Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bradshaw and McNabb and Councillor Howard, Cabinet Member – Corporate Services.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2025

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2025 be confirmed as a correct record. 

Report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director - Highways and Public Protection that updated on local air quality management activities and improvement actions underway in Sefton during 2024.

The report indicated that the Environment Act 1995 (the Act) placed a statutory duty on all Local Authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas and produce a yearly Air Quality Annual Status Report (ASR) and implement actions/interventions to improve air quality where poor air quality existed; that evidence had shown that certain atmospheric pollutants were linked to poor health; that the Air Quality Regulations made under the Act specified the pollutants that must be considered against set standards and objectives, referred to as National Air Quality Standard (NAQS) Objectives; and Table 1 in the report detailed the 2 pollutants that were of concern in Sefton, namely Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter PM₁₀.

The report also detailed that where monitoring/modelling showed an exceedance of the NAQS, an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) must be declared by the Local Authority; that through air pollution monitoring and modelling four localised areas in South Sefton had been identified where levels of Nitrogen Dioxide had exceeded or were close to the annual average limit of 40 µg/m³; and that AQMA’s had been declared in the four locations at:

• Princess Way, Seaforth
• Millers Bridge, Bootle
• Crosby Road North/South Road, Waterloo
• Hawthorne Road/Church Road junction, Litherland

The report also indicated that to provide accurate data on pollution levels in Sefton and as part of ongoing duties, officers continued to undertake extensive air pollution monitoring using both DEFRA approved real time automatic monitoring systems and diffusion tubes which provided average annual levels; and that Sefton operated one of the largest monitoring networks in the City Region with officers consistently reviewing monitoring locations and activities to ensure the air quality situation in the borough was effectively captured.

The report also provided information on:

·       Results of particulate matter and NO2 monitoring

·       A summary of monitoring results in 2024

·       Actions to improve air quality which included School Streets air quality monitoring, engagement with HGV fleet operators, SCOOT (Split Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique) Validation and Strategy Development Project, Millers Bridge Study – PhD Student Sponsorship, Emissions Enforcement - Joint  Sefton/DVSA emissions monitoring enforcement project and the Clean Air Plan / Air Quality Action Plan

The report concluded that air quality in the majority of Sefton was within NAQS, but that the main on-going priority in Sefton for the coming years was to fully understand the effects that the predicted increase in HGVs due to port expansion would have on air quality and how this could be mitigated, and that efforts would be focussed on bringing forward air quality improvements in the AQMAs to ensure appropriate targeted measures were developed to tackle this problem.

The Committee also received a presentation from Greg Martin, Environmental Health and Licensing Service Manager on local air quality management activities/actions in Sefton during 2024. The presentation provided information on:

·       Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

Report of the Assistant Director - Strategic Support

RESOLVED:

That consideration of this matter be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee to be held on 10 June 2025.

Report of the Executive Director - Corporate Services and Commercial

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Services and Commercial that provided information on the levels of discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness absence within the Council (excluding schools).

The report indicated that the management of the workforce was an important activity to ensure outcomes for Sefton’s communities were achieved and to ensure that the workforce was appropriately managed and motivated. Specific information was provided on:

• Disciplinary, Grievance and Dignity at Work – The organisation enjoyed a comparatively good level of cases and this reflected on the whole, both the good overall industrial relations environment, the partnership approach that was undertaken and also the work undertaken within departments. HR had a business partner model that was industry best practice and HR worked across departmental management teams to facilitate this partnership working. The Council had clear and agreed processes in place for consistency across the Council

·       Suspensions - In the period August 2024 to January 2025, 7 employees were suspended from duty within central Service Areas (excluding schools)

• Disciplinaries - During the period August 2024 – January 2025, there had been 14 disciplinary investigations
• Grievances - During the period August 2024 – January 2025, there had been 3 Grievances
• Dignity at work - During the period August 2024 – January 2025, there had been 3 dignity at work complaints
• Statistical data for Q1and Q2 2024/2025 (01.04.24 – 30.06.24 and 01.07.24 - 30.09.24). The information detailed ‘Short Term’, ’Long Term’ and ‘All Absence’ data along with previous year’s figures for comparison purposes
• Occupational Health referrals - Excluding schools, the reasons for referral to occupational health during Quarter 1 and 2 of 2024/25 were detailed
• Initiatives undertaken by the Council which included the Strategic Leadership Board continuing to monitor and encourage the reduction of levels of both short and long-term absence; the Occupational Health Unit providing Counselling and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) on a face-to-face basis. In addition, a specific type of CBT known as Eye Movement Desensitisation, was also available if declared appropriate by the OH physicians. Telephone and video call appointments could be arranged if that was the preferred method for individual; and physiotherapy appointments being arranged through the OH Unit as were pension assessments for ill health, ill health pension appeals and deferred pension cases
• Managing Absence - the Council’s Sickness Absence Policy which operated in a partnership with trade unions; and both the trade unions and management recognised the need for correct management of sickness absence to provide appropriate support to lessen the demands on employees who remained at work.

• Managing Absence  he Council’s Sickness Absence Policy which operated in a partnership with trade unions; and both the trade unions and management recognised the need for correct management of sickness absence to provide appropriate support to lessen the demands on employees who remained at work.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

• The number of employees with long-term disabilities
• How employees are supported into different roles from their current position
• The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Report of the Executive Director – Corporate Services and Commercial

Further to Minute No. 101of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 6 February 2025 the Committee considered the report of the Executive Director - Corporate Services and Commercial that advised of:

The Capital Programme 2024/25 to 2026/27 and the Corporate Risk Register – December 2024 were attached as appendices to the report.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       the yearly on-going problem with the Children’s Social Care budget due to the increasing demand for services

·       higher than average sickness levels in the Children’s Social Care service

·       the use of Reserves to support the additional in-year budget pressure and reduce the call on the Council’s General Balances; and how, and by what timeframe, the Council’s reserves would be increased to approximately £30m

·       the possibility of having a breakdown by Sefton area of the Disabled Facilities Grants spend of £3,500,000

·       information was sought on whether the Forecast Year-End Deficit (variance to November) of £3.523m as detailed in paragraph 2.3 of the report was included in the budget papers considered by Council on 27 February 2025

·       multi-year local government settlements were to be welcomed

·       it was acknowledged that all local authorities were experiencing budgetary issues associated with adult and children’s social care services

·       the impact of the work of the Commissioner appointed to oversee children’s social care

RESOLVED:

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that sought the views of the Committee on the Work Programme for 2024/25; sought approval of the deferral of a number of items to the next meeting; the identification of potential topics for scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by informal meetings of the Committee; the identification of any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan; and updated on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

A Member of the Committee commented that devolution issues associated with the Liverpool City Region could be a potential topic for review but that a decision would have to be taken when clear proposals were set out.

RESOLVED: That

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that included the most recent report from the Cabinet Member – Corporate Services.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       Details were sought on the Council Tax Sole Occupier Discount review in relation to how information was disseminated to residents regarding their eligibility for the discount; how vulnerable residents such as those in certain age groups or with disabilities were approached; and assurances were sought that residents could still query and resolve their right to the discount following the deadline for responses to the Council’s software provider NEC

·       The HMRC visit to Sefton to discuss National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage compliance and the financial impact this would have on Sefton

RESOLVED:

That the update report from the Cabinet Member – Corporate Services be noted.