Issue - meetings

To receive any references from the committees or panels held.

Policy and Resources Scrutiny Panel – 06 October 2021

Minute 6 – Medium Term Finance Strategy

The Council considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer on the medium-term finance strategy.

The Finance Manager addressed the Panel to provide them with a verbal update to the published recommendation from “that any proposals or comments of the Panel be referred to the Executive at its meeting on 11 October 2021” to “that any proposals or comments of the Panel be referred to a future meeting of the Executive”.

Members enquired as to how the Council is approaching the possible loss of income from its property portfolio going forward. The Finance Manager explained that the Council is working closely with its tenants to understand individual pressures and needs and has made changes to payment arrangements to help better suit these businesses whilst they recover from the impact of the Pandemic.

Members also questioned what would happen to current posts that have been created from government funding as a result of the Pandemic when the funding runs out. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer explained that while the posts are fixed term, Officers do submit funding bids when Government funding is made available, in order to try to secure these posts in the future.

RESOLVED that the Panel recommends that the Executive approves the Medium-Term Finance Strategy when it is considered at a future meeting of the Executive.

This was considered at item 11(2) on the agenda

Minute 7 – Annual Review of Corporate Strategy

The Panel considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer on the annual review of the Corporate Strategy and Local Service Agreements 2020/21.

Councillor Mrs Hockley commented on how well presented this document and easy to read and understand. She also enquired as to whether the Greening Campaign for Titchfield should be in this document. The Policy, Research and Engagement Manager confirmed that this is scheduled to be in the 2021/22 update.

RESOLVED that the Panel recommends that the Executive endorses the Annual Review of the Corporate Strategy 2017-2023 and Local Service Agreements 2020/21 when it considers this report at its meeting on 1 November 2021.

This was considered at item 11(1) on the agenda

Leisure and Community Scrutiny Panel 18 October 2021

Minute 6 – Review of Community Buildings

The Panel received a report by the Director of Leisure and Community on a Review of Community Buildings. The report was presented by the Leisure and Community Officer, Claire Benfield and provided the Panel with an opportunity to pre-scrutinise the report prior to consideration by the Executive on the 01 November 2021.

The Leisure and Community Officer advised Members that an error had been identified within the confidential appendix A of the Executive report. Two figures had been input incorrectly meaning that the total cost allocation had been changed from £455,000 to £433,000. The Executive report itself would be amended prior to publication.

In order to discuss the content of the confidential appendix A of the Executive report the Chairman suggested that the Panel move into private session.

RESOLVED that the meeting move into private session to exclude members of the public and press as defined in Paragraph 3, Part 1 of schedule A of the Local Government Act 1972 in order to discuss the exempt information contained within Appendix A of the Executive report.

Members discussed the report at length and asked several questions regarding the work that has been prioritised as urgent, raising concerns over the high costs of this work. Officers reassured Members that many of the Community Associations have good reserves and funding raising capabilities which will contribute to some of the costs.

There were also concerns raised by Members of the Panel on the accuracy of the costs summarised, as the review had been carried out in 2020 prior to the covid-19 pandemic. The building sector has seen price rises over the past 12 months that could have an impact on the costs summarised within the report. Members asked that these concerns be highlighted to the Executive at their meeting on the 01 November 2021.

RESOLVED that the Leisure and Community Scrutiny Panel: -

a)    note the contents of the Executive report at Appendix 1; and

b)    asks that their concerns regarding the accuracy of the costs summarised due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the increased cost of building work, be highlighted to the Executive at their meeting on the 01 November 2021.

This was considered at item 9(1) on the agenda