The Chairman will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures.

The Chairman will inform the meeting whether there is a planned evacuation drill due to take place, what the alarm sounds like (i.e. ringing bells), where the closest emergency exit route is, and where the second closest emergency exit route is, in the event that the closest exit or route is blocked.

The Chairman will inform the meeting that:

(a) in the event of the alarm sounding, everybody must leave the building via the nearest safe available exit and gather at the Assembly points at the far side of the Car Park; and

(b) the lifts must not be used in the event of an evacuation.

Any officers present at the meeting will aid with the evacuation.

It is important that the Chairman is informed of any person attending who is disabled or unable to use the stairs, so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

The Chairman drew attention to the fire evacuation procedure, as set out on the agenda.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 February 2017 (Minute Nos. 1179 - 1188) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 8 February 2017 (Minute Nos. 1179 - 1188) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c)          Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the room while that item is considered.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

The Committee is asked to consider the Financial Management Report – April – December 2016.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Chief Finance Officer are attending for this item.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Chief Finance Officer to the meeting for this item.

The Cabinet Member introduced the report which set out the revenue and capital projected outturn activity for 2016/17, as at the end of December 2016.  He reported that the net revenue underspend was £716,000, including £785,000 additional income.  He considered the Council was in a good position, and explained that the variation year-on-year on the planning fees income and the increase in parking fees, had resulted in increased revenue, and that the cost of bed and breakfast for the homeless added pressure on the budget.

The Chief Finance Officer reminded Members that the report had been considered by Cabinet on 15 March 2017, and that the report submitted to this meeting was for comment and noting.

The Chairman invited Members to consider the report focussing on particular areas, as below.

Members made comments and asked questions.

Table 1:  Service Movements

Suggest that more awareness was given to grants, and it be made easier/clearer on how residents applied for them; acknowledged that it was difficult to forecast the Planning income, but over the past 4/5 years, the Council had consistently under-budgeted the Planning income, suggest that it be reviewed for the current year, and so budget for next year; clarification sought on the figures set out on page 4 under the secondment income, as it appeared that it was costing the Council money when a staff member was being ‘costed out’; public conveniences showed net contract savings, but many were in an appalling state, and suggest any spare money should be spent on them; were there any indications that the Park & Ride scheme raised any income?; surprised there was no working budget for the legal fees for the Sittingbourne Master Plan/Town Centre Regeneration;  how was the £16,000 income being spent to improve highways?; and were there any other costs during the Park & Ride scheme, i.e. congestion/time/pollution/cost-related benefits?

The Cabinet Member agreed with the comments made on the grant schemes.  The Chief Finance Officer explained that the Planning budget could not be amended as it was agreed by Full Council in February 2017.  He stated that a report would be submitted on a regular basis, but the budget could not be re-set, and it was reviewed at the quarterly budget meeting.  He explained that the secondment figure was a variance of £20,000 underspend, and as such was an income to the Council.  The Cabinet Member for Safer Families and Communities advised that the contract saving on the public conveniences was a saving on the negotiated services that had been delivered, which was a different matter to the ‘state’ of the toilets.  He further advised that during the Park & Ride scheme, there had been no dip in town centre parking in December 2016, so income was generated.  The Chief Finance Officer advised that information on page 15 of the report showed that there was £30,000 for Sittingbourne Town Centre legal fees, funded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1258.

The Committee is asked to consider the Performance Monitoring Report.  The Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Policy and Performance Manager are attending for this item.

The Chairman welcomed the Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance and the Policy and Performance Manager to the meeting for this item.

The Cabinet Member introduced the report which set out the quarterly portfolio-based balanced scorecard performance reports for the second quarter of 2016/17 (July – September 2016).

Corporate Overview balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

A Member queried the exact requirement for a 10-day deadline for responses responded to, and the Policy and Performance Manager confirmed that this related to complaints resolved within 10 days, not solely acknowledging the complaint.  In response to a question, he advised that the Customer Service Centre recorded both justifiable and non-justifiable complaints.  A Member considered complaints would increase following the additional sticker that had been put on green bins to state ‘no food waste’.

Environment and Rural Affairs balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

A Member drew attention to the List of Exceptions and the residual household waste per household.  He stated that overall progress of this needed to be improved, and with the move to a food caddy, and clarity on what could be recycled, the figure should be closer to 50%.  He considered the food caddy was being used by a small minority of households, and suggested that feedback be sent to the Cabinet Member.  Clarification was given on the way that the food waste was collected in the refuse vehicle, which due to the dual collection facility of the refuse vehicles, could appear to residents that food waste was being mixed with landfill or recyclable waste; the lorries had a split compartment at the back.  The Policy and Performance Manager confirmed that the increase in complaints to the Commissioning and Customer Contact Team was related to recycling.

Finance and Performance balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

A Member raised concern with the lack of speed in processing new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims.  The Policy and Performance Manager confirmed that complaints were listed by department, not by portfolio.

The Cabinet Member agreed to provide further information on  the speed of processing new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims.

Housing and Wellbeing balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

A Member raised concern with the rise in households staying in temporary housing.  It was noted that a report from the Task and Finish Group was due to be considered at the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee.

Planning Services balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

The Policy and Performance Manager agreed to find out further information on the Planning Enforcement figures and why these had decreased.

Regeneration balanced scorecard report for 2016/17 Quarter 2

The Cabinet Member advised that further work was ongoing on local procurement, in response to a Member who considered the figure should be higher.

A Member requested that Swale’s skills profile should be considered for a possible review in the Committee’s future work programme.  A further Member considered that local procurement should be considered for the Sittingbourne regeneration.

The Chairman  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1259.

Report to follow.

Documents added 13 March 2017.

Tabled papers added 23 March 2017.

The Chairman introduced the item and drew Members’ attention to the to-follow papers and the tabled papers which, had been provided in response to the questions submitted by the Chairman on behalf of the Committee.  He reminded Members that the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and officers from the Regeneration Team would be attending the next Scrutiny Committee meeting to give a further update.

Discussion ensued which included the following points:

·         When was the cinema expected to take-on the site?;

·         clarification was needed on parking numbers as they were varied throughout the document;

·         Light cinema appeared reluctant to ‘get going’;

·         if Light left the project, was there an alternative?

·         losing confidence in cinema going forward, was there an alternative option?

·         the Critical Path document was out of date;

·         the car parking was not enough to sustain the present footfall, plus the expected increased footfall (it was noted that the document provided was a copy of a delegated decision that had been taken some years previously);

·         there was no allowance to enable cars parked in private streets to get them off the street and into a car park;

·         the documents submitted have been ‘thrown together’;

·         there were ways of updating Members without having to print off plans;

·         hours and hours spent on this, it was not going forward;

·         the risks to the scheme needed further consideration;

·         a suggestion that a Project Steering Group should be formed (to include Cabinet Member/officers/Scrutiny Committee);

·         the scheme needed a Project Manager and a Project Team was needed with appropriate staff resources;

·         had not seen a full cost analysis;

·         unclear on who was monitoring this on a monthly basis;

·         a business plan was needed;

·         the Council needed to think about reviewing its staff resources, to include business experience skills;

·         suggest an independent review of the regeneration project;

·         so far information has only been requested from the Council, suggest Spirit be invited to attend Scrutiny Committee;

·         difficult to get answers this evening as no one here to answer the questions;

·         there were technical, tactical and strategic matters that needed to be responded to;

·         good technical information had been provided from the Regeneration Project Support Officer;

·         up-to-date information was critical;

·         the Critical Path document needed to be in a readable format;

·         in case the cinema provider did not go forward, suggest that the building has the facility to be able to be converted to another use in the future;

·         concern with the housing to be built on the existing car parks, and who will go ahead with the development?  If this was the Council, there could be more options re affordable housing, and income;

·         extraordinary that the Council was borrowing the money to fund specific works associated with the Sittingbourne Town Centre regeneration scheme, but had no role in the design  or development;

·         there was a lack of appreciation of the expertise of the Scrutiny Committee;

·         the definition of ‘client’ in the document needed to be re-defined;

·         more clarification needed on the silent partner;

·         invite Cabinet Member for Regeneration,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1260.

The Committee is asked to review the updated log of recommendations (report to follow).

Report added 23 March 2017.

The Policy and Performance Officer introduced the to-follow report.

Resolved:

(1)      That the report be noted.

The Committee is asked to consider updates on other reviews.

Report added 23 March 2017.

The Policy and Performance Officer introduced the to-follow report.

Housing Services

A review member reported that he had attended a positive meeting with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Wellbeing, and the review was ‘on track’ to produce a final draft report for the Committee’s consideration at the next meeting, which was scheduled for 8 June 2017.

Development Management

Members of the review group had attended a Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s Planning Committee meeting, two further visits were planned to Ashford Borough Council on 12 April 2017, and Thanet Borough Council on 19 April 2017.

The Committee is asked to consider the Forward Plan with a view to identifying possible items for pre-decision scrutiny.

Resolved:

(1)      The Forward Plan was noted.

The Committee is asked to consider any requests from Committee Members to commence a review.

There were no urgent business requests.

The Chairman thanked Members for their input on the Committee over the past year, particularly their diligence on the Sittingbourne Regeneration item.

The Policy and Performance Officer and the Democratic Services Team were roundly applauded by the Committee for their work throughout the year.