BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL
STRATEGY COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE STRATEGY COMMITTEE HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL OFFICES, CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH ON THURSDAY, 19 JUNE 2008
Quick Links
- 17 - Substitutes
- 18 - Declaration of Interests
- 19 - Minutes
- 20 - Questions from Members
- 21 - Issues arising from Overview and Scrutiny Committees
- 22 - Recommendations from Task Groups and Panels
- 23 - Workplan
- 24 - Strategic review of key projects and asset management decisions
- 25 - Facilities
- 26 - Capital Programme 2008/09 - Non Committed Schemes
- 27 - New Performance Management Framework - Indicators and Targets for 2008/09
- 28 - Best Value Performance Plan 2008/09
- 29 - Exclusion of the Public (which term includes the press)
- 30 - Proposed Grant (Exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1)
- 31 - Disposal of property at Sudbury (Exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Part 1)
PRESENT: Mr N A Ridley – Chairman
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Mr N A Bennett
Mr A J Hinton
Ms J A Jenkins
Mr R E Kemp
Dr M R Miller |
Mr C M Spence
Mr A J Ward
Mr R Whiting
Mrs S M Wigglesworth |
Mr M P Booth and Mrs S Carpendale were unable to be present.
Mr H N Todd, Efficiencies and Procurement Champion was present at the meeting to assist in the presentation of the item referred to in Minute No.22 below.
It was noted that in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 5 substitutes were in attendance as follows: -
Mr A J Ward (substituting for Mrs S Carpendale)
Mr R Whiting (substituting for Mr M P Booth)
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None declared.
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RESOLVED
That the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 May 2008 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
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None received.
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None received.
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Procurement – Contract Procedure Rules
Mr H N Todd, Efficiencies and Procurement Champion was in attendance at the meeting for this item and assisted with the presentation.
Members had before them Paper H41, a report from the Procurement Task Group outlining proposed changes to contract procedure rules that will update and streamline the Council’s processes for tendering and contract awards.
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL
That the revised contract procedure rules, set out in Appendix B to Paper H41 be adopted.
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The Director of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper H42) on items identified for future meetings of the Strategy Committee.
RESOLVED
That the Work Plan set out in Paper H42 be noted.
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The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (Paper H43) advising that following the recent adoption of a ten year strategic plan for the District and the impending Local Government Review (LGR) in Suffolk the Committee were requested to:-
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review the timing and scope of the more significant and committed capital projects.
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review the timing of decisions on the future use, ownership and all management of its major property assets i.e. housing stock and car parks.
The report also:-
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provided a broad overview of the key projects and major asset management decisions required, including details on the availability of funding and capacity to deliver.
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sought decisions from Strategy Committee on the priority and timing of these key projects and major decisions.
Appendix 1 to Paper H43 set out broad assumptions on the likely capital costs of Babergh’s significant uncommitted key projects, which could involve a total capital cost of around £6m whereas current capital funding immediately available for these is around £2m.
RESOLVED
(1) That in respect of the projects referred to in Appendix 1 of Paper H43 the priority of or support for these projects be as follows:-
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Hadleigh facilities – agreed as first priority
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Kingfisher Leisure Centre – due to concerns over the business case this is unlikely to be supported unless it is cost neutral
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Weekly Food Waste Collection Service – due to concerns over the capital and revenue costs further information is required. Not an immediate priority
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University Campus Suffolk – to be considered through the service and financial planning process
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Joint Refuse Collection Depot – agreed as second priority
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Haven Gateway Partnership – New Projects – agreed to support
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Belle Vue Redevelopment, Sudbury – agreed to continue investigative work on this project.
(2) That an assessment of the future use, ownership and/or management of the Council’s car parks, including charging and measures to control and manage traffic be deferred until the completion of LGR in Suffolk.
RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL
That a detailed assessment, including consultation with tenants, on the transfer of the Council housing stock be deferred until the completion of LGR in Suffolk.
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The Project and Programme Executive, Head of Contract and Asset Management and the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a joint report (Paper H44) informing the Committee, following the outcome of extensive public consultation, of the accommodation recommended to be provided for a new community building in Hadleigh.
The Committee when considering the key projects referred to in Minute No.24 above had agreed that this project be agreed as the Council’s first priority.
It was noted that the project is being led by a Steering Group made up of Babergh Councillors, Hadleigh Town Councillors and Trustees of South Suffolk Leisure. The remit of the Steering Group has been to consider what facilities could be provided in a stand alone building adjacent to the swimming pool. In considering this, the Steering Group has also been asked to make an assessment of the future of the pavilion site in Calais Street, Hadleigh.
RESOLVED
(1) That an outline design and business plan be prepared for a new community building in Hadleigh, adjacent to the existing swimming pool, to provide the following accommodation:-
Community space (minimum 10m x 20m) for casual hire, but suitable for playgroups, activity for children and young people and for local clubs and societies. Options for temporary staging and sub-division of space into smaller rooms (with sound proofing) to be explored
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Social area (including kitchen facilities)
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35 station gym (minimum)
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150m² dance studio
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Changing facilities/showers
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Toilets
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Separate access for young people
(2) That the Head of Contract and Asset Management be authorised to commit expenditure of approximately £50,000 for:-
- Preparation of detailed designs
- Preparation of detailed tender documentation
- Submission of planning application
and any ancillary work for the new community facility.
(3) That progress on (1) and (2) above be reported to Strategy Committee on 18 September 2008 in order that a decision can be made whether to proceed to formal tender and to contractually commit to construction of the facility.
(4) That South Suffolk Leisure be invited to confirm that, subject to an acceptable detailed business plan, it will be prepared to manage the facility on behalf of Babergh District Council.
(5) That the Housing Panel be asked to consider the future use of the Calais Street Pavilion site and make appropriate recommendations to Strategy Committee.
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The Head of Contract and Asset Management submitted a report (Paper H45) seeking approval to implement schemes within the Council’s Housing Revenue Account and General Fund capital programmes that are ready to proceed.
RESOLVED
That expenditure from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account and General Fund be approved to carry out the proposed schemes detailed in Paragraph 5.1 of Paper H45.
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The Director of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper H47) setting out Babergh’s Performance Indicators and Targets for 2008/09.
The Committee were requested to approve the proposed performance indicator targets set out in Appendix 1. The indicators in Appendix 2 are either new or have been revised and it is only necessary to establish a baseline in 2008/09; they were included to give members a complete picture of the indicator set.
Appendix 3 to the report contained Suffolk’s second Local Area Agreement (LAA2) targets which are subject to final approval from Central Government.
It was noted that this Committee had approved an approach by which both Overview and Scrutiny Committees, who hold responsibility for monitoring the Council’s performance throughout the year, could input into the development and setting of performance indicators and targets for 2008/09.
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee set up a joint working group that considered in detail all the indicators and the views of the working group on proposed targets were set out in full in Appendix 1. Members also commented in principle on the indicators in Appendix 2.
A summary of the joint Overview and Scrutiny Working Groups discussion was outlined in paragraph 5.5 of Paper H47.
RESOLVED
(1) That the suggestions made by the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Performance Management Working Group set out in Appendix 1 of Paper H47 be approved and that the indicators and targets for 2008/09 be approved.
(2) That the Suffolk Local Area Agreement (LAA2) indicators and targets in Appendix 3 to Paper H47 be noted and that Babergh’s commitment to support their delivery in line with the “duty to co-operate” set out in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 be approved.
(3) That the Director of Corporate Services be delegated authority to make changes following the results of any further investigation and the finalising of LAA2 targets.
(4) That fuel poverty/energy efficiency is seen as an important priority within our own housing stock and that the Housing Panel be requested to consider ways in which this performance can be improved.
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The Director of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper H48) to ensure that the Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) requirements for a CPA categorised “good” issued under section 6 of the Local Government Act 1999 are met.
RESOLVED
(1) That the Best Value Performance Plan 2008/09 attached as Appendix 1 to Paper H48 be approved.
(2) That the key messages from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s scrutiny of variations in the 2007/08 BVPI’s be reported to a future meeting of the Strategy Committee.
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RESOLVED
That pursuant to part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below on the grounds that if the public were present during these items it is likely that there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against each item.
The Committee were satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.
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The Project and Programme Executive submitted a report (Paper H49) relating to an alternative mechanism for securing funding for the project to provide a community building in Hadleigh which had been approved under Minute No. 25 above.
RESOLVED
That Officers undertake further investigations into the possibility of the Council making a grant to South Suffolk Leisure towards the provision of leisure/community facilities in Hadleigh.
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The Head of Contract and Asset Management submitted a report (Paper H46) requesting approval to enter into negotiations for option agreements with two developers for the potential sale of the Belle Vue house site and the adjacent site of the disused swimming pool in Sudbury.
RESOLVED
That the Head of Contract and Asset Management be authorised to instruct the District Valuer to agree heads of terms and to undertake any necessary valuations for the grant of options to purchase two parcels of land at Belle Vue, Sudbury, with terms to be reported back to a later meeting of Strategy Committee for final approval.
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The business of the meeting was concluded at 1.20 p.m.
Chairman
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