Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies.

Apologies for Absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Fuller and Smith.

To authorise the signing of the minutes of the Council Meetings held on 18 November 2015 and 10 February 2016 and the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 16 December, 2015, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meetings held on 18 November 2015 and 10 February 2016 and the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 16 December 2015 be approved and signed as correct records, subject to minute 74 being amended to reference that the motion in the name of Councillor Pope was a vote of no confidence in the Mayor.

Matters especially brought forward by the Mayor and the Leader.

(i)  Last Meeting of the Municipal Year

As this was the last meeting of the municipal year and the last meeting before the elections in May, the Mayor took the opportunity to say goodbye to those councillors who would not be standing for re-election and to those who did, but did not retain their seat. On behalf of the Council, she thanked them for their hard work and the contribution they had made during their period in office.

(ii)  German Students

The Mayor welcomed to the meeting German students from the University of Hof who were observing the proceedings.

To receive any requests for Deputations, Presentation of Petitions or Public Questions.

The Council received and noted a deputation from Mr. A. Minto concerning Action for Rail.

Report of the Leader of the Council detailing the Executive Business, attached.

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive.

The Leader and the Cabinet made statements and responded to Questions.

The following questions were then submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1

1.  Townhill Park Regeneration Scheme

Question from Councillor Inglis to Councillor Payne

Could you please advise how many homes have been built and occupied on the Townhill Park Regeneration Scheme?

Answer

The Council approved the budgets for site preparation at Townhill Park in December 2012 and the decanting of tenants began in April 2013. This was carried out in 3 phases to reduce impact on the Council’s substantial waiting list. 121 Council tenants and 14 leaseholders have now vacated, with one leaseholder remaining with whom negotiations continue.  A demolition contract has commenced for the demolition of 7 of the 8 blocks in phase one and is programmed to conclude in September 2016.  A planning application has been lodged and is expected to go to Planning Panel on April 12^th 2016. The procurement process for commencing the first phase is underway.   

In the meantime 33 homes have been constructed and are occupied in the scheme known as Pond View, this scheme was completed in December 2014.

2.  Use of Consultants

Question from Councillor Inglis to Councillor Chaloner

Could you please advise how much the Council has spent on consultants in this financial year and provide details of the 5 largest projects?

Answer

So far this year the amount spent on Consultants from the General Fund budget is £870,751.30

The five largest projects are as follows:

Price Waterhouse Coopers for expertise and advice on the transformation project.

AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Ltd for a preliminary study for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation scheme.

Price Waterhouse Coopers for work on creating a development company to deliver housing stock.

Ricardo-AEA to write a draft low emissions strategy for the Council.

Ameo Professional Services Ltd for consultants working on the transformation project. Further information can be provided separately if required.

3.  Cash Payments

Question from Councillor Parnell to Councillor Chaloner

What procedures are in place for residents to pay cash for services required?

Answer

Most Council services can currently be paid for with cash. There is a central cash office next to Gateway in One Guildhall Square and currently two housing offices that take cash payments for most services (Council Tax, Rents, Rates, Parking Fines, Garden Waste etc). Other venues such as Registrars, Licensing, SeaCity and Schools take cash for the specific services they provide. There is also the option to pay Council Tax at the Post Office network using giro-slips and Housing tenants can pay for rent and council tax using Paypoint cards at the Paypoint network.

4.  “Stipples”

Question from Councillor Parnell to Councillor Rayment

Whilst good for the blind, is the Cabinet Member aware of the discomfort that “stipples” cause people in wheelchairs?

Answer

Tactile paving is designed to nationally defined standards and is installed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

(a)  Councillor Furnell to move:

This Council notes the Housing and Planning Bill along with the Welfare Reform and Work Bill will have a significantly damaging impact in Southampton.

It will include:

1.  Southampton City Council will have £33m less to spend on housing (£10m due to inflation, £23m directly linked to Government) over the next four years.

2.  Under ‘Pay to Stay’, Southampton families earning more than £30,000 per year will forfeit their social rent and be forced to pay full market rent, in some cases, seeing their rent double. Council further notes that a couple earning the living wage could be impacted by Pay to Stay and the only financial beneficiary will be the Tory-led Government.

3.  No housing provider, including Southampton, will be able to offer new council tenancies for life. Tenancies will only be temporary (2-5 years) with no lifetime security.

4.  The stricter benefit cap (£20,000 per family instead of £26,000) will see the number of tenants affected by the benefit cap in Southampton increase by 20 times (800 up from 39). In conjunction with the introduction of Universal Credit, this Council recognises tenants’ rental debts will almost inevitably increase, harming the Council’s cash flow.

5.  To bankroll extending the Right to Buy to housing associations, local authorities will be forced to sell council housing to compensate housing associations for their lost properties. In effect, the loss of one social property will lead to another being lost in consequence.

This Council is gravely worried about these impactson Southampton. As a result, it calls on all group leaders to sign a joint letter to the city’s three MPs urging them to publicly denounce both bills.

(b)  Councillor Shields to move:

This Council is concerned at the worrying lack of progress by Government on addressing the nation’s environmental challenges and on tackling man-made climate change, in particular. We are especially disappointed at the reversal of Government policy on green energy and the failure to support adequately local authorities sufficient powers to address poor health resulting from air pollution and to prevent unwanted fracking.

Council recognises the valuable contribution made by the current administration in promoting a cleaner environment in Southampton through initiatives such as the:

1.  Introduction of glass recycling.

2.  My Journey Campaign promoting modal shift.

3.  Working with British Cycling to promote the Southampton Sky Rides.

4.  Air quality scrutiny inquiry report.

5.  “Keep Britain Tidy” declares Southampton parks to be some of the best in the country in 2014.

6.  Investment in play areas across the City.

Council resolves to continue to work with our City MPs in addressing Southampton’s environmental challenges and pressing central Government for adequate levels of resources for meeting these.

(c)  Councillor Moulton to move:

Ensuring the safety of children in Southampton should be an absolute priority for the City Council.

Council recognises and values the important role that the City’s dozens of lollipop men and ladies do in keeping local school children safe. Council further notes that with  ...  view the full agenda text for item 87.

(a)  Housing and Planning Bill and the Welfare Reform and Work Bill

Councillor Furnell moved and Councillor Payne seconded:

“This Council notes the Housing and Planning Bill along with the Welfare Reform and Work Bill will have a significantly damaging impact in Southampton.

It will include:

1.  Southampton City Council will have £33m less to spend on housing (£10m due to inflation, £23m directly linked to Government) over the next four years.

2.  Under ‘Pay to Stay’, Southampton families earning more than £30,000 per year will forfeit their social rent and be forced to pay full market rent, in some cases, seeing their rent double. Council further notes that a couple earning the living wage could be impacted by Pay to Stay and the only financial beneficiary will be the Tory-led Government.

3.  No housing provider, including Southampton, will be able to offer new council tenancies for life. Tenancies will only be temporary (2-5 years) with no lifetime security.

4.  The stricter benefit cap (£20,000 per family instead of £26,000) will see the number of tenants affected by the benefit cap in Southampton increase by 20 times (800 up from 39). In conjunction with the introduction of Universal Credit, this Council recognises tenants’ rental debts will almost inevitably increase, harming the Council’s cash flow.

5.  To bankroll extending the Right to Buy to housing associations, local authorities will be forced to sell council housing to compensate housing associations for their lost properties. In effect, the loss of one social property will lead to another being lost in consequence.

This Council is gravely worried about these impactson Southampton. As a result, it calls on all group leaders to sign a joint letter to the city’s three MPs urging them to publicly denounce both bills”.

UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE THE MOTION WAS DECLARED CARRIED

RESOLVED that the motion be approved.

(b)  Environmental Challenges and Climate Change

Councillor Shields moved and Councillor Keogh seconded:

“This Council is concerned at the worrying lack of progress by Government on addressing the nation’s environmental challenges and on tackling man-made climate change, in particular. We are especially disappointed at the reversal of Government policy on green energy and the failure to support adequately local authorities sufficient powers to address poor health resulting from air pollution and to prevent unwanted fracking.

Council recognises the valuable contribution made by the current administration in promoting a cleaner environment in Southampton through initiatives such as the:

1.  Introduction of glass recycling.

2.  My Journey Campaign promoting modal shift.

3.  Working with British Cycling to promote the Southampton Sky Rides.

4.  Air quality scrutiny inquiry report.

5.  “Keep Britain Tidy” declares Southampton parks to be some of the best in the country in 2014.

6.  Investment in play areas across the City.

Council resolves to continue to work with our City MPs in addressing Southampton’s environmental challenges and pressing central Government for adequate levels of resources for meeting these”.

Amendment moved by Councillor Galton and seconded by Councillor Parnell  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.

To consider any question of which notice has been given under Council Procedure Rule 11.2.

1.  Mazars Report

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Bogle, Chair of Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Bearing in mind the clear failings of leadership identified in the Mazars report into Southern Health, why did you not insist that both the Chief Executive and Chair of Southern Health attend the Extraordinary HOSP meeting? Why were the papers submitted to members at that Extraordinary HOSP allowed to be so flawed with key information missing?

Answer

I asked for an extra meeting of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Panel to look at the findings of the Mazar’s report on unexplained deaths at Southern Health over a 4 year period in December. It took some time to find a suitable date which was finally scheduled for Monday 1st February 2016.  Once agreed, the Chief Executive was invited to attend the meeting; subsequently we were informed that the Chief Executive was on holiday at that time but assurances were made that appropriate representatives from Southern Health’s senior management team would attend the meeting.

Representing Southern Health at the 1 February HOSP meeting were Dr Lesley Stevens, Medical Director and Dr Chris Gordon, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Performance, Quality and Safety, who were able to answer all the questions posed by members of the Panel and members of the public present.  Ruth Williams, NHS England Director of Nursing (Wessex) and John Richards, Chief Officer of Southampton City CCG were also in attendance representing the commissioners.

One appendix, the Southern Health Action Plan, was not submitted in its entirety because of problems converting from Excel to Word.  This genuine error by Southern Health was picked up, recirculated and put into the public domain as agreed at the meeting.  The Panel will be reviewing the issues raised in this report, particularly in light of mental health commissioning plans and what this means for the city until we feel assured that progress is being made.

2.  Looked After Children

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Keogh, Chair of Children and Families Scrutiny Panel

At a meeting of this Panel in 2015, it was stated that the reasons were unclear as to why Southampton has a relatively high number of Children Looked After compared to comparator cities. Has work been done by the Council to determine the reasons since then? If so, what are the reasons?

Answer

In November 2015 a Looked After Children (LAC) Diagnostic was undertaken in order to gain a clear picture of the children in the care of Southampton.  This showed that there was a significant increase in LAC between the years 2009 – 2015 from 66 per 10,000 to 120 per 10,000. The speed of increase accelerated from April 2015 following the Ofsted Inspection of May & July 2014 published 15^th September 2014.  Changes to Early Help in April 2014 and 4 Serious Case reviews published May/June 2014.  The numbers peaked in August 2015 when a new Children in Need Panel and Residential panel started  to  have an impact along  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.

To deal with any appointments to Committees, Sub-Committees or other bodies as required.

It was noted that Councillor McEwing had replaced Councillor Whitbread on the Licensing Committee and that Councillor Whitbread had replaced Councillor McEwing on the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability seeking approval to update and amend the existing Safe City and Youth Justice strategies (2014-2017), attached.

The report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability was submitted seeking approval to update and amend the existing Safe City and Youth Justice strategies 2014-2017.

RESOLVEDthat the updated Safe City and Youth Justice strategies be approved.

Report of the Director of Quality and Integration seeking delegated authority from Southampton City Council to enter into a collaborative procurement process with Southampton City CCG, and with Local Authority commissioning partners in Hampshire, Portsmouth (and CCGs serving those areas) to secure sexual and reproductive health services for the City, attached.

The report of the Director of Quality and Integration was submitted seeking delegated authority from Southampton City Council to enter into a collaborative procurement process with Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group(CCG), and with Local Authority commissioning partners in Hampshire, Portsmouth (and CCGs serving those areas) to secure sexual and reproductive health services for the City.

RESOLVED

(i)  that delegated authority be granted to the Director of Quality and Integration,  following consultation with the Director of Public Health, the Chief Executive and relevant Cabinet Member to recommission the service through a collaborative procurement, subject to the new service being deliverable within approved budgets; and

(ii)  that delegated authority be granted to the Director of Quality and Integration, after consultation with the Director of Public Health and relevant Cabinet Member and Service Director, to do anything necessary to secure the commissioning of revised arrangements for contraception and sexual health services through a collaborative procurement, up to and including entering into appropriate contract(s).

Report of the Chief Executive concerning the Annual Pay Policy Statement for 2016-2017, attached.

The report of the Chief Executive was submitted concerning the Annual Pay Policy Statement for 2016-2017.

RESOLVED

(i)  that the Pay Policy statement for 2016-2017 be approved;

(ii)  that the June 2015 implementation of a Living Wage as the minimum hourly rate for NJC evaluated posts be noted; and

(iii)  that the application of the full Chief Officer pay scale aligned to the revised Operating Model (application of CO5 grade and differentiated CO1A grade) be approved.

Report of Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care seeking to increase capacity at Springwell School, attached.

The report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care was submitted seeking to increase capacity at Springwell School.

RESOLVED

(i)  that in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, a sum of £9.67M be added to the Education and Children’s Social Care Capital Programme for Phase 2 of the expansion of Springwell School funded from Council resources; and

(ii)  that in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, capital expenditure of £9.67M, phased £0.10M in 2015/16, £0.70M in 2016/17, £7.70M in 2017/18 and £1.17M in 2018/19 within the Education and Children’s Social Care Capital programme to deliver the expansion of the school be approved.

NOTE:  Councillor Fitzhenry declared a Pecuniary Interest in the above matter, as a supplier of goods to the school, and left the meeting during the consideration of the matter.

Report of the Leader of the Council seeking agreement for a devolution deal, attached.

With the consent of the meeting, Councillor Letts altered and moved his report seeking agreement for a devolution deal and Councillor Jeffery seconded.

RESOLVED

(i)  that following consideration of the updated position, approval be given in principle for the Leader to sign an agreement to be party to any Combined Authority; and

(ii)  that delegated authority be granted to the Leader, following consultation with the Chief Executive and Group Leaders, to undertake detailed negotiations with relevant government departments and public bodies in respect of a proposed devolution deal and to agree final terms subject to public consultation and ratification by Council. 

To move that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the confidential appendix 3 to the following item.

Confidential appendix 3 contains information deemed to be exempt from general publication based on Category 3 of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. In applying the public interest test the appendix includes information relating to finance or business affairs which, if disclosed prior to entering into a legal contract, could put the Council at a commercial disadvantage.

RESOLVED that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the confidential appendix 3 to the following matter.

Confidential appendix 3 contains information deemed to be exempt from general publication based on Category 3 of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. In applying the public interest test the appendix includes information relating to finance or business affairs which, if disclosed prior to entering into a legal contract, could put the Council at a commercial disadvantage.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care seeking authority to accept funds should the bid be successful, commence a procurement process and to delegate authority to the Director Quality and Integration to award the contract following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care and Service Director Legal and Governance, attached.

The report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care was submitted seeking authority to accept funds should the above bid be successful, commence a procurement process and to delegate authority to the Director Quality and Integration to award the contract following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Social Care and Service Director Legal and Governance.

RESOLVEDthat in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, acceptance of the funding, subject to both the bid being successful and agreement of the final conditions of the grant by the Council’s Section 151 Officer be approved.

To move that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the confidential report number no 17.

The Report/Appendices are considered to be confidential, the confidentiality of which is based on categories 3, 5 and 7a of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules.  It is not in the public interest to disclose this because doing so would reveal information which is both commercially sensitive and detrimental to the business affairs of the Council.

RESOLVED that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the following matter.

The Report and Appendices are considered to be confidential, the confidentiality of which is based on categories 3, 5 and 7a of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules.  It is not in the public interest to disclose this information because doing so would reveal information which is both commercially sensitive and detrimental to the business affairs of the Council.

Confidential report of the Leader of the Council, attached.

With the consent of the meeting Councillor Letts altered and moved the confidential report concerning the transformation proposal and Councillor Hammond seconded.

RESOLVED

(i)  That the BAFO submitted by Capita be accepted except in relation to the Human Resource (Advisory) and Property services; and

(ii)  That delegated authority be granted to the Transformation Implementation Director, following consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Members for Transformation and Finance, to take all actions necessary to implement:

a.  the provisions of the BAFO including the necessary changes to the current contract and commercial agreement, and the establishment of a new Capita delivery vehicle and related governance for the services that will continue to be delivered by Capita, and

b.  the integration of the Human Resource (Advisory) and Property Services with the Council’s existing client side functions.