Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room - Civic Centre, Doncaster Road, Selby, YO8 9FT

Contact: Victoria Foreman  Email: vforeman@selby.gov.uk or 01757 292046

Items
No. Item

14.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors W Nichols and P Welburn.

15.

Disclosures of Interest

A copy of the Register of Interest for each Selby District Councillor is available for inspection at www.selby.gov.uk.

 

Councillors should declare to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest in any item of business on this agenda which is not already entered in their Register of Interests.

 

Councillors should leave the meeting and take no part in the consideration, discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.

 

Councillors should also declare any other interests.  Having made the declaration, provided the other interest is not a disclosable pecuniary interest, the Councillor may stay in the meeting, speak and vote on that item of business.

 

If in doubt, Councillors are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer.

 

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

16.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 295 KB

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Committee held on 4 July 2019.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2019.

 

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 4 July 2019 for signing by the Chair.

 

17.

Chair's Address to the Scrutiny Committee

Minutes:

There was no Chair’s address.

18.

Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 409 KB

To discuss and amend the Work Programme for 2019-20.

 

Minutes:

The Democratic Services Officer asked the Committee to consider and comment on their Work Programme for 2019-20.

 

RESOLVED:

To note the Work Programme for 2019-20 as circulated.

 

 

 

19.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust: Barlow Common Activity Review April 2018 to April 2019 and Hambleton Hough Annual Report 2018-19 (S/19/8) pdf icon PDF 163 KB

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider the annual reports of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) and Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust (WHPT) about the activity taking place at Barlow Common (managed by YWT) and Hambleton Hough (managed by WHPT) between April 2018 and April 2019.

 

In attendance at the meeting will be:

 

Martin Blakey, Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust

David Craven, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee welcomed to the meeting Martin Blakey from the Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust and David Craven from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, who were present to introduce the annual reports for Barlow Common and Hambleton Hough for 2018-19.

 

Members noted that whilst there were a number of dog walkers that used Barlow Common, there was not an issue with dog fouling at the site. A community clean up initiative was also being planned for the access track to the site.

 

The Committee acknowledged that forest schools at Hambleton Hough had been a success, and that the area would be completely replanted with native species by next year. There were some ongoing issues being caused by the clearing of the area, with problems regarding access and working with local residents, who disagreed with some of the plans for the site. It was noted that in the autumn an external contractor would be working on clearing the steeper parts of the site.

 

The Chair and the Committee thanked the representatives from the Wildlife Habitat Protection Trust and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust for attending and providing the updates.

 

20.

Leisure Contract Annual Review April 2018 - March 2019 (S/19/9) pdf icon PDF 389 KB

To consider and comment on the Leisure Contract Annual Review April 2018 – March 2019.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Contracts Team Leader which asked Members to consider and comment on the Leisure Contract Annual Review 2018-19.

 

Members noted that the report was the ninth formal annual review of the Leisure Contract with Inspiring healthy lifestyles (IHL) and covered the period April 2018 to March 2019. The review covered the work at Selby Leisure Centre, Tadcaster Leisure Centre and Selby Park as well as the outreach work of the Wellbeing Team. 

 

Officers went on to explain that the year of the review was the fourth full year of operation of Selby Leisure Centre.  The year saw an increase in combined overall visits to the Selby and Tadcaster sites, although it was slightly below target. Whilst there was a slight decline in visits to Selby, Tadcaster performed very strongly and visits were above target.  As well as centre based activities the outreach and wellbeing teams continued to make significant impacts, particularly around the GP referral and adult weight management programmes.

 

The Committee asked Officers about external funding and whether any work being done to encourage deprived communities to use the leisure facilities, such as summer sport activities, similar to those undertaken in Sherburn. Officers explained that outreach work was done to encourage sporting activity, especially around youth engagement, and confirmed that they would request some information on this for Members from IHL’s Outreach Manager. Members also noted that activity camps had been run in Selby during the summer at reduced rates.

 

Members enquired as to why visits to the leisure centre in Tadcaster were up, but down in Selby. Officers explained that as the report was for 2018-19, it reflected the good weather experienced in summer 2018, which meant there was a reduced take-up of indoor activities. Members acknowledged the importance of ensuring there was footfall in the leisure centres throughout the day, and not just at peak times. The Committee were pleased to note that attendance had gone back up again in Quarter 1.

 

Lastly, Members asked if there was a way to measure the number of leisure centre users that were coming in from outside of the District; Officers confirmed that they would ask IHL if this information was available.

 

RESOLVED:

i.       To note the Leisure Contract Annual Review 2018-2019.

 

ii.      To ask Officers to provide a report in the future about the sources of external funding.

 

iii.    To ask Officers to request information from IHL’s Outreach Manager about activities for deprived communities.

 

iv.    To ask Officers to request information from IHL about the number of leisure centre users from outside of the Selby District.

21.

Planning Enforcement and Section 215 Notices (S/19/10) pdf icon PDF 191 KB

To consider the report of the Planning Development Officer.

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Planning Enforcement Officer which explained Local Planning Authority’s (LPA’s) power to issue as well as the scope of Section 215 Notices and discussed the practical implications and effectiveness of doing so. It also provided data on the use of such notices within the Planning Enforcement team and other authorities.

 

Members had requested a report asking about performance in Planning Enforcement and detailing what action has been taken under Section 215 (s.215) of the Town & Country Planning Act (1990). Research had been undertaken of the legislation, the Council’s use of Section 215 and benchmarking data collected from nearby authorities, as well as service performance being examined.

 

Officers explained that there had been a reduction of around 300 historical planning enforcement cases, and the number of formal complaints had reduced. The Committee noted that a sub-group would be set up to monitor planning enforcement, with a proposed membership of the Chair of Planning Committee, the Head of Planning and a Planning Enforcement Officer; although Officers confirmed that they were open to suggestions as to membership of the group. The Chair of the Committee confirmed that he would speak to Officers about this after the meeting.

 

Members of the Committee expressed their frustrations in relation to recurring enforcement issues, such as contractor parking at a development in Eggborough and ongoing problems at Wistow Road in Selby. There was a perceived lack of action on such cases by Members.

 

Officers acknowledged that there were ongoing problems with some cases, but that enforcement action was taken and that the national guidance encouraged resolution in such matters through the submission of planning applications and within the planning process.

 

Members explained the frustrations experienced by both residents and Councillors who were dealing with ongoing issues and asked Officers to consider these points of view when dealing with enforcement matters.

 

The Committee noted that whilst the performance of planning enforcement had improved, it was a difficult area in which to quantify performance, and that the number of Section 215 notices issues should not be used as a measure. Officers explained that Section 215 notices could be useful as a threat of action, thereby making subsequent negotiation more effective.

 

Officers also explained that the Planning Enforcement Management Plan had been written in order to give clarity to the process, and that should the view of Members be that it requires amendment, this could be looked at. With regards to planning enforcement, improvements had been made but it was acknowledged that there was still work to do. There had been a high backlog of cases which had taken time to work through and Officers were doing all they could to improve the situation.

 

The Executive Member for Place Shaping explained to the Committee that the number of planning applications submitted to the Council for consideration had grown exponentially over the past few years, and as such, these applications generated more complaints and enforcement issues. The Executive Member went on to say that his  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

22.

Draft Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan and Action Plan 2020-2025 (S/19/11) pdf icon PDF 301 KB

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider and comment on the draft version of the HRA Business Plan and its accompanying Action Plan 2020-2025.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Housing and Environmental Health Service Manager which asked Members to consider and comment on the draft version of the HRA Business Plan and its accompanying Action Plan 2020-2025. The HRA and Action Plan were considered by the Executive on 5 September 2019 and approved for consultation with key stakeholders.

 

Members noted that the HRA detailed the Council’s ambitions over the next five years and beyond as to how it managed and looked to improve its housing stock, ensuring as much as possible that the needs of residents were met now and in the future.

 

Officers explained that the HRA Business Plan provided tenants, the Council and Members with priorities and direction as to how it would manage Council owned social housing in the Selby District. The plan outlined key responsibilities for the Council and set out priorities for spending. The plan took into account the views of tenants and formed a key element of the over-arching Housing Strategy, including an understanding of the demand versus resource of social housing and reviewing the Council’s long-term financial position.

 

Members learnt that HRA self-financing commenced in April 2012, which allowed local housing authorities to fully retain the money they received in rent in return for taking on a proportion of national social housing debt. This allowed them to plan and provide services to current and future tenants. Although this system provided the freedom to develop and deliver a less constrained vision for council housing, it was noted that it should be done in a prudent, viable and measured way with a number of checks and balances built into the system.

 

The Committee acknowledged that the Council’s plan was consequently to drive the development of more new homes and for all housing in the District to be of a quality, type and size which met the needs of local communities. The new objectives were:

 

·           Objective 1: To ensure good quality housing within the District which helped to meet the needs of the local community.

·           Objective 2: To provide a first rate housing management service which made the best use of existing stock.

·           Objective 3: To deliver a financially sustainable service which demonstrated value for money and ensured that investment was targeted to Council priorities.

 

Members expressed concerns around maintenance of homes to a decent homes standard, and emphasised the importance of recruiting a maintenance workforce that could address the work that needed doing. Officers acknowledged that recruitment of trade workers had been difficult due to the Council being unable to pay the market rate for services, and past issues with the management of performance. A new housing system was currently being implemented which would improve monitoring, and contracts were being reviewed in order to streamline the improvement works that were required. Apprentice schemes were already being used successfully and it was hoped that this would continue to expand in the coming years.

 

Members asked a number of questions about the housing service, including its sustainability, the number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

23.

Corporate Performance Report Quarter 1 - 2019/20 (April to June) (S/19/12) pdf icon PDF 389 KB

To consider the content of the report and make any comments on the Council’s performance.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Head of Business Development and Improvement which asked Members to consider the information as set out in the report, as part of their role in reviewing and scrutinising the performance of the Council in relation to its policy objectives, performance targets and/or particular service areas.

 

Members noted that the quarterly Corporate Performance Report provided a progress update on delivery of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2015-20 as measured by a combination of progress against priority projects/high level actions and performance against KPIs. 

 

Officers explained that in Quarter 1 52% of KPIs were showing improvement over the longer term, or had maintained 100% performance, and 65% of KPIs were on target; a further 15% of KPIs were within five percent of target.

 

Officers were asked to supply the Committee with a copy of the minutes from a sub-regional meeting aimed at connecting areas of deprivation (including Flaxley Road and Abbots Road) with employment opportunities, as mentioned in the performance monitoring report.

 

RESOLVED:

i.       To note the Council’s performance in Quarter 1 (April to June).

 

ii.     To ask Officers to supply the Committee with a copy of the minutes from a sub-regional meeting aimed at connecting areas of deprivation (including Flaxley Road and Abbots Road) with employment opportunities. 

 

 

 

24.

Financial Results and Budget Exceptions Report to 30 June 2019 (S/19/13) pdf icon PDF 387 KB

To consider the content of the report and make any comments on the Council’s financial results and budget exceptions.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Head of Finance which asked Members to consider and comment on the content of the report; financial information contained in the report enables the Council to monitor its financial and budgetary position and to ensure that budget exceptions are brought to the attention of Councillors.

 

Members noted that at the end of quarter 1, the General Fund indicated an outturn deficit of £291, driven by a shortfall on planned savings. The cost of services was showing a small surplus, although this was made up of a number of variances detailed in the report. The HRA was indicating an outturn surplus of (£112k) due to lower external borrowing requirements, partially offset by lower savings expected in the current financial year from the implementation of the new housing system.

 

Officers explained that General Fund savings were showing a forecast shortfall of £311k, whilst the HRA was forecasting savings to be £195k lower.

 

The Committee noted that the capital programme was forecasting an underspend of £766k, of which £214k was General Fund and £552k Housing Revenue Account. In the general fund, the majority related to Disabled Facilities Grants and a delay in the procurement of new Microsoft licences. The HRA was principally the phasing of the Empty Homes Programme which was expected to deliver over three years, with £750k of spend anticipated in this financial year.

 

Members also noted that the Programme for Growth was progressing well with projects delivering over multiple years.

                  
The Committee asked Officers to supply some further information about the industrial units for rent as mentioned in the report, specifically where they were and their size, as well as the negotiations on the remaining lease time left on the Market Cross site, where the Contact Centre were currently based but would be vacating shortly.

 

RESOLVED:

i.              To note the Council’s financial results and budget exceptions to 30 June 2019 (Quarter 1).

 

ii.            To ask Officers to supply further information to the Committee about the Council’s industrial units, specifically where they were and their size, as well as the negotiations on the remaining lease time left on the Market Cross site.

 

 

25.

Treasury Management Quarterly Update Q1 - 2019-20 (S/19/14) pdf icon PDF 390 KB

To consider the content of the report and make any comments on the Council’s treasury management.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Chief Finance Officer which asked Members to consider and comment on the content of the report; the information contained in the report was required in order to comply with the Treasury Management Code of Practice.

 

Members noted that the report reviewed the Council’s borrowing and investment activity (Treasury Management) for the period 1st April to 30th June 2019 (Q1) and presented performance against the Prudential Indicators. 

 

Officers explained that on average the Council’s investments totalled £58.4m over the quarter at an average rate of 0.95% and earned interest of £138k (£95k allocated to the General Fund; £43k allocated to the HRA), which was £29k above the year to date budget. Whilst cash balances were expected to reduce over the year, should interest rates remain static, forecast returns could be in the region of £494k, a budget surplus of £59k. However, a no deal Brexit could lead to a cut in the Bank Rate and therefore the position would be kept under review.

 

The Committee noted that the capital programme was forecasting an underspend of £766k, of which £214k was General Fund and £552k Housing Revenue Account. In the general fund, the majority related to Disabled Facilities Grants and a delay in the procurement of new Microsoft licences. The HRA was principally the phasing of the Empty Homes Programme which was expected to deliver over three years, with £750k of spend anticipated in this financial year.

 

Members were informed that addition to investments held in the NYCC investment pool, the Council had £4.94m invested in property funds as at 30/06/19 with a net rate of return of 3.5% and achieved net income of £24.6k in Q1.


The Committee acknowledged that long-term borrowing totalled £59.3m at 30June 2019, with £1.6m relating to the General Fund and £57.7m relating to the HRA. Interest payments of £2.5m were forecast for 2019/20, which was a saving of £0.3m against budget. The Council had no short term borrowing in place as at 30 June 2019, and the Council’s affordable limits for borrowing were not breached during this period.

 

RESOLVED:

To note the Council’s borrowing and investment activity (Treasury Management) for the period 1 April to 30 June (Quarter 1) and performance against prudential indicators.