Agenda item

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, to support work around the Temporary Accommodation Efficiency Review Themes, Officers be asked to explore the benefits of using co-production tools to answer difficult policy questions, such as the approach to be taken to releasing empty homes.  The working group suggested that one such tool may be a Citizens Assembly or Citizens Survey.

14.  That Cabinet be informed that the O&S working group notes that the Children’s Social Care Service is working within the MTFP and is assured that the budget for 25/26 is being built on well informed growth forecasts and that BCP’s position was now stabilising in terms of numbers of children entering the care system.

15. That Cabinet notes that, within a time of financial constraint, the O&S working group finds that protection of non-statutory services (such as Early Help) continues to be vitally important to avoid additional financial impact on statutory services.  The working group supports and recommends a continued approach to protecting non-statutory services for this reason. 

16. That Cabinet be informed that the O&S working group was assured by the previous end of year outturn being within approximately £300k of the Quarter 3 projections for the year which was a minimal variance, demonstrating that the Service has a good handle on the anticipated costs for Children’s Services.

17.  That Cabinet supports and promotes inclusion as a key priority for Children’s Services enabling more SEND pupils to be educated in mainstream, local schools, therefore reducing the need for school transport provision and associated costs.

18.That in light of the financial and other benefits of block booking beds, funds be made available in the 2025/26 budget to allow the Adult Social Care service to increase the number of block booked beds used by the council for long -term care provision with the aim of reaching 300 block booked beds, followed by a review and a further aim of 500 block booked beds.

19.  That funds be made available in the 2025/26 budget to support the Adult Social Care service to work in partnership with health partners to develop a more enhanced offer of intermediate care and reablement care to be able to meet the objective of reducing or delaying long-term residential care need for residents. 

The Leader thanked the Board for their recommendations and advised that they would be considered at future meetings of the Cabinet.

The Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee addressed the Cabinet advising that the following recommendation had been agreed by the Committee for submission to Cabinet for consideration: -

That Cabinet be asked to discuss the issues caused by a lack of funding for rough sleepers with no local connection and those without an identified priority need, with a view to developing solutions in partnership with other local authorities and key stake holders such as the Integrated Care Board and relevant ministers to create a robust system that does not fail our most vulnerable or unfairly place the responsibility for caring for these people on particular local authorities, with a view to getting something in place before the new Homelessness strategy.

The Leader thanked the Committee for their recommendation and advised that they it would be considered at a future meeting of the Cabinet.

The Leader advised that in view of the public interest in Agenda Item 13 (East Cliff and Springbourne Neighbourhood Plan) that this item would be brought forward and dealt with as the first item.