Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Conference Room 1A, County Hall, Ruthin
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APOLOGIES |
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DECLARATION OF INTERESTS Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests in any business identified to be considered at this meeting. Minutes: No Members declared any personal or prejudicial interests in
any business identified to be considered at the meeting. |
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URGENT MATTERS AS AGREED BY THE CHAIR Notice of items which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. Minutes: No items were
raised which in the opinion of the Chair, should be considered at the meeting
as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4) of
the Local Government Act, 1972. |
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To receive the minutes of the Communities Scrutiny Committee held on the 15th May, 2014 (copy enclosed). Minutes: The Minutes of a meeting of
the Communities Scrutiny Committee held on Thursday, 15th May, 2014
were submitted. Matters arising:- 8. Corporate Communications Strategy – In
response to a question from Councillor P.A. Evans, the Corporate Director:
Economic and Community Ambition agreed to provide details of timescales
pertaining to the approval of the draft protocol by the Senior Leadership Team. 9. Better Regulation of Caravan Sites – The
Scrutiny Coordinator agreed to seek clarification regarding the implementation
date of the 1 October, 2014” referred to in the report. RESOLVED – that, subject to the above, the Minutes be received and approved as a
correct record. |
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MODERNISING EDUCATION PROGRAMME - FUTURE PROPOSALS PDF 42 KB To consider a report by the Head of Head of Customers and
Education Support (copy enclosed) which reviewed progress with implementing the Programme. 9.30 a.m. – 10.05 a.m. Additional documents: Minutes: A report by the Head of Head of
Customers and Education Support (HCES), which reviewed progress with implementing the
Programme, had been circulated
with the papers for the meeting. The
Appendix to the report was the draft financial programme for the wider
Modernising Education Programme. This
illustrated the Council’s 21st Century Schools Programme together
with options for wider investment. The Lead Member for
Education (LME) explained that the Council was progressing
an ambitious programme for investment in the school estate, and that the
proposal would support the Corporate Priority of “improving performance in
education and the quality of our school buildings”. The LME and the
HCES detailed the background to the Programme and to each school project
listed. They emphasised that whilst
Welsh Government (WG) had changed the funding ratio from 70% WG and 30% Local
Authority to 50:50 for the 21st Century Schools Programme, Denbighshire had
been able to fund the additional apportionment through astute financial management
and by managing expectations for each individual project. Members were
advised that proposals regarding the establishment of a new joint faith
secondary school in the County were likely to be presented to Cabinet in the
autumn. Whilst the problem of surplus
school places in the south of the County was being address through a number of
area reviews, current projections indicated that there would be a shortage of
primary school places in the Rhyl area in the
future. Consequently a meeting had been
arranged between the LME, officers and primary headteachers
in the Rhyl area to discuss possible solutions. Dr. Marjoram asked that Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn was not left out
of any future proposals under the Programme, as Ysgol Tir Morfa would benefit
greatly by being part of the new Rhyl High School
Redevelopment Project. In response to
Members' questions with regard to potential risks to the projects from e.g a further reduction in WG funding or planning
permission set-backs, the LME and the HCES emphasised that there were risks
with each project and that all risks had to be appropriately managed. Questions were also
asked regarding the risk to the Programme if the WG Minister for Education and
Skills overturned the Cabinet's decision to close Ysgol Llanbedr
Dyffryn Clwyd, the timetable for the proposed new
primary school for Ruthin and the current position
with respect to the federation of Ysgol Llanfair Dyffryn
Clwyd and Ysgol Pentrecelyn and their language categorisation. Responses were
provided to these questions informing Members that it was anticipated that a
new school would be built in Ruthin within the next
five years, the federation of Llanfair D C and Pentrecelyn had now been agreed
in principle and the decision on the new school's language categorisation would
be taken on the basis of the expected outcomes for the pupils i.e. that they
would be fully bilingual by the time they were 11 years of age. The language categorisation would form part
of the Business Case for the school. It
was explained that the pending Ministerial decision with respect to Llanbedr D C did not pose a significant risk, as the
Authority would only realise revenue savings from the school's closure as the
Council did not own the asset itself. To deliver the
entire 21st Century Schools Programme, as detailed in the report, the Council
would need to contribute funding of £24,414,684. The total Programme cost being the
£51,283,196 with the remainder of the cost being dependent on WG 21st Century
Schools funding. Cabinet at its meeting
on the 29th July would be asked to approve the Council's financial
commitment to deliver the Programme. Members were ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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PROVISION OF DAY CARE SERVICES IN NORTH DENBIGHSHIRE PDF 66 KB To consider a report by the Head of Adult and Business
Services (copy enclosed) on proposals
to remodel day care for older people in North Denbighshire.
10.10 a.m. – 10.45 a.m. Additional documents: Minutes: A copy of a report by the Head of Adult and
Business Services (HABS) had been circulated with the papers
for the meeting. The Service Manager: Business and Carers (SMBC) introduced the
report which detailed the provision of
day care services for elderly residents in the North of the County twelve
months after the service had been remodelled.
She explained that although the proposals related to changes in North
Denbighshire the intention to roll out the underlying strategic principles for
promoting people’s independence through reablement,
and the use of community resources, across the County was also stated. The reasons for reviewing day services in north of the County were detailed
in the report. They formed part of a
wider approach taking account of the importance of prevention, early
intervention and recognising that within an ageing population some people would
have complex, long term care needs which required responsive and person centred
approaches. The SMBC responded to questions from Members and provided a summary of
the implementation to date as outlined in the report. A decision had been taken by the Adult and
Business Senior Leadership Team to concentrate the service permanently in Hafan Deg in Rhyl
in a building purpose built for providing day services and being fully DDA
compliant. Details of the needs of
individuals currently attending day services in the North of the County were
outlined in the report, and confirmation was provided that there was no
intention to reduce the service to current service users. Alongside the arrangements outlined in the report, details of on-going
work to further develop opportunities for meaningful day activities within the
community in North Denbighshire were highlighted, and these included details of
service provision at Nant y Môr, Prestatyn. The report also provided staffing and usage
figures pertaining to service provision. The SMBC advised Members that due to flooding at the Llys
Nant Day Unit in Prestatyn all service-users who
attended that Centre had been transferred to Hafan Deg in Rhyl. Despite the upheaval of having to travel a
little further there had not been any complaints from the service-users or
their families and the Hafan Deg
and Llys Nant staff were working well together. There were no plans to relocate back to Llys Nant once the building was habitable,
however discussions were progressing with the operators of the Nant y Môr Extra Care facility with a view to Social Services'
clientele accessing services at that Centre.
In reply to a question from Councillor J.M. Davies, the SMBC explained
that feedback received from service users had indicated that they were happy
with the service currently being provided. Confirmation was
provided that it was too early at this stage to report on the effectiveness of
the Reablement service as it was still a fledgling
service. During the ensuing discussion
Members supported the recommendations in the report and agreed that the
Committee receive a further information report following a period of 12 months. RESOLVED – that the Committee:- (a) receives the report and
supports the actions being taken to move the service forward as consistent with
the principles of supporting the citizens of Denbighshire to remain as
independent as possible for as long as possible, and (b) that an information report be submitted
to the Committee in twelve months time evaluating the
effectiveness of the Reablement Service in delivering
the above vision and in realising efficiencies for the Council. |
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FOOD REVIEW TASK AND FINISH GROUP PDF 71 KB To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Public Protection (copy enclosed) on the investigation into current food procurement and regulatory practices. 10.55 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. Additional documents: Minutes: A
copy of a report by
the Head of Planning and Public Protection (HPPP), which provided an
update and progress report on the food review undertaken by the Task and Finish
Group,
had been circulated with the papers for the meeting. Members were
advised that the Task and Finish Group had met within the last three months to
review the progress with the implementation of the recommendations which had
been formulated last year. Officers
detailed the work undertaken by both the Regulatory Services and the
Procurement Service with a view to complying with food hygiene and food safety
requirements in food establishments across the County, along with the
procurement processes for food for the local authority's establishments and the
contract management and monitoring procedures for the Council's food
procurement contracts. The Food Standards
Agency (FSA) had audited the Council's food service in July 2013, but their final
report was still awaited. In response to
Members' questions assurances were given that Welsh/British food products,
including meat, were procured wherever possible, although this did increase the
cost. Members were also advised that as
well as inspecting food outlets officers did inspect alcohol retailers to check
for illicit alcohol and sample the contents and strength of the alcohol for
sale and to ensure that the alcohol and cigarettes had been subject to Customs
and Excise duty. Members enquired
whether officers had been alerted to potentially dangerous spices which were
being sold in some parts of the UK.
Officers advised that none of the regular alerts they had received
related to spices, the Public Protection Manager undertook to make enquiries
with respect to the matter and report back to Committee Members. In reply to
questions on whether school meal portions were sufficient for the pupils,
officers advised that portions were compliant with the WG school meal policy
'Appetite for Life'. It was also
explained that Catering Services had frozen the price
of school meals for the fifth year in succession. Members complimented the Services on their
collaborative work in implementing the Task and Finish Group's recommendations
and following further discussion, it was:- RESOLVED – that the Committee:- (a)
note the
progress made against each of the recommendations. (b)
commend
the quality of school meals across the County, but to register concerns about
the small portion size, and (c)
agrees
that another progress report be
presented to the Committee in twelve months’ time detailing the progress made
with food hygiene and food standards compliance, and with the County's food
procurement and contract monitoring procedures. |
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HIGHWAYS ASSET MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PDF 57 KB To consider a report by the Head of Highways and
Environmental Services (copy enclosed) on the conclusions of the Highways Strategy Working
Group and the draft Highways Asset Management Strategy. 11.30 a.m. – 12.05 p.m. Additional documents: Minutes: A
copy of a report by
the Head of Highways and Environmental Services, which outlined the latest
position regarding to the County road network and described how the future
condition would be managed, had been distributed with the papers for the meeting. The HHES introduced
the report which detailed the latest position with regards to the reactive and
preventative maintenance work on the County's roads network. The report was the next stage following
discussion with Members at a strategy Working Group meeting on the 10th
October, 2013, following a report to the Communities Scrutiny Committee in
July, 2013. The importance of
properly assessing and evaluating the benefits resulting from the significant
investment in improving the condition of the carriageway were highlighted. The two methods for doing this included the
Scanner data, which produced the Performance Indicator, and the Road Condition
Indicator (RCI). Details of each of the
processes had been included in the report. Appendix A detailed
Denbighshire’s overall performance in terms of the Scanner output and, for
context, included the County’s relative position with respect to the ‘Family
Group’. It also indicated the ongoing
improvement in the RCI, the visual appearance of the carriageway. Members noted that improvements had been made
and sustained. Since identifying
roads as a priority for 2009/10 Denbighshire had invested over £18m and details
of the funding allocation had been summarised in the report. It was explained that agreement of the
Capital Programme to maintain the network properly would be crucial, and the
report examined scenarios to manage assets to mitigate the risks. All Welsh local authorities had worked with
consultants to build on best practice. Appendix B provided a range of likely and the
most prudent way to manage the risk. A
Code of Practice allowed for a variation in the regime and Denbighshire would
need to agree what the regime should be in terms of a prioritised network and
how the Highway Authority should manage it.
Appendix C provided an example of how the network may be prioritised and
the importance of consultation was emphasised.
Since The Highways
Act 1980, case law had clarified some points relating to the frequency of
highway inspections, definition of ‘defect’ and the length of time a highway
could be left unrepaired. However, there
was still some leeway and a definition of Denbighshire’s MINIMUM level of
maintenance would be required. Appendix
D provided some proposals which would require discussion prior to agreeing a
Highways Maintenance Policy. Officers explained
that it was pleasing to report that the County's performance was improving,
particularly against a backdrop of WG funding cuts. Members were advised that
with the Local Government Borrowing Initiative (LGBI) ending in March, 2015
some difficult decisions needed to be taken with respect to future investment
in the highways network. Scarce
resources would need to be spent wisely and in a targeted way. Unless this was done the condition of the
roads would deteriorate very quickly. The need to examine
the classification of some routes in future was highlighted. A Member Workshop would be held with a view
to defining a highways maintenance prioritisation process and explaining and
understanding the principles of road maintenance. The HHES confirmed that having a well-defined
road maintenance prioritisation process would mitigate the risk of successful
litigation claims against the Authority.
He also explained that a better structured road maintenance policy,
which would include a clearly defined prioritisation process, should realise
value for money from investment and reduce unnecessary spending. Responses were provided by the officers to
Members questions relating to the proposal and to matters within their
respective areas. RESOLVED – that ... view the full minutes text for item 8. |
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SCRUTINY WORK PROGRAMME PDF 55 KB To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues.
12.05 p.m. – 12.15 p.m. Additional documents: Minutes: A copy of a report by the
Scrutiny Coordinator, which requested the Committee to review and agree its forward work programme and which
provided an update on relevant issues, had been circulated with the papers for the
meeting. The Committee considered its draft Forward Work Programme
for future meetings and the following amendments and additions were agreed:- 11th September, 2014:- Members agreed that a business item
relating to “Additional Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation”, referred
to in the information brief, be included on the forward work programme for
September, 2014. The Committee agreed
that Councillors H.H. Evans and D.I. Smith, respectively, be invited to attend
the meeting as Lead Members. The Scrutiny Coordinator informed the
Committee that Members could forward suggestions for inclusion the Committee’s
forward work programme for October 2014 to her.
The CD: ECA explained that Members may wish to consider the report
submitted to Council, which highlighted the commitments in the Corporate Plan,
when identifying issues for inclusion in the forward work programme. The Scrutiny Coordinator confirmed that the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice
Chairs Group was scheduled to hold its first meeting
of the new municipal year on the 3rd July, 2014. RESOLVED – that, subject to the above amendments and
agreements, the Work Programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be
approved. |
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FEEDBACK FROM COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES To receive any
updates from Committee representatives on various Council Boards and Groups
12.15 p.m. – 12.25 p.m. Minutes: Councillor J. Welch reported that he and the Chair,
Councillor H. Hilditch-Roberts, had recently attended
meetings of the Schools Standards Monitoring Group. Councillor Welch provided a short and
positive report on the proceedings of the meeting. RESOLVED – that the Committee receive and note the report. Meeting ended at 13.50 p.m. |