To confirm the Minutes of the Policy Committee meeting on 16 July 2018.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 2018 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive any petitions from the public and any questions from the public and Councillors.

Questions on the following matters were submitted by members of the public:

Questions on the following matters were submitted by Councillors:

(The full text of the questions and responses was made available on the Reading Borough Council website).

Councillor Hoskin / Director of Adult Care & Health Services

This report seeks approval to recommission Reading’s Drugs and Alcohol Treatment service through a competitive tender exercise, in line with consultation undertaken on a draft Drugs and Alcohol Strategy.

Further to Minute 43 of the meeting held on 30 October 2017, the Director of Adult Care and Health Services submitted a report setting out the outcomes of consultation on the draft Reading Drug and Alcohol Commissioning Strategy for Young People and Adults 2018-22 (the Strategy) and seeking approval to recommission Reading’s Drugs and Alcohol Treatment service in line with the Strategy.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1 – Reading Drugs and Alcohol Draft Strategy and Consultation Outcomes Report

·         Appendix 2 - Drugs and Alcohol Contracts List

·         Appendix 3 – Equality Impact Assessment

An addendum to the report set out additional information on the Strategy and recommended that it be endorsed by the Committee.

The report noted that three priorities had been identified in the draft Strategy: Prevention (reducing the amount of alcohol people drink to safer levels and reducing drug related harm), Treatment (Commissioning and delivering high quality drug and alcohol treatment systems) and Enforcement and Regulation (tackling alcohol and drug related crime and anti-social behaviour).  A public consultation exercise had been carried out between 21 February 2018 to 23 April 2018, asking whether people agreed with the strategic priorities for Reading and to suggest what was needed to achieve each one. The consultation had shown high level of agreement with the priorities and the response would be used to develop a local action plan to support each of the three priorities.

The report explained that the outcome of consultation on the Strategy enabled public health and social care commissioners to design a new service specification, and it was proposed that Reading work with sub-regional public health and local authority partners to recommission the new contract and specification.  There was already in-principle agreement with partners to jointly commission one single provider to deliver all services in a more efficient way, and the report sought approval for the market engagement, procurement and award through delegated powers of a contract to provide the service from 1 October 2019.  It was also intended to merge a number of smaller public health contracts, which were set out in Appendix 2 to the report. Approval was also sought to extend the contract with the current provider of Drug and Alcohol Services to 30 September 2019.

In retendering the contract, it was recommended that the Council enter into a new Lease on 4 Waylen Street (the location for the adult drug and alcohol service) with the winning bidder from 1 October 2019, on the current terms.

The report noted that once approval to tender had been agreed, engagement with people who accessed services, the public, partners and stakeholders would commence to ensure that the proposed service model was fit for purpose. The proposed model would then be presented to the market through another Market Consultation, to test the model’s deliverability and prepare the market prior to the procurement being published.  The report set out a full timetable of the proposed procurement process leading to the new service provision from 1 October  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

Councillor Page / Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services

This report seeks approval to delegate authority to enter into licence agreements to permit advertising development on the public highway, subject to the obtaining of statutory planning consent.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report asking the Committee to delegate authority to the Head of Transportation and Streetcare to enter into licence agreements to permit advertising development on the public highway, subject to the obtaining of statutory planning consent.

The report explained that the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan included a saving which aimed to deliver £500k of additional annual income by the end of financial year 2019/20, and that the Council was currently engaged in two procurement exercises to secure developer interest.  Development would be focused on Council-owned and managed land extensively within or adjacent to the public Highway, and would be subject to value for money consideration and the developer obtaining the required statutory consents.  All advertising development within the Council’s estate would be need to comply with the Council’s advertising and sponsorship policy.

The report noted that in order to develop within the Highway estate a licence must be granted by the local authority under section 115E of the Highways Act 1980. Currently there was no delegation to officers to grant such a licence and consent would therefore have to be obtained from Committee for every development proposal received.  This was considered to be protracted and counterproductive to the delivery of required savings and the report therefore proposed that, subject to statutory consent having first been obtained, the Head of Transportation and Streetcare be delegated authority to grant licence agreements under section 115E of the Highways Act 1980.

Resolved –

That the Head of Transportation and Streetcare, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment Planning and Transport, be granted delegated authority to enter into licence agreements to permit advertising development on the public highway, subject to obtaining statutory planning consent.

Councillors Brock & Lovelock / Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services

This report sets out the results of a mid-year review of fees and charges, for implementation from1 October 2018.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report setting out a mid-year review of fees and charges for implementation from 1 October 2018.  The following appendices were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1 - Schedule of revised fees by service area

·         Appendix 2 - Commentary on the approach of each service proposing to amend fees

·         Appendix 3 - Fee review guidance note

The report explained that the review had sought to engage all Council services that collected fee income, specifying a consistent corporate approach to ensure the cost of service provision was fully considered and income was maximised to enable cost recovery. This approach was in keeping with the Council’s Constitution and formed an integral part of the budget setting process.  The results of the review were set out for approval, with a Fees and Charges Schedule detailing all revised fee proposals attached to the report at Appendix 1.

Resolved –

That the revised fees and charges, as set out in Appendix 1, be approved for implementation from 1 October 2018.

Councillors Brock & Lovelock / Director of Resources

This report sets out the projected 2018/19 revenue and capital outturn positions as at the end of June 2018 and performance for the first quarter against the measures of success published in the Council’s Corporate Plan.

The Chief Executive submitted a report setting out the projected revenue and capital outturn positions for 2018/19 as at the end of June 2018 (Quarter 1) and also performance for the first quarter against the measures of success published in the Council’s Corporate Plan. The following appendices were attached to the report:

·         Appendix 1 – Financial Monitoring for Quarter 1

·         Appendix 2 – Performance Monitoring for Quarter 1

The report explained that the forecast General Fund outturn as at the end of Quarter 1 (Period 3) was a projected overspend of £1.367m, which was an increase of £0.638m from Period 2. The biggest increase was within the Environment and Neighbourhood Service Directorate (rising from £0.170m to £0.681m overspend), and the Children’s' Education and Early Help forecast overspend had risen from £0.559m to £0.686m.  The Directorate of Resources and the Directorate of Adults and Health Care Services were both showing a balanced budget position at this stage in the financial year, although there were variances within service areas.   

The report also summarised the position at the end of Quarter 1 regarding potential risks to savings and income targets.  Directorate Management Teams had been charged with finding mitigating savings for any overspends or underachievement of savings/income targets identified within their Directorates, and progress would be reported back to the Committee in future monitoring reports.

The report stated that the General Fund Capital Programme was currently forecasting a breakeven position at year-end.  The Housing Revenue Account was forecasting a £0.200m underspend as at the end of quarter one, due to rent collection rates being higher than budgeted, and the Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme was projected to be underspent by £5.841m by year-end, predominantly due to New Builds and Acquisitions slipping from 2018-19 into 2019-20.

The report also set out a summary of performance as at the end of Q1 against the success measures published in the Corporate Plan, to monitor progress against the Council’s six priorities. Measures where there had been key shifts in performance and/or significant variation from the target were highlighted.  The full suite of twenty nine measures and progress against targets as at the end of June 2018 were set out in Appendix 2 attached to the report.

Resolved –

(1)     That the forecast General Fund outturn position as at the end of June 2018 of an overspend of £1.367m excluding the use of contingency be noted;

(2)     That the forecast outturn position on the Housing Revenue Account as at the end of June 2018, of a projected underspend of £0.200m be noted;

(3)     That the forecast outturn position on the Capital Programme as at the end of June 2018, of a projected underspend of £5.841m be noted;

(4)     That the performance achieved against the Corporate Plan success measures as set out in the report and Appendix 2 attached to the report be noted.

Councillor Brock / Director of Resources

This report seeks approval for the award of contracts for insurance for the Council's Liability, Motor Fleet and Property insurance arrangements following a competitive tendering exercise.

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking authority to award contracts for insurance for the Council’s Liability, Motor Fleet and Property insurance arrangements, following a competitive tendering exercise.

The report explained that the Council’s current insurance contracts were due to expire on 31 March 2019, and that in order that the Council could mitigate its potential financial and legal liabilities and transfer some of its potential claims exposure, there was a need to tender for a new contract.  The Council operated an insurance programme that balanced self-retained risk with external insurance policy protection which was reviewed at each annual renewal.  Based on the current financial climate, the availability and pricing of insurance, and the risk appetite of the Council it was recommended to continue with this balanced option.  Due to the value of the contract the tender would be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, and approval was sought to award the contract to the winning tenderer.  It was recommended that the contract(s) be let on a five year basis with the option to extend for a further two years.

The report stated that on the advice of the Council’s Insurance Brokers the new Children’s Company would be included in the tender process and be covered under the Council’s insurance arrangements as a ‘Joint Insured’ entity, as the easiest and most cost-efficient solution.  Premium charges and funding for self-retained risk would be recharged to the Company.

Resolved –

(1)     That an open tender procedure under OJEU regulations be carried out with a view to the resultant insurance contract(s) being in place by 1 April 2019, allowing for an element of both self-insurance and cover by an external insurance policy;

(2)     That the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Corporate and Consumer Services and the Head of Legal & Democratic Services, be authorised to make relevant decisions regarding policy cover and levels of deductibles, and to award the contract at the end of the tender process to the winning tenderer/s;

(3)     That the tender include insurance cover for the new Children’s Company ‘Brighter Futures for Children’.

Councillor Lovelock / Head of Legal & Democratic Services

This report asks the Committee, acting as shareholder of Homes for Reading, to appoint a director to the HfR Board.

The Head of Legal & Democratic Services submitted a report asking the Committee, acting as shareholder of Homes for Reading (HfR), to appoint a director to the HfR Board. There was a vacancy because Councillor Hopper had stood down from the Board.

Resolved –

That Councillor Grashoff be appointed as a Director of Homes for Reading.