Meeting documents

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Improvement & Review Commission held on 9 November 2016, be approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

Chairman of the Improvement & Review Commission expressed his disappointment that neither the Cabinet Member or Deputy Cabinet Member for ICT, HR & Customer Services had been able to make the meeting and give this update on progress in respect of the recommendations of the Commission’s ICT (Information Communication Technology) Task and Finish Group as considered by Cabinet 19 September 2017.

However Head of ICT, HR & Customer Services; John McMillan was welcomed to the meeting, he after all was the chief officer responsible for the IT Service and his expert and comprehensive input would be most valuable to the Commission in consideration of the Report.

Mr McMillan outlined the key points of the report:

·         Three major phases to the action plan were outlined, those of:

1.      an immediate change to incident responses with a new regime and personnel in place;

2.      addressing key issues, i.e. fixing applications and systems that were failing regularly; and

3.      projects for the future where applications could be improved / replaced / upgraded.

·         The gaps present on the appendix which outlined progress against recommendations were explained; in that these were where Cabinet had not agreed with the recommendation concerned.

·         A sustained improvement by Capita in respect of day to day management had occurred.

·         Page 8 of the report outlined the projects to be completed by the end of the 2017/18 financial year:

Ø  Laptop device refresh by July 2017

Ø  Replacement of VDI servers and software by May 2017

Ø  Replace Uniform server and application upgrade by December 2016

Ø  Update telephony and introduce Skye for Business by July 2017

Ø  Implement Office 365, and

Ø  Upgrade internet capacity by February 2017.

·         Progress had occurred against the vast majority of the recommendations.

·         The use of the ICT PAG (Portfolio Advisory Group) and IRC members as a ‘sounding board’ for officers along with the trialling of various applications and equipment with them had proved invaluable.

·         In respect of Windows 10 the planned laptop replacements were 10 compatible, yet a number of key applications at WDC were not. The Council’s ‘thin client’ used Windows 7 which was to be supported centrally until 2020. Work to ensure continued use of all applications was complex but achievable.

Members received clarification on a number of points and made observations as follows:

·         The need to ensure photos sent (predominantly here in respect of planning) were viewable by members, was noted.

·         WDC were not contemplating the delivery of documents to members online by the comparatively insecure Drop Box method as utilised by BCC (Buckinghamshire County Council).

·         It was acknowledged that Members accessed IT in a variety of ways, some utilising WDC equipment some using their own, any training on a one to one basis required, was available. Members were just to contact John’s officers. Mark Lansbury (Business Systems Manager) had been most helpful in this role.

·         The prompt availability of finance in budgets for ICT projects and improvements was emphasised.

Given the technical complexity of the Action Plan appended, which it was acknowledged was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Chairman of the Rural Issues Task & Finish Group; Cllr Carl Etholen presented the report of the Group for the Commission’s consideration.

Cllr Etholen outlined the history of the Group having been set up by the Commission in January 2016 and centring its work around a sole Term of Reference; ‘to suggest / identify measures that can be taken to improve / develop rural affordable housing and the rural economy including broadband provision’. Five meetings had taken place at which submissions had been received from:

·         Nick Phillips (Chief Executive of Community Impact Bucks and member of the Buckinghamshire Rural Affairs Group (BRAG)).

·         Heather Dean (Head of Skills and Business Support – Buckinghamshire Business First).

·         The WDC Planning, Housing and Tourism officers.

Councillor Etholen thanked all these representatives / officers for their input adding a special mention for Ms Jemma Durkan (Senior Democratic Services Officer) for her work in collating all the data and drawing up the report and recommendations.

The recommendations (and reasons for recommendations) as outlined below had been arrived at, at the Group’s final 9 November 2016 meeting.

Councillor Mark Harris who had completed the Work Programme Suggestion Form before the Commission in respect of Handy Cross Traffic Management was invited to present the basis of his argument for the establishment of a Task and Finish Group to investigate the proposed matter.

Councillor Harris reported that since his election as District Councillor in May 2015 for the Greater Marlow Ward he had strived to address the problems various local constituents had drawn to his attention in respect of the Handy Cross A404, M40 junction (junction 4). With a short effective but in-depth scrutiny of the issues afforded by a Task and Finish Group he felt solutions to these continuing bugbears regards the junction could easily be resolved.

The suggestion form contained 4 main strands to the proposed work:

1.    The problems with the lanes approaching the A404 southbound, from the roundabout;

2.    The inordinate wait for users of the C100 from Marlow / Marlow Bottom to enter the junction, because of the traffic light phasing;

3.    The faded yellow boxes around the roundabout which need re-painting and are not enforced and do not meet the objectives of road users appropriately; and

4.    The further stress on the junction with the numerous recent re-developments at Handy Cross; Next, Waitrose, the coachway, and the new sports centre along with those planned; Costco, a hotel, increased light industry at Booker Air Park and development of the waste facility at Booker.

 Members discussed the proposal making the following points:

·         The High Wycombe Southern Quadrant Transport Strategy discussed and formulated by BCC a number of years ago (and scrutinised by WDC) in theory covered the work and issues being proposed. It was suggested that given BCC were (alongside Highways England) the responsible body, a joint scrutiny group with non-cabinet local members at BCC be contemplated.

·         The work Highways England were proposing in respect of the A4155 junction at Westhorpe, at Bisham Roundabout and at Junction 8/9 of the M4 / A404 were relevant to the issues the proposed Task and Finish Group would be considering.

·         It was suggested that Councillor Harris chair the Group as he expressed a wish to ensure that the specific issues outlined were resolved aware that casting the remit of the Group too far could end up in an overall lack of progress, the Commission commended this approach.

RESOLVED: That (i) a Task and Finish Group be established under the Chairmanship of Councillor M Harris in respect of Handy Cross Junction Traffic Management as outlined in the Work Programme Suggestion Form, and;

(ii) Buckinghamshire County Council are approached to carry out this Scrutiny as a Joint Venture with appropriate members from the BCC Transport, Environment & Community Select Committee.

The status of the current task and finish groups was considered and discussed.

The need for the Local Plan Task and Finish Group to re-convene in Mid-February 2017 was discussed. This being to review the emerging final proposals for the Local Plan, to take into account responses to the earlier consultations and latest technical work that had been undertaken. The Plan was then due to be presented to Cabinet on 13 March and on to Full Council for approval, prior to publishing it in April for statutory consultation before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination.

The continuing work of the Budget Task and Finish Group in respect of its Phase 2 work ‘scrutiny of emerging budget’ was outlined, with the final recommendations going direct to the Council Tax setting Cabinet Meeting of 6 February 2017.

The Chairman indicated that he had requested an item on the next Commission Agenda (1 March 2017) in respect of Houses in Multiple Occupation, at which the Cabinet Member for Housing would be able to give an update on the Cabinet response to the recommendations of the Houses in Multiple Occupation Task and Finish Group (referred to Cabinet 9 February 2015) in light of recent Central Government legislation / guidance.

Members were encouraged to complete the Work Programme Suggestion Form appended to the agenda (Appendix C) in respect of items they wished to suggest for consideration by the Commission or a Task and Finish Group.

No topics were identified on the attached Cabinet Forward Plan for review by the Commission at future meetings.

RESOLVED: That the update on the Work Programme and current task and finish groups be noted.

There were no enquiries or comments regards the Information Sheet issued since the last meeting.

There we no Councillor Calls for Action.