Agenda and decisions

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 also 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.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 5 September 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held 05 September 2024 were confirmed as correct. The Chairman signed the minutes.

Decision:

1.   Agreed the General Fund revenue outturn for 2023/24 as a balanced position after a transfer of the year end surplus of £3.62M to reserves.  Details are shown in section 10 and Appendix 1.

2.   Agreed the HRA revenue outturn for 2023/24 as outlined in section 11 and Appendix 2.

3.   Agreed the year end Capital position as outlined in section 12 and Appendix 3.

4.   Noted the year end Reserves position as detailed in section 13.

Reason(s):

To ensure that the Executive fulfils its responsibilities for the overall financial management and transparency of the Council’s resources.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

Noted the report and commended it to full Council (meeting on 8 October 2024) in recognition of the Council’s current carbon emissions and climate change status.

Reason(s):

The Climate Change Board is constitutionally a working group of the Executive and is required to report on its business and achievements to the Executive at least annually. On 23 July 2024, full Council adopted a new Corporate Strategy that included a ‘more sustainable borough’ at Priority 1 and once again reinforced this Council’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2030. For this reason, the Executive is asked to refer the report to full Council for its wider circulation, engagement, and comment.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

1.   Adopt the Climate Change, Sustainable Design, Construction and Energy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) as shown in Appendix 1 of this report, and

2.   Withdraw the Climate Change, Sustainable Design, Construction and Energy Supplementary Planning Document (2020).

Reason(s):

1.       Adopting the new SPD will provide detailed guidance for adopted Local Plan policy that addresses climate change and sustainability. This will help ensure clarity and consistency in decision making and help to deliver sustainable development.

2.       The new SPD replaces the 2020 SPD, which is no longer required. Keeping it in place would complicate the planning process unnecessarily.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

Considered the contents of this report in respect of the proposed over £200,000 activity that is listed in Appendix 1; and, in accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules, give Approval to Procure to each procurement procedure listed in Appendix 1 to the Report, noting that the values, potential route to market and whether a tender is collaborative with Waverley may change.

Reason(s):

1.                 Executive is required to approve all key decisions with financial consequences of £200,000 or more. It is good governance therefore to provide Executive with a summary of all proposed procurements, that individually are estimated to be total value of £200,000 or more, prior to procurement procedures formally commencing.

2.                 Planning procurement activity ensures:

•       effective stakeholder management

•       effective procurement and sourcing

•       compliance with relevant procurement legislation and the Council’s own CPRs

•       how best value is to be achieved is clearly defined including how contract management will ensure that that the Council attains best value during the life of the contract

3.                 To avoid the need to submit multiple individual requests for Approval to Procure in FY2024/25

4.                 A further paper discussing awards will be submitted in due course.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

Bring each individual item to Executive, which will incur more time and cost writing individual reports.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

1.   To recommend to Full Council that until permanent arrangements have been adopted Joint Posts will be appointed by Waverley Borough Council on Waverley Terms and Conditions of employment with a 10% uplift on salary as set out in para 6.3 of this report and Appendix 1;

2.   To note the Head of Paid Service’s proposal to introduce a Policy for creating Joint Posts until permanent arrangements are approved as set out in para 6.4 of this report;

3.   To note the Head of Paid Service’s proposal to introduce a Joint Posts job evaluation competency framework until permanent arrangements are approved as set out in para 6.5 of this report;

4.   To note the Head of Paid Service’s proposal to introduce a Joint Post Salary Grades and Scales Structure until permanent arrangements are approved as set out in para 6.6 of this report and Appendix 2;

5.   To note the Head of Paid Service’s proposal to introduce a Restructure Policy for joint posts until permanent arrangements are approved as set out in out in para 6.7 of this report;

6.   To recommend to Full Council the revisions to the statutory Pay Policy documentation for GBC and that these documents be presented to Full Council for approval as set out in this report and Appendix 3.

7.   To receive a report back from the Head of Paid Service within a two year period setting out recommendations for permanent arrangements and an update on the wider collaboration programme within a six month period.

Reason(s):

1.       The salary benchmarking exercise undertaken concludes the outstanding action from the Officer Resource: Legal & Democratic Services paper presented to GBC Executive on 16 May 2024 and WBC Executive on 7 May 2024.

2.       The salary benchmarking paper sets out findings which reduces the costs of the new Legal and Democratic Services structure.  This is set out in Appendix 1.

3.       Corporate Leadership Board (CLB) has recognised that we need to make long-term decisions relating to how we best harmonise working practices across GBC and WBC. However, we also need to be able to respond to short term pressures from across the councils to implement joint roles across both councils, where CLB agrees that it is appropriate and that there is an urgent and evidence-based need for joint posts to be implemented. 

4.       Therefore, we need to ensure that for a temporary period of time we have appropriate policy, process, and systems in place to ensure that any joint post arrangements are applied consistently, are underpinned by sound governance, are affordable and in line with both councils’ statutory duties relating to best value.  Additionally, we need to mitigate against any possible risks associated with collaborating across two councils with different job evaluation and salary structures (e.g. equal pay). 

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

1.   To authorise the entering into of a contract for the appointment of NEC Supervisors with a financial cap of £2 million pounds for a term of 4 years; and

2.   To delegate to the Joint Strategic Director for Finance authority to enter into call-off contracts of any value under this contract in consultation with the Portfolio Holder if it is a Key Decision.

Reason(s):

It will save time and resources for the Council to undertake a single procurement exercise and award a contract enabling services to be called off as and when required for individual projects.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

To approve the proposed sale of Stoke Cemetery Lodge for £550,000.

Reason(s):

This will provide the Council with a capital receipt of £550,000 for a property which is currently surplus to requirements and not in use.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

To not agree the sale.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Decision:

To enter a one year contract with an anticipated approximate value of

£700,000 with Kincraig Construction Limited.

Reason(s):

To enable the council to undertake and manage the refurbishment of void properties so that these can be relet.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

Not to enter the contract which present a significant risk to the council until the longer term procurement exercise can be undertaken.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.