Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors T Dixon, D Dhillon and M Fayyaz.

Councillor P Cooper substituted for Councillor T Dixon.

There were none.

The minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2023 to be confirmed as a correct record.

The public and confidential minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2023 were confirmed as an accurate record.

Public Questions is an opportunity for people who live, work or study in Buckinghamshire to put a question to a Select Committee.

The Committee will hear from members of the public who have submitted questions in advance relating to items on the agenda. The Cabinet Member, relevant key partners and responsible officers will be invited to respond.

Further information on how to register can be found here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/your-council/get-involved-with-council-decisions/select-committees/

There were none.

To receive an update on the progress of the budget scrutiny recommendations made in January 2023.

Contributors:

Councillor Martin Tett, Leader

David Skinner, Service Director for Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Papers:

Six Month Budget Recommendations Update

The Leader introduced the report and invited questions from Select Committee Members. During the discussion, the following points were noted:

·       The schedule of quantified risks would be shared with Risk Management Group on an annual basis likely around the time of budget scrutiny.

·       Opportunity schedules were reported at Directorate Boards and Corporate Management Team but would be unlikely to feature in budget paperwork due to the dynamism of opportunities and the overall challenging financial position. Opportunities would feature if they were practical and deliverable within budget. Additionally, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Resource was considering opportunities for increased income.

·       The role of Community Boards was to facilitate at local level and leverage contributory funding (e.g. Thames Valley Police, Voluntary Community Sector and NHS) particularly when demand and costs for statutory services had increased.  The Cabinet Member for Communities would be leading a review of Community Boards ready for implementation in May 2025.

·       The potential site identified for Buckinghamshire Archives would look to accommodate New County Office archives, the Buckinghamshire Museum at Halton, artifacts found through HS2 groundworks and, potentially, the Wycombe Museum.

·       There was no commitment of funding towards the Visitor Economy Strategy due to the financial pressures on the Council. Instead, investment may be facilitated through external organisations.

·       Members would welcome more information regarding increased provision for Council-owned temporary accommodation.

The Chairman thanked the Leader for the update report.

The Committee will discuss the work programme and note the items for the next meeting.

Contributors:

All Committee Members

Papers:

Work Programme

Members noted the work programme and the Chairman advised that considerations for other reports could be emailed to him and the Senior Scrutiny Officer. Suggestions from Members included:

·       Arrangements regarding Trading Standards (following the meeting it was confirmed this responsibility is with the Communities & Localism Select Committee).

·       The enhanced data on staff absence as referenced at the meeting on 6 April 2023.

One Member also noted that it would be helpful to ensure that the upcoming budget papers identify revenue savings due to capital investment.

The next meeting will take place on 30 November 2023.

30 November 2023 at 2pm.

To resolve that under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Paragraph 3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED –

That pursuant to Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Minute No 9, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act as defined as follows:

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) (Paragraph 3, Part 1 of Schedule 12A, Local Government Act 1972) (The need to maintain the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure, because disclosure could prejudice the Council’s position in any future process or negotiations).

For Members to consider a confidential report regarding the income at the Energy from Waste facility at Greatmoor.

Contributors:

Councillor Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Environment

Richard Barker, Corporate Director for Communities

Martin Dickman, Service Director for Neighbourhood Services

Gurbaksh Badhan, Head of Strategic Waste Management and Enforcement

Roger Seed, Waste Contracts Team Leader

Papers:

Greatmoor Energy from Waste Income

Appendix 1 – Spill Market

Appendix 2 – Forward Contracts

Appendix 3 – Capacity Market Income

Appendix 4 – Key Variables

This item was undertaken in confidential session. A number of topics were discussed including:

·       Waste reserves.

·       Risks.

·       Contract arrangements.

·       Plant maintenance.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Member and the officers for the report.