Wirral Council’s Cabinet meeting of the 20th December 2012 Part 1: Trade Unions Protest Over Budget Cuts Proposals, Joe Taylor (UNISON) criticises cuts proposals
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Prior to the Cabinet (which was rearranged from Committee Room 1 to the Civic Hall) there was a union protest outside the Town Hall and many of the hundreds of people stayed on for the meeting itself which lasted about an hour. When the Cabinet Members arrived they were booed.
No Cabinet Members declared any interests. The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed and Cllr Phil Davies asked the Interim Chief Executive Graham Burgess to talk about the proposals on the Council’s Budget from 2013 to 2016. Graham Burgess spoke for about five minutes about the issues.
Joe Taylor (the branch secretary of the local Wirral UNISON branch) then was asked to speak to the meeting. Before Mr. Taylor had even sat down, he received loud applause as well as whistling and cheering which continued even after he sat down. He started off by thanking Cllr Phil Davies for the opportunity to make a number of points. He said he would try to keep within the five minutes but not to hold him to that (he actually ended up speaking for eleven minutes).
He said after the Cabinet meeting of the 8th November the Labour Group had agreed to extend the consultation on the terms and conditions [of employment] which was welcomed, however he made it clear that UNISON was against any reduction in pay as a result of changed terms and conditions. He said it had been rumoured that the unions had agreed some savings, but that no savings had been agreed between the trade unions and Wirral Council.
Mr. Taylor said that during the ninety day consultation period they would work with the Authority [Wirral Council] to find alternatives. He said that they also welcomed the extension of the consultation on the voluntary redundancy scheme. He said that if Wirral Council did go for compulsory redundancies that UNISON and UNITE would ballot their members.
Joe Taylor then referred to the proposed senior management restructure and the budget consultation. He said they’d asked a national union officer to come down from London on the 16th January 2013 to go through the books so that the unions could come up with alternatives.
He said there should be no compulsory redundancies, but he said that the officer’s proposed savings “devastate services to the people of the Wirral”. Joe Taylor then said that the service losses would lead to job losses, that he didn’t want services to be slashed and asked the Labour Group to work with the trade unions and get something “viable for this Authority”. He told the Labour councillors “don’t smash the communities and the people who voted you in”.
The next items Mr. Taylor referred to were the special Scrutiny Committee meetings specifically the Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting [of the 5th December]. He said, “I was appalled, I was appalled and I was alarmed. I was alarmed on the basis that the person who came forward couldn’t quote some of the factual information that affects our members”, he went on to give three examples. The first job referred was a part-time receptionist which he claimed would lose out on £3,163 if the new terms and conditions were agreed which he said would equate to a 34% loss of pay. This prompted heckling from the audience.
The next job he referred to was an Emergency Duty Team Social Worker on £40,234, who would lose out on £8,098 if the revised terms and conditions were agreed followed by a part-time cleaner on £6,256 who he claimed would lose out on £4,175 under the revised terms and conditions. He said that those were the real facts that should be quoted and scrutinised by councillors and asked councillors to “delve into the detail”.
He said that if the revised terms and conditions were accepted that it would equate to a pay cut over the next three years. He next referred to the statement that changes to the essential car allowance in other authorities had caused a short disruption. He said, “If that’s the type of consultation that you study other authorities about car allowances and how much the disruption will be for the Authority, I can tell you now, we met with our Members, we’ve had six general meetings around the Borough and they were packed to the rafters. Packed to the rafters and they were quite clearly telling us they won’t use their cars. Social workers were saying they won’t use their cars.”
Cabinet (Wirral Council) recommendations on replacement to Council Tax Benefit and Neighbourhood Forum funding
There were two extra recommendations moved at the Cabinet meeting of the 29th November 2012, the first was on the replacement scheme for Council Tax Benefit (agenda item 3).
Additional recommendation:
Cabinet is appalled at the government’s decision to transfer responsibility for helping people on low incomes to pay their Council Tax to local authorities but to cut the funding for this by 10 per cent, resulting in a shortfall for Wirral of £3.5 million.
Councils like Wirral have been placed in the awful position of being forced to choose between reducing support to some of the poorest people in the Borough or removing funding from other Council services.
The government’s transitional grant scheme will not help Wirral as it will leave a shortfall of £1.4 million which will have to be found by cuts elsewhere.
Cabinet believes that this policy makes a mockery of Localism. If government is not prepared to transfer both powers and adequate funding to Councils then genuine devolution will never be achieved.
Cabinet calls on the government to rethink this ill-judged policy as a matter of urgency.
The second recommendation (agenda item 6) was to release of some of the frozen Neighbourhood Forum funding.
NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM FUNDING
Cabinet notes, that due to the potential £13.2 million in year overspend faced by this Council caused in the main by unprecedented cuts in grants from the Coalition Government, all non essential spending has been frozen.
Cabinet has already released £220,000 of funding for local road safety initiatives following a successful bid to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
In spite of continuing budget pressures, given clear local need, Cabinet agrees to the immediate release of £330,000 for Area Forums (£30,000 per Forum) for the support of local Community and Voluntary Group projects.
Given the urgency of allocating this resource, Cabinet instructs Officers to meet with Local Ward Members to consider bids that have been submitted, and make recommendations on how this funding should be allocated. Whilst these recommendations are a matter for Ward Members, Cabinet urges Members to consider prioritising bids that seek to assist the most vulnerable and to support community groups who are most in need.
Cabinet also notes that the Chief Executive is currently consulting with residents and staff regarding the future of Area Forum funding and requests that funding for future years be considered in the light of the consultation findings.
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Cllr Phil Davies (Chair)
Cllr Adrian Jones
Cllr Harry Smith
Cllr Tony Smith
Cllr Ann McLachlan
Cllr George Davies
Cllr Brian Kenny
Cllr Pat Hackett
Cllr Chris Meaden
The Annual Governance Report for Merseyside Pension Fund was already agreed as part of item 6. However it was agreed again and Cllr Phil Davies thanked David Armstrong.
Cllr Phil Davies referred to the revised supplementary report on this agenda item. This supplementary report replaced the original agenda item.
Peter Timmins said that the projected overspend had risen from £14.4 million in month 4 to £15.3 million in month 5. He said that this was in part due to a shortfall in projected Technical Services income. He referred to the freeze of the 6th September 2012 and said that the process was explicit and transparent as outlined in appendix 8 (which was available to the public). He referred to the recommendation at 12.2 that just over £1 million (£1,071,638) be agreed as Rejected and returned to balances.
Cllr Phil Davies made a number of comments on the report. He offered to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and said he was happy to do this on a cross-party basis with agreement of the other two political parties. He made the recommendation (below) and asked for a seconder. The recommendation was seconded. He asked for any other comments on the report (there were no other comments). The recommendation was agreed.
The Cabinet is asked to agree
a) the rejected freeze items, set out at Appendix 8, in the columns “Rejected”, totalling £1,071,638, as evidenced at para 2.20.
For reference these rejected items are below:-
Week 1 & Week 2 Revenue Freeze (Executive Team) September 2012
Dept
Ref
Project Title
Requested
£
Agreed
£
Suspend
£
Reject
£
Reason for Recommendation
CEX
16
Marketing for Libraries Campaign – Annual Bookfest
1,000
1,000
Undertake campaign by ‘e’, rather than printed.
CEX
18
Marketing for Sport and Recreation Mini Tennis Campaign
1,500
1,500
Undertake campaign by ‘e’, rather than printed.
TEC
22
Replacement Play Area, Central Park, Park Primary School
72,000
72,000
Delay redevelopment until 2013-14
TEC
26
Drainage Improvement Works Higher Bebington Recreation
Ground
50,000
50,000
Delay redevelopment until 2013-14
TEC
27
Drainage Works Municipal Golf Courses, Arrowe Park and
Brackenwood
145,000
145,000
Delay redevelopment until 2013-14
TEC
28
Parks Improvement Works, infrastructure, signage, access and
planting
112,000
112,000
Delay redevelopment until 2013-14
TEC
29
Sites of Special Scientific Interest Higher Level Stewardship
Agreements
11,514
11,514
Accept risk of lower standards in the short term; delay until
2013-14
TEC
33
Parks – General Repairs
76,500
76,500
Accept risk of lower standards in the short term; delay until
2013-14
CORP
34
Local Pay Award £250; check amount (poss £1m)
600,000
600,000
Replace with minimum wage commitment
DASS
36
Your Future Your Choice – flyer for Learning Disabilities event
Cllr Phil Davies asked Peter Timmins to respond to the Capital Monitoring Report. The Capital Monitoring Report in the Supplementary Agenda replaced the one originally published.
Peter Timmins referred to “key points” on the Capital Monitoring Report and how the Capital changes would save £32,610 from the Revenue Budget next year. He referred to the recommendations.
Cllr Phil Davies talked about the Capital Budget.
Graham Burgess, Interim Chief Executive, said he was happy this morning about something released from the freeze. Quite what was released from the freeze though was impossible to hear due to the twin combination of Graham’s microphone being too far away and Graham speaking down into his papers.
Cllr Phil Davies asked if the recommendations (at 12.1 and 12.2) could be agreed? The recommendations (below were agreed).
12.1 That Cabinet is asked to: a) Agree the Period 4 net decrease of £1.789 million to the latest 2012-13 Capital Programme (Appendix 1), b) Agree the revised Capital Programme of £74.473m; c) Note the spend to date at month 5 of £12m, which represents 16.1% of the revised capital budget, with 42% of the financial year having elapsed; d) Note the £48.8m of new unsupported borrowing included over the next three years, which will result in approximately a £4.9m additional revenue costs; e) Note the work to detail the schedule of sites to validate the estimate of capital receipts. f) Note that a future report will include proposals to cease or reduce schemes arising from a review of the current capital programme
12.2 Cabinet is also asked to agree a) the rejected freeze items set out in Appendix 2 in the columns ‘rejected’ totalling £1,449,600 as evidenced in paragraph 2.16.
Dept
Ref
Project Title
Requested
£
Agreed
£
Suspend
£
Reject
£
Reason for Recommendation
TEC
12
Tennis Courts and other parks
infrastructure – general repairs
76,500
76,500
Ignore, in Revenue
submission (20/9/12)
TEC
15
Bridges Capital Programme – Multiple Projects
249,600
249,600
Uncommitted sum to be
slipped to next year; remainder of £2.063m budget committed (27/9/12)
The changes to the bank signatories were agreed with one amendment. Cllr Phil Davies’s amendment was as follows and all related to Ian E Coleman:-
a) remove Ian E Coleman as signatory on the National Westminster and Santander accounts,
b) remove Ian E Coleman as signatory on the Royal Bank of Scotland, State Street and Northern Trust accounts,
and
c) remove Ian E Coleman as approval on Lloyds TSB accounts (Council and Merseyside Pension Fund accounts)
This was because Ian E Coleman was according to Cllr Phil Davies “no longer with us”. The bank signatories (as amended) outlined in 12.1, 12.2 and 12.2 were agreed.
Cllr Phil Davies pointed out that this was a referral from the Audit and Risk Management Committee. Surjit Tour gave an update on how the provisions in the Protection of Freedoms Act 2011 c.9 would lead to changes in how Wirral Council dealt with applications in the future. He referred to the inspection on the 8th June 2012, under age sales of tobacco and alcohol, antisocial behaviour and how a number of improvements were required. He said there would be training.
Cllr Adrian Jones said they had to support the recommendations, but he drew attention to the risks of persistent antisocial behaviour, which he thought would go unpunished. He also raised concerns about malicious complaints going undetected and although he supported the principle he hoped they were not throwing “the baby out with the bath water”. He said a large element appeared to be low level crime and pointed out that police numbers were falling. He said he supported the recommendation with misgivings.
Cllr Phil Davies said they they all knew from their surveys and surgeries that antisocial behaviour was often the number one issue and that residents brought up the issue of social blight.
Cllr Adrian Jones asked that that particular element be recorded in the minutes.
Cllr Phil Davies asked if the recommendations were approved (see below).
13.1 Cabinet is requested to:
(1) Note the success of Wirral Council Officers and other partners in securing Local Sustainable Transport Major Bid Funding;
(2) Approve the acceptance of £3,215,116 of Major Bid funding from Merseytravel over the three financial years 2012/13 to 2014/15 of which £1,149,049 is revenue funding, £2,026,550 is capital funding and £39,517 for maintenance;
(3) Authorise the Interim Director of Technical Services in conjunction with the Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management to finalise the funding agreement between Wirral Council and Merseytravel (ITA) as the lead authority and accountable body.
(4) Approve the delivery of the programme for 2012/13 as set out in Section 3 of this report including delegated authority to the Interim Director of Technical Services following discussions with the Cabinet Member for Streetscene & Transport Services and Party Spokespersons to approve the identified scheme(s) for delivery in 2012/13.
(5) Request Officers to report to a future meeting on the progress in delivering Local Sustainable Transport Major Bid Funding and provide detailed plans for delivery for 2013/14 onwards.
Mark Smith spoke at length about this area. Cllr Adrian Jones asked Mark Smith a question. Mark Smith answered Cllr Adrian Jones’ question. Cllr Adrian Jones responded to Mark Smith’s answer. Cllr Phil Davies commented on the matter. The Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport, Cllr Harry Smith said he welcomed the funding and confirmed that £220,000 was going to Area Forums. Cllr Phil Davies said that it was good news that there would be £20,000 per an Area Forum to spend on road safety. The recommendations were agreed.
13.1 Cabinet is requested to:
(1) Note the success of Wirral Council Officers and other partners in securing Local Sustainable Transport Major Bid Funding;
(2) Approve the acceptance of £3,215,116 of Major Bid funding from Merseytravel over the three financial years 2012/13 to 2014/15 of which £1,149,049 is revenue funding, £2,026,550 is capital funding and £39,517 for maintenance;
(3) Authorise the Interim Director of Technical Services in conjunction with the Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management to finalise the funding agreement between Wirral Council and Merseytravel (ITA) as the lead authority and accountable body.
(4) Approve the delivery of the programme for 2012/13 as set out in Section 3 of this report including delegated authority to the Interim Director of Technical Services following discussions with the Cabinet Member for Streetscene & Transport Services and Party Spokespersons to approve the identified scheme(s) for delivery in 2012/13.
(5) Request Officers to report to a future meeting on the progress in delivering Local Sustainable Transport Major Bid Funding and provide detailed plans for delivery for 2013/14 onwards.
There was a sixth recommendation tabled by Cllr Harry Smith at the meeting itself from my recollection.
Surjit Tour spoke on the response to the Audit Commission’s public interest report. He referred to the Council meeting of the 16th July 2012, the recommendations at 2.2, the action plan at appendix 2 and the 21 recommendations which had been considered at the Improvement Board of the 21st September 2012. He said they they needed to consider and approve the Action Plan, that there would be an update at a future meeting and that all actions would be completed by March 2013. He said about their obligation to publicise the public interest report.
Cllr Ann McLachlan commented on the Action Plan and the Improvement Board’s comments on it. Cllr Phil Davies spoke and referred to a future progress report in January 2013. He asked if things were agreed. The Cabinet agreed.
12.1 That Cabinet approves the PIR – Action Plan set out at Appendix 2 to this report.
Julia Hassall spoke on this report. She said the final report was to go to the Education Funding Agency by the 31st October 2012. The Cabinet Member, Cllr Tony Smith spoke about the proposed changes. It was agreed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Cabinet agree to proceed with the proposals described in this report for the
mainstream School Funding and High Needs Provision.
2. Cabinet agrees to the place changes in maintained specialist provision detailed
in this report.
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1. Declarations of Interest 00:01
2. Minutes of the last meeting
CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND LIFELONG LEARNING
3. Child and Family Poverty Budget Option
STREETSCENE AND TRANSPORT SERVICES
4. Highway and Engineering Services Contract – Value for Money and Annual Review
5. Highway and Engineering Services Contract – 2014 and Beyond
6. The Flood and Water Act 2010 – Ordinary Watercourse Consenting and Enforcement
7. West Kirby Marine Lake Refurbishment, Consultant Appointments – Contract Price Increase
REGENERATION AND PLANNING STRATEGY
8. Local Development Framework – Core Strategy – Publication of Proposed Submission Draft
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SAFETY
9. Implementation of Local Authority Mortgage Scheme in Wirral
IMPROVEMENT AND GOVERNANCE
10. Recommendations from the Improvement Board
11. Any Other Urgent Business
12. Exempt Information – Exclusion of the Press and Public
STREETSCENE AND TRANSPORT SERVICES
13. Exempt Appendices – Agenda Item 4 Highway and Engineering Services Contract — Value for Money and Annual Review
14. Exempt Appendices – Agenda Item 5 Highway and Engineering Services Contract – 2014 and Beyond
15. Any Other Urgent Business Approved by the Chair (Part 2)
Any Other Business, Wirral Council’s Cabinet 28th September 2012
Interest declaration: The author is a member of a trade union and a member of the media affected by this law change.
There was an Any Other Business item at Wirral Council’s Cabinet last night, with a recommendation from Surjit Tour, the Acting Director of Law, Human Resources & Asset Management (which was agreed). It seems to be in response to a point I made a week ago by email to a Wirral Council councillor when the Cabinet agenda was published and follows on from this blog post, as the law referred to came into effect on the 10th September 2012.
I had previously brought it up with my trade union, that Wirral Council didn’t seem to be complying with the new law, which is why I followed the approach suggested and brought it up with Wirral Council’s legal team and the people involved. One councillor on the Cabinet has asked for an email about it which I will write in the near future.
Personally, it’s not quite resulting in the outcome of considerably more openness and accountability I had hoped for (although most legislation has caveats and loopholes that can be exploited). It is however, a step in the right direction as it (hopefully) provides a check and balance on the executive power of the all-Labour Cabinet’s future attempts to make decisions behind closed doors resulting in less scrutiny from the press and public, as really (because to do so without giving 28 days notice they have to first seek consent from the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee first) should (unless officers and councillors are deliberately trying to make an administration make major decisions in secret) only happen very rarely.
This seems to be one small step on the way to complying with the legislation (whether the spirit and intent behind the legislation is followed depends how Wirral Council implement it in practice), which means regulation 5(2) and 5(3) don’t have to be complied with (see regulation 5(6)) if the part of the meeting held in private is “urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred” and they get the agreement of the relevant Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (or if they’re not available others are mentioned)).
Personally as last night’s Cabinet meeting (it wasn’t a special meeting but a regular one) was in the calendar of meetings decided on the 12th April 2012 and it was a matter that had been known about since 26th June 2012, why wasn’t the 28 clear days notice given (which would’ve had to have been given around the end of August 2012)? Well firstly, the Colas matter did need urgent attention (as Colas have been behaving churlishly since the public interest report by the Audit Commission as to how the contract was awarded to them was published and announced they don’t want the contract past 2014. So who’s Cabinet Portfolio does these two items fall under? It’s Cllr Harry Smith’s (Labour), the Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Transport.
Personally I think it should be the relevant Cabinet Member or Cabinet asking for consent from another councillor rather than Chief Officers on their behalf, although the legislation can be interpreted in different ways. In my opinion what was agreed last night puts too much power in Chief Officer’s hands, whose powers of persuasion over Wirral councillors are well-known.