Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors McKinley and Owens.

Members are requested to give notice of any disclosable pecuniary interest, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct, before leaving the meeting room during the discussion on that particular item.

No declarations of interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2017

RESOLVED: 

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 28 March 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

Presentation by the Head of Corporate Resources

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

Further to Minute No. 7 (3) of 21 June 2016 the Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance that presented formally the final report of the Accommodation Strategy/Agile Working Working Group.

The report indicated that the Committee had established the Working Group to agree and confirm the approach to the delivery of the Council’s Accommodation Strategy for the period 2016/17 to 2020 and the Working Group had met on numerous occasions to perform this task; and the Working Group’s Final Report together with associated recommendations was attached to the report.

Councillor Pitt, the Lead Member of the Working Group was unavailable to attend the Committee but wished to place on record his thanks and appreciation to all Members of the Working Group for their commitment and contribution to the production of the Final Report.

Members asked questions/raised issues on the following matters:-

·       The Final Report would help the Council with property, personnel and ICT issues associated with agile working

·       The Final Report will help with the reduction in the Council’s office portfolio and thereby reduce overheads and achieve savings

RESOLVED:-

Report of the Head of Corporate Resources

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources that set out progress in rolling out Universal Credit (UC) in Sefton; updating on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) new funding arrangement for Full Service due to commence in Sefton Jobcentre Plus offices in October 2017; and UC implementation locally and the support arrangements that would be introduced to support Sefton residents claiming UC.

The report indicated that UC helped ensure customers were better off in work than they were on benefits; that UC provided support to help people prepare for work, move into work or earn more; and that UC was a means-tested benefit that was intended to replace all of the following means-tested benefits (that top up existing income) with a single monthly payment and that the benefits and tax credits that fall within scope of the UC were:

•        Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

•        Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

•        Income Support

•        Child Tax Credits

•        Working Tax Credits

•        Housing Benefit for working age.

The report provided details on the revised timescales of the UC national roll-out; that in Sefton, UC Live Service was introduced in Job Centre Plus (JCP) offices for single newly out-of-work people from 30th June 2014 and that this was expanded to couples from 28th July 2014 and rolled out to families from January 2015; that as at March 2017, there were 4,155 UC claims in Sefton, of which 1,124 were claiming council tax reduction (CTR) with the Council; and the work undertaken to implement UC in Sefton relating to the Council’s Benefits Service Back Office, the Council’s One Stop Shops and Personal Budgeting Support by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

The report also provided details on the award by the Council of 208 UC customers with a discretionary housing payment; work undertaken with partners and key stakeholders such as PrivateLandlord Forums and Registered Social Landlords; UC Benefit Service workload for Live Service; and UC Benefit Service operational issues raised with DWP.

The report concluded by detailing that the UC Full Service was due to commence in Sefton Jobcentre Plus offices in October 2017 and that the Full Service would form part of the DWP’s digital solution and that customers would use this solution for claiming and maintaining their UC claim online;  that this would bring about a cultural and behavioural shift for claimants as the transition to monthly payments and direct payment of housing costs required them to be responsible for managing their money and paying their bills; and that the move to UC Full Service also meant that UC was delivered predominately via self-serve using the internet and that some claimants would need help with this.

Members asked questions/raised issues on the following matters:-

·       The resistance by claimants to using the new online service – Based on the age profile of current UC claimants evidence had shown that generally, new and younger claimants were more knowledgeable in making their claims. However, from October 2017 when all claims were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report of the Head of Corporate Resources to follow

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources on the Discretionary Rate Relief for Business Rates following the Revaluation of 2017; that detailed the process of adopting the powers provided by the Government for distributing Business Rates Locally Administered Discretionary Revaluation relief and setting out guidance for the award of relief to organisations that have had a significant increase in their Business Rates liability consequential from the Government’s revaluation effective from 2017; and providing details of other Government announcements regarding discretionary rate relief for Local Newspapers, Public Houses and small businesses (‘Support to Small Business’) encountering a large increase in Business Rates.

The report indicated that the Government determined to revalue Business Rates properties taking effect from 2017 based on 2015 values; that the review was not intended to raise additional revenue, but rather to update rental values for properties and that it was therefore intended to be ‘fiscally neutral’ nationally. However regionally and at an individual taxpayer level the effect varied, such that some Business Rate payers had encountered significant increases and decreases and that a system of transitional relief applied such that the gains and losses to individual taxpayers were limited in any one year and introduced over a five year period; the Government had recently determined that Local Authorities could also make available additional discretionary relief to properties affected by significant increases in their Business Rates via a £300m fund which it had introduced for this purpose and announced as part of the Spring Budget ;and that Sefton’s allocation of the Government funding for discretionary rate relief was expected to be £945,838 spread across the next 4 years.

Attached as Appendix A to the report was the draft guidance in respect of the Locally Administered Discretionary Revaluation Relief scheme that was to be considered by Cabinet on 27 July 2017.

Members asked questions/raised issues on the following matters:-

·       Would there be similar schemes across the Liverpool City Region? – The Government’s broad view on the parameters for applicants was that the formula for grant allocations related solely to increases for those properties with a rateable value of less than £200,000 with an increase of 12.5% or more. There is a requirement to consult major Precepting Authorities(Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner) and the Combined Authority regarding the scheme.

·       Supporting Small Business Relief - It is likely that in the region of 53 businesses are affected in Sefton and we have already contacted them to provide advice about this scheme and will be contacting them again as and when the Government provides more information about the scheme. Should any ratepayer subsequently be successful in challenging their new rateable value, due to a mistake made by the Valuation Office Agency when compiling the rating list, the level of any discretionary rate relief provided by the Council would be adjusted accordingly. 

·       How the Council’s Revenue Service liaised with the Planning and Licensing Services to be advised of changes to properties. There is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance that sought the views of the Committee on the draft Work Programme for 2017/18, the identification of potential topics for scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by a Working Group appointed by the Committee and the identification of any items for pre-scrutiny scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan.

Councillor Bradshaw, Chair of the Committee, referred to the on-going Area Committees Working Group and indicated that following his selection as Mayor, Councillor Robinson was no longer a member of the Working Group. In order to keep the political balance on the Working Group, Councillor Bradshaw suggested the nomination of a Labour Member to serve on the Working Group.  

RESOLVED: That

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance that included the most recent report from the Cabinet Member – Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services.  

Councillor Lappin, Cabinet Member – Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services presented her report and drew attention, in particular, to the following issues:- 

• The continuation of the roll-out of the Pre-paid cards system
• The work of the Council’s Procurement Team
• The work of the Council’s Pay and Grading Team
• Asset disposal
• Councillor Robinson’s selection as Sefton’s Mayor for 2017/18

Councillor Lappin referred particularly to the outstanding work undertaken by the Council’s Electoral Services Team in administering the Liverpool City Region Mayoral election and the snap General Election.

Members of the Committee asked questions on the following topics:-

·       The securing of discretionary discount on surface water drainage charges for schools. 

·       When would the wind turbine on the Eco Centre be fixed and operational? – Jill Coule, Head of Regulation and Compliance indicated that she would provide an answer to this question

·       The commercial acquisition of the Strand shopping centre, Bootle; and when would details of the acquisition be made public? -  Jill Coule, Head of Regulation and Compliance indicated that there was a commitment to produce a public report on this issue but due to the current commercially sensitive nature of the acquisition no specific date could yet be given  

RESOLVED:  That