Agenda and minutes

Councillors Graham Henson and Eleanor Southwood.

Members are invited to appoint a Chair for the municipal year 2017/18.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Bassam Mahfouz be appointed as Chair for the 2017/18 municipal year.

Members are invited to appoint a Vice Chair for the municipal year 2017/18.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Amritpal Mann be appointed as Vice-Chair for the 2017/18 municipal year.

Members are reminded that if they have a pecuniary interest in any matter being discussed at the meeting they must declare the interest.  They may not take part in any discussion or vote on a matter in which they have a pecuniary interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2017 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

Councillor Keith Burrows expressed his gratitude to both Members and officers for their good wishes during what had been a difficult time for him and his family.

The Audit Committee is expected to meet on two occasions on the same date as the Authority. The first meeting will be held on 22 September 2017 at 10.00am.

Members are invited to appoint a Chair and two other Members for the municipal year 2017/18.

Members are also recommended to reconfirm the existing appointment of the Independent member of the Audit Committee, Andrea White. Her term of office is until 30 June 2018.

RESOLVED: That (1) Councillor Amritpal Mann be appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee and that Councillors Keith Burrows and Eleanor Southwood be appointed as the other two members for the 2017/18 Municipal Year;

(2) the appointment of Andrea White as the Independent Member of the Audit Committee be re-confirmed to 30 June 2018..

The remaining dates of meetings of the Authority in 2017 are:

Friday 22 September at 11.00am (Audit Committee at 10.00am)

Friday 8 December 2017 at 10.00am

Members are invited to agree the following dates of meetings of the Authority and Audit Committee for 2018 based on the existing pattern:

Friday 26 January 2018 at 11.00am (Audit Committee at 10.00am)

Friday 23 March 2018 at 10.00am

Friday 29 June 2018 at 11.00am (Audit Committee at 10.00am)

Friday 21 September 2018 at 10.00am

Friday 7 December 2018 at 10.00am

RESOLVED: That the following dates of meetings of the Authority and Audit Committee be confirmed:

Friday 26 January 2018 at 11.00am (Audit Committee at 10.00am)

Friday 23 March 2018 at 10.00am

Friday 29 June 2018 at 11.00am (Audit Committee at 10.00am)

Friday 21 September 2018 at 10.00am

Friday 7 December 2018 at 10.00am

Members received a report which detailed the preferred option of buying a new head office for the Authority before the current building was demolished.

Jay Patel, Head of Finance outlined the content of the report indicating that buying a building was financially the best option for the Authority. He emphasised the importance of being able to move quickly should a suitable property became available.

A Member sought clarification as to whether there had been any discussion with the boroughs in terms of depreciation charges to be levied to them and was advised that Finance officers had been informed. Ian O’Donnell, Treasurer, advised that Finance Directors would want to know how accommodation would be paid for, future costs and the impact on the levy. He advised that the Authority was unlikely to get the sort of deal that it had with the London Borough of Hounslow in terms of accommodation again. The Chair added that he would circulate the terms of any agreement to his Authority Member colleagues before any purchase was made.

In terms of staff retention and the proposal to locate the new head office in Hounslow to aid this, a Member stated that whilst she understood the reasoning, all local authorities were having to make efficiency savings and reduce parking. Another Member added that the search for new offices should not be restricted to the Hounslow area as what was in the best interest of the business that was most important.

RESOLVED: That (1) the Managing Director, together with the Treasurer and in consultation with the Chair, be authorised to purchase a new head office for the Authority;

(2) a capital budget of £2.5 million for the purchase and all associated costs be authorised;

(3) the need to use the expertise of property agents, solicitors, refurbishment contractors and other specialists to secure and deliver suitable head office accommodation be noted;

(4) the Chair circulate the terms of any agreement to his Authority Member colleagues before any purchase was made.

Members received a report which detailed the changes needed for IT services and capital budget requirements.

Jay Patel, Head of Finance, outlined the content of the report and advised that the Authority needed to identify an alternative IT service provider as Ealing Council were no longer able to offer support. It was necessary to understand the costs of the change and to also be aware of the risks in relation to price.

RESOLVED: That (1) a capital budget to procure a comprehensive range of replacement IT infrastructure and services up to the value of £200,000 be authorised;

(2) the anticipated savings in running costs of £10,000 per year be noted.

Emma Beal, Managing Director, introduced the report which provided the Authority’s Communications Strategy and an update on the key activities planned or carried out this year which supported the Business Plan 2017-2020.

Emma Beal outlined the content of the report and advised that the purpose of the Strategy was to establish the Authority a leader in treating waste as a valuable resource. This vision would be promoted in all areas of the Authority’s work.

Members were informed that the majority of the work undertaken to date had been around networking. There had been three consultations to date and Appendix 2 of the report set out the response. Emma Beal stated that, in her view, there was no known link between HRRCs  charging for waste disposal and fly tipping. The Authority was focussing on viewing fly tipping and littering as a crime.

RESOLVED: That (1) the Communications Strategy be approved;

(2) the communications activities to date, which supported the Business Plan, be noted.

Sarah Ellis, Operations Manager, outlined the content of the report,

which provided an update on the Authority’s operations.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Members received the report which provided provisional out-turn figures for 2016/17 and presented the draft Statement of Accounts for the year.

In introducing the report, Jay Patel, Head of Finance, highlighted that the Authority had had a good financial performance, the audit had been completed and gone well and advised that whilst the accounts on their own were not that meaningful the charts included in the report showed that they were fairly stable. He drew Members’ attention to a correction of the 2016/17 budget figure on page 32 in that should state £57,782.

A Member expressed concern in relation to the property valuation. Ian O’Donnell, Treasurer, advised that in terms of inflation the actual figure had been compared over several years and that if the cost were compared the Authority had beaten inflation in terms of costs.

In response to a question in relation to the distribution of reserves, Members agreed an additional recommendation for the Treasurer to determine the distribution of reserves in accordance with the Fixed Cost Levy.

RESOLVED: That (1) it be noted that the Final Statement of Accounts would be presented for approval to the September Audit Committee and Authority meetings;

(2) the 2016/17 provisional out-turn figures and detail included in Appendix 1 of the report be noted;

(3) the Draft Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement attached at Appendix 2 of the report be noted;

(4) authority be delegated to the Treasurer, following consultation with the Chair of the Authority, to agree with the boroughs the basis for distribution of the rebate (as referred to in paragraphs 15 and 16 of the report) and make the disbursements.

Members received a report which reviewed the Authority’s Health and Safety arrangements for the year 2016-17 and presented the Authority’s Health and Safety Plan for 2017-18.

RESOLVED: That (1) it be noted that the Health and Safety policy statement (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) had been updated with changes to the responsible persons for the Authority following recent staff changes;

(2) the actions taken in the Health and Safety action plan for 2016-17 (attached at Appendix 2 to the report) be noted;

(3) the outcomes from the  annual Health and Safety Review meeting held in June 2017 be noted;

(4) the Authority’s Health and Safety Plan for 2017-18 (attached at Appendix 3 to the report) be agreed.

Members received a report which presented the results of the Waste Prevention Action Plan for 2016/17.

In discussing the report, Members made the following comments:-

·         The more that the Authority was seen at fayre’s/ road shows the more interest was generated.;

·         The compost bags distributed at a recent event in Richmond had been well received but questions had been raised as to whether the bags themselves were compostable;

·         Consideration should be given to approaching supermarkets to see if they would be willing to sponsor bags given their responsibility for packaging;

·         There was demand from schools in terms of engagement as children were receptive to the recycling message.

In response to the comment, Emma Beal, Managing Director, advised that compostable bags could not be used for distributing compost and that bags and plastic were difficult to recycle. In terms of engagement with schools, she advised that the Waste Minimisation Plan included more work in this area.

RESOLVED: That the results of activities in 2016/17, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted.

Members received a report which provided an update on the financial position of the Authority at the end of May, the key operational performance indicators (KPIs) and delegated financial decisions.

Jay Patel, Head of Finance, reported that whilst waste tonnage had been slightly lower in the first couple of months the forecast was to be on target at year end. He added that KPIs were currently on track.

RESOLVED: That (1) the current financial position in 2017/18 to period 2 and Key Performance Indicators be noted;

(2) the financial decisions taken under the Scheme of Delegation to Officers.

RESOLVED:  That in accordance with Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items for the reasons set out below:

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Members received a confidential report which provided an update on the Authority’s various waste treatment arrangements.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.