Agenda and minutes

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

Contact: Chris Gaffey, Democratic & Scrutiny Officer 

Items
No. Item

20.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 66 KB

To receive and, if so determined, to agree as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2016.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2016, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

21.

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:

An interest was declared by Councillor Chris Boyes who is the Chairman of Sale Golf Club.

 

An interest was also declared by Councillor Karina Carter who is a Sports and Leisure Commissioning Officer at Manchester City Council.

22.

2017/18 BUDGET PRESENTATION

To receive a presentation of the Leader of the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation of the Leader of the Council on the draft budget proposals for 2017/18. The presentation provided Members with an overview of the budget position, the savings proposals and the consultation process, as well as information on business rates retention, council tax rates and the £2m funding shortfall. Members were given the opportunity to ask several questions in relation to the proposals.

 

It was confirmed that Trafford would be part of the 100% business rates retention pilot scheme beginning in April 2017. Negotiations were ongoing to ensure that Trafford secured the best deal possible, and the Leader would continue to make the case for more fiscal freedom for local authorities. Members were assured that the position taken on business rates would not be affected by the outcome of the ongoing national consultation. A further update would be provided to the Scrutiny Committee when more information became available.

 

The Committee discussed the proposals on charging a fee for green waste disposal and whether the take up by residents would be enough to achieve the projected savings. Members were advised of the different options currently being considered, including bin sharing. Members also discussed the proposed car parking fee rises. It was noted that parking fees would be frozen for the two years following the rise in 2017/18, and it was suggested that this should be publicised more widely.

 

Members raised their concerns about the proposals relating to school crossing patrols. The Leader advised that alternative sources of income were being explored to see if the service could be financed by other means, and it was hoped that selling the service to other community groups could raise the required funds. The proposals would be finalised once all responses to the consultation had been considered.

 

The Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee raised her concerns around Adult Social Care. The Leader confirmed that this continued to be monitored as an ongoing risk, and significant future pressures on the budget like the introduction of the living wage would need to be considered. Integration and the pooling of budgets with the Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group would help provide future savings.

 

The Leader advised Members that the agreeing of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, progressing with the Locality Plan, and the integration of services would be essential for achieving future savings.

 

Members requested that information on risk assessments and the capital programme be provided at the upcoming Budget Scrutiny Working Group sessions.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1)    That the presentation be noted.

 

2)    That further information be provided at the upcoming Budget Scrutiny Working Group sessions.

23.

2015/16 OMBUDSMAN REPORT pdf icon PDF 102 KB

To receive for information, a report of the Executive Member for Transformation and Resources.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Services providing Members with a summary of complaints determined in 2015/16.

 

            RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

24.

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 57 KB

To receive a report of the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee setting out the updated work programme for the 2016/17 municipal year.

 

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

25.

INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE BOROUGH pdf icon PDF 239 KB

To receive a report of the Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships.

 

The report was submitted to the Scrutiny Committee subject to any changes recommended by the Executive when considered at their meeting on Tuesday 15 November.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships setting out the case for investing capital to improve and modernise the Council’s leisure centres. The report was accompanied by a presentation.

 

The presentation detailed the Physical Activity Vision for Trafford and its core aims. It was proposed that an investment of £24.39 million would be made to provide improved leisure facilities for residents, which was agreed in principle at the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday 15 November, 2016. At the same meeting, the Executive approved the release of £250,000 to procure project management support and develop detailed schemes for the first two phases of the proposals. It was noted that the investment of the £24.39 million to improve Trafford’s leisure facilities would avoid the need to undertake the £10.36m of capital maintenance works previously identified.

 

Although improving facilities within the Borough was the priority, the Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships reminded Members of the importance of ensuring that the Community Interest Company be sustainable and financially viable. As part of the Leisure Strategy it was recommended that leisure facilities in the Urmston be consolidated, which would see the closure of George H Carnall Leisure Centre. It was also recommended that golf facilities in Flixton be consolidated due to oversupply in the area.

 

            RESOLVED: That the report and presentation be noted.

26.

EXCLUSION RESOLUTION

Motion   (Which may be amended as Members think fit):

 

            That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining items on the agenda, because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within one or more descriptive category or categories of the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A, as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, and specified on the agenda item or report relating to each such item respectively.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the remaining item of business because of the likelihood of disclosure of “exempt information” which falls within Paragraph 3 of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.

27.

INCREASING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE BOROUGH

To receive a report of the Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships.

 

The report was submitted to the Scrutiny Committee subject to any changes recommended by the Executive when considered at their meeting on Tuesday 15 November.

Minutes:

The Committee received a report of the Executive Member for Communities and Partnerships setting out the case for investing capital to improve and modernise the Council’s leisure centres. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions on the proposed strategy, with discussions taking place around risk assessments, income projections and pricing strategies. Discussions took place on the new leisure centre set to be built in Altrincham.

 

Members were assured that the proposed £24.39 million investment was predicated on robust research, and that decisions on the next phases would require further Executive approval.

 

Members welcomed the proposals laid out in the report. The Committee requested that further updates be brought to Scrutiny as the proposals progressed, with the next update expected at the meeting scheduled for 22 March, 2017.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1)    That the report be noted.

 

2)    That progress reports be brought to the Scrutiny Committee on a biannual basis, with the next update provided at the meeting scheduled for 22 March, 2017.