Agenda and minutes

To receive the apologies of any Member who is unable to attend this meeting.

There were no apologies for absence.

To invite Councillors to declare any interests they may have in items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

1.         To give notice of any items for future meetings or for the Forward Plan, including any scheduled for this meeting, but now carried forward or deleted; and

2          any other relevant announcements.

(Oral report)

The Leader advised that the following items of business, scheduled on the Executive Work Programme to be dealt with at this meeting, had been rescheduled to a later meeting of the Committee:

·        Sickness Policy - Review; and

·        Concessionary Rents Policy.

He also advised that he had received the following items as Urgent Business:

·        Item 8 – Dial a Ride Extended Services – Feasibility Report

(Not meeting the publication deadline owing to the need for the report to be agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to its submission to the Executive Committee.)

·              Item 9 – Localism Act: Community Right to Bid – Assets of Community Value

·              Item 16 – Proposed Revised Arrangements for Performance Reporting

(Not on the Executive Work Programme for this meeting.)

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 18th September 2012.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 18th September 2012 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To seek approval for the timetable for production of Local Plan No 4.

(Report attached)

The Committee received a report, which detailed the timescales within the Local Development Scheme (LDS) No 5 for the production of Development Plans.

Officers reported that the LDS No 4 set out what plans would be produced including timescales for their production for the period July 2010 to February 2014.

Members were informed that LDS No 5 had been produced to update these timescales.

RECOMMENDED that

the timescales within the Local Development Scheme No 5, attached at Appendix A to the report, be agreed and published.

To consider, as part of the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations, the dedication of the following key open spaces/playing fields for inclusion in the ‘Fields in Trust’ (FIT) programme.

(Report attached)

Members considered a report on the Fields in Trust (FIT) programme to dedicate, as part of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee celebrations, key open spaces / playing fields in the Borough as follows:

a)     Batchley Pond;

b)     Greenlands;

c)     Headless Cross Green; and

d)     Overdale Park.

Officers reported that dedication of the sites would enable them to be protected as local outdoor spaces, specifically for use as playing fields for sport, play and recreation as well as contributing to the overall legacy of Jubilee celebrations.  A dedication plate and notice board would be installed at each site.

Officers were requested to review and confirm the boundaries for the scheme at Headless Cross Green and amend the site plan accordingly.

Members were informed that further sites could be included in future FIT programmes.

RESOLVED, subject to the review of the site plan of Headless Cross Green, that

1)         approval be granted for the four sites, listed in the preamble above, to be formally dedicated for use as playing fields by way of a Covenant / Deed of Dedication under the Fields in Trust programme.

2)         authority be delegated to the Heads of Leisure and Cultural Services and Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services to take the necessary steps to finalise the agreement with FIT in relation to the four sites and complete the Deeds of Dedication.

To implement the introduction of pre-09.30 concessionary bus travel to Redditch residents who are eligible for a concessionary bus pass.

(Report attached)

The Committee received a report regarding the implementation of pre-9.30 concessionary bus travel to those Redditch residents eligible for a concessionary bus pass.

A member of the Committee presented a written list of questions about issues regarding Value for Money (VFM), Accountability and Equality advising that answers were not expected at this meeting but would be made available to members of the Executive Committee before the next meeting of full Council.

Another member of the Committee expressed concern that the amount set aside to implement the scheme might not be enough to cover all costs and that some areas might not have a bus service.

RESOLVED that

1)         delegated authority be given to the Head of Community Services and the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services to agree with the bus operators the detailed arrangements necessary to implement a pre-09.30 concessionary bus travel scheme; and

2)         to enter into a legal agreement with the bus operators to reflect those arrangements.

To consider a recommendation from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee following its meeting on 9th October 2012.

(Report to follow)

The Committee received a report on a feasibility study for an extended Dial a Ride service to include transporting young people to local events and festivals and making the vehicles available for hire out of hours to other groups with transport needs.

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 9th October 2012 and made the following recommendations to the Executive Committee:

1)                 the Dial-a-Ride scheme operated under a permit issued under section 19 of the Transport Act 1985, be extended to include making the  Dial-a Ride vehicles available to those community organisations registered with the Council  for use during evenings and weekends;

2)                 that the charging schedule, as set out in Appendix 1 or the report, be adopted; and

3)                 that the scheme is based on the examples presented in appendix 2 of the report;and

4)                 subject to the extended Dial a Ride scheme being approved, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a monitoring update report on the subject 12 months after the scheme’s introduction.

RESOLVED that

the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as listed in the preamble above, be approved.

To consider a report on the Localism Act regarding Assets of Community Value.

(Report attached)

The Committee received a report which outlined the provisions relating to the ‘Community Right to Bid’ and the implications for the Council resulting from the requirement to hold a ‘List of Assets of Community Value’.  Officers reported that these requirements came into force on 21st September 2012.

Members were asked to note amendments to the report as follows:

Officers confirmed that land as well as buildings could be listed as Assets of Community Value.

RESOLVED that

1)                 the process for compiling the ‘list of assets of community value’ be approved;

2)                 the process for the internal review of the listing decisions be approved;

3)                 the proposal that compensation decisions be undertaken by the Executive Director of Finance and Resources in liaison with the Head of Planning & Regeneration; and

RECOMMENDED that

4)         delegation to the 151 Officer to make provision in the Medium Term Financial Plan for compensation sums (£20,000) be approved.

To receive the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11th September 2012.

There are no recommendations to consider.

(Minutes attached)

The minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11th September 2012 were considered by the Committee

RESOLVED that

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11th September 2012 be received and noted.

To receive and consider any outstanding minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive Panels etc. since the last meeting of the Executive Committee, other than as detailed in the items above.

There were no minutes or referrals to consider under this item.

To consider, for monitoring / management purposes, an update on the work of the Executive Committee’s Advisory Panels and similar bodies, which report via the Executive Committee.

The Committee received the most recent report on the activity of the Council’s Advisory Panels and similar bodies.

RESOLVED

that the report be noted.

To consider an update on the actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee.

The Committee received the latest Action Monitoring report.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

To receive a presentation on future Corporate Performance Monitoring at the Council.

(Briefing note attached)

Members received a presentation which contained details about the Council’s new Performance Management Framework that would be required following a change of focus from performance indicators to local measures created through system thinking interventions.

Officers reported that new style performance reports would be operational from April 2013.

The presentation was received and noted.