Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

Minutes of the meeting held on 8^th June 2010 (previously circulated)

The Minutes of the meeting held on 8^th June 2010 were signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no items of urgent business.

In accordance with the resolution passed at Council Business Committee that all Members be invited to attend Budget and Performance Panel meetings when LDLSP Thematic Group Chairmen are speaking in order to learn about the work of the Thematic Groups and how this relates to the Council’s priorities (Minute No. 5 (1) 2010/11 refers), all Members had been invited to attend Budget and Performance Panel for the following item.

Report of the Chair (Jacqui Thompson, Assistant Director – North Lancashire Primary Care Trust) and Vice-Chair (Councillor Stuart Langhorn) of Lancaster District Local Strategic Partnership Management Group

The Panel received the Annual Performance Report (2009/10) from the Lancaster District Local Strategic Partnership (LDLSP) in respect of delivering the Sustainable Community Strategy.  The Chair of the LDLSP Management Group, Jacqui Thompson, Assistant Director – North Lancashire Primary Care Trust, and Vice-Chair, Councillor Stuart Langhorn, were in attendance to present the report and to answer questions from Members.

The report provided a performance update for 2009/10 based on the end of year reports from the Thematic Groups and also provided the end of year reviews of current LSP funded initiatives and an update of the LDLSP Management Group proposals for the use of Performance Reward Grant (PRG) allocated to the LDLSP from the Lancashire Partnership.

It was reported that Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) priorities were being delivered and the potential use of PRG had been considered.  The future development of the Board and Management Group and the recent appointment of an LSP Manager and two administrative assistants would enhance the way the Thematic Groups operated and increase the success of the LSP in delivering the SCS vision, whilst consolidating and embedding the Community Engagement and Performance Monitoring Strategies

Members were advised that the seven Thematic Groups had been asked to report progress by responding to two questions, namely how well are outcomes and improvements being delivered and what are the prospects for the future?  It was reported that the Children and Young People Thematic Group, which was also the Local Children’s Trust Partnership – Lancaster District, had not submitted a report.  They were funded by a separate funding stream and their year end report was available on Lancashire County Council’s website.

It was reported that the Thematic Groups had made significant progress in delivering the priorities assigned to them and the Second Homes monies had been used for the activities that had enabled delivery.  It was noted that the year-end reports for the funded projects were available on the Council’s website.  Details of a selection of the projects were set out in the report.

Members were advised that the LDLSP faced unknown challenges over the next few years due mainly to the impact of the recession, a reduction in funding levels/provision of resources and the withdrawal of partners from partnership funding.

It was reported that following the recent changes of Government and the current economic situation, the LSPs had recently been informed that the second instalment of PRG would no longer be available.  Lancaster City Council, as accountable body for the LDLSP, had confirmed that £478,384 had been received and the Management Group had agreed to target PRG funding at the issues identified as of most concern across Lancashire, being referred to as ‘Big Ticket’ issues: Health Inequalities, Climate Change, Affordable Housing and Worklessness and the Economy, adding a fifth one of Community Cohesion.

In 2010/11, there would be a refresh of the SCS and the PRG programme would be implemented.  The LSP would seek to strengthen its performance management processes and increase its visibility amongst  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Report of Corporate Director (Finance and Performance)

The Panel received the report of the Corporate Director (Finance and Performance) to update Members on progress in considering the development of a sustainable staff travel plan.

It was reported that there was an action under the Climate Change priority in the Council’s Corporate Plan to deliver the appropriate actions from the Energy Savings Trust (EST) Green/Grey Fleet Review.  Included in the Fleet Review were opportunities for reducing staff travel for business and other purposes. 

Members were advised that the Council did not have a specific staff travel plan but had been developing this area through other Council strategies and policies – for example, cycling demonstration town and access to services.

In order to deliver the Council’s corporate priorities for Climate Change, an officer working group had been established, comprising cross service representation from key services and chaired by the Corporate Director (Finance and Performance), supported by the Council’s Sustainability Co-ordinator. 

The working group reported into the Climate Change Cabinet Liaison Group, which was chaired by Councillor Barry, and any resource issues were referred up to Cabinet for decision.

The officer working group was progressing delivery of the agreed priorities set out in the 5-year Climate Change Strategy, which was being co-ordinated through a number of sub-groups that reported into the officer group, including the Green/Grey Fleet working group, which had met twice recently.

The Green/Grey Fleet working group had two main streams of work, these being green fleet issues that relate to the Council’s operational fleet of vehicles and grey fleet issues that relate to staff travel in employee-owned vehicles, both for work purposes and non-council business travel (i.e. travel to work and home).

Work in respect of the Grey Fleet issues had mainly been with regard to developing a policy in respect of staff business travel, using recommendations from the EST’s Fleet Review and the Council’s existing practices and guidance notes.

Members were advised that work in respect of staff travel for non-council business travel was scheduled for later in the year.   The sub-group had developed a framework for the draft policy for staff business travel, but this had still to be considered by the officer working group and management team before being referred to the cabinet liaison group.

The draft policy and proposals in respect of the recommendations from the EST Fleet Review would be considered at the next officer working group and reported to the September Cabinet Liaison Group, with any resource implications or changes to existing arrangements being referred to Cabinet for consideration as part of the annual budget process and JCC for staff consultation.

Councillor Whitelegg reported that as one of the biggest employers in the area, and with influence that extended from its own operations to the wider community, the Council should have in place a workplace travel plan in the two key areas of staff travel and council green and grey fleet.  

He advised that a workplace travel plan was a long-term management strategy that delivered transport objectives and a coherent approach  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Report of Corporate Performance Manager (to follow)

The Corporate Performance Manager circulated a briefing note on the Annual Report, which advised that the Annual Report was, in many ways, the companion document to the Corporate Plan, its main purpose being to take stock of performance in the last financial year.

The Annual Report detailed performance measures in place to help the Council achieve its objectives and corporate priorities, and fulfilled two main functions, namely to give a public account of the Council’s performance and to provide a useful tool to support the annual Data Quality Audit of the Council’s performance indicators.

In a letter from the Audit Commission, the Managing Director of Local Government, Housing and Community Safety had advised that work on the Comprehensive Area Assessment would be brought to a conclusion in view of the new government’s recent announcement, and all work on updating the area assessment, including the Use of Resources judgment and Data Quality Audit, would cease.

It was reported that the statutory requirement to produce an Annual Report by 30^th June had been relaxed by the government last year and, coupled with the cancellation of the Audit this year, there was no longer any urgency to produce the Annual Report to the same deadline.

An August publication date had therefore been set, which would allow officers to produce a more complete performance data set and actual financial position at year-end, and the Annual Report would be available for scrutiny by the Panel at its September meeting.

Resolved:

(1)        That the report be noted.

(2)        That the Annual Report be available for scrutiny by the Panel at its September meeting.

Report of Head of Democratic Services

The Panel received the report of the Head of Democratic Services which updated Members regarding the work programme.

The report advised that at its meeting on 9^th June 2010, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had resolved that, in light of the Member briefing on the restructure, the Budget and Performance Panel be requested to seek clarification as to the likely reduction in the Council’s budget that the restructure will produce (Minute 6 (9) 2010/11 refers).

The Panel considered the referral from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and rejected the request on the basis that details had been reported to a previous meeting of the Panel.

Members noted the areas of work that would be considered at the Panel’s meeting on 7^th September, as set out in Appendix A to the report.  It was reported that work was underway on the outstanding items in the Panel’s work programme, which included the report on Invest to Save schemes that would provide a greater rate of return than Council investments and the development of whole life-cycle costing (WLCC) approaches by the Procurement Manager and benchmarking to progress through the levels set. 

Resolved:

(1)        That the referral from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be rejected on the basis that details have been reported to a previous meeting of the Panel.

(2)        That the following work programme details be approved:

(a)  Presentation by the Head of Community Engagement Service regarding the community engagement work of his Service and the future management of Partnerships, Performance Projects and Programmes to the meeting on the 7^th September 2010.

(b)  Report by the Assistant Head (Partnerships) on Monitoring Delivery and Effectiveness of Service Level Agreement to the meeting on the 7^th September 2010.

(c)  Circulation of a briefing note by the Head of Financial Services on pension liabilities and the impact of these liabilities on the budgets of the Council up to and including 2014-15.

(d)  Circulation of the report to Cabinet on Williamson Park and presentation of a further report to the meeting on 7^th September 2010.

(e)  Scrutiny of the Annual Report at the meeting on 7^th September 2010.

(3)        That work in respect of staff travel for non-council business travel and progress in regard to a workplace travel plan, using the specifications contained in BSI PAS 500:2008 and the definition of the Department of Transport, including identification of the budgetary implications of undertaking this work, be reported to the Panel’s meeting on 30^th November 2010.