Agenda and draft minutes
PDF 65 KBVenue: Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN
Contact: Victoria White or Rianna Hanford
Media
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Chris Pitt, Saj Hussain and Mike Bennison.
Margaret Hicks was in attendance as a substitute for Saj Hussain and Richard Walsh substituted for Mike Bennison.
|
|
|
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 25 September & 20 October
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes from the meetings on 25 September and 20 October were agreed as accurate records, subject to the amendment of the date of next meeting which was incorrect.
|
|
|
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest. · Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. · Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register. · Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest. Additional documents: Minutes: No declarations of interest were received.
|
|
|
QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
To receive any questions or petitions.
Notes: 1. The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (Thursday 8 January 2015). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Wednesday 7 January 2015). 3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received. Additional documents: Minutes: No questions or petitions were received.
|
|
|
RESPONSES FROM THE CABINET TO ISSUES REFERRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
There are no responses to report. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no responses to report.
|
|
|
RECOMMENDATION TRACKER AND FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME
The Committee is asked to monitor progress on the implementation of recommendations from previous meetings, and to review its Forward Work Programme. Additional documents: Minutes: Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Committee agreed that an update on the Magna Carta celebrations would be included in March and May Committees. Officers noted that photos and more detailed information on events would be included in March.
|
|
|
Magna Carta Programme
Additional documents: Minutes: Witnesses: Helyn Clack, Cabinet Member for Community Services Peter Milton, Head of Cultural Services Susie Kemp, Assistant Chief Executive
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Cabinet Member for Community Services introduced the report and told the Committee that there was lots of interest in the media of the Magna Carta Programme and references had been included on radio and television. The Committee asked officers whether there was a robust media plan in place to deal with negative views. Officers confirmed that an outreach and engagement plan had been produced to engage all areas and ensure the Magna Carta celebrations would be a talked about and well known event. It was noted that an exhibition would be touring around Surrey Libraries and that boroughs would co-ordinate their local engagement events. Officers commented that efforts were being made to have all Magna Carta events listed on the Visit Surrey web-site. 2. The anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta takes place on 15 June 2015, and the main events will take place on this date. All County Councillors are to be invited as well as prestigious guests. Around £1million was allocated to Magna Carta and of the £300K budget for events / activities, currently around £20k remaining unallocated. Officers informed the Committee that more detail of the event on 15 June could be communicated when the Magna Carta programme comes back to the Committee in May. It was added that the March Committee would focus on going through the budget to identify areas where more activities could be undertaken, and the Committee expressed the budget needs to be covered by March. 3. The Committee was informed that the artist Hew Locke had been chosen to undertake the art commission, and that the sculpture would be unveiled as part of the celebrations on 15 June. The Committee requested a level of engagement with the artist such as attending full Council, an organised seminar or for small groups to visit his studio. The Committee expressed that an information board (or glass information wall) should be developed for the Magna Carta site for education purposes, it was added this should be done as soon as possible as the anniversary would be in 5 months. Officers informed the Committee that an app was being produced by Royal Holloway students for information on Magna Carta, however Members expressed that not everyone would be able to download an app and an additional source of information such as an information board should be considered. It was explained by officers that a plan to improve site interpretation was part of the Heritage Lottery Fund bid. 4. There was a discussion around the logistics of the celebrations on 15 June. Capacity for parking was questioned and officers responded that an estimated five thousand guests are expected to attend which would naturally cause problems with traffic and parking. It was added this would be mitigated against and more details of the plan would be brought to Committee in March. The ... view the full minutes text for item 7/15 |
|
|
Cabinet Member and Associate Cabinet Member Priorities
Additional documents: Minutes: Witnesses: Helyn Clack, Cabinet Member for Community Services Kay Hammond, Cabinet Associate for Fire and Police Services
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Cabinet Member for Community Services informed the Committee that her priorities would focus on budgets and efficiencies resulting in savings, increased customer satisfaction and continuous improvement and engagement with the Active Surrey Board, local committees and the community. Specifically work was undertaken with the Heritage Service, the Magna Carta celebrations and the Sport England campaign ‘This Girl Can’, which Active Surrey is supporting. 2. The Committee were informed that the Joint Trading Standards Service with Buckinghamshire County Council was going well with an expected launch of April 2015. It was noted that Trading Standards were an integral part of the Joint Enforcement Team, and the use of Regulatory of Investigative Powers Act (RIPA) was expressed as a comprehensive and robust system which received a satisfactory inspection. Another report on the use of RIPA was due to be presented to the Committee in July 2015. 3. It was noted call centre response times had improved and website improvements were being implemented, the external Surrey County Council website had already won awards for design and work was still in progress to re-design and update every web page. 4. The Committee was informed that there was concern over the engagement and support of ethnic minorities, and it was noted a priority was to ensure ethnic minorities had access to information and support to ensure they were not at a disadvantage. 5. The Associate Cabinet Member for Fire and Police Services expressed to the Committee that her main priority was to support the Cabinet Member in her role and noted they both work effectively together. The Committee was informed that the Cabinet Associate’s other main priorities were the Fire Service and Community Safety Partnerships. The Committee raised concern over dangerous driving; The Associate Cabinet member commented that a gradual change of attitude was taking place due to the Drive Safe campaign, which the Cabinet Associate now chaired, and other campaigns undertaken by the Communications Team. 6. It was agreed the Cabinet Member and Associate Cabinet Members priorities would be printed on all future agendas. In relation to the Fire Service, the Associate Cabinet Member informed the Committee that all appliances now hold defibrillators. Chris Norman left the meeting at 11.55am
Robert Evans left the meeting at 12pm
Alan Young left the meeting at 12.05pm
Recommendations:
· That the Committee continues to support the Cabinet Member and Associate Cabinet Member priorities. Resolved.
Actions:
· That a short version of the Cabinet Member and Associate Cabinet Member priorities be placed in the agenda papers for the Committee. · That a copy of the report mentioned by the Cabinet Member, regarding Trading Standards, be sent to the Committee.
|
|
|
UPDATE FROM THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER
Verbal update on the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service from the Chief Fire Officer.
Additional documents: Minutes: Witnesses: Russell Pearson, Chief Fire Officer
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The Chief Fire Officer informed the Committee that relevant Central Government departments had been engaged with the refresh of the Public Safety Plan and feedback had been positive and support offered. It was added that a £5.96million grant had been received for fleet aggregation to assist delivering savings of £20million in the next ten years. It was added another grant of £340,000 was awarded to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in addition to the £150,000 which the Leader allocated to the Fire Service last year. In total nearly £500,000 had been allocated to develop further trauma care for fire fighters and staff as well as including defibrillators on all appliances. 2. The Committee was informed that the service would consider using a building in Crawley for the Blue Light Collaboration call centre, planning for this was expected to conclude in February with a build start of March. It was added around £50million savings had been identified as a result from the Blue Light Collaboration over the first 10 years. 3. The Committee was informed that the Guildford Fire Station build was on track to finish in March, and that Woking Fire Station’s finance arrangements had been agreed with completion expected in summer 2016. It was noted that a delay had occurred with Spelthorne Fire Station due to a large electrical cable serving Heathrow Airport running underneath the site, a resolution was currently being developed with Property. Banstead Fire Station was currently occupied due to London Purely Fire Station closing for refurbishments and a building had been identified to locate the Salfords Fire Station where an appliance would move to from Horley Fire Station in April 2015. 4. The Committee was informed that the ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’ programme had so far been a success with 104,000 people who had already attended. It was noted due to the large amount of corporate sponsors attracted, the programme was financially sustainable. The Chief Fire Officer added that the service was currently in the process of trade marking the programme to ensure this could be repeated in other areas, and had already been sold the Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. 5. It was expressed to the Committee that the service’s business continuity plans were going well, it was noted that currently there were no deviations from the business continuity standards apart from a single small non conformity. Recommendations:
None
Actions:
That future updates from the Chief Fire Officer be placed at the top of the agenda.
|
|
|
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Committee will be held at 10.00am on Thursday 19 March 2015. Additional documents: |