Agenda, decisions and minutes

Cabinet - Tuesday, 26 July 2022 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey ,RH2 8EF

Contact: Vicky Hibbert or Huma Younis  Email: huma.younis@surreycc.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

100/22

Apologies for Absence

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    Decision:

    Apologies were received from Steve Bax.

     

    Minutes:

    Apologies were received from Steve Bax.

     

101/22

Minutes of Previous Meeting: 31 May 2022 pdf icon PDF 249 KB

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    To agree the minutes of the last meeting as a correct record of the meeting.

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    These were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.

     

    Minutes:

    These were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.

     

102/22

Declarations of Interest

    All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter:

     

    (i)            Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or

    (ii)           Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting

    NOTES:

     

    ·         Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest

    ·         As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner)

    ·         Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

103/22

Procedural Matters

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103/221

Members' Questions pdf icon PDF 249 KB

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    The deadline for Member’s questions is 12pm four working days before the meeting (20 July 2022).

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There was one member question. The question and response was published as a supplement to the agenda. In relation to his main question Lance Spencer asked when the research been undertaken by the research partner to engage and listen to families using services and those currently not engaging with the service would be finalised and whether this would be made public. The Cabinet Member for Children and Families explained that research was ongoing and in fact outreach was being undertaken on social media inviting members of the public, families, children to make their views known. The research would be finalised by the end of the summer and the Cabinet Member would check if the report could be shared with members.

     

104/22

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 278 KB

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    The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (19 July 2022).

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were two public questions. The questions and responses were published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    In relation to the first public question Malcolm Robertson’s question queried the claim that the gasifier is certified as currently operating at 55% of the time. The Cabinet Member was asked to confirm if the certification was for the gasifier, as specified by Surrey, or if it just related to the plant working as an incinerator? The Cabinet Member agreed to send the questioner a written response.

     

    In relation to her public question Jenny Desoutter asked if the new posts and the land management policy would put biodiversity and protecting nature as its first overall priority. She then asked if the range of initiatives to support biodiversity would be put into an overarching biodiversity action plan and if baseline surveys across the countryside estate would be undertaken. The Cabinet Member for Environment explained that biodiversity had been treated within the climate change plan with urgency. Baseline surveys had been done with Surrey Wildlife Trust and a biodiversity plan would be included in a vision for the county. Biodiversity was a priority for the Cabinet Member and more detail would be coming through in the autumn.

     

     

     

105/22

Petitions

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    The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

106/22

Representations received on reports to be considered in private

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    To consider any representations received in relation why part of the meeting relating to a report circulated in Part 2 of the agenda should be open to the public.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

107/22

Reports from Select Committees , Task Groups, Local Committees and other Committees of the Council

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    To consider any reports from Select Committees, Task Groups, Local Committees and any other Committees of the Council.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

108/22

Leader / Deputy Leader / Cabinet Member/ Strategic Investment Board Decisions Taken Since the Last Cabinet Meeting pdf icon PDF 125 KB

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    To note any delegated decisions taken by the Leader, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Members, Strategic Investment Board and Committees in Common Sub-Committee since the last meeting of the Cabinet.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    There were ten decisions for noting. The Cabinet Member for Communities informed members that two applications to your fund surrey had been approved and would increase wider community involvement.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the decisions taken since the last Cabinet meeting be noted.

     

109/22

Cabinet Member of the Month pdf icon PDF 353 KB

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    To receive an update from Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Communities.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet member of the month update was presented by the Cabinet Member for Communities, Mark Nuti. The following key points were raised:

     

    ·         Your Fund Surrey was picking up momentum and residents were encouraged to submit bids to the fund.

    ·         Surrey had the second busiest library service in the country. All libraries in Surrey would be introducing library welfare officers to support the local community.

    ·         Customer Services had recently launched a new telephone and digital welfare information and advice service for residents who are struggling and need financial, welfare or wellbeing support, including newly arrived Ukrainian refugees.

    ·         Ten newly recruited community link officers would be working alongside councillors to help join up people, partners, funding, and opportunities, making better use of resources and supporting the ambitions of our communities.

    ·         There was now three Local Area Coordinators (LACs) working alongside local communities in Maybury/Sheerwater, Horley (Central/West) and Hurst Green, and another about to be recruited to work in Old Dean / St Michael’s. LACs are based in the local community for the local community and offer a unique type of individual support at a very local level. They help people of all ages become stronger, healthier, happier and more connected members of their community.

    ·         The Cabinet Member explained that there were a number of events taking place across Surrey during the school holidays, many of these being free. The summer reading challenge would be taking place in libraries and there were a number of adventure zones across Surrey. There was a cultural mapping service on the Surrey County Council website which explains the exciting things going on around Surrey.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the Cabinet Member of the Month report be noted.

     

110/22

Increasing Access to Library Buildings pdf icon PDF 349 KB

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    Following Cabinet’s approval of the Library and Cultural Service Strategy 2020-2025 in November 2019, the Library and Cultural Services Transformation Programme has commenced significant change across the Library Service. This includes a major workforce transformation and initiation of a five-year programme of work to modernise library settings across Surrey.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet agrees the introduction of Open Access technology in thirteen  libraries across the county.
    2. That Cabinet agrees an initial capital allocation of £345k from the £1.8m identified in the Capital Pipeline.
    3. That Cabinet agrees the proposed approach to a phased introduction of Open Access in additional libraries.
    4. That Cabinet delegates to the Capital Programme Panel (CPP) the approval of any subsequent release of funding, within the overall envelope identified in the Capital Pipeline and subject to a robust business case.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Cabinet agreement to introduce Open Access technology into libraries is essential to unlock the full potential of library buildings, increasing access beyond the current opening hours, and empowering communities to reap wider benefit from using these valuable community assets. Thirteen libraries have been prioritised, based on analysis of where there is greatest opportunity to achieve positive impact, and with a good geographic spread across the county. Careful analysis of usage, cost and revenue generation opportunity from the initial thirteen will inform the proposal and business case for future phases of implementation.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Communities who explained that Cabinet were being asked to agree the introduction of Open Access technology into libraries. Open Access was technology that enables increased and flexible access to buildings, through library membership-based door entry systems and associated security features. Open Access would increase the ability of libraries to meet the needs of communities, support wider strategic priorities, and be fit and sustainable for the future. There would be an initial capital allocation of £345k from the £1.8m identified in the Capital Pipeline. The Open Access technology would be introduced into thirteen libraries with the expectation that the rest of the libraries would have access to the technology in 2-3 years’ time. There was support from Cabinet on the item and a recognition that libraries would become community hubs. Will Forster queried what difference this technology would make to residents, the evidence base for introducing this technology and what reductions would be made to staffing as a result of this. The Cabinet Member for Communities stated that this work was being done as residents had asked for libraries to be open later and for longer. There were no planned redundancies but open technology would enable staff to work smarter.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet agrees the introduction of Open Access technology in thirteen  libraries across the county.
    2. That Cabinet agrees an initial capital allocation of £345k from the £1.8m identified in the Capital Pipeline.
    3. That Cabinet agrees the proposed approach to a phased introduction of Open Access in additional libraries.
    4. That Cabinet delegates to the Capital Programme Panel (CPP) the approval of any subsequent release of funding, within the overall envelope identified in the Capital Pipeline and subject to a robust business case.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Cabinet agreement to introduce Open Access technology into libraries is essential to unlock the full potential of library buildings, increasing access beyond the current opening hours, and empowering communities to reap wider benefit from using these valuable community assets. Thirteen libraries have been prioritised, based on analysis of where there is greatest opportunity to achieve positive impact, and with a good geographic spread across the county. Careful analysis of usage, cost and revenue generation opportunity from the initial thirteen will inform the proposal and business case for future phases of implementation.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

111/22

Government Adult Social Care Charging Reforms pdf icon PDF 571 KB

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    This report summarises the current proposals which make up the government’s Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms and the anticipated cumulative impact for Surrey County Council. 

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Adults and Health Select Committee)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.            That Cabinet notes the key changes, implications and overarching risks of the government’s Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms for Surrey residents and Surrey County Council.

     

    2.            That Cabinet notes the collaborative approach and the emerging plans to prepare, and as far as possible mitigate risks, for implementation from October 2023.

     

    3.            That Cabinet approves up to £2.9m of the Council’s Budget Equalisation Reserve to be used to fund additional expenditure required in 2022/23 to facilitate the implementation of Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms above funding provided by government as set out in Annex 2.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The Government published its Adult Social Care system reform white paper ‘People at the heart of care’ on 1 December.  The intent of the white paper is to make the system fairer and ensure more people do not face enormous care costs.  In Surrey the reforms will mean the Council will fund care for more people, the availability and therefore the quality of care may be affected, and a significant funding short-fall is anticipated based on current proposed government funding which has been widely commented on as insufficient to meet the full cost of the reforms.  With high levels of self-funding residents and existing staffing challenges in Surrey, the implementation timetable means it will be challenging to recruit, upgrade systems and build capacity to support so many residents.  Current government guidance recommends an awareness campaign from January – March 2023, assessments starting in April 2023 in readiness for implementation from October 2023.

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Adults and Health Select Committee)

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health who explained that the report summarised the current proposals which make up the government’s Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms and the anticipated cumulative impact forSurrey County Council. The reforms would harmonise costs and provide a fair cost of care for our self funders. In Surrey we have 60% self funders. The lack of detail pose a number of risks to the council. These risks are presented in potential and modelled increased costs, reduced income and increased numbers of new residents needing support within adult social care. The reforms have potential to disrupt provider relationships and will lead to significant increase in staffing capacity. The Cabinet Member said that she was confident that the adult social care leadership and corporate leadership would navigate through these reforms and implement them to the benefit of all of our Surrey residents. The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources raised concerns around the financial impact of the proposed reforms on the Councils financial stability. The magnitude and uncertainty around the adult social care reform was the biggest unquantifiable area of financial pressure.

     

    Will Forster queried how the possible impacts from the reforms would be displayed on the councils risk register and how the council planned to reduce the cumulative costs of the reforms to the council over the next ten years. The Leader stated that this was a sighting paper as reforms would come about in October 2023. The Leader did not think it was helpful to pin down what the reforms would look like without quality data. The Leader had been reassured that the next Prime Minister would honour the commitment of the government to fund the reforms. It was important that the government analyse the data from the trailblazer councils as this would help better understand the counties position moving forward.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.            That Cabinet notes the key changes, implications and overarching risks of the government’s Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms for Surrey residents and Surrey County Council.

     

    2.            That Cabinet notes the collaborative approach and the emerging plans to prepare, and as far as possible mitigate risks, for implementation from October 2023.

     

    3.            That Cabinet approves up to £2.9m of the Council’s Budget Equalisation Reserve to be used to fund additional expenditure required in 2022/23 to facilitate the implementation of Adult Social Care Charging and Fair Cost of Care reforms above funding provided by government as set out in Annex 2.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The Government published its Adult Social Care system reform white paper ‘People at the heart of care’ on 1 December.  The intent of the white paper is to make the system fairer and ensure more people do not face enormous care costs.  In Surrey the reforms will mean the Council will fund care for more people, the availability and therefore the quality of care may be affected, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 111/22

112/22

Recommendation On The Delivery Model For Extra Care Housing At The Former Bentley Day Centre, Banstead Horseshoe, Reigate And Banstead pdf icon PDF 362 KB

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    This paper sets out Surrey County Council's proposed delivery approach for one site proposed for Extra Care Housing. This will support our strategy to deliver Accommodation with Care and Support by 2030.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Adults and Health Select Committee)

     

    N.B There is a Part 2 report at Item 18.

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet approves the development of Extra Care Housing on the former Bentley Day Centre site owned by the Council set out in this paper.

     

    1. That Cabinet approves external delivery of Extra Care Housing at the former Bentley Day Centre through a tender for a strategic development and housing management partner(s) as the preferred option. This site will be tendered with four further sites that have previously been approved for Extra Care Housing by Cabinet.

     

    1. That Cabinet grants delegated authority for contract award to the following officers:

    a.    Deputy Chief Executive, Executive Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources

    b.    Executive Director for Adult Social Care in consultation with Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

     

    1. That Cabinet notes that a separate procurement process will be conducted to identify onsite support and care provision to avoid long-term support and care provision being tied into the development and housing management contract.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The development of Extra Care Housing on the site set out in this paper will represent an important contribution towards the Council’s strategic objective to expand affordable Extra Care Housing provision by 2030.

     

    Tendering for strategic development and housing management partner(s) to take forwards the development of Extra Care Housing on the former Bentley Day Centre is consistent with previous decisions made by Cabinet. In October 2019, July 2020 and October 2020 Cabinet agreed to identify a strategic partner(s) for the development and housing management of Extra Care Housing at the former Pond Meadow School, the former Brockhurst Care Home and the former Pinehurst Resource Centre, Salisbury Road and Lakeside sites through tendering processes.

     

    There are multiple benefits for the Council from including the former Bentley Day Centre site in the tender with the existing four sites. These include:

     

    • Accessing economies of scale from delivering Extra Care Housing across more settings, which is likely to lead to a more commercially favourable response for the Council.
    • Preventing unnecessary delay to the delivery of Extra Care Housing at the former Bentley Day Centre because it would not be advised to tender a single site.
    • Accelerating the delivery of the strategy by including the site in the upcoming tender.

     

    This is consistent with our ASC vision for development of Extra Care Housing, which has been clearly communicated through market and stakeholder engagement.

     

    The other option available is for the Council to directly deliver the Extra Care Housing scheme at the Bentley site.  This would involve the Council committing significant capital expenditure and be responsible for the ongoing housing management function of the Extra Care Housing setting.  This option is not recommended as it is anticipated significantly less financially beneficial to the Council and would mean one Extra Care Housing scheme would be developed by the Council in isolation while a strategic development and housing management partner was developing four other Extra Care Housing schemes (assuming the tender for these sites is successful, which we expect to be the case based  ...  view the full decision text for item 112/22

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health introduced the report explaining that the report set out the proposed delivery approach for one site of extra care housing at the former Bentley Day Centre. This supports the councils strategy to deliver accommodation of a total of 725 affordable units by 2030, which will enable people to access the right health and social care at the right time, in the right place. Providing appropriate housing for residents that need help to enable them to remain independent. The development will be in the heart of the community and the design will make these homes for life. Support was given to the Pond Meadow site in Guildford where 60 units were being developed. The property team and the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste were thanked for delivering the much needed properties.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet approves the development of Extra Care Housing on the former Bentley Day Centre site owned by the Council set out in this paper.

     

    1. That Cabinet approves external delivery of Extra Care Housing at the former Bentley Day Centre through a tender for a strategic development and housing management partner(s) as the preferred option. This site will be tendered with four further sites that have previously been approved for Extra Care Housing by Cabinet.

     

    1. That Cabinet grants delegated authority for contract award to the following officers:

    a.    Deputy Chief Executive, Executive Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Resources

    b.    Executive Director for Adult Social Care in consultation with Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

     

    1. That Cabinet notes that a separate procurement process will be conducted to identify onsite support and care provision to avoid long-term support and care provision being tied into the development and housing management contract.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The development of Extra Care Housing on the site set out in this paper will represent an important contribution towards the Council’s strategic objective to expand affordable Extra Care Housing provision by 2030.

     

    Tendering for strategic development and housing management partner(s) to take forwards the development of Extra Care Housing on the former Bentley Day Centre is consistent with previous decisions made by Cabinet. In October 2019, July 2020 and October 2020 Cabinet agreed to identify a strategic partner(s) for the development and housing management of Extra Care Housing at the former Pond Meadow School, the former Brockhurst Care Home and the former Pinehurst Resource Centre, Salisbury Road and Lakeside sites through tendering processes.

     

    There are multiple benefits for the Council from including the former Bentley Day Centre site in the tender with the existing four sites. These include:

     

    • Accessing economies of scale from delivering Extra Care Housing across more settings, which is likely to lead to a more commercially favourable response for the Council.
    • Preventing unnecessary delay to the delivery of Extra Care Housing at the former Bentley Day Centre because it would not be advised to tender a single site.
    • Accelerating the delivery of the strategy by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112/22

113/22

Sunbury Hub pdf icon PDF 359 KB

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    This report seeks Cabinet approval to redevelop the former Sunbury Fire Station with a new integrated five-storey, multi-service hub. The aim is to bring together key local services into a vibrant community facility which will provide residents with space to connect, socialise, learn and access to essential public services in one building, in their local area.

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

     

    N.B There is a Part 2 report at Item 19.

     

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet approves the allocation of capital funding from the pipeline to the capital programme for the development of the detailed design and construction of Sunbury Hub. The funding required is commercially sensitive and is set out in the Part 2 report.

     

    1. That Cabinet approves procurement of an appropriate construction contractor partner for the delivery of all associated services required in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Standing Orders.

     

    1. Regarding the procurement of the construction contractor, Cabinet agrees that the Executive Director of Resources and the Director of Land and Property authorise and award such contracts, within the +/-5% budgetary tolerance level.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Approving the recommendations in this report will:

    a.    Regenerate a vacant Council-owned site.

    b.    Accelerate much-needed investment in Sunbury to support regeneration.

    c.     Deliver a multi-purpose building that improves service delivery and the community experience.

    d.    Optimise use of Council-owned assets and release other assets for Service re-use or disposal, in line with the Council’s Asset and Place Strategy.

    e.    Support the Adult Social Care (ASC) transformation programme ambition to reduce the number of people with a learning disability and/or autism in residential care by 40-50% by 2025, and ensure these residents are supported in-county.

    f.      Provide modern space and enable digital solutions for Services.

    g.    Produce benefits which link to all of the Council’s strategic priority areas.

    h.    Specifically reduce carbon emissions by using innovative technologies and smart build in the project’s design.

    i.      Support the delivery of the Council’s Agile Office Estate programme.

    j.      Create commercial opportunities where appropriate.

    k.     Offer tangible social value to residents.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

     

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste who explained that Cabinet were being asked to approve capital funding to develop a new integrated five story multi surface hub on the former Sunbury Fire station site. Office space will be accommodated on the 1st- 3rd levels and the 4th and 5th levels would be dedicated to supported independent living. The site was well located and was easily accessible by local transport. Developing this vacant site and relocating public services into the new building would save the Council backlog and future maintenance costs on the existing old and rundown properties. This would be a second hub delivered by the council following the Merstham Hub. Members were in support of the proposals and recognised the huge amount of effort that had gone into this project. Councillor Alison Todd was thanked for all her efforts in this project.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet approves the allocation of capital funding from the pipeline to the capital programme for the development of the detailed design and construction of Sunbury Hub. The funding required is commercially sensitive and is set out in the Part 2 report.

     

    1. That Cabinet approves procurement of an appropriate construction contractor partner for the delivery of all associated services required in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Standing Orders.

     

    1. Regarding the procurement of the construction contractor, Cabinet agrees that the Executive Director of Resources and the Director of Land and Property authorise and award such contracts, within the +/-5% budgetary tolerance level.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Approving the recommendations in this report will:

    a.    Regenerate a vacant Council-owned site.

    b.    Accelerate much-needed investment in Sunbury to support regeneration.

    c.     Deliver a multi-purpose building that improves service delivery and the community experience.

    d.    Optimise use of Council-owned assets and release other assets for Service re-use or disposal, in line with the Council’s Asset and Place Strategy.

    e.    Support the Adult Social Care (ASC) transformation programme ambition to reduce the number of people with a learning disability and/or autism in residential care by 40-50% by 2025, and ensure these residents are supported in-county.

    f.      Provide modern space and enable digital solutions for Services.

    g.    Produce benefits which link to all of the Council’s strategic priority areas.

    h.    Specifically reduce carbon emissions by using innovative technologies and smart build in the project’s design.

    i.      Support the delivery of the Council’s Agile Office Estate programme.

    j.      Create commercial opportunities where appropriate.

    k.     Offer tangible social value to residents.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

     

     

114/22

Freemantles School Project, Phase 1 Send Capital Programme pdf icon PDF 801 KB

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    Cabinet is asked to approves the uplift of £5.26m SEND Capital funding against the Freemantles School Phase 1 Capital project. This is to deliver 72 additional specialist school places and re-provide 54 current specialist school places for autistic children with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties in Surrey from September 2023 onwards.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves £15.159m SEND Capital funding against the Freemantles School Phase 1 Capital project.  This an uplift to the individual scheme budget allocation within the existing SEND Capital Programme funding envelope.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The project will deliver 72 additional specialist school places and re-provide 54 current specialist school places for autistic children with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties in Surrey from September 2023 onwards.

    The scheme represents good value for money at a cost of £120k per pupil place. Equivalent annual independent sector placement costs for the 72 new places would be a minimum of £3.8m per year compared to £1.6m per year for maintained special school placements.

    Investing in the Freemantles expansion project now generates the positive impact on outcomes for pupils with complex special educational needs and disabilities, as well as improving the council’s financial sustainability.

    The Freemantles School expansion project is business critical to ensure Surrey County Council discharges its statutory duties under Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999,Sections 13 and 14 of the Education Act 1996 and Part 27 Section 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning introduced the report explaining that the Freemantles School expansion project was one of the remaining Phase 1 SEND Capital Programme projects to be delivered that was approved by Cabinet in September 2019. The original brief to expand the school by 40 additional places for autistic children with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties was increased in 2020 to 72 places and Cabinet subsequently approved an budget of approximately £10m in March 2021.The project would reduce the councils reliance on independent schools, reduce journey times between home and school for the children and young people, and ensure that the children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities who require specialist placements have their needs met in Surrey communities and schools.

     

    The Leader highlighted that residents council tax would go towards the £140 million to deliver 2300 additional specialist places. Both SEND places and delivering extra care facilities were hugely important to the council. Will Forster welcomed the report and supported the project. He queried if the project was still achievable taking into account of issues in the construction industry with sourcing materials. The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning stated that the council was committed to the timescales highlighted in the report.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves £15.159m SEND Capital funding against the Freemantles School Phase 1 Capital project.  This an uplift to the individual scheme budget allocation within the existing SEND Capital Programme funding envelope.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The project will deliver 72 additional specialist school places and re-provide 54 current specialist school places for autistic children with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties in Surrey from September 2023 onwards.

    The scheme represents good value for money at a cost of £120k per pupil place. Equivalent annual independent sector placement costs for the 72 new places would be a minimum of £3.8m per year compared to £1.6m per year for maintained special school placements.

    Investing in the Freemantles expansion project now generates the positive impact on outcomes for pupils with complex special educational needs and disabilities, as well as improving the council’s financial sustainability.

    The Freemantles School expansion project is business critical to ensure Surrey County Council discharges its statutory duties under Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1999,Sections 13 and 14 of the Education Act 1996 and Part 27 Section 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture Select Committee)

     

     

115/22

Replacement Of Hydrotherapy Pool At Philip Southcote School, Addlestone pdf icon PDF 353 KB

116/22

Local Bus Contract Retendering pdf icon PDF 351 KB

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    This report seeks to award twenty local bus contracts to nine operators, for the provision of twenty-four public bus services. This decision relates to 20 current contracts which expire on 27 August 2022 and have been retendered. If awarded the new contracts will commence from 28 August 2022.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

    N.B There is a Part 2 report at Item 21.

     

     

     

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet notes the background information set out in this report, and following consideration of the results of the procurement process, award the contracts to the operators as set out in the Part 2 report.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Progressing the award of these contracts will enable SCC to:

    • Provide a robust local bus network providing essential public transport to residents so that they may continue to access key services, including employment, education, health care and essentially shopping, whilst supporting resident well-being by providing the ability for residents to travel throughout Surrey.
    • Provide bus services that are delivered by reputable operators that meet the County Council’s specified quality standards and enable us to meet our statutory duty as a Local Transport Authority.
    • Establish sustainable funding arrangements with bus operators.
    • Increase the proportion of lower emission Euro 6 buses on our network, replacing those with far higher emissions.

     

    To comply with Procurement Standing Orders (PSO), Cabinet approval for contracts that reach a specified value is required.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member forTransport, Infrastructure and Economy who explained that there were currently 207 bus services operating in Surrey and the County Council gives some financial support to around 75% of these. The report seeks to award twenty local bus contracts to nine operators, for the provision of twenty-four public bus services. The decision relates to 20 current contracts which expire on 27 August 2022 and have been retendered. If awarded the new contracts will commence from 28 August 2022. Overall, these proposals would maintain the existing network of bus provision with some amendments proposed to the vehicles operating these services which will improve emissions standards and air quality. Euro 6 buses would be replacing Euro 5 buses on 14 contracts which comprises 17 services in total. The remaining 7 services will seek opportunities for funding to enable them to move to Euro 6 or even hydrogen or electric. The Cabinet Member for Environment welcomed the introduction of Euro 6 buses.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That Cabinet notes the background information set out in this report, and following consideration of the results of the procurement process, award the contracts to the operators as set out in the Part 2 report.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Progressing the award of these contracts will enable SCC to:

    • Provide a robust local bus network providing essential public transport to residents so that they may continue to access key services, including employment, education, health care and essentially shopping, whilst supporting resident well-being by providing the ability for residents to travel throughout Surrey.
    • Provide bus services that are delivered by reputable operators that meet the County Council’s specified quality standards and enable us to meet our statutory duty as a Local Transport Authority.
    • Establish sustainable funding arrangements with bus operators.
    • Increase the proportion of lower emission Euro 6 buses on our network, replacing those with far higher emissions.

     

    To comply with Procurement Standing Orders (PSO), Cabinet approval for contracts that reach a specified value is required.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

     

117/22

Outline Business Case for the Re-procurement of Waste Treatment and Disposal Services pdf icon PDF 411 KB

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    The current waste disposal contract managed by SUEZ is due to expire in September 2024 and the Council is required to ensure continued arrangements are in place from the expiry of that contract. Cabinet is asked to approve the Outline Business Case for the future re-procurement of Waste Treatment and Disposal Services.

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

    N.B There is a Part 2 report at Item 22.

     

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves the Outline Business Case for the future re-procurement of the Waste Treatment and Disposal Services to inform the development of a Detailed Procurement Strategy.

     

    2.    That Cabinet delegates authority of approval of the final procurement route to market for  services from 2024 to the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste, in consultation with the Executive Director for Environment, Transport and Infrastructure. 

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Approval of the OBC is critical to enable the Council to continue to deliver its statutory duty seamlessly beyond September 2024. This will also be instrumental in designing the services to both maximise value for money and contribute to Surrey’s ambitious environmental targets. 

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste who explained that the item proposes a future model for the delivery of waste following considerable work undertaken on the outline business case presented within the report. As the report indicated, the situation with respect to the gasifier on the Eco park at Shepperton remains unclear. The facility was operational and had been accepted by the independent certifier. However, there was an outstanding dispute with Suez over the delivery of facilities at the Eco park. The council was working to find the best resolution possible and a further update on this would be brought to cabinet in the autumn.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves the Outline Business Case for the future re-procurement of the Waste Treatment and Disposal Services to inform the development of a Detailed Procurement Strategy.

     

    2.    That Cabinet delegates authority of approval of the final procurement route to market for  services from 2024 to the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste, in consultation with the Executive Director for Environment, Transport and Infrastructure. 

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Approval of the OBC is critical to enable the Council to continue to deliver its statutory duty seamlessly beyond September 2024. This will also be instrumental in designing the services to both maximise value for money and contribute to Surrey’s ambitious environmental targets. 

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)

     

     

     

     

     

     

118/22

2022/23 Month 2 (May) Financial Report pdf icon PDF 631 KB

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    This report provides details of the County Council’s 2022/23 financial position as at 31st May 2022 (M2) for revenue and capital budgets, and the expected outlook for the remainder of the financial year.    

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet notes the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions for the year.

    Reasons for Decisions:

    This report is to comply with the agreed policy of providing a monthly budget monitoring report to Cabinet for approval of any necessary actions. 

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The report provided details of the County Council’s 2022/23 financial position as at 31st May 2022 (M2) for revenue and capital budgets, and the expected outlook for the remainder of the financial year. The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resource explained that at M2, the Council was forecasting a full year deficit of £23.0m, against the revenue budget approved by Council in February 2022. The council was experiencing higher than budgeted inflation arising from increased global and economic uncertainty and this significantly increased the risk of the Council on delivering the revenue and capital budgets for this financial year. The Deputy Leader gave an update on significant budget pressures and areas of risks.

     

    It was explained that there had been an overspend with Surrey Fire and Rescue. The Cabinet Member for Community Protection explained that the service was facing a difficult period in terms of recruitment and retention with the London Fire Brigade advertising for roles. There had been a temporary increase in staffing and investment in learning and development opportunities that had come at a cost. The service was investing in equipment and specialist training. The Cabinet Member gave an update on all the incidents the service had attended including the fire at Hankley Common and thanked staff for their dedication and professionalism in keeping the public safe. The Leader thanked the Chief Fire Officer and the teams for their professionalism in challenging times. This view was echoed by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health who thanked the service for attending an incident at the ex-servicemen’s club in Staines. 

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That Cabinet notes the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions for the year. The report provided details of the County Council’s 2022/23 financial position as at 31st May 2022 (M2) for revenue and capital budgets, and the expected outlook for the remainder of the financial year.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    This report is to comply with the agreed policy of providing a monthly budget monitoring report to Cabinet for approval of any necessary actions. 

     

    (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)

     

     

     

119/22

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

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    That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information under the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

     

120/22

Recommendation On The Delivery Model For Extra Care Housing At The Former Bentley Day Centre, Banstead Horseshoe, Reigate And Banstead

121/22

Sunbury Hub

122/22

Replacement Of Hydrotherapy Pool At Philip Southcote School, Addlestone

123/22

Local Bus Contract Retendering

124/22

Outline Business Case for the Re-procurement of Waste Treatment and Disposal Services

125/22

PUBLICITY FOR PART 2 ITEMS

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    To consider whether the item considered under Part 2 of the agenda should be made available to the Press and public.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    It was agreed that non-exempt information may be made available to the press and public, where appropriate.