Councillors and committees

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN

Contact: Joss Butler  020 8541 9702

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Items
No. Item

13/18

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

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    The Chairman to report apologies for absence.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Apologies for absence were received from Stephen Spence, Ben Carasco, Liz Bowes, Amanda Boote, Paul Deach, Stephen Cooksey, Colin Kemp, Marsha Moseley and David Goodwin. 

     

14/18

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 319 KB

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    To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5 February 2019.

     

    (Note: the Minutes, including the appendices, will be laid on the table half an hour before the start of the meeting).

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The minutes of the meeting of the County Council held on 5 February 2019 were submitted, confirmed and signed.

     

    In regards to Item 7 (minute 7/19), a Member of the Council stated that going forward it would be beneficial to share responses from Cabinet Members to supplementary questions that were responded to after the meeting.

     

15/18

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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    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:

    Cllr Rachael I Lake declared a non-pecuniary interest for item 9 as her son works for Surrey County Council.

     

    Mr Nick Darby declared a non-pecuniary interest on item 9 as his daughter works for Surrey County Council.

     

    Mr Keith Witham declared a non-pecuniary interest on item 9 as his step-daughter works for Surrey County Council.

     

     

16/18

CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

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    Recent visits and events

    • The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service took place on Thursday, 7 February 2019 at the Tithe Barn in Loseley Park, hosted by Michael More-Molyneux, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey and supported by myself. The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen's coronation. It is the MBE for volunteer groups. Any group doing volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated for the award. Each group is assessed on the benefit it brings to the local community and its standing within that community.It was a wonderful evening, full of inspirational volunteers.

     

    • On Thursday 28 February 2019 I attended a Royal Visit at Amber in Ockley with Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex GCVO in attendance. Amber is a small but highly effective charity that works with young people who need a fresh start.  There are many causes of homelessness – family breakdown, leaving care, childhood trauma, mental ill-health, addiction, prison release, losing a job. Sometimes, people simply make bad decisions and things go drastically wrong. Amber provides a temporary home – a safe place to live with 90 other young people at one of three residential centres. There - in a calm and nurturing environment – they provide a mix of support, structure, new experiences and training that builds their motivations, self-discipline and skills. They help young people address the specific issues that are holding them back and help them move on from their troubled pasts and find the self-belief and determination to move forward. It was a pleasure to attend and the work that Amber does is phenomenal. 

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Chairman:

     

    • highlighted to Members that the Chairman’s Announcements were located in the agenda front sheet.
    • informed Members that a Personal Trainer would be visiting County Hall on 20 March 2019 to discuss the opportunity of holding exercise sessions before each meeting of the County Council.
    • informed Members that the Surrey County Council Analytics Hub had received an Iese Innovation Award at a 2019 Public Sector Transformation Event. The Chairman presented Sara Dicerto, Senior Commissioning Manager, with the award.
    • informed Members that the Surrey Children’s Rights Apprentices had received first prize at the National Crimebeat Awards for their work with Surrey Police Officers, training them to have “Total Respect” for care experienced young people. The Chairman presented Lewis Mead, Children’s Rights Apprentice, with the award.
    • sent best wishes on behalf of the Council to former county councillor Mr John Orrick, who was ill in hospital.
    • led a silent tribute in remembrance of Mr Peter Hickman, a former county councillor, who had died recently.

     

17/18

LEADER'S STATEMENT pdf icon PDF 144 KB

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    The Leader to make a statement.

     

    There will be an opportunity for Members to ask questions and/or make comments.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Leader made a detailed statement. A copy of the statement is attached as Appendix A.

     

    Members raised the following topics:

     

    • That the Leader should consider how ordinary Members could contribute to policy when reforming the Council’s scrutiny function.
    • Raised concern that the critical Inspection Report on the Fire and Rescue Service had not been subject to debate in a select committee.
    • That they welcomed positive changes to Children’s Services and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
    • That there was a need for mental health services for children.
    • That they welcomed the commitment that no Surrey County Council-owned properties would be left empty.
    • That a fundamental change was needed to make sure residents and Members could engage positively with the Council.
    • That fewer select committees would mean less representation for the opposition.
    • Congratulated the Leader of the Council on the recent reporting of the Council’s budgetary situation.
    • Requested the Leader’s view on the Fairer Funding review in Central Government.
    • Highlighted that there was an opportunity to enhance the use of long distance communication tools to improve efficiencies across the Council.
    • Welcomed the initiative to move County Hall into Surrey.
    • Highlighted the importance of ensuring partnerships were mutually beneficial for all parties involved.
    • That there was a need to lobby Central Government on the comprehensive spending review.

     

18/18

MEMBERS' QUESTION TIME pdf icon PDF 101 KB

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    1.     The Leader of the Council or the appropriate Member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee to answer any questions on any matter relating to the powers and duties of the County Council, or which affects the county.

     

    (Note:  Notice of questions in respect of the above item on the agenda must be given in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Democratic Services by 12 noon on 13 March 2019).

     

    2.     Cabinet Member Briefings on their portfolios

     

    These will be circulated by email to all Members prior to the County Council meeting, together with the Members’ questions and responses.

     

    There will be an opportunity for Members to ask questions.

     

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Questions:

     

    Notice of seven questions had been received. The questions and replies were published in a supplementary agenda on 18 March 2019.

     

    A number of supplementary questions were asked and a summary of the main points is set out below:

     

    (Q3) Mr Robert Evans not did ask a supplementary question.

     

    Mr Mallet asked the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste to circulate the relevant documents outlined in the response.

     

    The Cabinet Member stated that he would ensure the latest information was available to Members but noted it would take time as the consultation feedback was still being reviewed.

     

    (Q5) Mrs Fiona White asked the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Fire & Resilience if feedback from Fire & Rescue staff would be given additional weight due to their experience and knowledge on the subject.

     

    The Cabinet Member stated that the consultation was being taken seriously and that all views would be taken into consideration. It was noted that extensive staff engagement was being conducted and that staff recognised the value of the proposals.  

     

    (Q6) Mrs Hazel Watson did not ask a supplementary question.

     

    Mr Townsend asked the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families for further clarification on the section of the response which stated that the Council would maximise the potential of youth centre buildings wherever possible.

     

    Mr Essex asked if the Cabinet Member agreed that at least some of the gaps referred to in the response were due to the service halving the number of youth workers in the county and, in order to address this, the Council would need to reinstate some youth workers in Surrey.

     

    Mr R Evans asked if the Cabinet Member shared his concerns on the reduction in youth services at a time when young people faced increasing issues related to knife crime and radicalisation.

     

    Mrs Curran urged the Cabinet Member to look into re-providing youth services at the Bookham Youth Centre.

     

    Mrs Jan Mason asked if the Cabinet Member had fully understood the implications of the withdrawal of youth centres on deprived areas.

     

    The Cabinet Member highlighted that there was an ongoing review of the service so she was therefore unable to give extensive details. The Cabinet Member went on to state that the youth offer review was a review in partnership with key stakeholders and would be shaped around the things that young people value the most. It was confirmed that there would be a meeting on 1 April 2019 with the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) to discuss the future of the Edge Youth Centre in Watersedge, Epsom. It was further confirmed that a drop-in session would be held on 16 April 2019 for Members to discuss with officers the youth offer in their individual divisions.

     

    (Q7) Mr Robert Evans asked the Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Fire and Resilience if they shared his concern that reducing fire cover at night time would lead to a higher risk of danger to citizens. He further asked for confirmation on when  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18/18

19/18

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

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    Any Member may make a statement at the meeting on a local issue of current or future concern.

     

    (Note:  Notice of statements must be given in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Democratic Services by 12 noon on 18 March 2019).

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

     There were none.

20/18

ORIGINAL MOTIONS

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    Item 8 (i)

     

    Mr Chris Botten (Caterham Hill) to move under Standing Order 11 as follows:

     

    This Council:

     

    -        believes in the importance of equitable wage ratio;

    -        notes the 60+ consultants currently appointed on interim contracts;

    -        recognises that interim contracts are often far more costly than those of permanent staff, with the Programme Manager currently being recruited for with a potential salary of £98,000/year on a two year fixed term contract;

    -        acknowledges that many residents within Surrey are struggling to make ends meet and facing higher Council Tax bills;

    -        notes the ongoing cuts to essential Council services including children’s centres, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions and bus subsidies;

    -        notes that a number of senior appointments are not being approved by the People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) where they ought to be;

     

    This Council therefore resolves to:

     

    -        adopt a policy of recruiting to permanent positions where appropriate;

    -        impose a pay cap on its salary costs (allowing for incremental drift);

    -        work with the Surrey Boroughs and Districts to share talent and resource where possible to contain the overall Surrey payroll costs.

     

    Item 8 (ii)

     

    Mr Jonathan Essex (Redhill East ) to move under Standing Order 11 as follows:

     

    Full Council believes that:

     

    1. Surrey County Council and all governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Surrey to commit to carbon neutrality as quickly as possible. Bold climate action can deliver economic benefits to Surrey in terms of valuable new jobs, essential economic savings and much needed market opportunities (as well as improved well-being for people worldwide).

     

    Full Council to:

     

    1. Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ in Surrey;

     

    1. Pledge to make Surrey carbon neutral by 2030, and strive to work with Surrey’s borough and district Councils in taking a leadership role, taking into account both production and consumption emissions;

     

    1. Call on the Government to provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;

     

    1. Report to County Council within six months with the actions the Council will take to address this.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Item 8(i)

     

    Under Standing Order 12.3 the Council agreed to debate this motion.

    Under Standing Order 12.1 Mr Chris Botten moved the motion, which was:

     

    This Council:

     

    ·        believes in the importance of equitable wage ratio;

    ·        notes the 60+ consultants currently appointed on interim contracts;

    ·        recognises that interim contracts are often far more costly than those of permanent staff, with the Programme Manager currently being recruited for with a potential salary of £98,000/year on a two year fixed term contract;

    ·        acknowledges that many residents within Surrey are struggling to make ends meet and facing higher Council Tax bills;

    ·        notes the ongoing cuts to essential Council services including children’s centres, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions and bus subsidies;

    ·        notes that a number of senior appointments are not being approved by the People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) where they ought to be.

     

    This Council therefore resolves to:

     

    ·        adopt a policy of recruiting to permanent positions where appropriate;

    ·        work with the Surrey Boroughs and Districts to share talent and resource where possible to contain the overall Surrey payroll costs.

     

    Mr Botten made the following points:

     

    • That the Council was providing high salary interim posts while parents and carers spent their time fighting for special needs packages for their children.
    • That the optics of high salary interim posts were damaging to the Council’s credibility.
    • That the Council needed to employ in a cost effective way.
    • Residents needed to have confidence in the employment process.
    • The Council needed to look into how it could share appointments with districts and boroughs.
    • That there was a need to maximise resource already available in the public sector.

     

    The motion was formally seconded by Mr Forster, who reserved the right to speak.

     

    Mr Kington moved an amendment, which was formally seconded by Mr Darby.

     

    The amendment was as follows (with additional words in bold and deletions crossed through):

     

    This Council:

     

    ·        believes in the importance of equitable wage ratio;

    ·        notes the 60+ consultants currently appointed on interim contracts;

    ·        recognises that interim contracts are often far more costly than those of permanent staff, with the Programme Manager currently being recruited for with a potential salary of £98,000/year on a two year fixed term contract;

    ·        acknowledges that many residents within Surrey are struggling to make ends meet and facing higher Council Tax bills;

    ·        notes the ongoing cuts to essential Council services including children’s centres, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions and bus subsidies;

    ·        notes that a number of senior appointments are not being approved by the People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) where they ought to be.

     

    This Council therefore resolves to:

     

    ·        adopt a policy of recruiting to permanent positions where appropriate;

    ·        work with the Surrey Boroughs and Districts to share talent and resource where possible to contain the overall Surrey payroll costs.

    ·        amend the Terms of Reference of the PPDC to provide for the monitoring of the costs of senior management salaries, interim appointments and redundancies.

     

    Mr Kington made the following points  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20/18

21/18

SURREY PAY POLICY STATEMENT 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 119 KB

22/18

A THRIVING COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN SURREY. A STRATEGY FOR THEIR EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH pdf icon PDF 52 KB

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    The strategy details the vision and ambition for children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health in Surrey. It replaces the previous strategy which expired in 2017. County Council is asked to approve the strategy.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Leader of the Council introduced the report and stated that mental health was a key part of the Surrey Health Plan. It was noted that pages 73 & 74 of the agenda outlined outcomes which measured how Surrey would make an impact. The Leader of the Council undertook to ensure that the strategy would be regularly reviewed by the Health and Wellbeing Board.

     

    Members made the following comments:

     

    • That it was positive that mental health was being spoken about publically.
    • The Council wanted those in need to have access the appropriate services.
    • That the Council should be aware of the negatives of maintaining too many strategies and that funding should be concentrated on children and their wellbeing.
    • That the service was investigating best practice at other local authorities.
    • They were pleased that there was a positive discussion at the Health and Wellbeing Board.
    • That proposals were to give access to those who interact regularly with young people with an expert team to provide mental health for support.
    • The young people of Surrey had said that mental health services were a priority.
    • Further detail was requested on the circumstances around the Child Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) within the Council’s transformation. The Cabinet Member for All Age Learning confirmed that plans were in place and that a full response would be circulated outside of the meeting.
    • They were pleased that the strategy supported early intervention.

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    The Council approved the strategy.

23/18

REPORT OF THE CABINET pdf icon PDF 72 KB

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    To receive the report of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 26 February 2019 which includes details for information / discussion in respect of:

     

    ·        Surrey Performing Arts Library- Evaluation Of NewSPAL Business Plan

    ·        Surrey County Council Preparations For Exiting The European Union (Brexit)

     

     

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Leader presented the report of the Cabinet meeting held on 26 February 2019.

     

    Reports for Information/ Discussion

     

    A)    Surrey Performing Arts Library – Evaluation of NewSPAL Business Plan

    B)    Surrey County Council Preparations for Exiting the European Union (Brexit)

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    That the report of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 26 February 2019 be adopted.

     

24/18

MINUTES OF CABINET MEETINGS pdf icon PDF 350 KB

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    Any matters within the minutes of the Cabinet’s meetings, and not otherwise brought to the Council’s attention in the Cabinet’s report, may be the subject of questions and statements by Members upon notice being given to Democratic Services by 12 noon on 18 March 2019.

     

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    No notification had been received by the deadline from Members wishing to raise a question or make a statement on any matters in the minutes.