Decisions

It was agreed that non-exempt information may be made available to the press and public, where appropriate.

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.

RESOLVED:

That the decision taken by the Cabinet Member since the last meeting be noted.

Reason for Decision:

To inform the Cabinet of decisions taken by the Leader / Cabinet Members and Investment Board under delegated authority.

There was one public question.  This and the response was published as a supplement to the agenda.

There were two questions from Members.  These and the responses were published as a supplement to the agenda.

To consider the month end budget report and make any recommendations as appropriate.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the Council’s overall revenue and capital budget positions as at 31 August 2018 be noted.

2.    That the management realignment within Highways, Transport & Environment directorate be noted.

3.    That the Economic Growth’s request to draw down £71,000 from the carry forward agreed from 2017/18 be approved.

4.    That the IT and Digital’s request to reprofile £1.8m capital expenditure into future years be approved.

Reason for Decisions:

This report is presented to comply with the agreed policy of providing a monthly budget monitoring report to Cabinet for approval and action as necessary.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Corporate Overview Select Committee]

Approve the business case for the project to provide a new two form entry primary school (420 places plus 52 place nursery) on the Westvale Housing Development in Horley.   The new school will provide places for families moving into the Westvale Estate, and will also benefit the wider community through the creation of a dual use recreation ground as part of this project.   The Section 106 agreement provides the school site and recreation grounds and a contribution of £4.5m towards the cost of the build of the new school.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the agreement of the detailed financial information for the provision of a new two form entry primary school set out in Part 2 of the submitted report [Exempt Minutes E-20-18 and E-21-18], the business case for the provision of an additional 2 Forms of Entry worth of primary and 52 nursery places in Horley be approved.

Reason for Decision:

The proposal supports the Authority’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places, relative to demand.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children’s Select Committee]

To agree the development of a long term investment strategy for Surrey, with collaborative place shaping at its core.

RESOLVED:

1.    The development of a long term Asset and Place Strategy and Delivery Plan to 2030, in line with district and borough local plans, which would deliver a re-modelled operational estate and long term income for the Council and to use released assets to support growth in Surrey was approved. 

2.    That this work be led by the Council’s Asset Strategy Board.

3.    The appointment of an Advisory Panel to support the Asset Strategy Board in its work be composed of two Councillors and up to three outside advisers including the Chairman be approved.

4.    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Economy, Growth and Commercial (in consultation with the Leader) to appoint up to two further external advisers, and to agree the Advisory Panel’s terms of reference and work programme.

5.    To provide support to the Programme which consisted of:

·         a programme team to co-ordinate the strategy and delivery plan work and organise space planning workshops with partners.

·         high level design and feasibility studies for each scheme (at least 20)

·         social-economic-techno analysis (in support of the work already completed by Surrey Futures).

·         commercial financial modelling expertise to develop funding strategies for each scheme and validate future income streams.

·         legal support to advise on delivery models.

To RECOMMEND that Council:

6.    Approve a programme budget of up to £500,000 to enable the development of the strategy and the financial validation, as transformation expenditure to be funded from capital receipts flexibility. This figure includes a previous decision by Council to allocate £275k. 

Reason for Decisions:

This hugely ambitious plan for change needs extensive technical support and engagement with partners to develop a strategy and plan that is deliverable and has the support of partners. The technical work needs to be completed before we are able to have confidence that the outcomes in the strategy are deliverable.

This report seeks to secure an approval from Cabinet to draw down resources to help deliver complex technical modelling, feasibility and design studies, legal and programme support.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Highways and Growth Select Committee]

To approve camera enforcement of bus lanes in Surrey.

RESOLVED:

1.      That the Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Policy be agreed.

2.      That authority be delegated to local or joint committees to decide if enforcement should be introduced for any existing or proposed bus lanes in their area.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member for Place to review and agree any future financial arrangements.

4.      That authority be delegated to the Head of Highways & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member for Place to enter into any new bus lane enforcement agency agreements, subject to support from the local or joint committee.

Reason for Decisions:

To ensure the Council can effectively, efficiently and consistently manage bus lane enforcement in Surrey, managing congestion for the benefit of residents and businesses.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment Select Committee]

To approve the Council’s 2019/20 revenue funding formula for Surrey schools.

RESOLVED:

1.    That appeals be lodged with the Secretary of State to overturn the decisions of the Schools Forum and:

a)    permit the transfer of 0.5% of the Schools Block (£3.1m) to support High Needs Special Education Needs & Disability (SEND)

b)    enable the council to introduce a control mechanism on maintained schools’ excessive balances to support High Needs SEND. 

2.    That to ensure the sustainability of the additional SEN funding factor provided to mainstream schools with high numbers of SEND pupils, the threshold for funding be increased and thereby targeted to fewer schools. This recommendation was in the context of increased funding for Low Prior Attainment provided by the National Funding Formula. 

3.    That the transition to the National Funding Formula (NFF) progresses at a steady rate from 72.5% to approximately 85% of NFF values in 2019/20. This facilitates a move to 100% by 2020/21 when the full NFF funding is available.

4.    That the council implement the Minimum Per Pupil Level (MPPL) in full. However, should the appeal to the Secretary of State to transfer £3.1m to High Needs be approved, the full MPPL should be reduced by approximately £31 per pupil to ensure all schools contribute. (The Schools Forum supported the full MPPL but refused the £3.1m transfer.)

5.    That the following formula recommendations from the Schools Forum be approved:

Schools Formula Funding

a)    The minimum funding guarantee (MFG) for schools should be set at zero

b)    All minor formula changes involving facilitating the transition towards the National Funding Formula are implemented. (E.g. notional SEN funding)

c)    £0.3m from the surplus on the de-delegated primary schools’ contingency should be distributed to primary schools reflecting the origin of the funds.

Early Years Funding

d)    The SEN Inclusion Fund to provide additional funding to providers for 3-4 year olds with SEND should be set at £1.4m

e)    Funding for individual Early Years providers should be at rates which are commensurate with the levels of Direct Schools Grant (DSG) funding, currently estimated at:

·         £4.65/ hour for three and four year olds (£4.60 in 2018/19);

·         £5.88 / hour for two year olds (unchanged); and

·         £2.77 / hour additional deprivation funding (based on eligibility for the early years pupil premium on economic grounds (unchanged)

f)     That 2.5% of formula funding is allocated as a deprivation supplement for children meeting the Department for Education criteria for the early years pupil premium.

g)    Funding for free meals provision in maintained and academy nurseries should remain unchanged.

6.    That authority is delegated to the Director of Education, Lifelong Learning & Culture in consultation with the Leader and the Cabinet Member for All-Age Learning to approve amendments to the schools and early years formulae as appropriate following receipt of the DSG settlement and DfE pupil data in December 2018. This was to ensure that total allocations to schools under this formula remain affordable within the Council’s DSG settlement.

7.    That the Leader write to the Secretary of State and lobby the Local Government Association with regards to applying the same conditions on academy schools in respect of balances.

Reason for Decisions:

To comply with Department for Education regulations requiring formal council approval of the local funding formula for Surrey’s primary and secondary schools.  

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children and Education Select Committee]

To approve the strategy, transformation programme and preliminary financial statement that will ensure progress in achieving the vision for Surrey in 2030.

RESOLVED:

Cabinet RECOMMEND that Council:

1.    Approve the Surrey County Council Organisation Strategy 2019 – 2023 which sets out how the Council would work with residents and partners to contribute to the achievement of the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030. It sets out priority areas the Council would focus on over the next four years.

2.    Approve the Preliminary Financial Strategy (PFS) 2019 – 2024 that sets out a draft balanced budget for 2019/20, without the use of reserves, subject to the outcome of consultation, engagement and equality impact assessments.

3.    Approve the Transformation Programme subject to the outcome of consultation, engagement and equality impact assessments. The programme would be delivered through six delivery themes: Service Transformation, Partnership & Integration, New Ways of Working, Commissioning, Investment & Income and Technology & Digital Innovation.

4.     Approve the ‘Our People 2021’ strategy, which was the Council’s plan for the current and future workforce and sets out how the Council would develop its capacity and capability to contribute to the Community Vision for Surrey in 2030, achieve its priority strategic outcomes for residents, ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council, drive wholesale transformational change over the next few years and create a high performance culture.

5.    To note the planned engagement and consultation activity related to the savings proposals contained within the PFS and Transformation Programme. These had been initiated under the formerly agreed delegated authority of senior officers.

Cabinet noted:

6.    That the outcomes of this activity will be brought back to Cabinet on 29 January 2019, where Cabinet would be asked to make recommendations to the Council meeting in February 2019 on the revenue & capital Budget and the council tax precept for 2019/20.

Reasons for Decisions:

By approving the suite of documents in the annexes to the submitted report the Cabinet was supporting a new financial and strategic direction for the Council, endorsing the priorities, key objectives and draft directorate budget envelopes for the medium term.

The Organisation Strategy, Preliminary Financial Strategy, Transformation Programme and ‘Our People 2021’ strategy provided a clear sense of the Council’s direction for staff, members, residents, partner organisations and businesses. As part of the Council’s Policy Framework (as set out in the Constitution) the Corporate Strategy (called the Organisation Strategy in this report) must be approved by Council.

To approve the Reigate and Banstead Local Transport Strategy, including the Forward Programme.

RESOLVED:

That the updated Reigate and Banstead Local Transport Strategy, including the Forward Programme be approved.

Reason for Decision:

Inadequate transport infrastructure was identified as the biggest barrier to economic growth in the county.

The current Reigate and Banstead Local Transport Strategy was published in 2014. As such, information within it was dated and in need of review. It was important that Local Transport Strategies were kept up-to-date, as this ensured that the right investments were prioritised and that Members, officers and delivery partners could coordinate investment in transport infrastructure. Maintaining up-to-date strategies also meant Surrey County Council was ready to confidently bid for funding opportunities at short notice, should an opportunity arise.

The revised strategy would support Surrey County Council’s priorities to promote sustainable economic growth and secure investment in infrastructure. The strategy would benefit Surrey residents and businesses by accommodating sustainable population growth, helping to boost the economy and limit the impact of transport and development on the environment.

This revised strategy had been developed through joint working between officers and Members from both Surrey County Council and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to ensure that the Local Transport Strategy was relevant for the area.

It has also been subject to public consultation, an Equalities Impact Assessment and an Environmental Sustainability Appraisal, and refined accordingly. The revised strategy had been approved by the Reigate & Banstead Local Committee (under delegated authority).

This revised strategy would replace the Reigate and Banstead Local Transport Strategy from, dated December 2014 currently adopted as part of the Surrey Transport Plan, a statutory document. The Forward Programme will replace previously published versions of the Forward Programme.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment Select Committee]

Following Cabinet’s approval to convert the Council’s street lights to LED in October 2018, Officers have carried out the necessary work to agree the legal and commercial aspects of the Change Agreement and are now ready to proceed to the execution of the Deed of Variation to the PFI Contract.

RESOLVED:

1. That the conversion of street lights to LED be approved.
2. That authority be delegated to the Head of Highways and Transport in consultation with the Executive Director of Finance, Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Lead Member for Place to complete the negotiation of the contractual variation and authorise the execution of a Deed of Variation to the Street Lighting PFI contract.
3. That officers send the business case to Coast to Capital, EM3 and Local Enterprise Partnerships in order to seek funding opportunities for the LED conversion.

Reason for Decisions:

Energy price inflation was increasing at a significant rate (5%-14% per annum) and to ensure lights were operational when needed, there was little opportunity for the Council to control or reduce its energy costs.

LED technology in street lighting had matured significantly in recent years while the costs had reduced. Many Highway Authorities had either embarked on an LED conversion programme or were in the process of planning to commence one within the next 2-3 years.

Converting to LED would reduce energy consumption by 60% delivering £2 million per year energy savings at today’s prices as well as reducing carbon impact by 6200 tonnes.

In addition to converting to LED street lighting and upgrading the Central Management System, officers would be able to explore additional innovations now being used or being developed for use with street lighting such as:

·         Providing real-time traffic movement data to help understand and ease congestion

·         Adjust lighting levels of traffic routes to suit actual traffic levels which would lead to additional energy savings

·         Environmental sensors to detect and monitor air quality

The potential for these innovations may be in direct relation to street lighting (e.g. dimming in response to traffic levels) or in providing a communications network for other areas of the Council (and extending to partners in District and Borough Councils) to connect equipment to improve the services and outcomes they deliver. 

Furthermore, these innovations may present grant funding opportunities through central Government departments and the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) which would reduce the borrowing requirement for the Council.

The PFI contract allowed for changes to the specification and service.  Following Cabinet approval in January 2018, a Change Notice had been issued under the contract and subject to this approval, officers will finalise the contractual documents and execute a Deed of Variation.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment Select Committee]

The Cabinet to approve the Single Use Plastics (SUP) policy and its implementation for tackling the use of SUP.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the new policy be approved and the short-term action plan be noted.

2.    That further work was being undertaken with all districts and boroughs to develop a joint Surrey strategy and a long-term county-wide action plan that will support Surrey to become a Single Use Plastics (SUP) free county in line with national policy was noted.

3.    That authority be delegated to the Executive Director for Highways, Transport and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport to approve the joint strategy and the long-term action plan once finalised in March 2019.

Reason for Decision:

A motion was passed on 20 March 2018 calling to make the Council a single-use-plastic-free authority. The introduction of the SUP policy is one of the primary steps required to deliver the motion. It also supports the Council’s new draft vision for Surrey in 2030 to enable residents to “live in clean, safe and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities”.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment Select Committee]

Highways, Transport & Environment Service are proposing to:

Launch public engagement and consultation exercise to consider the views of residents and stakeholders on:

·        The future funding of non-statutory (additional) concessions to the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme in Surrey

Which is likely to amount to a modification to a public service, subject to any change being agreed by Cabinet at their meeting on 29 Jan 2019.

At that meeting the Cabinet will be presented with a report detailing the consultation findings enabling it to make an informed decision on the future funding of bus services and non-statutory concessions.

It was AGREED to commence public consultation on the proposal outlined.

The Environment Service are proposing to launch a public consultation exercise to consider the views of residents and stakeholders on proposals to change the CRC service. The detail of the proposals will be communicated in the public consultation.

The feedback submitted during the public consultation will inform the final recommendations for change. This will be detailed in a report with the consultation findings, and will be presented to Cabinet at their meeting on 29 Jan 2019 enabling it to make an informed decision on any potential changes to the service. 

It was AGREED to commence public consultation on the proposal outlined.

The Children, Families, Learning, Communities and Culture Service is proposing to: focus its services on helping families to become more resilient. In particular, in phase one of the consultation this will mean changes to how Children’s Centres are funded and delivered in Surrey. The Family Resilience approach seeks to support families earlier on when problems first emerge, with a clear emphasis on providing the most help to the families who are in greatest need.  We will continue to invest in at least one main centre in every district and borough, located in the areas of highest need. The new centre offer will be resourced to work with vulnerable families aged 0 -11. Main centres will be supported by the use of smaller satellite centres and outreach workers. Whilst having fewer centres than we do now overall we will work with partners to offer services to families in their own communities.

This is likely to amount to a modification to a public service.

It was AGREED to commence public consultation on the proposal outlined.

Outcomes for SEND children in Surrey are lower than our peers and need to improve.  Feedback from children, young people and families as well as our regulators also highlight that the service needs to improve. 

Demand is increasing at much higher levels than funding. The service needs to be transformed to ensure it is financially sustainable in order to meet needs.

It is proposed that a public consultation be carried out to focus on the development of a strategy to support transformation, focusing particularly on:

•        A joined up and whole system approach to practice and support for children and young people.

•        Early support and prevention, including preventing the escalation to more complex needs.

•        A whole system approach with Education, Health, Care and partners

•        Commissioning to ensure appropriate sufficiency and cost effective local provision.

•        A reduction in SEND transport costs through increased local placements.

This will be enabled by improved data and insight as well as digital solutions.

It was AGREED to commence public consultation on the proposal outlined.

There is a need to develop a new strategy for the delivery of cultural services to ensure that they can continue to be sustainable over the longer term.  We aim to place libraries and cultural services at the heart of lifelong learning and stronger communities.

It is proposed that a public consultation be carried out focused on a redesign of libraries and cultural services based upon five key principles to underpin a new service strategy:

1. Libraries and cultural services provide and enable opportunities for everyone to learn, access information, acquire new skills, literacy and be involved in their communities.
2. There is a focus on the wellbeing and strengthening of communities, particularly the most vulnerable, to enable them to be resilient.
3. Libraries and cultural services are most effective and efficient when they work in partnership with the public, voluntary, community and private sectors, including through the creation of shared spaces. 
4. New technologies, including digital, enable libraries and cultural services to reach new audiences, and existing audiences in new ways, and offer 24/7 access.
5. Volunteers are crucial community advocates and assets in libraries and cultural services, who also gain valuable skills and relationships through the work they do.

It was AGREED to commence public consultation on the proposal outlined.