Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Lucy Whittle.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

No interests were declared.

To note any announcements from the Chair

The Chair asked the Head of Legal Services to provide the Board with clarification setting out that parts of Agenda Item 8 (Heat Networks) would be taken in exempt session.

Minutes of the meeting on the 18^th December 2019

Minutes of the meeting on the 30^th January 2020 (to follow)

The minutes of the meetings on 18 December 2019 and the 30 January 2020 were approved.

RESOLVED;

That minutes of the meetings on 18 December 2019 and 30 January 2020 be approved as a correct record.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Any member of the public or Councillor may participate in Public Forum.  The detailed arrangements for so doing are set out in the Public Information Sheet at the back of this agenda.  Public Forum items should be emailed to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk.  Please note that the following deadlines will apply in relation to this meeting;

Questions - Written questions must be received 3 clear working days prior to the meeting.  For this meeting, this means that your question(s) must be received at the latest by 5 pm on Tuesday 25^th February 2020.

Petitions and Statements - Petitions and statements must be received on the working day prior to the meeting.  For this meeting this means that your submission must be received in this office at the latest by 12pm on Friday 28th February 2020.

The following public forum was received and a copy placed in the minute book;

Questions

Statements

In response to a supplementary question from Councillor Clive Stevens, the Chair confirmed that his suggestion that a Value for Money Sub Committee be established would be referred to the incoming cohort of Members, following the May 2020 elections, so they could decide whether it was something they wished to pursue. 

RESOLVED;

That the public forum business be noted.

Members were provided with an introduction from the Head of Policy and Public Affairs and the Strategic Intelligence & Performance Manager.  They noted that the

·     Council’s Business Plans had been considered by OSMB Members at a Scrutiny Workshop, before being taken to the next Cabinet meeting for approval.

·     Many of the Business Plan actions (around 55%) were continuing from previous years but the remainder were new for 20/21.  Actions in relation to SEND and the delivery of the One City Plan were amongst those areas with increased emphasis in the new plans.

·     The performance framework was developed in parallel with the Business Plan and targets would be set in June and published July.

·     There was more focus on what the difference was between indicators the Council was wholly responsible for and what were city-wide measures.  There were no new indicators identified for this purpose, just clarity as to what was owned by the Council.

·     This was a good example where early Scrutiny engagement in the process by Scrutiny helped and was positive.

RESOLVED;

That the report be noted.

To follow after publication of the relevant Cabinet report on Monday 24^th February.

Members were provided with a presentation from the Environmental Programme manager (slides are in the published pack). During the ensuing discussion the following points were made;

·         The proposal for two Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) would be submitted to Cabinet on the 3 March 20.

·         There was a need to get the SPVs up and running; in due course there would be a strategic partnership established under City Leap after a procurement process.

·         It was a matter of speculation as to why the Government required SPVs to be set up, as a requisite to obtain funding.  We understood that this was a condition for all local authorities, and was a requirement from the Treasury. The rationale of the SPV was essentially a requirement to access grant funding.

·         BCC had been successful in the first funding application round but were now sharing learing with other Local Authorities.

·         Proposals for the delivery of heat networks for Bedminster and the Temple Meads areas would also be going  to Cabinet on 3rd March 20. These areas had been selected due to demand for services and the proximity to supply.

·         Planning policy would be utilised to ensure the heat networks served  new developments but there were currently no plans  to connect existing individual houses, although it was hoped this could be prioritised in the future. Early investigations of this are being considered although we anticipate actual connections of individual houses is likely to be some years away .

·         All BCC connection agreements currently  meet Heat Trust standards – and would be required to adhere to upcoming heat network regulation.

·         There were financial viability issues regarding trading in boilers, although this would be looked into further.

RESOLVED;

That the Overview and Scrutiny relay their comments about Heat Networks to the Cabinet meeting on 3^rd March 20.

That under s.100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act.

That under s.100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A of the Act

RESOLVED;

That the press and public be excluded from Item 10 Bristol Heat Networks (Exempt).

To follow after publication of the relevant Cabinet report on Monday 24th February.

To note the work programme.

The work Programme was noted.

RESOLVED;

That the Work Programme be noted, and that the Scrutiny annual report be drafted and circulated to OSMB Members for approval before the end of the municipal year.

The Mayor’s Forward Plan was noted.

No new sets of minutes available at the current time – will follow if applicable. 

No new sets of minutes available at the current time.