Agenda and draft minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22^nd October, 2024 as a true and correct record of the proceedings and to be signed by the Chair.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22^nd October, 2024 be approved and signed by the Chair as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest to report.

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

The Chair invited members of the public present to read out their questions.

(1)  From Ms. S. Yousaf  - Within the operational plan, land at View Valley had been mentioned. Where was this land and what was the size of this site?

The Head of Legal, Registration and Bereavement Services confirmed the land referred to as ‘Valley View’ in the operational plan was located below the main car park, at the other side of the existing boundary fence and was approximately thirteen acres in size. This would be used for an extension to the cemetery with burial sections to be created for all faith and non-faith interments.

In a supplementary question Ms. Yousaf asked when was it likely that there would be public consultation in relation to this land and when was it likely that work would commence on this land?

The Head of Legal, Registration and Bereavement Services confirmed that it would very much depend on what Dignity would do by way of consultation along with the Council.  It had been identified as land at the moment, but once consultation was to commence members of the public would be informed along with the Muslim Burial Committee.

(2)  From Mr. A. Azam - Annual Bereavement Services Update - Dignity Operational Plan - Having read the Operational Plan issued from Dignity to the Council as of 9th September, could the Council and Dignity explain how they have managed to get themselves into this position?

The Head of Legal, Registration & Bereavement Services confirmed the Council were required to provide the land for Dignity to develop into a useable cemetery. The need for burial land was to be identified by Dignity in the Strategic and Operational burial plans. As these were only formally received at the end of 2023 the Council have had to base need for land on areas that were noticeably running low on capacity.

Representatives of Dignity were also invited to respond and they confirmed that Dignity have reviewed the structure of the organisation over the last eighteen months to provide its crematoria and cemeteries with a full board and executive committee. The purpose of the change was to ensure strategic decision making and capital expenditure could be undertaking in a timely manner, particularly where partnership agreements were in place.

The thirty-five year plan, which was supported by the Operational Plan was a more recent submission by Dignity to the Council to ensure discussions and long-term agreements could be achieved to meet community needs. This was submitted in September 2024, and Dignity was eager to discuss next steps with the Council and were currently awaiting their response.

The Dignity/Council contract was produced in 2008 and many changes in demographics, social-economic and culture expectations have taken place since then.  The new executive board structure reflected this and allowed the discussions and decision making to take place with the Council at the correct level.

Moving forward the expectation was that with the Council and Dignity were far more joined up, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

The Chair advised that there were no items of business on the agenda that would require the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

To consider the annual reports in respect of the delivery of the Bereavement Services contract.

Consideration was given to the Annual Bereavement Services Report presented by Bal Nahal, Head of Legal, Registration and Bereavement Services, which provided an update on the Council’s Bereavement Services cemetery chapels, digital autopsy contract, boundary and capital works and management of the contract between Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Dignity Funerals Limited, addressing recommendations made at Improving Places Select Committee on 12th December, 2023. The recommendations addressed in this report were those which are the responsibility of the Council.

Background information on when the Council entered into a thirty-five year contractual agreement with Dignity Funerals Ltd (Dignity) for the provision of bereavement services for Rotherham were outlined. This partnership saw Dignity take on the responsibility for capital works and maintenance of the East Herringthorpe cemetery and crematorium along with the maintenance of the eight other municipal cemeteries located throughout the Borough. The Council retained cemetery chapels, associated buildings, and boundary walls on some cemetery sites.

Dignity was contractually required to provide annual assurance to the Council that Key Performance Targets (KPTs) were being met and Service Improvements (SIs) were being made.  This was documented each year by the production of an Annual Performance Report (APR).

Monthly performance meetings were also taking place to keep performance matters under regular discussion and where appropriate, matters escalated to the internal Council officers contract meeting or the Dignity/Council Project Liaison Group Meeting. A performance management framework was also used to monitor performance and updated following each meeting looking specifically at the KPTs and progress against in year Service Improvements Dignity have agreed to make.

By utilising the mechanisms in place within the contract for performance management, Bereavement Services continued to levy financial penalty charges to Dignity Funerals Ltd where performance failures have not been resolved within the rectification period as defined in the contract for the severity level of the failure.

In addition to monthly performance meetings, Bereavement Services regularly undertook cemetery inspections and scrutinised high priority matters closely, cemetery expansion proposals and burial capacity availability across the Borough.

Bereavement Services worked with professional partners, which included Dignity, on a range of different matters including overall death management around the processes and systems in place for the bereaved and the deceased and managing high volumes of deaths during seasonal peaks in death rates.

Bereavement Services were working together with libraries to provide ‘death cafes’ at Rotherham Central Library once a month to provide a space for the public to go and speak about all things life, death, and life after loss. Bereavement Services were working with other professional partners across the bereavement sector to attend these events and discuss different matters with attendees.  Details of these death café events will be shared on the Council’s digital communication platforms. This would also enable signposting to external events such as Dignity’s Christmas Carol service, Remembrance Day service and public open days at the crematorium.

In the 2023-24 financial year, the Council’s Bereavement Services completed several capital projects within a combined investment value of £194,768, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

To consider the Update on the Council’s Flood Risk Management works across the borough & the Six Priority Flood Alleviation Scheme Projects

Consideration was given to a presentation by Richard Jackson and Andy Saxton,  which provided detail on the Council’s Flood Risk Management works across the borough and the Six Priority Flood Alleviation Scheme Projects.

The presentation highlighted:-

Part A:- Overview of ongoing flood risk management works across the borough:-

§    Section 19 - Storm Babet.

§    Community Engagement.

§    Next Steps – Catcliffe.

§    Investigations carried out following Storm Babet.

§    Projects Delivered in Treeton, Thorpe Salvin, Thrybergh, Brampton-en-le-Morthen and Todwick.

§    Planned Works in Stone, Swinton, Aughton, Firbeck and Wath.

§    Road Gully Maintenance.

§    Connected By Water.

Part B:-  Progress Update on the Six Priority Flood Alleviation Scheme Projects:-

§    Six Priority Flood Alleviation Schemes.

§    Surveys and Landowner Engagement.

§    Rotherham Renaissance Flood Alleviation Scheme.

§    Parkgate & Rawmarsh Flood Alleviation Scheme.

§    Whiston Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme.

§    Eel Mires Dike Flood Alleviation Scheme.

§    Catcliffe Pumping Station.

§    Culvert Renewal Programme.

§    Culvert Replacement Programme.

A question and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:-

·              Could the exact location of the Parkgate and Rawmarsh FAS water storage area be confirmed.  From the map it would appear it was located very near some residential properties that also flooded, so it was important the surface water did not encroach onto existing residents.

Officers confirmed the location and explained about maximum water levels before overspills into the embankment.  The overspills would not get up to property levels.  An exact drawing of the location would be provided.

·              The six priority schemes were agreed in 2021, but when were these schemes going to be delivered and had funding been secured.

Officers confirmed some funding had been allocated from the Environment Agency, but this was subject to business cases being submitted.  Not all the schemes were fully funded as yet.  Further funding for these schemes was being sought so until funding was allocated and secured it was difficult to give a timeframe for schemes to be delivered.

Officers were confident the schemes would be delivered and had been prepared for ready status.  However, discussions were ongoing with the Environment Agency and other departments about securing capital investment as part of the budget process.  Hopefully over the next two years the flooding alleviation schemes would be secured.

·              Which of the schemes had the highest priority?

Officers confirmed there was no priority of the six schemes as they all would make a difference to communities.  A commitment was secured in the previous budget to deliver Whiston Brook and Eel Mires Dyke Schemes.  The schemes were committed to be delivered.

·              The commitment to Catcliffe was commended, but when would an update be provided to residents on schemes and the viability of them.  Residents were keen to be engaged in next steps.

Officers anticipated having three next steps by June, 2025 and would provide an update in due course.

·              Officers were thanked for the tremendous amount of work that had gone into all the schemes, but the land ownership map appeared very  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

To consider the report which indicates progress on the delivery of the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy and the Neighbourhood Working model.

N.B.  Due to the size of Appendix 5 this will be added to the Members’ Portal and a link will be circulated.

Consideration was given to the Thriving Neighbourhoods Annual Report 2023/24 and detail provided on progress on the delivery of the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy and the Neighbourhood Working model.

The high-level Delivery Plan for 2023/24 (and a Full Equality Analysis were presented to the Improving Places Select Commission in October 2023. The Delivery Plan combined the Council Plan’s Outcomes and Commitments along with the common themes coming out of the 2023/24 ward priorities and identified the contribution from the Neighbourhoods Team and Elected Members in their community leadership role within their wards.

The Delivery Plan also referenced existing relevant Council strategies, programmes and plans. The detailed delivery of activity was captured within the 25 Ward Plans which Elected Members and the Neighbourhoods Teams reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

A range of Performance Indicators were recorded throughout the  and performance and impact were also captured through case studies and stories that were included in the Members’ ward reports, the Good Practice Guide, warde-bulletins and other media channels.

To support this report officers provided a presentation which provided information on:-

·              The Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy.

·              What it wanted to achieve.

·              LGA Corporate Peer Challenge 2023.

·              Councillors as Community Leaders.

·              Community Engagement.

·              Partnership Working.

·              Significant Events – Community Recovery.

·              Impact on Activity.

·              Moving Forward.

·              Place Based Approach.

·              Strengths-Based Working.

A discussion and question and answer session ensued and the following issues were raised and clarified:-

·              Thanks and appreciation were given to the Thriving Neighbourhoods Team for the incredible support they had provided to new members.

·              Neighbourhoods played a key role in the incident at Manvers and the support they provided to Members and residents was extraordinary.  The move from the Area Assembly model to Neighbourhood Working gave wards more flexibility and power to get things done with greater leadership within communities.

·              Could the criminal activity details shared at the CAT meetings be reinstated as whilst the Police statistics were complex, the detail was very much appreciated in the area.

Officers would look to see how data was being produced at a ward level and would look to discuss this further.

·              The raising of the level of the CLF money would be very beneficial as funds currently allocated only went so far.

The Deputy Leader confirmed there were many deserving projects in wards, but as well as the CLF there was also CIL, which was another source of funding.   As a Council there had been so many cuts to the budget that it would be some time before there was any opportunity to increase CLF funding.

·              Accounting for the funding was an issue as the guidelines for CLF were very prescriptive on how this could be spent.  Whist suggestions could be put forward for CIL funding, it appeared any projects requiring capital requiring funding were pointed towards CLF funding.  This unfortunately reduced Ward Members ability to support people for service-based activities.  Perhaps this should be taken up with Finance. for certain things.  Split it a bit more fairly From the CLF to capital.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

To consider and endorse the outline schedule of scrutiny work for the 2024-2025 municipal year.

The Governance Manager introduced the work programme report and noted that since the last meeting arrangements had now been made for a workshop on the Housing Strategy.  This would review the findings of the consultation.  The workshop was scheduled to take place on Thursday 12^th December , 2024 at 2.00 p.m in Riverside House, but this was also available as a hybrid option.  Discussions and outcomes from the workshop would feed into the Cabinet report and would not be reconsidered by the Improving Places Select Commission.

The scoping session for the School Road Safety Review was currently progressing, but due to Members’ availability it was likely the first meeting would take place in the new year.  Details would be provided in due course.

With regards to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board review into  grass cutting and grounds maintenance, a briefing note had now been emailed to both Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Improving Places Select Commission asking if there were any additional aspects to those listed that needed to be included.  The deadline for inclusion was 31^st December and the review would then be arranged to take place next year.  The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board invited a couple of Members from Improving Places to join the review.

It was also noted that a few more Members were invited to join the review into the Housing Allocation Policy.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the update on the Work Programme be received and noted.

(2)  That Councillors Beresford, Thorp and Jones represent the Improving Places Select Commission on the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board review of grass cutting and grounds maintenance.

To consider any item which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair in reviewing the agenda for the next meeting sought views on whether to cancel the meeting altogether or to leave the limited items as they were.

The consensus was for the meeting to remain as is.