Agenda item

To receive a report from the Chief Executive & Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services detailing the investment package that will underpin the technology and delivery partnership to achieve the Enfield 2017 programme and seeking approval to the addition of funding on the Council’s Capital Programme.  (Report No.104A)

Please note Report No,105A on the Part 2 Agenda also refers

Council is asked to note that Cabinet agreed the report at its meeting on 30^th October 2014.  Council is therefore being asked to approve inclusion of the required investment on the Capital Programme.  (Key Decision – Reference Number 3979)

Councillor Stafford moved and Councillor Taylor seconded a report from the Chief Executive & Director of Finance Resources and Customer Services (No.104A) detailing the investment package that would support the technology and delivery partnership to achieve the Enfield 2017 programme and seeking approval to the addition of funding on the Council’s Capital Programme.

NOTED

1.      The Transformation Programme set out in the report had been approved by Cabinet (30 October 14) with Council now being asked to approve inclusion of the required investment within the Capital Programme.

2.      Additional information in support of the Programme and investment requirement was contained in an accompanying report (No.105A) to be considered as Item 2 on the Part 2 Council agenda (Min.99 refers).

3.      Whilst the Transformation Programme had been designed to assist the Council in addressing the challenging financial position faced by the organisation the fundamental principles underpinning the whole process had been:

a.         Enabling the Council to work in a new way and deliver services that could meet the demands being placed on the organisation in as sustainable, efficient, cost effective and local a way as possible;

b.      To maximise synergies and design and provide services that would ensure the best service outcomes continued to be delivered for residents across the Borough, supported by a robust technology platform that would maximise service delivery at the first point of contact.

4.      The progress made on development and implementation of the Transformation Programme following Cabinet approval of the Enfield 2017 vision in September 14, as detailed in section 3.4 of the report.

5.      The approach towards development and delivery of the technology platform as detailed in section 3.8 – 3.10 of the report, which would be based around a delivery partnership with Serco (as the Council’s main IT provider).

6.      The cost benefit analysis undertaken in relation to the total investment required, as detailed in section 3.11 of the report.

7.      Whilst recognising the need to address the financial challenges faced by the Council and welcoming the approach towards the identification of efficiency savings, concerns were raised by the Opposition Group around what was felt to be the limited level of detail provided within the report in relation to:

a.         the transparency of the governance arrangements in terms of future decisions on development of the programme under the partnership arrangements;

b.      the proposals and future plans being developed under the specific workstreams within the Enfield 2017 programme along with timescales for delivery, planned consultation and staffing impact;

c.       the proposals being designed to maximise income, agreed as one of the operating principles by Cabinet for Enfield 2017;

d.      the basis of the delivery partnership agreement with Serco; and

e.      the basis for the investment requirement identified in relation to the Enfield 2017 model and project plan for delivery of its key outcomes

8.      The need identified in response to the concerns raised to recognise the level of efficiency savings already delivered by the Council while seeking to protect services.  Whilst this approach would need to continue, further funding reductions and increasing cost pressures would require the Council to look at working in new and innovative ways to ensure smarter use of budgets, buildings and staff.  This would result in difficult decisions needing to be made about the provision of services and how these were delivered, which the Transformation Programme had been designed to address placing customer service and delivery at its forefront.

Following a short debate the recommendations in the report were put to the vote and agreed, with the following result:

For: 35

Against: 0

Abstentions: 20

During the debate on this item the Mayor left the meeting for a 5 minute period.  The Deputy Mayor took over as chair for that period.

AGREED to approve, subject to noting the decisions made by Cabinet and contents of the Part 2 report (Min.99 refers), inclusion of the total investment of £16m over the next three and half years (with a minimum of £10.2m of this cost being capital funding) for Enfield 2017 within the Capital Programme and note that revenue costs of £5.8m would be funded by the earmarked reserves, as outlined in the 2013/14 outturn report considered at July Cabinet.  These one-off costs will generate budget savings of £15m in 2015/16, an additional £7m in 2016/17 and then ongoing savings of 29m per annum from 2017/18.

Councillors Achilleas Georgiou and Milne declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in this matter and both withdrew from the meeting for the duration of discussion and decision on the item.