Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR

Contact: Stuart Robinson (0113) 24 74360  Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

153.

Chair's Opening Remarks

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the additional April meeting of the Scrutiny Board (City Development).

154.

Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

1  To highlight reports or appendices which officers have identified as containing exempt information, and where officers consider that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons outlined in the report.

 

2  To consider whether or not to accept the officers recommendation in respect of the above information.

 

3  If so, to formally pass the following resolution:-

 

  RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information 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 press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information, as follows:

 

  Agenda Item 8 - Implementing Audit Report Recommendations under Access to Information Rules 10.4 (1, 2, 4, 6) and Article 6 Human Rights Act 1998 (Appendix 1 and 2 refers)

Minutes:

It was reported that Agenda Item 8, Implementing Audit Report Recommendations (Appendix 1 and 2 refers) contained information considered to be exempt under Access to Information Rules 10.4 (1,2,4 & 6) and Article 6 Human Rights Act 1998.  Members were asked to consider whether to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion of this information.

 

RESOLVED – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the aforementioned parts of the agenda designated as containing exempt information 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 membres of the press and public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.

 

 

155.

Late Items

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

 

(The special circumstance shall be specified in the minutes.)

Minutes:

The Chair agreed to accept the following documents as supplementary information:-

 

·  Minutes of the meeting held on 5th April 2011 and the Call-In meeting held on 5th April 2011 (Agenda Item 6) (Minute 158  refers)

·  Background information in relation to the closure of East Leeds Leisure Centre and Middleton Pool and Reduced Opening Hours of Garforth Squash and Leisure Centre (Agenda Item 7) (Minute 159 refers)

 

The documents were not available at the time of the agenda despatch, but made available on the Council’s Internet site prior to the Board meeting.

 

156.

Declaration of Interests

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81(3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

157.

Apologies for Absence and Notification of Substitutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors D Atkinson  and S Smith with no substitutes having been offered.

 

 

158.

Minutes of the Previous Meetings

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 5th April 2011 and the Call-In meeting held on 5th April 2011.

 

(Copies to follow)

Minutes:

RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting held on 5th April 2011 and the Call-in meeting held on 5th April 2011 be confirmed as a correct record.

159.

Closure of East Leeds Leisure Centre and Middleton Pool and Reduced Opening Hours of Garforth Squash and Leisure Centre pdf icon PDF 53 KB

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on the closure of East Leeds Leisure Centre and Middleton Pool and Reduced Opening Hours of Garforth Squash and Leisure Centre.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development was re-submitted on the closure of East Leeds Leisure Centre and Middleton Pool and reduced opening hours of Garforth Squash and Leisure Centre. This matter was adjourned at the last meeting

 

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

 

·  Scrutiny of Council Budget Decisions on Leisure Centres – Report of the Chief Recreation Officer

·  Leisure Centres Key Statistics 2010/11 (Appendix A refers)

·  Analysis of Income and Expenditure (Appendix B refers)

·  Bodyline Analysis (Appendix C refers)

 

In addition to the above documents, a copy an update on Garforth, East Leeds, Middleton and Bramley was circulated.

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Board Members’ queries and comments:-

 

Councillor A Ogilvie, Executive Member, Leisure

Martin Farrington, Acting Director of City Development

Richard Mond, Chief Recreation Officer, City Development

David O’Loan, City Development

 

At the request of the Chair, the Chief Recreation Officer presented his report in relation to Scrutiny of Council Budget decisions on Leisure Centres highlighting the main points.

 

The Board then responded to the main points of discussion.

 

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

 

·  Clarification of the discounts and subsidies in comparison to private health clubs

·  Clarification of the process followed under the Sports Facility Strategy – the Vision for Leisure Centres

·  Clarification of the public transport facilities serving the leisure centres

·  The deprivation in the areas where these proposals have been implemented and the negative effect these decisions will have in those communities 

·  The consultation process

·  The concern that all children in Leeds have access to swimming pool facilities

 

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted including the decision by the Executive Board to keep Kippax Leisure Centre and Bramley Baths open but having reduced operating hours at Bramley.

a)  That this Board recommends to the Executive Board: that in future, proposals of this nature should be fully consulted upon before the matter is referred to the Executive Board for determination.

b)  That the Executive Board be advised that this Scrutiny Board opposes

  the reduction in hours at Garforth Squash and Leisure Centre and the 

  proposed Community Asset Transfer (CAT) to the School Partnership

  Trust and the closure of East Leeds Leisure Centre and Middleton

  Pool.

 

(Councillor J Akhtar joined the meeting at 10.10am during discussions of the above item)

 

 

160.

Implementing Audit Report Recommendations pdf icon PDF 62 KB

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on implementing Audit Report Recommendations.

 

(N.B. Appendix 1 and 2 are exempt under 10.4 (1,2,4,6,) and Article 6 Human Rights Act 1998)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report on implementing Audit Recommendations.

 

Prior to discussing the matter, the Board agreed to conduct this item of business in private session.

 

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Board Members’ queries and comments:-

 

Neil Hunter, Head of Internal Audit, Resources

Martin Farrington, Acting Director of City Development

Catherine Blanshard, Chief Libraries, Arts and Heritage Officer, City Development

 

The Chair, on behalf of the Board requested the Head of Internal Audit to give a brief introduction on the following specific issues:-

 

·  An explanation of how whistleblowing worked within the Council

·  An explanation of the work of Internal Audit and the process and procedures it follows

·  How Internal Audit was viewed within the Council

·  Brief resume of the history of this investigation and comments on the report of the Acting Director of City Development on the action and progress taken to implement the recommendations of the Audit Report into these specific whistleblowing allegations

 

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

 

·  Clarification of the procedure following an allegation of whistleblowing and the role of Internal Audit in this regard

·  Clarification of the number of staff employed within Internal Audit

·  Clarification of the process applied for officers to make declarations of interest across the Council and how are they monitored and kept up to date

·  Clarification of what checks were made to ensure officers are declaring interests and where they are registered and who has access to these declarations  

·  Clarification of what mechanisms/safeguards were in place that would identify an officer having an interest when officers were advising Members on issues

·  Clarification as to whether officer declarations were available under Freedom of Information and if not why not

·  Clarification of what the current position was regarding proposals by Government to introduce the same requirements for officer declarations as those of Elected Members which include being accessible by the public

·  The view that the Head of Internal Audit should be required to submit all whistleblowing cases to the Corporate and Governance and Audit Committee and not just those that he regards as having major concerns whilst maintaining the confidentiality of the whistleblower when presenting such information

·  Clarification as to whether officers terms and conditions of employment require them to declare conflicts of interest

·  To suggest  that whistleblowing should be included as part of the newly Elected Members induction training

 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

(b)  That the Head of Internal Audit be requested to submit all whistleblowing cases to the Corporate and Governance and Audit Committee on a regular basis whilst maintaining complete confidentiality of the identity of the whistleblower/s concerned.

(c)  That, the Chief Officer (Human Resources)  prepare a report on the following specific issues for consideration at the Board’s next meeting on 17th May 2011:-

·  the process applied for officers to make declarations of interest across the Council and how are they kept up to date and monitored  ...  view the full minutes text for item 160.

161.

Date and Time of Next Meeting

To note that the next meeting of the Board will be held on Tuesday 17th May 2011 at 10.00 am with a pre meeting for Board Members at 9.30 am.

Minutes:

Tuesday 17th May 2011 at 10.00am (Pre meeting for Board Members at 9.30am)

 

 

(The meeting concluded at 1.05pm)