Decision details

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

To consider the draft Council Plan 2016/17, the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme and to consider whether to implement the savings proposals set out in the report.  

Decisions:

22.1     The Committee considered a report by the Chief Executive which invited the Committee to begin its involvement in the Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) process.  A revised Appendix 3 had been circulated. The Lead Member for Resources confirmed that no budget was exempt from investigation for potential savings. 

 

22.2     The Committee discussed:

  • The capital programme, the links to the revenue budget and limits on capital spending; 
  • The living wage and its impact;
  • The inclusion of the Dedicated Schools Grant within the overall figures, and the potential for public misunderstanding;
  • The Highways maintenance contract;
  • The Asset Management Strategy, and in particular the 73 sites previously planned for disposal;
  • Speeding up cost reduction programmes, especially in areas such as digitisation and energy efficiency, in particular the street lighting initiative;
  • How to measure productivity;
  • The future shape of the senior management and structure of the Council, and the potential for increased partnership working with Borough and District Councils and with Health colleagues through the Orbis programme.

           

22.3     The Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer confirmed that the matter of what could be capitalised was subject to a set of technical accounting issues.  The tenders for the Highways maintenance contract are being examined and assessed, and the process had been overseen by a Review Board of the Economy, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Committee.  The Lead Member for Resources set out that the Asset Management Strategy was under review, including the use of community asset transfers, and would be presented to Scrutiny at a future meeting. 

 

22.4     The Leader and Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development emphasised the need for the Council to take a business-like approach, to improve opportunities to generate income.  He stressed the need to exploit available resources fully, which could include community uses for Council-owned property, but that a flexibility of approach should be retained, to allow for disposal if necessary.

 

22.5     The Chief Operating Officer explained the impacts of digitisation in several modernisation programmes, such as Agile and the Social Care Information System (SCIS) update, and the links to the Information Management Strategy.    The Chief Executive set out that there were significant demands on senior management as a result of the various transformation programmes that were under way and planned.   A briefing on the street lighting project was offered, and it was confirmed that the Economy, Transport and Environment Scrutiny Committee were keeping the matter under review. 

 

22.6     RESOLVED to (1) note the report;

 

(2) convene meetings of the standing RPPR Board in October and December 2015, and note that Review Boards had been established to examine the Library Service and Communications;

 

(3) focus on (a) the Property Strategy, (b) the shape and structure of the Council in the medium term, and (c) capital programme levels and funding sources.

 

Publication date: 03/11/2015

Date of decision: 15/09/2015

Decided at meeting: 15/09/2015 - Audit, Best Value and Community Services Scrutiny Committee

Accompanying Documents: