Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor E Strengiel. It was reported that, under Regulation 13 of the Local Government Committee and Political Groups) Regulation 1990, Councillor P Coupland was replacing Councillor E Strengiel for this meeting only.

An apology for absence was also received from Mrs M Machin (Added Member).

None received.

RESOLVED:

That minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2021 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. 

Chairman's Announcements

The Chairman reported that he had attended the Executive's meeting on 7 April and presented the Board's comments on the Draft One Council Commissioning Framework. He had highlighted that the Board had recognised that the development of the workforce was a work in progress and that this was a very good piece of work but that the Board would like to review it in around nine to 12 months to examine how it was operating. The Executive had raised concerns around some of the language that was used and there was a need for a balance between using Lincolnshire based businesses and the cost-benefit. The Executive requested that a revised version be brought back to a future meeting for final approval. The revised version would be considered by the Board for pre-decision scrutiny on 1 July before going to the Executive for approval on 6 July.

None received.

None received.

(To consider presentations from Debbie Barnes OBE, Chief Executive, Andrew Crookham, Executive Director – Resources and James Drury, Executive Director – Commercial, on the service areas reporting to the Board)

Consideration was given to presentations from the Chief Executive, the Executive Director – Resources, and the Executive Director – Commercial, on their responsibilities and the service areas reporting to the Board.

Members made the following additional points following the presentations:-

·         A member suggested that the Board may find it helpful to receive further training on some of the more complex areas of finance, particularly treasury management. The Executive Director reported that a training session had been arranged for councillors on Introduction to Local Government Finance which would include treasury management. He undertook to consider whether any further sessions for the Board would be beneficial going forward.

·         It was reported that responsibility for Business World would move to Hoople Ltd and the Council would become a shareholder in readiness for when the Serco contract ended in 2024. Hoople Ltd was a subsidiary of Herefordshire County Council.

·         It was confirmed that regular and extensive performance monitoring was undertaken with regards to contracts the Council engaged in with contractors.

·         Following a request from a member, the Executive Director – Commercial, undertook to circulate to the Board, following the meeting, information on County Farms including:- the number of farms, amount of land owned and income received/capital receipts.

·         The Executive Director – Commercial, responded to a question on the shortage of building materials due to the on-going global impact of Covid-19. He reported that there were some shortages and costs of certain materials had increased significantly ie timber up 40% in recent months. To date there had been no adverse impact on any current projects. Measures had been taken to use a wider range of suppliers, and in some circumstances, more creative approaches had been considered to deliver desired outcomes.

RESOLVED:

That the presentations be noted.

(To consider a presentation from Andrew McLean, Assistant Director – Corporate Transformation, Programmes and Performance and Clare Rowley, Head of Transformation, on the Transformation Programme)

Consideration was given to a presentation from the Assistant Director – Corporate Transformation, Programmes and Performance and the Head of Transformation, on the Transformation Programme.

The Council had developed a Corporate Plan which set out the goals and ambitions it wished to achieve for its residents over the coming years. It had been recognised that there was a need to focus and resource activity to deliver the Plan, driving innovation and efficiency that was best delivered through a corporate transformation programme, supported by change management and recognisable benefits realisation.

The Transformation Programme encompassed a number of wide-ranging projects that would positively impact upon residents, communities, staff, businesses, visitors and other stakeholders engaged with the Council. The programme was organised into three overarching workstreams of Our People, Our Communities and Our Processes, each of which had a number of projects delivered within them, with enabling technology acting as a key driver throughout.

The overall aims of the programme were to: Develop a strong vision, direction and identity; put our customers at the heart of everything the Council did; become an employer of choice; be more flexible and agile in how the Council operated; have leadership that was collaborative and empowering through a distributed leadership approach; develop a culture that promoted ownership and accountability.

Engagement sessions had been planned on the customer and digital strategies with councillors.

Members discussed the report, and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·         Consultation on the key elements of the programme with the Board should be in a timely fashion to ensure input before important decisions were made.

·         It was re confirmed that there would be regular engagement with Councillors and stakeholders and feedback analysed.

·         It would be important to analyse and measure the impact of any changes as a result of the programme on, for example, the community, new processes and any financial savings to determine whether the original aims and objectives had been achieved.

·         The Assistant Director – Corporate Transformation, Programmes and Performance and the Head of Transformation, undertook to forward further information to the Board following the meeting on the monitoring of potential benefits of the programme. In particular, further information on any planned moves surrounding the digital access to services by the public, the affordability and benefits/disadvantages. There was some concern about the impact on those members of the public without or with limited access to the appropriate IT. 

RESOLVED:

That the presentation be noted.

(To consider a report from Justin Brown, Assistant Director – Growth, on the Submission of Application for Funding to UK Community Renewal Fund and Levelling Up Fund which is due to be considered by the Leader of the Council on 18 June 2021. The views of the Board will be reported to the Leader of the Council as part of his consideration of this item)

Consideration was given to a report from the Assistant Director – Growth, on the Submission of Application for Funding to UK Community Renewal Fund and Levelling Up Fund which was due to be considered by the Leader of the Council on 18 June 2021. The views of the Board would be reported to the Leader of the Council as part of his consideration of this item.

The Board was invited to:- Consider the report and to determine whether the Board supported the recommendations to the Leader of the Council (Executive Councillor for Resources, Communications, and Commissioning). The recommendations included: Approval of the submission of a Lincolnshire-wide bid to the UK Community Renewal Fund in accordance with Table 1 in the report; Approval of the submission of a Lincolnshire County Council bid to the Levelling Up Fund for transport improvements which supported the growth of the food manufacturing sector in the A16 corridor which connected Boston and Spalding; and the authorisation of the Executive Director for Place to determine the detail of the final form of both bids for submission.

The County Council had the opportunity to make two bids into the funds that the government had made available for regional growth – the UK Community Renewal Fund and the Levelling Up Fund.  Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) was the lead organisation for Community Renewal Fund and had run a consultation programme which had led to projects of sufficient quality to make a bid with a value of £9m to government.  As the local highway authority LCC could make one bid to the Levelling Up Fund and because of the economic impact and because of deliverability it was proposed that the bid submitted by LCC was for £20m for transport improvements on the A16 between Boston and Spalding.  Bids should be submitted on 18^th June 2021.

The following points were raised:

For consideration for the submission of the bids:

·         Improvements to the A16 were important. The A16, an essential route from the north to the south of Lincolnshire, was not designed for growth when it was originally built. As a result of additional routes connecting onto the A16, the road was now regularly congested due to the volume of traffic. The Government needed to be mindful of planning for growth when allocating funding.

·         It was recognised that this was a partnership project, with the County Council working with the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and other partners, and was also part of an economic recovery strategy which should be welcomed. All of the projects would be delivered as part of a partnership strategy to tackle growth and recovery, particularly as a result of Covid-19 and the UK's exit from the European Union. In addition, the bids clearly show that they would contribute substantially to delivering the economic recovery strategy. 

For consideration by the Council:

·         Some infrastructure projects were not originally designed with growth in mind. Going forward, infrastructure designs should plan for future expansion purposes, such as to avoid traffic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

(To consider an update report from Michelle Andrews, Assistant Director –  Corporate Recovery, on Covid-19)

Consideration was given to an update report from the Assistant Director – Corporate Recovery, on Covid-19. The report provided an overview of the work by the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), partnership to manage Lincolnshire's response to the Covid-19 pandemic since the most recent briefing paper provided to the Board via email on the 20^th April 2021. The report outlined the latest data and information on recovery planning.

The final step in the roadmap was planned for the 21^st June. However the prime minister's announcement on Monday 14^th June confirmed that this final step of easing restrictions would be delayed until 19^th July 2021. This equated to a four week extension with a review to be undertaken after two weeks.  The delay meant limits remained on how many people could meet, with groups of up to 30 allowed to meet outdoors, and up to six people (or two households) allowed indoors. A very limited number of restrictions were being lifted from 21^st June (as initially planned). These were:  The number of guests at weddings and wakes would no longer be limited to 30, however venues would have to adhere to social distancing and hosts must undertake a risk assessment. Table service would be required - with six people per table - and no indoor dance floors would be allowed. Care home residents would no-longer have to isolate for 14 days after returning from visits outside. Exceptions would include high-risk trips such as overnight hospital stays. Children could go on overnight trips in groups of 30 with, for example, the Scouts or Guides, or as part of summer residential schools. Some large events pilots would continue, including additional Euro 2020 football matches as well as a number of other sports, arts, and music events. Social distancing precautions were to be maintained. The indoor 'rule of 6' was to be maintained. Working from home was to be maintained where users could continue to do so. The night time economy i.e. nightclubs were to remain closed.

Members discussed the report, and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·         Recent modelling suggested that 50-60% of current Covid-19 cases in Lincolnshire  are likely  to be  the Delta Variant. At present this rate was below the national average. The Delta Variant was expected to become the dominant variant in the UK at some point due to its transmission rate. Covid-19 cases were predominantly amongst those who had not yet been vaccinated.

·         The report was welcomed and it was noted that the next update would be submitted to the August meeting of the Board. 

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

(To consider a report from Nigel West, Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer, inviting topics for consideration by Scrutiny Panels A and B)

Consideration was given to a report from the Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer, inviting topics for consideration by Scrutiny Panels A and B.

The Board was invited to identify and agree potential topics for in-depth scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by the two Scrutiny Panels, taking into account the Prioritisation Toolkit. Councillor Phil Dilks, Chairman of Scrutiny Panel A, was in attendance for this item. Nigel West, Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer, presented the report.

The Board were asked to determine whether a scrutiny review should be undertaken on Lincolnshire Agricultural Sector Support and, if agreed, approve the terms of reference as set out in Appendix B to the report and determine which Scrutiny Panel would undertake the review. They were also invited to identify and agree topics for future scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by the Scrutiny Panels and to delegate to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board approval of the terms of reference for future scrutiny reviews.

The report identified the following potential topics for the Board's consideration:

• Lincolnshire Agricultural Sector Support – proposed terms of reference were set out in Appendix B.
• Town Centre Improvements – to consider what opportunities existed for the revitalisation of town centres around the county.
• Capital Programme Planning – An assessment and challenge of the current capital project lifecycle arrangements and any lessons learned from major projects, and how Overview and Scrutiny could be involved in the process.

Members discussed the report, and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·         It was suggested that the Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees be asked to consider one idea for in depth scrutiny review and report back to the 1 July Board meeting on this in more detail. It was also suggested that all councillors should be invited to put forward suggestions. A further suggestion was to consult Scrutiny Committees and report back on ideas to the September Board meeting.

·         Suggestions of ideas made at the meeting included:-

o   Brexit and its impact on the availability of overseas farmworkers and on farming in the County.

o   The impact of robotics on employment in the food services industry.

o   How councillors' ways of working had changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the positive impact these changes have had, and how they should work going forward, given that there would be hybrid working by officers under the Smarter Working Policy. The Executive Director – Resources offered to provide some wording on this suggestion.

o   The Policy Team would provide some Horizon Scanning for feeding into the suggestions for scrutiny reviews.

o   Traffic management, speeding, signage etc - to consider whether current policies on these were up to date or required review.

There were mixed views and some doubts expressed about whether a review of Lincolnshire Agricultural Sector Support would be a good idea at this moment in time, especially in the light of the uncertainty surrounding the outcome and content of the proposed Agricultural Bill  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

(To consider verbal updates from the Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees)

Consideration was given to verbal updates from the Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees. This item was to enable the Board to receive verbal updates from the chairmen of the scrutiny committees on their future work programmes so that the Board was aware of the key issues being considered across the scrutiny function. The Chairman welcomed Councillor Paul Skinner, Chairman of the Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee, who was attending via Teams to provide his update.

Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee

Councillor R Kendrick, reported that the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee continued to be very busy with a number of key themes on their agendas. The Building Communities of Special Provision Strategy continued to be one of the main considerations for the Committee. The Strategy had been approved by the Executive in November 2018, and implementation of the strategy commenced in January 2019 and would take place over the next five years with the final school changes being made in September 2024. The decisions for the capital appraisals and changes to the special schools were now making their way through the Committee for its consideration. Over the last 18 months, the Committee had considered the capital appraisals for Boston Endeavour Academy, which was a brand new school being built; the Willoughby Academy in Bourne; the Eresby School in Spilsby; and St Bernard's School in Louth. Over the next few months, the Committee would be considering the capital appraisals for St Christopher's School in Lincoln, Priory School in Spalding and St Lawrence's Academy in Horncastle. In addition, the Committee received an annual report every October which set out the overall progress and implementation of the Strategy and the capital build programme. Subject to Covid restrictions, it was hoped that Committee members could visit the schools once the work had been completed, with the first visit hopefully being to the Boston Endeavour Academy in September. Another matter which the Committee would be considering over the next year was in relation to the Children in Care Transformation Programme. The Committee received a report at its March meeting setting out the progress and the six workstreams for the programme. The Committee would be receiving two reports at its meeting on 19 November in relation to Children in Care Transformation - Residential Estate Expansion Programme, and Wickenby Children's Home, both of which were for pre-decision scrutiny. The Committee would also continue to scrutinise the work of the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (LSCP) through six monthly updates. The Committee would receive an introductory presentation from the LSCP at its meeting on 25 June and then further updates at its November and April meetings. Representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group were also invited to attend to represent the Police and Health on behalf of the Partnership and to participate for these items. In addition, the Committee would continue to monitor the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and young people,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

(To receive a report which enables the Board to consider the content of its work programme for the coming year)

The Board received a report which enabled the consideration of the content of its work programme for the coming year. The Head of Democratic Services and Statutory Scrutiny Officer took the Board through the agendas for the next couple of meetings.

RESOLVED:

That the work programme be agreed.