Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Community, Finance and Strategic Leadership Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 9th January, 2025 2.00 pm

Venue: Multi-Location Meeting - Council Chamber, Port Talbot & Microsoft Teams. View directions

Contact: Alison Thomas  Email: a.thomas6@npt.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Chair's Announcements

Decision:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Decision:

There were no declarations of interest received.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest received.

3.

To consider items from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme

Decision:

Members considered the items selected from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.

Minutes:

Members considered the items selected from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.

3a

Contract Procedure Rules pdf icon PDF 213 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

The documents governs the arrangements for how the Council will enter into contracts. The Procurement Act 2023 will come into force at the end of February, which will set out the legislative process, following the UK’s departure from the EU. The purpose of the rules is to provide transparency with regards to how the Council undertakes its business and contracts. The document provided is the baseline document which will form part of the Council’s Constitution.

 

Officers will be provided with training to ensure that they understand the key changes of the new requirements. There will also be easy read documents produced for members of the public to understand the new requirements.

Members queried if the new legislation allowed for conditions to be input which can ensure that any contracts that are entered into, the authority must consider using local businesses, as opposed to nationally driven contracts?

 

Officers reinforced that procurement rules are dictated by legislation and there are general principles embedded including non-discrimination and transparency. Equal opportunity must be given to anyone within the country to be able to bid for a contact.

However, the authority will try and ensure that there are no barriers to prevent anyone from being able to participate in the bid for a contract. The Procurement Strategy sets out NPT first, and this requires officers to make sure that, when designing tenders, local organisations are given the opportunities to bid on the same level as other organisations. The Procurement Strategy embeds the social value in procurement. This includes a key duration in tender and contract which encourages suppliers to deliver community benefits, engage with local business and create local jobs. Officers must consider the wider social, economic and environmental benefits of a contract.

 

Officers outlined that larger contracts are split into smaller contracts to make sure that local businesses who may be able to deliver one particular aspect can do so, as opposed to one organisation having the monopoly of work. Engagement work is also undertaken with local suppliers, including meet the buyer events. There is also advertising undertaken locally for tenders. Officers stressed the community wealth elements as an important integral part of procurement activity.

 

Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.

3b

Complaints and Compliments Annual Report 2023/2024 pdf icon PDF 836 KB

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

Officers outlined the content of the report.

 

Members noted that it was difficult to leave a compliment via the website. You have to actively search how to leave a compliment, yet it is easier to leave a complaint. Members asked that the website be improved so that how to leave a compliment is as visible as how to make a complaint.

 

Officers noted that there is a significant amount of work being undertaken to the corporate website. There is also a residents online account being set up which will enable residents to interact with the authority. The reformed pages will also allow ease of access to submit general enquiries, compliments and complaints.

 

Officers confirmed that that was a piece of work being undertaken so that there is consistency across the directorates with regards to how stage 1 and stage 2 complaints are dealt with and how data is captured. There should be a report in early February with regards to this and possible recommendation to strength and improve this.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

3c

Self-Assessment 2023/2024 pdf icon PDF 216 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

Officers provided a brief summary of the report and outlined that it is a statutory document that must be published by the authority.

 

Members noted that some of the suggestions and comments made on this document previously had been taken on board and incorporated into the document.

 

Following scrutiny, the recommendation was supported to Cabinet.

4.

To consider items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme

·       No scrutiny committee forward work programme items to be considered.

Decision:

There were no items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme to consider.

Minutes:

There were no items from the Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme to consider.

5.

Performance Monitoring

Decision:

Members considered the performance monitoring items.

Minutes:

Members considered the performance monitoring items.

5a

Capital Budget Monitoring 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 300 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

Members queried some of information pertaining to the underspend outlined in the education budgets. Members specifically referred to the capital maintenance budget and universal free school meals.

 

Officers advised that with regards to capital maintenance, most of the work will take place during the school summer holidays as it relates to refurbishment, building work and electrical work. With reference to the support learners with additional learners needs, this was a late grant offer and work will commence in September-December period. In relation to the community focused schools, there are four projects which are due to commence in early Autumn.

 

Officers confirmed with regards to capital grants, when they are received, they have to go through a tendering process, designs have to be drawn up and this is also usually subject to planning. It takes time to ensure that this process is followed as required. 

 

Members considered the shared prosperity fund and queried if the timescales to spend the funding were going to be met. Officers confirmed that the vast majority of funding is on target to be spent in line with the timescales.

 

Members were advised that the funding programme is headed into a transition year. This means that the old funding programme is coming to an end, therefore funding which was made available to organisations up until March 2025, if not spent before then, will need to be returned to UK Government. However, officers confirmed that NPT are on target to spend funding allocated to them.

 

Members queried that the ‘direct food support’ fund was. Officers confirmed that this is the successor of what was previously the ‘food poverty grant.’ The grant is available for provisions such as the foodbank, to apply for capital equipment.

 

Officers confirmed that the racetrack at Cwrt Herbert is the athletics track.

 

Members queried why there appears to be no funding allocated for the clearance of the demolition of Dyfed Road. Officers confirmed that a budget was allocated in 2023/24 which is when the main demolition happened. There was some residual expenditure in 2024/25 for which there was no budget.

 

Officers advised that with regards to Milland Road car park, the authority does lease the car park and under the terms and conditions of the lease the authority has responsibility for the repair  and maintenance of the site, including the retaining walls.

 

Members queried the budget outlined for 6 Station Road renovation works. While the budget remains unspent, the project is marked as complete. Officers confirmed that currently the building remains unoccupied. The work required on the building is quite extensive and currently exceeds the amount of funding available. However it has been placed on a list of priority buildings, that should Welsh Government make more capital funding available, the building is identified as a priority.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

5b

Revenue Budget Monitoring 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 300 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

Members queried how officers were monitoring the unachieved in year projected savings within the various departments. Officers confirmed that there are monthly meetings with the various service managers to consider their budgets an determine what they are doing in relation to income and savings delivered to date and where they consider their budgets are likely to be at the end of the year. Whilst it is acknowledged that this can be subjective, it is accepted that this the red, amber, green assessments are the best view in terms of whether the savings are deliverable moving forward. When considering budget planning for the forthcoming year, the recurring pressures are then given consideration as to whether they need to be considered as base budget pressures or if its merely a timing issue.

 

Members queried why inflation had not been awarded within the 24/25 budget. Officers confirmed that no inflation was awarded for the supplies and services budget. Therefore, any department which had a supplies and services budget were advised that they had to deliver within their respective cash budgets. However, what had not been pre-empted was that particular areas would rise at over 3%, for example highways maintenance. This meant that the budget was put under greater pressure and resulted in an in-year over spend. Moving forward, officers are considering a service specific approach to ensure that inflation is allocated accordingly across the various services.

 

Members queried the overspend on the home to school transport budget and queried whether there was an ability to rectify this overspend in-year. Members were advised that the in-year target savings of £250,000 was supposed to be achieved through retendering of a batch of home to school transport routes in September. However, following the retendering process the savings did not accrue and the routes came out more expensive. Some of the cost increase was offset by route rationalisation, however the overall position reflected an overspend of £659,000. A meeting has been held with the consultants who have indicated that if the retendering process is carried out again next year, they are confident that they should be able to deliver the £350,000 overspend, plus the £500,000 that in the medium-term financial plan. There is also further work going on within the service area to try and reduce transport costs. Members outlined their concern with regards to the contract and the fact that savings have not yet materialised. Officers confirmed that the work that is being carried out by NPT officers, is complimentary to the external consultants. Officers confirmed that there is a multiservice input to manage this project. Officers suggested that a member seminar on this item may be useful to members to understand the contract and the service areas involved in this project. Members suggested that a joint scrutiny meeting needs to be called to consider this item in further detail.

 

Members noted the school deficits that are coming forward and queried the reality of the recovery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

5c

Treasury Management Monitoring 2024-25 pdf icon PDF 213 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

There were no questions.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

5d

Treasury Management Mid-Year Review pdf icon PDF 214 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

There were no questions.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

6.

To resolve to exercise the powers set out in Section 35 of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 being the designated Overview and Scrutiny Committee for this purpose as approved by Council May 2015

Decision:

Resolved: To exercise the powers set out in Section 35 of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 being the designated Overview and Scrutiny Committee for this purpose as approved by Council May 2015

Minutes:

Resolved: To exercise the powers set out in Section 35 of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 being the designated Overview and Scrutiny Committee for this purpose as approved by Council May 2015

6a

Public Services Board - update pdf icon PDF 452 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

Minutes:

Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack.

 

The Public Service Board Well-Being Plan was published in 2023 and is in place for five year period. The report presented is a six month highlight report, which will be used to inform the annual report.

 

Member asked if the report takes into account the number of exclusions of young people in schools. Members were advised that the pupils that are excluded both fixed term and permanent are monitoring. No primary pupils have been permanently excluded in this current academic year.

 

Following scrutiny, the report was noted.

7.

Selection of items for future scrutiny pdf icon PDF 418 KB

·       Cabinet Forward Work Programme (to follow)

·       Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Forward Work Programme was noted.

Minutes:

Members were informed that the Public Participation Strategy had been withdrawn as an individual report from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme, and would be incorporated as part of the Self-Assessment and Corporate Plan.

 

The Director advised that he made the decision to incorporate the strategy into the other documents. The Public Participation Strategy sets out a number of requirements to promote local democracy and encourage and enable local people to participate in the decision-making process. It does not require a specific report in terms of setting out the participation strategy but it can be reports within the annual self-assessment report.

 

The Forward Work Programme was noted.

8.

Urgent Items

Any urgent items at the discretion of the Chairperson pursuant to Section 100BA(6)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Decision:

There were no urgent items.

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.