Agenda and draft minutes

The following report was submitted:-

AREA ASSEMBLY CHAIRS

14^TH January, 2013

Present:-  Councillor McNeely (in the Chair); Councillors Atkin, Beaumont, Dodson, Johnston, Read and Whelbourn.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Currie, Falvey, J. Hamilton, N. Hamilton, Havenhand, Pitchley, Swift and Wootton.

16.          MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

The minutes of the meeting held on 10th September, 2012, were noted.

17.          AREA ASSEMBLY CHAIRS/AREA PARTNERSHIP MANAGER UPDATE

Shaun Mirfield, Area Partnership Manager, gave the following reports:-

Rotherham North

?   A number of problems in the Kimberworth Park area particularly around St. John’s Green. Work was taking place with the Police and Housing Services on an action plan together with the installation of CCTV. Repair work carried out the previous week had been vandalised over the weekend. 10 individuals had been identified as the perpetrators

?    Area Housing Panel – Majority of the budget had been allocated and spend  anticipated by the end of March, 2013

?    Community First – All 3 Wards in Rotherham North would benefit from the funding and on track to spend. A link was being made between Community First and Deprived Communities with a special meeting arranged focussing on Ferham and Masbrough

Rotherham South

?   A number of key issues in Eastwood Village and work carried out with a few members of the public who had submitted a petition to the Council

?     Hotspots in Canklow and East Dene for which action plans had been drawn up and in the process of implementation

?   Area Housing Panel – Majority of the budget had been allocated and spend anticipated by the end of March, 2013

?   Community First – 2 of the 3 Wards benefitted from the funding – Rotherham East and Boston Castle – and had been aligned to Deprived Communities. Rotherham East had identified and prioritised work in Eastwood and East Dene around children’s education (in particular preschool provision) and adult education. Boston Castle was taking a similar approach

Councillor Johnston reported that Rotherham North had held their annual Awards evening just before Christmas, funded through her Community Leadership allocation. Photographs from the event was to be included on the Assembly’s web page.

Andrea Peers, Area Partnership Manager, gave the following reports:-

Wentworth Valley

-      Assembly dates had been set for the forthcoming year with the aim of holding them in a different format each meeting.  There would be a Roadshow in partnership with Maltby Town Council which would enable residents to find out what services were delivered to them and an emphasis on the Welfare Reform

-      Disadvantaged Communities –Maltby Town Council had been undertaking consultation as part of their Town Council Plan process but now needed to work with the Authority with regard to disadvantaged communities

Rother Valley South

-      Assembly dates had been set for the forthcoming year with the aim of holding them in a different format each meeting

-      Attendance was very good at Assembly meetings

-      The 7 Parishes within the Assembly area had picked up the Welfare Reform issue and were keen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services presented options for the future use of the above building/land which had been handed back to the Council by the previous lessees.

The land was formerly leased to the Trustees of March Flatts Community Centre on a leasehold basis.  The Trustees named on the lease agreement had no involvement with the building and the community group that had since assumed responsibility had now disbanded as the building was no longer viable due to lack of demand and usage.

The Council had been advised that the community group had vacated the building and were handing the land back with the building in situ as they did not have sufficient funds to facilitate demolition and clearance works.  The lease agreement stated that the building and contents must be removed upon termination of the lease, however, Legal Services had confirmed that the condition could not be enforced as the group was no longer operational.

The building was in a reasonable condition and was currently vacant awaiting consideration for future use.  It had recently been the subject of vandalism with the Council responsible for the ongoing associated maintenance and security of the premises.

The 3 options for consideration were:-

·         Option 1 – Continued use as a community building

·         Option 2 – Conversion to a commercial unit

·         Option 3 – Declare the building/land surplus to enable it to be considered for sale

Discussion ensued on the options with the following points raised:-

·         Checks should be made with the original lease signatories to ensure their interest in the building had ceased

·         Consideration given to the cost of demolition against the cost of securing the property until it was sold

·         How many of the surrounding properties were owner-occupied

Resolved:-  That the building/land be declared surplus to enable it to be considered for sale as identified in Option 3 above.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Finance Manager, Neighbourhood and Adult Services, in relation to the budget monitoring during the 2012-13 financial year of the Neighbourhood General Fund.  The report detailed the projected end of year outturn position as at the end of December, 2012. 

The latest forecast showed an underspend of £168,000 against an approved net revenue budget of £2.510M.  The main variations against budget were:-

Environmental Health

-        Significant pressure at the start of the year due to the Vacancy Factor.  Merger of a number of teams into 1 joint Community Protection Team had identified savings within salaries with further planned savings and efficiencies on Transport and Supplies and Services resulting in a forecast underspend.  Slight projected underspend on Landfill Sites as a result of tight control on expenditure within Supplies and Services.

Public Health

-        Vacant posts on hold until the Public Health restructure fully implemented, now completed resulting in a underspend within Trading Standards.

Housing and Communities

-        Pressure in Community Safety Unit as a result of approved budget savings

-        Slippage in achieving the agreed savings due to the new structure not being fully implemented

-        Forecast underspend due to vacant posts within the Anti-Social Behaviour and Area Assemblies Teams and Management and Administration

-        Projected underspend in the Community Leadership Fund, although this had been approved for carry forward in previous years

Strategic Housing and Investment Service

-        Anticipated underspend on income from interest on the Equity Loan Scheme

-        Forecast underspend on the Lighting of Staircases budget based on costs to date projected to year end

-        Small overspend on Registered Social Landlords cost centre as a result of the reduction in number of Landlords in the Scheme

Housing Options

-        Small overspend projected on the Medical Mobility and Community Care cost centre due to estimated set up costs for VPN for Occupational Therapists within the Team

Central

-        Previously received an income contribution from the Asylum Team as recognition of location costs.  The Asylum Grant had now ended and the work outsourced resulting in an income shortfall

-        Savings on supplies and services are reducing the overall pressure

To date there had been no spend on either Agency or Consultancy within Neighbourhoods General Fund budgets.  The only non-contractual overtime for Neighbourhoods related to grant funded overtime for the Food, Health and Safety Teams.

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

·         There were a number of pressures which had been offset by one-pff savings.  These were as a result of slippage in vacancy management and the moratorium on non-essential spend and would not be a recurrent saving in 2013/14

·         The net budget had reduced by £334,000 as a result of the re-alignment of the former RBT ICT and Affordability budgets

·         Community Leadership Fund

Resolved:- That the report be received and the latest financial projection against budget for 2012/13 noted.

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods submitted a proposal to procure the Civica Dashboard product to enable effective performance management of the Civica APP system.

The Council had had a longstanding contract with Civica for the back office software for Environmental Health applications, currently APP.  Present performance reporting arrangements within APP required a significant amount of manual data manipulation to develop and present management information.   The new product worked as an embedded programme within APP and could automatically, and on a frequency determined by the Service, present management data analysis without the need for manual export or manipulation.  This would reduce the burden of ensuring reports were run and analysed on a frequent basis.

It was the only procedure that would work with the existing database system and, with it only being available from 1 supplier, there was no alternative option other than to purchase the product from Civica. 

The cost of the product and required onsite configuration of 8-10 reports was £7.725.

Resolved:-  That the proposed purchase of the APP Dashboard module from Civica (existing provider) be exempt from the provision of Standing Order 47.6.3 (requirement to invite at least 2 oral or written quotations for contracts with an estimated value of £5,000 but less than £20,000) be approved.