing and academic studies to gain experience in the working of the Council and other civic and private institutions in the city.
We have several reports coming forward on the budget today, and I’m sure all members will appreciate the significant costs and income losses surrounding the public health crisis, as well as growing pressures on demand-led services, the requirement to achieve further substantial savings, and uncertainties over funding in future years, particularly concerning business rates and the longer term funding of health and social care.
Estimating costs and losses for the remainder of this financial year and beyond is clearly very difficult and subject to a wide range of factors discussed in the reports. In summary, the deficit for 2020/21 is estimated to be in the range of £17m to £39m. The recent government funding announcement is welcome but unfortunately will not make a significant dent in these estimates which had already assumed some funding support. We will be doing our best to manage prudently and keep the deficit as low as we can but much of the deficit will probably need to be met by one-off resources, likely to require some use of balances and reserves that will subsequently need to be repaid over future years. Similarly, the budget gap for 2021/22 is estimated to be in the range £11m to £27m which is, arguably, a bigger challenge and we are hoping for support from the government in the autumn Spending Review. The breadth of these ranges (worst case to optimistic view), gives a clear indication of the financial planning challenges facing the local authority, including the need for further funding clarity from central government. I hope all members will join me in continuing to lobby government to live up to its promise that local councils would be fully compensated.
We have a report coming forward on our Homeless & Rough Sleeper Strategy for the next five years. Addressing the housing crisis and rough sleeping is a central priority for this administration, and an area of joint work with the Green Group. There is no escaping the fact that a national strategy is needed to provide a long-term solution to homelessness and to end rough sleeping in this country, and we have written jointly with the Green Group to central government making this case.
We set out our proposed solutions including adopting the Housing First model nationally with funding provided for addiction rehab and wrap-around support plus capital funding for the purchase of buildings. We have also called for the government to introduce a ‘living rent’ cap for landlords and to introduce legislation to give local authorities rent control powers in high rent areas like Brighton & Hove. We called for government funding to help sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness and advocated the extension of the moratorium on evictions. We also urged government to raise the £3500 cap on what landlords are required to spend upgrading their properties to the required Energy Performance Certificate level and provide grants or loans to help them achieve this.
We have provided evidence on the impact of Covid-19 on homelessness and the private rented sector to the Housing, Communities & Local Government committee inquiry, outlining our concerns and recommendations in this area.
At a local level, we are calling for support today for a Homelessness Reduction Board to help us tackle rough sleeping and homelessness. I want to thank officers for their work on the Homeless and Rough Sleeper Strategy, and I have confidence that the local measures it outlines will help reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in the city if we get the action from government we have asked for.
We have a range of other reports today that will help us deliver on our own promises to residents; from fitting at least 500 new solar panels to council homes and moving towards our 2030 carbon neutral goal, to continuing our support for the Saltdean Lido, in line with our aims to become a healthier, active city of wellbeing.
I hope these ideas can gain cross-party support and we can continue to build a fairer city with a sustainable future. I look forward to hearing everybody’s contributions today and hope we can move forward constructively for our residents.
15 Call Over
15.1 The following items were reserved for discussion:
Item 18 - Approach to Ongoing Personal Protective Equipment Expenditure Update July 2020
Item 20 - Targeted Budget Management (TBM) Provisional Outturn 2019/20
Item 21 - Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2020/21: Month 2
Item 22 - General Fund Budget Planning and Resources Update
Item 23 - Procurement of Replacement Wide Area Network
Item 24 - Strategic Risk Register
Item 25 - Annal Customer Insight Report 2019/20
Item 26 - Annual Progress Update Against Corporate Key Performance Indicators 2019/20
Item 27 - Saltdean Lido Restoration
Item 28 - Disposal of Land at Braypool Lane
Item 30 - Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-2025
Item 32 - The Procurement of Services: Absence Management
Item 33 - Housing Revenue Account Solar Photovoltaic Installation Programme 2020-2023.
15.2 The Head of Democratic Services confirmed that items 18, 20 to 28, 30, 32 and 33 had been reserved for discussion; and that Items 19, 29, 31, 34, 35 and 37 had been approved.
Item 19 - Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2019/20 – End of Year Review
Item 29 - Appropriation of 122 Graham Avenue to HRA
Item 31 - Procurement of Occupational Health & Employee Assistance Service Contracts
Item 34 - Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Scheme – Detailed Design
Item 35 - Appointment of Representative to the Fire Authority – Councillor West
Item 37 - Disposal of Land at Braypool Lane – Exempt Category 3.
16 Public Involvement
16.1 The Chair invited Mr. Smith to join the meeting and present his petition concerning the potential use of parking revenue generated on Madeira Drive to invest in the restoration of the Arches.
16.2 Mr. Smith thanked the Chair and presented his petition which had 66 signatures and he hoped would some restoration to the Arches and the area in general, including the painting of railings and lamp columns.
16.3 Councillor Miller put forward a motion to request a report to the committee on the potential use of income from parking to invest in the restoration of the area.
16.4 Councillor Bell seconded the motion.
16.5 The Chair thanked Mr. Smith for his petition and put the motion to call for an officer report to the vote which was carried by 6 votes to 4.
16.6 RESOLVD: That the report be noted, and officers be requested to bring a report back to a future meeting of the committee on the potential to implement the petition’s request.
17 Member Involvement
(a) Written Questions
17.1 The Chair noted that 24 written questions had been submitted by Members. However, she suggested that written responses would be provided to Councillor Druitt due to his absence and in view of the time allocated for the item, asked Members to identify which questions they wished to ask at the meeting and she would then ensure the remaining questions received a written response.
17.2 Councillor Gibson asked questions listed as 12, 14, 15,16 and 17 on the agenda to which the Chair gave responses to and to the supplementary questions in relation to questions 15 and 16.
17.3 Councillor Clare confirmed that she was happy to receive written responses to her questions.
17.4 Councillor Miller asked his two questions, 23 and 24 listed on the agenda to which the Chair gave responses to and to the supplementary questions in relation to both questions.
(b) Members’ Letters
17.5 The Chair noted that there were two letters on the agenda and invited Councillor Clare to speak to her letter.
17.6 Councillor Clare thanked the Chair and stated that she hoped an update could be given to the points raised in her letter and the proposed actions then taken forward.
17.7 The Chair thanked Councillor Clare and stated that the Administration was fully committed to women’s equality whether it related to Councillors, Officers or residents of the city. You are right that a list of actions was agreed at the 5th December P&R in response to the recommendations of the Fawcett Society. Like much of the Council’s work, the speed with which we were able to progress implementation of the agreed plan was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. So, not everything has been completed at the speed we would have liked.
But we have made significant progress in many areas. I do not intend to go through every single of the actions that were agreed, but would like to highlight the main ones:
1. The articles of constitution have been amended to include an indicative aspiration that we would strive to ensure that at least 50% of Chairs of Committees are women. As Members are aware, currently, the majority of the Chairs of Committees are women and that has been the case for some time. The wording of the constitution has also been revised to make it gender neutral and not use the masculine gender as the default option.
2. The Council’s workforce data shows that we have a majority women workforce. The gender pay gap in Brighton and Hove actually bucks the trend and the average pay for women is higher than that of men. We continue to monitor trends, including representation at senor levels, and will take action where there is evidence of inbuilt discrimination.
3. We did undertake an equalities and disabilities survey of Members. Where special needs were identified action has been taken to address them. The response rate was less than 50%, but a reminder has been sent to those who did not respond. Arrangements have been put in place to give Members access to Occupational health therapy where it is needed in connection with their role as councillors.
4. All meetings of our Policy and Regulatory committees are now webcast and archives are kept for people to view.
5. The principle of not using non-disclosure clauses in settlement agreements was agreed by P&R subject to the agreement of the unions. We anticipate that employees will be supportive as it restricts the use of non-disclosure clauses but gives the employee the choice of keeping the clause if they want to. The Unions asked to be supplied with the paperwork. It was then going to the Joint Staff Consultative Forum before coming into effect. That was delayed because meetings of working groups were suspended as part of the arrangements for responding to the pandemic. So, we hope to pick this up and have it in place soon.
6. We have taken on board the need to make part time and job share available as part of our flexible working initiatives. When applying online for BHCC roles, there is now a standard prompt asking people if they want to be considered for part time work or want the job to be considered on a job-share basis. In the particular case you mentioned in your letter regarding the advertisement for the Environmental Enforcement Officer role, although it started by saying it was a 37 hours per week role, it did include additional information later on which indicated that the salary would be prorated if the position was filled on a part time or term time only basis. However, I accept that it was not perhaps as clear as it should have been. We are reviewing the standard wording we use in advertisements in future.
7. We have already agreed, through Leaders Group, a role description for the BME permanent invitee to P&R. We have consulted the Racial Harassment Forum who are supportive. WE are in the process of finalising the information pack and the advertisement should go out soon. The Civic Leadership Programme for people from BME background is being taken forward as part of the overall strategy for tackling racism.
8. The issue of Meeting times is something the Council grappled with for years but has not been able to find consensus. There will be a survey going out to Members again before the end of July and if there is broad consensus, it will be brought to P&R for agreement. The question of allowances is something the Independent Remuneration Panel is looking at as part of its normal work programme. Again, any recommendations will come back to Members for approval.
9. Training for Members was offered on trans awareness and Fair & Inclusive Policy. The take up, as you state, was low. But that is partly to do with the timing of the training sessions. I have asked Officers to review this and the Equalities Team and Democratic Services are looking to booking sessions to take place during or immediately before Group meetings as well as alternative options so that Members have choices. I am hopeful that we will ensure greater attendance.
I am sure you will agree Cllr Clare that we have made progress in many areas and we will address the outstanding ones. I am very happy for Officers to update the Constitutional Working Group on the work around this important stream of equalities work so that there is proper Member oversight.
17.8 The Chair then moved that the letter should be noted.
17.9 RESOLVED: That the letter be noted.
17.10 The Chair then invited Councillor Mac Cafferty to speak to the joint letter from himself and Councillor Clare.
17.11 Councillor Mac Cafferty thanked the Chair and stated that residents were concerned about the number of exercise groups appearing on Hove Lawns and wanted to know what was happening about the proposed voluntary licensing scheme that had been identified in 2014. He asked whether it had been updated or was being enforced.
17.12 The Chair thanked Councillor Mac Cafferty and stated that he had raised a number of valid issues of concern that are complicated and require careful investigation. The issues straddle across area of licensing, street trading, legitimate use of parks and appropriate use of enforcement powers.
Given the current need to support businesses who are going though challenging times as well as the need to support active life, there is, obviously, a need to proceed with caution and get the balance right. We also need to look at this in the context of the bigger picture, including the introduction of pavement licenses under the Business and Planning Bill currently going through parliament that allows some businesses to expand their area of operation onto the highway.
I would therefore like to ask Officers to review this and bring a report to the next relevant committee of the Council with comprehensive proposals to address the issues, including the possible introduction of a mandatory licensing scheme if that is considered necessary. I say relevant committee as some of this falls within the remit of the Licensing Committee and some of it with the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee.
In the meanwhile, I will ask Officers to monitor the situation and, in cases where there are health and safety concerns, or the unauthorised use of open spaces interferes disproportionately with the legitimate use of the open space, to take the necessary action under our normal enforcement procedures.
Given that explanation, does the committee agree to ask for a report to the relevant committee of the Council and that, in the meantime, Officer monitor the situation and take action under existing procedures where necessary.
17.13 The Chair then moved that the letter be noted.
17.14 RESOLVED: That the letter be noted.
18 Approach to Ongoing Personal Protective Equipment Expenditure: Update July 2020
18.1 The Executive Director for Health & Adult Social Care introduced the report which outlined the Council’s continued provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) both to council services and a range of partner organisations. He noted that the despite provision from the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), the demand on the Council to provide PPE remained significant.
18.2 The Head of Performance, Improvement & Programmes informed the committee that the council had met all the requests to date for PPE and had built-in some contingency and moved storage to the Brighton Centre. She noted that the key challenge was the uncertainty of demand going forward and it was hoped that direct supplies to other organisations from the LRF and the intended clipper service would help to reduce demand on the council. She also stated that officers were working to take into account the issue of single-use plastics and re-useable equipment in terms of procurement and disposal and she hoped to be able to update the committee at its next meeting on how this was being achieved.
18.3 The Chair noted that there was a Green amendment to the recommendation in the report and invited Councillor Clare to move the amendment.
18.4 Councillor Clare moved the amendment on behalf of the Green Group and stated that it was intended to add to the recommendations, and she wished to thank the officers for the report and all those involved in sourcing and providing the equipment.
18.5 Councillor Hugh-Jones formally seconded the amendment and queried whether there was any use of recycling schemes that existed in regard to the provision of laptops to schools. She also asked that consideration be given to ensuring that the sustainability paragraph in reports in general was given greater emphasis.
18.6 The Head of Performance, Improvement & Programmes noted that the provision of laptops to schools had come direct from government resources and had met the demand. However, should there be further requests and no government provision then alternative sources for provision would be explored.
18.7 Councillor Allcock welcomed the report and stated that the provision of PPE had been a huge success and wished to acknowledge the work and commitment of officers to ensure that all requests were met. He noted that estimated costs for the equipment were reducing and confirmed that the Labour Group were happy to accept the amendment.
18.8 Councillor Bell stated that he wished to add his thanks to officers for their work and noted that there was still a long way to go and continued partnership working would be required.
18.9 The Chair noted the comments and that the amendment had been accepted and therefore put the recommendations as amended to the vote, which was carried.
18.10 RESOLVED:
(1) To note the current estimated monthly council expenditure on PPE as outlined in section 3.2 and approach to purchasing and distribution of PPE; and
(2) In recognition of the increase in single-use plastic waste created by the necessary increase in PPE use, the Committee requests the Executive Director of HASC to:
- further to the council’s agreed Single Use Plastics Policy, work with council procurement teams to explore how the impact of single use plastics can be reduced in relation to PPE
- work with council services and partner organisations/individuals receiving PPE procured by the council or by the Local Resilience Forum to ensure they have robust arrangements in place for the proper, safe disposal of PPE.
19 Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2019/20 - End of Year Review
19.1 RESOLVED:
(1) That the Committee note that the provisional General Fund outturn position is an overspend of £2.821m and that this represents an adverse movement of £0.350m compared to the projected and planned resource position at Month 9 taken into account when setting the 2020/21 budget.
(2) That the Committee approve the use of 0.385m from the planned and winter maintenance reserves; and instructs officers to identify 38.5k each year for the next 10 years to replenish the funds in this reserve.
(3) That the Committee note the provisional outturn includes an underspend of £0.011m on the council’s share of the NHS managed Section 75 services.
(4) That the Committee note the provisional outturn for the separate Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which is an underspend of £0.679m.
(5) That the Committee note the provisional outturn position for the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant, which is an underspend of £0.703m.
(6) That the Committee approve carry forward requests totalling £10.700m as detailed in Appendix 5 and included in the provisional outturn.
(7) That the Committee note the provisional outturn position on the capital programme which is an underspend variance of £0.447m.
(8) That the Committee approve the capital budget variations and re-profiling requested in Appendix 7 and new schemes in Appendix 8.
20 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) Provisional Outturn 2019/20
20.1 The Acting Chief Finance Officer introduced the report which detailed the provisional outturn position for the Council’s revenue and capital budgets for the financial year 2019/20 as at month 12, year-end. He noted that it was a complicated picture and referred to paragraph 3.5 as having the key table to refer to.
20.2 Councillor Gibson moved an amendment to the recommendations on behalf of the Green Group which was formally seconded by Councillor Clare.
20.3 The Committee considered the report and the amendment with Members expressing views in favour and against the amendment due to the use of one-off funding that could not then be resourced in future years and therefore result in a depletion of the council’s reserves.
20.4 The Chair noted that an amendment had been moved and put it to the vote which was carried by 6 votes to 4.
20.5 The Chair then put the recommendations as amended to the vote which were carried unanimously.
20.6 RESOLVED:
(1) That the Committee note that the provisional General Fund outturn position is an overspend of £2.821m and that this represents an adverse movement of £0.350m compared to the projected and planned resource position at Month 9 taken into account when setting the 2020/21 budget.
(2) That the Committee approve the use of 0.385m from the planned and winter maintenance reserves; and instructs officers to identify 38.5k each year for the next 10 years to replenish the funds in this reserve.
(3) That the Committee note the provisional outturn includes an underspend of £0.011m on the council’s share of the NHS managed Section 75 services.
(4) That the Committee note the provisional outturn for the separate Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which is an underspend of £0.679m.
(5) That the Committee note the provisional outturn position for the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant, which is an underspend of £0.703m.
(6) That the Committee approve carry forward requests totalling £10.700m as detailed in Appendix 5 and included in the provisional outturn.
(7) That the Committee note the provisional outturn position on the capital programme which is an underspend variance of £0.447m.
(8) That the Committee approve the capital budget variations and re-profiling requested in Appendix 7 and new schemes in Appendix 8.
21 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2020/21: Month 2
21.1 The Acting Chief Finance Officer introduced the report which detailed the early indication forecast risks as at Month 2 on the council’s revenue and capital budgets for the financial year 2020/21. He noted that the impact of the pandemic would need to be accounted for and this would be reflected in future reports to the committee.
21.2 Councillor Miller moved an amendment to the recommendations on behalf of the Conservative Group which was formally seconded by Councillor Bell.
21.3 Members of the committee welcomed the amendment and thanked officers for the report.
21.4 The Chair noted that the amendment had been moved and put it to the vote which was carried unanimously.
21.5 The Chair then put the recommendations as amended to the vote which was carried unanimously.
21.6 RESOLVED:
(1) That the Committee note the forecast risk position for the General Fund, which indicates a budget pressure of £36.003m. This includes an overspend of £2.061m on the council’s share of the NHS managed Section 75 services.
(2) That the Committee note the forecast net Collection Fund deficit of £13.070m.
(3) That the Committee note the forecast for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which is currently an underspend of £0.343m.
(4) That the Committee note the forecast risk position for the Dedicated Schools Grant which is an overspend of £0.059m.
(5) That the Committee note the forecast outturn position on the capital programme which is a forecast underspend of £2.417m and approve the variations and slippage in Appendix 5 and new schemes as set out in Appendix 6.
(6) That the Committee approve the extension of the temporary period of average pay for Casual Workers who cannot work to the end of July 2020.
(7) That the fee associated with the licence required to put tables and chairs on a pavement/public highway be suspended for the remainder of the 2020-2021 financial year.
22 General Fund Budget Planning and Resources Update
22.1 The Acting Chief Finance Officer introduced the report and stated that it provided an update from the previous report to committee on the budget planning and resources in the context of the pandemic and preparation for the 2021/22 annual budget setting process. He noted that it also included an updated Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MFTS) for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24.
22.2 The Chair noted that there was a Conservative amendment to the recommendations, but Councillor Miller was having difficulty with his connection and therefore moved to adjourn the meeting to enable him to re-join.
22.3 The meeting was then adjourned at 6.29pm.
22.4 The Chair reconvened the meeting at 6.45pm and invited Councillor Miller to his amendment.
22.5 Councillor Miller moved an amendment on behalf of the Conservative Group which was formally seconded by Councillor Bell.
22.6 Councillor Mac Cafferty the moved an amendment on behalf of the Green Group, which was formally seconded by Councillor Gibson.
22.7 The Committee considered the report and both amendments and raised questions over elements of the budget and the potential for increased costs resulting from the pandemic and other factors such as the recent pay award for staff. Members of the Committee agreed that both amendments were sensible and that the council need time to consider the impact on the city and the council itself.
22.8 The Chair then put the Conservative and Green amendments to the vote, and both were carried unanimously.
22.9 The Chair then put the recommendations as amended to the vote which was carried unanimously.
22.10 RESOLVED:
(1) Note the range of funding and net expenditure scenarios for 2020/21 and the potential call on one-off resources these entail.
(2) Note the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) scenarios and projections for 2021/22 to 2023/24 set out in the body of the report.
(3) Agree to use the ‘Moderate View’ scenario for planning purposes for both 2020/21 and for the predicted budget gap in 2021/22 based on a 10-year reserve repayment period in respect of the 2020/21 deficit.
(4) In lieu of government funding announcements, alongside a Financial Smoothing Option, instruct the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to develop options for a possible Emergency Budget Plan for 2020/21 to be considered at the October Policy & Resources Committee if required.
(5) Agree to the continued pausing or un-pausing of new capital schemes as set out in Appendix 3 and that paused schemes will be subject to further review at the October Policy & Resources Committee meeting.
(6) That further to the October review outlined in (5) above, that committee notes:
(i) The overwhelming importance of Madeira Terraces, and the opportunity that exists in their regeneration, and that delays to restoration of this important heritage asset should be avoided if at all possible; and therefore,
(ii) Seeks to explore how the purchase of Commercial properties to support Madeira Terrace Investment borrowing of £20m can be ‘unpaused,’ in October, which will in turn support our city’s property market, providing that any purchase is supported by a full and robust business case;
(iii) the context of the climate emergency, and that delays to actions towards the council’s commitment of carbon neutrality by 2030 should be avoided if at all possible; and therefore:
(iv) requests that officers explore how the Sustainability and Carbon Reduction Investment Fund (SCRIF) capital programme borrowing of up to £3.9m can be ‘unpaused,’ in October, to the extent that the projected additional Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) income generates sufficient revenue to finance borrowing costs.
23 Procurement of replacement Wide Area Network
23.1 The Chief Information Officer for Orbis introduced the report which sought approval to commence the procurement of a new data services network through a joint procurement with members of the Link partnership. He noted that the current wide area network (WAN) contract was due to end in December 2021.
23.2 Members of the committee welcomed the report and noted the speed of change in the digital environment and expressed the need for fall-back options in the new contract to account for this. It was also noted that there was a need to improve speeds for the network in city.
23.3 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
23.4 RESOLVED:
(1) That the procurement of a wide area network service via a joint procurement procedure as part of the public sector consortium known as ‘The Link Partnership’ be approved;
(2) That the Assistant Director, Human Resources and Organisational Development be granted delegated authority to:
(i) engage with the procurement referred to at 2.1 and award a contract for a wide area network service with a term of ten years;
(ii) take any other steps necessary to implement recommendation 2.1 including entering into a separate agreement with the other Link Partners,
and;
(iii) approve an extension(s) to the contract referred to in 2.2(i) above for a period of up to 2 years following the initial ten-year term, subject to satisfactory performance by the provider.
(3) That the inclusion of the implementation costs estimated at £2.5m within the 2021/22 capital programme and the increase in ongoing revenue costs of up to £0.380m in 2022/23 as a commitment be approved.
24 Strategic Risk Register
24.1 The Heed of Performance, Improvement & Programmes introduced the report which provided an update on the Council’s Strategic Risk Register.
24.2 The Committee welcomed the report and noted that it would be helpful for Members to know how to raise matters as they may feel certain risks should be listed as being ‘red’ rather than amber and may also want to suggest other risks that could be included in the register.
24.3 The Chair then put the recommendation to the vote.
24.4 RESOLVED: That the Strategic Risk Register (SRR) detailed within Table 1 of the report with full details provided at Appendix 1 be noted and the Committee Members provide support and challenge to the Risk Owners in managing these risks.
Note:
24.5 The Chair then called a ten-minute adjournment from 7.32 to 7.42pm.
25 Annual Customer Insight Report 2019/20
25.1 The Head of Performance, Improvement & Programmes introduced the report which provided an annual update on the council’s performance against its Customer Promise. She noted that Stage 1 complaints had gone down by 9% and compliments had increased by 14% in general across the organisation.
25.2 The Committee welcomed the report and noted the improvements in areas but also noted that there were difficulties in comparing data with other authorities e.g. housing satisfaction rates and that it would be helpful to have the City Tracker survey results to compare to in the future. It was also felt that consideration needed to be given to how to record complaints raised through other means such as Twitter and that the City Clean twitter account had been off-line for some time.
25.3 The Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture noted that City Clean’s Twitter account had been down and stated that he would look into how that could be resolved.
25.4 The Chair then put the recommendation to the vote.
25.5 RESOLVED: That the Customer Insight Annual Report for 2019/20 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be noted and that the committee provides support and challenge to officers to further improve customer experience and customer satisfaction with the council.
26 Annual progress update against Corporate Key Performance Indicators 2019/20
26.1 The Head of Performance, Improvement & Programmes introduced the report which detailed the Key Performance Indicators for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.
26.2 The Committee welcomed the report and queried what work had been done to account for support to refugees and to address missed recycling rates. It was also noted that funding had been identified in the budget for cctv hot spots to address fly-tipping and Members queried whether this had been actioned.
26.3 The Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture stated that regular updates on recycling rates were reported to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee and improvements were being made. He stated that the core service for cctv monitoring was being put in place and he would provide a written response to Members on how matters were progressing.
26.4 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
26.5 RESOLVED:
(1) That the progress made in relation to Corporate KPIs, particularly the corrective measures outlined for ‘red’ and ‘amber’ indicators, and further note its role in providing support and challenge to lead officers to bring performance back on track be noted; and
(2) That it be noted that the that target setting for Corporate KPIs in 2020/21 has been delayed due to Covid-19; the impact of the pandemic on performance will be analysed by the officers and, based on this, a new KPI set and associated targets will be presented to the Policy & Resources Committee for approval after consultation with the KPI Cross Party Members Working Group.
27 Saltdean Lido Restoration
27.1 The Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture introduced the report and the extract from the proceedings of the Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee which recommended the granting of a 63-year lease of Saltdean Lido to SLCIC.
27.2 The Committee welcomed the report and agreed that it was the preferred option and noted that there would be a due diligence process to be completed prior to the lease being granted.
27.3 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
27.4 RESOLVED:
(1) That a grant of a 63-year lease of Saltdean Lido to SLCIC be granted;
(2) That a revised schedule of loan repayments for the outstanding loan of £0.220m be accepted and delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture and the Acting Chief Finance Officer to agree the revised schedule;
(3) That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture and the Acting Chief Finance Officer to take all necessary steps to implement the recommendations above; and
(4) That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture to approve the scheme proposed by SLCIC within the parameters outlined in paragraph 3.6 of the report.
28 Disposal of Land at Braypool Lane
28.1 The Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture introduced the report and stated that the proposed disposal of the land to the RSPCA would generate a capital receipt and ensure that the RSPCA maintained its presence in the city.
28.2 Councillor Hugh-Jones moved a joint amendment to the recommendation on behalf of the Green and Labour Groups, which was formally seconded by Councillor Yates.
28.3 Councillor Miller welcomed the amendment and asked that the Conservative Group’s support be added to the amendment.
28.4 The Chair noted Councillor Miller’s request and that it had been accepted by Councillor Hugh-Jones and the Committee was also happy to accept the revision to the amendment. She also noted that the Committee did not feel there was a need to discuss the part two report. She then put the amendment to the vote which was carried unanimously.
28.5 The Chair then put the recommendations as amended to the vote.
28.6 RESOLVED:
(1) That the freehold disposal of the land to the tenant be authorised and that delegated powers be granted to the Executive Director of Economy, Environment & Culture, Assistant Director Property & Design and Head of Legal Services to approve terms and take any necessary steps to facilitate this recommendation; and
(2) That In recognition of the loss of an opportunity to provide housing on the site, the capital receipt from the land sale should be ring fenced for use towards expenditure on the provision of affordable housing or temporary accommodation for homeless people.
29 Appropriation of 122 Graham Avenue to HRA
29.1 RESOLVED: That the appropriation of 122 Graham Avenue, Mile Oak from the General Fund to the HRA for a consideration of £0.325m be approved.
30 Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-2025
30.1 The Chair noted that there was an officer correction which related to the report detailed in the addendum papers.
30.2 The Interim Executive Director for Housing, Neighbourhoods & Communities introduced the report and the extract from the proceedings of the Housing Committee meeting held on the 17 June 2020. She noted that the intention was for the proposed new Homeless Reduction Board to report to the Housing Committee and to promote the reduction in homelessness and to monitor key actions against KPI’s.
30.3 The Committee welcomed the report and the establishment of the Board and asked officers to check whether substitutes would be able to attend meetings if necessary.
30.4 The Chair then put the recommendation to the vote.
30.5 RESOLVED: That the formation of a Member led Homelessness Reduction Board as outlined with terms of reference detailed in Appendix 2 to the report as amended by the officer clarification be approved.
31 Procurement of Occupational Health & Employee Assistance Services Contracts
31.1 RESOLVED: That delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director – Human Resources and Organisational Development to take all necessary steps to:
(i) Procure and award a contract for occupational health and employee assistance programme services with a term of three (3) years; and
(ii) Approve an extension(s) to the contract referred to in 2.1(i) above for a period of up to two years following the initial three-year term, subject to satisfactory performance by the provider.
32 The Procurement of Services: Absence Management
32.1 The Head of Human Resources introduced the report concerning the continuation of the existing Brighton & Hove City Council approach to absence management and the procurement of a new contract with the council’s existing provider, First Care Limited.
32.2 The Committee welcomed the report and noted that there were currently only two providers of an absence management system and suggested that consideration be given to discussing with health partners how they operated their system for absence management in the future.
32.3 The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.
32.4 RESOLVED:
(1) That the procurement of attendance management services via a joint procurement procedure with East Sussex County Council (ESCC) be approved; and
(2) That delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director – Human Resources and Organisational Development to take all necessary steps to:
(i) Procure and award a contract for absence management services with a term of three (3) years; and
(ii) Approve an extension(s) to the contract referred to in 2.2(i) above for a period of up to two years following the initial three-year term, subject to satisfactory performance by the provider.
33 Housing Revenue Account Solar Photovoltaic Installation Programme 2020-2023
33.1 The Interim Executive Director for Housing, Neighbourhoods & Communities introduced the report and the extract from the proceedings of the Housing Committee meeting held on the 17 June 2020. She stated that it was recommended to allocate additional resources for the delivery of domestic solar PV arrays during 2020-23.
33.2 The Committee welcomed the report and recognised the need to provide additional resources to support housing tenants. Councillor Miller expressed some reservations over the number of households being supported and the likelihood those in fuel poverty would not benefit and therefore stated he could not support the recommendation.
33.3 The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendation to the vote which was carried by 8 votes to 2.
33.4 RESOLVED: That the allocation of the following additional budget to allow for the delivery of the initial 500 domestic solar PV arrays for the period 2020-23 be approved:
· 2021/22: £875k;
· 2022/23: £875k.
34 Brighton Marina to River Adur Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) scheme - Detailed design and construction contracts
34.1 RESOLVED:
(1) That it be noted that the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee has granted delegated authority to the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture to procure and award a contract for the detailed design of the Brighton Marina to River Adur FCERM scheme;
(2) That it be agreed to commit match funding of £3,729,924 over a 15-year period (the life span of the project); and
(3) That delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture to enter into an agreement with the Brighton Marina to River Adur FCERM scheme partners (Adur District Council and Shoreham Port Authority) to set out the terms of their collaboration with respect to the Brighton Marina to River Adur FCERM scheme.
35 Appointment of Representative to the Fire Authority.
35.1 RESOLVED: That Councillor West be appointed as a Council representative to the East Sussex Fire Authority.
36 Items Referred For Council
36.1 No items were referred to the full Council meeting on the 23rd July 2020.
Part Two Summary
37 Disposal of Land at Braypool Lane - Exempt Category 3
37.1 RESOLVED: That the recommendations detailed in the report be agreed.
38 Part Two Proceedings
38.1 RESOLVED: That the item listed in Part 2 of the agenda and the decisions thereon remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public.
The meeting concluded at 9.08pm
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