Agenda, decisions and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 5 October 2021

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 5 October were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

To receive from members, declarations of interest in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting, in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest raised under this heading.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from members of the public for which notice has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

The deadline for receipt of questions is 5pm on Tuesday 26 October 2021.

There were no questions submitted from members of the public.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from Members in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.

The deadline for receipt of questions is 5pm on Tuesday 26 October 2021.

There were no questions submitted from members of the Council.

The Leader and Portfolio Holders gave brief updates on current issues not reported elsewhere on the agenda:

·         The Leader advised that as part of the ongoing collaboration work with Guildford Borough Council, both Councils had at their meetings held on 1 November 2021 appointed Tom Horwood as Joint Chief Executive to commence on 1 December 2021. 

·         The Leader welcomed the COP26 themed climate change workshop held recently with students from Broadwater school and Godalming college and advised that Waverley would be ensuring that its social housing and leisure centres were sustainable and contributed to climate reduction.

·         Councillor Clark provided an update on the planning documents portal, which had been the subject of cyber-attacks.  Software had been installed to stop these attacks and interim reporting had showed that in one 24 hour period, 175,000 website hits from “bad bots” had been processed.  Following the activation of the blocking software, download speeds had positively improved and he thanked the IT team for solving the complex problem.

·         Councillor MacLeod advised that planning officers had been working on the 5 year land supply and that the Council could now report a 5.2 year supply, which would help defend planning appeals.  The full document would be published shortly and the Head of Planning had written to all Councillors and Parish and Town clerks.  This represented a target of 900 homes a year, which was the result of a backlog and although challenging was achievable.  Responses to the LPP2 consultation were being received and analysed by officers.  The Brightwells scheme was still on target to be opened in June 2022.

·         Councillor Penny Marriott had attended a remembrance day service in her Mayoral year and given a reading for the Muslim fallen, and this year had been invited to a virtual remembrance service by the Pan-African Ahmadiyya Muslim Association which would be livestreamed on YouTube and encouraged colleagues to contact her for details on attendance.  The Leader advised that he would also be attending as Waverley’s Armed Forces Champion.

·         Councillor Merryweather advised that following his update at the previous meeting in respect of the impact of the new Health and Social Care levy on the Council’s finance of at least £130,000 annually or the equivalent of a 1.2% increase in Council Tax, the Government had announced its combined spending review.  Despite a period of low inflation, the Council had experienced a structural imbalance where the cost of staff had risen at a rate faster than the ability to raise income, which was heavily regulated by the Government, which had also eliminated significant amounts of local government funding.  Therefore any threat of cost inflation was a matter of concern.  The Office of Budget Responsibility was predicting inflation to peak at 4.4% next year, and to stay at over 2% for at least 4-5 years.  It was expected that the current cap on Council Tax increases would be maintained at 2% and there was no apparent intention that the Government would allow the Council to retain any of its  ...  view the full minutes text for item EXE 44/21

There were no items under this heading.

Unless specified under an individual item, there are no background papers (as defined by Section 100D(5) of the Local Government Act 1972) relating to the reports in Part II of these minutes.

To update members regarding required fire safety works in one of the Senior Living schemes and gain budgetary approval to undertake works.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive agree:

a £520,000 Riverside Court fire safety works budget is vired from the approved Kitchen and Bathroom replacement programme capital budget.

RESOLVED That a £520,000 Riverside Court fire safety works budget is vired from the approved Kitchen and Bathroom replacement programme capital budget.

Reason: Officers requested Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attend Riverside Court to review Waverley’s findings following the completion of a Type 4 Fire Risk Assessment in June 2021.  The internal review resulted in a list of priority actions to be undertaken in relation to fire safety.

A fire safety visit with SFRS followed in July 2021.  SFRS issued an Improvement Enforcement Notice on the building to ensure that immediate fire safety works were completed to approved standards.  Actions including the immediate cessation of the ‘stay put’ fire policy, the removal of a timber ceiling (considered to be a fire load) and completion of fire stopping compartmentalisation works.

This recommendation is sought to secure funding to complete the works required to meet Enforcement Notice.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

Councillor Rosoman presented the report which set out a proposal to secure funding to complete the fire safety works required at Riverside Court.  Fire wardens would be in place until the works had been completed.  Regular meetings had been held with tenants to keep them updated.  The service provider for the kitchen and bathroom replacement programme had withdrawn from the contract and therefore the funding was available.  The new funding would be renewed for the new financial year. 

RESOLVED That a £520,000 Riverside Court fire safety works budget is vired from the approved Kitchen and Bathroom replacement programme capital budget.

Reason: Officers requested Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) attend Riverside Court to review Waverley’s findings following the completion of a Type 4 Fire Risk Assessment in June 2021.  The internal review resulted in a list of priority actions to be undertaken in relation to fire safety.

A fire safety visit with SFRS followed in July 2021.  SFRS issued an Improvement Enforcement Notice on the building to ensure that immediate fire safety works were completed to approved standards.  Actions including the immediate cessation of the ‘stay put’ fire policy, the removal of a timber ceiling (considered to be a fire load) and completion of fire stopping compartmentalisation works.

This recommendation is sought to secure funding to complete the works required to meet Enforcement Notice.

To consider the following recommendation on the motion of the Chairman:-

Recommendation

That, pursuant to Procedure Rule 20, and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item(s) on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during these items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified at the meeting in the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED that, pursuant to Procedure Rule 20, and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item(s) on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during these items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified at the meeting in the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 namely: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Recommendation

That the Executive agree the recommendations as set out in the exempt report.

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.

Recommendation

That the Executive agree the recommendations as set out in the exempt report.

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.

Recommendation

That the Executive agree the recommendations as set out in the exempt report.

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.

[Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

RESOLVED that the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.

Reason: The reasons are set out in the exempt report.