Executive Committee - 5 June 2006

NOTICE AND AGENDA

For a meeting to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Monday, 5 June 2006 at 7.30pm.

Members of the Committee (portfolio responsibility in brackets):-

Councillors Ann Shaw OBE (Chairman), Matthew Bedford (Vice-Chairman) (Housing)

Phil Brading (Public Services & Health)       Chris Whately-Smith (Leisure & Community)

Roger Seabourne (Community Safety)       Conservative (no appointment)

Richard Struck (Resources)       Conservative (no appointment)

Martin Trevett (Environment)       Labour (no appointment)

Tony Beirne, Director of Strategic Services, 25 May 2006

The Executive Committee welcomes contributions from members of the public to its discussion on agenda items.   Contributions will be limited to one person speaking for and one against each item for not more than three minutes. Please note that in the event of registering your interest to speak on an agenda item but not taking up that right because the item is deferred, you will automatically be given the right to speak on that item at the next meeting of the Committee. Details of the procedure and the list for registering the wish to speak will be available for a short period before the meeting.

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held on 3 April 2006

06 04 03 EX mins (doc)

3.NOTICE OF OTHER BUSINESS

Items of other business notified under Council Procedure Rule 31 to be announced, together with the special circumstances which justify their consideration as a matter of urgency. The Chairman to rule on the admission of such items.

RESOURCES

4.FINANCIAL POSITION STATEMENT & BUDGET MONITORING REPORT – APRIL 2006 (MONTH 1)

This report gives an update of the three-year medium-term financial plan and the position on the current year’s budget for the period ending on 30 April 2006.

06 06 05 EX i - (04) April monitoring - June Exec (doc)

5. VALUE FOR MONEY

This report proposes a systematic approach to achieving value for money

06 06 05 EX i - (05) VFM Strategy (doc)

6.NATIONAL NON-DOMESTIC RATE – CONSIDERATION OF RELIEF

To consider a new application for additional relief from the payment of the National Non-Domestic Rate.

06 06 05 EX i - (06) NNDR relief (doc)

7.GAS PRICES

The Procurement Officer presented a late information item at the Resources Policy Panel on 2 March 2006 relating to an increase in the price of gas from 31 October 2006, when the current gas contract expires. The increase is expected to be significant.   The Panel agreed that a report be presented to the Executive Committee at the earliest opportunity to identify the implications of the projected increase and detail the actions required to ensure that funds are available to cover the increase.

06 06 05 EX i - (07) gas prices (doc)

LEISURE

8.CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LEISURE AND COMMUNITY POLICY PANEL

To receive the recommendations of the Leisure and Community Policy Panel held on 18 April 2006, in relation to the following items on the agenda for the Executive Committee on 5 June 2006

06 06 05 EX i - (08) leisure referrals (doc)

8a WOODSIDE LEISURE CENTRE, DRAFT AGREEMENT

To present to the Panel a first outline draft of a proposed agreement with Watford Borough Council for the Woodside Leisure Centre project.

06 06 05 EX i - (8a) woodside leisure centre report (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (8a) woodside agreement issues list-app a (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (8a) woodside draft agreement-app b (doc)

8bGREEN HEART PARTNERSHIP - DESIGNING OPEN SPACES FOR RECREATION

The purpose of the report is to update Members of progress with the Green Heart Partnership and to present the proposed planning guidance note for designing new open spaces within the District.

06 06 05 EX i - (8b) greenheart partnership (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (8b) trdc open space design 5 april 2006 app (pdf)

8cUSE OF ALLOTMENTS - THREE RIVERS AREA

To consider the current use of the Council owned allotments in the Three Rivers District area together with a report on the allotment constitutions.

06 06 05 EX i - (8c) use of allotments (doc)

HOUSING

9.CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY PANEL

To receive the recommendations of the Housing and Environment Policy Panel held on 25 April 2006, in relation of the following items on the agenda for the Executive Committee on 5 June 2006.

06 06 05 EX i - (09) housing referrals (doc)

9aCAPITAL PROGRAMME ASBESTOS AND REWIRING

To agree the negotiation of contracts for Asbestos Removal and Central Heating Installation for the 2006/07 HRA Capital Programme.

06 06 05 EX i - (9a) capital programme asbestos and rewiring (doc)

ENVIRONMENT

10. CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY PANEL

To receive the recommendations of the Housing and Environment Policy Panel held on 25 April 2006, in relation of the following items on the agenda for the Executive Committee on 5 June 2006

06 06 05 EX i - (10) environment referrals (doc)

10aPLANNING DELIVERY GRANT 2006/07

To consider how grant should be spent in 2006/07.

06 06 05 EX i - (10a) planning delivery grant 0607 (doc)

10bMILL END/MAPLE CROSS COMPUTER TRAINING INITIATIVE

To consider making the computer training initiative available to other parts of the District

06 06 05 EX i - (10b) mill end maple cross training initiative (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (10b) mill end maple cross training initiative APP 1 (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (10b) mill end maple cross training initiative APP 2 (doc)

11.CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND HEALTH POLICY PANEL

To receive the recommendations of the Public Services and Health Policy Panel held on 20 April 2006, in relation of the following item on the agenda for the Executive Committee on 5 June 2006

06 06 05 EX i - (11) public services and health referrals (doc)

11a ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ENFORCEMENT POLICY – CHANGES TO SCHEME OF DELEGATION

To request that The Director of Leisure and Environment be given delegated responsibility for authorising officers to carry out functions with regard to Environmental Protection enforcement

06 06 05 EX i - (11a) environmental protection enforcement policy - changes to scheme of delegation (doc)

12.PRIMARY CARE TRUST RESTRUCTURING

This report summarises the information regarding Primary Care Trust (PCT) restructuring throughout England which will reduce the number of PCTs from 303 to 152. The restructuring is part of a wider set of reconfigurations of the NHS geographic structure, including reducing the number of Strategic Health Authorities from 25 to 10, and the rearrangement of ambulance trusts outside London

06 06 05 EX i - (12) pct restructure (doc)06 06 05 EX i - (12) pct restructure app 1 (pdf)06 06 05 EX i - (12) pct restructure app 2 (pdf)

13.CONSIDERATION OF DECISION BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

To receive the recommendation of the Audit Committee held on 27 April 2006, in relation to item 13a of the agenda for the Executive Committee on 5 June 2006

06 06 05 EX i - (13) audit committee referral (doc)

13aAUDIT & INTERNAL CONTROL – STATEMENT ON INTERNAL CONTROL (SIC) 2005/2006 AND ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE SYSTEM OF INTERNAL CONTROL

This report is presented to enable the Panel to recommend the adoption of the Statement on Internal Control for 2005/2006 for inclusion in the Council’s Statement of Accounts.

06 06 05 EX i - (13a) statement on internal control (sic) 20052006 (doc)

14.DRAFT BEST VALUE PERFORMANCE PLAN 2006/07

To present the draft Three Rivers DC Best Value Performance Plan (BVPP) 2006/07

06 06 05 EX i - (14) best value performance plan (doc)

15.APPOINTMENTS TO BODIES WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

To determine appointments to the following bodies exercising executive functions: West Herts Crematorium Joint Committee, Three Rivers Community Safety Partnership Three Rivers District Local Strategic Partnership; Housing and Regeneration Initiative (HARI).

06 06 05 EX i - (15) appts outside bodies (doc)

16.POLICE RESTRUCTURING

This report provides information on the proposed merger of Hertfordshire Constabulary and Police Authority with those in Essex and Bedfordshire. Hertfordshire Police Authority has rejected the proposals for a voluntary merger and raised concerns with the Home Office. The Chairman of Hertfordshire Police Authority has asked for the Council’s views on the merger before making its final representation to the Home Office in August. See Appendix 1 for letter and questionnaire. The Executive may wish to consider making a response to the Police Authority. The deadline for this is 10 July 2006.

06 06 05 EX i - (16) police force restructuring (doc)

17.OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 3 above

18.EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

If the Committee wishes to consider the remaining item in private, it will be appropriate for a resolution to be passed in the following terms:-

“that under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and 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 under paragraphs 3 and 1 respectively of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act. It has been decided by the Council that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

(Note: If other confidential business is approved under item 3, it will also be necessary to specify the class of exempt or confidential information in the additional items).

1. RENT ARREARS WRITE OFFS

To seek authority to write off two tenants' arrears where the arrears arose on former tenancies.

2. EARLY RETIREMENT ON COMPASSIONATE GROUNDS

To consider releasing an employee on compassionate grounds under the Early Retirement Policy.

3.OTHER BUSINESS - if approved under item 3 above.