Decisions

The Committee resolved with 5 votes for, 2 votes against and the Chair not voting to exclude the Press and Public from the meeting in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended) and that pursuant to paragraph 10 of Part 2 of the said Schedule 12A the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved:

(1)       To agree £160,000 of funding from the Council’s Corporate Project Reserve to fund Surrey Life Long Learning for a period of one year (April 2025-end of March 2026) to operate the Epsom and Ewell Hub as detailed in the report.

(2)       To nominate and authorise the Head of Housing & Community, in consultation with the Chair of Strategy & Resources and Community and Wellbeing Committees to have express authority to take all necessary actions to implement this decision, within the agreed budget, as necessary and appropriate.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to recommend that the Council:

(1)       Agrees the location of the polling places and districts as set out in Appendix 1 for a five-year period from 1st March 2025, or until it is superseded by any subsequent review of any polling place or district; and

(2)       Delegates to the Chief Executive in their capacity as the Council’s Returning Officer, the authority to make any relevant decisions further to any ongoing review or change of polling places during this period, to ensure that polling arrangements in the Borough remain fit for purpose for each election called.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Approve the proposed route to market for the temporary agency staff contract, as set out in paragraph 4.10 of the report.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Approve the sum of up to £385,000 to be spent on the Microsoft Licence renewal to cover March 2025-2028.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Note the changes to the ICT strategy outlined in appendix 1 to the report.

(2)       Agree up to £45,000 of funding from the Corporate Projects Reserve to provide the refresh of the corporate website.

(3)       Note the progress that has been made so far on the ICT roadmap, allowing for the understandable delays that came about as a result of personnel changes in ICT leadership.

(4)       Note that whilst the agreed budget for the ICT Programme of work is still largely on track that there are inflationary and other external pressures that are resulting in cost increases.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Note the urgent decision taken and the reasons for that decision.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved with 6 votes for and 1 abstention to:

(1)       Recommend the 2025/26 service estimates for approval at the budget meeting of Full Council in February 2025;

(2)       Recommend the 2025/26 fees and charges, as set-out in Appendix 1 to the report, for approval at the budget meeting of Full Council in February 2025;

(3)       Agree the Council Tax Discount bands for 2025/26, as set-out in section 7.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved:

(1)       To note the progress and anticipated spend at the end of the current year 2024-25 as shown in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)       To note the additional emergency works raised and carried out in the 2024-25 planned maintenance programme.

(3)       To approve the 2025-26 planned maintenance programme at an estimated cost of £535,000 as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, to be funded from planned maintenance budgets and the Planned Maintenance Reserve.

(4)       To nominate and authorise the Head of Property and Regeneration to make changes within the 2025-26 planned maintenance programme to cover unforeseen matters (such as tender price variances) of up to, but not exceeding £20,000 per change, in accordance with Financial Regulations and Contract Standing Orders.

(5)       To agree to transfer the unspent budgets back to the Planned Maintenance Reserve at the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)       Consider the revised draft compliance and enforcement policy.

(2)       Nominate and Authorise the Head of Housing and Community in consultation with the Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee to make any changes as appropriate following feedback from committee.

(3)       Nominate and Authorise the Head of Housing and Community to carry out a consultation based on the draft, make any consequential amendments and bring the matter back to the committee for final adoption.

Following consideration the Committee resolved with 4 votes for, 2 votes against and 1 abstention to:

(1)       Recommend to full council a pay award for staff for 2025/26 based on Option 1 set out in paragraph 4.2.1 of the report (2%).

The Committee received the Minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committees held on 17 July, 21 August, 21 November, and 4 December 2024.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Receive the Minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Sub-Committees held on 17 July, 21 August, 21 November, and 4 December 2024 and authorise the Chair of the Sub-Committee meeting to sign them as a true record of that meeting.