CORPORATE SERVICES LEAD MEMBER BRIEFING
5TH AUGUST, 2002.
PRESENT: Councillors Antrobus and Murphy
K. Clare, L. Norris, J. Spink, A. Westwood
and M. Willetts
Councillors Clarke and Warmisham
S. Fryer, B. Osborne, H. Seaton, M. Sykes, J. Tanner,
J. Townsend and J. Willis also attended
 Councillor Antrobus referred to a letter he had received from the
Claremont Community Association regarding the lack of reports being
sent to that organisation relating to private sector housing – Bob
Osborne to reply on behalf of Councillor Antrobus
 Housing Capital Expenditure: John Spink reported that a decision on additional BCA’s from the
Waste Disposal Authority would not be known until mid August
and would be reported to either Council or Cabinet. A meeting was
being held later today with GONW on the Trafford Road Scheme.
 Bob Osborne reported that there was an initial allocation of £2.66m
between Manchester and Salford from the Housing Market
Renewal Fund of which Salford’s share would be approx. £1.2m ,
followed by £55m over 3 years of which Salford’s share would be
approx. £22m. Start up costs for this year would be in the region of
£150k with ongoing expenditure of
£6-700k in a full year.
 The 2002/03 Housing Capital Programme currently stood at £9.8m
with funding available of £9.3m
 AGREEMENT to “staff up” in Housing Services ready for next
year.
 Councillor Antrobus to write to all Members with a copy of the
analysis of the capital programme indicating which schemes are to
be funded by additional BCA’s and which are to be funded by the
Housing Market Renewal Fund
 LIFT: Bob Osborne indicated that it was proposed to include the core
housing function together with homelessness and housing advice
within the Lift project
 Clear definition required of what is to be covered one stop shops /
call centres ; back office and estate staff.
 Meeting to be arranged between Alan Westwood, Maura Brooks,
John Townsend and Bob Osborne to progress the matter
 Homelessness – Bob Osborne reported that a bid had been made for
£55k but that only £17k had been granted which was to fund an
accommodation worker
 John Townsend to be supplied with details of SLA’s for the ALMO’s
by next week
 NHS LIFT : First Wave Projects: 4 main issues: land
 services delivery
 technology
 finance/legal/assets
 Malcolm Sykes indicated that he was comfortable with the
proposed locations as they were all as close as possible to town
centre locations, there was still a lot of work to be done on service
delivery and he was not sure that it was within the competence of
the Group and work on the technology aspect had not even started.
 Councillor Antrobus enquired if it was appropriate to link Prince 2
to this project.
 Alan Westwood felt that Prince 2 would be appropriate for the
elements the Council was to deliver
 Malcolm indicated the need to specify very quickly the amount of
space the Council would require at each location
 Councillor Antrobus felt that there was a need for a dedicated
member of staff from Corporate Services to work up a clear project
plan
 Malcolm and Lorraine Norris to (a) look at amending the Council’s
Constitution to take care of any decisions to be made be Lead
Members and (b) ensure that items appear in the Forward Plan
 Agree the deletion of paragraph 7.8 and the deletion of the last
sentence in paragraph 7.9
 Lancastrian Hall currently the only site that has Cabinet approval
 Swinton Hall Road Highway Depot – approve in principle subject to
outcome of the final outturn report
 Eccles Town Centre – current position noted
 Matters arising from the last meeting: Internal Audit can only audit other public bodies
 Keith Clare supplied list of co-opted members indicating those who
had their own, or access to, a p.c. I.T. to contact them all offering
the same facility as that offered to Members
 Members accommodation at the Civic Centre estimated cost £8k –
John Spink to identify method of funding
 IT Systems in Legal – approval in principle subject to Alan Westwood
and John Spink identifying funding – authority to go out to tender
 Salford @dvance Half Yearly Results : Business Process Re-Engineering
 E-Government Services
 Project Management Services
 IT Training and Support
 Staffing levels insufficient to develop Prince 2
 SOLAR need a technology partner to improve performance and
reliability
 Salford @dvance Programme and Project Management: Project Management Academy
 Adopt Prince 2 as a standard
 Corporate approach to support
 Alan Westwood to let the Chief Executive have a copy as the
Council’s way forward
 Alan Westwood, Alan Eastwood and Lorraine Norris to discuss
procurement – Procurement Co-ordinators to be in Corporate
Services
 Customer Services Monthly Update: Council Tax – collection slightly up
 Business Rate - collection slightly down
 Benefits – improved take at sheltered accommodation
 BFI Action Plan – ongoing
 Additional 30 pay points City Wide – publicise and Press
Statement
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Presentation for 25 staff who have achieved NVQ
Reception area being reviewed
23 members of staff have shown an interest in working from home
Beacon Status – bid to be submitted
Guidance note for schools required on computer security
Report to go to COSSIG
 Internal Audit – Proposed Staffing Structure – APPROVED – grade
for BRC Manager to be determined
 APPROVAL to write-off £70,375.31 of sundry debtor accounts
 Proposal for capital expenditure, following schemes APPROVED: I.T Suite at Broadoak Primary School - £137k
 Pre-paint repair and painting Wardley Estate - £169.9k
 Pre-paint repair and painting Hospital Road £116k
 Pre-paint repair and painting Brentwood Estate - £347.4k
 Toilet refurbishment and flat roof replacement at Summerville
Primary School - £142,351
 Phase 2 re-roofing Monton Green Primary School £185,523
 St. Charles R.C. Primary School, Salford – boiler replacement £43,055
 2002/03 Corporate Services – Budget Monitoring
 CPO Compensation payments – Approval to overspend this
providing underspend by same amount next year
 Finance Monthly Update – defer to next meeting
 Next meeting – 19th August