Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from the Leader, Martin Tett. Angela Macpherson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, chaired the meeting in his place.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2023.

RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 24 October 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

The following hot topics were noted:-

Cabinet Member for Transport

The Cabinet Member referred to the recent storm and that some roads had been closed and crews were working out of hours to clear branches etc. At the end of October the winter service had commenced with the first two grit runs over the weekend. Information on gritting routes was available on the Council website. In response to a question, it was noted that if a road was closed long term with a diversion in place, consideration would be given as to whether gritting was required. However, temporary diversions were not always gritted.

https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/check-to-see-which-roads-are-gritted/

Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

The SEND Improvement Team held the annual 'Shout Out for SEND' Conference in the autumn term. The aim of the conference was to ensure that the Council was listening to young people with SEND. Their feedback helped the Council to develop services, policies and strategies so that young people with SEND could reach their full potential and access and participate in all walks of life.  Young people took an active role in developing activities and running the conference on the day, which ensured that the Council co-produced the conference from start to finish. The conference was designed for pupils of secondary school age and was free to all attendees. Also invited were electively home-educated young people and those who lived in Buckinghamshire but attended schools and settings in other local authorities. The conference was organised and run with partners across Buckinghamshire. The two workshops were bullying and discrimination and Understanding and Awareness and how to make things better.

Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services

Buckinghamshire Council was inviting residents, businesses and organisations to share their views on its draft Housing Strategy for 2024-2029. The Strategy set out the Council’s vision, priorities and actions to meet the current and future housing needs and challenges in the county. The Housing Strategy had been developed with the input and support of a wide range of partners, including housing associations, developers, community groups and other public sector organisations.

To achieve the Strategy, the Council had created three draft priorities:

• responding to the needs of Buckinghamshire’s diverse population
• better homes: good quality, sustainable and matched to need
• new homes: affordable, accessible and appropriate

The consultation was open until midnight on Monday 18 December 2023 and could be accessed online or by requesting a paper copy from the Council. The feedback received would help shape the final version of the Strategy, which would be published in 2024.

Question from Councillor Stuart Wilson to Councillor Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration

“The Q2 Capital Budget Adjustments and Reprofiling report submitted to this Cabinet contains references in Appendix 1 to a re-profiling of £345,000 for environment-led opportunities and, in particular, ‘Spade Oak Lake and Little Marlow Visitor Facility business plans under development as original plans did not produce a net nil cost to the Council. Other options are being considered.’

Cabinet approved a programme of action to evaluate Little Marlow Lakes Country park in two phases last year, starting with a cross-function Officer group tasked with developing a commercial plan for the Council-owned land at Spade Oak Quarry. There has been no indication from this Officer group that this work has been substantially on progressed, beyond a workstream on the creation of a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace as mitigation for the impact of development in Bourne End on Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation.

What work has been completed to date that would enable this report to conclude that the original plans did not produce a net nil cost to the Council, including the restoration works required under planning condition, what assumptions are now being  made for the £345,000 going forward including the timings of the delivery of a viable plan to Cabinet, and when will this be shared with all local Members with a strong vested interest in this proposal?”

Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to Councillor Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport

In Buckingham and North Buckinghamshire it is evident that there are drainage issues with drains both being blocked and not functioning to their full capacity. As an example poor drainage has had a negative impact on property and in two instances within Buckingham children are being impacted greatly by standing water on the road when walking to school. What is the total resource within the local authority for dealing with this situation by way of vehicles and manpower and what plans do you have for budgeting & planning long-term to address these matters to reassure our residents, particularly with increasing storms. 

Question from Councillor Stuart Wilson to Councillor Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration

The Q2 Capital Budget Adjustments and Reprofiling report submitted to this Cabinet contains references in Appendix 1 to a re-profiling of £345,000 for environment-led opportunities and, in particular, ‘Spade Oak Lake and Little Marlow Visitor Facility business plans under development as original plans did not produce a net nil cost to the Council. Other options are being considered.’ 

Cabinet approved a programme of action to evaluate Little Marlow Lakes Country park in two phases last year, starting with a cross-function Officer group tasked with developing a commercial plan for the Council-owned land at Spade Oak Quarry. There has been no indication from this Officer group that this work has been substantially on progressed, beyond a workstream on the creation of a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace as mitigation for the impact of development in Bourne End on Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation.

What work has been completed to date that would enable this report to conclude that the original plans did not produce a net nil cost to the Council, including the restoration works required under planning condition, what assumptions are now being  made for the £345,000 going forward including the timings of the delivery of a viable plan to Cabinet, and when will this be shared with all local Members with a strong vested interest in this proposal?”

RESPONSE from Councillor Strachan

As context, the £345,000 is existing capital budget which could be used towards funding the development and restoration works of the Council-owned land at Spade Oak Lake (the initial phase of delivery of the Little Marlow Lakes Country Park).

In line with Cabinet’s decision to develop a scheme for this site which as a minimum would be a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) compliant facility, and a business plan which ensures the facility is delivered as a cost neutral enterprise, officers have been focused upon the necessary steps towards SANG compliance, to attract SANG contributions to fund improvements (these would form part of the business plan for delivering the facility).

The SANG work requires a number of stages including visitor surveys to determine capacity at the site, approvals from Natural England, and development of management plans; this work has been progressing well with surveys undertaken over recent months and continuing discussions with Natural England, but will require time to conclude. Hence the reprofiling of the £345,000 capital budget into next financial year and the comments regarding net nil cost/other options, since the restoration works alone would use up this £345,000 budget.

In tandem, officers have also continued to liaise with partners to try and find a way to get Thames Water’s £0.4m grant to the Community Partnership implemented for habitat and visitor improvements on the site.

The business plans for the site will continue to be progressed and will be the subject of a paper to Cabinet in 2024/25.

Question from Councillor Robin Stuchbury to Councillor Steven Broadbent, Cabinet Member for Transport  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

The Deputy Leader introduced the Forward Plan and commended it to all Members of the Council and the public, as a document that gave forewarning of what reports would be discussing at forthcoming meetings.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet Forward Plan be noted.

For Cabinet to note the Select Committee Work Programme.

The Deputy Leader introduced the Select Committee Work Programme and commended it to all Members of the Council and the public, as a document that gave forewarning of what Select Committees would be discussing at forthcoming meetings.

 RESOLVED – That the Select Committee Work Programme be noted.

Each year the Director of Public Health produced an annual report on the health of the population.  This year the report focussed on mental health. The Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022-23 described the factors that supported good mental health, identified groups that were at risk of poorer mental health and made recommendations for the Council and its partners to promote mental health and well-being. The report was a call to action for partners in Buckinghamshire, asking partner organisations to reflect the recommendations in existing multi-agency plans, for the Start Well, Live Well and Age Well Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy.

Mental health was as important as physical health for health and wellbeing. It underpinned people’s ability to build strong relationships, to do well at school or in our jobs, and shaped how people interacted with the world around them. Good mental health often led to better physical health as well as a reduced chance of dying at a younger age.

People in Buckinghamshire generally enjoyed higher levels of good mental health and wellbeing compared with the England average. However, good mental health was not experienced by everyone, and many people experienced periods of poor mental health during their life. Fortunately, there were many things we can do to improve and protect mental health. There were also actions that schools and organisations could take to support the mental health of those who lived, learnt and worked in Buckinghamshire.  These preventative actions were the focus of the 2022-23 annual report.

The report did not consider the different types of mental health conditions, nor did it cover treatment and support for mental illness. These were important subjects that would require a long and detailed report in their own right. Many people with a mental health condition enjoy a good quality of life and many of the preventative actions in the annual report may support them, in addition to formal treatment.  The report further detailed formal research and local data and mentioned that it was not surprising to find a strong overlap between the factors that were important to children and young people and those that were important in adulthood. The things that affected mental health did not change as people grew older. However, two additional factors become important as people aged – the impact of retirement and increased risks of becoming socially isolated.

While the factors for mental health listed could affect everyone, some people in Buckinghamshire were more likely to be vulnerable to poor mental health. National research had demonstrated a link between poverty and mental health, and this was evident in Buckinghamshire.  While not all mental health conditions and disorders could be prevented, individuals could take steps to improve their own mental health by focusing on the protective factors listed in the report.

The report made a number of recommendations regarding actions that schools, Buckinghamshire Council, the local NHS and employers and voluntary sector organisations could take to promote good mental health. These actions are grouped into five areas:  ...  view the full decision text for item 8.

Each year, the Director of Public Health produced an annual report on the health of the population.  This year, the report focussed on mental health. The Director of Public Health Annual Report 2022-23 described the factors that supported good mental health, identified groups that were at risk of poorer mental health and made recommendations for the Council and its partners to promote mental health and well-being. The report was a call to action for partners in Buckinghamshire, asking partner organisations to reflect the recommendations in existing multi-agency plans, for the Start Well, Live Well and Age Well Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy.

Mental health was as important as physical health for health and wellbeing. It underpinned people’s ability to build strong relationships, to do well at school or in employment, and shaped how people interacted with the world around them. Good mental health often led to better physical health, as well as a reduced chance of dying at a younger age.

People in Buckinghamshire generally enjoyed higher levels of good mental health and wellbeing compared with the England average. However, good mental health was not experienced by everyone and many people experienced periods of poor mental health during their life. Fortunately, there were many things residents could do to improve and protect mental health. There were also actions that schools and organisations could take to support the mental health of those who lived, learnt and worked in Buckinghamshire.  These preventative actions were the focus of the 2022-23 annual report.

The report did not consider the different types of mental health conditions, nor did it cover treatment and support for mental illness. These were important subjects that would require a long and detailed report in their own right. Many people with a mental health condition enjoyed a good quality of life and many of the preventative actions in the annual report might support them, in addition to formal treatment.  The report further detailed formal research and local data and mentioned that it was not surprising to find a strong overlap between the factors that were important to children and young people and those that were important in adulthood. The things that affected mental health did not change as people grew older. However, two additional factors become important as people aged – the impact of retirement and increased risks of becoming socially isolated.

The Director of Public Health reported that while the factors for mental health listed could affect everyone, some people in Buckinghamshire were more likely to be vulnerable to poor mental health. National research had demonstrated a link between poverty and mental health and this was evident in Buckinghamshire.  While not all mental health conditions and disorders could be prevented, individuals could take steps to improve their own mental health by focusing on the protective factors listed in the report. The Director of Public Health also highlighted those people who were at risk, such as children living in poverty, who were four times as likely to have mental health  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Working Together 2018 stated that partnerships must produce an annual report “at least once in every 12 months period.” The report must set out what they have done as a result of the arrangements, including on child safeguarding practice reviews, and how effective these arrangements have been in practice.

WT18 also stated that the report should include:
1. evidence of the impact of the work of the safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including training, on outcomes for children and families from early help to looked-after children and care leavers.

2. an analysis of any areas where there has been little or no evidence of progress on agreed priorities.

3. a record of decisions and actions taken by the partners in the report’s period (or planned to be taken) to implement the recommendations of any local and national child safeguarding practice reviews, including any resulting improvements.

4. ways in which the partners have sought and utilised feedback from children and families to inform their work and influence service provision.

These requirements formed the chapters for the annual report that was submitted and considered by Cabinet.

RESOLVED –

That the Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2022-23 be NOTED.

Working Together 2018 stated that partnerships must produce an annual report “at least once in every 12 months period.” The report must set out what they have done as a result of the arrangements, including on child safeguarding practice reviews, and how effective these arrangements have been in practice.

The Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education introduced Walter McCulloch - Independent Chair, Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership. The Partnership was a multi-agency partnership including police, fire, NHS, Thames Valley Rehabilitation Service and National Probation Service which dealt with 124,000 children. The main vision of the Partnership was to hear the Voice of the Child. 

The Independent Chair reported that the report was work in progress and represented his first six months as Chair. He commented that the report should included:

1. evidence of the impact of the work of the safeguarding partners and relevant agencies, including training, on outcomes for children and families from early help to looked-after children and care leavers. This should include looking at data to see if actions were having a positive impact on children, looking at the qualitative assessment, what staff would say across the Partnership and listening to the voices of those with lived experience.

2. an analysis of any areas where there has been little or no evidence of progress on agreed priorities.

3. a record of decisions and actions taken by the partners in the report’s period (or planned to be taken) to implement the recommendations of any local and national child safeguarding practice reviews, including any resulting improvements.

4. ways in which the partners have sought and utilised feedback from children and families to inform their work and influence service provision.

This information had helped the Partnership develop the Business Plan and narrow down the priorities which include:-

·       developing the Partnership further so that Partners could hold each other to account and to increase collaborative working

·       the collective front door and managing demand through the different agencies

·       learning through Case Reviews and the evidence for change

·       learning from the lived experience

The Independent Chair thanked Public Health colleagues for the assessments relating to the Child Death Overview Panel, which was a statutory requirement as part of the partnership and stressed the importance of analysing the cause of any tragic deaths. There would be a progress report in 2024 which would show that the Partnership was up to date with their statutory duties. The training needs analysis was work in progress.

These requirements formed the chapters for the annual report that was submitted and considered by Cabinet.

Next steps for the Partnership

• To agree a new business plan with measurable priorities and ensure this was

shared with the sub groups for action.

• To review the current membership and structure to ensure that it could deliver

what was required.

• To agree and implement a front line staff and residents engagement plan.

• To re-establish and strengthen the links between the relevant Partnership

Boards.

• To implement and measure the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy 2022-2023 Progress Report provided an update on the significant progress made against the aims, objectives, and actions set out in the Council’s Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy within the second year following its adoption on 19 October 2021.

Details of 51 activities were provided, many of which addressed several actions in the Strategy. These had contributed to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) decreasing by 7.73% from 2019 to 2021; nitrogen dioxide concentrations staying within the annual mean value in 2022 (apart from one location where new diffusion tube monitoring was established within the Friarage Road Air Quality Management Area in 2022); and, the Council’s GHG emissions being 73.7% lower in ‘22/’23 compared to its emissions from 1990.

The Council was responsible for 5,401 tCO2e (net emissions) in ‘22/’23.  It had kept comfortably within the Council’s carbon allocation for ‘22/’23 (6,953 tCO2e) and was on track to reduce the Council’s carbon emissions by at least 75% by 2030.

RESOLVED –

That the progress made in 2022-23 against the aims, objectives and actions in the Council’s Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy be NOTED.

The Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy 2022-2023 Progress Report provided an update on the significant progress made against the aims, objectives, and actions set out in the Council’s Climate Change and Air Quality Strategy within the second year following its adoption on 19 October 2021.

Details of 51 activities were provided, many of which addressed several actions in the Strategy. These had contributed to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) decreasing by 7.73% from 2019 to 2021; nitrogen dioxide concentrations staying within the annual mean value in 2022 (apart from one location where new diffusion tube monitoring was established within the Friarage Road Air Quality Management Area in 2022); and, the Council’s GHG emissions being 73.7% lower in ‘22/’23 compared to its emissions from 1990.

The Council was responsible for 5,401 tCO2e (net emissions) in ‘22/’23.  It had kept comfortably within the Council’s carbon allocation for ‘22/’23 (6,953 tCO2e) and was on track to reduce the Council’s carbon emissions by at least 75% by 2030.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment stated that these figures were a result of partnership working with voluntary and community groups, schools, the waste team, libraries and other organisations such as the Forestry Commission. The Council applied for any available government grants in this area and also had reduced the cost per tree to provide value for money whilst planting on a reasonable scale (145,000 trees over a 12 month period). The target was 543,000 by the end of 2031 planting season, which was effectively one per resident in the County and included smaller planted areas in schools to tree plantations on a larger scale. The Council had met over 35 climate and environmental groups across the County and had a thriving eco – system of local community groups which dealt with a range of different projects and initiatives. There was a dedicated Project Officer to ensure that there was good cross-collaboration between the groups. The Council were looking at projects regarding insulating homes and using solar panels and the two big initiatives in this regard were the Solar Together Scheme and the Energy Doctor Scheme. The Solar Together Scheme, which used bulk purchasing to get good deals for local residents, had delivered 4,356 panels across Buckinghamshire which was equivalent to 2.1 megawatts. The Energy Doctor Scheme had helped 150 homes to obtain better insultation which included advisors visiting qualifying homes to improve on carbon emissions and energy saving. The first electric bin lorry had been ordered and another 8 different vehicles were coming in across the fleet as part of the commitment on transport. With regards to air quality, air quality monitoring showed there was only one exceedance of the annual mean National Air Quality Objective for NO2 within Buckinghamshire. This was a new monitoring location added in 2022 located within the Friarage Road Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in Aylesbury. There was a Climate Change Newsletter with 4,000 readers and also a large range of information online. https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/campaign/bucks-climate-challenge/

During discussion the following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Opportunity Bucks was the Council’s local partnership approach to levelling up, working in partnership across the county to improve outcomes for people who were experiencing the most hardship.  Outcomes for people across the county were, on average, good. Income was above the national average, educational attainment was high, and the proportion of people claiming out of work benefits was low.

However, the county averages masked the challenges that some people in some specific parts of the county were facing. 10 Ward areas had been identified where outcomes were substantially worse for residents, with more people in these Wards claiming benefits, having worse health outcomes, experiencing higher crime and having limited opportunities.  The Council’s aim, through the Opportunity Bucks programme, was to ensure that everyone in the county had the opportunity to succeed, that we grow together as a place and that nobody was left behind.  The Cabinet report provided an update on progress made since the official launch of the programme on 7 December 2022.

RESOLVED –

That the progress of the Opportunity Bucks programme be NOTED.

Opportunity Bucks was the Council’s local partnership approach to levelling up, working in partnership across the county to improve outcomes for people who were experiencing the most hardship.  Outcomes for people across the county were, on average, good. Income was above the national average, educational attainment was high, and the proportion of people claiming out of work benefits was low.

However, the county averages masked the challenges that some people in some specific parts of the county were facing. 10 ward areas had been identified where outcomes were substantially worse for residents, with more people in these wards claiming benefits, having worse health outcomes, experiencing higher crime and having limited opportunities.  The Council’s aim, through the Opportunity Bucks programme, was to ensure that everyone in the county had the opportunity to succeed, that we grow together as a place and that nobody was left behind.  The Cabinet report provided an update on progress made since the official launch of the programme on 7 December 2022.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing reported that it was a flagship programme to improve outcomes for residents who were experiencing the most hardship. The Council delivered targeted intervention into the ten wards identified to ensure everyone had the opportunity to achieve such as:-

·       A good quality job

·       Learning and career progression

·       A good standard of attainment and skills

·       A healthy and active lifestyle

·       A decent, warm home

·       Pride in where they live

The Cabinet Member reported that this Project could only be successful with strong partnership working and a strong multi-agency commitment with statutory partners, the voluntary and community sector, local stakeholders, community groups and resident associations. There were 3 levels of working:-

·       Thematic partnerships which operated at a strategic level and focused on improving education and youth engagement, job careers and skills, the quality of the public realm, living standards and health and wellbeing for residents across all ten wards.

·       Ward Partnerships which had been established at a community level in all of the ten target wards which were led by local members with officer support and involving local stakeholders and community groups who enabled the Council to identify the key local challenges that residents were facing.

·       At an individual level a Making Every Adult Matter team to support residents who were experiencing multiple disadvantage and to improve outcomes.

This Project was being monitored through performance indicators. The Cabinet Member for Communities gave a few highlights on what had already been achieved:-

·       implementing traffic calming measures in Castlefield to improve the local area.

·       a policy change to Buckinghamshire’s main Registered Social Landlords to that they could no longer remove carpets by default when tenants change and instead the carpets were offered to the incoming tenants for a nominal fee.

·       securing additional funding to support the aims of the programme including £2.1m funding from Government to improve numeracy skills through the Multiply Scheme.

·       making functional improvements to the Totteridge recreational group, targeted community clean ups and litter-picks and establishing community cafes.

The Chief  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

The Capital Programme for 2023-24 to 2026-27 was approved by Full Council in February 2023, with an expenditure budget of £505.9m. The programme was revised to £556.8m following additions agreed by Cabinet in July 2023. The Council often received ringfenced funding in-year from Government and Developers which were added to the programme in a supplementary budget change. Additionally, the programme was reviewed quarterly to check that the profiled spend remained realistic. The report set out the recommended additions and reprofiling for Quarter 2, and also recommended 3 projects to be reduced or removed from the programme. These budget changes would ensure the programme remained realistic and deliverable, and released budget for reinvestment. The recommended changes would increase the 4-year Capital Programme to £582.6m by 2026- 27 and would reduce the 2023-24 current year budget from £149.3m to £124.6m.

RESOLVED that the following Budget adjustments to the Capital Programme be approved:

1. Addition of £5.908m to the programme for new externally funded ringfenced grants and S106 developer contributions.

2. Addition of £2.338m to the programme funded from Corporate Resources, to fund inflationary pressures or new spend on existing, priority projects.

3. Removal of £0.460m for projects which have completed or are no longer proceeding.

4. Reprofile of £24.335m from the current year into future years.

The Capital Programme for 2023-24 to 2026-27 was approved by Full Council in February 2023, with an expenditure budget of £505.9m. The programme was revised to £556.8m following additions agreed by Cabinet in July 2023. The Council often received ringfenced funding in-year from Government and Developers which were added to the programme in a supplementary budget change. Additionally, the programme was reviewed quarterly to check that the profiled spend remained realistic. The report set out the recommended additions and reprofiling for Quarter 2, and also recommended 3 projects to be reduced or removed from the programme. These budget changes would ensure the programme remained realistic and deliverable and released budget for reinvestment. The recommended changes would increase the 4-year Capital Programme to £582.6m by 2026- 27 and would reduce the 2023-24 current year budget from £149.3m to £124.6m.

There were £8.246m of recommended additions to the Capital Programme. In summary:

• £5.908m of new projects funded from external ringfenced funding - £2.567m for new or existing projects funded from ringfenced Government Grants and £3.341m for projects funded by ringfenced s.106 developer contributions. The conditions of this funding meant that it could only be spent on these specific projects.

• £1.738m of additions made up of 2 existing projects were experiencing overspends due to inflationary pressures, the Biowaste Project and Hampden Memorial Chapel. The proposal was to fund these overspends from earmarked reserves (£1.738m); and

• 1 priority project – CCTV control room upgrades £0.600m funded from a contribution from the RCCR (Revenue Contributions to Capital) reserve.

Since the Quarter 1 update to Cabinet, £18.055m of projects had been added to the programme through separate Leader or Key Decisions. This gave total additions to the programme since Quarter 1 of £26.301m. The Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources also referred to Appendix 1, which showed MTFP Reprofile Detail by Portfolio and specifically mentioned the South East Aylesbury Link Road and that the funding negotiations with HS2 and Homes England were now resolved.

Leader Strategic Infrastructure projects: percentage profiled spend achieved This was mainly due to the South East Aylesbury Link Road project as negotiations had taken longer than expected with the Government and Homes England. This had now been resolved and a Leader decision was awaited. A further paper was expected to come back to Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources also referred to Appendix 1 which showed MTFP Reprofile Detail by Portfolio and specifically mentioned the South East Aylesbury Link Road. Members noted that the Councilremained committed to the delivery of the South East Aylesbury Link Road and continued to be involved in discussions with central government regarding the financing of the project. Securing these funds had taken far longer than anticipated, however a substantial portion of the funding, through the Housing Infrastructure Fund, had now been agreed with Homes England. 

RESOLVED that the following Budget adjustments to the Capital Programme be approved:

1. Addition of £5.908m to the programme for new externally funded ringfenced  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Thes report set out the forecast Revenue and Capital outturn position for Buckinghamshire Council for the financial year 2023/24 as at Quarter 2. The Council was continuing to experience significant financial pressures due to continued increase in demand and complexity of need in key services, such as Adults Social Care and Children’s Social Care. The forecast revenue outturn position at Quarter 2 was an adverse variance of £8.6m, (2% of Portfolio budgets), an increase of £0.3m from the Quarter 1 reported position of £8.3m. This was primarily due to pressures in Health and Wellbeing and Education and Children’s Services from demand and market insufficiency issues, coupled with pressures in Housing & Homelessness & Regulatory Services in Temporary Accommodation budgets and Transport budgets.  Within the overall position there was an adverse variance of £15.2m (3%) in Portfolios (£14.0m last quarter) offset by a £6.6m (£5.7m last quarter) favourable variance in Corporate & Funding.

Following the Quarter 1 position, detailed Portfolio Action Plans had been implemented to address pressures, with a view to urgently bringing budgets back into line. The Quarter 2 position reflected positive variances across several portfolios linked to the delivery of the action plans, however, the financial position had deteriorated overall due to increasing pressures within Education & Children’s Services which were detailed in the report. Capital spending was forecast to be 99.5% of budget, a variance of £0.6m.

RESOLVED that Cabinet note the report and the risks and opportunities contained within it and also note the actions being taken to mitigate pressures as set out in para 3.9 of the report.

This report set out the forecast Revenue and Capital outturn position for Buckinghamshire Council for the financial year 2023/24 as at Quarter 2. The Council was continuing to experience significant financial pressures due to continued increase in demand and complexity of need in key services, such as Adults Social Care and Children’s Social Care. The forecast revenue outturn position at Quarter 2 was an adverse variance of £8.6m, (2% of Portfolio budgets), an increase of £0.3m from the Quarter 1 reported position of £8.3m. This was primarily due to pressures in Health and Wellbeing and Education and Children’s Services from demand and market insufficiency issues, coupled with pressures in Housing & Homelessness & Regulatory Services in Temporary Accommodation budgets and Transport budgets.  Within the overall position there was an adverse variance of £15.2m (3%) in Portfolios (£14.0m last quarter) offset by a £6.6m (£5.7m last quarter) favourable variance in Corporate & Funding.

The £15.2m (£14.0m last quarter) adverse variance in Portfolios included:

i.                    £3.4m pressure (£3.9m last quarter) in Health and Wellbeing due to growth in client numbers, and increased cost of care packages, particularly in Residential, Nursing and Supported Living.

ii.                   £9.8m pressure (£3.9m last quarter) in Education & Children’s Services predominantly due to the national insufficiency of placements for children looked after leading to a shortage of available placements and very high unit costs of those placements that could be accessed.

iii.                 £1.1m adverse variance (£1.5m last quarter) in Housing & Homelessness & Regulatory Services in Temporary Accommodation budgets due to increased demand, particularly for nightly paid accommodation.

iv.                 £1.3m adverse variance (£3.2m last quarter) in Transport Services. This was predominantly in Transport costs £1.3m pressure (£0.8m last quarter) due to increased contract costs in Home to School Transport with provider pressure to increase costs on letting of new contracts.

v.                   The position also reflected a forecast shortfall on Energy from Waste income of £4.8m due to the reduction in market energy prices.

Following the Quarter 1 position, detailed Portfolio Action Plans had been implemented to address pressures, with a view to urgently bringing budgets back into line. The Quarter 2 position reflected positive variances across several portfolios linked to the delivery of the action plans, however, the financial position had deteriorated overall due to increasing pressures within Education & Children’s Services which were detailed in the report. Mitigations of £1.3m had been identified linked to additional electricity income from the EfW plant, relating to a prudent estimate of income projections for 2022-23. Capital spending was forecast to be 99.5% of budget, a variance of £0.6m.

Unsecured debt over 90 days had seen an increase of £5.1m in comparison to Q1, rising from £9m to £14.1m in Q2. This had been scrutinised closely at a recent Select Committee meeting. For Q2 current overall invoice payment performance was 96.1% paid on-time.

Cabinet Members noted that budget pressures were being faced nationally. The Section 151 Officer referred to the risks in the budget as already reported by the Cabinet Member (home to school transport, children’s services (particularly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The report included the performance report, which provided details of the key performance measures reported through the corporate performance framework for 2023/24 and the performance scorecard, which provided information on four key elements of performance for the Council covering Finance, Customer Service, Performance and Human Resources indicators. Within the performance report and performance scorecard, outturns which were performing at or better than target were classified as Green, those which were within 5% of the target are Amber and those which were more than 5% of the target were Red. At the end of Quarter 2, 92 indicators had outturns reported with a Red, Amber or Green status. Of these, 62 were Green (67%), 10 were Amber (11%) and 20 were Red (22%).

RESOLVED that the performance report be noted including the action taken to improve performance where required.

The report included the performance report, which provided details of the key performance measures reported through the corporate performance framework for 2023/24 and the performance scorecard, which provided information on four key elements of performance for the Council covering Finance, Customer Service, Performance and Human Resources indicators. Within the performance report and performance scorecard, outturns which were performing at or better than target were classified as Green, those which were within 5% of the target are Amber and those which were more than 5% of the target were Red. At the end of Quarter 2, 92 indicators had outturns reported with a Red, Amber or Green status. Of these, 62 were Green (67%), 10 were Amber (11%) and 20 were Red (22%).

Each Cabinet Member addressed the performance indicators which had a red status as follows-

Leader

Strategic Infrastructure projects: percentage profiled spend achieved

The Council remained committed to the delivery of the South East Aylesbury Link Road and continued to be involved in discussions with central government regarding the financing of the project. Securing these funds had taken far longer than anticipated, however a substantial portion of the funding, through the Housing Infrastructure Fund, had now been agreed with Homes England. 

Cabinet Member for Accessible Housing and Resources

Average Call Wait Time

This was below 5 minutes for the last four quarters, but it was still above the target level of 3 minutes although there was an improvement in Quarter 2. Quarter 2 was a busy period with home to school transport at the start of term and garden waste renewals. Online contacts were being promoted, including development of chat bots in four key services and use of call back facility.

Overall revenue (forecast) variance (%) across the Council

Addressed in the previous report.

£ value of unsecured debt > 90 days (excl Business Rate, Housing Benefit and Council Tax, and not secured against a property or asset) across the Council

Addressed in the previous report – the service area had set up a Task and Finish Group for adult social care debt and was also looking at improving processes including automation.

Average time for processing new Housing Benefit claims (days)

Average time for processing Housing Benefit change claims (days)

The backlog of claims was due to closing the previous system and now having a single system as this was an annual rolling target. However, the backlog of claims had now been cleared so improvements were expected.

Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services

% of children's social care assessments completed in 45 working days

% of children with Initial Child Protection Conferences completed within 15 working days of the strategy discussion

% of Children in Need seen within 4 weeks

Percentage of new Education, Health and Care plans issued within 20 weeks (excluding exceptions)

% of initial Family Support Plans completed within 31 working days

The Cabinet Member responded to all the red indicators commenting that the red status was due to an increase in demand, staffing and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

12 December 2023

12 December 2023 at 10am.