Agenda item

Pre-decision Scrutiny ahead of full Council.

Cabinet Member Rachel Garrick and Peter Davies introduced the report and answered the members’ questionswith Nicholas Keyse. 

Key questions from members: 

·        What are the particular areas for concern that the council needs to concentrate on? 

·        There is a very large, empty car park at Severn Tunnel Junction, predicated on improvements and developments. If those are severely delayed or don’t happen, what financial risk would the council be exposed to?– ACTION (written response from officers) 

·        How are we scoping the reutilisation of our building assets to assist us in developing more authority provision for social care, particularly Children’s Services? 

·        How well-resourced and capable is the department to acquire assets if independent providers exit the market? 

·        P21, under the objective to utilise community assets to optimise social value, the strategy says, ‘Work to ensure equalities and accessibility are fully considered in development of service area asset plan’ – is the word ‘considered’ not too weak? Should this particular behaviourbe further up in the list? 

·        Can we see Changing Places provision in every town? 

·        Have we got any horticulture farms in the 24 farm holdings? Do applicants score higher if they are pushing forward more sustainable and environmentally friendly farming ideas? 

·        We aren’t getting a 2% return on Newport Leisure Park – how do we propose getting there? 

·        There are concerns about risk from the reduction in capital maintenance programmes and a potential inconsistency in our approach. With the recent situation at Innovation House as an example, are we only looking at plastering going forward, due to budgetary restraints? 

·        With vacant properties, is the agent fully aware of what we want for the future? We need to have an approach where we can be easily approachable for incoming tenants. 

·        Is it appropriate thatFig. 15 is included in this report? 

·        Is there a list of all registered assets that is accessible to residents? 

·        There are two Fig 1.s in the report – the numbers should be rearranged – and initials used throughout the report need to be explained– ACTION (Councillor Bond to send list of suggested corrections to officers) 

·        Newport Leisure Park is stated as on the border – is it not wholly in Newport, and this therefore needs to be changed? 

·        Are you subject to recruitment freezes currently, and are there skills gaps in relation to recruitment for areas that you have concerns about? 

·        Is the Cabinet Member happy with departmental capacity at this time? 

·        The report is strong on what we’ve done but there isn’t much information on what the strategy will be for the assets going forward? 

·        Would the Council be in a better position divesting into a joint venture with a retail expert and using liquidated capital for other purposes? 

·        Would it be more useful for residents to have the developmentsgrouped around our individual market towns? 

·        The strategy for Community Asset Transfers still seems unclear?  

·        Is deciding strategy on a case-by-case basis by definition not a strategy? 

Chair’s Summary: 

Thank you to the Cabinet Member and officers. The recommendations and report are moved.