Agenda and minutes

The Committee was advised of an apology for absence from Councillor Graham Eyre and a substitution as detailed above.

In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must not participate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

Councillors are further invited to disclose any non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on this agenda, in the interests of transparency, and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter.

There were no declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests.

To confirm the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 13 July 2021.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 13 July 2021 were agreed.

The Chair informed the Committee that he had agreed Councillor Seabrook could make a statement to the meeting.  Councillor Seabrook apologised for any insult that may have been caused to the Council’s then Parks and Landscape Manager by her questions during the Committee’s consideration of the review of the Guildford Crematorium project [Minute OS63, Guildford Crematorium Redevelopment Post Project Review, 2 March 2021 refers].  Councillor Seabrook indicated that the then Parks and Landscape Manager had acknowledged and accepted her private apology and requested it be repeated in public.  Councillor Seabrook then clarified the meaning of her questions to the then Parks and Landscape Manager and her misunderstanding about his previous project management experience; she confirmed that her intention had been to highlight the need for the Council to resource projects sufficiently and not ask officers to run them in addition to their core job.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Climate Change briefly introduced the item before the Managing Director gave a presentation on the current COVID-19 situation and the Council’s response, beginning with an update on local cases.

The Managing Director indicated that the COVID-19 infection rate in Surrey was 280.4 per 100,000, lower than the national rate of 331.6 per 100,000 and the South East rate of 300.9 per 100,000, while Guildford’s rate was 264.1 per 100,000. The Managing Director advised that in the previous week there had been 3,365 new cases in Surrey, of which 394 were in Guildford. The meeting was informed that as at 12 September there were 2,950 registered COVID-related deaths in Surrey, with 250 in Guildford.

The Managing Director advised the meeting of two key COVID-19 issues: vaccination and testing; and events. The meeting was advised that the vaccination centre at Artington was open.  He indicated that vaccination rates in Guildford were in line with local, regional, and national rates with 82 per cent of those aged over 16 having had their first jab and 74 per cent their second.  The meeting was advised that the Legends Festival on 28 and 29 August was the first large-scale event to return to the Borough.  The Managing Director stated that the government was monitoring the number of cases relating to large scale events, but it was too early to determine their impact on case numbers. 

In response to a question about providing councillors with information on the government’s winter COVID plan so they might better advise residents, the Managing Director indicated that such opportunities would be explored.  The Senior Specialist Public Health advised the meeting that information would be within the weekly Community COVID champions briefing email. 

A Committee member asked about the compulsion of care homes to ensure workers were vaccinated against COVID-19, the current vaccine uptake by care home workers locally and likely impact on care homes, and for details of the areas of low vaccine uptake in the Borough.  In response, the Senior Specialist Public Health advised the meeting that she would obtain the relevant information about care home workers and share with Committee members.  In addition, the Committee was advised that detailed information on vaccine uptake locally was included within the weekly Community COVID champions briefing email.

In reply to a question, the Senior Specialist Public Health confirmed that the highest number of COVID cases in Guildford was in the 10–19-year-old age group.

In response to a question, the Senior Specialist Public Health advised the meeting that anti-vaccination activity in the Borough had been minimal.  The Senior Policy Officer advised the meeting of the process to report anti-vaccination publicity.

RESOLVED: That the Committee continue to receive updates on the response to COVID-19.

A question session with the Lead Councillor for Environment.  Councillor Steel’s areas of responsibility:

•           Waste

•           Licensing (including Health and Safety regulation)

•           Parking

•           Parks and Leisure

•           Arts and Tourism

•           Bereavement

•           Environmental Health and Protection

The Chair introduced the Lead Councillor for Environment and reminded the meeting of Councillor Steel’s areas of responsibility: waste; licensing (including health and safety regulation); parking; parks and leisure; arts and tourism; bereavement; and environmental health and protection.

The session began with questions about the waste and recycling service.  In response to a question about delays in supplying new bins and difficulties in collections, the Lead Councillor for Environment stated that the Council were struggling to get hold of some containers and bins.  He indicated that there were supply issues due to a global plastics shortage, an international shipping container shortage, and a shortage of haulage due to issues with drivers.  The Lead Councillor for Environment provided the Committee with details of the availability of containers, including food waste caddies, sharps boxes, and refuse, recycling, and garden bins.  The meeting was informed that the delays on some container types and the issues with securing supplies were likely to continue for a number of months. 

In reply to a query about the disruption of waste and recycling collections, the Lead Councillor for Environment indicated that the Borough had not witnessed service disruption from a shortage of drivers.  The meeting was advised that post-Covid use of leave combined with some isolating staff and sickness had occasionally impacted services.  The Lead Councillor for Environment indicated that there was a risk of future service disruption if drivers left for higher paying driver roles elsewhere as had occurred in some neighbouring boroughs. 

In reply to a question, the Lead Councillor for Environment suggested that missed bin collections could be reported through MyGuildford online or by contacting the Council by telephone.

In reply to questions about recycling, the Lead Councillor for Environment indicated that the amount of recycling contaminated by the wrong items being recycled was low.  He advised the Committee that the issue of contaminated recycling was addressed through identifying the source and providing educational information to the property or business concerned.  In addition, the Lead Councillor for Environment indicated that the Surrey Environmental Partnership provided key recycling literature to all properties across the county.

In response to a question about benchmarking recycling rates, the Lead Councillor for Environment advised the meeting that Guildford was currently ranked third among waste collection authorities in Surrey and nineteenth nationally. 

In reply to a question about the recycling of the Borough’s plastic waste, the Lead Councillor for Environment confirmed that plastic waste export details and end destinations were published as part of the waste data flow reports to Defra. 

A member of the Committee questioned whether the decision to replace the Council’s waste fleet vehicles with fossil-fuelled vehicles was being reconsidered.  In response, the Lead Councillor for Environment indicated that the diesel waste fleet vehicles had been purchased last year and were currently in use.  He stated that this was expected to be the last fleet of new diesel waste vehicles purchased by the Council.  The Lead Councillor for Environment advised the meeting that there were no viable  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS29

Including a short presentation.

The Lead Councillor for Community and Housing introduced the item, advising the meeting that the achievements of the Safer Guildford Partnership (SGP) for the past year were set out within the report submitted to the Committee.  She indicated that the report included the draft Safer Guildford Partnership Plan setting out the priorities for the period 2021-24.  The Lead Councillor for Community and Housing praised the Partnership’s operational delivery groups, highlighted the contribution of councillors at the Joint Action Group (JAG), and suggested councillors share the information and updates provided by the Partnership with residents.

The Senior Policy Officer gave a presentation summarising the content of the report submitted to the Committee.  She indicated that the purpose of the report was to provide the Committee with the opportunity to examine the activities of the SGP in the last year and to advise and comment on the appropriateness of the draft priorities for the coming three years.  The Senior Policy Officer highlighted outcomes achieved in the previous year and key challenges faced by SGP partners in the last year. 

The Senior Policy Officer advised the meeting that when setting the future priorities and resources of the SGP key considerations included being realistic about the additional resources each partner could provide and ensuring the work of the SGP added value to single agency day to day work. 

As part of the presentation from the Senior Policy Officer, the Committee was reminded of the five draft key priorities for the next three years: continued response to the impact of Covid-19 on people’s safety; responding to Domestic abuse; protecting our communities from ASB/ Community Harm; protecting our communities from serious harm; and encouraging our communities to help themselves.  In outlining the key risks for the SGP over the next twelve months, the Senior Policy Officer acknowledged that all partners were likely to have less resources and increased financial pressures.

During the ensuing discussion a number of points and clarifications were made:

·        A member of the Committee asked whether increased ASB interventions reflected an increased focus by the SGP or increasing issues.  In reply, the Senior Policy Officer referred to the difficulties of answering such a question and suggested that the work and effectiveness of the SGP was increasing.  Inspector Sam Turner, Surrey Police, advised the Committee that there were increasing reports to police and partner agencies in Surrey year-on-year.  He indicated that he did not focus on the number of issues reported and instead was encouraged by the positive outcomes from action by the SGP and the resulting number of closures or convictions.

·        The Senior Policy Officer confirmed that learnings from the ongoing Domestic Homicide Review established in 2020-21 would be shared with all agencies involved.

·        The Committee was informed that Community Triggers were generally submitted by residents experiencing anti-social behaviour.  The Senior Policy Officer advised that full information, including the application form, was provided online.  She informed the meeting that numbers of Community Triggers within the Borough were higher than in some neighbouring partnerships  ...  view the full minutes text for item OS30

To agree the draft Overview and Scrutiny work programme.

The Chair introduced the item.  He reminded the Committee that the next work programme meeting of the chairs and vice-chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Executive Advisory Boards was the following day.

With reference to the re-scheduling to next year of the Committee’s consideration of Future Guildford, a member of the Committee suggested that an update on the Council’s customer service be provided to members.  The Chair confirmed that a briefing note would be requested for Committee members.

A verbal update on the Affordable Housing task and finish group was provided to the Committee by the vice-chair of the task group.  The Chair indicated that the terms of reference for the task group would be submitted to the Committee for information.

With reference to the timescale for determining the future of the Spectrum as announced by the Lead Councillor for Environment earlier in the meeting, a member of the Committee suggested scheduling an item to review the potential options for the management of the Spectrum.  The Chair indicated that the matter would be discussed at the work programme meeting of the chairs and vice-chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Executive Advisory Boards the following day.

RESOLVED:  That the work plan as presented in the report submitted to the Committee be approved.