Agenda and minutes

To consider the minutes of the previous meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 14 and 28 July 2021 and to approve them as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

Resolved: - That the Minutes of the meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 14 and 28 July 2021 be approved as a true record.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

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

There were no questions from members of the public or press.

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

There were no items that required the exclusion of public or press.

Cabinet Portfolio: - Leader

Strategic Directorate: - Assistant Chief Executive

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 20 September 2021 that provided information on the on progress made in delivering the key activities as set out in the Council’s Year Ahead Plan in the plan. The Leader of the Council and the Assistant Chief Executive attended the meeting to present the report.

The report noted that the Year Ahead Plan was the Council’s plan for operating in and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and that it had originally set out key activities for the Council for the period September 2020 to May 2021. It was noted that an extension to the Plan, featuring these same themes and outcomes had been approved by Cabinet in June 2021 and that the plan was now in place for period until the new Council Plan for 2022 onwards had been produced and approved.

The report stated that the plan detailed in the key activities that would be undertaken in order for the Council to support residents, communities and businesses through the ongoing challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic and also direct the Council’s ambitious plans for Rotherham’s future.

The Leader noted that of all the activities contained in the Year Ahead Plan:

·       13% (11) of the activities outlined within the extended Year Ahead Plan had been completed

·       63% (55) were on track

·       14% (12) were behind schedule

·       2% (2) were off track

·       9% (8) had been closed. 

The Leader noted that the development of the new Council Plan was continuing with a wide-ranging consultation with residents being carried out that would be used to shape the new plan. The Leader also noted that members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board would also have further opportunities to be engaged with and consulted on the development of the new Council Plan.

The Leader advised that development of a new Carers Strategy was continuing and that a draft strategy had been prepared following online consultation. The Leader noted that the draft strategy would now be subject to further consultation through a series of face-to-face consultation events in order to ensure the consultation had been as thorough and wide ranging as possible. The Leader noted that he was pleased to report that after numerous delays caused by the pandemic, that work at the Herringthorpe Stadium, other than the works on the car park, would now be able to commence.

The Leader provided further information on the reinstatement of face-to-face customer service access across the Borough, the Council’s application to be an accredited Real Living Wage employer and the proposed Hybrid Working Policy that was scheduled to be considered by the Council’s Staffing Committee in the next week.

A document that outlined progress against all of the actions contained within the Year Ahead Plan was attached as an appendix to the officer’s report.

Members asked why the activity to realign ward based partnerships and networks with the Council’s new wards was delayed when the introduction of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

Cabinet Portfolio: - Corporate Services, Community Safety and Finance

Strategic Directorate: - Finance and Customer Services

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 19 July 2021 that detailed the Council’s financial position as at the end of July 2021 based on actual cost and income figures for the first four months of 2021/22. It was noted that the report was the second of a series of financial monitoring reports for the current financial year. The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Community Safety and Finance, the Assistant Director - Financial Services and the Head of Corporate Finance attended the meeting to present the report.

The report stated that as of July 2021 the Council was expecting to deliver the overall outturn within budget for the financial year 2021/22. It was noted that while the Directorates had a current forecast year end overspend of £7.2m on General Fund expenditure that this should be mitigated by the Government’s provision of COVID-19 emergency support grants and Sales, Fees and Charges Income Compensation. It was noted that the longer-term impacts of Covid-19, public health measures and the pace at which services could return to normal was unknown and as such the financial situation in the short to medium term would continue to be surrounded by a degree of uncertainty.

The report provided a detailed narrative for the budget position of each directorate. The report also provided information on the delivery of previously agreed savings, the position of the Housing Revenue Account, the Covid-19 Local Support Scheme, and the delivery of the Capital Programme.

Members asked for further information on the activities that were being carried out in order to return the management and operation of the Council’s finances to a more “business as usual” position. The Assistant Director - Financial Services advised that the production of the Council’s new Medium-Term Financial Strategy that would be considered by Cabinet in November 2021 would address many of the financial challenges that the Council faced as the Borough emerged from the pandemic.

The Assistant Director advised that it had been confirmed that the results of the three-year Government spending review would be known on 27 October, with details of the Local Government Financial Settlement following later in the year. The Assistant Director noted that it was hoped that the Financial Settlement would mirror the Spending Review in being for a period of three years. The Assistant Director also noted that work around Council Tax and Business Rates collection rates and driving the delivery of previously agreed savings was also being carried out in order to enable effective budget management and planning in future years.

Members sought assurance that the Council’s finances and the administration of the numerous Government grants to support the Council’s finances during the pandemic had been managed as efficiently and effectively as possible during the period of the pandemic. The Assistant Director assured members that the budget reporting processes required both internally and by the MHCLG had been followed stringently throughout the pandemic and noted that the positive financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

Cabinet Portfolio: Jobs and the Local Economy

Strategic Directorate: - Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 20 September 2021 regarding the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) spending protocol. The Planning Policy Manager and the Head of Neighbourhoods attended the meeting to present the report.

The report noted that the Community Infrastructure Levy was a charge that councils could choose to apply to new development in order to raise funds for local infrastructure, such as extra school places, road improvements, improved public transport and better green spaces. It was noted that Rotherham’s CIL Charging Schedule had been adopted by the Council on 7 December 2016 and had come into force on 3 July 2017.

It was noted that CIL was a mandatory charge for certain types of development and was charged on a £ per square metre basis for new development floorspace, with most new development that created net additional floor space of 100 square metres or more, or that created a new dwelling, being potentially liable for the levy. It was noted that there were certain exemptions from the charge that included social housing, self-build housing and domestic extensions.

The report stated in addition to delivering strategic projects across the Borough, that a portion of CIL income that was raised from development (15%) was allocated to be spent in the area where the development that had generated the CIL income had occurred. It was noted that in parished areas this funding was passed to Parish and Town Councils to spend on projects in their area, with the Council having discretion over spend of the neighbourhood portion arising from non-parished areas.

The report detailed the proposed protocol for prioritising and approving the spend of Strategic CIL funds as well as a proposed ward-based approach to the spend of Local CIL arising from development in non-parished areas.

Members asked whether local CIL funds could be used to support the delivery of projects that were being delivered via Housing Hubs. The Head of Neighbourhoods advised that he would seek clarification on this in advance of sending updated guidance to all members.

Members noted the complexity of CIL and requested that officers provide an all-member seminar on CIL in order to increase members knowledge and undertaking of CIL. Members also requested that the seminar covered Section106 planning agreements and information on how these were different to the CIL.

Members noted the 15% of CIL funding that was allocated to Parish and Town Councils as a result of a CIL liable development occuring in their area and asked whether it was possible for Parish and Town Councils to request an additional share of the CIL that had been charged. The Planning Policy Manager advised that neighbouring Parish and Town Councils were able to work together in order to pool the funding received via the CIL in order to deliver projects that would be mutually beneficial for their residents. The Planning Policy Manager stated that in specific circumstances the use of the strategic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

To consider the Board’s Work Programme.

The Board considered its Work Programme.

Resolved: - That the Work Programme be approved.

To review and identify items for pre-decision scrutiny from the Forward Plan of Key Decisions covering the period from 1 September to 30 November 2021.

The Board considered the Forward Plan of Key Decisions 1 September  - 30 November 2021.

Resolved: - That the Forward Plan be noted.

To consider any issues referred for call-in from recent Cabinet meetings.

There were no call-in issues.

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

There were no urgent items of business.

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held on Wednesday 13 October at 11am at Rotherham Town Hall.

Resolved: - That the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held at 11am on Wednesday 13 October 2021 at Rotherham Town Hall.