Councillors and committees

Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

1/22

Apologies for Absence

2/22

Minutes of Previous Meeting: 21 DECEMBER 2021 pdf icon PDF 440 KB

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    Decision:

    The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 December 2021 were approved as a correct record of the meeting.

     

    Minutes:

    The Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 December 2021 were approved as a correct record of the meeting.

     

3/22

Declarations of Interest

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    Rebecca Paul declared a personal interest noting that two of her children attended a school mentioned in item 13.

     

    Minutes:

    Rebecca Paul declared a personal interest noting that two of her children attended a school mentioned in item 13.

     

4/22

Procedural Matters

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5/22

Members' Questions

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    Decision:

    There were no Member questions.

     

    Minutes:

    There were no Member questions.

     

6/22

Public Questions pdf icon PDF 332 KB

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    Decision:

    There was one public question. The question and response was published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    Minutes:

    There was one public question. The question and response were published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    Daniel Hill asked the Leader and Members to reconsider supporting an alternative location which was not only more suitable brownfield land, but more cost effective to the taxpayer. He asked whether the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste was aware of a report by a Tandridge District Council planning officer who said that the proposal would constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt and would result in significant harm to the environment. He noted that the Council was ignoring the views of the local Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community; and that his father had offered a two-acre brownfield site as an alternative to spending millions of pounds on developing a GRT transit site in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

     

    The Cabinet Member for Property and Waste stated that she would provide a written response to the supplementary question in due course.

     

7/22

Petitions

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    Decision:

    There were none.

     

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

8/22

Representations received on reports to be considered in private

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    Decision:

    There were none.

     

    Minutes:

    There were none.

     

9/22

Reports from Select Committees , Task Groups, Local Committees and other Committees of the Council pdf icon PDF 222 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the Scrutiny of 2022/23 Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27 report and recommendations were considered. The response from the Cabinet was published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

    Minutes:

    The Chairman of the Resources and Performance Select Committee welcomed the Cabinet’s responses to the Select Committee recommendations. He welcomed the early engagement and collaborative approach with the Select Committees, Members and the Borough and District Councils on the budget setting process in order to achieve the best for residents. He noted the continued uncertainties over Government funding.

     

    The Chairman of the Communities, Environment and Highways (CEH) Select Committee endorsed the above comments. Concerning the Cabinet’s response to recommendation one, Members would be encouraged by the commitment that the estimated carbon impact would be provided for the 2023/24 budget. That the Cabinet’s response to recommendation two met the CEH Select Committee’s request in full. Concerning the Cabinet’s response to recommendation three, he welcomed the commitment made in paragraph one, and regarding paragraph two about the Local Transport Plan 4(LTP4), he noted disappointment that the Bus Back Better funding that the Council was seeking might be less than hoped.

     

    The Chairman of the Communities, Environment and Highways (CEH) Select Committee provided comments on Item 11 - refer to this item.

     

    The Leader appreciated the input from the Select Committees and their Chairmen. He highlighted thechallenging climate to which the budget was set in relation to Covid-19 recovery and the uncertainty in Government funding.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the Scrutiny of 2022/23 Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27 report and recommendations were considered. The response from the Cabinet was published as a supplement to the agenda.

     

10/22

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

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    Decision:

    There were no delegated decisions to note.

     

    Minutes:

    There were no delegated decisions to note.

     

11/22

COVID-19 Delegated and Urgent Decisions Taken pdf icon PDF 211 KB

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    Decision:

    There were no delegated decisions to note.

     

    Minutes:

    There were no delegated decisions to note.

     

12/22

Cabinet Member of the Month pdf icon PDF 217 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the Cabinet Member of the Month report be noted.

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health introduced the report and noted the large amount of work underway in Adult Social Care (ASC). She highlighted the appointment of the new Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Integrated Commissioning, Liz Bruce who she was confident would build on the progress made by the current Executive Director, Simon White. She highlighted testimonials from the Surrey Care Association, direct reports, the Chairman of the Adults and Health Select Committee who noted that Simon White was a strategic leader who put Surrey’s vulnerable residents at the heart of the Council’s work. She paid tribute to Simon White for his hard work in ASC over the past three and a half years and noted his humour; he would be leaving the Council in April and she wished him all the best.

     

    The Leader noted that Simon White had been an outstanding Executive Director, despite the challenging situation when he joined, he would be leaving the Council in a more stable position. He commented that Liz Bruce was an excellent replacement who was hugely experienced, and would continue in Simon White’s footsteps.    

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the Cabinet Member of the Month report be noted.

     

13/22

2022/23 Final Budget And Medium-Term Financial Strategy To 2026/27 pdf icon PDF 474 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That Cabinet makes the following recommendations to Council on 8 February 2022.

     

    Cabinet recommends that Council:

     

    1. Approves the net revenue budget requirement be set at £1,042.0 million (net cost of services after service specific government grants) for 2022/23 (Annex B), subject to confirmation of the Final Local Government Financial Settlement.
    2. Subject to finalisation of the tax base, approves the total Council Tax Funding Requirement be set at £831.0 million for 2022/23, subject to final confirmation of District and Borough tax base. This is based on a council tax increase of 4.99%, made up of an increase in the level of core council tax of 1.99% to cover core Council services, including 1% for mental health, and an increase of 3% in the precept proposed by Central Government to cover the growing cost of Adult Social Care (Annex E).
    3. Notes that for the purpose of section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Council formally determines that the increase in core council tax is not such as to trigger a referendum (i.e., not greater than 2%).
    4. Sets the Surrey County Council precept for Band D Council Tax at £1,626.39, which represents a 4.99% uplift. This is a rise of £1.48 a week from the 2021/22 precept of £1,549.08. This includes £185.48 for the Adult Social Care precept, which has increased by £46.47. A full list of bands is as follows:

     

     

    1. Notes that the 4.99% increase in Council Tax will be deployed as follows:

    ·           0.99% increase to fund the increased cost of delivering services

    ·           3.00% increase to fund additional spend in adult and children’s social care

    ·           1.00% increase to fund additional investment in mental health.

    Across this investment, the 3% increase in Adult Social Care Precept will be directed entirely to Adult Social Care.

    1. Notes that underlying General Fund Balances are projected to remain at £28.0 million as of 1 April 2022.
    2. Approves the Total Schools Budget of £575.2 million to meet the Council’s statutory requirement on schools funding (as set out in Section 9 of the 2022/23 Final Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27).
    3. Approves the overall indicative Budget Envelopes for Executive Directorates and individual services for the 2022/23 budget (Annex B).
    4. Approves the total £1,909.6 million proposed five-year Capital Programme (comprising £1,031.2m of budget and £878.4.9m pipeline) and approves the £212.1 million Capital Budget in 2022/23 (Annex C).
    5. Approves the Capital and Investment Strategy (Sections 1 to 3), which provides an overview of how risks associated with capital expenditure, financing and treasury will be managed as well as how they contribute towards the delivery of services.
    6. Approves the policy for making a prudent level of revenue provision for the repayment of debt (the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy) (Annex G).
    7. Agrees the Council’s refreshed Transformation Programme (as set out in section 3 of 2022/23 Final Budget Report and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2026/27)
    8. Note that the investment in Transformation required to deliver improved outcomes and financial benefits is built into the proposed Medium-Term Financial Strategy (as  ...  view the full decision text for item 13/22

    Minutes:

    The Leader introduced the report and thanked the Select Committees and their Chairmen for their work and collaborative approach. He emphasised that setting the budget was not a political issue, but the role of the Council to spend residents’ money effectively. He thanked the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources,the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Resources, the Strategic Finance Business Partner, the Director of Finance Insights and Performance, and the Director of Corporate Finance and Commercial for their advice and preparation of a robust budget. He noted that the Council was moving into a recovery phase following the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. He highlighted the inequalities in the county that must be addressed, and that the Council had held true to its guiding principle in the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030 that “no one is left behind”. He highlighted the Council’s responsibility over the delivery of a wide range of strategic functions and services for 1.2 million residents, notably ASC and Children’s Service where combined £1.5 million was spent daily.

     

    The Leader further noted that the Council had worked hard over the past three years to stabilise its finances, the Transformation Programme had delivered £240 million in savings, with a further £75 million to be saved over the next few years. The Council would continue to deliver efficiencies whilst improving services for residents, would continue to lobby the Government over funding, and would continue to work in partnership towards sustainability and thriving and empowered communities. Key areas of focus included building stronger local economies through skills and jobs, increasing the local provision of services and community support, looking after vulnerable residents through modernised social care provision, tackling climate change through technology and renewable energy, prevention and early intervention for children and adults, and addressing the rise in mental health support. That every penny of residents’ money from Council Tax would be invested in residents, the Council recognised the pressures faced by many and he highlighted the financial support information available on the Council’s website. He looked forward to the endorsement of the budget at the Council’s Budget meeting, it was essential for the Council to get on with the delivery of the ambitious five-year plan.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning highlighted the £125 million Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Capital Programme as outlined in item 14.  

     

    The Cabinet Member for Environment highlighted the £64 million identified for the Greener Futures programme as part of the longer-term £273 million allocation, the funding for the River Thames Scheme, ultra-low emissions bus scheme and Your Fund Surrey.

    The Cabinet Member for Children and Families highlighted the Council’s provision of social care including supporting 1,000 Looked After Children, the continued delivery of the improvement plan to address the inadequate rating by Ofsted in 2018, the pressures of the pandemic such as the increase in Child Protection Plans, the increase in unaccompanied child refugees and asylum seekers, the increase  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13/22

14/22

Changes to Surrey's Community Recycling Centre Policies pdf icon PDF 466 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approve allowing users of pickups, trailers or vans registered on the SCC permit scheme to bring chargeable construction waste to the nine CRCs that currently accept it.

    2.    That Cabinet approve restricting the use of all Surrey CRCs to Surrey residents only, requiring proof of identity to gain entry, to ensure Surrey are only paying for waste we have a legal duty to dispose of.

    3.    That Cabinet approve temporary COVID measures allowing residual waste to be accepted at the four ‘Recycling Only’ CRCs be made permanent.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    There is currently an anomaly in the CRC operating policy that allows a resident with a car to bring in chargeable construction or DIY waste to CRC sites but does not allow residents who have a permit for a van, pickup, or trailer to bring in the same waste.

     

    Construction and DIY wastes are not considered household waste. Residents are allowed to bring certain construction and DIY waste into nine CRCs by car and dispose of it for a charge.  The original rationale for not allowing vans, pickups, and trailers to be used was to reduce the risk of trade waste abuse through limiting capacity of vehicles permitted. Changing the policy to allow users of permitted vans, trailers, and pick-ups to bring chargeable construction and DIY waste to the nine CRCs that operate the chargeable waste scheme will make the policy simpler for residents and more consistent. Trade waste will still be banned from CRCs.

     

    Secondly, most waste disposal authorities that border Surrey have now introduced resident only policies at their CRC sites preventing Surrey residents from using them. To ensure that that SCC are only paying for waste they have a legal duty to dispose of it is recommended that a Surrey resident only policy is also implemented at Surrey CRCs. 

     

    Finally, during the Covid pandemic residual waste containers were reintroduced at the four ‘recycling only’ Surrey CRCs as a means of reducing congestion at other CRCs caused by social distancing measures. Tonnages of residual waste across Surrey have not increased because of this measure, therefore it is recommended that SCC retains these temporary arrangements mainly as a means of reducing car travel undertaken by residents who currently have to travel longer distances to CRC sites that do accept residual waste.

     

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

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Environment introduced the report and outlined the three recommendations. She clarified that the review of the policies concerned how the Council could improve recycling and access to Community Recycling Centres (CRCs), it was not about closures or changes to opening hours. The review reflected the decisions of neighbouring county authorities, Surrey was one of the last to move towards a measure that restricted the use of a CRC to anyone living outside of the county. Residents would be asked to provide a proof of their identity the first time they entered their local CRC and would be issued with a windscreen sticker. The Council had looked to establish cross-border deals with West Sussex County Council and Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council for Surrey residents using sites across the border. Regarding the changes to the Council’s permit scheme to allow pickups, trailers and vans to bring chargeable construction waste, the Council would notify all existing permit holders of the change via email and would update its website. Highlighted the positive move of the four CRCs accepting residual waste on a permanent basis. The Council was looking at pedestrian access to its CRCs where feasible and safe such as at Warlingham and Caterham CRCs.

     

    The Leader highlighted the following typing error to the second recommendation to be amended (with additional words in bold/underlined and deletions crossed through):

    “identify” to be amended to “identity”

    The Leader assumed that residents would be given due notice of the requirement for having a proof of identity and asked what forms would be acceptable. The Cabinet Member for Environment responded that there would be a communications campaign.

     

    The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resourceswelcomed the recommendations which demonstrated the Council’s commitment to helping residents dispose of waste locally and responsibly; she welcomed the proposals to improve pedestrian access.

     

    The Leader welcomed the removal of the Covid-19 restrictions in place at the CRCs.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approve allowing users of pickups, trailers or vans registered on the SCC permit scheme to bring chargeable construction waste to the nine CRCs that currently accept it.

    2.    That Cabinet approve restricting the use of all Surrey CRCs to Surrey residents only, requiring proof of identity to gain entry, to ensure Surrey are only paying for waste we have a legal duty to dispose of.

    3.    That Cabinet approve temporary COVID measures allowing residual waste to be accepted at the four ‘Recycling Only’ CRCs be made permanent.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    There is currently an anomaly in the CRC operating policy that allows a resident with a car to bring in chargeable construction or DIY waste to CRC sites but does not allow residents who have a permit for a van, pickup, or trailer to bring in the same waste.

     

    Construction and DIY wastes are not considered household waste. Residents are allowed to bring certain construction and DIY waste into nine CRCs by car and dispose of it for a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14/22

15/22

Surrey Public Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Procurement Plan pdf icon PDF 616 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    Agree that SCC undertake a procurement exercise with the aim of appointing a supplier(s) to work in partnership with the Council and its Key Delivery Partners to deliver public EV chargepoints at a large scale across Surrey.

    2.    Agree to the establishment of a reference group through the CEH Select Committee which will be engaged to provide scrutiny support to the procurement exercise, including in helping to define the outcomes to be specified in the procurement and the network plan.

    3.    Agree to delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment Transport and Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure following further engagement to determine the procurement model of a single supplier or suppliers.

    4.    Agree to receive a further report to Cabinet (in Q3 of 2022) to ask for a decision to proceed once the outcome of the procurement exercise is known.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    The recommendations will enable the development and delivery of the vital EV public charging infrastructure necessary to support the transition away from petrol and diesel cars to electric for those without access to other means of charging.  The long-term sole supplier proposal will enable the Council to work in partnership with District and Boroughs and the opportunities to offer access to other public sector and community partners including the NHS.  This would offer increasingly consistent and interoperable chargepoints for EV users in Surrey.  This arrangement would target on-street locations and off-street car park locations.  The contract would be fully funded in most locations by the supplier in return for the supplier retaining the majority of the revenue.  In some cases more profitable sites would cross-subsidise less commercial locations.  Additionally, some sites may be supported by government and where justified SCC funding to achieve a geographically and socially equitable chargepoint network.

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

     

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure introduced the report which outlined the strategic options assessment undertaken by the Council and noted that as the transition to electric vehicles (EV) continued to grow, the demand for on-street and off-street publicly accessible charging points would increase; particularly in light of the 2030 Government ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel only vehicles. The Council as the local highway authority was overseeing the installation of public EV chargepoints, and the Council was looking at a more ambitious timetable to deliver more EV chargepoints. That transport contributed 41% of Surrey’s carbon emissions and the Council had a net zero target for carbon emissions by 2050 for the county. There was a forecasted demand for up to 10,000 public EV charging points in Surrey by 2030. The Council had identified a number of business models for the delivery of the EV chargepoints working in partnership with the private and public sectors. One pilot included the installation of 80 EV chargepoints by the end of quarter one with a further 100 EV chargepoints to follow in 2022.

     

    Following the consideration by the Communities, Environment and Highways (CEH) Select Committee he proposed the following revised recommendations (with additional words in bold/underlined and deletions crossed through):

     

    1.      Agree that SCC undertake a procurement exercise with the aim of appointing a single supplier(s) to work in partnership with the Council and its Key Delivery Partners to deliver public EV chargepoints at a large scale across Surrey.

    2.      Agree to the establishment of a reference group through the CEH Select Committee which will be engaged to provide scrutiny support to the procurement exercise, including in helping to define the outcomes to be specified in the procurement and the network plan.

    3.      Agree to delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment Transport and Infrastructure in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure following further engagement to determine the procurement model of a single supplier or suppliers.

    4.      Agree to receive a further report to Cabinet (in Q3 of 2022) to ask for a decision to proceed once the outcome of the procurement exercise is known.

     

    The Chairman of the CEH Select Committee provided the following comments under item 5. He noted that theCEH Select Committee supported the revised recommendations following discussions with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, and the Executive Director for Environment, Transport and Infrastructure. The establishment of a reference group was a constructive way to obtain a united approach for EV chargepoint procurement.

     

    The Leader explained that the revised wording of the recommendations reflected the important role of the CEH Select Committee in the procurement of the EV chargepoints through providing strategic oversight as opposed to overseeing the operational delivery. The Leader welcomed the support of CEH Select Committee over those revised recommendations; which the Cabinet agreed.

     

    RESOLVED:

    1.    Agree that SCC undertake a procurement exercise with the aim of appointing a supplier(s) to work in partnership with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15/22

16/22

No one left behind: Child Poverty in Surrey pdf icon PDF 1 MB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    That Cabinet RECOMMENDS that the County Council:

     

    1.    Notes the data research review on poverty, with emphasis on children, in Surrey as requested in a previous Council motion.

    2.    Endorses and adopts the proposed framework, approach and themes as the basis for the Council’s strategic response to child poverty in the county.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    A strategic response to child poverty will ensure that SCC stays true to its principle of ‘no one left behind’ and deliver a number of benefits to Surrey residents.  A more aligned strategy around support services will ensure cross-cutting understanding of personal circumstances; more tailored advice and support, more effective signposting between services and community offerings, effective targeting of hardship funds for families, and new projects to mitigate and impact the root causes of poverty in the county.

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced the report and noted that the Council’s guiding principle of “no one left behind” established before Covid-19 was more pertinent now following the acute impact of the pandemic, as highlighted through the 2021 Community Impact Assessment. Residents and the employment sector had been affected from the rising cost of living and energy prices, more families sought assistance and more children in Surrey were classified as living in poverty. The Council recognised the need to bring forward the coordinated strategy with statutory partners and the VoluntaryCommunity and Faith Sector (VCFS) to respond to the issue of children and families in poverty. The report was wide-ranging and ran in parallel with the Council’s four strategic priorities and was co-produced across the directorates; it sought to address the underlying causes of poverty, addressing inequalities through employment and housing for example. The report also sought to better coordinate and signpost individuals to the arrangements in place to mitigate poverty to meet immediate needs through free school meals and food banks. Whilst the report focused on families and children in poverty, the initiatives were applicable to all residents. She thanked the officer team for their work and hoped the report would be endorsed at the next meeting of the Council.

     

    The Deputy Cabinet Member for Levelling-Up welcomed the timely strategy, noting that there were pockets of deprivation in Surrey and the strategy sought to target support. She highlighted the various crises funds available and intervention programmes such as theHelping Families Early Strategy 2020 to 2023 and Changing Futures programme. That the strategy was innovative through seeking to address the causes of poverty which was challenging. She paid tribute to the work of the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, the Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, officers and Members; and offered her full support.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health highlighted that the strategy recognised and sought to address the synergy between childhood poverty and the transition to poverty in adulthood. That ensuring the access to opportunities such as education and employment, and good quality housing was vital to address poverty. She was pleased that the strategy would be going to the Health and Wellbeing Board which would continue its scrutiny to ensure delivery.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning highlighted the importance and value of skills training and employment to address the causes of poverty through working in partnership with the further education sector noting the work underway to support disadvantaged adults and those with few or no qualifications.

     

    The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources noted that the Council delivered social value through procurement, half of its spend or £900 million was spent on local suppliers in Surrey which supported the delivery of jobs for local residents. The Council had secured £4.7 million of social value through its contracts and had created opportunities for Care Leavers and young residents such as through the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16/22

17/22

Admission Arrangements For Surrey's Community And Voluntary Controlled Schools For September 2023 pdf icon PDF 335 KB

18/22

Developing local Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Provision in Surrey to meet demand from 2023/24 onwards pdf icon PDF 1 MB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves in principle the use of SEND Capital funding against the programme of adaptation and refurbishment of Surrey County Council (SCC) owned assets and state maintained schools for Phase 4 of the programme. This is in order to deliver up to 872 additional Specialist School Places in Surrey from September 2023 onwards.

     

    2.    That Cabinet delegates the decision to transfer the £60m SEND Capital funding from pipeline to budget to the Capital Programme Panel, based on approval of individual business cases once schemes, locations and costs are confirmed.

     

    3.    That Cabinet approves the delegation of authority to allocate resources from the approved £60m budget required for individual projects to the Cabinet Members for Education & Learning, Resources and Land & Property, following Capital Programme Panel approval.

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Following national legislative changes brought about by the 2014 Children & Families Act and revised Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice, 2015, Surrey has seen the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as a percentage of the 4-19 general school age population increase from 3.4% to 4.1% between 2018-2021. This figure is projected to increase to over 5% of the 4-19 general population by 2024, resulting in the projected demand for up to 6,000 maintained specialist school places. (Annex 3)

    The sustained increase in demand for specialist provision has resulted in over-reliance on the independent school sector and out of county placements, which frequently also involves excessive home to school travel distances for EHCP pupils outside of resident districts and boroughs.

    The Department for Education expects Local Authorities (LA) to manage their specialist estates efficiently to avoid detriment to schools’ educational offers, creating disadvantage to children and young people who have SEND or to the LA’s financial position. This means ensuring the availability of maintained specialist school places that are appropriately matched to SEN need-type, phases of education and geographic location so that all of Surrey’s statutory school age children with an EHCP that require a full-time specialist setting in either a mainstream SEN Unit or Special School have a named placement, ready for the beginning of each academic year.

    The recommended Phase 4 SEND Capital investment completes the planning for sufficiency of specialist school places from September 2023 to 2031.

    (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 and highlighted that between 2019 and 2021 the Cabinet approved a strategy for three phases of the SEND Capital Programme with a combined capital investment of £79.6 million to expand local specialist provision at pace. That 500 places had been delivered to be followed by 1,100 places and there was a further £60 million earmarked in capital budget with the projected need for a further 800 to 900 places. That a potential 872 places had been identified and extensions to new units cost£74 million. She noted that business cases would be subject to approval to ensure value for money and spend would be distributed over time.

     

    The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure welcomed the provision and would continue to coordinate the programme alongside the Cabinet Member for Property and Waste.

     

    The Leader noted that the provision was an example of how the Council was using its Council Tax funding, to get a further 900 places would be tremendous.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet approves in principle the use of SEND Capital funding against the programme of adaptation and refurbishment of Surrey County Council (SCC) owned assets and state maintained schools for Phase 4 of the programme. This is in order to deliver up to 872 additional Specialist School Places in Surrey from September 2023 onwards.

    2.    That Cabinet delegates the decision to transfer the £60m SEND Capital funding from pipeline to budget to the Capital Programme Panel, based on approval of individual business cases once schemes, locations and costs are confirmed.

    3.    That Cabinet approves the delegation of authority to allocate resources from the approved £60m budget required for individual projects to the Cabinet Members for Education & Learning, Resources and Land & Property, following Capital Programme Panel approval.

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    Following national legislative changes brought about by the 2014 Children & Families Act and revised Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice, 2015, Surrey has seen the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) as a percentage of the 4-19 general school age population increase from 3.4% to 4.1% between 2018-2021. This figure is projected to increase to over 5% of the 4-19 general population by 2024, resulting in the projected demand for up to 6,000 maintained specialist school places. (Annex 3)

    The sustained increase in demand for specialist provision has resulted in over-reliance on the independent school sector and out of county placements, which frequently also involves excessive home to school travel distances for EHCP pupils outside of resident districts and boroughs.

    The Department for Education expects Local Authorities (LA) to manage their specialist estates efficiently to avoid detriment to schools’ educational offers, creating disadvantage to children and young people who have SEND or to the LA’s financial position. This means ensuring the availability of maintained specialist school places that are appropriately matched to SEN need-type, phases of education and geographic location so that all of Surrey’s statutory school age children with an EHCP that require  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18/22

19/22

Monthly Budget Monitoring- 2021/22 Month 8 pdf icon PDF 340 KB

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    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    1.    That Cabinet note the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions.

    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 Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources introduced the report and explained that the Council would be delivering a balanced budget for 2021/22 with no use of reserves at month 8. The Council was forecasting a deficit of £8 million due to the release of an £8.8 million contingency for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) High Needs Block offset. That all directorates had been working hard to bring their forecasts back in line with the budget without needing to use reserves, the report contained details on each directorate. The remaining general contingencies for 2021/22 exceeded the current forecast deficit, so a balance outturn would be achieved.

     

    The Leader highlighted that the Council was discussing the shortfall in the DSG High Needs Block Grant with the Government. He hoped that next month the deficits would reduce even further and welcomed the expectation of achieving a balanced budget.

     

    RESOLVED:

    1.    That Cabinet note the Council’s forecast revenue and capital budget positions.

    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)

     

     

20/22

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.

     

21/22

Department for Education Safety Valve Agreement

    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

     

    See Exempt Minute [E-01-22]

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    See Exempt Minute [E-01-22]

     

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

     

     

    Minutes:

    The Cabinet Member for Education and Learning introduced the Part 2 report which 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 the authority holding that information).

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    See Exempt Minute [E-01-22]

     

    Reasons for Decisions:

     

    See Exempt Minute [E-01-22]

     

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

     

22/22

PUBLICITY FOR PART 2 ITEMS

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    Additional documents:

    Decision:

    RESOLVED:

    It was agreed that non-exempt information may be made available to the press

    and public, where appropriate.

    Minutes:

    RESOLVED:

     

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