The minutes from the previous meeting
(formerly the Resident Experience Board), 9 March 2017 were agreed
as a true and accurate record.
3.
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.
Purpose of
the report:Scrutiny of Services and
Budgets
Cabinet is being
asked to endorse the recommendation of the Transfer of Staff
Governance Board for the proposed transfer of staff from Surrey
Police to SCC, and to make provision for the associated MTFP
pressure that will commence in 2019-20.
Ann Charlton, Director of
Legal, Democratic and Cultural Services
Declarations of interest:
None
Key
points raised during the discussion:
Members of the
Communities Select Committee expressed concern regarding the costs
proposed for transferring staff from the employment of Surrey
Police to Surrey County Council (SCC) as outlined in the report.
Officers advised that extensive negotiations had taken place with
Surrey Police to reach the five year phased withdrawal plan. It was
acknowledged that SCC would be taking on additional costs of
£1.22m over the next five years and then £610k per
annum on top of existing budgetary pressures arising from the
transfer of staff but that the Council had a duty to provide a
Coroner’s Service.
Members suggested
that a one off capital contribution of £50k from Surrey
Police towards procuring a new IT system for the Coroner’s
Service may not be sufficient to cover the costs of the new system.
Officers informed the Committee that Case Management Systems, which
the Council was seeking to procure for the Coroner’s Service,
were less complex IT systems and so the cost associated with
procuring these was lower than for other types of
software.
The Committee was
advised that due to the current financial climate, SCC’s IT
& Digital Team would assume responsibility for providing and
maintaining IT for the Coroner’s Service following the
transfer. Members stressed that the financial implications should
be reviewed to factor in IT costs.
It was noted that the
Council’s responsibilities were governed under the Coroners
and Justice Act 2009, which states that the Council was required to
meet all the costs of the Coroner’s Service including body
removal, post mortems and toxicology reports.
Members highlighted
that the report made no reference to administration or location of
staff following transfer over to SCC’s employment. The
Committee was informed that these were not mentioned in the report
as staff would continue to operate from their existing offices
situated in Woking. The Select Committee noted that administration
staff within the Service were seconded in from Surrey Police and
officers acknowledged that a review of working arrangements to
provide a more stable staff environment.
Recommendations:
a)The Committee has considered and endorses
this proposal to Cabinet, with concern with the additional
financial pressure it will bring.
b)The committee acknowledges and also
expresses concern that this is an additional statutory function for
the Council to fund.
Steve Burnell, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Group Commander
Declarations of
interest:
None
Key points raised
during the discussion:
The Committee
received a presentation from the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service on
the implications of the Grenfell Tower disaster, providing members
with an information update on SFRS support and response as a result
of this tragedy.
Using Gibson Court in
Hinchley Wood as an example, officers
explained how SFRS had contributed to improvements in fire safety
in large residential buildings. Gibson Court was destroyed by fire
in 2011 but was rebuilt with advice from SFRS. Once the building
was finished SFRS also assessed the building to ensure that it
could be occupied safely.
The Officer explained
that Fire Safety Orders did not permit fire and rescue services to
enforce fire safety in private dwellings although Community Safety
teams did provide engagement and influence in this
area.
Members requested
further information on the processes in place for relinquishing
control of a scene once the fire had been extinguished. They were
informed that fire officers would remain on site until handover
where there was a potential danger and risk to the public.
Extending this period was difficult as SFRS had to be ready to
respond to other emergencies.
Officers stated that
buildings were classed as high rise if they were over 18metres tall
or if they had more six floors or more. At the time of the meeting,
there were 83 high rise buildings in Surrey. It was further stated
that SFRS had vehicles capable of reaching 43 metres to tackle a
blaze and that Surrey had one of the highest firefighting platforms
nationally.
Discussions turned to
the issue of compartmentation where buildings are sub-divided by
design in order to restrict the spread of fire. Members expressed
concern that there was lack of awareness about compartmentation.
Officers acknowledged that compartmentation was complex but assured
the Committee that compartmentation was well-known within the
construction industry. SFRS would, however, add informative
material to their website in order to provide additional
information to the public on compartmentation. The Committee was
further information that the Regulatory Fire Safety Order places a
duty on owners to carry out a risk assessment of their
building/premises, including compartmentation, and to act on any
issues identified within the risk assessment.
Members asked whether
SFRS had experienced an increase in call outs involving white
goods. Officers advised the Committee that this was not the case
any misconception relating to this was caused by social media,
publicising stories highlighting stories on white goods causing
fires.
It was noted that
significant work was taking place within SFRS to promote the
installation of sprinklers within a private dwelling as a means of
reducing fatalities arising from fires.
There was no requirement on home owners to have fire extinguishers
or blankets located within their property.
Members registered
concerns in regard to the ‘stay put’ policy and queried
which buildings this applied to in Surrey. It was noted that this
information could be found on ...
view the full minutes text for item 6.
Purpose of the report:To propose a Member
Reference Group to the committee based on the terms of reference
outlined and ask for Members to consider their interest in joining
the group.
1.
The Committee agreed the terms of reference for the Surrey Fire and
Rescue Service Member Reference Group.
2.
The Committee supported the appointment of the following members to
the Surrey Fire and Recuse Service Member Reference Group,
-
Cllr Saj Hussain (Chair)
-
Cllr Bob Gardner
-
Cllr Cllr Keith Witham
-
Cllr Alison Griffiths
3.
It was noted that the Overview and Budget Select Committee would
review and approve the terms of reference for the Surrey Fire and
Rescue Service Member Reference Group at its meeting on Thursday 14
September 2017.
Recommendations:
The Communities Select Committee:
1.approved the draft Terms of Reference for the Surrey
Fire & Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management Plan Member
Reference Group;
2.agreed the Membership of the Surrey Fire &
Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management Plan Member Reference
Group; and
3.agreed to submit the Terms of Reference to the
Overview and Budget Scrutiny Committee for approval.
1.
It was noted a user service was being launched regarding Surrey
Performing Arts Library. Members suggested that once this survey
had closed the Committee should receive a report on its
outcome.
Recommendations:
None
9.
DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING: THURSDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2017
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The
next public meeting of the committee will be held Thursday 7
November 2017 at 10.00am in the Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon
Thames.
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