To elect the Panel Chairman and Vice Chairman.

Resolved unanimously: that Cllr Quick be appointed as Chairman for the municipal year and Cllr Bowden be appointed as Vice-Chairman for the duration of the meeting.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received by Cllr McWilliams, Cllr Mills, Cllr Pryer, Kevin McDaniel, Hilary Hall and Anne Pfeiffer.  Cllr Story attended as a substitute.  

To receive any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest received.

Panel members were advised that being a school governor was not a pecuniary interest in relation to the agenda items.

To consider the Part I minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2017.

The Part I minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2017 were approved as a true and correct record.

Cllr E Wilson asked if the national ranking chart in relation to the attainment gap had been circulated to all Members as requested.  It was noted that the chart had not yet been sent and would be circulated.

Cllr E Wilson mentioned that the confirmation of funding for the Holyport College safe routes had not been circulated to Panel members. It was confirmed that the funds had come from Community Interest Levey.

Cllr Jones asked if trend analysis for agency staff pressure could be circulated.  It was agreed that this could be an agenda item on a future meeting.

To comment on the Cabinet report.

The Managing Director apologised that the two reports under consideration were marked as To Follow.  The Financial Update report had required additional work due to a range of mitigating actions being investigated to address overspends.  The Schools Capital Programme report had a number of issued that had to be resolved before the report could be published.

The Chairman requested that when a report was To Follow if possible could substantive elements be circulated to the Panel with the full report being circulated when available. 

Cllr Jones requested that when reports were To Follow could the reasons be noted. 

Cllr Jones also mentioned that the level of To Follow reports was not decreasing and it was agreed that Cllr Jones and the Managing Director would discuss if this was the case.

The Panel received a presentation on the latest Financial Update Cabinet report.  The Panel were informed that there was a £828,000 projected overspend on

the General Fund due to net overspends being forecast in service budgets.

There was a £153,000 pressure in the Communities Directorate that would be mitigated by over-achievement of income from parking fees and registrars charges.  The contract for AFC had also overspent by £1,316,000.

There is a range of pressures in Children’s Services for non DSG:

·         Home to school transport £226,000

·         Placements for young people £602,000

·         Legal costs £162,000

·         Agency costs £326,000

The Chairman mentioned that there had been an increase to the home to school transport budget but there was still a projected overspend.  Cllr N Airey informed that officers had reviewed  contracts for suitability and looked at policies for more independent travel.  The September intake will impact on future budget.

Cllr Story asked about the agency overspend and was informed that seven social workers would soon be completing their qualification training as a result of the decision to invest in the Frontline training programme. This team of newly qualified social workers will replace seven agency workers. A further eight students are enrolled for the next Frontline cohort, building the pipeline for the future.  AFC also used Frontline so this should help with future recruitment. 

The Chairman mentioned that this was an excellent was to recruit enthusiastic young people and asked if their was an obligation for them to stay once qualified.  The Panel were informed that there was no obligation for them to stay but benefits such as the POD system and being able to be put on correct pay scales due to the experience already gained would help. 

Cllr Jones mentioned that with regards to placement pressures then the Government should indicate the impact of new legislation.  In response the Panel were informed that the Government would say that it was a local issue.  The pressure arose as it was not known how many parents wished their children to go back into education when the SEND reforms were introduced. 

Cllr Bowden mentioned that at the Crime and Disorder O&S Panel Members were informed that the increase in parking income would be spent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To comment on the Cabinet report.

The Panel considered the Cabinet report relating to an update to the schools capital programme.

The Panel were informed that in July 2016, Cabinet approved a growth in the capital budget for secondary school places for expansions at six.  This programme was designed to meet the demand arising from the population growth currently passing through the primary school system.

This report set out the detail of the tender returns for two of the schemes, at Charters academy and Cox Green academy.  The report also sought approval to accept the tender for a section 106 funded scheme which will provide a total of 30 new places at Newlands Girls academy.

The report also outlined the planned schools maintenance programme that had been prioritised by need.  The funds for this came from a decreasing government grant that was ring fenced.  The Council decision not to provide additional funding for the expansion of Lowbrook Academy had resulted in the release of committed capital and the report requested Cabinet to redirect some of that funding to cover a shortfall in the budget for school maintenance schemes. 

Cllr Jones questioned if the schemes in table 7, proposed maintenance programme, had been fully costed and was informed that the schemes had been reviewed and costed.  Cllr Jones requested that officers meet with her to go over the costings and where the funds were coming from.

Cllr Story questioned why there was such as variance between costs per place, as shown in table 9.  The Panel were informed that costs varied depending on the type of expansion work being undertaken, for example it would be cheaper to construct a lean to extension to an existing building then undertaking certain internal re-configuration of a school.  The would also be other variances depending on each schools needs and building equipment needed for specific sites, for example Newlands was a restricted site.  It was confirmed that value for money was taken into account when deciding to undertake an expansion programme.

Cllr N Airey and Mr P Louden explained that Cox Green’s expansion required significant infrastructure work and was a very compact site hence its cost per place was higher then some of the other schemes.

Cllr E Wilson mentioned that Holyport College cost £10k per place yet schemes on the list were well over £20k per place and although in response to questions at this meeting it had been explained he felt that residents would question the increased costs.  He questioned if the was a limit to cost per place that we would say no to, why were we spending so much when there were places at other schools and what was the national average cost per place.  In response the Panel were informed that the national average would be added to the Cabinet report, that it had been explained why there were variances in costs and that we had to consider parental choice when looking at school expansion.  The expansion programme assumed that schools would be full by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider passing the following resolution:-

“That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the

public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion

takes place on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of

exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1- 7 of part I of Schedule

12A of the Act"

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local

Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting whilst discussion takes place on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1-7 of part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To approve the Part II minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2017.

To note the Part II appendix.