To receive from Members any declarations and the nature thereof in relation to:-

(a)    personal interests in any agenda item;

(b)    personal and prejudicial interests in any agenda item;

(c)     any political whip in relation to any agenda item.

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and any matters of communication.

The Chairman advised the meeting that the running order of the agenda had been changed.  Item 10 (Your Space) would now be considered before Item 9 (ICT Strategy) because the presenting officer for the latter had been delayed.

To receive petitions from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 2 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

No petitions were received from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Part D2 of the Constitution.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

No questions, statements or deputations were received from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

To consider any decision of the Executive referred to the Committee for review in accordance with Procedure Rule 10 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

No decisions of the Executive were called-in to be reviewed in accordance with the Call-In Procedure as set out in Part D2 of the Constitution.

To consider any items referred to the Committee at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

No items were referred to the Committee for consideration at the request of a Member under Procedure Rule 3.1 of Part D2 of the Constitution.

To receive brief verbal updates from the Portfolio Holders for Policy and Performance, Finance, Governance and People and Customers, Systems and Assets.

Members were aware that consideration of this item had been deferred by the previous meeting of the Committee (minute 10/112 refers).

Members noted that the Portfolio Holders for Customers, Systems and Assets and Finance, Governance and People had been unable to attend the meeting.

The Committee received a verbal update from the Portfolio Holder for Policy and Performance.  The Portfolio Holder reported that the Authority was making good progress in achieving efficiencies and, based on the data available as at 26 October 2010, he would be surprised if the Council did not meet its efficiency target.

The Portfolio Holder referred to the Council’s engagement agenda and the meetings organised under the title of ‘Lets Talk Together’.  The Committee noted that the first of the meetings had been held at Cranfield and the second was due to be held that evening at Sandy.   The Portfolio Holder stated that the first meeting had seen attendance by a range of public bodies and positive feedback on its value.

The Portfolio Holder reported that positive feedback had also been forthcoming from the latest town and parish council meeting.  He added that the next one was scheduled to be held in October.

Turning next to the revamp of Performance Indicators the Portfolio Holder reported that these were currently out to consultation.

The Portfolio Holder stated that the local Chief Executives’ Forum had developed four business cases around Total Place and the most important dealt with procurement.

The meeting was advised that the Council’s upgraded web site would launch, on time, in April.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Committee that briefings, meetings and consultation were ongoing with regard to the Budget.

The Committee noted that the latest edition of News Central would be published in the following week.  Although £25k had been received in advertising this sum had not covered the production costs in full.  The Portfolio Holder stated that the magazine had been generally well received and the option existed to go online.

The Portfolio Holder stated that, following a request by Members, an emergency contact sheet was being drawn up.  He also stated that the Members’ Year Book would be available in a filofax style format.

Following comments by the Chairman regarding the difficulty experienced by his wife in registering a complaint the Portfolio Holder asked that details be sent to him so he could take action.

The Vice-Chairman commented that the times originally given for the ‘Lets Talk Together’ meeting at Leighton Buzzard had apparently been incorrect and new, later, times of 7.00 – 9.00 p.m. had been emailed to him.  He sought clarification as to between what times the meeting would take place.  In response the Portfolio Holder explained that the original times given were only suggested times and he confirmed that the meeting would now be held between 7.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.   Following a further query by the Vice-Chairman the Portfolio Holder stated that he would investigate when local residents would be notified of the change in times and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 128.

To consider a post implementation review of the Your Space programme and the next steps.

The Committee received a presentation by the Director of Customer and Shared Services which analysed the Council’s Your Space programme through an examination of the key drivers, the programme scope, omissions from the original brief, chronology, outcomes versus objectives, lessons to be learned and summary.  In addition a list of the proposed benefits of the programme was provided.  A copy of the presentation is attached at Appendix A to these minutes.

The Director explained that although the programme had originally been commissioned in the summer of 2009 he had evaluated it against the most recent and complete business case from March 2010.

A Member raised a number of queries regarding the excess travel payments made to staff as a result of their relocation and the current position regarding Technology House.  In response the Director explained that contracts issued by the legacy District Councils stated that staff were expected to work anywhere within the relevant District boundaries.  This had emerged as a shortcoming when staff were relocated within the new, enlarged boundaries of Central Bedfordshire Council and it had proved necessary to make payments for ‘excess’ travel (known as ‘Appendix E payments’ because the relevant terms and conditions were contained in Appendix E of the Green Book).  He added that negotiations were being held with the unions on changing employees’ terms and conditions including the travel payments.  The Director also added that new employees were expected to work anywhere within Central Bedfordshire and that it was not expected that any further staff relocations would require such payments to be made to any employees. 

With regard to office requirements the Director referred to proposed changes through the widespread introduction of homeworking and ‘hot desking’, the changes in general desk allocation to staff and reductions in employee numbers.  Arising from these points it was apparent that the Council could, in the future, operate from the administrative headquarters buildings at Dunstable and Chicksands.  It was probable that the Council would be able to vacate Technology House within the next four years.

Discussion took place on the omissions from the original brief including travel payments and car parking provision following which the Chairman requested that copies of Appendix E be circulated to Members for examination.

The Chairman commented that the original aim of Your Space had been changed from simply relocating staff from their accommodation in County/Borough Hall, Bedford to new accommodation in Technology House, Bedford to the relocation of whole teams to different offices and that this had been carried out without reviewing the original business case.  He also referred to the costs which had arisen with regard to staff travel and the lower than estimated level of overall savings.  With these issues in mind the Chairman was of the opinion that improved project planning was necessary and it would be a worthwhile exercise to re-examine the original programme to establish what could be learnt.

Whilst acknowledging that lessons had been learned, and were still to be learnt, the Portfolio Holder for Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 129.

To consider the Council’s draft ICT Strategy prior to submission to the Executive.

The Committee considered a presentation by the Assistant Director Customer and Systems which outlined the main principles of the Council’s ICT Strategy, along with the overall vision, objectives, current and future challenges and influences, proposed key programmes and the key outcomes.  A copy of the presentation is attached at Appendix B to these minutes.

The meeting was aware that the draft ICT Strategy was scheduled to be submitted to the meeting of the Executive in March and the Committee’s views were sought so they could be included within the consultation.  The Chairman asked that any detailed comments be emailed directly to the Assistant Director.

The Chairman commented that a clear, overarching ICT Vision which covered the options available had not been included.  In response the Assistant Director explained that the options would be present in the individual business cases.

Turning next to the use of SAP the Chairman queried if the Council should consider whether it needed to change the way in which it worked and whether it was willing to do so. He suggested that, alternatively, the Council could consider no longer using SAP.  The Assistant Director Customer and Shared Services acknowledged that, whilst the question was whether to optimise the use of SAP or use another means of undertaking the work, the emphasis was on the need to first optimise the use of SAP to establish whether it was suitable or not before taking action to seek an alternative.  He added that processes and utilisation formed part of the Strategy.  The Chairman asked that it be made clear that organisational change might be needed.

The Assistant Director stated that whilst ICT was the physical enabler the efficiencies were dependent on implementation.

A Member queried the position regarding the merger of the legacy data bases given that this impacted on the implementation of SAP.  In response the Assistant Director stated that the merger was scheduled for September.

NOTED

the presentation.

To consider the Council’s short term Corporate Asset Management Plan.

The Committee considered a report by the Portfolio Holder for Customers, Systems and Assets which set out the Council’s Interim Corporate Asset Management Plan (CAMP) for 2011/12.

The meeting discussed maintenance related issues including the growing level of backlog maintenance and the lack of funding to reduce this.  Discussion also took place regarding the disposal of assets.  Arising from this discussion a Member referred to land in Biggleswade and queried its proposed use for the provision of 17 football pitches.  In response the Interim Assistant Director Assets assured the Committee that under the existing asset disposal protocol alternative uses would be considered.  Either a planning brief could be drawn up setting out the types of land use that could be acceptable or, alternatively, the land could simply be placed on the market to see what proposals emerged.  The Chairman stressed the need to ensure that the maximum value was obtained for the Council’s assets.

In response to a query by the Chairman regarding the opportunity to examine the Council’s strategy for vacating leased buildings the Interim Assistant Director Assets stated that the modelling was already finished and the work in full would be completed within the next few months.  A report would be submitted during the new Council.

NOTED

the Interim Corporate Asset Management Plan (CAMP) for 2011/12.

Members were aware that consideration of this item had been deferred by the previous meeting of the Committee (minute 10/112 refers).

The Committee received its current work programme and the latest Executive Forward Plan.  Members were advised that there were no reports to be submitted to the February meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED

that the meeting of the Customer and Central Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place on 21 February 2011 be cancelled as there are no reports to be considered.