Meeting documents

To sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2017.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2017 were agreed as a correct record and were signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee considered the 28 day forward plan and decided that there

were no additional items to be added at this time.

RESOLVED

To note the 28 day Notice for Cabinet.

To receive a presentation from Lynn Britten of Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) and consider a report on GLL’s 2016 leisure contract performance.

A report from Lynn Britten of Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL)

The committee were given an overview of the achievements and challenges of the leisure provider since commencing the contract in 2005.  GLL manage Chiltern’s 3 leisure centres (Chalfont, Chesham and Chiltern Pools).  It was reported that attendance had increased at these centres and gym memberships had increased.  Overall a surplus of £442,000 had been generated in 2016 and 66% of this had been reinvested.  This included the Chalfont refurbishment of £270,000, the new spin studio at Chiltern Pools (approx. £0.5 million) and an investment in lighting to reduce energy usage.

Chalfont Leisure Centre with its recent refurbishment had been most successful including the gym.  At Chesham there was an increase in gym membership and use of dry sports but there was difficulty in recruiting swim instructors.  At Chiltern Pools, there was a drop in swim school and it was acknowledged that the ageing plant, water temperature problems and changing facilities created extra challenges.  It was suggested that there may be a trend for less casual swimming and a need for more organised or specialist activities.

The outreach community development work had increased to include walking football, Nordic walking, table tennis clubs and GP referral schemes.  The outreach scheme aimed to reach isolated and hard to reach residents.  The 2016 Active Bucks promotion had offered first sessions free to get more people involved.

With regard to customer satisfaction, it was reported that they were using a “Listen 360” customer response scheme.  This allowed any issues to be addressed quickly and for customers to be contacted if necessary.

Noting the difficulties in recruiting swimming staff, Members asked whether the pay scales were attractive enough.  It was advised that there was already an additional London weighting allowance offered but there was still a problem with being located near to London. 

The Committee discussed the options for other facilities at Chiltern Pools as the new project develops.  The cleaning challenges at the old facility were noted.

The Chairman thanked Lynn Britten for her report.

           

RESOLVED

That the Performance of the Chiltern’s Leisure Contract with GLL - BETTER from January to December 2016 be noted and the comments of the Services Overview Committee be passed to Cabinet.

The performance of Council services as measured against performance indicators (PI’s) during Quarter 1 was discussed by the Committee.  Quarter 1 referred to April, May and June 2017.  It was noted that there were two PI’s not yet available in the Community Safety category as the statistics from the Thames Valley Police were not yet available. 

With regard to Priority indicators not met, the Committee discussed three main areas of concern:

Long-term sickness.  It was noted that this related to 9 employees and the situation was being dealt with by HR in consultation with the Occupational Health provider.

Homelessness Bed & Breakfast provision for over 6 weeks, this related to one family with rent arrears which reduced the options available.

Waste: missed containers.  A separate report had recently been received, and it was reported that extreme temperatures had affected round completions.  Following the action plan, the service had been improving since July.

The meeting was advised by the Leader that the Cabinet consider missed bin collections at every meeting and were aware that the statistics were below acceptable levels.  Members were asked to pass any information from residents to the Waste Manager by email.  For households with Friday collections, it was considered if this caused difficulty with reporting because there was no-one available until Monday.  With regard to the bins being scattered after emptying, the staff were about to undergo further training. 

It was asked if there could be more publicity for Environmental Health work where a prosecution had been successfully made.  It was noted that there were not many of these as most premises were broadly compliant but they were featured in the local press when they occurred.

RESOLVED

To note the Performance Report for Quarter 1 2017/18.

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced a range of new civil powers and sanctions against poor landlords in the private sector.  This can now include financial penalties, referral to tribunal for payment and banning orders.

Members asked whether there were many prosecutions in our area and it was advised that most comply when directed to do so.  There was concern that poorer landlords might not be able to do the necessary work to maintain safety standards.  It was advised that if necessary, the Council could do the work and put a charge on the property.

The Councillors were assured that all private sector rental properties were inspected and assessed for smoke detectors and safety standards.

RESOLVED

To note the new provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and

RECOMMEND

1.     That  Cabinet agree to give delegated authority to the Head of Healthy Communities to enforce the provisions of the Act and the Scheme of Delegations be amended accordingly and

2.     That Cabinet authorises the Head of Healthy Communities to agree the final Housing Enforcement Policy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, having regard to Members comments and the regulations in respect of Banning Orders once published.

Members are asked to consider and comment on the attached Cabinet report.

The scheme had attracted 33 applications requesting funding and all of these forms had been kept in the Members Room for comment and support from Councillors.  They were a diverse range of grant applications, for large and small amounts and in the number of people benefiting.

Members debated if applicants should also be assessed on the number of beneficiaries from their project.  It was proposed that future applications insert a summary explanation as to how participants actually benefit from the scheme.

RECOMMENDED

That Cabinet agree the allocation of awards from the 2017/18 Community grant Aid Scheme as detailed in Appendix 1.

The report sets out the proposed updates to the Buckinghamshire Affordable Warmth Strategy.  Chiltern District Council leads the Bucks-wide network of 4 district councils, the county council and National Energy Foundation.  Its principal aim was to create an action plan to target fuel poverty.  The focus has been on low income groups and those with health conditions to improve insulation in the home, install new boilers and other practical solutions.

It was noted that areas of fuel poverty in the Chiltern District were often isolated, rural areas without access to the mains gas.  Councillors were concerned about the spike in deaths during the 2015 winter season and discussed the link with lack of home heating and possible reasons.

RESOLVED

To note the draft strategy and

RECOMMENDED

That Cabinet delegates authority to the Head of Healthy Communities to adopt the final updated Buckinghamshire Affordable Warmth Strategy, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder.