To: Councillors Smart
(Chair), Bagnall, Bradnack, Currie,
Durrant, Knowles, Sian
Reid, Schofield, Stuart, Ward
Alternate member: Councillor Hipkin
Executive Councillor –
The Leader, David Howarth
(To be despatched and placed on public
deposit: Friday 14 March)
STRATEGY SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE
Date: Monday 24 March 2003
Time: 6.00 pm
Place: Committee Room 1, The Guildhall
Contact: Gary Clift Direct
Dial: (01223) 457011
AGENDA
To confirm as a correct record the minutes
of the meeting held on 28
January.
2 APOLOGIES
Apologies
for absence.
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members are asked to
declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of the following
items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they should declare
an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek advice from the
Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
4 PUBLIC
QUESTION TIME – see below
for detail of the scheme and other public information.
5 GENERAL
FUND REVENUE AND CAPITAL BUDGETS, carry forwardS AND SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES
Appendix
A: 2002/03 Estimated Outturn
Appendix
B: Provisional Capital Outturn 2002-2003
Appendix
A: 2002/03 Estimated Outturn
Appendix
B: Provisional Capital Outturn 2002-2003
7 KEY DECISION Decentralised
decision making: A STRUCTURE FOR AREA COMMITTEES
Appendix
1: Area Committees Stage 1 Consultation – Partners, Departmental Management
Teams and Unions
Appendix
2: Geographical Area Options
Appendix
3: Area Committees Stage 2 Consultation
Appendix
4: Functions to be delegated to Area Committees
Appendix
5: Decentralising Decision Making Summary of Costs
Report by Head
of Strategy & Partnerships [pages 46-50]
Report by the Director of Central Services [pages 51-56]
Nb – At its meeting on 11
March, the Commercial & Human Resources Scrutiny Committee considered a
report on ‘Assessing Mill Road against approved criteria for new CCTV schemes’
you can view this report at: www.cambridge.gov.uk/councillors/agenda/2003/0311chr/05.pdf.
The report identified
that Mill Road met the Council’s criteria and went on to detail the financial
implications of installing either fixed or mobile CCTV cameras.
The Scrutiny Committee
also noted that a report on Mobile CCTV Cameras was due to be reported to
Strategy Scrutiny Committee on 24 March.
The Scrutiny Committee
agreed that a CCTV scheme for Mill Road should be pursued as soon as funding
permits and indicated a preference for a mobile CCTV system but referred the issue to Strategy Scrutiny and the Leader for further
consideration. The Executive Councillor for Commercial &
Human Resources concurred.
Under the
Constitution, the Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) is part of the Council’s
‘policy framework’ and is therefore a matter for approval by the full Council.
The Council is required to submit the
BVPP to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister by 30 June.
Ideally, the
BVPP would firstly be reported to Strategy Scrutiny Committee. However, the overall timescale is very tight
with year-end data still being incorporated well into May. Officers are working to a first draft for
consideration by Corporate Management Team on 6 May.
Rather than
organise a special meeting of Strategy Scrutiny Committee for sometime between
6 May and before the Annual Meeting on 22 May, it is suggested that the Chief
Executive report the BVPP direct to Council for approval.
Scrutiny
Committee and the Leader are recommended to agree that the Chief Executive
report the BVPP to Council on 22 May for consideration, scrutiny and approval.
In accordance with the Constitution, to note the attached Decision by the Leader relating to the proposed purchase of a property to provide a GP service for the Homeless. Office accommodation for ancillary services such as the Contact and Assessment Team (CAT) will also be provided, subject to planning permission. The project is to be funded by a grant from the Homelessness Directorate of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
The reason the decision was made outside the Committee cycle is set out in the Record of Decision and relates to the short timescale available between the offer of funding by the Homelessness Directorate and the initiation of preparatory work to ensure the completion of the purchase within the deadline of 31 March required by the ODPM. On 13 February 2003 the Council approved the inclusion of funding for this project in the Capital Programme for 2002/03 and the revenue budget for future years.
12 EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS
& PUBLIC
The Committee is recommended to exclude members
of the public from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that, if they
were present, there would be disclosure to them of information defined as
exempt from publication by Categories 7&12
as defined in the Council’s Constitution part 4B (page 154/5).
the grand arcade project:
background information on the executive decisions to be taken
The
Leader made a ruling on 21 October 2002 not to take any decision relating to
the Grand Arcade project which would be reported to a future Strategy Scrutiny
Committee. This was because of his personal interest as a contributor to the
Universities Superannuation Scheme, a major investor in the Grand Arcade
project. The responsibility for any
decisions were therefore passed to the Deputy Leader under paragraph 3.2 of
Executive Procedure Rules of the Constitution (page 166)
Additionally,
when looking at the likely executive decisions to be taken following
consideration at a future Strategy Scrutiny Committee, the officers were of the
view that the Deputy Leader’s powers although quite wide, could have impinged
on the responsibility of other executive councilors and/or were not
sufficiently broad or clearly worded enough to encompass all likely decisions
(except the CPO which was a matter for the Executive Councilor for
Environment). For the avoidance of
doubt the Leader also ruled that under 2.3.3 of Part 3 of the Constitution
(page 38) the Deputy Leader would be responsible for executive decisions
relating to the Grand Arcade project which arose from the Council’s role as a
partner in the development.
13 KEY
DECISION GRAND ARCADE – DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT & ASSOCIATED MATTERS – TO
FOLLOW
Report by the Head of Property & Building Services
The
next meeting of the Strategy Scrutiny Committee is scheduled for Monday 7th
July 2003.
Information for the public
You are welcome to attend this meeting
as an observer.
o0o
You can ask questions on an issue
included on the agenda below, or on an issue which is within this committee’s powers.
If you wish to ask a question related to an agenda item contact the committee
officer (listed above under ‘contact’) before
the meeting starts. If you wish to
ask a question on a matter not included on this agenda, please contact the
committee officer by 10.00am the working day before the meeting. Further details concerning the right to speak at committee can be obtained from
the committee section.
o0o
In the event of the fire alarm
sounding (which is a continuous ringing
sound), you should pick up your possessions and leave the building by the route
you came in. Once clear of the building, you should assemble on the pavement
opposite the main entrance to the Guildhall and await further instructions. If your escape
route or the assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe areas by a
member of Cambridge City Council staff.