Venue: Concorde Room, Council Offices, Farnborough
Contact: Chris Todd, Democratic Services on 01252 398825 or e-mail: chris.todd@rushmoor.gov.uk
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To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 14th July, 2017 (copy attached). Additional documents: Minutes: The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 14th July, 2015 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman. |
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ANNUAL GOVERNANCE STATEMENT 2014/15 PDF 490 KB To consider the Solicitor to the Council’s Report No. LEG1513 (copy
attached), which proposes the approval of the Annual Governance Statement
2014/15. The Statement was considered by the Standards and Audit Committee on
2nd July, 2015 and has been recommended for approval. Presented By: Corporate Services Minutes: The Cabinet considered the Solicitor to the Council’s Report No. LEG1513, which proposed the approval of the Council’s Annual Governance Statement for the year 2014/15, which had been considered and approved by the Standards and Audit Committee on 2nd July, 2015, and also that the Statement should be signed by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive. The Cabinet was advised that the Accounts and Audit
Regulations 2003, as amended in 2006 and 2011, required local authorities to
conduct a review, at least annually, of the effectiveness of its system of
internal control, prepare an Annual Governance Statement and publish this with
the Statement of Accounts. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) had
produced guidance and a proforma statement, which had been used to develop the Council’s Annual Governance
Statement. The Council’s revised Local Code of Governance had
been adopted in 2014 and formed part of the Council’s Constitution. The
Statement was required to include notification of any significant internal
control issues and an action plan to address them. The Cabinet was advised
that no significant issues had been identified but that a number of actions for
the current year had been identified and these would be addressed during the
year. The Cabinet RESOLVED that the Annual Governance
Statement, as set out in the Solicitor to the Council’s Report No. LEG1513, be
approved for adoption and publication alongside the Council’s Statement of
Accounts. |
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PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF FRAUD - NEW APPROACH PDF 378 KB To consider the
Audit Manager’s Report No. AUD1503 (copy attached), which sets out the outcomes
of a review of the Council’s fraud investigation activities and provides
options for future service delivery. Presented By: Corporate Services Minutes: The Cabinet considered the Audit Manager’s Report No.
AUD1503, which set out the results of a review of the Council’s fraud investigation
service and options for its future delivery. The Cabinet was advised that, in
recent years, extensive guidance and legislation had brought about a number of
changes to the way that this work was carried out. Looking forward, the
introduction of Universal Credit and the associated formation of the Single Fraud
Investigation Service (SFIS) would require the Council to further consider how
work should be carried out, particularly around the area of housing benefit
fraud. The new SFIS would be operated by the
Department of Work and Pensions and the investigation of most Housing Benefit
fraud work would transfer to it, meaning that this would no longer be a
responsibility of the Council’s Investigations Team. There were, however,
further areas of work that the Council now had sole responsibility for that
carried local risk and would require some anti-fraud work, including the
Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the Business Rate Retention Scheme. The Council currently employed two full-time Investigation
Officers, with one further post currently vacant. There was an option to apply
to transfer trained investigations staff to the new SFIS. It was
reported that some local authorities had decided to reduce or even
remove their internal investigation service in light of the coming changes. It was, however, proposed that it was in the Council’s interest
to retain a level of fraud investigation capability. The three options set out
for consideration were: ·
Option
1 – Retain two officers and delete the one vacant post ·
Option
2 – Retain one officer, transfer one officer to SFIS and delete the one vacant
post ·
Option
3 – Retain no officers, transfer two officers to SFIS and delete the one vacant
post In considering the Council’s obligations
under the Audit Commission’s guidance ‘Protecting the Public Purse’, it was
considered that Options 2 and 3 would represent a high risk
approach. Option 1 would still place the Council at the lower end in terms of resources
but the risk would be judged to be at a medium level.
It was confirmed that, if Option 1 were selected, there would be capability to
continue to investigate residual housing benefit requirements and meet other
existing commitments as well as start to address situations where families had
a number of varied issues in a more holistic way. The Cabinet was supportive of retaining fraud investigative
expertise ‘in-house’ and requested that opportunities to provide this service
to neighbouring authorities should be explored in due
course. The Cabinet RESOLVED that Option 1, to retain two
officers to provide the services set out in the Audit Managers Report No.
AUD1503 and to delete the one vacant post from the establishment, be approved
and that a review of the suitability of the arrangements be carried out, in
conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, within two years. |
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FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL LIMITED - PERMANENT EXHIBITION FACILITIES PDF 151 KB To consider the
Chief Executive’s Report No. CEX1503 (copy attached), which seeks approval for
a loan to Farnborough International Limited for the development of new
permanent exhibition facilities. Presented By: Leader of the Council/Corporate Services Minutes: The Cabinet RESOLVED that (i)
the offer of a loan, to a maximum of £4.5 million, to ADS
/ Farnborough International Limited for the Farnborough International Hall 1/1A
Permanent Venue, be approved, subject to the conditions outlined in paragraph
4.6 of the Chief Executive’s Report No. CEX 1503; and (ii)
the authority to agree all loan terms and
documentation in respect of the loan agreement, within the parameters outlined
in the Report, be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the
Leader of the Council, the Chief Financial Officer and the Solicitor to the
Council. |
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ALDERSHOT TOWN CENTRE - PARKING PDF 180 KB To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1514 (copy attached), which seeks approval for a trial of a number of parking concessions in Aldershot town centre. Presented By: Environment and Service Delivery Minutes: The Cabinet considered
the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1514, which
sought approval for the introduction of a number of parking concessions on a
one-year trial basis, aimed at encouraging more shoppers to Aldershot town
centre and assisting residents living in the area. Members heard
that the proposals had been devised in response to
concerns expressed by residents, Members and businesses that: ·
the
current parking charges were discouraging shoppers from using the town centre ·
it
was difficult for residents living in the town centre to find free overnight
parking ·
due
to the popularity of the free Westgate car park, it was difficult for those
using the complex and the Princes Hall in the evenings to find a parking space Members were
reminded that the one-hour on street parking restriction had been introduced at
the request of retailers to encourage pop in trade and to prevent the bays from
being used for long periods by commuters, people working and residents living
in the town. This had been a success with the bays being well
used and for this reason, it was not felt that reducing the cost of
parking or offering free parking would increase the number of customers
visiting the town. It was, however, proposed to trial
the provision of 20 free one hour parking bays in the High Street Multi Storey
Car Park to encourage the use of this currently underused car park. It was
explained that the Birchett Road Car Park was
designated as short stay but that, given the low cost of all-day parking at £5
compared to the cost of £7.50 for all-day parking at the private Railway
Station Car Park, this car park was being used
primarily by commuters. Whilst this brought an income to the Council of
£115,000 per annum, there could be significant benefit to shoppers if the
all-day tariff was removed, with a maximum stay of
three hours imposed. It was proposed to carry out a
consultation with commuters using the car park to see whether, in the event of
this restriction being introduced, they were likely to displace to either of
the available private car parks at the Railway Station or the Wellington Centre
or to one of the Council owned car parks at the High Street Multi Storey or
Parsons Barracks. The information received would inform whether or not to make these changes at the Birchett Road Car Park. Regarding evening parking, it was proposed to consult with businesses about whether to
offer time-limited free on street parking after 6 p.m. It was
further proposed to offer free overnight parking in the High Street
Multi Storey Car Park in order to encourage local residents to use this
facility and ease street parking issues. It was further
proposed to offer a 60p all-day charge on Sundays in all the Aldershot
Council car parks, in line with the rate charged by the Wellington Centre. The Cabinet RESOLVED that the following initiatives relating to parking in Aldershot town centre, ... view the full minutes text for item 34. |
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PARKING SERVICE REVIEW PDF 221 KB To consider the
Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1516 (copy
attached), which review the performance of the team and sets out proposals for
the future delivery of the service. Presented By: Environment and Service Delivery Minutes: The Cabinet
considered the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1516, which provided an update on the parking review and sought
approval for changes to staffing arrangements. Members heard how
the systems thinking review of parking had focussed on enabling customers to
park easily in a safe and accessible location. A new radio system had been
introduced which provided more reliable coverage and safer working. This had
enabled the service to introduce single working in place of the previous system
of working in pairs, which had provided a more visible and comprehensive
coverage. Since single working had been introduced, the number of Penalty
Charge Notices being issued had increased from an average of 9
per day per officer to 22 per day per officer. The proposed provision of an
Operations Manager and an additional Civil Enforcement Officer, along with
improved working patterns, would significantly improve the effectiveness of
patrols, particularly at peak times around schools, resident parking schemes
and the town centres. Members were informed that new technology had been introduced in
April 2015 and this had led to many more transactions being carried out online.
New smart phones had enabled the Civil Enforcement Officers to work more
efficiently and speedily when checking vehicles and processing Penalty Charge
Notices. Members heard that Rushmoor’s pay and
display machines were now outdated and would, by Summer
2016, be replaced with the latest systems on the market, allowing a wider range
of payment methods. It was reported that, due to
changes in legislation, the Council was no longer issuing Penalty Charge
Notices by CCTV and the areas previously surveyed in this way, such as double
yellow lines and on street disabled bays in the town centre, would be covered
by the increase in staff and more effective working. The
Cabinet RESOLVED that (i)
the
appointment of an additional Civil Enforcement Officer be approved; and (ii)
the merger of the
Senior Civil Enforcement Officer and Office Manager to create a new post of
Parking Operations Manager be approved. |
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COMPULSORY PURCHASE OF A LONG TERM EMPTY PROPERTY PDF 410 KB To consider the Solicitor to the Council’s Report No. LEG1514 (copy attached), which seeks authority to initiate compulsory purchase proceedings in relation to a long term empty property. Presented By: Health and Housing Additional documents: Minutes: The Cabinet
considered the Solicitor to the Council’s Report No. LEG1514,
which sought approval for the initiation of compulsory purchase proceedings in
relation to No. 102 St.
George’s Road, Aldershot. Members
heard how the property had not been occupied for around fifteen years and was in a poor state
of repair. The current owner had inherited the property in January 2000 but had
never lived there. His exact whereabouts were unknown and attempts to trace him
had been unsuccessful. It was noted that Council Tax
arrears in respect of the property exceeded £10,000. It was
reported that the use of compulsory purchase powers in respect of
long-term empty properties in the Borough was contained within the Council’s
Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2011-2016. The objective was to bring empty
homes in the private sector back into use as quickly as possible. It was noted, however, that the use of this power was as a last
resort when all other endeavours to persuade, encourage or enforce action to
facilitate reoccupation had failed. It was considered
that, with complaints having been received from the adjoining owner regarding
damp and mice problems, the proposed action was the only reasonable means
available to achieve renovation and reoccupation. Upon acquisition of the
property through the compulsory purchase procedure, the market value of the
property would then need to be paid into Court,
assuming that the owner had not made contact. It would then be for the Council
to decide how to dispose of the property and whether or not to renovate the
property prior to disposal. The Cabinet RESOLVED that |