Agenda item

The Mayor advised that two sets of minutes from meetings of the Executive Committee held on Monday 29^th July and Tuesday 3^rd September 2024 had been included in the Council agenda for Members’ consideration.  However, there had been no recommendations made to Council at the first of these meetings and therefore the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 29^th July 2024 had been included to provide Members with an opportunity to ask questions of clarification and to adopt the minutes.

Quarter 1 Revenue and Performance Monitoring Report 2024/25

The Portfolio Holder for Finance explained that there was £350,000 included in the capital programme for the three years of the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) which were due to be spent on upgrading the Arrow Valley Countryside Centre.  The Executive Committee was recommending an amendment to the budget to enable £100,000 of this funding to be spent at an earlier stage than previously anticipated.  This would ensure that the works could be delivered at a quieter period for the venue and thereby minimise disruption for income from food and beverage sales during the busy summer period.

Members discussed the proposal and in doing so commended Rubicon Leisure Limited for the positive impact that the company was having on the delivery of leisure services in the Borough.  Particular reference was made to the positive contribution of the Managing Director of Rubicon Leisure Limited and he was thanked for his hard work.  Members also praised improvements that had been made in the last 12 months to the services available at the Arrow Valley Countryside Centre.

In considering this matter, Members noted that it was important to ensure that all funding was accompanied by appropriate performance indicators.  These would enable the Council to assess the impact of the funding moving forward.  The suggestion was made that the Shareholders Committee should consider this accordingly.

The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Ian Woodall and seconded by Councillor Craig Warhurst.

Treasury Management Outturn Report

The Portfolio Holder for Finance presented the Treasury Management Outturn report for the 2023/24 financial year.  Members were advised that there was a requirement for this report to be considered by Council each year.  The report detailed the Council’s Treasury Management arrangements, including in respect of management of prudential indicators.  The Council had made some financial investments and it was important to ensure that these were managed appropriately.  In particular, Members were urged to consider the content of paragraphs 3.2 to 3.21 of the report, as these provided useful information about the Council’s position.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Ian Woodall and seconded by Councillor Joe Baker.

Shopmobility Future Options

The Portfolio Holder for Community Services and Regulatory Services presented the Shopmobility Future Options report for Council’s consideration.  Members were advised that the base for the service was due to move from its current location into a unit in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.  This would make the service more visible and accessible and it was hoped that this would result in an increase in custom for the service.

During consideration of this report, Members discussed the following points in detail:

·             The review of the report that had been undertaken at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 2^nd September 2024 at which the proposals had been scrutinised in detail.

·             The options that were available moving forward and which options had been favoured by Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  It was noted that some Members had favoured option 3 whilst other Councillors had favoured option 4.

·             The previous support that had been provided by the Kingfisher Shopping Centre to the Shopmobility service.

·             The consultation that had been conducted by the Council with customers of the service.  Some concerns were raised about the number of responses that had been received in this consultation process.

·             The extent to which the current base for the Shopmobility service was visible and the potential increase in demand for the service that might arise once the base had moved into a unit located in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre.

·             The locations in which the Shopmobility scooters operated.  Members noted that the scooters could be used in the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, Church Green, GP Practices and to access the library.

·             The extent to which it was appropriate for the Council to subsidise the Shopmobility service.

·             The hard work of the staff employed in the Shopmobility service.

·             The previous reviews of the Shopmobility service that had been undertaken in recent years by the Council.

·             The proportion of Redditch residents, as opposed to visitors, who used the Shopmobility service.

·             The significant weight of many mobility scooters and the difficulties that many elderly people and people with physical disabilities could experience when transferring private mobility scooters from their vehicles.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Monica Stringfellow and seconded by Councillor Ian Woodall.

RESOLVED that

1)          the minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 29^th July 2024 be received and noted; and

2)          the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee meeting held on 3^rd September 2024 be received and all recommendations adopted.