Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber

Contact: Jenny Martin  k

Items
No. Item

609.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence from the meeting were received from Councillors R. Elms, B. Holden, G. Mirfin and J. Alcock.

 

610.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2022 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

611.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary, other registrable and non registrable interests

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interest in respect of matters contained in the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests.

 

612.

Public participation

Minutes:

There was no public participation.

 

613.

Housing Assistance Ukrainian Refugees pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Report of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report requesting approval from members to commit to housing grant monies to support Ukraine guests into settled accommodation.

 

Members were reminded that for each Ukraine guest that is placed through a sponsorship offer in the borough, the Council received a Community Integration grant and a Housing Grant and that a Commitment of the Community Integration was approved by Committee in October 2022.  However, the commitment of the Housing Support Grant had not been reported and approved to date.

 

The report noted that at the end of a sponsorship arrangement with a host, the Ukrainian guests need to find settled accommodation and that this is most likely to be in the private rented sector.

 

The report also noted that since the first guests arrived in June 2022, 10 families had moved into their own accommodation, with 9 having moved into private rented accommodation and 1 into social housing.

 

The proposal as set in the report was to make available to Ukraine households an offer of a cash bond to enable them to cover the first month’s rent and any deposit required to secure a private rented property.  The maximum amount would be £1,600 for a family or £1,000 for a single person. This would be dependent on the monthly rent charged.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Agreed to the proposal to make available a cash bond and deposit to Ukraine guests when required, subject to the relevant checks.

 

614.

Capital Programme Review and New Bids pdf icon PDF 252 KB

Report of Director of Resources - enclosed

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report asking members to consider the future capital programme for this Committee, covering the period 2023/24 to 2027/28.

 

Members were reminded that the Council usually operates a five-year capital programme, but only a three-year capital programme for 2022/23 to 2024/25 was approved last year. This was due to the Council awaiting the outcome of the Government’s fair funding review.   Committees had however submitted capital scheme bids for 2025/26 to 2026/27 as part of last year’s capital programme review.

 

Existing approved schemes had been reviewed along with the previously submitted bids to ensure they reflect the latest inflation levels etc.  New bids had also been submitted for the fifth year of the programme ie 2027/28.

 

The report noted that:

·         The proposed amendments to the previously approved capital programme would increase the capital programme and associated capital funding required by £1,800.

 

·         If all reviewed bids from the 2021 bidding round and those from the 2022 bidding round were approved, this would increase the proposed capital programme by £2,688,200, £1,179,000 of this was expected to be funded by Central Government, so this would increase the capital funding required by £1,509,200.

 

·         If all amendments and bids were to be approved, this would result in a proposed capital programme for 2023/24 to 2027/28 for this Committee of seven schemes, totalling £3,644,700.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Agreed and proposed a future capital programme for this Committee’s services for the period 2023/24 to 2027/28 based on the proposals included in the report, for onward recommendation to Policy and Finance Committee.

 

615.

Revised Revenue Budget 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 416 KB

Report of Director of Resources - enclosed

 

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking agreement to a revised revenue budget for 2022/23 for this Committee.

 

Members were reminded that:

·         The original estimate for this current financial year was set in March 2022.

 

·         There can be numerous variations to the budget that come to the Council’s attention as the year progresses, these are highlighted through the budget monitoring process.

 

·         At this time of year, the Council revise the estimates for the current financial year to predict the likely outturn. In essence the Revised Estimate is the council's latest forecast for the outturn on the current financial year's budget.

 

The report noted that:

·         Earlier in the year the Council had recognised it was facing significant increases in costs due to inflation and pay increases. For this committee this extra cost was then estimated at £14,150. The Original Estimate was therefore restated from £1,145,680 to £1,159,830.

 

The largest variances for this committee were highlighted in the report.

 

·         After allowing for transfers to and from earmarked reserves, the difference between the Revised and Adjusted Original Estimate was a further increase in net expenditure of £25,180.  This meant that the total movement from the true Original Estimate to the Revised Estimate is a reduction of £84,380, or an increase of £39,330 after movements in earmarked reserves.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approved this Committee's revenue revised estimate for 2022/23.

 

616.

Disabled Facilities Grant Policy pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Report of Economic Development and Planning enclosed.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Economic Development and Planning submitted a report proposing amendments to the Private Sector grant policy which would allow an improved DFG disabled facilities grant offer to households.

 

Members were reminded that:

·         The current private sector policy was adopted in October 2020 and has operated for over 2 years.

 

·         Members’ approval is required to make any changes to the policy. 

 

·         The Regulatory Reform Order allows district authorities to determine individual private sector grant policies and commit the Better Care Funding allocated by Central Government via Lancashire County Council.

 

The Report noted that the proposed changes to the existing policy introduced two new discretionary grant offers, these were out in Appendix 1 to the report.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Agreed to the proposed changes to the DFG policy, with the exception that the Dementia Grant would be widened in scope to include all households where there has been a diagnosis of a neurological disorder by a medical practitioner. 

 

The proposed DFG policy changes would be subject to a period of consultation.  Should no issues of any significance arise and in consultation with the Chair of Health and Housing Committee, the amended policy can be adopted and operational as soon as practicable thereafter.

 

Agreed that officers are to look into the processes involved regarding OT’s and Contractors to find out if it can be speeded up. 

 

 

 

 

 

617.

Original Revenue Budget 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 491 KB

FOR DECISION

Minutes:

The Director of Resources sought agreement to a draft Revenue Budget for 2023/24 for consideration at Special Policy and Finance Committee.

 

Members were reminded that a budget forecast was presented to the Policy and Finance Committee in September. This forecast considered the Council’s knowledge at the time regarding changes to key funding streams, and rates of inflation and predicted a budget gap of; £1,040,966 in 2023/24, £1,394,296 in 2024/25 and £2,412,914 in 2025/26.

 

The report highlighted the key variances for the next financial year for this Committee.

 

 

The difference between the Original Estimate 2022/23 and the Original Estimate 2023/24 is £444,620, or £304,110 after movements in earmarked reserves.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approved the revenue original estimate for 2023/24 and submit this to the Special Policy and Finance Committee.

 

618.

Review of Fees and Charges 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 279 KB

FOR DECISION

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking approval on proposals to increase this Committee’s fees and charges with effect from 1 April 2023.

 

Members were reminded that the Council’s fees and charges are reviewed on an annual basis as part of the budget setting process.

 

The report noted that:

In order to meet inflation pressures on the Council’s budget, Policy and Finance Committee had given guidance for service Committees to consider a 10.1% inflationary increase in the level of income raised from fees and charges.

·         The majority of the 2023/24 fees and charges proposed for this Committee have therefore been increased by the 10.1% inflationary increase and then   rounded up to the next 10p, 50p or £1 dependent on the size of the fee to minimise any problems with small change. However, a small number of fees, when rounding up would have meant the actual fee increase being significantly more than 10.1%, have been rounded down to the nearest 10p.

 

·         A small number of the proposed fees and charges for 2023/24 have been set on a different basis to the Policy and Finance Committee’s suggested inflationary increase and these were highlighted in the report.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

Approved the 2023/24 fees and charges proposed for this Committee as contained in the Annex to the report, for implementation from 1 April 2023.

 

619.

Revised Capital Programme 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 111 KB

FOR DECISION

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking approval for the 2022/23 revised estimate for this Committee’s capital programme.

 

Members were reminded that this Committee’s original capital programme for 2022/23 was approved in March 2022. Since then regular reports have been presented to this Committee with regards to the progress of the capital programme. There have also been a number of further approvals and adjustments made during the year. As a result, the total approved budget for this Committee’s capital programme of ten schemes was currently £3,581,040..

 

The report noted:

·         That the proposed revised estimate for this Committee’s 2022/23 capital programme was £1,397,630, which was a reduction of £2,183,410 from the previously approved capital budget.

 

·         It is proposed that budgets totalling £2,185,460 on five schemes are moved to the 2023/24 financial year.

 

·         At the end of November 2022 £401,422 had been spent or committed and this was 28.7% of the revised estimate capital programme for this Committee.

 

Of the eight schemes in the proposed revised capital programme, three schemes were currently expected to be completed in-year, it was unclear whether spend on wo schemes would be completed in-year and three schemes are on-going grants schemes.

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Approved the 2022/23 revised estimate of £1,397,630 for this Committee’s capital programme, as set out in the Annex to the report.

 

2.    Approved the transfer of the following capital budgets from 2022/23 to 2023/24:

 

· Clitheroe Market Improvements, £72,600.

· Replacement of Pest Control Van PK13 FJP, £32,280.

· Replacement of Dog Warden Van PE64 EYC, £32,500.

· Equity Share Option Schemes, £422,130.

· Affordable Housing – Longridge, £1,625,950.

 

620.

Minutes of Working Groups

Minutes:

There were no reports from Working Groups.

 

621.

Reports from representatives on outside bodies

Minutes:

Councillor Peat provided reports from:

- The Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee from 2 November 2022

 

- Violence Against Women and Girls Conference from 6 December 2022

 

- Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee from 14 December 2022.

 

621a

Health and Social Care Scrutiny committee pdf icon PDF 49 KB

Report of Cllr Peat enclosed

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from Councillor David Peat on the progress of the Social Care Reforms and the impact on the care sector. These changes were due to be effective from October 2023 and included the following:

 

·         A Plan for Health and Social Care, which proposed closer integration of Health and Social Care.

 

·         Putting People at the Heart of Social Care, which related to individual choice and control, improved access and quality and fair and accessible services.

 

The report noted that Councillor Peat had requested that the Committee receives an update on the Proposals to transfer Patients from Calderstones Site to Maghull and the site development for Mental Health Services (during 2023).

 

622.

Violence against women and girls pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Report of Cllr Peat enclosed.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from Councillor David Peat regarding a conference he had attended regarding violence against women and girls (VAWG)

 

The report noted that:

·         Although the level of reported Domestic Violence against Women and Girls in the Ribble Valley is low (apparently the lowest in Lancashire), there is no case for complacency.

 

·         There is a need for local engagement and commitment and for Council and Police cooperation with other public and private sector agencies.

 

 

623.

Health & Adult Services Scrutiny committee pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Report of Cllr Peat enclosed.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report from Councillor David Peat on a meeting of the Health and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee he had attended ion 14 December 2022.

 

The report noted that:

·         The majority of the meeting was a presentation on Virtual Wards by Dr David Levy, Medical Director of the Integrated Care Board and Catherine Wright, Transformation Programme Manager (Virtual Wards).

 

·         A Virtual Ward supports people who would otherwise be in Hospital. Basically, people are monitored at home and supported by a range of Community NHS staff, Social Care, Primary Care, the 3rd Sector, Mental Health or Independent Sector.

 

·         For the Pennine Integrated Care Grouping (which includes Ribble Valley), there are 20 beds currently which will rise to 230 in 2023/24.

 

·         The aim is to reduce pressure on the Acute Sector and provide home based care for appropriate carefully selected patients.

 

624.

Exclusion of Press and Public

Minutes:

There were no items for exclusion.