Agenda, decisions and draft minutes
PDF 238 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey ,RH2 8EF
Contact: Huma Younis or Sarah Quinn
Media
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
Apologies for Absence
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Decision: Apologies were received from Kevin Deanus and Marisa Heath. Minutes: Apologies were received from Kevin Deanus and Marisa Heath. |
|
|
Minutes of Previous Meeting: 22 APRIL 2025 & 7 MAY 2025
To agree the minutes of the last meeting as a correct record of the meeting. Additional documents: Decision: These were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.
Minutes: These were agreed as a correct record of the meeting.
|
|
|
Declarations of Interest
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: Decision: There were none. Minutes: There were none. |
|
|
Procedural Matters
Additional documents: |
|
|
Members' Questions
The deadline for Member’s questions is 12pm four working days before the meeting (20 May 2025).
Additional documents: Decision: There were none.
|
|
|
Public Questions
The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (19 May 2025).
Additional documents: Decision: There were none.
|
|
|
Petitions
The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.
Additional documents: Decision: There were none.
|
|
|
Representations received on reports to be considered in private
To consider any representations received in relation why part of the meeting relating to a report circulated in Part 2 of the agenda should be open to the public. Additional documents: Decision: There were none.
Minutes: There were none.
|
|
|
Reports from Select Committees, Task Groups and other Committees of the Council
To consider any reports from Select Committees, Task Groups and any other Committees of the Council. Additional documents: Decision: There were none.
Minutes: There were none.
|
|
To note any delegated decisions taken by the Leader, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Members, Strategic Investment Board and Committees in Common Sub-Committee since the last meeting of the Cabinet. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
That the decisions taken since the last Cabinet meeting were noted.
Minutes: Three decisions had been taken since the last Cabinet meeting and were noted. The Deputy Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning explained that a decision had been taken in relation to funding for Hopescourt School. The school had received dedicated funding from the SEND capital programme and the project was progressing at speed. The SEND school would be opening in March 2026 and would provide around 200 school places.
RESOLVED:
That the decisions taken since the last Cabinet meeting were noted.
|
|
|
Cabinet Member of the Month
To receive an update from Cllr David Lewis, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources. Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
That the Cabinet Member of the month update be noted.
Minutes: A Cabinet Member of the month update was provided by Cllr David Lewis, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources. The following key points were made:
· The focus had been ensuring the budget was balanced, improving the My Surrey system and introducing new regulations to meet the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023. The finance service had a large number of successes. · Local government had been facing challenging times but in Surrey the council had finished the last financial year with a £6.3 million surplus on the revenue budget. The council had built up a healthy level of reserves and had delivered an ambitious capital programme. The last set of accounts had also been signed off by external auditors. Internal auditors had given the entire Council a reasonable level of assurance for the year and several re-audits had shown that significant improvements in control mechanisms had been put in place. · A major challenge had been to get My Surrey working properly. The system had now moved from the stabilisation phase to optimisation. A major system upgrade had been completed over the last bank holiday weekend with no issues. There could now be confidence that staff would receive the correct salary payments and have the right pension deductions. · Key responsibilities included chairing the Member Development Steering Group, chairing the Strategic Investment Board and also the Home to School Transport Assistance Oversight Group.
RESOLVED:
That the Cabinet Member of the month update be noted.
|
|
This report sets out Surrey County Council’s proposed development approach for housing, including units allocated to Adult Social Care for people with mental health needs, on five council-owned sites.
(The decisions on this item can be call-in by the Adults and Health Select Committee) Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet approves proceeding with the tender to secure development agreements for four identified council-owned sites to deliver housing, including units allocated to Adult Social Care for people with mental health needs, on a basis that fully funds the council’s capital expenditure.
2. That Cabinet notes the four sites are as follows: a) Chalkmead, Deans Road, Merstham RH1 3HE b) Keswick, Eastwick Park Avenue, Great Bookham KT23 3ND c) Longfield, Killicks, Cranleigh GU6 7BB d) Meadowside, Knowle Park Avenue, Staines TW18 1AN
3. That Cabinet approves delegated responsibility to agree the terms of the land transaction(s) (freehold or leasehold disposals), corresponding development agreement and associated legal documentation to the Executive Director for Environment, Property & Growth in consultation with Cabinet Members for Adult Social Care and Property, Infrastructure and Waste. The final agreements must ensure there is an appropriate return for the use of the council’s land taking into account the delivery of units allocated to ASC for people with mental health needs, plus that the council’s capital expenditure in enabling development of the sites is fully reimbursed.
4. Confirms that work on developing the four sites should be paused with a report brought back to Cabinet for decision on next steps if the outcome of bids received means that the council’s capital expenditure in enabling development of the sites is not fully funded or if it is considered that the development agreements do not provide an appropriate return in line with the value of the land.
5. Notes that a separate procurement process will be conducted to identify onsite support and care provision (for the units allocated to ASC) to avoid long-term support and care provision being tied into the development of the sites.
Reasons for Decisions:
· Housing plays a fundamental part in people’s wellbeing, their employment, health and relationships. Housing conditions, accessibility and mix are key determinants of a thriving and sustainable workforce and economy. Housing also links strongly to poverty, including fuel poverty, the cost of living as well as climate change and net zero ambitions. There are strong economic, health and community drivers for seeking to improve housing, accommodation and homes in Surrey. · In March 2023 Cabinet adopted the ‘Housing, Homes and Accommodation Strategy for Surrey’ (Housing Strategy) and encouraged others to do likewise in a spirit of collective endeavour to address the evidenced housing crisis in Surrey. · Housing with care and support (also known as specialist housing) enables people with mental health needs to access the right health and social care at the right time, in the right place, with appropriate housing for residents that helps them to remain independent and ensures ‘no one is left behind’. · A report was presented to Cabinet in November 2021 setting out ASC’s ‘Right Homes, Right Support Strategy for people with mental health needs’. A second paper setting out the council’s delivery strategy for modernising and transforming accommodation with support for people with mental health needs was approved by Cabinet in April 2023. This included Corporate ... view the full decision text for item 82/25 Minutes: The report was introduced by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care who explained that the proposals aligned with strategic priorities for housing, health and inclusive communities across Surrey. The report requires Cabinet approval to proceed with the development of four County Council own sites for housing, including dedicated homes for people with mental health needs. The report mentioned five sites but it had been decided not to progress with the Woking site at this stage as further due diligence was needed. The aim of the report was to ensure that some of the most vulnerable residents had access to safe, supported and sustainable accommodation that enabled them to live independently and thrive within their communities. The Cabinet Member explained that housing played a fundamental part in people's well-being, their employment, health and relationships. Good quality housing helped contribute to a thriving and sustainable workforce and economy. Since the pandemic, the need for mental health support had grown. This project would help meet the growing demand for supported independent living for people with mental health needs. The proposals were part of the ‘Right homes and Right support’ strategy. Each of the sites outlined in the report had been carefully assessed and confirmed as suitable for housing people with mental health needs. It was anticipated that between 100 and 130 units would be delivered in total. The exact number of homes would be determined through the procurement process. Each resident who accessed the new bespoke accommodation for those with mental health needs would have a tailored support plan in place.
The Cabinet Member announced that she along with the Leader had officially opened Emily Lodge, a new £5.7 million short breaks service which offered much needed respite for families caring for adults with additional needs. This purpose built facility was set in landscaped gardens in Goldsworth Park in Woking. The council would be taking a commercially viable, sustainable approach to delivery and entering into agreements with experienced developers in return for the land or access to the land. The development partner would deliver the housing, including the mental health units, without requiring significant capital investment from the Council. Following Cabinet approval officers would proceed to tender and will continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure transparency and support.
The Deputy Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning stated that the Keswick site in Great Bookham was welcomed by local residents and local leaders who understand the need for these sites. The Leader welcomed the short breaks service at Emily Lodge and spoke about the positive feedback he had received from carers using the service. He added that Good progress had been made to increase the capacity of Supported Independent Living with an increase from 211 units available in 2020 to 393 in April 2025
RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet approves proceeding with the tender to secure development agreements for four identified council-owned sites to deliver housing, including units allocated to Adult Social Care for people with mental health needs, on a ... view the full minutes text for item 82/25 |
|
|
YOUR FUND SURREY APPLICATION - ST PETER'S SHARED CHURCH - THE OAK PROJECT, GUILDFORD
This report sets out the key information on the St Peter’s Shared Church - The Oak Project, Guildford Your Fund Surrey (YFS) application, for the consideration of Cabinet. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee) Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet agrees to fund £850,000 (out of a total project cost of £1,620,000) comprised of:
·
£850,000 of capital funding towards the
development of a new community space, dependent on the remaining
funding being confirmed, and to be paid in staged payments, on
evidence of spend · Including 5% to be held by SCC until final evidence of income, expenditure, building control sign-off and completion report provided
2. That Cabinet authorises Legal Services to seal the Funding Agreement. Reasons for Decisions:
This application has been the subject of a rigorous assessment process by officers, as set out in the body of this report. Officers consider the project to meet the aims and published criteria of the fund and to satisfy the requirements to award funding. The project aims to extend the building with a new atrium, turning it into a welcoming and functional space to be used as a vibrant community hub for residents and is located in an identified Surrey County Council Key Neighbourhood. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)
Minutes: The report was introduced by the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities who explained that £850k was being requested out of a total project cost of £1.62m. St Peter’s Shared Church was a registered charity and was situated within the centre of the Bellfield's and Slyfield estate in North Guildford, which is a key neighbourhood ranked in decile 2 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation. St Peter’s Shared Church was requesting YFS funding to re-design the front of the church to extend the building. It would feature a new area enclosed by a vaulted glass roofed atrium and large glass sliding doors into the existing main church meeting area. The upgrade to the building would increase the overall footprint from around 850 visitors to 1700, allow more activities to take place and house the Oak Café, serve as the main entrance/reception, hospitality area, workspace and provide independent and wheelchair friendly access to all other spaces. Letters of support had been received from the local member, Julia McShane and residents.
The Leader added that there had been strong support from the Bishop of Guildford who commended the work of the Church. The project would also support the councils ambition of ‘no one left behind’.
RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet agrees to fund £850,000 (out of a total project cost of £1,620,000) comprised of:
·
£850,000 of capital funding towards the
development of a new community space, dependent on the remaining
funding being confirmed, and to be paid in staged payments, on
evidence of spend · Including 5% to be held by SCC until final evidence of income, expenditure, building control sign-off and completion report provided
2. That Cabinet authorises Legal Services to seal the Funding Agreement. Reasons for Decisions:
This application has been the subject of a rigorous assessment process by officers, as set out in the body of this report. Officers consider the project to meet the aims and published criteria of the fund and to satisfy the requirements to award funding. The project aims to extend the building with a new atrium, turning it into a welcoming and functional space to be used as a vibrant community hub for residents and is located in an identified Surrey County Council Key Neighbourhood. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)
|
|
|
YOUR FUND SURREY APPLICATION - SHAMLEY GREEN VILLAGE HALL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WAVERLEY
This report sets out the key information on the Shamley Green Village Hall, Waverley Your Fund Surrey (YFS) application, for the consideration of Cabinet. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee) Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet agrees to fund the full amount requested of £700,000 (out of a total project cost of £1,540,000) comprised of: · £700,000 of capital funding towards the development of the village hall, dependent on the remaining funding being confirmed, and to be paid in staged payments, on evidence of spend · Including 5% to be held by SCC until final evidence of income, expenditure, building control sign-off and completion report provided.
2. That Cabinet authorises Legal Services to seal the Funding Agreement. Reasons for Decisions:
This application has been the subject of a rigorous assessment process by officers, as set out in the body of this report. Officers consider the project to meet the aims and published criteria of the fund and to satisfy the requirements to award funding. The Shamley Green Village Hall Redevelopment project aims to redevelop the existing community hall into a community hub for the village, delivering increased benefits to the whole local community, addressing the lack of accessibility and increasing the hall’s sustainability. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)
Minutes: The report was introduced by the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities who explained that £700k was being requested from a total project cost of £1.54m. A significant amount had already been raised by the local community. Shamley Green Village Hall, was seeking funding from YFS to redevelop the existing hall into a community hub for the village. The redevelopment would preserve the hall's central Arts and Crafts core while enhancing its facilities to provide improved services sustainably. The current village hall was very dilapidated and a very poor state of repair. The hall was of local importance and would cater to different age groups in a very isolated area of Surrey. The improved offer would provide out of school activities and would also provide social interaction for elderly citizens. The local member, Kevin Deanus supported the application. Although he could not attend the Cabinet meeting, the Deputy Leader read out a statement on his behalf explaining that the hall had been part of the fabric of community life but was tired and worn. The hall provided a social lifeline to many due to its rural location. The local member fully supported the application.
RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet agrees to fund the full amount requested of £700,000 (out of a total project cost of £1,540,000) comprised of: · £700,000 of capital funding towards the development of the village hall, dependent on the remaining funding being confirmed, and to be paid in staged payments, on evidence of spend · Including 5% to be held by SCC until final evidence of income, expenditure, building control sign-off and completion report provided.
2. That Cabinet authorises Legal Services to seal the Funding Agreement. Reasons for Decisions:
This application has been the subject of a rigorous assessment process by officers, as set out in the body of this report. Officers consider the project to meet the aims and published criteria of the fund and to satisfy the requirements to award funding. The Shamley Green Village Hall Redevelopment project aims to redevelop the existing community hall into a community hub for the village, delivering increased benefits to the whole local community, addressing the lack of accessibility and increasing the hall’s sustainability. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Communities, Environment and Highways Select Committee)
|
|
|
2024/25 FINANCIAL OUTTURN REPORT
This report sets out Surrey County Council’s 2024/25 financial performance for revenue and capital, including the year-end Treasury Management and debt outturn position. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee) Additional documents: Decision: RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet notes the Council’s revenue and capital positions for the year. 2. That Cabinet approves the contribution of the £6.3m surplus to the Budget Equalisation Reserve as follows and as set out in paragraph 9: · £3m, ringfenced for the Place Directorate, to cover the cost of Highways remedial action, including the Godstone sink hole and other emergency works. · £3.3m to provide financial resilience and mitigate against other emerging risks in 2025/26. 3. That Cabinet approves capital carry forwards of £56.6m. £53.9m is requested to be carried forward into the 2025/26 capital programme, with the remaining £2.7m in 2026/27. Reasons for Decisions: This report is to comply with the agreed policy of providing a monthly budget monitoring report to Cabinet for information and for approval of any necessary actions. (The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)
Minutes: The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources introduced the financial outturn report for the 2024/25 financial year which covered revenue, capital, treasury management and the debt outturn position. The Council’s outturn position for 2024/25 was a Directorate overspend of £13.7m. This is an improvement of £2m on the M11 position. After application of the corporately held contingency budget, this resulted in an overall underspend of £6.3m. This was a good position considering all the challenges local government faces. The overspend related to increase in demand in both children and adult social care. Reserves were not used to balance to the budget. There was a recommendation in the report asking Cabinet to approve the contribution of the £6.3m surplus to the Budget Equalisation Reserve. £3m, ringfenced for the Place Directorate, to cover the cost of Highways remedial action, including the Godstone sink hole and other emergency works and £3.3m to provide financial resilience and mitigate against other emerging risks in 2025/26.
The council had struggled to deliver all the efficiencies it had set at the start of 2024 and had delivered 81% of these which equated to £43m. In terms of the Capital budget which was rephased in July 2024 to £322.2m, spend of £305.7m had been incurred against this budget, which was a variance of £16.5m, a £2.1m decrease from the month 11 position. An update was given on the safety valve. A number of pressures had been identified including an increase in EHCPs and the delay to the delivery of free school places by the DfE. To date, the Council had received £82m in Safety Valve payments (82% of the total DfE contributions) with a remaining £18m due to be paid over the next two years. The November 2024 return highlighted that the Council is no longer on track to meet the original target of balancing the DSG by 2026/27 and we have requested an extension in the timeline as well as additional revenue funding, extending the programme until the end of 2030/31. The Cabinet Member explained that all Prudential Indicators had been adhered to and the Authorised Borrowing Limit and Operational Boundary had not been breached during the period.
The Leader explained that the council had committed £150m of its reserves to the safety valve agreement as part of its overall agreement with the DfE. This money should have been covered by the government but had not been. As part of the agreement three free schools should have been funded by the government. The achievements of Claire Edgar, the Executive Director for Adults, Wellbeing and Health Partnerships, were recognised for bringing in the £520m budget within £2.8m. The Leader welcomed this phenomenal result
RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet notes the Council’s revenue and capital positions for the year. 2. That Cabinet approves the contribution of the £6.3m surplus to the Budget Equalisation Reserve as follows and as set out in paragraph 9: · £3m, ringfenced for the Place Directorate, to cover the cost of Highways remedial action, including the ... view the full minutes text for item 85/25 |
|
|
EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC
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. Additional documents: 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.
|
|
|
PUBLICITY FOR PART 2 ITEMS
To consider whether the item considered under Part 2 of the agenda should be made available to the Press and public. Additional documents: Minutes: It was agreed that non-exempt information may be made available to the press and public, where appropriate. |