Agenda and minutes

Name of Member	Type of Interest	Nature of Interest
Councillor McClintock	Non-pecuniary	Agenda Item 6 – Governor at Middlesbrough College – in relation to a discussion point.

 

WELCOME AND EVACUATION PROCEDURE

 

The Chair welcomed those present and advised that as there were no scheduled tests, should the fire alarm sound, attendees should evacuate the building via the nearest fire exit and assemble at the Bottle of Notes opposite MIMA.

The Minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 31 July 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

The attached reports were approved at Executive on 4 September 2024 and are submitted to OSB for its consideration.

G Cooper, Head of Strategy, Business and Customer provided the Board with an update in relation to corporate performance at quarter one 2024/25.

 

A copy of the report, and associated appendices, submitted to the Executive on 4 September 2024 had been circulated with the agenda.

 

The report provided details of progress against corporate performance at Quarter One 2024- 27, providing the necessary information to enable the Executive to discharge its performance management responsibilities against the following performance disciplines:-

 

·        Actions pertaining to decisions approved via Executive reports

·        Delivery of the Council Plan 2024-27 and associated outcome measures

·        Strategic Risk Register performance

·        Programme and Project management performance

·        Transformation progress and performance

·        Other matters of compliance

 

Appendix 1 to the report outlined proposed changes to Executive actions (subsequently approved by the Executive), namely revised completion dates for the listed actions.

 

Appendix 2 to the report outlined the delivery status of the Council Plan 2024-27 supporting workplan as at Quarter One.

 

Appendix 3 to the report detailed the proposed changes to the Council Plan workplan actions (subsequently approved by the Executive).

 

Appendix 4 to the report was the Strategic Risk Register.

 

In summary, the report detailed the following:-

 

·        Overall performance - at the end of Quarter One 2024/25 saw progress towards expected performance standards, achieving three of the five corporate performance disciplines.

 

·        Progress in delivering Executive actions - 30 out of 44 (68%) live actions were reported as on target to be delivered by the agreed timescales.  This was a significant improvement from the 48% reported at Quarter Four 2023/24 year end, although still below the 90% expected standard of actions achieved.

 

·        Of those actions not achieved, 11 (25%) were delayed due to external factors beyond the Council’s control; and 3 (7%) were delayed due to internal capacity to complete within timescales.

 

·        Progress in delivering the Council Plan 2024-24 – The Council Plan was the Council’s overarching business plan for the medium term, setting out the four key priorities of the Mayor for the town.

 

·        Council Plan Outcomes 2024-27 – Overall outcome at Quarter One were reported as 5 out of 39 (13%) outcome measures either improving or static, against the 90% performance standard.

 

·        Council Plan 2024-27 workplan – At Quarter One, performance against the Council Plan workplan was above the corporate standard of 90%, with 98% of all initiatives on target to be achieved in full within approved timescales.

 

·        One initiative was reported as being ‘off-track’ regarding the refresh of the Information Strategy which had linked dependencies with the development of the organisational Target Operating Model.

 

·        Strategic Risk Register – At Quarter One, the Register contained 14 risks following the review of the SRR against the Council Plan’s objectives.  This was an increase of two additional risks, namely: Failure to deliver transformation successfully; failure to ensure effective governance of the Middlesbrough Development Corporation.  In addition, changes to existing risks were summarised in a table at paragraph 28 of the report.

 

·        Progress in delivering Programmes and Projects – At Quarter One, 100% (21 of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/18

The attached reports were approved at Executive on 4 September 2024 and are submitted to OSB for its consideration.

 

A Humble, Head of Financial Planning and Support, accompanied by the Executive Member for Finance and Governance, was in attendance at the meeting to provide Members with an overview of the Council’s financial position at Quarter One 2024/25.

 

A copy of the report, and associated Appendices, submitted to the Council’s Executive on 4 September 2024 had been circulated with the agenda.

 

The report enabled the Executive to discharge its financial management responsibilities by setting out:-

 

·        General Fund Revenue Budget forecast outturn at Quarter One

·        Statement of the Council’s projected reserves and provisions at Quarter One

·        Capital Programme forecast outturn at Quarter One

·        Statement of the Council’s borrowing and prudential indicators

·        Statement to monitor the level of debt owed to and to be recovered by the Council

·        Actions the Council had taken, and planned to take, in order address the issues identified.

 

The report provided a forecast of the Council’s year-end financial outturn, as at Quarter One 2024/25, and sought approval of budget virements within the revenue budget and revisions to the capital programme in relation to activity in Quarter One.

 

Key headlines from the report were as follows:-

 

·        The forecast 2024/25 revenue outturn as at Quarter One was a year-end overspend of £3.742m (2.6%), and there was a need to take management action in consultation with the Executive to control expenditure within the approved budget of £143.190m.

 

·        Financial Recovery Plan savings of £1.877m had been identified which, if fully assured and delivered, could potentially reduce the forecast year-end overspend to £1.865m.

 

·        The forecast outturn of £3.742m at Quarter One currently included £2.498m of net savings where there was a high risk that they would not be deliverable in 2024/25. If those remained unachievable at year-end, the £3.5m Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) - agreed in-principle for this - would need to be utilised, and this would attract associated borrowing costs which had been factored into the MTFP.

 

·        The remaining element of the forecast overspend not linked to savings delivery (£1.244m) would need to be funded from reserves.

 

·        Based upon the Quarter One forecast, this would mean that the General Fund Balance would be £11.1m, whilst the balance on useable unrestricted reserves would reduce to £6.5m at 31 March 2025.  This would be lower than that recommended by the Director of Finance in the Reserves Policy approved by Council on 8 March 2024.

 

·        The 2024/25 Capital Programme forecast year-end outturn of £99.698m at Quarter One, a reduction of £6.49m from the revised £106.188m budget for 2024/25 - work was taking place to establish improved programme management and control arrangements to achieve more effective management and forecasting of the capital programme going forward.

 

The Board was advised that the Executive had approved:-

 

·        The revenue budget virements over £250,000, as set out at paragraph 4.13 (and Appendix 3) of the report - It was proposed that where it was determined that the allocated growth was not required in full (and underspending within Directorates had arisen directly from a surplus of budgetary growth provided), the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/19

Councillor Furness, Executive Member for Regeneration, accompanied by the Director of Regeneration, was in attendance at the meeting to provide the Board with an update regarding his portfolio in relation to Regeneration.

 

The Executive Member advised that the scope of his portfolio was to deliver the Mayor’s priorities. Current projects to fulfil this included:-

 

·        Providing fair access to high quality homes.  The Council was currently working with Thirteen and North Star Housing.

·        Providing access to secure, well-paid jobs.  This included re-imagining the town centre to diversify and strengthen the local economy, such as the development of the Livewell Centre, expanding and sustaining the digital sector.

·        Strengthening transport links by upgrading the town’s train and bus station.

 

A number of plans and strategies sat within the Executive Member’s remit, including the following:-

 

·        As part of the Council’s Policy Framework, the first phase of consultation on updating the Local Plan was now complete and the Local Transport Plan was in the process of being updated.

·        The Investment Prospectus – grants were relied on to bring empty properties back into use.  One example was Church House which was being brought back into use as apartments through the Towns Fund.

·        Regeneration Service Plan

·        Town Centre Plan – exploring how to diversify the town centre as retail was in decline.  The plan would formulate a vision for living, working and leisure within the town centre.

·        Housing Strategy – this fed into the Local Plan.

 

The Board was informed that the relevant services that sat within the Executive Member’s portfolio included:-

 

·        Planning

·        Community Learning

·        Growth

·        Property and Commercial Services

·        Culture

·        Strategic Housing

 

In terms of economic regeneration, the collective aim was to support businesses to thrive and to support sectors to grow, such as digital and advanced manufacturing. It was important to provide commercial space for businesses to locate to and expand.

 

In terms of housing it was important to continue dialogue with house builders in order to provide opportunities to retain the population and in relation to employment it was key to support people to improve their skills and find work.

 

The Executive Member stated that with investment from the Government in regeneration, there was cause to feel optimistic about the town’s future over the coming years.

 

Updates were provided in relation to the following areas of activity within the Executive Member’s portfolio:-

 

·        Cleveland Centre – progress had been made in relation to retail lettings, with TJ Hughes opening in the former H&M unit.

 

·        It was planned to relocate the Middlesbrough Community Learning and Employment Hub from its current location, at the Multi Media Exchange, to the Cleveland Centre.  This would provide a more central location within the town.

 

·        Good progress was being made in relation to the refurbishment of the unit to which the Live Well Centre would be relocated.  This would complement the Community Learning and Employment Hub whereby facilities could be shared.

 

·        Captain Cook Square – The units in the square were almost fully let with two recent openings - Bazaar  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24/20

The Chair has requested that OSB discuss a potential Scrutiny topic of Community Cohesion. A previous Scrutiny Review was undertaken in 2021 into this matter and is attached to this agenda.

The Chair asked Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Board to discuss a potential scrutiny topic - Community Cohesion – which had been suggested by the Vice Chair, in light of the riots that took place in the town on 4 August 2024. 

 

It was highlighted that the topic had previously been the subject of a review by the Culture and Communities Scrutiny Panel in 2021 and a copy of the Scrutiny Panel’s Final Report had been circulated with the agenda for the Board’s information.

 

Given that the previous review had taken place in 2021, and the fact that both the People and Place Scrutiny Panels had selected topics for their work programmes for 2024/25, it was suggested that a Task and Finish Group, made up of Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Board and led by the Vice Chair, be established to determine the issues it wished to focus on and to perhaps, initially, obtain an update on the recommendations from the 2021 report.  Any information obtained would be fed back to the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

 

AGREED as follows:-

 

1.     That a Task and Finish Group be established to explore the topic of Community Cohesion in Middlesbrough.

 

2.     That Councillors Kabuye, Branson and Coupe be appointed to the Task and Finish Group.

The Chair introduced the item for the Board’s consideration.  A copy of the Work Programme was attached at Appendix A and Members were asked to raise any issues they had in relation to any of the items listed.

 

In relation to the item “Management and Maintenance of Development Land/Nutrient Neutrality Mitigation”, it was acknowledged that a response from the Director of Regeneration had been circulated to Members of the Board.  A Member of the Board had subsequently raised further questions arising from the response provided which remained outstanding.  It was confirmed that this would be followed up by the Democratic Services Officer.

 

AGREED that the Democratic Services Officer request a response from the Service Area in relation to the further questions raised by a Member of the Board in relation to Nutrient Neutrality and that any subsequent responses be circulated to Members of Overview and Scrutiny Board.

People Scrutiny Panel

 

Chair -Cllr Edward Clynch

Vice Chair – Cllr Jack Banks

 

Place Scrutiny Panel

 

Chair – Cllr David Branson

Vice Chair – Cllr Jack Banks

 

Place Scrutiny Panel

 

The Chair of Place Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Branson, updated the Board that the Panel met on 2 September and had decided to establish two Task and Finish Groups to examine two separate issues – Empty Properties; and School Transport Costs.

 

The Panel met again on 23 September specifically to consider the Draft Final Report of the Environment Scrutiny Panel in relation to Waste Management.  The Panel determined the conclusions and recommendation for inclusion within the report and this would be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Board on 23 October 2024.

 

The Panel’s next meeting was scheduled for 7 October.

 

People Scrutiny Panel

 

In the absence of the Chair, the Democratic Services Officer had prepared an update advising that the Scrutiny Panel had met on 16^th September and agreed its Work programme for Municipal Year as follows:-

 

·        Children Missing from Education

·        Homelessness

·        Obesity

 

Due to the timescales involved, a report for OSB’s attention would be submitted to the October meeting of OSB.

 

The Panel also received an overview of Children Missing from Education from the Head of Service.

The next meeting was scheduled for 14 October when Terms of Reference for the review of Children Missing from Education would be determined.

 

The Democratic Services Officer attended South Tees Health Scrutiny Joint Committee on 23 September.  Members agreed that future meetings would be held on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis at the request of the Chair.

 

The Democratic Services Officer attended a meeting of the Tees Valley Health Scrutiny Joint Committee on 19 September.  The issues discussed included updates on: Respite Care/Adult Learning Disability Service; the TEWV Community Mental Health Transformation; Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre.  Determination of the Committee’s Work Programme was deferred to the November meeting.

 

AGREED that the information provided be noted.

Waste Collections

 

A Member of the Board requested that the Director and Executive Member for Environment be invited to attend a meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Board to provide an update in relation to waste collections.

 

It was highlighted that there was a schedule of Executive Member attendance (accompanied by their respective Directors) at Overview and Scrutiny Board meetings, however, Environment was not scheduled until February next year.  Enquiries would be made as to whether it would be possible for the Director to attend the next meeting.

 

AGREED that enquiries be made in relation to the availability of the Director of Environment to provide an update to the Board in relation to waste collections.