Issue - meetings

To consider recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny committees on items not otherwise included on the Cabinet Agenda.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board addressed the Cabinet advising that the following recommendations had been agreed by the Board for submission to Cabinet for consideration: -

1.    That the principle of an inflationary increase across all parking charges be endorsed for the 2025/26 budget.

2.    That it requests Officers to take into account the suggestion that an assessment be made on using a proportion of surplus income to accelerate the parking charging machine replacement programme prioritising the best value machines in order to reduce future costs (subject to the necessary procurement processes).

3.    That it requests that Officers evaluate the retention and recruitment of Civil Enforcement Officers to ensure a robust and resilient workforce to provide an appropriate level of resource and promote safe and appropriate parking.

4.    That Officers be requested to explore options to reduce costs for the Council and make the process easier for the public to pay for car parking, in particular an option to be able to pay in advance/on Council website.

5.     That Officers be requested to ensure adequate resourcing of parking enforcement to reduce inappropriate parking around schools.

6.     That any Resident Card offering is made fully accessible to all those who are not digitally enabled.

7.     That there should be an application process for the Resident Card with a small financial contribution for the cost of processing and that the card should be a valuable offer that residents are willing to pay a small cost for, so that it can be sustainable in terms of administrative costs.

8.    That any charge levied for the Resident Card should be the same regardless of the format and that consideration should be given to concessions for disadvantaged groups.

9.     That Cabinet be recommended to put in place as a matter of urgency a corporate approach to financial decision making that would enable it to meet its net zero targets by 2030, to include a gap analysis of the estimated total amount of spend required to reach net zero targets against the work already underway within departments to reach these targets.

10.That following receipt of the Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) report and the work suggested at recommendation 9 above, Cabinet be recommended to consider a mechanism for including the full costs associated with reaching net zero by 2030 alongside the Medium Term Financial Plan, by consulting best practice used in other authorities to date for the same purpose.

11.That Cabinet notes that the O&S working group members are assured that, within the difficult financial position that the council is in, officers have explored options to maximise budget and to change the direction of travel in relation to temporary accommodation.

12.That the O&S working group members record their concern at the level of Homelessness Prevention Grant and the government subsidy for temporary accommodation placements and request that the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Regulatory Services explore all possible mechanisms to lobby government for increases in this respect.

13.That,  ...  view the full decision text for item 81

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board addressed the Cabinet advising that the following recommendations had been agreed by the Board for submission to Cabinet for consideration: -

1.    That the principle of an inflationary increase across all parking charges be endorsed for the 2025/26 budget.

2.    That it requests Officers to take into account the suggestion that an assessment be made on using a proportion of surplus income to accelerate the parking charging machine replacement programme prioritising the best value machines in order to reduce future costs (subject to the necessary procurement processes).

3.    That it requests that Officers evaluate the retention and recruitment of Civil Enforcement Officers to ensure a robust and resilient workforce to provide an appropriate level of resource and promote safe and appropriate parking.

4.    That Officers be requested to explore options to reduce costs for the Council and make the process easier for the public to pay for car parking, in particular an option to be able to pay in advance/on Council website.

5.     That Officers be requested to ensure adequate resourcing of parking enforcement to reduce inappropriate parking around schools.

6.     That any Resident Card offering is made fully accessible to all those who are not digitally enabled.

7.     That there should be an application process for the Resident Card with a small financial contribution for the cost of processing and that the card should be a valuable offer that residents are willing to pay a small cost for, so that it can be sustainable in terms of administrative costs.

8.    That any charge levied for the Resident Card should be the same regardless of the format and that consideration should be given to concessions for disadvantaged groups.

9.     That Cabinet be recommended to put in place as a matter of urgency a corporate approach to financial decision making that would enable it to meet its net zero targets by 2030, to include a gap analysis of the estimated total amount of spend required to reach net zero targets against the work already underway within departments to reach these targets.

10.That following receipt of the Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) report and the work suggested at recommendation 9 above, Cabinet be recommended to consider a mechanism for including the full costs associated with reaching net zero by 2030 alongside the Medium Term Financial Plan, by consulting best practice used in other authorities to date for the same purpose.

11.That Cabinet notes that the O&S working group members are assured that, within the difficult financial position that the council is in, officers have explored options to maximise budget and to change the direction of travel in relation to temporary accommodation.

12.That the O&S working group members record their concern at the level of Homelessness Prevention Grant and the government subsidy for temporary accommodation placements and request that the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Regulatory Services explore all possible mechanisms to lobby government for increases in this respect.

13.That,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81