Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms 2 and 3, Trafford Town Hall, Talbot Road, Stretford M32 0TH

Contact: Jo Maloney  Governance Officer

Items
No. Item

61.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

A maximum of 15 minutes will be allocated to public questions submitted in writing to Democratic Services (democratic.services@trafford.gov.uk) by 4 p.m. on the working day prior to the meeting. Questions must be relevant to items appearing on the agenda and will be submitted in the order in which they were received.

Minutes:

It was noted that there were no questions from members of the public to be referred to the current meeting.

62.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members to give notice of any interest and the nature of that interest relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the adopted Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

No declarations were made by Executive Members.

63.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 194 KB

To receive and, if so determined, to approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 30th October, 2019.

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the meeting held on 28th October, 2019 be approved as a correct record.

64.

MATTERS FROM COUNCIL OR OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEES (IF ANY)

To consider any matters referred by the Council or by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Minutes:

As Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Acton advised of the holding of two forthcoming Budget Scrutiny sessions, one on Tuesday 3rd December, dealing with resources, investments and the Place directorate; and the second on Thursday 5th December, dealing with Children’s Services and social care.

65.

TRAFFORD EMPTY HOMES STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 pdf icon PDF 403 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration.

PLEASE NOTE: The appendices to this report are very extensive. Appendix 2, the consultation report, is thus not being circulated in hard copy. It is of course available to consult on the Council’s website, along with all the other agenda papers for this meeting.

Additional documents:

Decision:

That the Trafford Empty Homes Strategy and Draft Action Plan 2019-2024 be approved for publication.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration submitted a report which set out details of the Empty Homes Strategy, which had been developed to identify and address the issues related to the number of long-term empty homes in the borough. The Strategy identified key proposals to bring empty homes back into use and measures to support private and public sector partners to achieve this. The proposals had been identified in the context of Corporate priorities, the Trafford Housing Strategy (2018-2023), GM Housing Strategy and discussions with key stakeholders. An opportunity was provided for Members to raise questions on the content of the report, which centred on any potential dispensations or grace periods in respect of the sale of properties which were delayed by legal or other genuine complications.

 

RESOLVED - That the Trafford Empty Homes Strategy and Draft Action Plan 2019-2024 be approved for publication.

66.

TRAFFORD TOGETHER LOCALITY PLAN - OUR PLAN FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SUSTAINABILITY AND REFORM pdf icon PDF 303 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Equalities.

PLEASE NOTE: The appendix to the report, the Locality Plan document, is very extensive, and is thus not being circulated in hard copy. It is of course available to consult on the Council’s website, along with all the other agenda papers for this meeting.

Additional documents:

Decision:

1. That the plan be agreed.

 

2. That it be noted that the plan is to be submitted to Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Equalities submitted a report which set out details of the proposed Trafford Together Locality Plan, a blueprint for the transformation of health and social care over the next 5 years.  It also incorporated the NHS 10 year Long Term Plan. The Locality Plan was seen as part of a wider Trafford Partnership which took account of the many areas of change currently affecting health and social care, and aimed to contribute to public service reform, involving shared resources, aspirations and outcomes. In discussion a number of issues were raised, including the potential impact of the Locality Plan approach on specific cases and the extent of liaison with other neighbouring Local Authorities.

 

            RESOLVED -

 

(1)       That the plan be agreed.

 

(2)       That it be noted that the plan is to be submitted to Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

67.

TREASURY MANAGEMENT 2019/20 MID-YEAR PERFORMANCE REPORT pdf icon PDF 487 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Finance and Investment and the Corporate Director of Finance and Systems.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Finance and Investment and the Corporate Director of Finance and Systems submitted a report which provided for Members a summary of the Treasury Management activities undertaken for the first half of 2019/20, including in relation to Debt Activity, Investment Activity and adherence to Prudential indicators. It was noted that the report had already been considered by the Accounts and Audit Committee. In discussion, questions were raised regarding the consideration of potential alternative funding sources in the light of recent changes to the Public Works Loan Board; and in relation to the criteria pertaining to Barclay’s Green Deposit Notice Account, on which it was agreed that a response would be made outside the meeting.

 

RESOLVED – That the Treasury Management activities undertaken in the first half of 2019/20 be noted.

68.

BUDGET MONITORING 2019/20 - PERIOD 6 (APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 2019) pdf icon PDF 688 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Finance and Investment and Corporate Director, Finance and systems.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Finance and Investment and the Corporate Director of Finance and Systems submitted a report which informed Members of the current 2019/20 forecast outturn figures relating to both Revenue and Capital budgets. It also summarised the latest forecast position for Council Tax and Business Rates within the Collection Fund. Members’ attention was drawn to key changes in variances since the previous report. An opportunity was provided for members to raise questions on the report’s content; these centred on movements in reserves, significant additions to the Council’s investment programme and an investment variance on Sonova House, which derived from an in-year rent review.

 

RESOLVED –

 

(1)       That the report be noted, and the changes to the Capital Programme and Asset Investment Fund as detailed in paragraphs 28 and 38 of the report.

 

(2)       That the refund from GMCA of £2.15m of the 18/19 business rates pilot monies (paragraph 25 of the report) be noted, and the application of these funds to:

– eliminate the in-year shortfall in business rate income (£800k);

– replenish the Housing Benefit Overpayment reserve (£200k);

– replenish the Business Rates Risk Reserve ( £1.15m);

 

(3)       That the movements in reserves in paragraphs 11 to 14 of the report be noted.

69.

REPORT ON COMPLAINTS DETERMINED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT & SOCIAL CARE OMBUDSMAN 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 333 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Public Safety, Governance and Reform.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Public Safety, Governance and Reform submitted a report which addressed the Council’s statutory duty to report to Members on adverse outcomes of complaints formally investigated by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. The report set out the background to this duty, and provided Members with a summary of complaints determined in 2018/19. In discussion, questions were raised regarding a number of settlement payments recommended by the Ombudsman, and in particular one specific item; it was agreed that further information would be provided outside the meeting.

 

            RESOLVED – That the content of the report be noted.