Councillors and committees

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: MS Teams, Remote Meeting

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

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57/21

Apologies for Absence

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    Decision:

    Apologies were received from Colin Kemp.

    Minutes:

    Apologies were received from Colin Kemp.

58/21

Minutes of Previous Meeting: 23 February 2021 pdf icon PDF 306 KB

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    Decision:

    The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 23 February 2021 were approved as a correct record of the meeting.

     

    Minutes:

    The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 23 February 2021 were approved as a correct record of the meeting.

     

59/21

Declarations of Interest

60/21

Procedural Matters

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    Minutes:

    The Leader made a short announcement before the start of the formal meeting agenda. The following key points were made:

     

    ·         The Leader thanked staff in educational settings for all their hard work over the last year and for getting schools re- opened.

    ·         Staff at the council were thanked for keeping Surrey safe and going above and beyond.

    ·         Surrey County Council (SCC) had been a lead agency with the Surrey Local Resilience Forum leading with PPE and food parcel deliveries.

    ·         With the lifting of restrictions, residents were reminded of ‘hands, face and space’ ensuring people met outside only and followed guidance. The infection rate in Surrey was decreasing and the sacrifices of residents was recognised.

    ·         The Leader explained that four of the Community Recycling Centres (CRC’s) would be re-opened for non-recyclable waste in order to relieve pressure on the other CRCs in the county.

    ·         A further contribution of £500k would be given to Community Foundation for Surrey which would be matched by the organisation and then shared with local groups.

    ·         The communications team at the council were congratulated as they had received a global award for the best use of Facebook for the keeping Surrey safe campaign.

     

60/211

Members' Questions pdf icon PDF 301 KB

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    Decision:

    There were three member questions. The questions and responses were published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    Minutes:

    There were three member questions. The questions and responses were published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    With regards to Mr Essex’s third question, Mr Essex stated that the response referred to ‘mechanisms for review of the highways contract going forward’ and queried if this included scrutiny by the relevant Select Committee.  Mr Essex queried if external audits for the places for people contract and the current highways contract had been carried out, and if not, why. The Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support explained that places for people was not included in the external audit because it was below materiality for scope of the audit. The National Audit Office had issued a new code in relation to value for money which would therefore probably also include the current highways contract in future audits. The Cabinet Member for Highways stated that the highways contract was followed by a robust audit exercise. The lighting contract had brought significant financial benefits to the authority and was constantly being reviewed. The Member was welcome to take any questions and concerns off line with the Cabinet Member.

     

    Mr Essex stated that he would welcome more scrutiny of the highways area by the new council administration in May.

     

61/21

Public Questions

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    Decision:

    There were no public questions.

    Minutes:

    There were no public questions.

62/21

Petitions pdf icon PDF 189 KB

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    Decision:

    One petition with 4,252 signatures had been received. It requests that Surrey County Council preserve and protects Norbury Park Sawmill and Workshop. The response to the petition was published as part of the supplementary agenda. Mr Anthony Bainbridge presented the petition.

     

    Minutes:

    One petition with 4,252 signatures had been received. It requests that SCC preserve and protects Norbury Park Sawmill and Workshop. The response to the petition was published as part of the supplementary agenda. Mr Anthony Bainbridge presented the petition. Mr Bainbridge stated that he would like SCC to extend the Sawmill’s period of operation until a suitable alternative could be found adding that the products from the Sawmill and Norbury Park wood products were the same. The Sawmill was a commercial profitable enterprise and closing down the Sawmill would mean losing a number of personnel with a high skill set. The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change responded to the petition, included in the supplementary agenda.

     

    The Leader stated that there was a difference in interpretation of the financial information regarding the Sawmill between the council and petitioner. This was a Surrey Wildlife Trust business and the council needed to consider the use of public funds to take on liabilities especially in the current climate. The Leader stated that discussions were ongoing with Surrey Wildlife Trust to extend the time for closure of the Sawmill in the hope that someone could be found to take the business on.

     

63/21

Representations received on reports to be considered in private

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    Decision:

    There were none.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

64/21

Reports from Select Committees , Task Groups, Local Committees and other Committees of the Council pdf icon PDF 1 MB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That the County Hall Move and Agile Programme Task Group Report be noted and recommendations agreed.

     

    2.    That the Leader write to the Home Office urging them to expedite the processing of applications for EU citizens applying for settled status in the UK.

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The task group report was introduced by Mr Will Forster who thanked the Cabinet for the response to the recommendations. Members and officers were thanked for their support with the task groups work. With regards to virtual meeting regulations and the governments decision not to extend powers for remote meetings beyond 6 May 2021, it was queried whether the council would take legal action against the government. The Leader stated that there had always been an expectation that the government would extend the virtual meeting regulations powers beyond 6 May 2021. Hertfordshire County Council would be leading on legal action and the Leader stated that he had expressed support for this. There was cross party support for the extension of the virtual meeting regulations.

     

    The Leader announced that the sale of County Hall had been completed and the sale of the Bittoms car park was being progressed.

     

    The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning announced that three teams at the council had been selected as finalists in the Public Sector Transformation Awards. This included the digital programme team, agile working team and transformation team.

     

    Mr Will Forster introduced the motion referred from the 16 March council meeting. Mr Forster introduced the motion explaining that the Liberal Democrat group would like the council to lobby the government and MPs to grant EU nationals living in Surrey the automatic right to stay in the UK. Many EU nationals were living under uncertainty around their right to stay in the UK and are concerned about their futures.

     

    The Leader stated that there was no evidence that the current process in place by the Home Office was not working. From August 2018 to December 2020, 75,760 applications in Surrey had been made of which 93.66% have already been concluded with 55% been given settled status and 36% pre-settled status. The numbers of people not getting any status was very small but the Leader agreed to write to the Home Office asking them to ensure Surrey residents applications were dealt with expeditiously. The Leader did not feel the process for dealing with applications was flawed and stated that any lobbying of government around this issue should be taken up by the national parties.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That the County Hall Move and Agile Programme Task Group Report be noted and recommendations agreed.

     

    2.    That the Leader write to the Home Office urging them to expedite the processing of applications for EU citizens living in Surrey applying for settled status in the UK.

     

     

     

65/21

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

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

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

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To inform the Cabinet of decisions taken by Cabinet Members, Strategic Investment Board and the Committee in Common subcommittee under delegated authority.

     

    Minutes:

    Each of the decisions taken since the last Cabinet meeting were briefly covered.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

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

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To inform the Cabinet of decisions taken by Cabinet Members, Strategic Investment Board and the Committee in Common subcommittee under delegated authority.

     

66/21

COVID- 19: Delegated and Urgent decisions taken pdf icon PDF 212 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That the decision taken by officers since the last meeting be noted.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To inform the Cabinet of decisions taken by officers under delegated authority.

     

    [This decision is subject to call-in by the relevant Select Committee Chairman dependent on the recommendation.]

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the reintroduction of services for non-recyclable wastes at Bagshot, Warlingham, Cranleigh and Dorking community recycling centres for a twelve month period be agreed and delegated authority be given to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change in consultation with the Leader to decide on when to reintroduce the exclusion of non- recyclable materials at these sites following the removal of COVID controls.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To mitigate issues of queuing on the highway as a result of reduced throughput at our community recycling centres caused by the introduction of controls to make the sites COVID secure. The reason for urgency is to enable changes to be put in place as soon as possible over the busy Easter period. The changes should reduce overall queuing times and provide a more convenient service for residents

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning briefly introduced the officer delegated decision on the Covid winter support grant explaining how the grant had been allocated and services it would support.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That the decision taken by officers since the last meeting be noted.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To inform the Cabinet of decisions taken by officers under delegated authority.

     

    [This decision is subject to call-in by the relevant Select Committee Chairman dependent on the recommendation.]

     

     

    The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change introduced the emergency report to Cabinet explaining that in order to reduce the risk of COVID transmission, it has been necessary to introduce social distancing controls at community recycling centres. This has resulted in a reduction in capacity and throughput of the sites which in turn had given rise to problems with queueing at a number of community recycling centres. As a result, to mitigate the queuing at larger sites Cabinet were being asked to reintroduce containers for non-recyclable waste at the four sites which currently only accept recyclable materials. The sites include Bagshot, Warlingham, Dorking and Cranleigh CRCs. The changes should reduce overall queuing times and provide a more convenient service for residents.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support stated that this was great news for residents and as the local member for Warlingham it would be greatly appreciated.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the reintroduction of services for non-recyclable wastes at Bagshot, Warlingham, Cranleigh and Dorking community recycling centres for a twelve month period be agreed and delegated authority be given to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change in consultation with the Leader to decide on when to reintroduce the exclusion of non- recyclable materials at these sites following the removal of COVID controls.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    To mitigate issues of queuing on the highway as a result of reduced throughput at our community recycling centres caused by the introduction of controls to make the sites COVID secure. The reason for urgency is to enable changes to be put in place as soon as possible over the busy Easter period. The changes should reduce overall queuing times and provide a more convenient service for residents

     

67/21

COVID- 19: Surrey County Council Update pdf icon PDF 374 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the latest public health situation with regard to Covid-19, nationally and in Surrey be noted;
    2. That the actions being delivered through Surrey’s Local Outbreak Control Plan, including the vaccination roll out, and the ongoing support to vulnerable residents, including through the council’s Community Helpline and the Covid Winter Support Grant scheme be noted and endorsed;
    3. That the latest impacts on Adult Social Care and Children’s, Families, Lifelong learning services be noted;
    4. That the ongoing preparation for the local elections in May 2021 and associated risks be noted and endorsed;

     

    1. That the work and planning going on in respect of the transition into recovery from the pandemic be noted and endorsed;

     

    1. That the allocation of a £500,000 grant to Community Foundation for Surrey, of which a half of the funding will be placed into an endowment to create a lasting legacy for groups working on priorities for the county be endorsed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The county and council continue to face unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis. We are simultaneously managing response activity and work with our partners to enable recovery within the county, looking ahead to a return to day-to-day life for communities following the end of national lockdown.

     

    The recommendations set out in this report ensure Cabinet are appraised of the most recent work going on across the council to protect, sustain and support residents and communities and the economy of Surrey.

     

    [Where necessary a waiver for call-in will be sought from the relevant Select Committee Chairman]

     

    Minutes:

    The update was introduced by the Leader who thanked schools for setting up Covid testing processes for children and young people and re-opening the schools. The vaccination programme was progressing well and to date, over 90% of all eligible citizens over the age of 70 have been given at least one vaccination. Vaccinations amongst the Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) population was still low and members were asked to encourage residents to take up the vaccine.  

     

    The Cabinet Member for Communities explained that an allocation of a £500,000 grant had been given to Community Foundation for Surrey, of which a half of the funding would be placed into an endowment to create a lasting legacy for groups working on priorities for the county. The volunteer sector was thanked for all the support provided during the pandemic.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the latest public health situation with regard to Covid-19, nationally and in Surrey be noted;
    2. That the actions being delivered through Surrey’s Local Outbreak Control Plan, including the vaccination roll out, and the ongoing support to vulnerable residents, including through the council’s Community Helpline and the Covid Winter Support Grant scheme be noted and endorsed;
    3. That the latest impacts on Adult Social Care and Children’s, Families, Lifelong learning services be noted;
    4. That the ongoing preparation for the local elections in May 2021 and associated risks be noted and endorsed;

     

    1. That the work and planning going on in respect of the transition into recovery from the pandemic be noted and endorsed;

     

    1. That the allocation of a £500,000 grant to Community Foundation for Surrey, of which a half of the funding will be placed into an endowment to create a lasting legacy for groups working on priorities for the county be endorsed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The county and council continue to face unprecedented challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis. We are simultaneously managing response activity and work with our partners to enable recovery within the county, looking ahead to a return to day-to-day life for communities following the end of national lockdown.

     

    The recommendations set out in this report ensure Cabinet are appraised of the most recent work going on across the council to protect, sustain and support residents and communities and the economy of Surrey.

     

    [Where necessary a waiver for call-in will be sought from the relevant Select Committee Chairman]

     

68/21

Alternative Curriculum Pathways and Reintegration Support pdf icon PDF 761 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the vision and principles of the Alternative Provision strategy are endorsed,

    2. That the developments in the previously agreed capital works to upgrade the county’s Pupil Referral Units are noted,

     

    1. That delegated authority to agree individual projects and resources is given to the Cabinet Member for All Age Learning and Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support, subject to a detailed business case for each scheme passing through Property Panel and Capital Programme Panel is approved,

     

    1. That an amount of £0.5m is transferred from the current pipeline budget to begin the development of more detailed plans for individual sites.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The proposed strategy will provide a shared ambition for children, vision, and a set of principles to develop a consistent high-quality countywide AP offer. The implementation of these proposals will provide an integrated system of alternative provision focussed on supporting children and young people at an earlier stage and enabling them to remain more often in their local school provision with their friends and siblings. The systemic approach will drive improvements in outcomes for children and young people accessing alternative provision, returning them more quickly and successfully to full time education. The investment proposals will ensure that all facilities meet the minimum standards required and go further to provide environments that ensure children feel valued, support children with a broad curriculum and ensure that their emotional health and wellbeing is a priority. 

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee]

     

    Minutes:

    The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning who explained that Alternative Provision (AP) was “education outside school, arranged by local authorities or schools, for pupils who do not attend mainstream school for reasons such as exclusion, behaviour issues, school refusal, short or long term illness”. This report seeks endorsement of the strategic direction for AP and to enable the work on renewing the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) estate to commence. Extensive consultation had been undertaken as described in paragraph 22 of the report and the investment proposals would ensure all facilities meet the minimum standards required. The implementation of these proposals would provide an integrated system of alternative provision focussed on supporting children and young people at an earlier stage and enabling them to remain more often in their local school provision with their friends and siblings.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families commented that this report was very positive for children and young people but required everyone within the system to work closely together. The report encourages an inclusive and  personalised approach to education. 

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the vision and principles of the Alternative Provision strategy are endorsed,

    2. That the developments in the previously agreed capital works to upgrade the county’s Pupil Referral Units are noted,

     

    1. That delegated authority to agree individual projects and resources is given to the Cabinet Member for All Age Learning and Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support, subject to a detailed business case for each scheme passing through Property Panel and Capital Programme Panel is approved,

     

    1. That an amount of £0.5m is transferred from the current pipeline budget to begin the development of more detailed plans for individual sites.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The proposed strategy will provide a shared ambition for children, vision, and a set of principles to develop a consistent high-quality countywide AP offer. The implementation of these proposals will provide an integrated system of alternative provision focussed on supporting children and young people at an earlier stage and enabling them to remain more often in their local school provision with their friends and siblings. The systemic approach will drive improvements in outcomes for children and young people accessing alternative provision, returning them more quickly and successfully to full time education. The investment proposals will ensure that all facilities meet the minimum standards required and go further to provide environments that ensure children feel valued, support children with a broad curriculum and ensure that their emotional health and wellbeing is a priority. 

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee]

     

69/21

Management and Enforcement of HGV Weight Restrictions- 'HGV Watch' pdf icon PDF 401 KB

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the HGV Weight Restriction Enforcement Policy in the form of the ‘Surrey HGV watch’ is adopted;

    2. That agreement of the detailed operational policy is delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with Surrey Police and the Cabinet Member for Highways;

     

    1. That twice yearly progress reports are provided to the Cabinet Member for Highways;

     

    1. That support for a change in Government policy to allow councils outside London to enforce moving traffic offences by camera to help improve road safety, reduce congestion and protect the environment is endorsed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The recommendations above will enable the council to help achieve some of its Community Vision 2030 objectives, including that:

    • Residents live in clean, safe and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities; and

     

    • Journeys across the county are easier, more predictable and safer.

     

    In addition, as part of our organisational strategy, Surrey County Council wants to work in partnership with residents, businesses, partners and communities to collectively meet challenges and grasp opportunities. A new HGV Watch policy that helps enforce HGV weight restrictions could encourage residents to be proactive in their local areas in working with the council and the police in tackling the environmental impacts that inappropriate HGV movements have on our communities.

    An HGV watch scheme will help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that will have the greatest impact on driver awareness and potentially compliance.

    [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 Highways stating that the report set out the challenges that were involved with the current enforcement of HGVs and the proposal to set up a new enforcement policy called ‘HGV watch’ which would allow local communities to feel empowered and make best use of resources within the council and police. The HGV watch scheme would help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that would have the greatest impact on driver awareness and compliance. The Cabinet Member described how the enforcement would work with offences being committed. There were 29 structural and 62 environmental HGV weight restriction on the Surrey road network. Both Trading Standards and Surrey Police were supportive of the new policy. It was explained that Chobham Parish Council had established a HGV Watch scheme in September 2020 which had been very successful and had seen lower reoffending rates.

     

    Cabinet Members welcomed the new policy commenting that it would empower local communities and that there were many residents who would look forward to taking part in this. Both the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning and Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support welcomed the scheme, explaining that they represented rural areas with smaller roads and know of residents who would like to be involved with the scheme.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the HGV Weight Restriction Enforcement Policy in the form of the ‘Surrey HGV watch’ is adopted;

    2. That agreement of the detailed operational policy is delegated to the Director for Highways and Transport in consultation with Surrey Police and the Cabinet Member for Highways;

     

    1. That twice yearly progress reports are provided to the Cabinet Member for Highways;

     

    1. That support for a change in Government policy to allow councils outside London to enforce moving traffic offences by camera to help improve road safety, reduce congestion and protect the environment is endorsed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    The recommendations above will enable the council to help achieve some of its Community Vision 2030 objectives, including that:

    • Residents live in clean, safe and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities; and

     

    • Journeys across the county are easier, more predictable and safer.

     

    In addition, as part of our organisational strategy, Surrey County Council wants to work in partnership with residents, businesses, partners and communities to collectively meet challenges and grasp opportunities. A new HGV Watch policy that helps enforce HGV weight restrictions could encourage residents to be proactive in their local areas in working with the council and the police in tackling the environmental impacts that inappropriate HGV movements have on our communities.

    An HGV watch scheme will help focus the resources available to the police and council for the enforcement of HGV restrictions in the most effective way and in a way that will have the greatest impact on driver awareness and potentially compliance.

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69/21

70/21

A new rail strategy for Surrey 2021 pdf icon PDF 356 KB

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is adopted and the strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities identified are welcomed;

     

    1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is used as a framework to support local economic and spatial development decisions and as an advocacy document to lobby Government, the rail industry and others to assist in delivering the strategic aims;

    2. That the development of a future work programme that will set out the council’s involvement in the interventions identified in New Rail Strategy for Surrey, led by the Cabinet Member for Highways, the objective being to create an implementation plan that is integrated with the emerging Surrey Local Transport Plan 4 and the Surrey Infrastructure Plan is agreed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    Good rail services with supporting infrastructure are vital for maintaining and growing Surrey's economy. They provide efficient and sustainable links to jobs, education and leisure, they reduce the number of car journeys on our roads and they support our climate change agenda. The rail network is also a key factor in the decisions made by business and residents choosing to live and work in the county. Although uncertainties around the long-term economic impacts of Covid19 remain, particularly in terms of how businesses will respond and how commuting patterns will adapt, the importance of rail in Surrey will remain high.

    Therefore, whilst the council has no statutory role in planning or delivering rail services or projects, we must continue to actively engage with the rail industry and Government to ensure that our priorities are reflected in rail service delivery, infrastructure investment and in planning for the future.

    To ensure we succeed in doing so, it is crucial that the council has a relevant and coherent rail strategy, which can be used as an advocacy document and to support partnership work and future investment with the rail industry. The New Rail Strategy for Surrey encompasses a clear set of strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities. It will provide a platform to deliver our ambitions in rail. Moreover, our New Rail Strategy for Surrey will enable the council to take advantage of other opportunities as they arise to support our 2030 Community Vision and our 2050 Place Ambition.

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Highways introduced the new Rail Strategy for Surrey, setting out the future ambition and priorities for rail across Surrey. It updated the original Rail Strategy published in 2013 and the partial update of 2016. It was important that the council had an up to date rail strategy that fully reflected the objectives of the council as articulated through the 2030 Community Vision and the 2050 Place Ambition. The strategy would be used as a powerful advocacy document to support local economic and spatial development decisions that would maximise the potential impact of improvements and investments in the county, alongside partnership work and levering future investment from the rail industry and others. The New Rail Strategy for Surrey also supports the council’s priority objective of enabling a greener future with net zero carbon as a strong feature throughout the new strategy.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change welcomed the strategy adding that it supported the councils climate change agenda and would reduce the number of car journeys in Surrey. The Leader stated that the strategy would support the broader public transport strategy giving people a choice of the transport they used.

     

    The meeting adjourned at 3.19pm due to audio issues with the live webcast and  resumed at 3.25pm.

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is adopted and the strategic aims, strategic responses and the future priorities identified are welcomed;

     

    1. That the New Rail Strategy for Surrey is used as a framework to support local economic and spatial development decisions and as an advocacy document to lobby Government, the rail industry and others to assist in delivering the strategic aims;

    2. That the development of a future work programme that will set out the council’s involvement in the interventions identified in New Rail Strategy for Surrey, led by the Cabinet Member for Highways, the objective being to create an implementation plan that is integrated with the emerging Surrey Local Transport Plan 4 and the Surrey Infrastructure Plan is agreed.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    Good rail services with supporting infrastructure are vital for maintaining and growing Surrey's economy. They provide efficient and sustainable links to jobs, education and leisure, they reduce the number of car journeys on our roads and they support our climate change agenda. The rail network is also a key factor in the decisions made by business and residents choosing to live and work in the county. Although uncertainties around the long-term economic impacts of Covid19 remain, particularly in terms of how businesses will respond and how commuting patterns will adapt, the importance of rail in Surrey will remain high.

    Therefore, whilst the council has no statutory role in planning or delivering rail services or projects, we must continue to actively engage with the rail industry and Government to ensure that our priorities are reflected in rail service delivery, infrastructure investment and in planning for the future.

    To ensure we succeed in doing so, it is crucial that the council has a relevant  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70/21

71/21

Active Travel Programme Update pdf icon PDF 421 KB

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the prioritisation process so a final programme of schemes can be determined and can proceed to construction be agreed; 

     

    1. That approval of the final programme as well as authorisation to advertise and consider any relevant Traffic Regulation Orders be delegated to the Director of Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and the relevant Divisional Member, once agreed by the Capital Programme Panel;

     

    3.    That local and joint committees are provided regular updates of progress of  the relevant schemes within their areas.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    Increasing residents’ choices on travel and accessibility of travel is important for our residents and as such is reflected in our ambitions and community vision. Active travel has also been a key area of government policy with the publication of the Department for Transport’s Gear Change plan which set out the ambition for the UK to become a walking and cycling nation.

     

    SCC want to ensure that the active travel schemes being delivered for residents align with our own ambitions and objectives as well as ensuring that the grant is directed to the priority schemes in the time required and with the right local engagement

     

    On this basis, consideration has been given to the prioritisation process required to achieve this aim. It is anticipated this will include the following aspects;

     

    • Consultation outcomes
    • Contribution to sustainable travel choices for commuting and leisure
    • Contribution to a reduction in carbon emission
    • Improvement in air quality through reduction in congestion
    • Links to health, education, and jobs

     

    We are taking a consultation approach that provides robust evidence. This consultative approach is not only important in helping us to prioritise but also in meeting the Government’s expectations in the second round of schemes.

     

    It is imperative that the consultation is representative of the communities that live around the proposed active travel schemes as well as the wider population across Surrey. The work will extend beyond the groups that typically participate in consultation exercises to reach those who, for whatever reason, do not typically engage in traditional consultation exercises but are nonetheless affected by the proposed changes.

     

    Once the consultation has concluded, the schemes will be prioritised based on the results of the consultation and the factors explained later in this report.  Those schemes that are unsuccessful in being prioritised for delivery will remain on list for future funding opportunities and review through the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) programme.

     

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee]

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Highways introduced the report highlighting that the council was keen to support the ability of residents to make sustainable choices in how they travel, and to this end, had been awarded funding from the Department of Transport of £6.45m to deliver Active Travel schemes by April 2022. The programme would run alongside the 11 walking and cycling infrastructure plans across Surrey with district and borough partners. A consultation process would be undertaken and details were given on how this would work. It was proposed, in order to meet timescales approval for the final programme would be delegated to officers and the divisional member would be consulted on this.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Domestic Abuse stated that as the divisional member for Staines she felt well briefed on the schemes being undertaken in her division.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the prioritisation process so a final programme of schemes can be determined and can proceed to construction be agreed; 

     

    1. That approval of the final programme as well as authorisation to advertise and consider any relevant Traffic Regulation Orders be delegated to the Director of Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and the relevant Divisional Member, once agreed by the Capital Programme Panel;

     

    3.    That local and joint committees are provided regular updates of progress of  the relevant schemes within their areas.

     

    Reason for decision:

     

    Increasing residents’ choices on travel and accessibility of travel is important for our residents and as such is reflected in our ambitions and community vision. Active travel has also been a key area of government policy with the publication of the Department for Transport’s Gear Change plan which set out the ambition for the UK to become a walking and cycling nation.

     

    SCC want to ensure that the active travel schemes being delivered for residents align with our own ambitions and objectives as well as ensuring that the grant is directed to the priority schemes in the time required and with the right local engagement

     

    On this basis, consideration has been given to the prioritisation process required to achieve this aim. It is anticipated this will include the following aspects;

     

    • Consultation outcomes
    • Contribution to sustainable travel choices for commuting and leisure
    • Contribution to a reduction in carbon emission
    • Improvement in air quality through reduction in congestion
    • Links to health, education, and jobs

     

    We are taking a consultation approach that provides robust evidence. This consultative approach is not only important in helping us to prioritise but also in meeting the Government’s expectations in the second round of schemes.

     

    It is imperative that the consultation is representative of the communities that live around the proposed active travel schemes as well as the wider population across Surrey. The work will extend beyond the groups that typically participate in consultation exercises to reach those who, for whatever reason, do not typically engage in traditional consultation exercises but are nonetheless affected by the proposed changes.

     

    Once the consultation has  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71/21

72/21

Approval to Procure School Projects Not Appearing on the 2020/21 Annual Procurement Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 304 KB

73/21

2020/21 MONTH 10 (JANUARY) FINANCIAL REPORT pdf icon PDF 804 KB

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions for the year be noted.

     

    Reason for Decision:

     

    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 Cabinet Member for Resources and Corporate Support provided details of the County Council’s 2020/21 financial position as at Month 10 (M10) 31 January 2021 for revenue and capital budgets. As at January 2021 (M10); the council was forecasting a full-year £2.2m

    underspend, an improvement of £2.4m from the previous month. The council was on track for a balanced budget at year end. The £2.2m underspend consists of a projected £3.8m overspend on CV-19 and a projected £6.0m underspend on Business as Usual (BAU). The capital forecast stands at £232.0m against a budget of £244.0m; slippage of £12.0m. The forecast slippage has increased by £6.3m from a projected underspend of £6.7m at M9.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1. That the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions for the year be noted.

     

    Reason for Decision:

     

    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]

     

74/21

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

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    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    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.

     

    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.

     

75/21

Approval to Procure School Projects Not Appearing on the 2020/21 Annual Procurement Forward Plan

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    See Minute 72/21

     

    Reason for Decision:

     

    See Minute 72/21

     

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee]

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning introduced a Part 2 report that contained information which was exempt from Access to Information requirements by virtue of paragraph 3 Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including commercially sensitive information to the bidding companies).

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    See Minute 72/21

     

    Reason for Decision:

     

    See Minute 72/21

     

    [The decisions on this item can be called in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee]

     

76/21

PUBLICITY FOR PART 2 ITEMS

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    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

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