Agenda item - Issues Raised by Members

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)           Written Questions:

To consider any written questions

(b)      Members Questions

 

Each question was taken as read as detailed in the Addendum pack circulated ahead of the meeting. A copy of the responses from the respective Cabinet Member are below.

 

1)             Commercial and Residential (non HRA) Property Disposals- Councillor Shanks

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor:

 

Thank you for your question, Cllr Shanks. In short – yes. The Housing Service are advised of potential disposals in the non-Housing Revenue Account (HRA) portfolio. They are then assessed to determine whether they can be taken forward as HRA owned accommodation.  For individual dwellings we will assess in line with our ‘buy back scheme’ which includes reviewing the condition of the property, any management considerations and the financial viability of a purchase before reaching a decision.  For property conversions this will include assessing whether it is suitable for residential use and determining if a viable scheme can be delivered before reaching a final decision.  Should a property not be appropriated to the HRA the reasons for this will be detailed in any Cabinet disposal report. 

 

2)             The Future of Homewood College- Councillor Shanks

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor:

 

Thanks for your question. As you say, there will be a number of school buildings that will be vacant in the coming months.

The Council is currently reviewing educational provision in the city, particularly SEMH and SEND provision, as is being discussed on the agenda today.

As such, our first consideration will be to maximise the use of the school accommodation we have in the city and to re-purpose it whenever appropriate and suitable.

At this stage we haven’t determined that any of our sites are available to others to use although we have been contacted by various groups making enquiries. When we identify education accommodation that is surplus to requirements, we will consider these requests.

It is important to note that for school premises, any change in use from educational purposes requires Secretary of State approval, which can take many months/years to obtain.

 

3)             Developments around Social, Emotional and Mental Health Educational Provision- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor:

 

All Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils have had an annual review of their Education, Health and Care plan and a new school placement confirmed for September 2024.

An enhanced transition plan for each child is underway, which will include pupil, parents, school, SEN Officers, Educational Psychologist’s and other professionals as appro

priate. This will include visits during August to the new KS4 provision and planned visits and supported transition for pupils at other settings.

A further annual review is being scheduled for KS4 pupils in October 2024 for Year 11’s to support them in their transition to a post 16 destination for September 2025.

All settings will be expected to provide the support as set out for each individual child in their Education, Health and Care plan.  High levels of support will be provided at St George’s KS4 provision with a varied curriculum. Where young people have a placement in another special school setting high levels of specialist support will also be provided. 

Pupils eligible for free school meals will carry that eligibility into the future provision.

 

4)             Developments around Social, Emotional and Mental Health Educational Provision- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor

 

To achieve any reorganisation of school provision the Council must comply with the School Organisation legislation, the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and associated regulations, and statutory guidance. Both the legislation and guidance set out the steps which the Council must take before making any decisions on proposals to reorganise school provision.

As the closure proposals relate to a community special school the council is required to consult with a prescribed list of consultees as set out in section 16 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.  This includes parents of registered pupils at the school and any other LA which maintains an EHCP in respect of a registered pupil at the school.

The consultation's outcome will be reviewed by myself and the cabinet in September 2024. At that stage a decision will be made whether to move to the next stage of the process and publish statutory notices.

 

5)             A259 Cycle lane- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Cllr McNair. You may be pleased to hear that there is no money taken from the delivery of Valley Gardens Phase 3 to enable the Council's plans for A259 Active Travel scheme. You may also be very pleased to hear that the Valley Gardens Phase 3 can be delivered within budget, enabling these excellent public realm improvements in the Old Stein and these much-needed Aquarium junction traffic flow improvements to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.

However, the report does recommend reprofiling the delivery of the A259 schemes following a strategic review of the A259 Active Travel route from the Marina to the city's western boundary. This includes £1.2 Million pounds of Active Travel Funding from the Tranche 3 Marine Parade scheme to enable the next phase of delivery. Nonetheless, as an administration, we are committed to delivering the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (or LCWIP) with a strategic commitment to enabling an interconnected active travel route along A259 in due course. This is not related directly to the delivery of Valley Gardens 3. The remaining balance will be from the LTP Capital programme but will not affect the agreed funding for Valley Gardens 3. Valley Garden 3 does, however, provide an important component to meet our strategic vision for active travel and traffic flows along the A259 and connects the A23 and Maderia Drive.

 

6)             A259 Cycle lane- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Muten

 

I am very pleased by your continued interest in the success of the Valley Gardens Phase 3 delivery, Cllr McNair. This is such an important regeneration scheme for the Old Steine including improving the public realm in front of the Royal Pavilion and War Memorial; and the planned much-needed improvements to traffic flow at the aquarium junction to tackle common traffic congestion and air quality improvements.

As I have already stated, these proposals do not affect the agreed available budget for the Valley Gardens 3 project which is progressing on budget.

We are delivering an excellent Valley Gardens Phase 3 scheme to make the difference the city needs in this area, part of the strategic interconnection with the A23, A259 and Maderia Drive traffic flow and active travel routes.

 

7)             Thriving Communities Investment Fund- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Pumm

 

The investment will come from the existing budget for the current Third Sector Investment Programme which ends this financial year (31 March 2025) and will be invested in accordance with the new aims, objectives and focus of the replacement Thriving Communities Fund.

 

8)             Thriving Communities Investment Fund- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Pumm

 

The community catalyst funding will be for small and medium groups delivering on council priorities targeting our city’s most marginalised and impacted communities/residents - be they communities of place and or identity.

 

9)             Thriving Communities Investment Fund- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Pumm

 

The lived experience panel will aim to have people reflecting the communities the funding is designed to support – our most marginalized communities, facing greatest barriers to access services and opportunities, taking into account intersectional representation so including socio-economic disadvantage as well as protected characteristics.

Councillors will not be invited to sit on the panel. This approach provides us with an opportunity to blend participatory democracy with representative democracy, giving voice and power to residents of marginalised communities.

 

10)          TBM Provisional Outturn 2023/24- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor

 

The council’s Education, Finance and HR teams work closely with schools that are experiencing financial challenges to help them identify potential efficiencies and cost savings, including reviewing their staffing structures, buildings usage, and supplies and services costs. There is also a wealth of guidance and comparative information available to schools provided by both the council and DfE to help them review and improve their cost base. We are also utilising School Resource Management Advisors (appointed sector experts) who provide peer challenge to schools to help them identify ways to optimise the use of capital and revenue resources available to them. The learning from these reviews can help all schools.

In response to falling numbers of children in the city, there is also a wide range of work being undertaken across the school community to explore structural models of provision to improve the long-term financial sustainability of our schools while ensuring educational outcomes continue to improve. This includes possible federation of school clusters, reviewing Published Admission Numbers (PANs) and other possibilities.

 

11)          TBM Provisional Outturn 2023/24- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor

 

When a school closes, any deficit (overspend) at the point of closure becomes a one-off cost to the council’s General Fund. Similarly, the cost of any redundancies, including any pension strain for early payment of pension for staff aged 55 and over, is also chargeable to the General Fund.

 

12)          TBM Provisional Outturn 2023/24- Councillor McNair

 

Response provided by Councillor Taylor

 

Inflation does not mean that the cost of services has fallen, simply that the costs are not rising as fast as previously. Unfortunately, large areas of the council’s budget, particularly external social care provision and temporary accommodation, have been susceptible to significant inflationary pressures averaging between 7% to 10% over the last two years. Cost increases in social care provision have also been fueled by increases in the National Living Wage of over 10% for each of the last two years. In short, councils are experiencing inflation well above headline CPI and RPI figures which are just averages across all types of goods and services.

These cost increases impacted on the ability to achieve the full programme of savings in 2023/24 and therefore impacted on the budget for 2024/25.

The Local Government Financial Settlement for 2024/25 provided a 7.5% increase in Spending Power which not only fell short of the inflation experienced by councils but therefore also provided no additional resources toward meeting the significant growth in demands for services across many areas including social care, home to school transport, SEN and homelessness. 

 

13)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services- Councillor McNair

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

Any costs associated with this pilot are not additional to the current costs of managing this service. Council officers are looking to re-procure the Emergency Accommodation Management Service separate to the accommodation provision to test whether the council can achieve better value for money in terms of lower costs and/or improved service provision. The service would be commissioned from providers with experience of successfully providing such services within Emergency Accommodation.

 

14)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services- Councillor McNair

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

The pilot is being put in place in order to reduce costs to the Council and provide best value in relation to management of emergency accommodation. This is not additional to our core budget.

 

15)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services- Councillor McNair

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

The aim of the pilot is to test an alternative approach to the management services, separating the management from the lease and allowing the management to be delivered by third parties. This is what makes it different from the current arrangement.

We rely on a range of landlords to provide emergency and temporary accommodation required. All of our existing block booked providers will be consulted to consider their properties for the pilot. The providers of the management services being selected for the purposes of the pilot are being selected for their ability to provide a more suitable support service whilst reducing existing management costs for the Council. 

 

16)          Homes for Brighton & Hove- Sackville Trading Estate- Councillor Pickett

 

Response from Councillor Taylor

 

Any profits generated through Homes for Brighton & Hove are distributed equally between Hyde Housing & Brighton & Hove City Council. The Cabinet paper sets out that the first call on profits generated will be to fund the short-term borrowing costs associated with the project as set out in the paper. This ensures a break-even position is achieved, however there is the possibility of surplus profits becoming available, for which the use of these would need to be considered within the context of the council's overall financial position. This includes giving consideration to any in-year budget pressures or future predicted budget gaps before any consideration could be given as to whether surpluses could be used for future affordable housing schemes.

 

17)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services Pilot- Councillor McLeay

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

Yes, we will survey residents throughout the process and we will report back outcomes.

 

18)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services Pilot- Councillor McLeay

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

The Housing Performance report is presented to Housing Area Panel each quarter and published on the council website along with the Housing Area Panel papers

The Council Housing Performance report is also published on the

Council website.

The number of households in temporary and emergency accommodation, as of 16th June 2024 is 1784.

19)          Emergency Accommodation Management Services Pilot- Councillor McLeay

 

Response from Councillor Williams

 

William Collier House is a supported accommodation project commissioned by the Council and provided by Brighton YMCA. It is not emergency accommodation. Referrals are made through the Council’s Single Homeless and Rough Sleeper Pathway and the service is contract managed by the Housing Commissioning Team. It will not be covered by this pilot as it is not emergency accommodation.

 

20)          Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence- Councillor Goldsmith

 

Response from Councillor Daniel

 

We are committed to ensuring Brighton and Hove develop a systems approach to preventing and tackling VAWG, domestic abuse and sexual violence. This includes working with all parts of the partnership to ensure all victim/survivors including those with long term health or disability are supported to safety by any service they disclose to and signposted to appropriate support. 

Going forward the administration will ensure that all partner agencies contribute to this aim by holding them to account via the Violence Against Women and Girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence Strategic Group. There has been commitment from Public Health and Commissioners from the Integrated Care Board to develop joint work with the VAWG Team to improve how services identify and support victim/survivors. Commissioned services are currently monitored on all protected characteristics including disability. Service accessibility is considered, and services are encouraged to deliver services in a flexible manner to meet the victim/survivors needs, safety and support.