Agenda and minutes

Councillor Spooner substituted for Councillor Pascall and Councillor Malyon substituted for Councillor Hart.

-       Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

-       Other Interests

No interests were declared.

DECIDED:

1)    That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 July 2023, be approved as a correct record.

At the request of the Committee, Elaine Hallworth – Lead Procurement Officer, gave a presentation which covered the following topics;

•        Service Commissioning & Procurement

•        Public Sector Contracting & the ‘Reforms’

•        Our Policies and Controls

•        Joint Procurement Strategy

•        SMDC Supplier Spend

•        Tendering & where we advertise

•        Priority Actions – next steps

In response to a query, members were advised that the Procurement Team offered support and guidance to businesses that wished to participate in Frameworks or required assistance with bidding/access to portals.

Discussion took place around the success of the Preston Model of procurement and the importance of signposting local contractors to tender for Council contracts or to neighbouring authorities.

Members were encouraged to make suggestions that could influence changes to the Council’s procurement rules.

DECIDED:

1)    For the Committee to receive further detail on the Council’s proposals to encourage local suppliers to tender for contracts;

2)    For the link to the current Procurement Strategy to be emailed to councillors;

The purpose of the report was to inform members of the Council’s overall performance and financial position for the period ended 30 June  (“First  Quarter 2023/24”). Detailed analysis was provided in the appendices to the report and the overall position was summarised in paragraph 3.3 of the report.

In terms of the performance element of the report, members requested for Heads of Service to provide a more detailed analysis and explanation of projects that were identified as off-track (red).

Members considered the reasons for the waste collection overspend, oversight of AES by the Commissioning Board, the Councils energy supplier contract and reduced income from car parks.

DECIDED:

1)    That the First Quarter 2023/24 financial, procurement and performance position detailed in Appendices A, B and C and summarised at 3.3 of the covering report be noted;

2)    Recommend Approval of the 2022/23 CFO Review of reserves as set out in item 8 of Appendix A;

3)    For the Head of Communities and Climate Change to attend the next meeting in relation to CCTV;

4)    For the Head of Regeneration to contact Councillor Johnson in relation to the Churnet Valley Railway action contained within the Performance Appendix.

DECIDED:

That the Work Programme be agreed.

The Chair to move:-

“That, pursuant to Section 100A(2) and (4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings whereby it is likely that confidential information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act would be disclosed to the public in breach of the obligation of confidence or exempt information as defined in Section 10 I (1) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act would be disclosed to the public by virtue of the Paragraphs indicated.”

The Chair moved:-

“That, pursuant to Section 100A(2) and (4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings whereby it is likely that confidential information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act would be disclosed to the public in breach of the obligation of confidence or exempt information as defined in Section 10 I (1) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act would be disclosed to the public by virtue of the Paragraphs indicated.”

Members considered applications for the write off of non-recoverable debts.

DECIDED:

1)    That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 25 July 2023, be approved as a correct record.