Decisions

In accordance with the Procurement Rules 2016, authorisation is sought to award a contract to appoint Systra in the sum of £71,975 plus VAT to undertake a Sustainable Transport Corridor Study. This follows on from a tendering process for the project, advertised on contracts finder and using the list of consultants on the multidisciplinary panel of the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency) framework.  The contract value falls within Contract Category 2 contained within Appendix 1 of the Council’s Procurement Rules.

That Councillor S. Kane be appointed (as Safer, Greener and Transport Portfolio Holder) as the Council’s representative on the following external organisations for the remainder of the 2017/18 municipal year:

·                Civil Enforcement of Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London  - Adjudication Joint Committee;

·                Epping Forest District Community Safety Partnership;

·                Epping Forest District Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) - Safer Communities Partnership;

·                Essex Waste Partnership - Inter-Authority Member Working Group (Deputy);

·                Harlow-Stansted Gateway Transportation Board; and

·                North Essex Parking Partnership.

That the requirements of the Council’s Procure Rules, paragraph 2.9 that three written quotes for contract category 2 contracts (between £50,000 to £250,000) be obtained, be waived to allow :-

1. Continuing the employment of two current planning officer agency staff, one until the end of December 2017 and the other until the end of March 2018, covering maternity leave and a vacancy in Development Control planning application team.
2. Continue the employment of a current enforcement agency staff, covering an enforcement officer sickness absence, until the end of October 2017,
3. Employ a Local Land Charge agency officer to cover sickness absence, until the end of December 2017.              

Financial Issues Paper

(1)        That the establishment of a new budgetary framework, outlining the budget guidelines for 2018/19 be set, with the following elements:

(a)        the ceiling for Continuing Services Budget net expenditure to be no more than £12.92million including net growth;

(b)        the ceiling for District Development Fund expenditure to be no more than £929,000;

(c)        balances to continue to be aligned with the Council’s net budget requirement and be allowed to fall no lower than 25% of the net budget requirement; and

(d)        the District Council Tax not be increased with the charge for a Band ‘D’ property remaining at £148.77 per annum;

(2)        That a revised Medium Term Financial Strategy for the period to 2020/21 be developed accordingly;

(3)        That communication of the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy to staff, partners and other stakeholders be undertaken; and

(4)        That the reductions in the Parish Support Grants in equal stages to achieve complete removal by 2019/20 be continued; and

Corporate Plan 2018-23

(5)        That the revised Corporate Plan for the period 2018-23 be recommended to the Council for approval.

(1)        That the minutes from the meeting of the Asset Management & Economic Development Cabinet Committee, held on 6 July 2017, be noted.

(1)        That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £31,000 for 2018/19 be made to convert the existing temporary Contracts Paralegal post to a permanent Contracts Officer post, effective from 1 April 2018, at Grade 6 subject to job evaluation; and

(2)        That the transfer of certain practice management duties from the Senior Lawyer to the Senior Legal Officer and Contracts Officer, effective from 1 April 2018, be noted.

To approve the proposed changes in staffing levels with Development Management.

(1)        That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid in the sum of £25,820 be made for 2018/19 for the establishment of a new post of Compliance Officer commencing on 1 April 2018;

(2)        That a revenue supplementary estimate in the sum of £109,760 be recommended to the Council for approval to convert the existing temporary posts of Technical Officer (Validations), Technical Officer (Systems) and two Assistant Planning Officers to permanent posts, effective from 1 October 2017; and

(3)        That District Development Funding in the sum of £40,720 be re-allocated for the temporary Local Land Charges Officer post, Grade 5 on a fixed term basis for 18 months, and the Clerical Officer post, Grade 2 on a fixed term basis for 12 months.

(1)        That a lease, under the proposed general terms outlined within the report, be entered into with the National Police Air Service for an operational base at North Weald Airfield; and

(2)        That agreement of the final detailed terms of the lease be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Asset Management & Economic Development, in consultation with the Director of Neighbourhoods.

To monitor the progress of the Transformation Programme, including the definition of the People Strategy.

To monitor the progress of the Transformation Programme.

(1)        That the progress of Projects and Programmes within the Transformation Programme for June & July 2017, alongside the planned actions for August 2017, be noted;

(2)        That the definition of the People Strategy Programme be noted and the initiation of the projects within the Programme be agreed;

(3)        That, in order to fund the external support for the production of the Council’s new Common Operating Model, an allocation of £25,000 from the Transformation Programme Prototype Fund be agreed; and

(4)        That the progress of the Customer Service Programme be noted.

To agree the arrangements for the location of Housing Repairs at the Oakwood Hill Depot.

(1)        That the Housing Repairs Service and the Housing Assets Team be relocated to the Oakwood Hill Depot, Loughton to co-locate with the existing Fleet Operations and Grounds Maintenance Services at an estimated cost of the works (excluding fees) of £755,000 funded from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA);

(2)        That the Capital costs of the relocation be funded from the existing budget allocation of £3.2million for the provision of the Repairs and Maintenance Hub;

(3)        That, once assessed by Price Waterhouse Coopers as part of the Stage 2 Accommodation Review, the fit-out costs of the open plan area, based on an agile working environment, be also funded from the existing capital budget provision;

(4)        That the remaining existing capital budget provision be deleted from the Capital Programme to realise a capital saving;

(5)        That a separate report be considered by the Housing Portfolio Holder on the appointment of a multi-discipline Consultancy Service to oversee the detailed design, procurement process and contract management, with any fees being funded from the existing capital provision;

(6)        That the Council’s Country Care Service and the Nursery Service no longer be relocated to the Oakwood Hill Depot as previously planned and that an alternative venue be sought elsewhere in the District for these services;

(7)        That a planning application be submitted for the required off-site parking for staff and visitors at the Oakwood Hill Depot during working hours;

(8)        That the off-site parking be made available to residents of the Oakwood Hill Estate and visitors to the Roding Valley Nature Reserve free of charge outside office hours; and

(9)        That a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet by the Director of Neighbourhoods on the most appropriate future use for the Council’s land at Blenheim Way in North Weald.