To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the Corporate Management Committee held on 23 February 2023.

To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the Council Tax Setting Committee held on 23 February 2023.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registrable and non-registrable interests in items on the agenda.

The report for this item was published as part of the agenda for the Environment and Sustainability Committee on 9 March 2023.

The Committee noted a report on the various activities which had been undertaken, were ongoing or were planned to help the Council and the Borough of Runnymede to meet its net zero targets by 2030 and 2050 respectively.

The current focuses within the Climate Change team were:

·       Providing Members with a comprehensive update on the projects which are planned and will help in the Council’s response to climate change.  Officers would work with the Project Management Officer to ensure all future reporting on climate change activities was easily accessible to Members

·       Ensuring the Forward Programme for Committee Meetings was kept up to date and sets out the climate change items being brought to various Committees

·       Finalising stage 1 of the Council’s Climate Change Study which would set the carbon emissions baseline for the Borough

·       Plan an exciting week of events and activities for this year’s Great Big Green Week

·       Improving monitoring procedures and increasing capacity in readiness to start tracking our progress in reducing our carbon emissions over time

Officers were congratulated on the report, which was more accessible than previous reports and a joy to read.  The Committee commented that it was good to see the great work done coming together.  

The Committee was also keen for Runnymede to champion initiatives.    It was agreed that the Environmental Place Shaping MWP would look into pursuing this.

The Committee commented on the success of the warm hubs and asked Officers where cool hubs would be located in the Borough.  Officers confirmed that this information was not yet available, but Members would be notified when the information was available. 

The Committee was advised that carbon literary training for Members would be set up for early June following the election period.

This item has been withdrawn from the agenda for this meeting.

Background

The Council, at its meeting on 9 February 2023, agreed the motion below.  A proposed letter, drafted by the Leader of the Council, is attached.

This Council notes:

1.     The unilateral decision by Surrey County Council to return devolved on-street parking enforcement back to County control.

2.     That these services were previously provided by Runnymede Borough Council, along with other districts and boroughs, and could be highly responsive to the needs of residents and the concerns of Councillors, where they were fully resourced.

3.     Where streets faced parking overspill or parking stress, Councillors and residents are able to apply for a resident parking permit (RPP) scheme to ensure a level of specific control over the area or street considered.

4.     That in Runnymede 7 such schemes are presently in place in the following streets:

• Burn Close
• The Hythe
• Hythe Road
• Cumberland Street
• Railway Terrace
• Thorpe Road
• Wick Road

5.     That the current permit charge is £80 for first permit issued to a household, £100 for second permit issued to a household and £130 for three or more permits issued to a household.

6.     That the revenue derived by these permits had previously gone into expanding the enforcement team in Runnymede and ensured residents had a better opportunity to park outside their own home and that parking safety was enhanced.

7.     That the unilateral decision by Surrey County Council has had a detrimental impact to this Borough’s ability to enforce these permits and generally maintain the same level of staffing in our parking team.

8.     That residents in Egham Hythe, Englefield Green West and Addlestone North where RPPs are in force are now paying the same price for a permit and a service which is less valuable than it was last year, with lower enforcement ability.

The Council resolves:

That the Leader write a letter to the Leader of Surrey County Council to make the following points, with group leaders who are agreement with the sentiments raised, invited to co-sign it:

1.     That this Council once again reiterates that it believes it is the wrong decision to return those devolved on street enforcement powers back to the County Council.

2.     That we request a revised and published timetable for completion and role out of the new service provided by Surrey County Council and that it be shared with this Council and our residents.

3.     That we reiterate this Council’s wish for all new and transferred staff to be employed with a local remit and base, to ensure their local knowledge is not lost in the new service.

4.     That Runnymede Borough Council encourages Surrey County Council to consider suitable compensation to those Runnymede residents who held a Residential Parking Permit, that the actions of the County have impaired the ability to enforce.

5.     That the Leader of Surrey County Council is asked to confirm that in future, in the spirit of providing good and efficient public services regardless of who provides them, no future unilateral decisions will be taken without  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Matters involving Exempt or Confidential Information in respect of which reports have not been made available for public inspection

This item has been withdrawn from the agenda for this meeting.

Reasons for urgency

The Chairman is of the opinion that this item is urgent due to the need to provide financial certainty to the organisations concerned, and the impending commencement of the financial year in which the awards are to be made.

Background

The report for this item was published as part of the agenda for the Community Services Committee on 16 March 2023.

Recommendations

The Community Services Committee’s approval was sought to make four core grant aid awards and introduce conditions to monitor how funding was spent by those voluntary organisations.  The overall spend was included in the Medium Term Financial Strategy approved by full Council in January 2023.

Officers advised that the Council wished to continue supporting four core organisations whose work supported key themes in the Corporate Plan, particularly health and wellbeing, providing significant social value to the community.

Officers had engaged with each organisation and gained an understanding of their work and the benefits for residents they worked with.  Findings had been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Member Working Party as the first stage of an overall review of Voluntary Sector funding and an attempt to streamline processes and introduce more consistency and transparency.

Members agreed that the conditions attached to each grant were reasonable and proportionate and would also keep the Committee informed.  Each organisation would be required to submit an application for funding and make a report either annually and/or on a quarterly basis to account for the grant and its impact on their work.  With the exception of Addlestone Community Association, one or more Councillors would continue to be appointed as representatives on each organisation.

The awards were as set out below and would be made annually for a period of three years:

1.     Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne: £103,700 + 10%

2.     Voluntary Support North Surrey: £33,000 + 10%

3.     Runnymede Access Liaison Group: £1,500 + 10%

4.     Addlestone Community Association: £2,900 + 10%

It was agreed that should Council finances become unavailable, or if the grant investment was found not to deliver the intended outcomes, funding could cease subject to each organisation being given six months’ notice.

Members noted the legal and equalities implications in the report.  Legal agreements would be drawn up with each organisation to ensure the monitoring conditions were met.

The Committee was pleased to recommend the grants be approved by Corporate Management Committee. 

Members recommend Corporate Management Committee to approve:

a)    the proposal to award an annual core grant to the sum of £103,700 + 10% for a period of three years (subject to approval at full Council) to Citizens Advice Runnymede and Spelthorne on receipt of completed application documentation, with the monitoring conditions outlined in section 2 of this report;

b)    the proposal to award a core grant to the sum of £33,000 + 10% for a period of three years (subject to approval at full Council) to Voluntary Support North Surrey, on receipt of completed application documentation, with the monitoring conditions outlined in section  ...  view the full agenda text for item 20a

Reasons for urgency

The existing fleet of diesel fuelled vehicles has reached the end of its useful life.  The Chairman is of the opinion that this item is urgent due to the existence of a time limited opportunity to secure the best possible value in the procurement of electric vehicles, in pursuance of the Council’s climate change commitments.  It is also important to ensure the continuity of the Meals at Home service, which is used by a number of vulnerable Runnymede Borough Council residents.

Background

The report for this item was published as part of the agenda for the Community Services Committee on 16 March 2023.

The Committee’s approval was sought to enter into a new lease arrangement with Apetito for a fleet of 4 electric vehicles/diesel oven option for a period of 36 months to deliver the Council’s Meals at Home service.  Further, approval was sought to recommend Corporate Management Committee grant a waiver to Contract Standing Orders (CSO 2.6.1) to enable this proposal, Apetito being the only company that could provide the services required.

Officers advised that an opportunity had arisen which would allow the Council moved to using electric vehicles for Meals at Home, through its contractor, Apetito.  This was an important and timely step towards achieving carbon net zero emissions.

A full review of Meals at Home had been undertaken between October 2022 and January 2023.  A number of options had been considered for future provision, all of which had undergone an options appraisal, the details of which were noted by the Committee.

The preferred option (6c), and the one which Members agreed was the best, was to enter into an agreement with the existing suppliers, Apetito, to have 7 electric lease vehicles across Runnymede and Surrey Heath and for Surrey Heath to purchase a small electric van as contingency and to deliver bulk orders and deliveries in close proximity.  The leased vehicles would be under a full maintenance contract.  Officers were currently testing the electric vehicles (Renault Kangoo ZE) for efficiency and quality as well as investigating the necessary electric charging infrastructure.

Members recognised the need to act quickly as the service was currently out of contract and the vehicles were available now as a one-off opportunity without the previously anticipated 13+ months lead in.  This proposals would require a supplementary revenue estimate  increase per annum of £15,717 and a supplementary capital estimate increase of approximately £15,000 to instal the infrastructure required.  This was currently with the Council’s Assets and Regeneration business centre, the assessment not having yet been completed, with no provision for it in the Capital Programme.  The total for the 36 month contract for 7 vehicles was £175,140 excluding VAT, with Runnymede contributing 4/7, totalling £100,080.

Officers did caution that should the proposed option become unviable, the fall back option was to lease 7, 3.5 diesel vehicles with diesel powered ovens.  This was effectively continuation of the current delivery model and replacement of vehicles for which a supplementary revenue estimate  ...  view the full agenda text for item 20b