Agenda item

To receive the minutes and consider the recommendations and/or referrals from the following meetings of the Executive Committee:

13^th December 2016:

Minute no. 56 – Appointment Process for External Auditors;

Minute no. 58 – Fees and Charges 2017/18

17^th January 2017:

Minute no. 67 - Borough of Redditch Local Plan no.4;

Minute no. 69 - Council Plan – please note that the version of the plan included with this agenda is the final draft, updated as recommended by the Executive Committee.

Minute no. 70 - Corporate Performance Strategy;

Minute no. 71 - Housing Revenue Account Initial Budget 2017/18 – 2019/20;

Minute no. 72 - Council Housing Growth Programme;

Minute no. 78 - Independent Remuneration Panel Report and Recommendations.

The recommendations made by the Committee are set out at the front of each report, included within the agenda pack.  The minutes of each meeting are included in Minute book 4.

Members considered the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings of 13th December 2016 and 17th January 2017.

13th December 2016

In relation to the Fees and Charges recommendation, a number of members stated that they did not support this and made particular reference to the significantly increased legal fees and the bereavement fees. 

It was noted that the average increase in fees and charges was 3% but that some had risen on a cost-recovery basis, with bereavement fees still falling within the bottom quartile of fees nationally after the proposed increases.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5, the fees and charges recommendation was the subject of the following named vote:

Members voting FOR the recommendation:

Councillors Natalie Brookes, Debbie Chance, Greg Chance, John Fisher, Andrew Fry, Bill Hartnett, Pattie Hill, Wanda King, Mark Shurmer, Rachael Smith, Yvonne Smith, Jennifer Wheeler, Pat Witherspoon and Nina Wood-Ford (14)

Members voting AGAINST the recommendation:

Councillors Tom Baker-Price, Juliet Brunner, David Bush, Michael Chalk, Anita Clayton, Brandon Clayton, Matthew Dormer, Gay Hopkins, Jane Potter, Gareth Prosser, Antonia Pulsford, Paul Swansborough and David Thain (13)

17th January 2017

It was noted that the recommendations contained in Minute No. 67 in relation to the Borough of Redditch Local Plan No. 4 had already been dealt with earlier in the meeting (Minute No. 55 above refers).

In relation to the Corporate Performance Strategy recommendation, some Members expressed concerns in relation to money spent by the Council on consultants, systems thinking and Officer time.  The view was expressed that the new dashboard was ineffective and that alignment of Key Performance Indicators to new targets was impossible. 

In response, other members suggested that continual improvement was reported to be taking place in the Council’s processes, which in turn resulted in value for money for the Borough’s residents.  The Overview and Scrutiny function also gave all members the opportunity to scrutinise the Council’s activity and performance.

Regarding the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Initial Budget 2017/18 – 2019/20, it was noted that Officers had not provided details of the £19m reserves position which they had confirmed at Executive Committee would be included in the final report to Council.  Officers apologised that these details were not included and agreed to update the HRA Budget to reflect this. 

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 13th December 2016 and 17th January 2017 be received and all recommendations adopted.