BOROUGH OF REIGATE AND BANSTEAD
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
Minutes of a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held at the Town Hall,
Reigate on Wednesday, 5th May, 2004 at 7.30 p.m.
Present: Councillor M.G. Ormerod (Chairman), Councillors R.M. Bennett, B.C. Cowle, J.M.
Ellacott, Mrs. M.H. Gates, N. Harris, Mrs. S.F. King, S.A. Kulka, M.J. Miller, J.H. Prevett,
R.M. Stamp, B.A. Stead, Mrs. R.S. Turner and C.T.H. Whinney.
Also present: Councillors S.A. Gates; N.D. Harrison, A.J. Kay, J.B. Kendall, J.A. Meech,
Mrs. D.A. Ross-Tomlin, M.J. Selby and Mrs. J.M.A. Spiers.
110.
MINUTES
RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 31st March, 2004 be approved
as a correct record and signed.
111.
112.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Apologies for Absence
Substitute Member
Councillor G.L. Norman
-
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None.
113.
COMPREHENSIVE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT – IMPROVEMENT
PLAN
The result of the Audit Commission’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment was
that Reigate and Banstead was a ‘Good’ Council and well placed to deliver further
improvements in the future.
All Members of the Council had received the Inspectors report and had had a briefing
on the main issues arising from it. Members also received a summary of the strengths
and weaknesses identified in the assessment together with an indication of the
Inspectors positive comments about the operation of the Overview and Scrutiny
function.
To assist the Committee in giving further consideration to the Inspectors report and
the Improvement Plan the Leader of the Council, Councillor Mrs. J.M.A. Spiers and
the Chief Executive, Nigel Clifford addressed the meeting and responded to questions.
The Chairman had indicated in advance that the period for questions to the Leader
would be limited to 40 minutes. Within the time allowed the Leader responded to 11
of the questions received and agreed to reply in writing to the remaining questions.
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004
5th May, 2004
RESOLVED that:
(i)
Councillor Mrs. J.M.A. Spiers, Leader of the Council and Nigel Clifford,
Chief Executive be thanked for attending and responding to the Committee’s
questions; and
(ii)
the result of the Council’s Comprehensive Performance Assessment and the
draft Improvement Plan prepared in response to the report be noted.
114.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT: BENEFITS REALISATION MODEL
The Committee received a presentation from the Change Management Programme
Director on the Benefits Realisation Model (BRM) which formed a new part of the
Project and Performance Management System used by the Council.
The BRM was designed to measure the benefits of projects before (intended benefits),
during and at the end of the process (realised benefits). It had been designed
particularly to focus attention on the purpose of projects to establish whether the
investment had resulted in a better service being provided.
The BRM would be used for the four gold projects currently in progress and
additionally a number of silver projects, arranged within the following four pillars of
the Organisation Development Vision:

Driven by the Customer

Improving our Performance

Optimising our Finances

Learning and Developing
RESOLVED that:
(i)
the Change Management Programme Director be thanked for his presentation
on the Benefits Realisation Model which the Committee recognised was at an early
stage of development and it looked forward to improved services being realised in the
near future; and
(ii)
the Budget Panel gives consideration to examples of the benefits arising from
the Model later in the year.
115.
FINANCE AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The Committee received a presentation from the Project Manager on the Finance and
Performance Management System (FPMS) which formed part of the consultation
process on the detailed operation of the new software that was planned to go live in
November 2004. Members would also be asked, by way of a questionnaire, to identify
what financial based information they require to support their role.
The projected costs and benefits between the old and the new systems included:






improved reporting and decision making based on better quality data;
improved financial control and security providing reliable financial data;
improved financial processes;
improved organisational efficiency;
reduced IT support costs;
supports the achievement of E-Gov objectives; and
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004

5th May, 2004
delivers an electronic order to pay process.
The Project Officer indicated that the project was expected to result in a total saving
of £150 - £180k pa with an estimated 5 FTE’s being saved as a result of the new
system over a period of approximately 2 years.
RESOLVED that:
(i)
the Project Manager be thanked for his presentation on the Finance and
Performance Management System; and
(ii)
the Committee give further consideration to the responses received to the
questionnaires at the next meeting so that the Committee’s request for information
from the system could be finalised.
116.
THE COUNCIL’S
DOCUMENTS
POLICY
FRAMEWORK
AND
ASSOCIATED
The Executive on 1 April 2004 agreed the proposed revisions to the Policy
Framework and associated documents for consultation with the Overview and
Scrutiny Committee.
The review proposed a rationalisation of the plans and strategies that make up the
Policy Framework. The Executive requested the views of the Committee on the
proposals as they impacted on its consideration of Policy Framework documents.
The Committee would be automatically consulted on Level 1 and Level 2 Strategies
as part of the 8 week consultation period.
Level 3 Strategies detailing operational arrangements for specific services, would
only be considered by the Committee if it was included within its Work Programme.
The Leader of the Council had proposed that cross party Policy Development Groups
be established, led by the appropriate Portfolio Holder, as part of the arrangements for
the consideration of Policy Framework Plans and Strategies. This would allow more
Members to be involved in the policy development process.
RESOLVED that:
(i)
the Level 1 and 2 Policy Framework Strategies to be prepared/reviewed during
2004/05 be included within the Committee’s work programme for 2004/05 and that
Level 3 Strategies be considered as part of the Committee’s work programme;
(ii)
the Leader’s proposal to establish Cross Party Policy Development Groups
under the leadership of the appropriate Portfolio Holder be welcomed; and
(iii)
the number of Panels that Officers could support, within existing resources,
was limited and that, in particular, there was a need to co-ordinate the Committee’s
work programmes with the Executive’s to ensure that the Council’s resources are used
in the most efficient way.
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004
117.
5th May, 2004
THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE’S DRAFT WORK
PROGRAMME
In accordance with Article 6.02(d) of the Overview and Scrutiny arrangements
contained in the Constitution, the Committee considered its proposed work
programme for 2004/05 so that it could be considered by the Executive and the
Council.
The Committee’s work programme comprised the following elements as detailed in
the report:







Policy Framework consultations;
On going work rolled forward from the 2003/04 year;
Continuation of existing Scrutiny Review Panels;
Resource and Performance Management Monitoring;
Best Value Reviews;
Matters Called In; and
General other business
The Committee recognised that there was potential for its workload to be high and
that the impact on the organisation’s capacity to manage this was important. A
mechanism for managing the work programme and criteria for selecting scrutiny
topics was considered (Annexes 1 and 2 of the report) as a methodology for
prioritising the Committee’s work with Council priorities.
RESOLVED that:
(i)
the arrangements for developing the Committee’s work programme and
selection criteria for topics be agreed as detailed in Annexes 1 and 2 of the report; and
(ii)
the Executive be requested to recommend to the Council the following Work
Programme for 2004/05:
(a) that Member Scrutiny Panels be established for each of the Levels 1 and 2
Policy Framework consultations, namely:






Local Development Framework / Local Plan
Environment Strategy
Leisure and Cultural Strategy
Community Safety Strategy
Human Resources Strategy
Partnership Strategy
and that each has the purpose of, in general, establishing that the proposed
Strategies:



are clear, focused, achievable, realistic and based on sound financial and
operational practices;
have a clear relationship between the budget, service plans and the
priorities contained within the Community, Corporate and other
Plans/Strategies and that they are real, identifiable and designed to
improve services in the Council’s priority areas; and
have clear direction and priorities for action to meet the Council’s goals,
standards and priorities.
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004
5th May, 2004
(b) the items rolled forward from 2003/04, as set out below. The exact purpose
and timing of the items to be clarified by the Director of Policy and the
Environment in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee and other
appropriate lead officers in preparing for the Committee’s consideration of them:










Comprehensive Performance Assessment
Community Safety Strategy - annual review
Cost of Planning Service
Borough Local Plan (report on responses/adoption (June/July 2004))
Review of operational arrangements for the Committee
Annual Treasury Management Strategy
Environmental Services Policy Review
Public Service Agreements
Procurement Strategy
IEG Submission to the ODPM
(c) the existing Scrutiny Review Panels, as set out below, continue with their
programme of work reporting back to the Committee as appropriate;









(d)
Town Centre Disabled Access Review Panel;
Housing Review Panel;
Personnel Review Panel (including Human Resources Strategy);
Licensing Act Review Panel;
Community Transport Review Panel;
Leisure and Cultural Strategy Review Panel;
Hackney Carriage Restricted Numbers Policy Review Panel;
Appointments to Outside Bodies Review Panel; and
the re-establishment of the Budget Panel each year.
that the Committee participate in Best Value reviews as appropriate;
(e) that the Committee continue to receive the Performance Management
Monitoring reports as described in the report;
(f) that the Committee receives reports on matters progressing to the Executive,
when appropriate, together with any matters that are called in for review; and
(g) that the Executive be requested to consult with the Committee on the
following Level 3 Strategies to be reviewed in 2004/05:






Youth Policy
Contaminated Land Strategy
Procurement Strategy
Community Transport Strategy
Older Persons Policy
Enforcement Policy
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004
118.
5th May, 2004
THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE’S ANNUAL REPORT
2003/04
The Chairman presented his Annual Report on the work activities of the Committee
during 2003/04 which covered the following elements of its work:







Scrutiny of the decision making process
Monitoring of the Council’s performance
Support to develop policy prepared by the Executive
Review of specific services
Reviewing issues of concern to local people
“Call in” of Executive decisions
Monitoring and scrutinising the activities of others
The Committee established 9 Panels during the year and a summary of their progress
was presented. Each Panel had either a Scoping Report or clear Terms of Reference.
The Scoping Report set out its aims and objectives, proposed outcomes, timescales,
who to involve and what information was needed.
In line with the Committee’s overall desire to seek improvements to Council services
it continually, through the Chairman, reviewed the Leader’s Forward Plan and
considered reports accordingly. This constructive approach resulted in a reduced
number of matters Called In. Three leaflets had been produced that provided
information about the scrutiny process together with web pages for its work.
RESOLVED that:
(i)
in relation to the Town Centre Access for Disabled Panel a footnote be added
indicating that 4 of its meetings were held during the day for the convenience of the
community; and
(ii)
the Director of Policy and Environment be authorised, in consultation with the
Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to agree the final format and
wording of the published report including any additions required before the end of the
Municipal Year.
RECOMMENDED that, subject to any comment made arising from (ii) above, the
Committee’s Annual Report for 2003/04 be received.
119.
REVIEW PANELS: PROGRESS REPORT
The Committee currently had nine Scrutiny Review Panels at different stages of work
and the progress in relation to each was presented to Members.
RESOLVED that:
(i)
the current position on the Panels noted;
(ii)
the Leader of the Conservative Group be requested to nominate a replacement
for Councillor Mrs M.P. Brewster on the Personnel Panel, as she was the Mayor Elect
for the next Municipal Year; and
(iii)
it be noted that the Membership of other Panels may change as a result of the
forthcoming Borough Council elections.
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – Continued
5th May, 2004
120.
5th May, 2004
EXECUTIVE
It was reported that there were no items arising from the Executive which might be
subject to the ‘call-in’ procedure in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 15 of
the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules.
121.
ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS
None.
The meeting closed at 9.58 p.m.