Agenda and minutes
PDF 183 KBVenue: Ashcombe, County Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 2DN
Contact: Huma Younis or Dominic Mackie, Room 122, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Minutes: No apologies had been received. |
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MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 21 OCTOBER 2015
To agree the previous minutes as a true record of the meeting. Minutes: The minutes were agreed as a true record of the meeting.
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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.
Minutes: No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests had been received.
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QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
To receive any questions or petitions. Notes: · The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (Friday 04 December 2015) · The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Thursday 03 December 2015). · The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.
Minutes: No questions or petitions had been received. |
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RECOMMENDATIONS TRACKER AND FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME
The board 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 Board noted that the recommendation tracker was
complete.
2.
The Board agreed that, as previously discussed at the meeting, the
motion for debate received from the recent Council meeting would be
added to the forward work programme for the January Board
meeting.
3.
The agreement between Surrey Wildlife Trust and Surrey County
Council, an item which was withdrawn from the Board’s October
meeting agenda, was agreed by the Board to be added to the forward
work programme for the 26 January Board meeting. 4. Members raised concerns that the Board should already have been scrutinising budgetary commitments for the 2016/17 financial year. It was discussed that as budgets had not been agreed at a directorate level, it was not possible for the Performance and Finance Sub Group to hold its December meeting.
Actions: 1. The Council motion and Surrey Wildlife Trust agreement to be added to the Forward Work Programme. |
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UPDATES FROM MEMBER REFERENCE GROUPS AND TASK GROUPS
To receive a verbal update from the Board’s Task and Member Reference Groups. Minutes: Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
The spokesperson for the Highways for the Future Member Reference
Group reported that the Group had progressed well and had now
developed more than four years of experience. 2. The Local Transport Review Member Reference Group’s spokesperson informed the Board that work had continued very well and that the Group would be meeting in the Spring of 2016.
Actions:
None. |
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INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT UPDATE ON THE BUS OPERATING CONTRACT
Purpose of the report: Scrutiny of Services
The Board considered the summary of audit findings and the agreed management action plan (MAP) on 11 June 2015 following the internal audit review of Bus Operating Contracts in 2014/15. Since the consultation process for a local transport review was in progress at the same time, Members requested a further update in December 2015 to review the progress made to recommendations in the agreed MAP.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Siva Sanmugarajah, Lead Auditor Simon White, Audit Performance Manager Paul Millin, Travel and Transport Group Manager
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
Members asked for clarification on the status of the bus contracts
as concerns were raised around the possibility that some contracts
may still require review and renewal.
2.
Members raised the point that a lot of reliance falls on the new
Mobisoft software for the upkeep of the county bus contracts and
asked for clarification that the contracts were all recorded on the
new system. Members also highlighted that contracts without an end
date could have been illegal. 3. Officers reported that it is planned to undergo a review of the changes made to the bus contract management procedures in the future and that an update will be made available to the Board.
Recommendations:
The audit report was noted
Actions:
None. |
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INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT - REVIEW OF HIGHWAYS COMMUNICATIONS 2015/2016
Purpose of the report: Scrutiny of Services
To review the summary of audit findings and Management Action Plan produced as a result of an Internal Audit review of Highways Communications in 2015/16. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Simon White, Audit Performance Manager Mark Borland, Works Delivery Group Manager
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
Members queried the success of the new communication structure put
in place whilst highlighting apparent issues in communication still
being apparent; using Project Horizon schemes as examples of areas
for improvement.
2.
Members questioned why the sample size for testing communications
was 10 schemes. Officers explained that 10 was the standard sample
size for auditing, adding further that there are roughly 100
schemes per year so in this case the sample size was around
10%.
3.
Members questioned whether the costs for highways schemes could be
communicated to the public more effectively as an improvement in
transparency. 4. Officers confirmed that there would be a second audit review of the improvements and change made in 2016.
Recommendations:
The audit report was noted
Actions:
None. |
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INTERNAL AUDIT REPORT - REVIEW OF HIGHWAYS SCHEMES (ITS) 2015/2016
Purpose of the report: Scrutiny of Services.
To review the summary of audit findings and Management Action Plan produced as a result of an Internal Audit review of Highways Schemes (ITS) in 2015/16. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Simon White, Audit Performance Manager Mark Borland, Works Delivery Group Manager
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
It was reported that two additional qualified surveyors had been
employed to help the Council and Kier with schemes.
2.
Members questioned Officers on how schemed are assessed in term of
“value for money” to residents. Officers explained that the
highways service had completed internal VFM tests but that no
“value for money” auditing by Central Audit for ITS
schemes had been completed, though a speculative audit report could
be carried out in 2016.
3.
The discussion highlighted that there were conflicting views on how
best to reflect value for money. .
4.
Highways Officers explained that all ITS decisions should be in
line with the Council’s local transport plans.
Recommendations:
The audit report was noted
Actions:
None. |
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UPDATE REPORT ON THE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE LEVY (CIL)
Purpose of the report: Policy Development and Review
This report provides an update and overview of the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) across the eleven planning authorities in Surrey.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Paul Druce, Infrastructure Agreements and CIL Manager
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
Officers outlined that the report tabled for the
meeting builds upon a report submitted to the Board in April 2015;
and also that since the report was written Reigate and Banstead are on target to adopt CIL by April
2016.
2.
Officers reported that a Government review on CIL is
taking place. The review is aiming to obtain a wide range of
evidence to review the effectiveness of CIL as government changes
have made it harder to implement.
3.
Members
debated issues surrounding ensuring that money
raised through CIL is allocated where required to the County
Council.
4.
The Chairman reminded Members that the Board cannot
discuss the affairs of the District and Borough Councils and
that Members ought to raise their
concerns at local committee. 5. Members agreed that they would wish to see the County Council’s response to the Government consultation.
Recommendations:
The Board endorsed the following recommendations,
a)
That officers continue collaboration with Borough
and District colleagues in their preparation of Local Plan
policies, Infrastructure Delivery Plans, CIL Charging Schedules and
Regulation 123 Lists to ensure, where possible, the County Council
is able to support development in each of the areas by securing and
providing strategic infrastructure at the required time, b)
That officers continue to seek mitigation of
infrastructure impacts from developers, on an application by
application basis, in those LPA areas where CIL has not been
adopted, unless restricted by the up to 5 obligation
restriction, c)
That officers continue to seek agreement as to how
the governance regime for CIL will operate in each of the areas,
including the involvement of County Members in the process where
possible, and d) That further work is undertaken to secure a reasonable and suitable governance regime in each of the areas, in the light of the possible different models for governance, given that the Woking model is one that appears to offer the most open and transparent collaborative process for deciding which projects CIL monies should support.
Actions: · That the Infrastructure Agreements and CIL Manager circulate to the board by email ... view the full minutes text for item 10/15 |
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HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORT MEMBER REFERENCE GROUP REPORT ON THE KIER CONTRACT EXTENSION
Purpose of the report: Scrutiny of Services
This report sets out the Member Reference Groups (MRG) findings on the Kier contract and is intended to provide the Economic Prosperity, Environment & Highways Board and Cabinet with member insight to help inform the final decision on contract extension.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None.
Witnesses:
Jason Russell, Assistant Director for Highways and Transport Mark Borland, Works Delivery Group Manager Loulla Woods, Highways and Transport Senior Consultant Jim Harker, General Manager Surrey Highways at Kier Ross Duguid, Procurement Category Manager
Key points raised during the discussion:
1.
The Chairman of the board agreed for the item to be
taken into Part 2, by virtue
of paragraph(s) 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government
Act 1972 (information relating to the financial or business affairs
of any particular person including the authority holding that
information). 2. Members discussed the Highways and Transport Member Reference Group report on the Kier contract extension.
Recommendations:
The Board agreed the following recommendations;
a) That the extension to the Kier contract be agreed and commended to Cabinet for approval, subject to the conditions outlined in the report. b) That the Highways member reference group continues to have an ongoing role in the contract to ensure that the recommendations are progressed and benefits realised.
Actions: · For the scrutiny officer to send a recommendation from the board to Cabinet supporting the extension of the Kier contract. |
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING: 26 JANUARY 2016
The next meeting of the Economic Prosperity, Environment and Highways Board will be held on Tuesday 26 January at 10.30am in the Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames. Minutes: The next public meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday 26 January at 10.30am in the Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames. |