Agenda and minutes

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

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

There were no formal late items of business to consider. However the Chair agreed to accept the following item as supplementary information:

Draft terms of reference for Scrutiny Inquiry on Employment and Skills (agenda item 8) (Minute 27 refers)

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests declared at the meeting.

However, during consideration of the item entitled Scrutiny Inquiry – Asset Management, Councillor Urry drew the Board’s attention to a family interest in a farmers’ market held on council land (minute 26 refers).

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Davey, with Councillor Urry in attendance as a substitute.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22 July 2014

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 July 2014 be confirmed as a correct record.

To conduct the second session of the Board’s inquiry on asset management

a)  To hold discussions with representatives of the third sector and ward Members

b)  To consider evidence from Adult Social Care and health representatives

c)  To consider evidence from Citizens and Communities

d)  To consider evidence from Asset Management

e)  To comment on the draft Asset Management Plan

The Board conducted the second session of its inquiry on asset management.

In attendance to address the Board and answer Members’ queries were:

-  Councillor Richard Lewis, Executive Member for Transport & Economy

-  Christine Addison, Chief Asset Management and Regeneration Officer

-  Ben Middleton, Head of Asset Management

-  Dale Lynch, Project Manager, Asset Management

-  Councillor Caroline Gruen, Ward Member for Bramley

-  Pat McGeever, Chief Executive, Health for All

-  Steve Hume, Chief Officer Resources & Strategy, Adult Social Care

-  Bryan Machin, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust

-  Lee Hemsworth, Chief Officer Customer Access, Citizens & Communities

The Board noted apologies from Councillor P Grahame, Chair of the Resources and Council Services Board, who was unable to join the Board for this session of the inquiry.

Councillor Caroline Gruen gave an account of the asset management work being undertaken in Bramley, and also related experience from the  Community Asset Transfer of Bramley Baths.

The following issues were raised in discussion:

·  The development of a clear vision by local councillors which would bring together a range of accessible co-located services based at the local shopping centre in Bramley; acknowledgement that a rationalisation of local assets would be required to support this; and ongoing discussions with officers and the centre to bring about achievable solutions.

·  The experience of Community Asset Transfer at Bramley Baths, including pump priming costs; long-term capital requirement; achieving revenue stability through an imaginative and tailored offer to customers; the sharing of experience with others interested in this route; and the future potential of Community Asset Transfers in Leeds.

·  The authority wide review of Community Centres, including issues with  lettings policies, and the position of community owned or managed centres.

·  A suggestion that a 5 year asset plan for each ward would be helpful, and that it should also take account of non-council owned community buildings

·  Acknowledgement that local members must be willing to address the issue of ‘sacred cows’ in reviewing local assets

·  A desire to make the council’s assets work better without losing service delivery capacity

·  The availability of some funding streams to non-council occupiers, for example the Mary Portas funding

Pat McGeever discussed the role of the third sector in relation to current and future asset management issues

The following issues were raised in discussion:

·  The services delivered by Health for All from 5 community premises, largely in south Leeds

·  The good working relationship with asset management

·  Various types of tenure for council property and the implications of different models for third sector organisations and sustainability

·  The role of third sector commissioned services which can pay rent as anchor tenants for premises

·  A preference in some quarters for transfer of the asset management responsibility for a building in return for a peppercorn rent, and the implications of this in relation to the requirement for the council to seek market value for its property

·  The availability of some funding streams to the third sector which the council would not be able to access, including some European  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

To agree the terms of reference for the Board’s inquiry on employment

RESOLVED – That the terms of reference for the Board’s inquiry on employment and skills be approved.

To agree the Board’s work schedule for the remainder of the municipal year

The Board received a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which set out the latest version of the Board’s work schedule. Members noted that a second working group meeting on the Grand Theatre would be required in December.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the work schedule be agreed, subject to the addition of a meeting of the Grand Theatre working group in December;

b)  That a representative of the Health and Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board and a representative of the Children and Families Scrutiny Board be invited to participate in the Board’s forthcoming work in relation to sport and active lifestyles; and

c)  That a representative from the Safer and Stronger Communities Board be invited to participate in the Board’s planned scrutiny of district heating.

Tuesday 21 October 2014 at 1.30pm (pre-meeting for all Board Members at 1.00pm)

Tuesday 21 October at 1.30pm (a pre-meeting will start at 1.00pm for Board members.)

(The meeting finished at 3.40pm)