Agenda item

Report to follow.

The Corporate and Customer Services and Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holders presented the report which provided a statement on the Council’s position with regard to its General Fund, Housing Revenue Account and Capital budgets, corporate objectives, performance indicators and strategic risks.

The report was discussed and the following points were made:

·         The percentage of affordable homes being only 30% in Cambourne West was queried. Members were informed that this had been deemed the viable amount through the use of the formula for viability. The committee was informed that both the applicant and the Council employed their own viability consultants and pointed out that a balance had to be struck between the percentage of affordable homes and the provision of community facilities. Cambourne West was providing the highest contribution per house to local infrastructure.

·         The impact of designation on planning income was queried. The committee was informed that designation would lead to the loss of revenue from planning applications. Members were informed that if the Council was designated, the loss from planning revenue was unquantifiable as it would depend on the length of time of the designation. The committee pointed out that this risk was not on the strategic risk register and was assured by the Leader of the Council that the strategic risk register would be updated to reflect this risk. The Interim Chief Executive informed the committee that the Council had taken all the steps that would be required, if it became a designated authority. Therefore there was confidence that if the Council was designated, this would quickly be reversed. The basis of the designation was the number of in time determinations.

·         It was requested that performance data regarding appeals against planning refusals, be split between committee and officer decisions.

·         The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder informed the committee that designation looked at performance over the past year and although performance was now good, it had not been in the first three months of the year. The case had to be made as to why the Council should not be designated and a decision was due on this on 20^th February 2017.

·         The Corporate and Customer Services Portfolio Holder clarified that he was the portfolio holder for risk management and performance management.

·         It was felt that the A10 should be included in strategic transport improvements listed on the Corporate Plan, due to the development at Waterbeach. The Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder informed the committee that this was likely to come forward with Section 106 agreements for Waterbeach.

The strategic risk register was discussed, with the following points raised:

·         Concern was raised regarding a change in interest rates potentially impacting Ermine Street Housing. The Interim Chief Executive assured the committee that there were references to this in service level risk registers and in Ermine Street Housing’s own risk register.

·         The committee felt the colour scoring of the risk register needed to be reviewed. It was highlighted to the committee that the colour did not indicate the level of risk, but the direction of travel of the risk. The committee felt that the colour score concealed the level of risk and that this did not provide enough transparency.

·         The Interim Chief Executive informed the committee that a review of the risk management strategy was being launched ahead of the Corporate Governance Committee meeting in June 2017. A member workshop to which all members would be invited, was being organised.

·         Members were informed that minutes of the meetings of the Shared Services Joint Committee, would be made available for future meetings.

·         The Leader of the Council informed the committee that the outputs of Devolution could be measured when the Combined Authority had been established and what it would be delivering was set out. The committee was informed that at the present time, it was too early to measure risks against the outputs of Devolution. Members were informed that the minutes of the Shadow Combined Authority meetings were being made available in the public domain.

The Chairman raised concern regarding taxi licensing following the recent Cambridge News article regarding taxi licensing at South Cambridgeshire District Council. The Chairman proposed the set up of a working group to look at licensing policy and implementation, as well as looking at the policies of neighbouring authorities. The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder informed the committee that the Cambridge News article was the result of a Freedom of Information request to which South Cambridgeshire District Council had responded whereas other councils had not. The Portfolio Holder was happy for a working group to be set up and informed the committee that policy was being reviewed. It was advised that the committee discuss this with the Head of Service for Licensing regarding the timing of this, to ensure that the working group added value to the review of licensing policy rather than duplicating any work that was being undertaken.

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee NOTED the report.