Meeting documents

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Items
No. Item

100.

Presentation from the Chief Executive of Frimley Park Trust

Minutes:

Neil Dardiss, Chief Executive of Frimley Park Trust attended the meeting and gave the Committee a presentation on Frimley Park Trust.

 

The Trust had delivered a successful strategy over past 5 years Improvements made over the last 5 years included:

·         A Hyper Acute and Rehab Stroke Centre;

·         Life-saving 24/7 heart attack centres and vascular network has been expanded;

·         Community Services in NE Hampshire;

·         New CT Scanner Endoscopy Unit at Heatherwood Hospital;

·         First Acute Renal Unit in Surrey;

·         Medication errors were down 63%;

·         98% of inpatients recommend the Trust to friends and family

·         With regard to Cancer – Top 5 performer in the NHS

 

The Committee was informed that with regard to health, there were demographic challenges with population growth, people living longer, greater incidences of dementia etc. Frimley Trust was a learning organisation, investing in leadership and recognising the people who worked for the Trust. Leaders within the organisation were supported to be the best and enabled to support their great teams.

 

The Trust was building on past successes and thinking ahead to what the Trust’s services could be in 10 years’ time. The Trust was always looking to make improvements and putting patients at the centre of service design. Better joined up working was required with GPs, Social Care, providers and volunteers to improve outcomes. Services should be developed to focus on wellbeing and less on treating sickness.    

 

A key development was the new Emergency Assessment Centre at Wexham Park Hospital which was a state of the art development. The capacity had been increased and all the emergency services were in the one unit. Members asked that a visit to Wexham Park Hospital be arranged to enable Members to see the new facility.

 

The Chief Executive of the Trust informed Members that there were still challenges relating to staffing; with a 14% vacancy rate for nurses. The recruitment of overseas staff would continue. Reference was made to the use of agency staff which equated to around £20m per annum, and the need to reduce this.  

 

In response to a question about hospital car parking charges, Members were informed that car parking charges generated a turnover of £4.4m and the reality was that this revenue was part of the funding required for the NHS.

 

Reference was made to the E Referral system and the problems with the system where sometimes GP receptionists were referring minor cases to accident and emergency. The Chief Executive reported that there were three different IT systems in the three hospitals in the Trust and increased training was required for staff to enable a consistency of approach.  

 

The importance of the partnership work with Buckinghamshire County Council was stressed, particularly in relation to mental health/social services to ensure work was taking place effectively around health and wellbeing.

 

Assurances were given to Members regarding improved training for staff around dementia and improved staff appraisals.

 

RESOLVED That the presentation be noted and the Chief Executive of Frimley Park Trust be thanked for attending the meeting.

101.

Presentation from Ian Barham, Local Enterprise Partnership on Local Industrial Strategy

Minutes:

Mr Ian Barham provided the Committee with a presentation on the Local Enterprise Partnership, "Building the Buckinghamshire Local Industrial Strategy".

 

Members were informed that the strategy was evidence based and the key facts informing the strategy for Buckinghamshire were:-

 

·         Productivity is high 3rd of 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships

·         Gross valued added  per hour worked is 13.1% above national average

·         81.9% in employment - the highest in the corridor

·         Highest proportion of professional, technical and scientific employment outside of London

·         42% of workforce or approximately 80,000 people out-commuters – 35,000 to London boroughs

·         Highest degree level workforce – low level of vocational qualifications – 25% of Bucks Students go to Russell Group Universities

·         Population 10% below national average for 19-37 year olds – 10% above for 90+

·         Low Business Innovation – Innovate UK funding only 7% of Oxfordshire’s since 2011

·         The UK’s most micro firm economy 77.4% have fewer than 5 employees

·         Business start-up is 17% above national average with high survival rates

·         Digital connectivity poorest within the growth corridor - 1 in 10 in some areas cannot access superfast broadband.

 

The vision for Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership was that in 2030 and beyond, Buckinghamshire will be a place where:

·         entrepreneurial businesses benefit from the strength of the county’s iconic brands;

·         testing, experimentation and commercialisation of new ideas thrive;

·         sustained investment in R&D and future technologies drive continuous improvements in productivity.

 

Reference was made to the regions nationally recognised assets:

 

·         The creative and digital economy with Pinewood Studios at its core – Reference was made to the core UK film industry which contributes £1.6billion to national GDP. Pinewood Studios lie at the heart of the cluster with the skills base supported by the world’s best film school, the National Film and TV School in Beaconsfield.

·         Silverstone’s position at the core of a high production technology hub - Silverstone Tech Cluster with over 4000 businesses. World leading technologies in light-weighting, composites, aerodynamics and power train. 16,000 jobs in Knowledge Intensive Manufacturing in Bucks - up 12% since 2015. 300,000 sq ft of Enterprise Zone development planned at Silverstone

·         The role of the BTV-Westcott cluster as a key link in the UK space sector supply chain and links to aerospace - Upstream Space to increase in value from £13.7bn to £40bn by 2030. Growth fuelled by smaller, more responsive and agile satellites. Productivity in the sector 60% above the national average. Westcott has the highest proportion of rocket engineers in UK – the UK Propulsion Test Centre. Potential for National Stem & HE Research Hub

·         Medical technologies exploiting the international status of Stoke Mandeville and the expertise of the counties two universities- 28,000 already employed in the Health Sector. Home to Global Innovators such as GE Healthcare & Johnson & Johnson. 1st new medical school for over a century. At the apex of the Healthcare Golden Triangle. One of only 8 Independent Care pathways. Facing demographic time-bomb 90+ 10% above national average. Birthplace of the Paralympic Movement.

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee noted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

102.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To approve the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 29 January 2019.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 29 January 2019 were approved and signed by the Chairman of the Committee as a correct record.

 

103.

Service Plans 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 42 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report which provided Members with the Service Plans for all service areas within the Councils. 

 

Discussion took place on Community Safety Performance Indicators and reference was made to crime statistics for the District, such as the number of burglaries etc., not being easily accessible for Members. Previously the Police Local Area Commanders used to provide crime statistics to Members and it was agreed that this information should be provided to the Community Safety Partnership and to Members.

 

It was agreed that at the June meeting of the Committee, a report be submitted providing details on where crime statistics could be obtained and the best way to communicate them regularly to Members.

 

RESOLVED – (1) That the Service Plans be noted and Cabinet be informed that the Committee had no comments to make.

 

(2) That a report be submitted to the June meeting of the Committee providing details on where crime statistics could be obtained and the best way to communicate them regularly to Members.  

104.

Refreshed Joint Business Plan 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 31 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that the Joint Business Plan was reviewed every year to reflect the changing needs of the locality and the communities that lived and work within Chiltern and South Bucks, as well as the service planning process.

 

Members were informed that the Business Plan continued to take the same format, with the majority of changes being made to pages 7 and 8 of the document, where the purposes of the districts have been updated.

 

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and that Cabinet be informed that the Committee had no comments to make.

105.

Performance Indicator Review 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Minutes:

The report provided an update on the outcomes of the Performance Indicator (PI) review for 2019/20.

 

PIs were part of the Service Planning process and served as an important part of the Council’s performance management framework as detailed in the Joint Business Plan and linked to the Councils’ policy objectives.  

 

Members were informed that for 2019/20 there were 43 PIs in total, comprising of 13 priority PIs which were reviewed on a monthly basis by Cabinet, and 30 additional corporate PIs, which were reviewed on a quarterly basis by Cabinet.

 

RESOLVED – That the report on the changes to Performance Indicators for each service be noted and Cabinet be informed that the Committee had no comments.     

106.

Performance Report Quarter 3 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Minutes:

The report outlined the annual performance of Council services against pre-agreed Performance Indicators (PIs) and service objectives for Quarter 3 of 2018-19.

 

Discussion took place on Healthy Communities PIs, particularly on the number of households living in temporary accommodation. Reference was made to the numbers being reduced but the target remaining the same. The Committee asked that Cabinet be asked to consider reducing the target.

 

It was agreed that for the next meeting of the Committee, a report be submitted which provided the following detail:

 

·         An update on Homelessness in the District, details on the costs of the Bath Road, Taplow development and the impact on the numbers in B & B accommodation.

·         Where the occupants of the 8 temporary housing units at Tatling End were to be temporarily transferred to, as Bath Road was not available yet.

·         A comparison with other neighbouring local authorities, such as  Slough, on how much they pay for B & B accommodation,

 

The Committee also asked that the relevant Cabinet Members be invited to attend the next meeting.

 

RESOLVED – That the performance reports be noted and that Cabinet be asked to give consideration to the comments made by the Committee in relation to reducing the target for the PI relating to the number of households living in temporary accommodation.

107.

Planning Shared Service pdf icon PDF 47 KB

Minutes:

The report provided Members with an update on the progress of the implementation of the Exemplary Planning Service Action Plan.

 

Members were informed that the Plan sets out a series of short, medium and longer term actions, with several of the actions overlapping with the on-going work around the implementation of a shared planning service

 

The work builds on the long standing high performance of both Councils on the speed of processing planning applications. Details of the progress made against the targets in the Action Plan were detailed in the appendix to the report.

 

Reference was made to both Councils having also approved the Local Enforcement Plan in 2018, which added clarity about the enforcement process and timescales, and how and when the Councils would consider whether it was expedient to take action.

 

A new Planning Enforcement Manager had started in September 2018, and the team had reviewed its internal procedures and improved processes, particularly in relation to issuing formal notices and the use of temporary stop notices. Other improvements included a new scheme of delegation for issuing Enforcement Notices, a review of all standard planning conditions and a project to review compliance with existing enforcement notices.

 

In relation to Appendix 1 which provided progress made against the targets in the Action Plan, reference was made to the need for the green status actions to be updated as the dates had passed. Officers agreed to action this. 

 

A discussion took place on the flouting of planning permissions and Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) in relation to unauthorised works, which on occasions had resulted in no enforcement action being taken when reported to Enforcement Officers. Members were offered assurance that all unauthorised works which were carried out on TPO trees, were investigated by Enforcement Officers, after seeking advice from the Tree Officer on the course of action to be taken.

 

It was agreed that officers would send out information to Members on who to contact and the procedure for reporting unauthorised planning works and unauthorised works on TPO trees. 

 

In addition, officers were asked to submit a report to the next meeting of the Committee, which provided statistics on complaints submitted on works carried out on TPO trees, and the number which had resulted in prosecutions.

RESOLVED - That the report be noted and officers be asked to undertake the actions requested above.

 

 

 

108.

Viability Assessments pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was provided with a report which updated Members on the Council’s approach to viability in light of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Planning Policy Guidance (PPG).

 

Members were reminded that Government policy placed great emphasis on the need to provide affordable housing. Until recently Government policy had supported the development industry, and allowed a reduction in the amount of affordable housing if the applicant could demonstrate that the full provision of affordable housing would make the site unviable.

 

A viability appraisal was an assessment of whether the development of a site would create sufficient value, in that both the landowner brings the site to the market, and the developer has sufficient profit to undertake the development.

 

Members were informed that both Councils had a robust approach to viability, using all powers contained in the new NPPF and the PPG, in order to get to the facts of each individual case put forward by developers.

 

Reference was made to sites where viability assessments and negotiations had taken place with developers.

 

During discussion, reference was made to schemes which had been granted planning permission and then non-material changes had been made, which affected viability.

 

Officers were asked to give consideration to providing a more detailed section on viability in Planning Committee reports.

 

RESOLVED – That the update in the report be noted and officers be asked to give consideration to providing a more detailed section on viability in Planning Committee reports.

 

 

109.

Farnham Park pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that the purpose of the report was to request that Members examine the issues relating to the operation of the Farnham Park leisure facilities, which were provided under the remit of the Farnham Park Charitable Trust.

 

The Director of Resources reported that information on the feasibility of the playing field option had not been received and it was agreed that consideration of the issues raised in the report, be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED – That consideration of the issues contained in the report be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee to enable details of the feasibility of the playing field options to be included in the discussions.   

110.

Bucks Children's Select Committee

To receive:

Minutes:

Members received the Minutes of the meeting of the Buckinghamshire County Council Children’s Social Care and Learning Select Committee held on 15 January 2019.

 

RESOLVED - That the Minutes of the Buckinghamshire County Council Children’s Social Care and Learning Select Committee be noted.

 

111.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 32 KB

To agree the work programme timetable.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme and made amendments as discussed during the meeting.   

 

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme be updated and agreed.