Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve the Minutes of the meetings held on 28 July, 4 August and 10 August 2015.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Executive meetings held on 28 July, 4 August and 10 August 2015, be approved as correct records and signed by the Leader.

Report to follow

The Executive received a report detailing those issues referred to it by the Scrutiny Committees, which were noted.  Issues relating to specific reports for the Executive were considered and detailed at the relevant report of the Executive Member.

RESOLVED – that the report be received.

That the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted co-jointly by Eastwick and Gilston and Hunsdon Parish Councils, be supported.

The Executive gave consideration to a report detailing an application by Eastwick and Gilston and Hunsdon Parish Councils for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, as detailed on the plan attached to the report submitted.  The application comprised theEastwick and Gilston and Hunsdon Parish Areas.

The Executive considered the application and the consultation undertaken.  The report submitted detailed the main areas of consideration in determining the application in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Localism Act 2011.

Councillor R Brunton, as the local ward Member, expressed his support for the application and urged both parish councils to engage with interested groups in the process.

The Executive supported the application, as now detailed.

RESOLVED - that the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted co-jointly by Eastwick and Gilston and Hunsdon Parish Councils, be supported.

That the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Much Hadham Parish Council, be supported.

The Executive gave consideration to a report detailing an application by Much Hadham Parish Council for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, as detailed on the plan attached to the report submitted.  The application comprised theMuch Hadham Parish Area.

The Executive considered the application and the consultation undertaken.  The report submitted detailed the main areas of consideration in determining the application in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Localism Act 2011.

Councillor I Devonshire, as the local ward Member, expressed his support for the application.

The Executive supported the application.

RESOLVED - that the application for the designation of a Neighbourhood Area, submitted by Much Hadham Parish Council, be supported.

The Executive considered the 2014/15 Annual Governance Statement and the 2015/16 Action Plan.  The Audit Committee, at its meeting to be held on 23 September 2015, would be asked to approve these documents and the Executive was invited to comment.

The Executive noted the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting held on 25 August 2015, in relation to the Action Plan being more detailed and SMART as set out in the best practice list quoted in the report.

The Executive supported these comments and the documents going forward to the Audit Committee.

RESOLVED – that (A) the comments of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee be received and supported; and

(B)      the Audit Committee be advised that the Executive supports the 2014/15 Annual Governance Statement and the 2015/16 Action Plan, as now detailed.

That (A) the comments of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee be received; and

(B)     the Annual Report 2014/15 be approved.

The Executive considered the 2014/15 Corporate Annual Report, documenting the Council’s key achievements for each of the corporate priorities over the last financial year.  The report also provided an overview of the Council’s financial position and performance and a statement on contracts.

The Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting held on 26 August 2015, supported the recommendations and commented in respect of the pie charts within the financial information by suggesting that the segment shown as “other” needed more detail as it represented a significant portion of the whole.  Also, the Committee suggested that the “what we have not done” examples for each priority could be more constructive in their title and tone and not blame others for any lack of progress.

The Director of Finance and Support Services accepted these comments and advised that they would be considered before the final version was published to the website.

The Executive approved the 2014/15 Corporate Annual Report as now submitted.

RESOLVED - that (A) the comments of Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee be received; and

(B)      the Corporate Annual Report 2014/15 be approved.

That (A) the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee on the Quarterly Corporate Healthcheck, be received;

(B)     the revenue budget forecast overspend of £144k be noted;

(C)    the proposed slippage on capital schemes of £90k be noted;

(D)    additional funding of £17k for the Grange Paddocks heat exchanger capital scheme be approved:

(E)     the carry forward requests from 2014/15 to 2015/16 of £139k be approved;

(F)     the current explanation for long term trends for:

·                    EHPI 181 – Time taken to process Housing Benefit new claims and change events, and

·                     EHPI 192 – Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting, be noted;

(G)    action taken to address performance for EHPI 2.6 – Percentage of residual waste (refuse) sent for disposal, be noted; and

(H)    the risk controls be approved.

The Executive considered a quarterly report on performance, finance and risk monitoring for the Council as at June 2015.

The Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee commented that extra detail to explain staffing increases would be helpful in understanding why it was happening.  Also, the Committee requested that further details on the actions being taken to regularise over/underspends would also be helpful.

The Executive Member for Finance and Support Services reminded the Executive of the ongoing implementation of the new, integrated finance and business planning process which might change how some information was provided.

The Executive approved the recommendations now detailed.

RESOLVED - that (A) the comments of the Corporate Business Scrutiny Committee on the Quarterly Corporate Healthcheck, be received;

(B)      the revenue budget forecast overspend of £144k be noted;

(C)      the proposed slippage on capital schemes of £90k be noted;

(D)      additional funding of £17k for the Grange Paddocks heat exchanger capital scheme be approved:

(E)      the carry forward requests from 2014/15 to 2015/16 of £139k be approved;

(F)       the current explanation for long term trends for:

·                        EHPI 181 – Time taken to process Housing Benefit new claims and change events, and

·                         EHPI 192 – Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting,

be noted;

(G)      action taken to address performance for EHPI 2.6 – Percentage of residual waste (refuse) sent for disposal, be noted; and

(H)      the risk controls be approved.