Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Galer, Hammond & Jeal.

There were no declarations of interest declared at the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 July 2024 were confirmed.

There were no matters arising from the above minutes which were not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

The Committee received and considered the report from the Information Governance Lead.

The Information Governance Lead gave an update on performance for the first quarter of 2024/25 April to June, where progress is assessed against targets which are set at the start of the financial year. The report also provides an update on the position of key projects that are linked to the corporate priorities from ‘The Plan 2020-2025’. A summary of progress for the suite of key projects and individual highlight reports for each of these key projects are presented in Appendix 1 of the agenda report. The performance measures, which can be found in Appendix 2 of the agenda report, give a comprehensive overview of how the authority as a whole is performing and cover most Council functions.

The Information Governance Lead reported that in total there are 40 targeted and 37 monitored measures reported in the first quarter performance report. Information is not available for 3 of the targeted measures due to the migration of the Housing Service to a new integrated housing assets and management computer system. The monitored measures are reported for contextual information, this data is important information for the Council as the actions of the Council may make improvements however there is not sufficient control over the outcome to set a target.

The Information Governance Lead reported that there are four measures that are within the Red status which are not achieving the target and are below the tolerance level set, an explanation of the performance in these areas is provided below each measure in the report.
The red status measures are:-

PR06: Contact centre telephone calls: Percentage of Contact Centre calls answered as a % of all calls offered.

PR07: Contact centre telephone calls: Average wait time by customers contacting the Contact Centre.

PR11: Percentage of staff that have hit a sickness trigger point and have had a sickness absence review meeting within 14 calendar days.

PR12: % of Audit days delivered (of the annual plan).

The Chair referred to page 3 of the agenda report and asked why date in relation to Historic Buildings in the borough had been omitted from the list. The Information Governance Lead reported that this data had never been included but he would ask the Project Manager to include them in the future.

The Chair referred to page 11 of the agenda report and asked for an update in regard to the commercial operator for the Wintergarden project. The Monitoring officer reported that the procurement of a commercial operator was work in progress. Councillor Wainwright reported that he sat on the member working group and the operator would be appointed in early 2025.

Councillor Grant referred to page 12 of the agenda report and asked for clarification in regard to the ownership of the café sited to the rear of the Wintergardens. Councillor Wainwright reported that the Council had taken ownership of this café and intended to bring it back to use utilising a separate funding stream.

Councillor Freeman referred to page 11 of the agenda report and asked for clarification in regard to the Horticultural Expert GYS. The Executive Director - Resources reported that this was in relation to this project only and not in relation to any other GYS works.

Councillor P Carpenter asked for clarification in relation to KP12 North Quay, and asked why the project was green when its viability was flagged as red as there was insufficient funding to complete the project. The Information Governance Lead reported that the project overall was green but part of the risk, i.e. the funding, was red and it was his role to bring this to the attention of Members. Councillor Wainwright reminded Members that this project had a viability gap of some £26m.

RESOLVED:-

That Scrutiny Committee note the contents of the Cabinet report which was approved by Cabinet at it's meeting on the 9 September 2024, providing feedback and recommendations where appropriate.

The Committee received and considered the report from the Financial Services Manager.

The Executive Director - Resources presented the budget monitoring forecast position for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account and their respective capital programmes for the financial year 2024/25 for quarter 1. The original base budgets for 2024/25 were approved by Council in February 2024 and assumed a transfer from the General Fund reserves of £688,885 and a transfer of £2,878,800 from the Housing Revenue Account. This was alongside setting the capital programmes for both the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account. This report compares the forecast expenditure and income position at the end of June 2024 to the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2024/25.

The budget at month 3 remains at the original budget amount of a deficit £689k transfer from reserves. The General Fund Summary at Appendix A shows the high-level forecast budget monitoring position on 30 June 2024 of a deficit position of £1,101k. Appendices A and B provide commentary on the more significant variances (£+/-£10,000 full year) identified from the budget monitoring process carried out between finance and services for the position at the end of period 3 and where there is anticipated yearend under/overspend. Appendix C provides a summary of the General Fund service income and expenditure by type (e.g. employee costs).

The forecast position reflects 2 significant changes from the budget. The first being the Waveney Yare and Lothingland Internal Drainage Board Levy (IDB) for 2024/25 is £291k which is a £240k (253%) increase from the previous year (£47k), which exceeded the budgeted for increase (this is within the Environmental Health Service in Appendix B). In January 2024 the previous government announced funding of £3 million to mitigate the impact to Local Authorities of the increases to the IDB levies in 2024/25. This funding was not allocated ahead of the general election in July and there is continued active lobbying by the Special Interest Group on this matter. Until such time as the funding is confirmed this will remain an overspend and continued pressure on the budget. The second is an updated position on the minimum revenue provision following the 2023/24 outturn which is a favourable variance of £253k from when the budget as set (this is in the non- service income & expenditure on Appendix A.

The Housing Revenue Account summary, displayed within Appendix G, shows a 2024/25 forecast deficit of £2.458m, from a budgeted deficit of £2.878m, resulting in a favourable movement of £0.421m. Revenue repair and maintenance budgets currently reflect an underspend in responsive repairs and planned cyclical works through the GYN Joint Venture, budgets will continue to be monitored going forward and forecasts will be adjusted to reflect any market changes.

The Housing Revenue Account set a major capital works budget of £16.361m for 2024/25. The 2024/25 capital budget will be updated from P4 to reflect all 2024/25 approved carry forward budgets from the 2024/25 Outturn report. There is no change to forecast budget at the end of Period 3. 2024/25 Capital spend to the end of Period 3 totals £1.452m. Appendix H shows an overall spend of £1.169m, which includes outstanding accrued invoices from 2023/24 of £282k awaiting to be paid. The majority of spend to date has been on acquisitions of 4 new homes added to the Housing revenue stock, communal bin purchases, capital planned improvements and major void works. 2024/25 Capital programmes are progressing with work mobilising and revisions to work plans being reviewed and prioritised as needed. £1.1m of expenditure has been committed to date on kitchens and bathrooms, roofing works and major voids. Major voids works are continuing to address some of the Council’s most demanding vacant properties.

Right to Buy sales total one sale up to the end of period 3. A further 2 sales are expected in Period 4 and 19 applications are currently being processed with the Right to Buy team.
Right to Buy capital receipts will support the capital programme in 2024/25 and support the development of Affordable Housing.

Councillor Grant asked for clarification in regard to the right to buy receipts and an assurance that the Council would not have to return any underspend to the government. The Executive Director - Resources assured the Committee that the Council would utilise all of the right to but receipts.

The Chair referred to page 57 of the agenda pack and asked whether the projections were correct in regard to the interest repayments on the loan facility for the Marina Centre. The Executive Director - Resources confirmed that the payment schedule was on target.

Councillor Thompson asked that the Council, if it was minded to loose the CFG for burial grounds in 2025/26, that they inform Parish Councils as early as possible so they can budget appropriately, as the loss of CFG for Open Spaces had been informed too late in the day for them. The Executive Director - Resources reported that she would take this comment on board but there were no plans to remove the CFG for Burial Grounds in the next budget round.

RESOLVED:-

That the Committee note the contents of the Cabinet report which was approved by Cabinet at it's meeting on the 9 September 2024, providing feedback and recommendations where appropriate.

The Committee received a presentation from the Executive Director - People, Tenancy Services Manager & Community Capacity Manager. A copy of the presentation slides had been circulated to Members as part of the agenda pack for their information.

The Executive Director - People, Tenancy Services Manager & Community Capacity Manager reported on the salient areas of the presentation slides which highlighted the importance of partnership working and the difficulties faced by the Council in securing residents to form committees to run community centres and residents to run the communal rooms in sheltered housing communities.

The Executive Director - People informed the Committee that the lease for the Peggotty Road Community Centre had been terminated and the Council was operating it on a temporary basis as the Peggotty Road Management Group had indicated that they no longer wished to run the building.

Councillor Grant asked who was responsible for the operating costs and management of these facilities. In regard to a communal room, was the asset funded through the rent which the tenants paid to the Council. The Executive Director - People reported that the Community Centres were operated on a full repair lease apart from Peggotty Road.

The Executive Director - People informed Members that the grant from Norfolk Public health expired next year and representatives from Norfolk Public health had visited the borough recently to see for themselves all the good works which had resulted from their grant funding.

The Chair reported that the loss of Neighbourhood Managers and Wardens had resulted in the Community Centres & Communal Rooms in his ward struggling to find residents willing to take up committee posts to run the centres, and as a result, several of these facilities had ceased to operate.

The Community Capacity Manager reported that he had worked closely with the three Nelson Ward Members to find out what was needed at Peggotty Road and with agencies such as the Salvation Army and Freshly Greated to provide activities and resources such as the Sally Store and Our Space community group.

Councillor Robinson-Payne thanked the officers for all their hard work in keeping Peggotty Road open for its local residents as it was the heart of the neighbourhood. The Executive Director - People reported that the income and expenditure for Peggotty Road was about there and there was a surplus each month.

The Tenancy Services Manager reported that the use of the communal rooms across the borough was being looked as as part of the Sheltered Housing Review. A dedicated Tenancy Support Officer was in place to facilitate over 40 different activities in the communal rooms with over 100 events delivered boroughwide. The Tenancy Services officer attended each room once a month to have an informal chat with residents to discuss possible events to enhance their social wellbeing. An external noticeboard was in place and tenants were supported to make use of the rooms to ensure that the elderly community were able to come together and to combat loneliness and isolation. Organisations such as Dial were invited to attend the rooms to give financial advice to ensure that tenants were claiming all of the benefits that they were entitled too.

Councillor Wainwright reported that he was disappointed that £25k funding had been put aside but nothing had been spent. The residents at Seawake Close had darts but no dartboard and funding for a dartboard was such a small thing but it could make all the difference to the residents. If residents did not make use of the rooms they would loose them.

The Tenancy Services Manager agreed that the rooms needed investment and a decision had been made not to spend the £25k budget put aside during the Sheltered Housing Review. A report would be presented to Members detailing the outcome of the Sheltered Housing Review. Councillor Wainwright asked who would be leading the review. The Executive Director - People reported that Chris Furlong had lead the review but as he had left the Council, this had now passed to Nicola Turner, Head of Housing Assets.

The Chair highlighted Genista Green which had been a vibrant facility and open every day, however, once the support from the Neighbourhood Officers had been withdrawn and the tenants who had run the rooms had unfortunately passed away, the facility had to be closed. The Tenancy Services Manager agreed that this was a battle and that the health of tenants had a grave impact on the successful operation of the rooms. He reminded Members that the entirety of the Sheltered Housing assets were being reviewed and not just the communal rooms.

Councillor Robinson-Payne reported that elderly residents just wanted to turn up to a coffee morning and enjoy it without the added stress of having to arrange it and that they missed their wardens who used to do this. The Tenancy Services Manager reported that tenants socialised differently to how they used to twenty years ago. 

Councillor P Carpenter reported that Hawkins Close used to be a vibrant hub but it was driven by two residents who have since both sadly passed away. She asked whether communal rooms such as Wherry Way could be rented out for commercial use to ensure that they were not lost for the community. The Chair reported that the rooms were a place of safety, warmth and comfort for its residents and that commercial use was inappropriate.

Councillor Martin reported that allocated activity co-ordinators were required and the residents needed urgent support to run the rooms and facilitate activities. The Community Capacity Manager reported that a new Volunteer Co-ordinator was being sought to work with the Tenancy Services Team and to visit the communal rooms to try and kickstart activities. 

Councillor Grant commented that the Sheltered Housing Review had been going on for an eternity and that Members needed to see sight of the report. Members could then decide if the communal rooms were to be kept and agree the spend of the £25k budget and then review the situation in a further 12 months time.

Councillor Wainwright asked what the plans were for the remaining Community Marshalls when the funding ran out next year as they did a remarkable job and would be greatly missed and result in a huge loss to the borough. The Executive Director - People agreed that the Community Marshals provided an important outreach service and it was hoped to secure funding for the team by offering them as a care co-ordinating team in the borough, to provide services such as smoking cessation, and that this was work in progress.

The Chair proposed that the Committee note the report & raise the urgent need for an officer to be funded to co-ordinate/organise a wide range of activities to be offered at community centres and communal rooms across the borough to benefit the well-being of its residents.

RESOLVED:-

That the Committee note the report & raise the urgent need for an officer to be funded to co-ordinate/organise a wide range of activities to be offered at community centres and communal rooms across the borough to benefit the well-being of its residents.

The Committee received and considered the Work Programme 2024-25.

Scrutiny noted the following:-

(1) Anglian Water (Local Plan & Sewerage releases into Rivers & Seas) TBC for November or December 2025 meeting; and

(2) Update from GYS re grass cutting, street cleansing, bulk waste & bin provision to be received before Spring 2025.