Agenda and minutes

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 17 July 2023

(Note: If any Member wishes to propose an amendment to the minutes they should submit this in writing to committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk at least 24 hours before the meeting.  Where applicable, the audio recording of the meeting will be checked to ensure the accuracy of the proposed amendment.)

The minutes of the meeting held on 17 July 2023 were approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members of the Committee

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Committee or the Chief Executive

There were no announcements.

To receive a report from the Head of Housing and Community Services

The Director of Resources introduced the report of the Head of Housing and Community Services. He agreed to pass on any questions on the content of the report that he was unable to answer to the Head of Housing and Community Services in order that a response could be provided.

Members had an opportunity to make comments and ask questions. Among the matters raised were:

·        The Director of Resources clarified that the Council was ranked second out of seven districts and boroughs for total crime and the ‘green’ rating indicated that the Council was doing relatively well.

·        The reasons why the Public Spaces Protection Order was due to lapse on 31 March 2024 and whether that decision could be revisited. The Director of Resources agreed to obtain a written response.

·        Whether more areas in the district could be covered by wardens. The Director of Resources advised that wardens were funded by the parish councils, therefore this would depend on whether the parish council wanted to fund it. In the town centre, which was an unparished area, the wardens were funded by the special charge.

The report was noted.

To receive a report from the Director of Resources

The Director of Resources introduced the report on the Council’s finance and performance. The report identified the revenue position as at month four, capital expenditure as at month four, and performance for quarter one.

In terms of revenue performance, the Council’s expenditure was being matched by its income. However, the Director of Resources explained that overspends resulting from inflation and salary pressures were being met by additional investment income being received as a result of high interest rates and high treasury management balances. There was a big risk that a reduction in interest rates or treasury management balances could result in there being insufficient income to cover the Council’s costs.

In terms of the capital programme, Members were advised that progress remained weak. The budget for the capital programme had been increased by almost £3 million due to the addition of Site A, Site B and the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 2, none of which had been spent yet; however, this was unsurprising given that these were more recent additions to the programme. The Director of Resources considered it highly unlikely that as much as 90% of the capital programme would be spent by 31 March 2024, and he and the Head of Finance and Performance were challenging the forecast received from budget holders.

Notwithstanding the above, spending on the Local Authority Housing Fund Round 1 was largely on track with £2.2 million having been spent as at month four. Of the sixteen properties that were due to be purchased, nine had completed and tenants had begun to move into some of them. The remaining seven properties were under offer. One of those properties was unlikely to meet the completion deadline of 30 November 2023 as a Grant of Probate was required and was unlikely to be received in time, however, the government had agreed to completion taking place at a later date given that the circumstances were beyond the Council’s control.

Key performance indicators for the first quarter (where available) were provided in Appendix A to the report. Six key performance indicators were amber and seven were red, which was a slight improvement on the previous quarter where six key performance indicators were amber and eight were red. The Director of Resources highlighted the following:

·        Health and wellbeing interventions for working age residents and health and wellbeing interventions for over working age residents: The service had been interrupted by the move to a new premises, and it was hoped that these performance indicators would soon return to green from red.

·        Households in temporary accommodation and households in bed and breakfast accommodation: There continued to be a huge demand for accommodation and, despite the actions that the Council had been taking to address that demand, it was expected that these performance indicators would remain red for some time.

·        Collection of business rates arrears: This performance indicator had moved from red to green.

·        Quality assurance on the local authority error: This area remained red as it continued to present  ...  view the full minutes text for item SO/27

To receive an update from the Fair Space Task and Finish Group

Councillor Bateman presented the Task and Finish Group’s Terms of Reference. She advised that the Group had narrowed its Terms of Reference to focus on older girls and teenagers aged 12 to 17, to improve the deliverability of the project. In response to a question asked as to why that particular age group had been chosen, Councillor Bateman explained that a lot of research already existed in relation to that age group and it was felt that it was the most overlooked demographic group. It was also considered that, by focusing on a younger age group, it was more likely that lifelong habits could be changed.

A query was raised as to why the scope of the Task and Finish Group had been limited to a certain age group, as it was felt that people of different ages struggled to engage in exercise. Councillor Bateman explained that she wanted to avoid a blanket approach as a person’s needs and wants changed dependent on where they were in their life.

In response to a question asked as to how the data would be gathered, Councillor Bateman explained that, having consulted the Council’s Communications team, the proposal was to visit Collyer’s and secondary schools in order to speak to groups of people that were within the target age bracket. A comment was made in relation to the importance of not making assumptions when gathering the data.

In response to a question asked in relation to where the policies were that would be subject to review, Councillor Bateman explained that the first step was to identify them.

In terms of the timescale for the Task and Finish Group to complete its work, Councillor Bateman indicated 12 to 18 months. The Democratic Services Officer advised that nearer the 12 months could be worked towards. A Member highlighted that this might not coincide with the progression of the Horsham District Planning Framework (the Local Plan) and suggested exploring whether creating a supplementary planning document was a possibility.

The next step was for the Task and Finish Group to hold its first meeting.

To review the current Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The Chairman advised that he would probably invite the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources to the Committee’s November meeting. He explained that members of the Committee would be asked to submit questions for the Cabinet Member to Democratic Services in advance of the meeting.

A suggestion was made that the Council Plan be added to the Committee’s work programme. The Chairman anticipated that this would be considered at either the November or January meeting.

A suggestion was also made that the Council’s plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 be added to the Committee’s work programme once it had crystallised.

To review the current Forward Plan

The Cabinet Forward Plan was noted.

Items not on the agenda which the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as urgent because of the special circumstances

There was no urgent business.