Agenda item

A.7/17            

The Committee considered a report that presented the draft Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for 2016/17.  The report stated that the purpose of the AGS was to provide evidence of a continuous review of the Council’s internal control and risk management process, to provide assurance as to their effectiveness and to identify actions being taken or planned to address any key weaknesses identified.

In discussion, reference was made to:-

(a)    the procurement process undertaken by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) Ltd.  The Committee was informed that, following the procurement process, KPMG had not been shortlisted to be the Council’s External Auditor from 2018/19 onwards;

(b)    the Council’s Transitional Improvement Board (TIB).  The Case Management Manager (Support Services) updated the Committee on the role, purpose and remit of the TIB.  In particular, the TIB had been focusing its recent efforts on making improvements to processes primarily by virtue of removing existing barriers and blockages to progress in the Development Management; Environmental Health and Waste service areas.  A Member reminded the Committee that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel was due to consider a report that focused on the T18 Payback period and he asked that the officer comment whereby it was not anticipated that Members would be asked to approve any more additional transitional resources funding should be formally recorded;

(c)    capacity issues in the planning enforcement service.  In response to Member concerns, officers advised that an operational decision had been made to increase capacity within the planning enforcement service and that this would be funded through a reallocation of existing resources.  In addition, the Committee noted that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel had requested that it receive an update report on the service at its meeting on 27 July 2017.  Members welcomed this response and took reassurance that this was an example of how officers were now shaping the Future Operating Model to fit the organisation.

Before the AGS was approved, the Committee did request that reference be added to the Council decision on 25 February 2016 (Minute 65/15 refers) to increase resources in the Planning Enforcement service;

(d)    the proposed Commercial Property Investment Strategy.  In light of the Executive Forward Plan indicating that the draft Strategy would be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 20 July 2017, a Member expressed his deep reservations.  Before a final decision was taken in this regard, the Member emphasised the importance of all Members being wholly satisfied that appropriate controls and exit strategies were in place.  In reply, officers acknowledged these concerns and gave an assurance that these points would all be covered in the published Executive report.  Nonetheless, the Committee requested that it consider the risk and governance aspects of the Executive report at its next meeting on 20 July 2017 to ensure that it was satisfied with these aspects prior to a decision ultimately being taken at the Special Council meeting on 27 July 2017;

(e)    theDevonwide Business Rates Pool.  Since the significant business rates appeal had been settled in March 2017, Members were informed that a report would be presented to Members in due course that would recommend that the Council be reinstated into the Devonwide Pool.

            It was then:

RESOLVED

1.      That the processes adopted for the production of the 2016/17 Annual Governance Statement be endorsed;

2.      That the adequacy and effectiveness of the system of Internal Audit be endorsed;

3.      That the draft Annual Governance Statement for 2016/17 and the supporting evidence (as outlined in the presented agenda report) be approved and signed off by the Leader of Council and the Executive Director (Strategy and Commissioning), subject to reference being added to the Council decision on 25 February 2016 to increase resources in the planning enforcement service; and

4.      That the Committee be presented with the risk and governance aspects of the Community Property Investment Strategy report at its next meeting on 20 July 2017.