Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Jamie Lane (Chair) and Councillor Suresh Patel.

Members to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2015.

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2015 were signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record.

The Chair to note public address requests.

The public can speak on any agenda item for a maximum of three minutes per speaker per item.  You are not required to register your intention to speak in advance but should arrive at the meeting a few minutes early, complete a Public Address Protocol and notify the Scrutiny Officer of your intention to speak.

There were none.

There were none.

The Committee to consider the General Fund MTFP 2016/2017 - 2020/2021, draft Council wide draft budget 2016-2017, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), Rent Setting 2016/17 and Budget Projections 2017/18 to 2020/21

The Chair referred to the report of the Reporting and Monitoring Working Group that had identified three key issues from General Fund MTFP 2016/2017 - 2020/2021, draft Council wide draft budget 2016-2017, Housing Revenue Account (HRA), Rent Setting 2016/17 and Budget Projections 2017/18 to 2020/21:

Rent decrease based on Government Policy -1% for 4 years

            Impact on the Capital Programme

            Impact on the Repairs and Maintenance Budget

Welfare Reform:

Details of provisions in place for support and how this is reflected in the budget

Environmental Services Contract:

Review and plans for a possible new contract and the mitigation against potential increase in costs

Cabinet Members and Officers presented the above issues to the Committee:

Environmental Services Contract:

Councillor Alan Bottwood, Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Mike Hallam, Cabinet Member for Finance, Glenn Hammonds, Chief Finance Officer, and Julie Seddon, Director of Communities and Customers advised:

·         The current Environment Services contract commenced in 2011 and will conclude in 2018.  It is a joint contract with Daventry District Council. 

·         Work needs to commence now on the looking at a way forward for a new contract from 2018.

·         It was acknowledged that it is expected that there would be an increase in the price of a new contract and there is a need to minimise any increase looking at:

          The statutory elements of the contract

          Elements of the contract that residents would expect

          Other elements of the contract

·         A decision would need to be taken regarding the specification of the new contract and the best way for it to be delivered, for example looking at the various options such as:

Tenders from private companies for the new contract

Delivering the service in-house

Arm’s length organisation

Work with other District Councils

·         An options evaluation of each option would be undertaken and information would be gathered of what the specification of the contract should include. It was expected this process would commence April 2016.

The Committee asked questions, made comment and heard:

·         There is a need to ensure the contract is fit for purpose

·         It was acknowledged that Scrutiny input into the contract would be proposed at the forthcoming Overview and Scrutiny Work Programming event  but there was a need to consider the following options prior to work on the procurement process:

   The preferred option for the new contract

   What should be included within the specification of the contract

·         The Committee felt that work on the above was best placed in the Scrutiny mechanism but recognised that constitution allows for the setting up of Cabinet Advisory Groups.

It was therefore AGREED:

(1)  That an Overview and Scrutiny Working Group is set up to investigate the options for the new Environment Services Contract and the specification for the contract.

(2)  Membership of the Working Group would comprise Councillor Dennis Meredith (Chair); Councillors Gareth Eales, Terrie Eales, Brian Oldham, Brian Sargeant and Samuel Shaw.

The Scrutiny Officer would contact Councillor Lane, Chair, to ascertain whether he would also become a member of the above Working Group.

Rent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee received the response of Cabinet to the Overview and Scrutiny report:   Keep Northampton Tidy.

AGREED:      That this report is added to the Overview and Scrutiny Monitoring Work Programme and the Cabinet Member and Director are asked to attend a meeting of the Committee in six months’ time to provide a progress report on the accepted recommendations.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee received the response of Cabinet to the Overview and Scrutiny report:   Interpersonal Violence.

AGREED:      That this report is added to the Overview and Scrutiny Monitoring Work Programme and the Cabinet Member and Director are asked to attend a meeting of the Committee in six months’ time to provide a progress report on the accepted recommendations.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee received the response of Cabinet to the Overview and Scrutiny report:   Tree Maintenance.

AGREED:      That this report is added to the Overview and Scrutiny Monitoring Work Programme and the Cabinet Member and Director are asked to attend a meeting of the Committee in six months’ time to provide a progress report on the accepted recommendations.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to receive a progress report from the three Scrutiny Panels.

Councillor Rufia Ashraf, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 1, provided a progress report to the Committee.  Councillor Ashraf confirmed that evidence gathering was now complete and that the Panel had been pleased to note that there was very little, if any duplication, from the organisations that have provided evidence to the Review.

The Committee noted the update.

Councillor Dennis Meredith, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 2, provided a progress report to the Committee.  He advised that the Panel had one further evidence gathering meeting. Evidence so far had been very comprehensive and had included various site visits. Councillor Meredith commended the Night Safe events and the value from attending these.

The Committee noted the update.

Councillor Gareth Eales, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 3, provided a progress report to the Committee.  Councillor Eales advised that evidence gathering was now concluded and work would commence on the draft report of the Panel.  It had been a very informative Scrutiny Review.

The Committee noted the update.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to receive a progress report from the Chair of the Street Lighting Working Group.

Councillor Phil Larratt, Chair, NBC Owned Street Lighting Working Group, provided a progress report to the Committee.  He advised that it had been identified that there were just under 1,000 NBC owned street lighting columns. Work was in progress regarding the production of a Corporate Asset Register.

The Committee noted the update.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider any potential issues for future pre decision scrutiny.

There were none.

At this point the Chair reminded the Committee of the date of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programming event.

The Committee commented that it had previously been suggested that a Scrutiny Review is undertaken regarding Flood Risk Alleviation, in particular in relation to the report of the 1998 floods.

There were none.

The Chair advised the Committee that Councillors and Offices from Wychavon District Council would be observing the next meeting of the Committee and meeting with members of the Committee prior to the start of the meeting.