Cabinet - Tuesday, 18th October, 2016 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

            To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 20th September, 2016 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20th September, 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1620 and Places for People Leisure’s Service Plan for 2016/17 (copies attached). The local Contract Manager, Mr. Duncan Mackay, will attend the meeting to present the Plan and answer questions.

The Cabinet received the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1620 and the Places for People (PfP) Leisure Service Update 2016/17.  The Report advised that PfP had performed well on the contract during the previous year.  PfP and the Council had continued to work in partnership on initiatives, including the Megarider bus ticket and £1 summer holiday swimming.

Duncan Mackay, the local Contract Manager, attended the meeting to present the Leisure Service Update 2016/17. It was reported that this document had been updated and renamed from the previous year and now provided a more concise reflection of PfP’s activities over the period. The Update reported on a number of highlights that had been achieved during 2015/16, including that Farnborough Leisure Centre had achieved an ‘Excellent’ Quest accreditation and Aldershot Indoor Pools had achieved a ‘Good’ Quest accreditation. In particular, Aldershot Lido had shown a 153% increase in visits compared to the previous year. It was felt that the introduction of a range of incentives that had been drawn up jointly with the Council and the Friends of the Aldershot Lido Group had been well received and had been factors in this improvement. It was also noted that the percentage of local people using the facility had increased. There had been around £615,000 of investment in the leisure facilities at Farnborough Leisure Centre and Aldershot Pools, including £72,000 spent on replacement IT facilities and £60,000 on the refurbishment of the children’s soft play area at Farnborough Leisure Centre. PfP had used social media increasingly to contact existing and potential new customers and the company were grateful for the support of the Council’s Communications Team in this respect. The main issues for 2016/17 included an upgrade to the gym at the Farnborough Leisure Centre and the launch of a new website and a wellness app.

The Cabinet welcomed the Service Update and the quality of service provided by PfP in Aldershot and Farnborough. Members considered it important that the local Clinical Commissioning Group should routinely refer clients to PfP’s facilities to engage with programmes around healthier living, especially in relation to obesity. It was agreed that the Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Partnership would be contacted in this respect. It was also requested that information collected from customers in surveys by PfP should be shared with the Council, subject to data protection considerations.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the Places for People Leisure Service Update 2016/17, as set out in the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1620, be endorsed.

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1621 and Veolia’s Annual Service Delivery Plan 2016 (copies attached). Veolia’s Contract Manager, Mr. Rob Noble, will attend the meeting to present the Plan and answer questions.

The Cabinet received the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1621 and Veolia’s Annual Progress Report 2016.  Members were reminded that the current contract was due to end in July 2017.  Highlights in the Report included that missed bin reports had been well within target levels, litter collection had been very good and the Council’s grounds had continued to be maintained to a very high standard, in particular with the annual bedding and hanging basket displays.

Rob Noble, who had taken over from John Stockings as Veolia’s Contract Manager, attended the meeting to present the Progress Report. The Cabinet was advised that the recycling rate had remained steady at around 26% and that is was hoped that initiatives, such as the introduction of more recycling in relation to street cleansing, particularly in the town centres, would lead to an increase in this rate. Members heard that 2016 had seen a decrease in the number of accidents at work and there had also been a reduction in the number of unsafe acts observed during monitoring exercises.  It was explained that, where capacity allowed, Veolia would carry out duties above and beyond the requirements of the contract, such as in the carrying out of weed control in some alleyways. The company continued to support community events, such as the Victoria Day Parade in Aldershot and the Donkey Derby in Farnborough. Veolia had been working towards employees cross training on all aspects of the contract and it was felt that this had provided a more joined up service. Initiatives for 2016/17 included the continuation of the up skilling of Veolia’s staff to provide an increasingly comprehensive service to the Council and the residents of Rushmoor.

The Cabinet was satisfied at the level of service provided by Veolia under the contract and discussed many aspects of the Progress Report, including initiatives to improve recycling rates and issues around the removal of fly tipping.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that Veolia’s Annual Progress Report 2016, as set out in the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1621, be endorsed.

            To consider the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1621 (copy attached), regarding arrangements for consultation on the Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme.

The Cabinet considered the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1621, which set out a proposal to undertake a public consultation in respect of the Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme in order to inform any decision to review or amend the Scheme for the 2017/18 financial year. 

Members were reminded that local authorities had been developing their own Council Tax Support Schemes since April 2013. The Council had, following a consultation exercise, introduced a number of changes to its Scheme in April 2016. These changes included increasing the minimum contribution from 8% to 10% and reducing the savings threshold from £16,000 to £6,000. It was reported that Rushmoor’s Scheme had proved effective and Council Tax collection rates had remained high, although those rates had dropped by 0.4% over the previous two years. It was felt that the effect of these changes should be measured over a full year before proposing other significant alterations to the Scheme. However, it was proposed to consult in respect of relatively small changes that would keep Rushmoor’s Scheme in line with Government changes to other welfare benefits. Members were informed that the Council’s Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group had considered a number of options for changes as a consequence of the Government’s broader changes and these were set out in the Report. It was agreed to consult on an additional item relating to post graduate loans, which had been announced since the Report had been written. 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)                       the undertaking of public consultation on options around the           Council’s Council Tax Support Scheme, as set out in the Head of Financial Services’ Report No. FIN1621 and amended at the Meeting, be approved;         

(ii)          the proposals on aligning with the two dependent children rule, as set out in the Report, be included if sufficient information on the Government’s plans to introduce this to other benefits is available by the commencement of the consultation exercise;

(iii)                     the Head of Financial Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support and following   discussion with the Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group, be       authorised to agree the details of the consultation paper; and

(iv)         the outcome of the consultation and any subsequent proposals be reported to the Cabinet during January 2017.

To consider the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1605 (copy attached), which sets out a proposal to establish a Member Working Group to support the delivery of the Council’s new Parking Strategy.

The Cabinet considered the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1605 which proposed the establishment of a Member Working Group to support the delivery of the Council’s new Parking Strategy.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the establishment of a Parking Strategy Member Working Group be approved;

(ii)          the Terms of Reference for the new Group, as set out in the Corporate Director’s Report No. CD1605, be endorsed; and

(iii)         the Head of Democratic and Customer Services, in consultation with the Political Group Leaders, be authorised to make six appointments to the Group in accordance with political representation, to include the Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery (Cr. M.J. Tennant) and the Chairman of the Aldershot Regeneration Group (Cr. M.L. Sheehan).

NOTE:  Further to Resolution (iii) above, the Cabinet endorsed an increase in the membership to seven Members (4 Conservative: 2 Labour: 1 UKIP).