Agenda item

Note: If any Member seeks further clarity, or wishes to raise issues regarding any future Executive agenda item, please contact Member Services before 5.00pm on Monday 30 April 2018 to ensure that the lead Executive Member(s) and lead officer(s) are aware of this request in advance of the meeting.

(NB. the Panel has already requested that an update be raised at this meeting on the following:

(a)   Transformation Programme (T18) Closedown Report;

O&S.112/17   

The Panel was presented with the most recently published Executive Forward Plan.

In accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, a Member had given the required notice for updates to be considered at this meeting on the following future Executive agenda items: ‘Follaton HQ Review’ and ‘Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2019/20 Onwards’.

(a)   Follaton HQ Review

A local Ward Member expressed his concerns over the newly installed barriers at Follaton House Car Park, Totnes and questioned whether steps were to be taken to enable access to the Follaton Park at weekends.

In response, the Assets Community Of Practice Lead recognised that there was a fine balance between access provision for the public open space and the ability to control the use of the private car park.  Whilst it would be kept under close and regular review, the officer confirmed that the decision had now been taken for the barriers to be left up.  This response was welcomed by the local Ward Member.

(b)   Medium Term Financial Strategy

In setting the context behind the request to consider this matter, the Member highlighted the assurances given by the Leader of Council at the full Council meeting held on 22 February 2018 (Minute 62/17 refers) regarding the proposal to impose a ‘pay on entry’ charge at the Steamer Quay, Totnes.  In particular, the Member highlighted the assurance that was given at this meeting whereby ‘consultation would be undertaken with relevant tenants, stakeholders and local Ward Members’.

By way of an update, it was noted that a meeting had been held between officers, tenants and other affected stakeholders during which various options had been discussed.  Prior to any final decisions being made, it was intended that consultation would then take place with the local Ward Members.

As a general point, the importance of keeping local Ward Members informed was raised by the Panel and it was felt that each of those local Members who would be affected by these charging proposals should also be consulted as part of the decision-making process.

(c)   Transformation Programme (T18) Closedown Report

A report was considered that sought endorsement of the contents of the T18 Transformation Programme Closedown report and the benefits realised from this project.

In discussion, reference was made to:-

(i)     the financial performance of the project being a success, with the final spend being £58,000 less than the Budget of £4.614 million and total annual savings of £2.93 million being realised.  It was noted that the IT technology spend was over budgeted by £40,000 (which represented 6.5% of the Budget of £615,000) and Members were of the view that this element had been disappointing.  However, when considering the size and scale of the Programme, Members endorsed the fact that it had been a financial success and commended officers for achieving this outcome;

(ii)    some of the lessons learned from the project.  In citing the example of allowing the Councils’ IT staffing resources to be reduced at the start of the Programme (prior to the IT systems being in place), a Member felt that this should have received greater prominence and reference in the presented agenda report.  As a consequence, the Panel requested that this be highlighted in the report that was to be presented to the Executive at its meeting on 12 June 2018 alongside the other consequent lessons that had been learned;

(iii)  the ability for staff to work from anywhere.  A Member particularly wished to highlight the success of the agile working aspect of the Programme and felt that the performance and resilience of the Council during the recent inclement weather was testament to this provision;

(iv)  the anticipated IT software cost savings of £47,000 not being realised.  Officers confirmed that this additional cost pressure had been built into the 2018/19 Budget setting proposals.

It was then:

RESOLVED

1.     That the Panel endorse the contents of the T18 Transformation Programme Closedown report and the benefits realised (as set out in Section 8 of the presented agenda report);

2.     That the Panel endorse the fact that the T18 project had been a financial success; and

3.     That, as part of its deliberations at its meeting on 14 June 2018, the Executive give particular consideration to the impact during the transition period and the project lessons to be learned.