Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

260.

Minutes of the meeting held on the 21st January 2021 pdf icon PDF 374 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

These minutes were approved as a correct record.

261.

Investment Sub-Committee - 15th January 2021 pdf icon PDF 364 KB

To receive the minutes of the Sub-Committee meeting held on the 15th January 2021 and to endorse the recommendation in Item 2 (which is subject to ratification by Council) that the Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategy be approved.  

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the Sub-Committee’s meeting on the 15th January 2021, attached at

Appendix A, were received. The Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategy (Item 2 of the minutes) was subject to ratification by Full Council on the 11th February 2021.

 

COUNCIL DECISION

(subject to ratification by Council)

 

            R E C O M M E N D E D – that the Capital, Investment and Treasury         Management   Strategy (accessible via the following link) be approved:

 

https://www.tandridge.gov.uk/Portals/0/Documents/Your-council/Councillors-and-committees/Capital-Investment-and-TM-Strategy.pdf?ver=2021-02-01-145345-137

 

262.

2021/22 final budget and MTFS to 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 938 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report with a proposed final revenue budget for 2021/22, together with recommendations regarding the capital programme and a Council Tax precept were considered. The recommendations were presented in the context of the Council’s organisational strategy, finance improvement plan and departmental service plans; and the Government’s recent policy announcements concerning Local Government finance (including the ‘provisional settlement’).

 

The report included detailed commentary about the budget setting process, with reference to a self-assessment against best practice guidance and key underlying budget principles. An analysis of the main changes to the draft budget submitted to the 16th December 2021 meeting (when a £189,000 revenue deficit was being forecast) was provided, together with the significant variations from the 2020/21 net revenue budget. The report also referred to:

 

·           government funding for TDC associated with the Covid-19 pandemic

·           projected income generated by a £5 Council Tax increase

·           likely Council Tax and business rates collection fund deficits

·           the intention to retain the current Council Tax Support Scheme

·           an assumed reduction in New Homes Bonus

·           inflationary provisions of 0.5% for staff salaries and 2% for contract payments

·           a 2% uplift in General Fund fees & charges

·           intended annual contributions to reserves and contingencies

·           a medium term financial outlook to 2023/24

·           assumed Government reforms to Local Authority finance from April 2022

·           the development of the capital programme to 2023/24 (including a rebasing exercise, re-profiling HRA projects and the removal of the Investment & Development Fund)

·           the adequacy of reserves and a risk mitigation strategy

 

The report acknowledged the uncertainties associated with Local Government funding over the medium term, with several factors likely to impact upon the Council’s funding position beyond 2021/22.

 

Upon introducing the report, the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) referred to the £100,000 transfer from the Local Plan to the salaries budget to strengthen staffing resources under the remit of the Chief Planning Officer.

 

In response to Members’ questions, Officers:

 

·           explained that the additional £105,000 provision in the Strategy & Resources budget had arisen from a review of where certain salary costs should be charged;

 

·           confirmed that the contract savings reflected in the Community Services budget were challenging but realistic – projected savings for all policy committees would be tracked next year to enable Members to monitor whether they were being achieved

 

·           advised that the presentation of the Strategy & Resources budget would be reviewed to reflect the fact that a significant proportion of the costs were corporate items, dependent upon external economic factors beyond the Council’s control;

 

·           surmised that relevant committees (especially Chairs and Vice-Chairs) and applicable Executive Leadership Team (ELT) leads were accountable for achieving budget targets

 

While the CFO did not favour the use of RAG ratings for budget monitoring purposes, the Finance Team would consider how best to present information to committees about the position of their budgets throughout 2021/22. In any event, ELT was aware of its duty to provide clear and accurate financial reports to enable committees to make informed decisions.

 

Some Members reiterated concerns that costs associated with the two Local Plan options  ...  view the full minutes text for item 262.

263.

Oxted BID renewal ballot pdf icon PDF 192 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Oxted Business Improvement District (BID) had been established in 2015 following consideration by the former Resources Committee and the outcome of a statutory ballot of non-domestic ratepayers in the area. The purpose of such BIDs was to improve local commercial areas via levies paid by such ratepayers. 

 

The operational duration of BIDs was limited to five years, at which point fresh ballots were required to determine whether they could continue. The Oxted BID’s first term should have finished on 31st December 2020 but this was extended as part of the Covid-19 legislation.

 

A report was submitted inviting the Committee to support the renewal of the Oxted BID and for the Council’s vote (as one of the non-domestic ratepayers in the town) to be cast accordingly. The report explained that the renewal ballot (proposing an on-going 2% levy rate) would take place between the 18th February and 18th March 2021, to be administered by Civica Election Services at a cost of £1,855 plus VAT. The Council was required pay for the ballot unless the vote was lost, and turnout was less than 20%, in which case BID itself would be liable. The BID levy would be mandatory for all liable businesses, regardless of whether or how they vote.

 

Although the Council had been financing levy collection costs (£980 for postage and £806 staff time) since the BID’s inception, the report recommended that such costs be reimbursed by the BID in future. The BID’s draft business plan was appended to the report to help inform the Committee’s decision.  

 

Members spoke in favour of the Council’s continued support for the initiative and commented on the valued support which the BID had provided to Oxted business throughout the pandemic.  

 

            R E S O L V E D – that:

 

A.    the Council votes in support of a Business Improvement District in Oxted; and

 

B.    the cost of levy collection be met by the Oxted BID.

 

 

264.

Quadrant House Update pdf icon PDF 301 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Funding of £4.915 million had been received from the Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership (LEP) for developing this Council-owned site in Croydon Road, Caterham. In May 2020, the Committee authorised officers to proceed with the launch of a business hub initiative for the premises and to enter into contracts for the refurbishment of the common parts (phase 1).  A report was presented which confirmed that both of those objectives had been achieved and sought further authority for officers to enter into a contract to carry out phase 2 works, namely:

 

·           thermal efficiency measures, e.g. added insulation and new windows

 

·           enhancement of the Croydon Road façade, including the installation of a ‘living wall’ with added biodiversity and microclimate benefits

 

·           a roof terrace at third floor level in the south building

 

·           ramped access to Quadrant north entrance and replacement lifts and escape

staircases

 

·           improved appearance through new signage and services integration

 

·           refurbishment of office suites on 2nd and 3rd floor of south building, to include new LED lighting and a new, centralised heat pump air conditioning system

 

·           photovoltaic panels on the top floor roof.

 

The report informed Members about the project timetable for the refurbishment project and acknowledged that certain elements of the above works would require planning permission. Details of the proposed tender process were also provided.

 

Members welcomed the opportunity to utilise the LEP funding to transform this part of Caterham while achieving a significant reduction in carbon emissions.   

 

            R E S O L V E D that authority be delegated to the Executive Head of Communities, in consultation with Corporate Procurement Board, to enter into a contract for phase 2 refurbishment works at Quadrant House on such terms as she considers necessary.

 

265.

Update on Procurement and Standing Orders pdf icon PDF 797 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Since the current version of Contract Standing Orders (CSOs) was approved at Full Council

in December 2019, the following changes had been recommended by the Council’s Internal Auditors (Southern Internal Audit Partnership (SIAP)) following their review of the procurement process:

 

  • the inclusion of a reference to pre-tender estimates and how contract awards over the original estimate are approved

 

  • the inclusion of a reference to the treatment of ‘abnormally low tenders’

 

  • clarification that the confidentiality of quotations, tenders and the identity of contractors must be preserved

 

SIAP had also recommended other actions to enhance the procurement process, including measures to ensure compliance with CSOs, a more robust procurement card policy, revisions to the procurement strategy to clearly define roles and responsibilities, and the adoption of performance indicators.

 

A report was presented in light of both SIAP’s review and the implications of Brexit on the Council’s procurement processes. Proposed revisions to CSO’s were considered (these would require amendments to the Constitution and, therefore, would need to be ratified by Full Council) together with a procurement improvement plan and a set of procurement related performance indicators to measure the following:

 (i)        savings achieved due to a procurement process (methodology to be agreed with the       finance team)

 

(ii)        % of procurement transactions greater than £5,000 captured on ‘in-tend’ (target of 95%   in year 1, 100% thereafter)

 

(iii)       % of spend with 100 top suppliers currently compliant with CSOs (80% in year 1,

            100% thereafter)

 

(iv)       number of contract values awarded to within 10% of pre-contract estimated value             (target of 95% in year 1, 100% thereafter)

 

(v)        number/value of current CSO waivers in force

 

(vi)       number of contracts awarded to local SMEs

 

The report also informed Members about the role of the Corporate Procurement (Officer) Board.

 

In response to Members’ questions, the Performance Specialist explained the approach to ‘abnormally low tenders’; his role in leading the procurement process within the Council in liaison with contract managers; the intention to define a target in respect of KPI (i) above; and the fact that carbon emissions formed part of the ‘social value’ element of the tender scoring process. He also confirmed that SIAP had been made aware of the report and were content that it addressed the recommendations arising from its audit.   

  

          R E S O L V E D – that:

 

          A       the set of standard procurement Key Performance Indicators detailed in Appendix B to the report be agreed; and

 

          B.      the Procurement Improvement Plan as detailed in Appendix C to the report be           noted.

                  

COUNCIL DECISION

(subject to ratification by Council)

 

R E C O M M E N D E D - that amendments be made to Contract Standing Orders in accordance with the summary at Appendix B to these minutes.  

 

266.

Pay Policy Statement 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 151 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Localism Act 2011 required Councils to publish annual pay policy statements. A proposed 2021/22 statement for Tandridge was submitted. 

 

It was acknowledged that the first line of section 3.2 of the proposed policy statement should say that the Senior Leadership Team comprises six Chief Officers (not five).  

 

COUNCIL DECISION

(subject to ratification by Council)

 

            R E C O M M E N D E D that the proposed Pay Policy Statement for 2020/21, attached at Appendix C, be approved.

 

267.

Chief Officer Sub-Committee - 14th January 2021 pdf icon PDF 199 KB

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on the 14th January 2021

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

            R E S O L V E D – that the minutes of the Sub-Committee’s meeting, attached at Appendix D, be noted.

268.

Situation of polling places - Delegation to Electoral Registration Officer pdf icon PDF 132 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council’s Constitution identified the determination of polling district reviews as a matter to be reserved for Full Council following recommendations from this Committee. While not explicitly stated, this definition also intended to relate to polling places. A report was submitted which sought authority for the Electoral Registration Officer to designate polling places in situations where it was impracticable to take proposals through the committee process.

 

COUNCIL DECISION

(subject to ratification by Council)

 

          R E C O M M E N D E Dthat in circumstances where it would not be practicable to seek Committee / Council approval for a change in a polling place in time for an election, authority be delegated to the Electoral Registration Officer, in consultation with Ward Members and Group Leaders, to make such changes should the need arise.

 

269.

Finance - Future Leadership Arrangements pdf icon PDF 389 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer’s secondment from Surrey County Council was due to end on the 31st March 2021. The Local Government Act 1972 required every local authority to appoint a suitably qualified officer responsible for the proper administration of its financial affairs (commonly referred to as the Section 151 Officer). A report was submitted to enable the Committee to consider options for securing future financial leadership and further transformation of the Council’s finance function, namely:

 

·           seek to recruit a permanent employee to the post of s151 Officer

 

·           seek to recruit a replacement interim s151 Officer (not recommended due to cost and disruption)

 

·           pursue Surrey County Council’s offer to provide TDC with a comprehensive finance function, comprising the s151 role and a full range of financial services

 

·           a sharing arrangement with another neighbouring authority

 

The report outlined a process for appraising the above options and then establishing a business case for the favoured solution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In response to Members’ questions, the Acting Chief Executive agreed to provide further information after the meeting regarding:

 

·           the other councils which had been approached regarding the possibility of sharing a s151 Officer with Tandridge

 

·           the consultant being engaged to support the options appraisal process (this was in response to an observation that the individual concerned should be independent and not associated with any of the options).

 

Given the Council’s statutory duty to have a s151 Officer in place, the Committee was advised that it would not be practicable to defer the matter until a new, permanent Chief Executive had been appointed.  

 

            R E S O L V E D – that an options appraisal and business case is undertaken to identify a future model for providing the Council’s financial leadership, with the Acting Chief Executive reporting back to this Committee in March 2021 for decision.