Public Document Pack Cabinet
Members of the Cabinet of Gravesham Borough Council are summoned to attend a meeting to be held at the Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent on Monday, 14 September 2009 at 7.00 pm when the business specified in the following agenda is proposed to be transacted.
S Kilkie Assistant Director (Communities)
Agenda
Part A Items likely to be considered in Public 1. Apologies for absence
2. To sign the minutes of the previous meeting (Pages 1 - 10)
3. To declare any interest members may have in the items contained on this agenda. When declaring an interest a member must state what their interest is.
4. To consider whether any items in Part A of the agenda should be considered in private or any items in Part B in public
5. Delegated Decisions - Cabinet Members (Pages 11 - 12) To report any decisions made by Cabinet Members under their delegated powers.
Corporate Plan Priority – Environment (Safe, Clean and Green)
6. Local Air Quality Management - report herewith. (Pages 13 - 20)
7. Update on Environment Work - report herewith. (Pages 21 - 44) Corporate Plan Priority – Communities
8. Youth Portfolio - report herewith. (Pages 45 - 94)
9. The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games - report herewith. (Pages 95 - 110)
Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend Kent DA12 1AU 10. Draft Protocol for the referral of "Councillor Call for Action" to the Overview (Pages 111 - Scrutiny Committee - report herewith. 116)
11. Review of format for Council meetings - report herewith. (Pages 117 - 120)
12. Draft Tourism Strategy - report to follow. Corporate Plan Priority – Housing
13. Development of Family Houses at Kings Drive and Trafalgar Road - report (Pages 121 - herewith. 124)
14. Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-13 - report herewith. (Pages 125 - 186)
15. Government Announcement on Charges to 2009-10 Rent Increases - (Pages 187 - report herewith. 192) Corporate Plan Priority – Regeneration
16. Cruise Liner Terminal Provision - report herewith. (Pages 193 - 194) Corporate Plan Priority - Transformation
17. Benefits Policies - report herewith. (Pages 195 - 242)
18. Quarter 1 Performance 2009-10 (April to June 2009) - report herewith. (Pages 243 - 268)
19. Budget Monitoring Report 2009-10 - report herewith. (Pages 269 - 296)
20. Finance Improvement Plan - report herewith. (Pages 297 - 314)
21. Budget 2010/11-priorities - report herewith. (Pages 315 - 322)
22. Council Improvement Plan - report herewith. (Pages 323 - 328)
23. Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chairman is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.
24. Exclusion To move, if required, that pursuant to Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded from any items included in Part B of the agenda because it is likely in view of the nature of business to be transacted that if members of the public are present during those items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.
Part B Items likely to be considered in Private
Corporate Plan Priority – Regeneration
25. Town Pier Pontoon - report herewith. (Pages 329 - 362)
26. Any other business which by reason of special circumstances the Chairman is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.
Members
Cllr Michael Snelling (Chairman) Cllr David Turner (Vice-Chairman)
Councillors: John Cubitt Laura Hryniewicz Anthony Pritchard Adrian Warburton
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Cabinet
Monday, 6 July 2009 7.00pm
Present:
Cllr Michael Snelling (Chairman)
Cllrs: John Cubitt Laura Hryniewicz Anthony Pritchard Adrian Warburton
Note: Cllrs John Burden, John Caller, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Andrea Webb were also in attendance
Glyn Thomson Chief Executive Nick Brown Director (Transformation & Finance) Kevin Burbidge Director (Business) Andy Chequers Assistant Director (Housing & Environment) Julie Gibbs Service Manager, Finance Sarah Parfitt Service Manager, Audit & Performance Stuart Bobby Principal Accountant Sue Hill Committee & Elections Manager
22. Apologies
An apology for absence was received from Cllr David Turner.
23. Minutes
The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 1 June 2009 were signed by the Chairman.
24. Declarations of Interest
No declarations were made.
25. Delegated Decisions - Cabinet Members
The following decisions had been taken by the Leader of the Executive and the Lead Member for Housing on 8 June 2009, 16 June 2009 and 17 June 2009 respectively.
(1) That land adjoining 1 and 3 St Alban's Gardens be declared surplus to requirements and authorised the Director (Business) in association with the Assistant Director (Business & Law) to formally dispose of the property.
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(2) That Land occupied by the Sailing Club at the Canal Basin be declared surplus to requirements and that the Sailing Club be granted a long lease of the land with an option for them to purchase the Council's freehold interest should the Council wish to sell.
(3) The Kent Local Housing Authorities and Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Protocol was signed by the Lead Member for Housing in order to improve partnership working across Kent and improve consistency in application of standards of fire safety in dwellings between authorities in Kent.
26. Public consultation on the Partial Review of the South-East Plan on new pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People
The Cabinet was advised on the current public consultation exercise being carried out by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) on the partial review of the South East Plan in respect of the preferred distribution and policy option for new pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People.
At the issues and options stage Members supported distribution Option D which gave Gravesham a requirement to provide 11 new pitches. This had now been increased to 12 as a result of updated data rather than a fundamental change in approach.
In addition to Option D, Members also gave their general support to Option E. This uses a distribution based on Option A (need where it arises) and adds the proportion of new pitches allocated to Kent under Option C and redistributes it between the districts on the basis of Option B (taking account of planning and environmental considerations). Option E provides Kent as a whole with a reduced proportion of the total regional requirement (23 per cent as opposed to 27 per cent under Option D). Kent currently accommodates 27 per cent of the regional total number of pitches and Option D while purporting to provide for redistribution, does not change this total.
A joint Member Steering Group meeting is to be held on 13 July where Member representatives from all Kent councils will consider the implications of the Partial Review Preferred Option on Kent and other distribution options for consideration at the Examination in Public in February 2010.
In respect of new pitch provision for Travelling Show People, Members supported distribution Option A at the Issues and Option stage (provision where need arises). Under this option Gravesham would not be required to make any provision for Travelling Show People. The Preferred Option D adopts a more redistributive approach and requires Gravesham to provide one new pitch in the period 2006/16.
While Gypsies and Travellers and Travelling Show People have different site requirements, it is difficult to justify adopting one approach for Travelling Show People and another for Gypsies and Travellers. On this basis it is not considered that pursuing such an objection just on the basis of Travelling Show People would be successful.
The draft Policy H7 acknowledges that the evidence of need is not robust enough to provide a district level figure of need for transit pitches. Table H7b of the draft policy provides an indication of need on a county-wide basis based either on submitted evidence from county groups or from Caravan Count data where more robust evidence was not available. The provision for Kent is for seven sites/stopping places and in Gravesham for four pitches.
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A Regional study of transit need is expected in the autumn, but this will not deliver district level distribution. Officers are currently working on the issue with county colleagues and the other Districts/Medway so that we may respond to GOSE in due course.
Members noted that a pre-examination meeting is scheduled for 16 October 2009 with the Examination in Public (EiP) following in 2 - 5 February 2010. Adoption is proposed in late 2010.
Resolved that
(1) in the light of the timing of the Joint Members' meeting and the closing date for responses to the Preferred Options consultation, the response to GOSE on the Preferred Option be delegated to the Director (Business) and agreed by the Lead Cabinet Member providing the pitch requirements for the Borough do not increase above that proposed in option D;
(2) in view of the low response rate to the Travelling Show People’s Accommodation Assessment, the consultation responses to the issues and options stage and the Report of the East of England Panel on pitch provision for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People, no objection is raised to the proposed distribution option for Travelling Show People.
(3) Members are kept updated of the position in respect of the need for Transit provision in the Borough.
(4) provision is made in the budget to support representation at the forthcoming EiP if considered necessary.
27. Allocations Policy
The Cabinet was reminded that the revised Allocations Policy had been adopted by the Council in March 2009.
Since this time additional research has been undertaken which had identified better practice in relation to the way the homeless householders are treated under Choice Based Lettings Scheme.
The amendments proposed would change the six month time limit for applicants to bid for their preferred property types and area to 12 weeks.
Resolved that proposed changes to Section 1.5.1 of the Allocations Policy (as outlined in paragraphs 2.4 - 2.8 of the report) be approved.
28. Implementation of New Tenant Participation Structure
The Cabinet considered a new structure for tenant engagement together with a plan for the implementation of the new Tenant Participation Structure.
The new structure had been considered by the Housing Policy Overview Committee earlier in the year and had given its full support to the proposed structure.
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At the tenant's forum annual general meeting on 20 April 2009 it was agreed to move forward with the new structure subject to the approval of the Cabinet.
The new structure provides a better opportunity for residents to be engaged at all levels and provides clarity in the roles of the following groups.
• Residents Associations; • two Area Housing Services Forums; • a borough wide Residents' Forum; • a Housing People Bank; • a Service Improvement Group; • a Sheltered Forum; and • a Leaseholders' Forum.
There will also be a new suite of documents to service the structure including the:-
• New Tenant Participation Structure (Appendix 1 to the report) • Diagram of Tenant Participation Strategy (Appendix 2 to the report).
It was noted that the overarching Tenant Participation Strategy (which would include the following five initiatives) will be the subject of a further report to Cabinet.
1. Training Strategy - Living and Learning; 2. BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) and Less Represented Strategy; 3. Tenant Participation Equalities Impact Assessment Strategy; 4. Borough - Wide Compact; 5. Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy.
Cabinet noted that membership of the two New Area Housing Services Forum would include three representatives from Residents' Associations not one as stated in the papers.
Resolved that
(1) the new Tenant Participation Structure be adopted;
(2) the Implementation Plan be approved.
29. Kent Thameside Transport Tariff
The Cabinet was informed of the outcome of the planning appeal at Knockhall Road, Greenhithe in Dartford and the consequential impact on the implementation of the Kent Thameside Transport Tariff.
The appeal, which was allowed subject to conditions, was against the failure of Dartford Borough Council to determine a planning application for 49 flats. The Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State had recommended that the appeal be allowed subject to conditions and, more importantly, that the Kent Thameside Tariff could not be endorsed. The Secretary of State agreed with these conclusions and also awarded costs against Dartford Borough Council.
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The Council's current approach to policy is therefore not sustainable and it is proposed that the tariff policy adopted in July 2007 should be withdrawn.
Discussions are ongoing as to the future course of action with Dartford Borough Council and Kent County Council. A work programme is in the process of being agreed to carry out the necessary tasks on transport issues arising from the appeal decision and also any updating required. Particularly important is ensuring that any proposal conforms to the requirements of Circular 05/2005 and that, in particular, any contributions should be directly related to individual development proposals.
Resolved that
(1) the Borough Council reaffirms its commitment to seeking ways to deliver the transport infrastructure needed to support the delivery of the overall levels of development across Kent Thameside; (2) the interim transport tariff policy as agreed by Cabinet on 26 July 2007 be withdrawn; (3) proportionate contributions toward transport infrastructure be sought in accordance with the provisions of Circular 05/2005 where appropriate, subject to negotiation with developers on a case-by-case basis and taking into account scheme viability; (4) work continue on the preparation of a Gravesham Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document, to include the need for contributions toward strategic transport infrastructure, taking into account on-going discussions with Kent County Council and Dartford Borough Council.
30. Endorsing documents as Supplementary Guidance to the Gravesham Local Development Framework
The Cabinet was advised that the Kent and Medway Structure Plan policies and accompanying guidance expires on 6 July 2009. The Council currently uses the accompanying guidance for both policy making and planning application decisions.
In order to ensure that a policy vacuum does not occur prior to the adoption of the Gravesham Core Strategy and Generic Development Management Policies DPD, which is expected in 2011, the Council can endorse the guidance and thereby give it the weight equivalent to a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
Members noted the comments submitted on behalf of the Kent Police.
Resolved that the following documents be endorsed as Supplementary Guidance to the Gravesham Local Development Framework:-
(1) KCC’s Guide to Development Contributions and the Provision of Community Infrastructure (as updated September 2008);
(2) Kent & Medway Structure Plan SPGs:-
(i) SPG 1: Landscape Character (July 2006); (ii) SPG 2: Biodiversity Conservation (July 2006);
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(iii) SPG 3: Archaeology in Historic Towns (July 2006); (iv) SPG 4: Kent Vehicle Parking Standards (July 2006); (v) SPG 5: The Kent Design Guide, published December 2005 (adopted July 2006).
31. General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Out-turn Report for 2008/09
The Cabinet was informed of the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account outturn for 2008/09 against the probable budgets and requests to carry forward budgets into 2009/10.
The major differences that have contributed towards the reduction in revenue expenditure for 2008/09 when compared to the probable estimate were set out for Members.
The Cabinet had at its last meeting considered a Budget Monitoring Report 2008/09. This report expanded upon the preliminary outturn report which includes all variances amounting to the variance of the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets for the financial year 2008/09.
Members were informed that as the outturn position for both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account is known the Council's Statement of Accounts has been prepared in accordance with the "Code of Practice" on Local Authority Accounting in the United Kingdom 2008: A Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
The Statement of Accounts 2008/09 were approved by the Finance & Audit Committee on 25 June 2009.
Resolved that:-
(1) the 2008/09 outturn for the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account, together with the Council’s overall capital programme be noted;
(2) the carry forward requests totalling £52,200 (Revenue) and £1,348,680 (Capital) as detailed in section 5 and 8 of the report be noted;
(3) the Council continues to retain a minimum level of working balances equal to £1m for both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account;
(4) a new specific reserve be created in respect of the Local Development Framework to the value of £250,000;
(5) a “Spend to Save” specific reserve be created during 2009/10 to assist in funding initiatives to meet the projected future shortfalls in funding as per the Medium Term Financial Plan.
32. Transformation: Annual Report
The Cabinet was apprised of the progress made in relation to the Council's transformation agenda. Consideration was given to further potential areas within the Council for future transformation.
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The Annual Report outlined transformation work which had been completed across the authority and provided evidence of actions being "outcome focused". The approach highlights that actions are focused on delivering either a cashable efficiency saving or a service improvement.
Resolved that the Transformation Annual Report be endorsed and Lead Members provide feedback via the regular performance management meetings with Directors regarding further areas for potential consideration within the Council's transformation agenda.
33. Anti - Fraud and Corruption Strategy
The Cabinet was updated on the Council's anti-fraud and corruption arrangements. Consideration was given to a revised Anti-Fraud Corruption Strategy, Whistleblowing Policy (formerly Confidential Reporting Policy) and Housing and Council Tax Benefit Anti-Fraud Policy for the Council.
A review of the Council's existing strategy and policy documents had been conducted which focused on ensuring that strategy and policy documents reflect current legislation relating to fraud, recognised best practise and reflected the Council's current arrangements to prevent, detect and investigate any fraud and corruption activity it may be subject to.
The Council's arrangements for preventing, detecting and investigating fraud and corruption to inform the public, stakeholders, Members and Officers of the arrangements in place will be published, in particular how they are able to report any suspicious or concerns.
It was anticipated that the strategy and policy documents will act as a deterrent for those intending to commit fraudulent actions against the Council.
Resolved that the revised versions of the Corporate Anti-Fraud Corruption Strategy, the Whistleblowing Policy and the Housing and Council Tax Benefit Anti-Fraud Policy and Prosecution Policy be submitted to Council for approval.
34. Corporate Plan Review 2009
The Cabinet considered the latest draft of the Corporate Plan Review documents.
In October 2008 the Council had approved a revised version of the Corporate Plan 2008/11 following a review of the previous plan during the summer of 2008.
It was the intention that the Council would carry out formal, annual reviews of the achievements against the Plan and publish the fundings in an annual review document.
The review process has been used to improve the quality of the Corporate Plan by introducing clearer details in respect of targets and performance measures and had been updated to incorporate the Youth Gravesham portfolio.
Resolved that
(1) the Look Back at 2008/09 document be approved and the Chief Executive be authorised to make any required amendments to the document in consultation with the Leader of the Executive;
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(2) the Look Forward to 2009/10 and beyond document be approved for submission to Council and the Chief Executive be authorised to make any required amendments to the document in consultation with the Leader of the Executive and the appropriate Lead Member;
(3) the National and Local Indicators document be approved and the Director (Transformation and Finance) be authorised to make updates to the document once missing data is available, in conjunction with the Lead Member for Transformation.
35. A Balanced and Sustainable Budget
The Cabinet considered a proposed approach to address the financial shortfall predicted in the Medium Term Financial Plan with the future sustainability of the budget thereafter.
Besides addressing the shortfall there was also a need to establish a direction to achieve financial sustainability after 2013 and to underpin proposals with acknowledged good practice in financial management.
Following discussions with the District Auditor in 2008 an 18 month Action Plan was agreed to address the pressing issues with the expectation that, once this was delivered, a further plan would be put in place to establish good to excellent financial management practices.
In the interim a great deal of progress has been achieved and it is proposed to develop and agree during the autumn of 2009 the Action Plan for the second phase of work through to April 2011.
The report outlined a series of actions to be taken to progressively seek to address the financial shortfall.
The main aims were perceived as:-
• protecting essential services to the public; • maximising efficiencies and savings through transformation.
Resolved that the approach outlined in the report be approved and that progress be reported to the Finance & Audit Committee as part of the ongoing reports on the Medium Term Financial Plan.
36. 34 NI 179 Efficiency Reporting 2008/09
The Cabinet was apprised on the progress made regarding NI 179 (Value for Money Gains) for 2008/09.
The current performance was detailed for Members and efficiency targets set by the Communities Local Government (CLG) have been exceeded by this authority for 2008/09 since the last reported forecast in December 2008.
Resolved that
(1) the information contained within the report be approved for submission to the Communities and Local Government;
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(2) the Director (Transformation & Finance) in consultation with the Lead Member, Transformation be authorised to make any final adjustments.
37. Exclusion of the public
Resolved pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded during the following items of business because it was likely in view of the nature of business to be transacted that, if members of the public were present during these items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information.
38. Microsoft PSA 09 Agreement
The Leader had authorised the entry into an agreement with Microsoft under the Public Sector Agreement 109 (PSA09) using the emergency clause contained in section 2.3 of Annex 2.7 of the Contract Procedure Rules within the Constitution.
The opportunity to take advantage of promotional pricing had been taken leading to a saving of nearly £40,000 to the Council.
Resolved that the entry into the Public Service Agreement 09 (PSA 09) with Microsoft for the purchase of future Microsoft software licences for the authority be endorsed.
39. Lord Street/Parrock Street, Gravesend
The Cabinet was reminded that the Development Agreement between Barratt Homes Ltd. and the Council is due to expire in October 2009.
It had become clear that Barratt Homes will not be in a position to fully carry out its obligations under the Development Agreement.
Barratt Homes are proposing to buy themselves out of the contractual position in relation to Site A which will have the advantage of settling the matter without protracted legal proceedings.
Resolved that the Assistant Director (Business & Law) in consultation with the Leader of the Executive be authorised to:-
(1) agree terms to terminate the Development Agreement between the Council and Barratt Homes;
(2) enter into the necessary legal agreements to formalise the position;
(3) a further report be submitted in due course setting out the details of any settlement reached.
Close of meeting
The meeting ended at 7.50 pm.
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Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Assistant Director (Communities)
Subject: Delegated Decisions - Cabinet Members
Purpose and summary of report: To inform the Cabinet about decisions taken under delegated powers by individual Cabinet Members. Recommendations: That the report be noted.
1. Dangerous Wild Animal Act 1976 Licensing Regime
1.1 The Lead Member for Community Safety and the Environment took the following decision on 17 August 2009 under powers delegated to him at the Cabinet meeting on 20 May 2009.
1.2 The decision taken was to respond to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consultation on the Dangerous Wild Animal Act 1976 Licensing Regime with regards to the introduction of discretionary inspections and an extension from a one-year period to a two-year licensing period.
1.3 The reason for the decision is that it is in the Council’s interest to take part in the consultation in order to influence the outcome of the consultation
A decision notice was issued on 18 August 2009.
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Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Report for Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Assistant Director (Communities)
Subject: Local Air Quality Management
Purpose and summary of report: To report recent air quality monitoring findings within the borough to Members and to make recommendations in respect of the formal declaration of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) under the provisions of The Environment Act 1995. Recommendations:
1. That to comply with Section 83(1) of The Environment Act 1995 the council declares Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) based on likely exceedences of the national air quality Nitrogen dioxide objective in the geographical areas of Echo Junction and Parrock Street.
2. That Members endorse the officer recommendation for the formation of the two new separate Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) to be referred to as: • Parrock Street AQMA • Echo Junction AQMA
3. That the council continues to monitor levels of Nitrogen dioxide in (a) The Street/Wrotham Road Junction, Meopham and (b) along the B2175 through Northfleet to demonstrate compliance with the Nitrogen dioxide objective and to comply with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) guidance drawn up under S88 (2) of the Environment Act 1995 within existing budgets.
4. That the Assistant Director (Communities) and the Assistant Director (Business & Law) be authorised to carry out the requisite consultation and publicity in connection with the Council’s formal declaration of the Air Quality Management Areas and draw up the AQMA Orders as described in 1 above.
5. That delegated powers remain with the Lead Member for Community Safety and Environment to authorise all further statutory processes in connection with the establishment of these and any future Air Quality Management Areas, the action planning process and implementation of same.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Local authorities have a statutory duty to review, assess and manage air quality within their area and to take into account the guidance issued by Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 places a statutory duty on local authorities to periodically review and assess the current and the future air quality within their area – a process known as Local Air Quality Management (LAQM). The air quality objectives that apply to LAQM are defined in Air Quality Regulations 2000 and Air Quality (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2002. This process has been reported to Members at various strategic stages.
1.2 Air quality review and assessment within Gravesham to date has already lead to the declaration of five Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) with two associated Action Plans:
A2 Trunk Road Air Quality Management Area
Northfleet Industrial Air Quality Management Area
A226 One-way system Gravesend
B262/B261 Pelham Arms Junction
A227/B261 Wrotham Road/Old Road West Junction
1.3 The declaration of the above AQMAs has proven to be beneficial in the pursuance of an improvement in air quality in Gravesham. This is because the council’s partners, for example, the Environment Agency, Highways Agency, Kent County Highways and also developers wishing to take part in the regeneration of the urban area have to pay due consideration to the existence of the AQMAs and assist the council to pursue an improvement in air quality. Some of the benefits are as follows:
A2 Trunk Road Air Quality Management Area – following detailed discussions with the Highways Agency to ensure that the re-alignment of the A2 Trunk Road was carried out with full consideration to improving local air quality a significant improvement in levels of Nitrogen dioxide and Particulate matter (PM10) have been monitored since the opening of the re-aligned carriageway.
Northfleet Industrial Air Quality Management Area – following detailed discussions with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure that the Northfleet Cement Works would not be permitted to cause air pollution in the locality the EA took enforcement action against Lafarge Cement UK to improve the site significantly. This was followed by the closer of the plant which could no longer comply with the strict environmental requirements being phased in by Defra. A significant improvement Particulate matter (PM10) levels in Northfleet were seen following the environment improvements to the site and are expected once the demolition phase is completed.
A226 One-way system Gravesend / B262/B261 Pelham Arms Junction and A227/B261 Wrotham Road / Old Road West Junction AQMAs - following detailed discussions with Kent County’s Senior Transport Planner many local traffic management schemes in Gravesham which have air quality
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benefits were included in Kent’s Local Transport Plan II. This has assisted Kent Highways to successfully bid for funding for some of these schemes. Whilst it is difficult to measure the benefit of each scheme specifically improvements in congestion can be seen in certain areas. Some examples of these schemes already carried out and in the pipeline are as follows:
o Urban Traffic Management (UTMC and junction improvements) and Traffic rerouting using Variable Messaging Signage (VMS) - The implementation of these schemes is underway and should be completed by 2011. The schemes involve co-ordination between various traffic signals at junctions on a particular route e.g. B261 Old Road East / West to allow a better flow of traffic and less congestion. The VMS scheme provides car parking space availability to those drivers looking for town centre parking. This avoids unnecessary journeys around the town centre trying to find parking.
o Road prioritisation (Bus priority measures). This scheme is complete, bus priority measures have been installed in the Town Centre where it is physically possible to do so. This has assisted in the improvement of public transport in the town centre.
o Improved cycle routes across the borough offer choice in the way that both residents and visitors to the borough travel across it.
o Improved public transport – including the provision of a Fast Track Route from Gravesend Town Centre to Ebbsfleet International Station and Dartford Town Centre.
2. The third round of the Review and Assessment of Air Quality in Gravesham
2.1 In October 2008 the Council appointed consultants to carry out a Detailed Assessment of Air Quality in four areas of Gravesham Borough in order to ascertain if the air quality in any of the areas was likely to exceed the government’s Air Quality Strategy annual mean objective for Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). The source of NO 2 being exhaust fume from vehicles.
2.2 The National Air Quality Strategy objectives for NO 2 are primarily based on health effects. At relatively high concentrations, NO2 causes inflammation of the airways. There is evidence to show that long-term exposure to NO 2 may affect lung function and that exposure to NO 2 enhances the response to allergens in sensitised individuals.
2.3 The Detailed Assessment of the four areas was carried out and submitted within the required timescale to the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) for appraisal in May 2009. The four areas are as follows:
Parrock Street, Gravesend
The Street/Wrotham Road Junction, Meopham
B2175 through Northfleet
Echo Junction, Gravesend
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2.4 The methodology used by the Council and the findings and recommendations contained in the report were assessed by independent consultants appointed by Defra. Formal approval of the findings was received from Defra on 24 July 2009.
2.5 Echo Square and Parrock Street - The assessment has identified that there is a need for the Council to declare Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for the areas of Echo Square and Parrock Street.
2.6 B2175 through Northfleet - The modelling showed that the levels of Nitrogen dioxide were marginally below the national objectives and that there are no predicted exceedences at any relevant receptor location modelled. It is therefore recommended that the Council continue monitoring in this area in order to demonstrate continued compliance with the annual mean NO 2 objective.
2.7 The Street/A227 Wrotham Road, Meopham Junction - Modelling has shown 3 that the levels of NO 2 were at the annual mean air quality objective of 40 g/m at the façade of the house opposite The George Public House. A recommendation has been made with respect to monitoring to confirm compliance with the annual mean objective.
3. Options for declaration of Air Quality Management Areas
3.1 In accordance with section 2.4 above, it has been identified that there is a need for the Council to declare Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) for the areas of Echo Square and Parrock Street. The areas of exceedence have been determined by predictive modelling using real time and diffusion tube monitoring analysis and it is proposed that it is the boundaries of these areas that will form the extent of the two new AQMAs. (see maps in Appendix 1):
3.2 Members are requested to agree to the declaration of the two new separate AQMAs ie Parrock Street AQMA and Echo Junction AQMA.
4. Consultation Process
4.1 The 1995 Act provides the statutory basis for consultation and liaison in respect of Local Air Quality Management. A minimum consultation period of 8 weeks must be undertaken before declaration of Air Quality Management Areas.
4.2 Occupiers of all the residences indicated on the air quality modelling maps as being within the proposed AQMAs will be written to advising them of the proposed declaration and that the Detailed Assessment report will be available on the Council’s website to view. There are 100 residences in the proposed Parrock Street AQMA and 15 residences in the proposed Echo Junction AQMA.
4.3 Contiguous local authorities and various statutory consultees e.g. Environment Agency, Highways Agency, Kent County Council etc will be consulted at the same time as the residents.
4.4 The statutory consultation process, as detailed below, will commence in September/October of 2009, and will be in consultation with the council’s Public Relations Team.
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4.5 All consultations will invite comments which will be considered accordingly prior to final approval under delegated powers by the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Environment and the subsequent sealing of the Air Quality Management Orders.
5. Action Plans
5.1 Following the declaration of the Air Quality Management Areas in accordance with section 2.4 of this report, it will within twelve to eighteen months, be necessary for the council to produce an Action Plan to work towards reducing the predicted exceedences of the Air Quality Objectives in the new areas.
5.2 Confirmation will be sought from Defra as to whether it is considered sufficient that the additional AQMAs be included in the existing Action Plan for the Urban Traffic AQMAs during a review of that Action Plan rather than create an additional Action Plan for the new AQMAs.
5.3 As with the other three urban junction AQMAs the responsibility for the actions lie within the remit of Kent County Highways as they implement local transport initiatives which may reduce such exceedences.
6. Financial Implications
6.1 The cost of the public consultation, production of the Action Plan, the implementation of the actions the council is responsible for and the continued monitoring in the areas of (a) The Street/Wrotham Road Junction, Meopham and (b) the B2175 through Northfleet will be financed from within existing budgets.
6.2 The cost of the implementation of the direct actions within the associated Action Plan will primarily be the responsibility of Kent County Council’s Highway Services.
6.3 In order to enhance the existing data a comprehensive traffic count of the Echo Square Junction will be under taken early in 2010 by traffic management consultants, Jacobs. An Air Quality Grant of £3600 has already been obtained from Defra to fund this piece of work.
7. Corporate Plan
7.1 Monitoring, review and assessment of air quality links to the following goals in the Corporate Plan:
7.1.1 Envirocrime (1.2)
7.1.2 To deliver environmental excellence (1.3)
7.1.3 Promote Air Quality (1.4 )
7.1.4 Provide Excellent Regulatory Services (1.6)
7.1.5 Deliver sustainable high quality built and green environment (5.2)
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8. Risk Assessment
8.1 Not declaring the new AQMAs would lead to the failure to carry out statutory duties as required by the Environment Act 1995.
8.2 The recent Rogers Review, ‘National enforcement priorities for local authority regulatory services,’ identifies air quality as one of 6 national enforcement priorities. It is likely that there will be increasing central government interest in local authority activities relating to air quality and particularly now that National Indicator 194 – Air Quality (emissions from the Council’s own operations) is in place.
9. Crime and Disorder Act 1988 – Section 17 Implications
9.1 There are no direct links with the declaration of AQMAs and crime and disorder.
10. Equality Implications
10.1 The Environment Act 1995 is fully inclusive and affects all people equally. The public consultation includes all residents within the proposed AQMAs and interested business groups as well as the general public via the council’s website.
Background Papers
Environment Act 1995 Air Quality Regulations 2000 Air Quality (Amendment) Regulations 2002 Local Air Quality Management Policy Guidance LAQM PG(03) Defra Local Air Quality Management Policy Guidance LAQM PG(09) Defra Local Air Quality Management Detailed Assessment May 2009
The background papers are kept on the 3 rd floor of the Civic Centre. All requests to inspect the above documents must be directed in the first instance to the Committee Section.
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Appendix 1
Map 1: Parrock Street AQMA
Map 2: Echo Junction AQMA
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 21 Agenda Item 7
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 1 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Housing and Environment)
Subject: Update on Environment Work
Purpose and summary of report: To inform members of the work carried out to date and work proposed on the new environment agenda.
Recommendations: To agree the actions outlined in the report and appendix B and C of this report.
1. Introduction
1.1 There are two strands of work being undertaken to respond to the environment agenda. At a strategic level Gravesham is working with Kent county council as the lead partner authority and at a local level officers have developed a series of action plans to deal with performance indicators and good practice.
1.2 Also there is a strategic working group which consists of the portfolio holder for environment, director of housing and environment, director business, assistant director communities and the County environment manager. This groups is the conduit between the strategic partnership work and the local action plan work.
2. County Work
2.1 The director, housing and environment has a place on the County wide climate change board. The climate change board has members from Local Authorities, The Environment Agency, and Business Link, Kent. This group is setting the direction for steering work to achieve NI 186 and NI 188, and work plan is currently being formulated for this group.
2.2 A key line of work in this area is the Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP); members will remember a report to cabinet 9 February 2009, where Gravesham agreed to work with County in the development of the profile. Work so far on this project has progressed apace and we are expecting our profile to be complete later this year. The profile is eagerly awaited and will, as reported in February, inform the provision of services in the future while also allowing focused business continuity planning to take place against projected weather impacts. A series of Page 22
seminars, workshops and training sessions are being arranged for the autumn and the LCLIP is expected to be ready by late 2009.
2.3 Further, the strategic Kent environment strategy is currently being re-written; this piece of work will impact greatly on the work of the borough and the strategy is keenly anticipated. The strategy was first produced in 2003; the new strategy will build on the old one and will be a Kent Partnership owned and lead document. The strategy will have three streams: Combating climate change, valuing our natural and living environments and living within out environmental limits. Gravesham will use this strategy, like it does with the county wide waste strategy, to inform it’s local action plans aimed to deliver the actions on the ground within the borough but feeding into more ‘global’ objectives.
2.4 The Kent Waste Strategy is also undergoing a ‘refresh’ and programmed to be reviewed form Autumn 2009. This piece of work forms part of the Kent Waste Partnership programme of work.
3. Gravesham Work
3.1 Members will remember that our more ‘local’ work was divided broadly into six themes around the environment with lead officers for each, listed below is an outline of some of the work which has been carried out over recent months:
3.1.1 Waste – Stuart Alford,
Gravesham has signed up to the joint Kent Action Plan. A lot of work has been carried out this year to try to increase recycling and minimise waste. A recent audit of recycling collected at the kerbside by the council showed a contamination rate of under 1%. This shows that residents are using the kerbside collection correctly and that the crews are checking for contamination on the kerbside.
A recent participation survey was undertaken in Singlewell ward where a team calculated the number of residents using the kerbside collection. A door knocking exercise was then undertaken to those who were not participating where information was given to residents and questions asked about the service. A second participation survey is now underway to measure whether the door knocking exercise had any effect. We are still awaiting results.
Other Kent Waste Partnership wide work has included a Love Food Hate Waste campaign to encourage people not to waste food, this is a county wide promotion which has gained national recognition. On average every household wastes food to the average value of £50 per month. There has been work carried out on trying to reuse bulky furniture instead of landfilling it. The recycling of bulky waste is a high priority for GBC and officers are working with County to move this forward.
Performance on street cleaning is improving year on year. Also Gravesham’s performance in 08/09 has bettered the KA2 targets.
Gravesham is also performing well on flytipping (NI 196) where the score for 08/09 was very effective. This shows that the council has reduced flytipping and increased enforcement. This has been shown by four
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successful cases going to court over the past 9 months with another 7 cases currently under investigation.
3.1.2 Water/Planning – Geoff Baker/Alan Kew
Officer level comments have been sent back to the Environment Agency on the Thames River Basin Management Plan.
Officer level comments have also been prepared on the Thames Estuary 2100 consultation, the Environment Agency project that considers how flood risk will be managed on and around the tidal Thames for the next century.
The Kent Thameside Eco-Study is a DCLG funded study that looks at the carbon footprint of Kent Thameside, the ways in which this can be reduced over time, and how renewable energy might be generated in this area.
Stages 2 and 3 of the study (to be completed by early 2010) will move on to consider how a strategy might be implemented on the ground.
The development of a local open space strategy has begun, and work to date had been reviewed and external consultants paid for by Sport England had highlighted weaknesses in terms of the qualitative and accessibility component. To ensure that the work is complaint with Planning Policy Guidance note 17 this needs to be addressed and is being done by officers in planning.
3.1.3 Biodiversity – Rob Newman
Work is underway with the Kent Wildlife trust, an open spaces audit has identified areas which can be set aside and officers are working with partners to deliver more areas of biodiversity wherever possible.
3.1.4 Air Quality – Debbie Wilders
Addressing CO2 and Air Quality emissions from our own operations is a new avenue for the council. The mandatory return was submitted to KCC on time however following no response from KCC to our request for clarification with regards target setting it was submitted with 0% entered as the BAU (business as usual), 0% as the target reduction for stationary sources ie buildings and 0% as the target reduction for transportation. This needs to be updated as to what our real targets are and what it is predicted the BAU will be, however, at this stage we are not aware of how these figures are calculated. Dartford for example used the figures the Carbon Trust calculated for them ie 35% reduction across the board. Michelle is pursuing this matter with the audit commission. There will be further updates to cabinet on this issue via the performance reports.
The council’s Air Quality Action Plans and Air Quality Strategy continue to be implemented and whilst not directly aiming to do so may benefit carbon dioxide emissions generally across the whole borough.
It is important that actions taken to reduce carbon emissions are done so with complete regard to air quality emissions as one may not always benefit the other, for example, the use of biomass boilers reduce
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emissions of carbon dioxide however they increase emissions of particulates thus impacting on local air quality.
3.1.5 Climate/Carbon – Cheryl Russell/John Miller
The LCLIP (Local Climate Impacts Profile) is being led by Kent County Council. The purpose of the project is to look at the impacts of previous severe weather patterns and analyse what affect these impacts had on authorities in terms of resources, availability of service etc. The aim is to then utilise the climate projections to ensure there is a plan in place for the possibility of those weather patterns happening again and to enable authorities to mitigate the effects of these weather patterns.
So far, the council has completed a media trawl whereby officers have looked at previous newspaper articles etc. to analyse the impact of weather on the borough over the past few years. Now officers are completing more in-depth interviews with officers to get further details about the impact of the weather patterns.
There are other areas of work that need to be completed for NI 188 along with the LCLIP, with the aim of achieving Level 3 by March 2011, outlined at appendix B.
The council has had a carbon audit carried out by the carbon trust and we are working to deliver their recommendations. Once completed the council’s carbon footprint will be remeasured.
3.1.6 Fuel Poverty – Mick Maynard/Colin Talboys
NI 187 - Fuel Poverty - Gravesham Housing etc have invested in energy saving measures for some considerable time. Loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and double glazing has been installed where possible.
The average SAP rating of the housing stock has risen from 55 to 72 in seven years. All the cost effective energy saving measures have already been carried out, officers are now dealing in the smaller important margins.
The reduction of energy use with the housing stock helps reduce the cost of heating and assists those in Fuel Poverty. The current main area of energy improvements is the installation of energy and emission efficient boilers, this also forms part of our Decent Homes Programme. We aim to install a further 360 efficient boilers in 2009/10.
3.2 Attached at appendix A is a list of examples of smart outputs achieved over the last months, where attached at appendix B and C are action plans of future work, (which are added to as actions are identified).
4. Conclusion
4.1 Over the next several months the Kent Environment Strategy and the LCLIP will be developed which will lead to further actions being identified and delivery plans will be formulated. When the plans are developed they will be taken to cabinet for approval.
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Appendix A - Actions to date
Subject Action Results
Carbon footprint Asset Management Improvements at Civic Centre enabled. and Climate Change Water treatment - lower water temperatures, plus infra-red Prevents water wastage, is safer from an Environmental sensors on taps. health perspective and has significantly lower energy use. Air conditioning – removal of stand alone systems Reduced energy use. new ventilation fans now invertor driven.
Lighting - low energy lighting installed. Reduced energy use impacting on the council’s carbon
footprint. Page 25
Furniture - new furniture has 100% recyclable components. When furniture is at it’s end of life it can be recycled instead of land filled.
Waste Paper - confidential waste now recycled. Reduced waste to land fill.
Hand dryers - paper towels replaced with Dyson Air Blade Hand dryers are 97% more efficient than paper towels hand driers. (97% more efficient). and they reduce energy use and waste to land fill.
Water Coolers - now mains fed where possible (i.e. not This is more sustainable in terms of transport miles and bottled) more sustainable in terms of transport miles and there is a budget saving. cheaper. Test vehicles are getting improved mileage which is Fuel extender has been added to fuel on a trial basis. having an impact on fuel use, and the council’s carbon footprint. Full results will not be collected for another 3 months.
Programme of energy efficiency up to date for insulation, energy SAP rate of council stock is 72 (was 55 6 years ago) saving, double glazing, loft and cavity wall insulation. reducing fuel poverty by reducing fuel consumption
With partners delivered 664 energy efficiency measures to Increased knowledge and understanding of the wider approximately 449 homes. population especially vulnerable households of energy efficient measures and available resources, ultimately leading to a reduction in energy use and fuel poverty.
Energy efficiency event on 1 July for partners to promote Improve awareness of energy efficient measures Warmfront grants. including grants and relative costings.
Run energy efficiency stands at public events:- KA2 targets of 1% improvement should be achievable for GBC stock. Big Day out The o/a target including the public sector will be Page 26 Gravesend Children’s Day challenging and difficult to measure.
Kent County Show
Attend schools and colleges
Advise Landlords at Landlords’ Forums. Targeting the private rented sector should provide the greatest accessibility to vulnerable groups.
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Appendix B – Action plan for future work
Subject Action How / Why By When Climate Training to be undertaken of the relevant officers for To understand the impacts of climate change, November 2009 Change the use of the UKCP09 (UK Climate Profiles 2009). understand the associated threats and To be led by Kent County Council with District opportunities and incorporate into risks, involvement as required. actions and plans. No specific deadline – Adaptation workshop training to be undertaken with To ensure that all senior management fully KCC would facilitate the district councils as required. The purpose of the understand the importance of climate change session and should be workshop is to engage senior managers across and are able to look at actions specifically completed by the end of service areas with the aim of aiding delivery of relating to their service areas in adapting to “ the 2009-10 financial year. adaptation changes. climate change. This ties in with one of the actions for achieving level 1 in the KCC overall action plan in relation to raising
awareness for senior managers – needs to be Page 27 completed during 2009-10 financial year. A full publicity and promotion campaign is Ensure that the authorities commitment to August 2009 being arranged with partners and the council’s addressing climate change is displayed on the website. authorities public-facing website (e.g. by refreshing (this is the date in the NI
Nottingham Declaration statements and incorporating 188 delivery plan but “ the partnership approach). could slip to coincide with the new website) LCLIP will inform GBC of weather patterns. Utilise the LCLIP outputs and UKCP09 projections to January 2010 “ risk assess services in relation to climate change within the organisation and identify priority actions. This is being done by the performance team Ensure climate change adaptation is incorporated December 2009 “ but will be more meaningful when LCLIP is into the council’s standard risk-assessment complete. processes.
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To ensure that a focus on climate change is Ensure climate change adaptation is incorporated March 2010 “ maintained through all business documents into the council’s 2010/11 business plans / business and will tie-in with the adaptation workshops continuity plans and risk registers. from KCC. This will evolve from work carried out in Develop adaptation action plan (Nottingham May 2010 “ partnership with our lead partners. Declaration Action Pack can provide tools for development). This will evolve from work carried out in Resource needs for the adaptive actions identified to September 2010 “ partnership with our lead partners and will be discussed at leads' meeting and partnership allow the council and partners to identify what projects to be identified. resources are required it ensure they are built in budgets. A publicity and promotion campaign currently
Ensure any adaptation projects are reported within On-going Page 28 “ being designed with partners and the council’s the local media to maintain profile. Media Team. Waste NI 191 – Residual household waste collected per Work with Kent Waste Partnership to reduce March 2010 household waste collected and develop new markets for NI 192 - % of household waste recycled and recycling. composted.
Increase recycling percentage to 30% Work with Kent Waste Partnership to review March 2010 Outcome : The council will be moving to the 40% and further implement Kent Waste Strategy national target and helping the KWP to achieve this Oct 2009 target. Explore feasibility of a green waste collection.
Source new areas for recycling bring sites. Oct 2009
Undertake surveys to monitor participation. Completed July 2009
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“ NI195 – % of areas falling below an appropriate Ensure that schedules are followed and work Ongoing standard (litter, detritus, graffiti, flyposting). is completed within timescale.
Decrease % of areas graded below a B for litter, Remove graffiti within targeted timescales. Ongoing – reviewed Detritus, graffiti and flyposting. monthly
Outcome :Cleaner borough leading to higher Remove flyposting on a daily basis or as Ongoing – reviewed satisfaction. reported. monthly
Increase amount of publicity on street December 2009 cleansing.
NI196 – Improved street and environmental Increase enforcement. Ongoing cleanliness. “ KWP Workstreams Page 29 1. Maximise the public’s use of existing waste and Public participation and is maximised to Ongoing recycling services. achieve high returns.
2. Deliver the service improvement plans and inter Joint working between KCC and district Ongoing authority agreements. councils to deliver high quality services that provide best value for taxpayers funds.
3. Delivery of business cases for two tier delivery. Deliver better outcomes for Kent taxpayer by working together in better ways to put in place Ongoing the most effective waste disposal/collection infrastructure.
4. Making the most of joint procurement Work together to secure the financial Ongoing opportunities. environmental and social benefits that can be gained from creating and pursuing joint procurement opportunities.
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5. Kent Waste Strategy Carry out a major exercise to review the Ongoing current strategy to ensure it meets current requirements and targets Energy Achieve level 2 of Carbon Trusts recommendations A more structured approach to “housekeeping” Dec 2009 Poverty on energy savings within Civic Centre - mainly good and change of culture. Use of energy housekeeping and organisational change issues. “champions”/Reduction in energy consumption/spend and carbon footprint.
Investigate and report on electric billing/monitoring Energy targeting and monitoring/current through LASER. inability to target energy useage and cost of Dec 2009 manual invoices. Compliance with NI 185 and subsequent carbon trading issues.
Page 30 Investigate and report on potential for renewables on Working with Partnerships for Renewables on council owned land/buildings (wind/solar). wind and sundog energy on solar./To ensure Dec 2009 no missed opportunities for utilising renewables.
Produce Landlords Newsletter. Mailshot to be undertaken, plus distribution at November 2009 Landlords forum.
Provide grants and loans for energy efficiency Provision of financial aid via the Warmfront & Ongoing measures to vulnerable households. Coldbusters schemes.
Promote the Warmfront scheme with events for Shorne Country Park – Dartford. Gravesham 5 Sept 2009 partners and separate events for clients. & Medway Councils partnership on renewable & sustainable energy.
Attend future events as described above. Energy Savings Week October 2009
EAGER/Warmfront Community training event. Early 2010
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“ Provide grant and loan aid for energy efficiency Provision of financial aid via the Warmfront & Ongoing measures. Coldbusters schemes.
Hold 3 landlords’ forums a year (jointly with Dartford Forums held at alternating venues of DBC & 11 March 2009 & 10 June BC). GBC to target the private rented sector with 2009 (complete) topical issues. 10 Nov 2009 Produce 2 Landlords’ Newsletters a year. Mailshot to be undertaken and distribution via November 2009 landlords forum. With partners provide energy efficiency advise. Joint working events as already described above. Last report produced Commission a survey to produce the NI 187 data Survey undertaken by Creative Environmental February 2009? Ongoing (same organisation as last year). Network (CEN) to tackle fuel poverty based on Still subject to cabinet SAP ratings. approval Design and implement the Gravesham Warm Let Final details still to be decided.
Scheme (subject to cabinet approval) so that Page 31 landlords may receive loans to implement energy efficiency measures in the private rented sector. Landlords must be accredited and tenants must be in a vulnerable group.
Install energy efficient boilers to improve SAP Gas contract. End March 2010 ratings. 360 are programmed for 09/10.
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Appendix C - Water Related Actions
Flood Risk LA Role Objective Action Target Progress Risks to Delivery Responsible Officer(s) Local To ensure that To direct development to Regulation 25 Evidence base for LDF Risks are Planning Development future development areas at least risk from consultation on comprises a Strategic primarily those Policy Section. Framework is optimally located flooding in accordance LDF Core Flood Risk Assessment related to the to minimise risk of with Sequential and Strategy & undertaken at a Kent delivery of the Geoff Baker (Lead Role) flooding from tidal, Exception Tests set out Development Thameside level. LDF in general. (Senior fluvial, pluvial, and in DCLG Planning Policy Management Modelling undertaken in However, the Planning groundwater Statement (PPS) 25. Policies DPD 2005 and currently SFRA may need Officer) sources. Nov/Dec 2009 being updated to take to be updated and account of PPS 25 sea this will have
Regulation 27 level rise predictions. resource Page 32 consultation on This will have to be implications for LDF Core reviewed with Planning Policy Strategy & publication of on-going budget. This risk Development UKCIP figures. is low as cost is Management normally shared Policies DPD Completed Water Cycle between August - October Strategy study will also GBC/DBC/KTS. 2010 establish potential for Sustainable Urban LDF Core Drainage Systems Strategy adoption (SUDS). August 2011.
Development To ensure that To ensure that all That no planning Evaluation of proposals Risks related Development Control proposed planning applications applications be in the light of PPS25 primarily to Control development set out requiring a formal Flood permitted contrary and relevant policy is an resources Section (Lead Role) in planning Risk Assessment have to PPS25 and on-going process. necessary to applications one; that the relevant policy on substantiate Clive Gilbert complies with the Environment Agency is flood risk – in Monitoring via Annual refusal of (Development PPS25 Sequential consulted as per their particular that no Monitoring Report and planning Control and Exception Tests standing guidance; that applications be Environment permission on Manager)
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and that flood risk is proposals are evaluated permitted contrary Agency/DEFRA High flood risk mitigated and in accordance with the to an Level Target 5 & NI189. grounds. GBC managed as approach set out in Environment would need to appropriate. PPS25 and relevant Agency objection. Potential for SUDS and rely on EA policy; and that all control of surface water support and applications the LPA is run-off also a material commission considering to permit consideration in expert witnesses. contrary to EA objections decision making process Risk is low as are referred to the as highlighted by the Pitt process should Secretary of State as per Review. be manageable Circular 02/2009 and the within budgets. Regulations. Improvement of To ensure that tidal To provide input into the Environment GBC Officers have been Delivery of Planning Flood Defences in flood defences Environment Agency Agency has liaising with TE2100 TE2100 is the Policy Section. light of climate remain fit for Thames Estuary 2100 undertaken final team at the Environment responsibility of change purpose into the (TE2100) and to ensure consultation on Agency on the Environment Geoff Baker predictions. foreseeable future that flood defences are TE2100 project development of options. Agency/DEFRA (Senior
and to provide upgraded to take and intends to with limited input Planning Page 33 (Support Role, with protection account of climate submit report to Comments sent on 2008 and resource Officer) Environment change impacts as Government in consultation, as agreed implications for Agency Lead) necessary when major early 2010. by GBC Leader and GBC. schemes are brought delegated decision forward. reported to Cabinet. Negotiations on delivery of flood Thames Estuary defence Partnership event held improvements as at Civic Centre and part of Towncentric in July development of 2008 as part of major riverside consultation process. sites is covered by Development Officer level response to Control function in latest consultation sent discussion with July 2009. EA.
Requirements in terms Risk is low as of flood defence process should enhancement on major be manageable development sites within budgets.
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agreed on a case by case basis in discussion Potential to with Environment develop formal Agency. riverside strategy in conjunction with EA and regeneration partners as a result of TE2100 work. Resource implications not yet known. Management of To ensure that the On-going liaison to On-going work Regular meetings now Working Gravesham Flood Risk – structures are in ensure that various stream. held between relationships with Services Organisational place to maintain partners understand and KCC/GBC/DBC/EA/KCC partners now very
efficient co- fulfil their roles during a Implications of Emergency Planning good but Rob Newman Page 34 (Lead Role under operation between flood event to minimise Pitt Review to be and others to inspect implementation of (Projects and Civil Contingencies the various parties residual risk and to deal considered and and review flood recommendations Policy Act, working in with responsibility with any emergency inputted into defences and work on depends to a Manager) partnership with for the management situation which might Flood Risk potential areas of risk. large extent on KCC/ DBC/ of flood risk and arise. Management Flood risk gate closure EA resources for + Environment emergency Plans and exercise conducted in repair of Agency/Emergency planning. development of 2008. Work here also defences/gate Regeneration Services etc) planning policy links to KCC Flood Risk telemetry. GBC Section Group at higher level involvement at and development of the organisational Alan Kew Kent wide flood risk level largely (Projects planning. restricted to Engineer/Flood participation in Defence meetings, site Officer) inspections, and emergency planning. Management of To ensure that flood To fulfil role under On-going work GBC Officers have been Because tidal Regeneration Flood Risk - gates are closed County of Kent Act 1980 stream – target to working with partners as flood events are Section Operational during a tidal flood in relation to the ensure that all set out above to test rare (current surge and to work monitoring and closure gates in flood operational defences are Alan Kew (Lead Role under with EA/KCC/KCC of gates in flood defences are effectiveness of gate designed to deal (Projects County of Kent Act Emergency defences during a tidal closed during a closure process. Such with a 1 in 1,000 Engineer/Flood
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1980, acting with Planning/Emergency flood event and to work tidal flood event exercises will need to be year return period Defence others) Services to monitor with others as necessary to avoid risk to life repeated to ensure that flood until 2030) Officer) and manage to manage situation and property. physical infrastructure there is the residual risks. arising. and human resources potential to are kept in readiness for downgrade the what is by definition a importance of rare event. maintaining a constant state of An additional readiness. The workstream that needs weak link in any to be undertaken relates flood defence to the identifying the management location and condition of regime is the openings such as inability to sewers and drains respond when through the structural such a rare event defences. Resource occurs. Not
implications of this allocating Page 35 needs to be understood sufficient as it links to resources to train development of Surface staff and have Water Management sufficient Plan. numbers of people to respond to such an event represents a high risk. Water Resources Local To ensure that there To review water Regulation 25 The overall impact of The work Planning Development is a strategic match resource availability to consultation on water consumption undertaken to Policy Section. Framework between planned support development in LDF Core needs to be considered date has been development and line with emerging South Strategy & over a wide area given extensive and all Geoff Baker (Lead Role) the water resources East Plan requirements, Development Kent Thameside is supports the view (Senior available to serve it. in line with the Water Management served by both Southern that there will be Planning Companies’ Water Policies DPD Water (Kent Medway sufficient water Officer) Resource management Nov/Dec 2009 WRZ) and Thames resources to Plans, taking into Water (London WRZ). support the level account climate change Regulation 27 This has been looked at of development
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impacts and consultation on in some detail by the proposed on Kent environmental LDF Core Water Resources South Thameside. The constraints. Strategy & East Group (WRSE) Water Development which has concluded Companies’ Management that sufficient water is WRMPs confirm Policies DPD available to serve this over a longer August - October existing and future period than the 2010 development as set out emerging SE Plan in the emerging South hence it would be LDF Core East Plan, provided that logical to assume Strategy adoption there is an improvement that the August 2011. in infrastructure and conclusions are water consumption is robust – managed. A similar particularly as position is set out in the they are more
Water Companies’ conservative in Page 36 Water Resource terms of the Management Plans ability to achieve (WRMPs) which look low levels of per ahead to 2035. The capita water above position in consumption. relation to adequacy of Delivery of water potable water resources resources appear has been confirmed by to be contingent the Kent Thameside upon a major new water Cycle Strategy. reservoir at Abingdon (Thames Water London WRZ) and maintaining levels of abstraction from local aquifers (Southern Water Kent Medway WRZ). However, risk here is considered to be low given
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identified headroom through to 2026. Water Efficiency – To ensure that the To review water Regulation 25 The basis of control of As main controls Planning Third Parties Borough Council consumption standards consultation on water consumption in are being applied Policy Section. (Planning) promotes and to be applied to new LDF Core relation to new centrally, it is achieves water residential and Strategy & development is likely to local Geoff Baker (Lead Role) efficiency in its own commercial properties Development come through changes circumstances (Senior activities and in the through the emerging Management to Building Regulations that will dictate Planning activities of others Local Development Policies DPD and the introduction of the need for more Officer) where possible, Framework/Development Nov/Dec 2009 the Code for onerous pursuant to its Control Sustainable Homes standards or the obligations under Regulation 27 (CSH). ability to bring s.83 of the Water consultation on forward exemplar + Act 2003. LDF Core The emerging Local projects. Strategy & Development Development Development Framework will draw This will be Control
Management upon evidence provided considered Section Page 37 Policies DPD by the Water Cycle through the LDF August - October Strategy study to process and Clive Gilbert 2010 identify whether there is through (Development a need to go beyond the Development Control LDF Core standards set out in Control on a case Manager) Strategy adoption Building Regulations. It by case basis. August 2011. is likely that a water consumption standard Because the + in the interim, equivalent to CSH level Water Cycle negotiations on 3 – 4 will be promoted Strategy study planning for residential has been applications development and a completed, through the BREEAM Excellent resource Development standard for non- implications are Control system. residential development. low.
Consideration of whether there are opportunities to bring forward exemplar projects to a higher
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standard will be considered on a site by site basis. Page 38
Water Efficiency – To promote water Establishment of New work stream – Once set up, Lead would Third Parties efficiency in existing joint working with nothing done to date. resource need to be (Promotion) private properties Environment implications identified if this through joint working Agency + Water should be was taken (Lead and Support with the Environment Companies to minimal, simply forward. Role) Agency, Water agree ways in servicing weblinks Companies and others. which GBC can and ensuring facilitate promotional promotion of material is kept water efficiency up to date. (Date) Would be desirable to have Set up web page some form of + hyperlinks on monitoring regime GBC website in place to see (Date) what take up of water efficiency
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Make promotional measures are as material available a result of at all GBC public initiative. outlets. (Date) However, necessary to Promote water identify initial efficiency through resources to take business this forward. partnerships/town centre management scheme. (Date) Water Efficiency – To review water use in Review and Are GBC Property GBC could be Lead would GBC Corporate existing GBC corporate Action Plan Services already open to criticism if need to be Properties properties; to identify formulation undertaking work in this it is not seen to identified if
potential efficiency (Date) area – if so what is be managing its this was taken Page 39 (Lead Role) measures and their cost- current situation? own water use forward. effectiveness; and to set Further target when promoting out an Action Plan dates to be water efficiency in added once others. Whilst Action Plan in there are place. resource Water Efficiency – To review water use in Review and Are Gravesham implications in Lead would GBC Operations existing GBC operations; Action Plan Services already terms of need to be to identify potential formulation undertaking work in this undertaking a identified if efficiency measures and (Date) area – if so what is review, this was taken their cost-effectiveness; current situation? developing an forward. and to set out an Action Further target Action Plan and Plan dates to be implementing it, added once benefits may Action Plan in accrue through place. reduced cost of supply. Water Efficiency – To review the potential Review and Are Gravesham Housing Retrofitting Lead would Gravesham for water efficiency Action Plan already undertaking existing GBC need to be Housing through the retrofitting of formulation work in this area to Housing Stock to identified if existing housing stock; (Date) complement work on modern standards this was taken
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the cost-effectiveness of thermal efficiency – if so could result in forward. such measures; and to Further target what is the current considerable set out an Action Plan. dates to be situation? water and carbon added once savings per Action Plan in annum and place. provide additional supply headroom in the longer term. As Southern Water also intend to introduce compulsory metering over the period 2010- 15 as part of their
WRMP, Page 40 retrofitting would also assist in the management of potential ‘water poverty’. However, a source of funding would need to be identified both for the initial study work and for capital improvements. Water Quality Local To ensure that the To ensure that the Regulation 25 Environment Agency Whilst GBC has a Planning Development Borough Council spatial planning of the consultation on work on Thames River lead role in terms Policy Section. Framework contributes area, set out through the LDF Core Basin Management Plan of preparing and positively toward the emerging LDF, is Strategy & (RBMP) on-going and submitting the Geoff Baker (Lead Role) achievement of compatible with and Development officer level comments LDF for approval, (Senior objectives under the supports the Management have been sent on latest primary Planning EC Water achievement of water Policies DPD consultation. Thames responsibility on Officer) Framework Directive quality objectives Nov/Dec 2009 RBMP will establish the the EC Water
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and protects surface established by the baseline for Good Water Framework water, groundwater Environment Agency as Regulation 27 Quality (both chemical Directive lies with and important overall lead on EC Water consultation on and ecological) that will the Environment aquifers from Framework Directive LDF Core inform EA Action Plans. Agency. pollution both in through the Thames Strategy & . terms of its own River Basin Development Implications for activities and, where Management Plan. Management GBC are it has jurisdiction, Policies DPD therefore limited from the activities of August - October in terms of others. 2010 resources as this will need to be LDF Core taken into Strategy adoption consideration August 2011. through the LDF and the associated Sustainability
Appraisal. Page 41 Development To ensure that all That no Development Control GBC role is Development Control applications for planning application be issues relating to water limited and it is Control permission are evaluated permitted where it quality will normally anticipated that Section (Lead Role) in terms of their impact is subject to an arise on a case by case the Environment on the water outstanding basis due either to the Agency would Clive Gilbert environment and that the objection on nature of the use to be normally lead in (Development Environment Agency are water quality permitted and its objecting to Control consulted as necessary. grounds. proximity to a sensitive proposals on Manager) receptor or because of such grounds. existing ground This aspect is not conditions and the likely therefore to potential of the proposal add to officer to mitigate or workloads or exacerbate the site’s expose GBC to impact. risk. Water Quality - To ensure that Review and Are GBC Property GBC could be Lead would GBC Corporate discharges from GBC Action Plan Services already open to criticism if need to be Properties properties do not have Formulation undertaking work in this it is harming the identified if an unacceptable impact area – if so what is water this was taken (Lead Role) on the water (Date) current situation? environment forward. environment. whilst seeking to
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bring under control the activities of others. Water Quality – To ensure that Review and Are Gravesham GBC could be Lead would GBC Operations discharges resulting from Action Plan Services already open to criticism if need to be GBC operational Formulation undertaking work in this it is harming the identified if (Lead Role) activities do not have an area – if so what is water this was taken unacceptable impact on (Date) current situation? environment forward. the water environment. whilst seeking to bring under control the activities of others. Contaminated To ensure that risks To evaluate potentially To further GBC Environmental Review of sites Environmental
Land – pollution to human health and contaminated sites within evaluate sites in Health review sites in under the Health Section Page 42 of controlled pollution of the Borough Council the light of the relation to the powers Environmental waters controlled waters area in terms the risk legislation as vested in them under Protection Act INSERT LEAD from contaminated they pose to sensitive resources permit Part IIA of the 1990, in co- OFFICER (Lead Role, land are managed receptors (including and to liaise with Environmental operation with the working in and/or mitigated ground and surface the Environment Protection Act 1990. In Environment conjunction with through the waters) and to determine Agency on the terms of groundwater, Agency, is an the Environment application of whether they should be need to take whilst the LA would be established LA Agency) powers under Part declared under Part IIA further action. the enforcing authority, role. Work is IIA of the of the Environmental investigation of incidents therefore on- Environmental Protection Act 1990 and (Ongoing) would be undertaken by going within the Protection Act 1990. be subject to mitigation. the Environment limits of existing Agency. Government resources. policy on contamination is that potential Risk is low as contamination should in process should the first instance be be manageable dealt with by the within budgets. landowner/occupier (Check with S. voluntarily and/or by Kilkie on this) regeneration of the site rather than through the statutory procedure.
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Water Quality – To respond to To maintain the Oil and To build up a The Oil & Chemical Spill Primarily related Alan Kew Control of oil and reports of coastal oil Chemical Spill Response trained team of Response Plan has to shortfall in (Oil Pollution other pollution pollution. To deal Plan and ensure that all Beachmasters been completed and human resources. Officer) Incidents with the clean up responders understand from Operational incorporated in to the and dispose of oil their roles in the plan. Services. Major Emergency Plan. (Lead Role) waste up in minor oil To provide training for all Training is being and chemical spills personnel. organised for along the tidal beachmasters and for foreshore as management staff appropriate. involved in To respond as contingency planning above to medium and oil spill response. sized spills in partnership with Kent County Council. To respond as Page 43 above to major oil spills in partnership with Kent County Council and the Maritime Coastguard Agency. To manage the pollution threat to the ecological assets along the foreshore
F:\Cheryl Shared\Reports\Cabinet Reports - 2009\Update on Environment Work (Sept 09).doc
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 45 Agenda Item 8
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Communities)
Subject: Youth Portfolio
Purpose and summary of report: To report on the progress achieved in engaging with our Youth in the Borough and to scope out future activities Recommendations: That Cabinet endorse the content of the report and support the future direction.
1. Background
1.1 In May 2009, following a re-structure of Cabinet a portfolio for Youth was created and a new Cabinet Member was appointed. The rationale behind this move was due to it being recognised that young people represent the Boroughs future, and that future is influenced by the environment in which young people develop.
1.2 Here at Gravesham, we are fortunate to live in an area with a wide range of resources available to young people. However, assessments of current provision have identified some youth issues that need to be addressed. This has been a subject for concern and debate at all levels in recent years.
1.3 In 2007 the Dartford and Gravesham Youth Strategy was produced (see Appendix 1) and followed the principles of the Every Child Matters framework, The Children Act 2004 and the Youth Matters Green Paper were all reflected in the strategy. The strategy was structured around the five priority themes of the Every Child Matters framework, which are:-
Being Healthy
Staying Safe
Enjoying and Achieving
Making a positive contribution
Achieving economic well-being
The strategy also had an additional theme to address cross cutting issues.
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1.4 In 2008 the Gravesham Public Safety Unit completed a Young People’s Community Safety Survey (Gravesham) to seek the opinion of young people on what they felt to be key issues relating to crime, community safety and associated anti-social behaviour. Part of this survey asked respondents a very open-ended question about what other facilities they would like to see. Although not all respondents specified any further facilities they would like to see in the Borough, the 681 respondents who did provided a very comprehensive list. Consideration was given to the top six most cited suggestions. Some of the suggestions were not for new facilities but improvements to existing facilities or their expansion.
1.5 The continued popularity of sport was very apparent and 130 respondents or 19% of those who provided suggestions wanted to see most sports pitches and courts for a range of activities e.g. more football pitches, tennis courts, netball and basketball courts etc.
1.6 Perhaps surprisingly, the second often mentioned ‘want’ was clean toilets and more public toilets. 72 respondents or 10.5% of those making suggestions wanted to see more of those facilities and felt that existing provision was inadequate.
1.7 54 respondents or 8% wanted to see more adventure parks (i.e. with more adventure equipment e.g. climbing walls, ramps etc) and 50 respondents or 7.5% simply requested more parks and open spaces.
1.8 Respondents were also asked whether safety or threatening behaviour was an issue at any of the sites or locations they used in their spare time. Reassuringly, the majority of respondents (38.5%) felt that safety and threatening behaviour was not a problem at all and 590 respondents or 30.5% felt that those factors were only a slight problem. Therefore, the majority of young people feel reasonably safe when using council sites.
1.9 Respondents were also asked to offer their suggestions regarding what could be done to make sites safer and most welcoming.
1.10 Of the 113 respondents providing suggestions, the majority (53.5%) stated that having some kind of uniformed presence either based in, or regularly patrolling parks and open spaces, would increase safety in those locations. Other respondents suggested greater use of CCTV cameras.
2. Youth Provision and Partners
2.1 Gravesham has a range of facilities and activities that are aimed specifically for young people and a range of partners also serve the needs of young people in Gravesham. The Council has strong links with Kent County Council, Parish Councils and local schools within the borough. Those organisations provide youth activities, plus facilities such as the Northfleet Youth Centre, which is a very active club operating five nights of the week.
The local schools also provide the opportunity for young people to become actively involved in both school and youth clubs.
2.2 Partnerships provide some important local youth initiatives. For example, the County Council, District Council and PCT along with external funding jointly fund
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The Gr@nd. Although a healthy living café, they work with young people, developing an active listening service providing weekly teenage sexual health service and providing diversionary activities for younger people and continuing to focus on addressing issues of obesity, dieting, nutrition and exercise.
2.3 Important support and advisory services are also provided by, for example by social and community services, the Police, Health Authority, Citizens Advice Bureau and Youth Justice and Probation teams.
2.4 Two leisure centres in the district offer a varied programme of activities and are well used by schools and clubs, as well as young people individually. The Woodville Halls hosts regular SNAP disco’s, shows films on a monthly basis and annually hosts Gravesham has Talent and Gifted Young Gravesham to encourage a showcase for local young talent.
2.5 The St Georges Day Parade and the recent BIG GIG (part of the festival week) also had a big involvement with local schools, youth providers, the racial equality council and The Gr@nd resulting in Civic events that the town can be proud of and with very positive feedback from members of the public.
2.6 As well as providing sports pitches and courts for traditional sporting activities, the borough council also provides multi use games areas specifically for young people. Equipment can include play equipment, basketball hoops, and markings for various games. The borough also has five skateboard parks in the borough for skateboarding and in-line skating.
2.7 In addition to the public sector, the council also works in partnership with voluntary youth providers such as local sports and arts groups and conservation and environmental groups which play an important role in providing facilities and activities for young people. Uniformed groups such as the scouts, guides and cadet training corps are significant providers of organised youth activities that are both enjoyable and developmental. Many church organisations also play an important role in Gravesham. Community involvement plays a vital part in those organisations and in successful partnerships. All of those organisations are heavily dependent on the support and commitment of volunteers and partners.
2.8 Financial support is also available to support the development and range of facilities available to serve the leisure needs of the community and young people. Gravesham offers a range of grants (see Appendix 2) and also has a Community Chest offering small grants and Neighbourhood Forum grants, offering larger grants. In addition the council has a healthy budget for sport, recreation and culture.
3. What is important to young people in Gravesham
3.1 As part of the research and initial consultation it was considered important to listen to the views of young people. The Lead Member Councillor Laura Hryniewicz and officers have met with a number of young people from different backgrounds, resident in the Borough as well as a large number of professional and voluntary staff working in youth provision.
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3.2 Key Issues
3.2.1 Facilities for Young People
A common need emerged from young people in the area, in the desire to have somewhere safe and warm to meet such as informal youth clubs or drop in facilities where young people can come and go as they please.
3.2.2 Information and Advice
There is a need for improved access to information and advice on the range of local opportunities, services and sources of advice for young people. Many young people are not fully aware of the full range of opportunities available to them.
3.2.3 Leisure Activities
Leisure time and social activities are very important in the lives of young people in Gravesham. The need for opportunities to “have fun” and “do something exciting” are important. Young people are frustrated that it is not possible to attract major leisure facilities to the area (such as multi screen cinemas and theme parks). Their frustration partly reflects the difficulties they face travelling independently to facilities elsewhere in Bluewater and London. Young people often find it difficult to access leisure facilities and services due to matters of cost, distance and/or transport.
3.2.4 Transport
Young people are dependant on public transport, or on friends and relatives to get around. This issue affects young people throughout the Borough, but particularly in rural areas. There are also concerns about personal safety in relation to public transport. Inadequate public transport can isolate young people from services and activities.
3.2.5 Drugs and Alcohol
There is some concern amongst the young people regarding the use of drugs and alcohol. It was agreed that they were too easily available and there should be more control regarding the access of them. Many of the young people felt that more education and information was needed regarding the harmful effects of using drugs and alcohol.
3.2.6 Power
Young people often feel powerless and excluded from the way decisions are made, including decisions that affect them. Sometimes they are not aware of mechanisms that may be in place for them to make themselves heard or are disillusioned and unwilling to take part.
3.2.7 Respect
There is concern, especially amongst young people themselves that they are often viewed negatively by the communities in which they live. There is
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also some concern amongst young people about rivalry and conflict between different groups of young people.
4. Action for Young People
The detailed Action Plan is shown at Appendix 1, but the strategic overview for Gravesham is as follows:
4.1 Involving young people in decision making
4.1.1 This means actively involving young people in local affairs, listening to their views and routinely considering their needs. It involves:-
4.1.2 encouraging initiatives that educate young people about active citizenship
4.1.3 encouraging initiatives that increase young people’s participation in local affairs and decision making
4.1.4 encouraging appropriate service providers to consider the needs of young people when planning and delivering their services
4.1.5 encouraging service providers to become better informed about how best to consult young people.
4.2 Young people often have little say in the decisions that affect their lives. They often feel powerless and excluded from the way decisions are made including decisions that affect them directly.
4.3 Sometimes they are not aware of mechanisms that may be in place for them to make themselves heard or are disillusioned and unwilling to take part.
4.4 Actively involving young people in community matters helps young people to develop an understanding of “citizenship”. It encourages young people to develop a sense of responsibility and the skills and knowledge they will need as adults to shape the world in which they live. Work such as that undertaken by local secondary schools and the Youth Service to educate young people about citizenship is important. The Council needs to encourage the active involvement of young people in local affairs and to routinely consider their needs. It is important that we give young people an effective voice to influence the issues and service that affect them.
4.5 Improving access to advice and information
It is apparent that many young people are not aware of the facilities and services that already exist to cater for their needs. There is a need to improve the information available for young people in Gravesham about the opportunities available to them and to improve access to that information. This includes providing information on a wide range of services and opportunities, from leisure activities and public transport to advisory and counselling services.
Access to quality advice and information helps young people to be more independent and in control of their lives. It helps them to cope with the many demands and experiences they encounter as they become young adults. New technologies such as the internet offer exciting new opportunities for making information more accessible to young people. However, not all people currently
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have easy access to the internet and it is important to ensure that there is a wide range of outlets for information.
To ensure that young people and their families can easily access quality information and advice on a range of issues related to their needs. It involves:
4.5.1 encouraging the development of quality information about services and facilities for young people
4.5.2 making sources of information and advice more accessible and raising awareness of where it can be obtained
4.5.3 involving young people in the development of information and advising services
4.6 Developing services and facilities
4.6.1 This means working to increase the range and diversity of facilities, activities and services for young people in Gravesham, in response to local needs and priorities. It involves:-
4.6.2 actively planning the future development of youth services and facilities in response to identified needs and priorities
4.6.3 encouraging collaboration between providers, planning and developing services for young people in order to target resources effectively and avoid duplication
4.6.4 meeting local needs by enhancing existing provision, or where this is not possible or appropriate, developing new services and facilities
4.6.5 working to improve access to facilities and services by young people and ensuring that all young people can access the services they need regardless of gender, ethnicity, social class or any other identifying characteristics
4.6.6 raising awareness amongst young people of the facilities and services available to them
4.6.7 recognising the important role played by the voluntary sector in providing services and activities for young people and the challenges that this sector faces with regard to recruiting and supporting volunteers.
4.6.8 There are already a range of services and facilities available to young people in Gravesham. However we do have gaps in current provision and in addition some existing services and facilities are not fully utilised or may be difficult for young people to access for a variety of reasons.
4.6.9 leisure and social activities are very important in the lives of young people, but not always easy for young people to access due, for example to matters of cost, distance and/or transport
4.6.10 a consistent message from young people is the need to have “somewhere to go”, informal facilities where young people can meet and socialise in a safe environment at minimal cost. The council needs to ensure that it is
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committed to supporting the continued success of youth clubs in the borough.
4.6.11 young people rely heavily on public transport if they wish to travel independently to access services and facilities and do not always find that available services meet their needs. This is relevant throughout the Borough, but particularly in rural areas
4.6.12 there are particular locations in the Borough which are relatively disadvantaged and/or which are particularly lacking in facilities for young people.
4.6.13 volunteers play a very important role in providing many services and activities for young people. However, the voluntary sector faces challenges in recruiting volunteers and in responding to increasing legislation demands that relate to this area of work.
4.6.14 There is already work taking place in Gravesham to try and address some of these issues. In particular this has included the development of informal youth facilities, such as the programme of multi-use games areas, The Gr@nd, Play in the Park programme and skateboard parks. In order to target limited resources effectively there is a need to develop and regularly review a plan which indicates needs and priorities within Gravesham. This needs to respond to the issues identified above and involve the key agencies that work with young people in Gravesham.
4.7 Developing links with “Hard to Reach” groups
4.7.1 This means encouraging the development of initiatives and services that aim to reach those young people who are not able or not willing to participate in organised activities or who find it difficult to access the services they need. It includes:
encouraging work that identifies and meets the needs of this group
encouraging the development of non-centre based youth work and outreach services to work with “hard to reach” groups and to address their needs
4.7.2 However, there seems to be a number of young people who are unwilling or unable to taken part in organised youth activities that are available, such as youth groups or uniformed groups. This seems particularly true of those aged 14-18 and may have implications for their personal safety and well being.
4.7.4 There is a need to increase contact with young people that are “hard to reach” and to meet their needs.
4.7.5 The development of non-centre based youth work and outreach services can be important in helping to achieve this. For example, this may involve using specialist youth workers who can visit the places where young people congregate and offer support when and where needed. This has been used recently in Parrock Street Car Park. Several agencies such as the police, churches, social services, youth service and of course the
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council set to address issues that relate to hard to reach groups and multi agency working can be particularly effective in this area.
4.8 Promoting health and safety for young people
4.6.7 This means working to promote and improve the health and safety of young people in Gravesham. This involves:-
4.8.2 encouraging initiatives that promote positive, mental, physical and emotional health
4.8.3 encouraging initiatives that divert young people from crime, prosecution and custody
4.8.4 encouraging initiatives that promote a healthy and safe environment in which young people can grow and develop.
4.8.5 working in partnership with local organisations to address the needs of young people who have been victims of crime and the issue of under- reporting amongst young victims.
4.8.6 The issue of young people being linked to crime relates to both young people as offenders and young people as victims of crime. Crime involves everyone in the community whether young or old and can affect people’s lives directly or indirectly. Nationally, it is recognised that crime committed by young people accounts for almost half of all crime. However, despite the many offences committed by young people, few are serious or persistent offenders.
4.8.7 The Young People’s Community Safety Survey 2008 indicates that many young people identify the importance of the need to feel safe and to feel listened to about services which will create safety. In addition young people were particularly concerned with personal safety, theft, vandalism and drink/drug abuse.
4.8.8 A strong commitment to youth safety and health issues should continue to be encouraged. It is important to continue to encourage and promote a safe environment in which young people in partnerships with schools, youth service, the police and probationary service, the councils and it’s partners will seek to direct young people from crime and to promote a safe and healthy environment in which young people can grow and develop.
4.9 Promoting understanding and respect
4.9.1 This means promoting a constructive and positive view of young people in Gravesham and raising awareness of the issues that affect young people. It includes:
4.9.2 actively encouraging and promoting positive aspects of youth activity and initiatives within Gravesham
4.9.3 raising local awareness and understanding of youth issues
4.9.4 encouraging initiatives that seek to combat negative perceptions and break down barriers between young people and their community
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4.9.5 encouraging service providers and the community to recognise that young people represent a diverse group, with varying needs and to respond accordingly
4.9.6 There is concern that young people are often viewed negatively by the communities in which they live. This is something that particularly concerns young people themselves. However, young people make a significant and positive contribution to our community and too often it is a disruptive minority that affects the way in which young people are perceived.
4.9.7 There is a need to recognise the valuable contribution that young people make to our communities and to actively promote positive aspects of youth activity in Gravesham. There is also a need to raise awareness about the challenges they face and that young people represent a very diverse group.
4.9.8 Promoting greater understanding of young people and the issues that affect them helps communities to respond positively to their needs. Initiatives that arm to promote understanding and respect amongst young people and their communities can be positive and effective. (For example, initiatives like Bricks and Roses designed to break down barriers of perception between young people and the elderly). It is important to encourage initiatives which encourage young people to note a positive contribution to their community.
4.10 Developing partnerships and maximising resources
4.10.1 This involves:
encouraging joint working, planning and dialogue between those working for young people and sharing information and good practice.
establishing and regularly reviewing strategic priorities for youth development in Gravesham and targeting available resources accordingly.
seeking to maximise investment in Gravesham from external sources and to target those resources to strategic priorities
monitoring local youth needs and the effectiveness of youth provision
working with Kent County Council to achieve a more equitable distribution of youth service resources across Gravesham to reflect local needs
4.10.2 There are many different organisations and agencies that work with young people in Gravesham whose actions affect young people or who come into contact with young people through the delivery of their services. Whilst each organisation has its own aims and objectives there can be significant benefits from working together to achieve common goals. This can involve sharing information and valuable expertise, or combining forces to jointly plan and deliver new initiatives.
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4.10.3 There is a need to establish and regularly review priorities for youth provision in Gravesham and to involve youth agencies, providers and policy makers in this process. Encouraging joint working and planning can help to make more effective use of the limited resources available to develop youth provision. It helps to avoid duplication of provision and target resources to where they are most needed. Where appropriate, it also encourages partners to pool resources and so achieve objectives that would be unattainable if we were to cost independently. It will also help to give credibility to bids for additional resources from external agencies and grant making bodies.
5. Financial Information
5.1. In the financial year 2009/10 the Youth Portfolio was given a capital budget of £50,000. Following our consultation mechanisms and in discussion with the lead member, it is felt that the following areas would cover the widest range of youth aspirations in the Borough:
£25,000 – this is the contribution towards the match funding for the AdiZone which will be installed in the Riverside Area
£10,000 – it is proposed that this money is spent to purchase DJ and Cinema equipment which then can be used by all the youth club’s in the area. Arrangements for this will be the youth councils responsibility.
£6,000 – it is proposed that the six established youth clubs in the Borough put forward proposal for up to £1000.00 to be spent on equipment
£5,000 – it is proposed that this money it used to top up the money already raised by Meopham Parish council for the provision of a Multi use games area.
If all projects are agreed it would leave £4000.00 left in the budget.
5.2 It is also requested that consideration is given during the budget setting for 2010/11 that a revenue budget of £10,000 is given to the councils Youth Council to take forward projects.
6. Section 17 Considerations
6.1 The proposals contained within the report and action plan would significantly contribute to the authorities obligations under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act. Working positively with young people in the Borough would be a valuable tool to combating crime and anti-social behaviour.
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APPENDIX 2
2009/2010 COMMUNITY GRANTS
G052/37160 Miscellaneous Financial /Citizens Advice Bureau 118,490
G052/37162 Miscellaneous Financial /British Legion Remembran 250
G052/37164 Miscellaneous Financial /G'sham Crime Prevention 500
G052/37165 Miscellaneous Financial /G'sham Access Liaison Gr 500
G052/37166 Miscellaneous Financial /Racial Equality Council 12,350
G052/37168 Miscellaneous Financial /Grant to Asian Womens Re 5,000
G052/37169 Miscellaneous Financial /Grant to House of Mercy 3,000
G052/37170 Miscellaneous Financial /Gravesend Regatta Comm 600
G052/37172 Miscellaneous Financial /Gravesham Arts Council 8,000
G052/37173 Miscellaneous Financial /Gravesend Borough Band 1,500
G052/37175 Miscellaneous Financial /Northfleet Carnival expe 700
G052/37285 Miscellaneous Financial /Cascades Leisure Centre 84,450
G052/37286 Miscellaneous Financial /Cygnet Leisure Centre Gr 84,450
G052/37301 Miscellaneous Financial /Grant to Community Chest 5,800
G052/37302 Miscellaneous Financial /Maintenance of Phone Box 1,000
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APPENDIX 3
GRAVESHAM YOUTH ACTION PLAN
OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIONS LEAD FUNDING ACTION TO DATE BY OFFICERS OFFICER(S)
1. Involving young people To have an effective JH £10,000.00 The new Vox Box (former Youth Council in decision making Youth Council have met five times since March when it was launched. The meetings have included a team building day at Bewl Water, which took place over the national open youth weekend in July. To take part in the SH This groundbreaking initiative, which give Youth of Today young people aged 13–19 who are under councillor shadowing represented and/or disadvantaged the Page 56 programme chance to shadow their local representatives, aims to involve participants in their local democracy and provide them with the opportunity to experience leadership within their local communities. Young people living in JB A Young People’s Committee has been set Gravesham East and up as a subsidiary of Istead Rise Community Gravesham Rural Association turned out in force to An AdiZone is being installed in the Riverside have their voices heard Area following a successful bid and the use on issues that matter to of £25K of Youth Capital funding them at the DJ lessons - £2000 of funding has been neighbourhood forum requested from KCC to cover cost of meeting. equipment which will buy stated equipment, they are looking for other funding to cover the total cost of £5000. Reviewing transport from rural areas to the Woodville Halls for SNAP disco’s.
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OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIONS LEAD FUNDING ACTION TO DATE BY OFFICERS OFFICER(S)
2. Improving access to To pull together all MN/JB Scoping meeting to pull together necessary advice and information information about youth information facilities in the area to Meeting with the communications team for produce a booklet advice and ideas As part of the MN/JB Not applicable This has been agreed and the Youth Council Gravesham website to will be given responsibility for maintaining the have a section for site. youth which is run by Gravesham Youth Forum To make full use of Not applicable During the scoping meeting it was felt that a social networking such more effective communication tool would be via as Facebook and mobile phones and consideration is being given Page 57 Twitter to how text alterts could be used for this target audience. 3. Developing services and Enhancing local MN/JB Full programme of installation of Multi-use facilities provision Games areas, recent provision has been a site in Mackenzie Way and one being planned in Istead Rise. AH Upgrade of provision of equipment at Woodlands Park is currently being consulted JP/DS on, so that proposal can be taken forward AdiZone being installed at the Riverside Leisure area during the financial year, making it the first outdoor fitness equipment to be installed in Gravesham and the only AdiZone in the South East. AH/SD A 2 million pound scheme has been put in place to upgrade facilities at Cascades and Cygnet Leisure Centres, this includes a new gym at Cascades and state of the art gym equipment at both sites.
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OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIONS LEAD FUNDING ACTION TO DATE BY OFFICERS OFFICER(S)
AT A regular SNAP (Say No and Phone) Disco is now run on a regular basis at the Woodville Halls in partnership with the Youth Service and Kent Police JH/GS A successful BIG GIG was hosted as part of Gravesham Festival Week which started with a parade down to the Riverside area. Hundreds of young people were included in the carnival parade and provided the entertainment at the event. JH/KCC Gifted Young Gravesham is again being
hosted at the Woodville Halls, show-casing Page 58 talent that Gravesham has to offer. JP A Walking Festival is being organised in October with walks being organised for residents who would not normally take part in this sort of activity so – SNAP Happy Trails, Extreme Walking, Veggie Nice Walk and Apple Trail are just some that could attract a younger audience. BT Bandstand
AT Self Financing Cinema Nights – regular screenings at Woodville Halls GL The possibility of outdoor screenings in urban and rural areas is currently being investigated MN Officers actively seeking land for use by free skaters in the town centre
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OBJECTIVE KEY ACTIONS LEAD FUNDING ACTION TO DATE BY OFFICERS OFFICER(S)
4. Developing works with Develop Projects which CB/JH KDAAT Alternative High programme running in “Hard to reach groups” use innovative ways of Riverside Ward to target young people at risk engaging with young of engaging in drug taking behaviour and people who do not replacing the possible high they are seeking engage with traditional with outdoor high energy activities such as services Canoeing and Rock Climbing.
5. Promoting health and To work with partner CDRP/CSU SNAP discos now running on a regular basis; safety for young people agencies to reduce the House Project (Nov. 2008 and due to be number of young repeated in Dec. 2009); people who are victims Establishing of Youth Sub-Group (CDRP to of crime; lead CDRP/Community Safety activity To develop initiatives to relating to young people; address the under- Promoting E-safety awareness in schools to Page 59 reporting of crime by reduce opportunities for crime/bullying using young victims. the West Kent Safer Schools model (led by CDRP Youth Sub-Group); Joint work with KCC Trading Standards – test purchase operations to reduce illegal sales of alcohol and cigarettes to those underage; Joint work with Kent Police inc. ‘On the Buses’ Campaign – PCSOs on bus routes where ASB problems involving young people (as victims and offenders) had been most prevalent. Provide Health LR/ JH Primary Care Trust Weekly Sexual Health Clinic runs from the Services which are Gr@nd, where young people can acces sensitive to the needs contraceptives, advice and support. Set up of young people and and designed by young people in 2002. actively encourage Charlton Athletic Weekly Active Listening Service for young them to be more people to speak to a councillor about issues
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involved in their own Community Trust which they need address physical, mental and emotional health Explore the emotional LR/ CWD Primary Care Trust Mens mental Health worker in post Nov 08, wellbeing of young Choosing Health money Needs Assessment due for completion Nov men and what 09. The recommendations from the report to influences them in be delivered during the second year of the terms of behaviour, post choices and access to services Give Young people an CB/ JH Primary Care Trust Drugs talks take place in Secondary schools opportunity to discuss Choosing Health money across the borough. Questions they have are drugs and alcohol and submitted prior to the session and then ask questions and discussed during the lesson. Runs on a dispel myths and rolling programme as part of the drugs and
misinformation which Alcohol workers work plan at the Gr@ns Page 60 they may have.
6. Promoting To develop inter- CDRP/CSU Diversionary schemes in geographical focus understanding and generational projects areas e.g. with Charlton Athletic, Beat Project respect (inc. mediation (graffiti, arts and music programme); approaches) that bring Supervised/arranged activities during key young and older people periods when ASB may be more likely e.g. together in areas Halloween, Bonfire Night; where ASB is more Arranged youth activities e.g. Youth Club common. established in Westcourt and now looking at To continue to deliver establishing a Club for younger teenagers; diversionary activities Involving young people in a range of that reduce environmental clean-up projects e.g. litter- opportunities for young picking, clearing rubbish in focus areas such people to become as Huntley Avenue, Kings Farm. involved in ASB and to reinforce messages of respect for each other, residents and their local environments.
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To develop an initiative that addresses the negative impact of KD graffiti on neighbourhoods and encourage pride in local communities (Sept 2009-Mar 2010). Ensure the LR/ JP MLA application Bid to the Museums Libraries and Archives development of submitted put together to work in partnership with KCC projects includes libraries on the Peoples record. Part of this opportunities for project include using existing archives from different generations to the 1948 Olympics, supporting young people engage and learn from to collect further information from those who each other when they have their own memories of the event and would otherwise not collect thoughts and views on peoples have had the LR/GT aspirations of the next Olympics opportunity Work in Rural Areas in Partnership with Page 61 Extended Schools to create links between To help and dispel the the pupils in the school and the older notion that not all residents to use local knowledge of residents young people are not to bring elements of the curriculum to life. anti-social and to Gifted Young Gravesham is returning for the develop confidence second year at Woodville Halls, show-casing and inter personal skills talent that Gravesham has to offer
7. Developing partnerships To continue to develop CSU Partnership links are maximised through the and maximising joint activity with CDRP process and projects relating to young resources partner agencies. people and crime/safety are now actively led by the Youth Sub-Group. CSU also develops joint projects that are specifically targeted to geographical focus areas/crime and ASB hot spot locations e.g. joint initiatives with Miracles Youth Centre, detached youth workers, Adolescent Resource Centre, KCC
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departments such as Trading Standards, KDAAT. Working with KCC to Regular meetings to be held to ensure all achieve a more agencies are working together and no equitable distribution of duplication of effort is occurring youth service Ensuring that joining up divisional working resources across occurs and youth considerations are always Gravesham to reflect taken in to consideration when planning local needs services and provision To continue to access external funding to ensure no opportunities are missed
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Dartford and Gravesham Youth Strategy 2007-2011 Page 64 Contents 1.1 The Purpose of this Strategy 1.3 How this Strategy has been formulated contents + Section Page Across Dartford and Gravesham, young people This Strategy was created by the Dartford and 1. Introduction 1 (10-19 year olds) make up 13.4% 1 of the Gravesham Youth Sub Group.The purpose of 1.1 The Purpose of this Strategy population.They therefore form a significant part this group is to co-ordinate multi-agency introduction 1.2 The Aims of this Strategy of the local community and their well-being, service delivery for young people across 1.3 How this Strategy has been Formulated involvement in and contribution to the life of the Dartford and Gravesham. Membership of this 1.4 Equality Statement area is something that we need to continue group consists of both statutory and voluntary supporting and building upon, both now and in organisations in the local area. 2. Context 3 the future. 2.1 The National Context The group co-ordinates the delivery of the 2.2 The Local Context The Strategy became live in 2007 and has now Strategy with reference to the aims and 2.3 Dartford and Gravesham Today been running for two years.It was created to objectives of the Local Children’s Service bring together all the agencies and organisations Partnerships across Dartford and Gravesham, the 1 Actual figure 13.38% based on 3. Successes 5 working for young people in the area.In doing Dartford and Gravesham Crime & Disorder 2007 total population of 188,300 this, we have been able to identify key issues and Reduction Partnership and the Dartford and and population of 10-19 year-olds 3. Key Themes 6 work towards achieving positive outcomes for the Gravesham Local Strategic Partnership.The of 25,200 3.1 Being Healthy young people of Dartford and Gravesham, in all group intends to demonstrate how young 3.2 Staying Safe aspects of their lives. people participate in identifying need, design, 3.3 Enjoying and Achieving delivery, celebration and evaluation of services 3.4 Making a Positive Contribution The Strategy adds value to the Local Children’s and ensures that appropriate links are made 3.5 Achieving Economic Well Being Services Partnership’s plans across Dartford and with other local planning groups/developments.
3.6 Cross Cutting Gravesham by acting as one of the delivery Page 65 vehicles for ensuring that the partnership’s local The following members of the Youth Sub Group Action Plan 15 priorities are met. contributed to the strategy: • Dartford Borough Council Appendix A – Consultation • Gravesham Borough Council 1.2 The Aims of this Strategy Document and Outcomes 22 • Kent County Council Youth Service The aims of this strategy are to • Youth Offending Team • Ensure young people in both districts reach • Connexions their full potential through staying healthy, • YMCA active and safe. • Adolescent Resource Centre (ARC) • Ensure young people have things to do and • Extended Schools Representatives places to go • Learning and Skills Council • Enable young people to be involved in the • NHS West Kent planning and delivery of local youth services. • North Kent Police • Ensure all young people are aware of and have access to services. Young people were also involved in helping us to • Work in partnership across authorities to identify the priorities and key actions outlined in ensure the coordinated delivery of youth this strategy.A total of 247 young people services in the Dartford and Gravesham areas responded to the consultation document and also Swanley. through groups including the Northfleet Youth • Ensure that young people are engaged in Centre, Highfield Youth Centre, Swan Valley Youth positive activities. Centre, Adolescent Resource Centre (ARC), the • Ensure that targeted support is aimed at Grand,Wilmington Enterprise College, those at risk of exclusion. Thamesview School Community Youth Tutors and Dartford and Gravesham Youth Councils.The original consultation document and the results of the consultation are attached at Appendix A. 1 This strategy has been subject to widespread 1.introduction consultation amongst local groups and organisations working with young people and has been endorsed by the Dartford and Gravesham Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).
The action plan will be monitored and progress reported (annually) to Local Children’s Service Partnerships across Dartford and Gravesham, the Dartford and Gravesham Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership and the Dartford and Gravesham Local Strategic Partnership.
2 KMSP Working Paper 1 (Revised 1.4 Equality Statement July 2004) Population,Household and Dwelling Projections p24 We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity and access in all our activities and 3 Department for Communities the aims and actions contained within this strategy are underpinned by this commitment. and Local Govt 2006 As a partnership, we will work to promote
equality and eliminate all forms of discrimination Page 66 4 KCC Analysis and Information based on race, disability, gender, sexuality, age, team religion and class.We will work to ensure that traditionally excluded or vulnerable groups such as looked after children and children from gypsy and traveller communities are included and considered in our policies and initiatives.We are keen to integrate new and existing communities.
2 • building on the best of what is currently 2.1 The National Context 2.2 The Local Context provided 2.context The Every Child Matters framework was introduced Kent Agreement 2 - 2008-2011 by the Government in 2003 and outlined five Aiming High for Disabled Children was launched in The second Kent Local Area Agreement is an outcomes which are important for children and May 2007 and is the transformation programme agreement between the Kent Partnership (Kent young people’s development.These are for disabled children’s services.The Government County Council and the 12 District, Borough and • Being Healthy will take action in three priority areas to improve City Councils) and the Government, which has • Staying Safe outcomes for disabled children: identified 35 national indicators that are • Enjoying and Achieving • access and empowerment; important at a local level. • Making a positive contribution • responsive services and timely support; and • Achieving economic well being • improving quality and capacity. Three indicators within the Kent Agreement 2 are influenced by the work completed as a The Children Act 2004 introduced a duty on Aiming High for Young People: a Ten Year Strategy result of this strategy.These are: both district councils and the county authority for Positive Activities was published in July 2007 • NI 6 – Participation in regular volunteering to co-operate to improve services for children. and sets out the Government’s plans to help all • NI 110 – Young People’s Participation in young people, particularly those from positive activities In addition, the Youth Matters green paper, disadvantaged backgrounds, to take part in • NI 111 – First time entrants to the Youth published in 2005 and Youth Matters: Next Steps enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free- Justice System aged 10-17 years old in 2006 set out four challenges and six time. • NI 117 – 16-18 year olds who are not in underpinning principles for young people. education, employment or training (NEET) Developed in response to new evidence that These are participation can help the development of social The Dartford and Gravesham Youth Sub Group
Challenges; and emotional skills, and to address a clear are committed to ensuring that the targets for Page 67 • engaging more young people in positive demand from young people for greater access to these indicators are achieved through activities and empowering them to shape activities, the strategy makes 55 commitments partnership working with local partners in the the services they receive focusing on increasing young people’s public, voluntary and community sector. • encouraging more young people to volunteer participation in positive leisure-time activities. and become involved in their communities Kent Children and Young People’s Plan: • how to provide better information, advice Designed to develop new skills and raise Positive About Our Future 2008-2011 and guidance to young people to help them aspirations, the strategy will ensure that young This Youth Strategy has also been developed make informed choices about their lives people: with reference to the document Positive About • how to provide better and more personalised • are empowered to have a say in the creation Our Future – a multi agency plan for the whole intensive support for each young person who of services and in local funding decisions of Kent, which sets out county wide priorities for has serious problems or gets into trouble • can easily find out about local things to do children and young people. and places to go, and are motivated to use Principles; the new and improved activities and facilities In developing this strategy to work alongside • making services more responsive to what on offer the Kent document, we have ensured that a young people and parents want • have access to services of an excellent joint approach is taken to planning youth • balancing greater opportunities and support quality; delivered by a diverse and services and enabled a more productive and with promoting young people’s responsibilities professional workforce who are valued and collaborative approach to partnership working. • making services for young people more supported to develop the skills to make a integrated, efficient and effective difference for young people Towards 2010 • improving outcomes for all young people, The aims and objectives in this strategy also while narrowing the gap between those who The priorities set out in Every Child Matters , compliment those contained within the Towards do well and those who do not Youth Matters , Aiming High for Disabled Children 2010 document which sets out goals for Kent • involving a wide range of organizations from and Aiming High for Young People are reflected County Council over the next four years. Towards the voluntary, community and private sectors in this strategy. 2010 focuses on young people in several strategic in order to increase choice and secure the areas including preparing for employment, best outcomes enjoying life, improved health, care and well- 3 being and stronger and safer communities. Dartford Gravesham average. 2.context 10-14 5659 6740 • In 2004, 15.9% of the Dartford population was Dartford and Gravesham Sustainable 15-19 4948 6015 highly qualified at level 4+ and in Gravesham Community Strategy 2008-2011 Total 10607 12755 this figure was 20.4%. Both boroughs are The Sustainable Community Strategy for the below the Kent and Medway average of 23.2% area outlines the vision of Dartford and Economy and Employment and the England average of 25.5% 7. Gravesham being the places of choice to live, • Dartford and Gravesham have some of the work and enjoy and the delivery of the Youth most deprived wards in the country with Health Strategy is an action under the Housing and Gravesham ranking 150 and Dartford 178 on • In 2003, 2.8% of the population of Dartford Stronger Communities section. the table of deprivation 3. and Gravesham were claiming incapacity • In 2000, the estimated average household benefit and 3.1% were claiming disability 14-19 Learner Strategy income across both areas was £25,656 4. living allowance. This document sets out a shared vision and • In Gravesham, the Service Industries (Retail, • The proportion of people whose health is 5 Learning and Skills Assessment framework for the development of Kent’s 14–19 Finance and Hospitality etc) employ 53% of described as ‘not good’ in Dartford is 7.4% 2005,Young People Planning strategy, between Kent County Council, the workforce and the rate of unemployment (Kent average 8%) and proportion of people Forum Series (II),Gravesham LSC Learning and Skills Council for Kent and in 2005 using Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) was with a long term limiting illness is 15.1% Medway and Connexions – Kent & Medway. 2.4% which is above the Kent and Medway compared to a Kent average of 17.3%. 5 6 Learning and Skills Assessment average (1.9%) and national averages (1.5%) . • The proportion of people whose health is The development of this increased • In Dartford the Service Industries employ 65% described as ‘not good’ in Gravesham is 7.8% 2005,Young People Planning collaboration will be characterised by: of the workforce and the rate of and the proportion of people with a long Forum Series (II),Dartford LSC
• more coherent strategic inter-agency planning; unemployment in 2005 using JSA was 1.9% term limiting illness is 16.3%. Page 68 • provision that is tailored to the needs of which is level with Kent and Medway average 7 Statistical Digest for Kent and different areas of Kent and its distinct (1.9%) but above the national average (1.5%) 6. Crime Medway,LSC August 2006 communities, local economies and local • In 2006 2.7% of JSA claimants in Dartford and • Overall, crime in Dartford and Gravesham employers; and, 2.6% in Gravesham were aged under 18 years decreased by 3.2% in 2006/07, compared to • provision that is tailored to the needs of old.This compares to a Kent and Medway an average rise of 0.7% in Kent. learners. average of 1.7% and an England average of • In Dartford there was a 21% increase in 1.2%. violence against a person, a 33.8% increase in Local Children’s Services Partnership Plans • Predicted employer demand for job burglary (dwelling) and a 55.6% increase in The partnerships for Dartford East, Dartford vacancies in Gravesham is highest in Retail, drug crime. West and Gravesham all have plans which Manufacturing, Construction and Business • In Gravesham there was a 12% increase in outline their priorities. As mentioned in the Services. For Dartford it is Retail, Health, violence against a person, an 82% increase in introduction, this Strategy adds value to the Manufacturing and Construction sectors. burglary (dwelling) and 165% increase in Local Children’s Services Partnership’s plans by drug crime. acting as one of the delivery vehicles for Education ensuring that their local priorities are met. • In 2001, 28% of all residents in Dartford had no qualifications, which is below the Kent and Medway average of 31%. 2.3 Dartford and Gravesham Today • In 2001, 31% of all residents in Gravesham Population had no qualifications, which is the same as • It is estimated that the total population of the Kent and Medway average of 31%. Dartford and Gravesham in 2006 is 191,800 • The results of the Skills for Life survey (2003) and this is forecast to rise to 212,500 by showed that in Gravesham 11% of adults have 2016 2, an increase of approximately 11%. poor literacy and 54% poor numeracy skills, • At the 2001 census, ethnic minorities made which is above average for Kent and Medway. up 5.5% of the population of Dartford and • In Dartford, 9% of adults have poor literacy 12.8% of the population of Gravesham. which is comparable to the Kent and Medway • At the 2001 census, the number of 10-19 year average (9%). 41% had poor numeracy skills olds in both Boroughs was as follows; which is lower than the Kent and Medway 4 Since the creation of the Dartford and Gravesham Youth Sub Group and Strategy, a 3.successes number of positive outcomes have been achieved for the young people who live in the area. Here are a few key achievements:
• a shared vision from all partners involved • the creation of the Dartford & Gravesham Youth Strategy itself • the development of provision in sexual health services in Dartford • the development of the Adolescent Resource Centre in partnership with the YMCA in Dartford • vetting of landlords to provide safer housing for young people • identifying, raising and hosting services such as post 16 services • a new service implementation plan for CAMHS • crisis money for young people • funding for Dartford’s Summer Sizzlers
holiday programme Page 69 • funding for work with Slovak young people • working in partnership to solve problems and create positive solutions • funding for Dartford Skate Park in Central Park • informing the development of the Play Strategies for both Dartford and Gravesham • playing an instrumental role in raising the profile of young people’s emotional well being (staff member in Gravesham and counselling in every primary and secondary school in Dartford & Gravesham) • creating the opportunity to successfully take part in the My Place Bid, led by the YMCA in Dartford.
5 This Strategy has been structured around the young people have received targeted drug health sessions delivered within group work, 4.key themes five priority themes of the Every Child Matters and alcohol prevention. personalised alternative curriculum and provision framework with an additional theme to address • 49% of parents who attended school for those not at school. cross cutting issues. Each theme has been transition events in 2009 were interested in explored by considering further information relating to healthy Connexions provides a weekly sexual health • Key facts and figures eating, bullying, physical activity and clinic service and daily access to personal • What is happening now? emotional wellbeing. advisers providing sexual health advice and • Aims for the future supplies of condoms to young people at risk. What is happening now? Connexions provides local awareness raising All centres’ projects plan curriculum sessions on 4.1 Being Healthy health events (in partnership), as well as a range of health topics including healthy Key Figures information, advice and guidance sessions at eating, healthy weight, alcohol, drugs, self image • Over the period 1998-2004, Dartford has on local centres and projects.Together with the and relationships. Centre projects encourage 8 Supporting Independence average had a higher rate of conceptions in Sexual Health Outreach Manager, Connexions young people to eat healthily by providing Programme 15-17 year olds when compared to England provides a wide range of support and referral alternatives within coffee snack bars. Residential and Wales, the South East Region and the services working with schools using cyber food includes healthy options 9 Supporting Independence Kent County. babies, and also deliver the Realities of Young Programme • Over the period 1998-2004, Gravesham has Parenthood Projects in the Connexions Access Health issues was the main theme of the 2009 on average had a lower rate of conceptions points, also using Cyber Babies. The Sexual HOUSE project in both Dartford and Gravesham. in 15-17 year olds than in the Kent County Health Outreach Nurse in Gravesend is also now Youth Service supported both venues along 10 Supporting Independence
and England and Wales, but a higher rate offering the project in a local Adolescent with other partners. Specialist sports Page 70 Programme when compared to the South East. Resource Centre and is using the Connexions programmes and physical activity are offered • Between 2002-2004 the conception rate per model. We now have a Sexual Health Outreach within programmes e.g. trampoline, boxing, 1000 females aged 13-15 years old was 7.5 in Nurse in post at Dartford and she is going to be football, ice skating, bowling, swimming, cricket. Dartford and 7.9 in Gravesham.This working on the next project with Connexions. It compares to a Kent average of 7.0. is very much multi agency working and the Twelve week fitness programmes have been • Between 2002-2004, the conception rate per Connexions Health PA coordinates and local held at Northfleet Youth Centre, monitoring 1000 females aged 15-17 years old was 45 in Intensive Support PAs continue to support this young people’s general health over this period Dartford and 38.4 in Gravesham.This work. of time. A Kick Racism out of Football activity compares to a Kent average of 37. day is held each October. An annual sports day • In Gravesham a recent study involved taking The Youth Offending Team assesses the is also held within the area. Residentials height and weight measurements of 619 emotional well-being of young people and sign undertaken often involve young people in nine and ten year olds in 16 schools across posts to other services. activities such as – hill walking, kayaking, Gravesham.This identified that using Body canoeing, climbing, physical hard work. Mass Index (BMI) as the indicator, 17% of Dartford Borough Council has provided several children were overweight with 23% obese. new sports facilities in the borough such as the Basketball sessions led by a Community Youth • Between 2001/02 and 2003/04 there were 57 Princes Park football stadium, the Judokwai and Tutor are held at Thamesview School.This has led exclusions in Gravesham and 43 in Dartford for Skatepark have generated opportunities for to extra activity outside of school for this reasons of ‘dealing or use of drugs or solvents’. young people to take part in physical activity. particular group.Ongoing training is offered to all • Across Dartford and Gravesham there have The Council also funds a number of local sports staff in regard to condom distribution and been 23 referrals to the Drug Intervention clubs through the Sports, Arts and Heritage Chlamydia screening.This work is then Support Programme since January 2006; 12 Scheme. undertaken at centre projects with young people. Police Referrals, 1 Referral for drugs/alcohol and 10 School Referrals. The Youth Offending Team provides the Brighter Sexual Health Outreach Nurses make visits at • Between April and October 2006, 29 young Outlook Project (BOP) on healthy eating and centre projects to advise young people on people in Dartford and Gravesham received activities for young people who are victims of keeping safe and healthy.Young people from one to one support for drugs, which bullying and domestic violence. the Service are involved in the Secret Shopper represents 10% of the population of young exercise with Outreach Nurses. Peer mentoring people receiving this support in Kent. 68 The Adolescent Resource Centre provides sexual programme undertaken by young people to 6 enable them to support their peers at school. apart from one, which is in the process of being Aims for the future validated. • Establish out of school counselling services in 4.key themes A Drugs Intervention Support Programme (DISP) Dartford undertaken each year at Northfleet Youth Centre. Dental Health and School Nurse Service have • Continue to offer training in sexual health Conference Days held as part of PSHE in school delivered talks at the Gravesham Parent Forum matters to front line workers led by Community Youth Tutor (CYT) at one and regularly attend various parent groups and • Ensure that these programmes and other school. Drugs were one of the themes at the activities held in schools or Children Centres. delivered through our partners can continue Consultation Days with young people over the beyond present funding. past two years. Colleagues from Kent Council on The Grand support secondary schools in • To continue to provide creative, innovative Addiction (KCA) attended. delivering PSHE sessions and Drug Awareness programmes and thereby engaging young Evenings, these have happened at Thamesview people particularly those hardest to reach Via the healthy living centre (The GR@ND) in School, St George’s C of E School and Meopham and who generally do not access mainsteam Gravesham a portfolio of programmes aimed at School. activities. all ages (especially the young addressing: • Work more with parents around increasing 11 Supporting Independence obesity (Don’t Sit - Get Fit!); sexual health The Sports Partnership support all the Gravesham their confidence in being able to talk about Programme (weekly nurse-led contraception service); schools in achieving their statutory amount of sexual health with their children. supporting drug and alcohol education; physical activity a week. • Break down the taboo of discussing health 12 Volunteer Centre,Dartford providing a weekly “Active Listening” service and wellbeing as families. (drop-in Counsellor led sessions) Many of our schools have created or are in the • Develop the good work already being done process of creating allottments for the students in schools around after-school activities and The Adolescent Resource Centre (ARC) is C card through extended services funding and Borough holiday clubs. registered and so is able to issue contraception, Council support. • Encourage more links with the local leisure and looks at health when assessing the needs of centres and outdoor activity centres for Page 71 young people and have access to a school The Community Chef has delivered successful discounts and free passes for some young nurse. All our groupwork programmes include family cooking at over ten of our schools people and families. elements of healthy living i.e, emotional including two secondary schools and a number wellbeing, drugs/alcohol education, smoking of the Children Centres. cessation, healthy eating and we undertake a variety of physical activities. School Nurses are linked to every school in Gravesham offering one2one drop-ins, support School Nurses promote service in various ways: for students, parents and PSHE lessons and group newsletters, transition events, website, attending information and advice whatever is needed. parents evenings. Parent Support Advisers within St John’s School, Kent Safe Schools supports all the schools in Meopham School and St George’s C of E School Gravesham around emotional wellbeing with and the Community Youth Tutor at Thamesview anger management support. have supported young people through information at parents evenings and projects Time 2 Talk Counsellors are in 12 primary schools offering them an opportunity to discuss sexual and 2 secondary schools. concerns, relationship problems and promote sexual health. West Kent Mediation are training up Peer Mentors in a number of Gravesham Schools (primary and Through the completion of the Healthy Schools secondary) audit schools are aware of the Sexual Health Nurse,The Grand and the support services at Walk Tall offer counselling in St George’s C of E Connexions where they can signpost young school and St John’s Catholic Comprehensive. people.
All the schools in Gravesham are Healthy Schools 7 ‘Prevent and Deter’. young people on personal safety.Initiatives such 4.2 Staying Safe 4.key themes as Dartford Town Against Crime and the Key figures Keeping Yourself Safe sessions are delivered development of the Fastrack bus route have made • In Dartford, a Community Safety survey through group work and 1:1 sessions and the borough a safer place for young people to targeted at young people revealed that 70% support is provided to young people who visit,an issue which young people highlighted in felt fairly unsafe or very unsafe in Dartford at engage in risk taking behaviours including self- the ‘What Youth Wants’survey.The results showed night.The crime that worried youth the most harming. Additional support and guidance is that 40% of young people wanted to see more was assault or violent crime, street robbery provided for young people on the Child action to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and racial harassment. Protection register. whilst almost three quarters thought the bus • In Dartford, 14% of young people surveyed network was good or OK. had been a victim of crime in the past year. A Connexions PA works a part of a multi-agency • In Dartford, 16% of tenancies started due to team within the Youth Offending Service (YOS). In partnership with Communities Against Drugs homelessness between April 2006 and The PA takes the lead on working with young there is a comprehensive programme of Drug 13 Choosing Health,Profile for November 2006 were for tenants under the people who are looking for education, and Alcohol awareness programmes being Dartford 2006 age of 18. employment or training and supports them to delivered to primary and secondary schools • In Gravesham, the Community Safety survey access appropriate courses, which can range across Gravesham and Dartford. In partnership 14 ‘Dartford,Gravesham and revealed that 51% of residents felt fairly from Adult Education classes, Opportunity Plus, with Charlton Athletic Football Club Community Swanley PCT: Deprivation Profile unsafe or very unsafe walking alone after Entry to Employment (E2E) courses, college and Programme and volunteer counselors two dark. 40% of residents were fairly worried or Army courses, or alternative curriculum and “Active Listening” sessions offer young people July 2004,The Income Domain’ very worried about being mugged or liaises with the Education Liaison Officer so that structured access to qualified counselors. Peer Kent and Medway Health
robbed, being physically attacked, having a a smooth transition takes place. The PA also mentoring programmes are offered by the Page 72 Informatics Service car stolen, having something stolen from a works with parents of young people where GR@ND to help young people stay safe and the car and being insulted by someone in a there are family difficulties and continues to North Kent Domestic Abuse Forum will be 15 As above public place. 52% of respondents had been a work with the Connexions and Youth Offending working on the issue of domestic abuse and victim of crime in Gravesham. Services (YOS) Managers to ensure that young people. • The number of looked after children (LAC) appropriate provision is in place for this client placed by other local authorities has group and that they progress into local and Schools implement targeted and holistic reduced and Kent’s fostering and adoption targeted provision.This work is highly valued by strategies to impact on attendance, exclusions, arrangements have made significant YOS and has successfully supported crime transition from Key Stage 2 to 3 for vulnerable improvements. reduction within the area. groups and children that need additional support with emotional well being. What is happening now? Connexions also work with alternative curriculum The Youth Offending Team: Provides advice and to provide guidance and intensive support if The Foyer at the YMCA comprises of 42 self- guidance for young people who offend through requested with at risk young people, and contained bed sits with extensive support the Connexions worker in the team and an prevention work in conjunction with partners in provided to residents including training, education worker. local Connexions Networking meetings, to mentoring, assistance in finding employment, identify issues and enable young people to think counseling and reconciliation with families. Self The team also provides a Senior Youth Inclusion about their personal safety and reduce crime. confidence is encouraged through activities Programme to prevent young people from such as kickboxing for girls. entering the criminal justice system and Travel Dartford Borough Council provides safe accessible Safe – a scheme in response to increasing crime play opportunities for young people,for example, Training in Safeguarding Children and Young in Northfleet, to work with young people who through the development of a Skate park in People is offered within the Introduction to commit this sort of crime. Other work includes; Central Park.This has involved detailed Youth Work package. It is offered to all affiliated working with young people on final warning to consultation with the skateboarding community youth groups and Community Wardens. keep them out of the criminal justice system, over the design and a website has been Ongoing training is offered every three years the Dartford retail initiative – an early detection developed with skaters to act as an information within the Youth Service Training Calendar. and information sharing system and ASBO point and interactive consultative tool.In addition, meetings – civil orders – working with IPPO Dartford Youth Council and the Community Safety SNAP discos have been established in Dartford (Identified Persistent and Prolific Offenders) on Partnership have produced a questionnaire for and Gravesham as part of the Crimestopper 8 programme. A variety of agencies attend these time prevented them from accessing well as Driving Programmes.These programmes events. activities. The most popular activity at school target young people at risk of offending and in 4.key themes was going on trips (48%), making things or the NEET group.The service of other agencies is The Youth Service are exploring the possibility practical activities (47%) and using often called upon to deliver these programmes of weekend opening in Dartford and computers (36%) e.g. Kent Fire & Rescue and Police. Gravesham.This could result in some young people being more positively engaged. What is happening now? The Adolescent Resource Centre provides social In conjunction with members of the Kent care services to enable young people accessing Aims for the future Thameside 14-19 Planning Forum, Connexions alternative curriculum to re-engage in the • Create safe and accessible opportunities in work in partnership to improve the quality of the learning process. Provides opportunities for both social and learning environments careers education programmes offered to young young people to undertake accredited learning, • Ensure young people live in a safe people so that they can leave school with the enhancing what is achieved through their environment skills they need to succeed in their chosen career educational provision. ARC also manages and path. Local schools are committed to achieving delivers the Stepping Stones programme and the Investors in Careers (IiC) Quality Award delivers the Youth Challenge Programme. ARC 4.3 Enjoying and Achieving accreditation and support effective initiatives to provides a fishing group, holiday programmes Key figures support current programmes and the new and three residentials a year. • In 2007/08 the percentage of GCSE pupils vocational diplomas.Those not in employment, achieving 5 A* - C grades was 73.6% in education and training are mailed out local Both borough councils provide summer schemes Dartford and 63.3% Gravesham, an increase employment, training and voluntary updates on a based around activities and workshops for young from 66.7% in Dartford and 54.4% in monthly basis and they can also access these in people.The Dartford Festival and Gravesham’s Gravesham in 2004/05. the Connexions Access Points and via Jobs Live Big Day Out have youth zones with
• All schools in Gravesham are offering the core link on the Connexions website; representatives from different local groups as Page 73 offer of Extended Services which is signposting www.connexionskentandmedway.co.uk well as offering sports and other activities and or offering on site: Childcare support, a Varied the chance for young people to take part in the Menu of Activities for Children and Young Connexions provides information, advice, parade. Gravesham and Dartford have developed People (out-of-hours learning), Parent Support, guidance and where appropriate intensive play strategies to map the provision of leisure Community Access and Quick and Easy access support on local provision and volunteering facilities for young people. In Gravesham through to Specialist Services. opportunities. Promotes volunteering the GR@ND, the number of accredited • For primary school children living in Dartford opportunities through personal contact with programmes offered to young people outside of East, the most popular things to do at school young people, notice boards and partner formal education is being increased.This includes were seeing friends (92%), going on trips networks. adding Duke of Edinburgh Award status to (90%), using a computer (88%) and making programmes delivered from the GR@ND and things (87%). All of these are roughly in line The Adolescent Resource Centre (ARC) Initiated ensuring that other programmes are of sufficient with Kent averages. 43% attend an after commencement of Youth Inclusion Panel (YIP). quality and context to attract other forms of school club (Kent average: 42%). The most This assists in challenging and diverting young recognised accreditation. popular recreational activities that primary people from anti-social behaviour and school children would like to have nearby are criminality. ARC also works in partnership with The YMCA runs the Que Music Project in Dartford, playgrounds, football pitches and swimming schools to avoid exclusions through preventative a workshop which teaches skills such as breathing pools. services delivered by ARC and Stepping Stones. techniques, song writing, vocal development, • For secondary school children living in confidence building and team working.The Dartford East, 23% attend an after school The Youth Service works in partnership to provide project has so far reached 200 young people and club on weekdays (Kent average: 27%). The structured programmes for those at risk of has led to several young people progressing to most common after-school activities are exclusion or non-attenders including the ‘What it employment in the music industry. using the internet (59%), watching TV (58%), means to be Me’ programme, Kent Safe Schools, and spending time with family (54%). 36% Attendance & Behaviour, Connexions and KEY say that nothing is stopping them from Training.The Youth Service works in partnership doing the activities they want to do (31% with Connexions to provide Positive Activities for Kent average). 26% said that cost or lack of Young People (PAYP), Reach for the Sky (R4S) as 9 Youth Service: Young people have achieved Befriending established and funding obtained for The Talking Directory website uses its ‘Spotlight’ 4.key themes Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Community the groups activities. page to celebrate the achievements of a local Sports Leaders Award, Pent athlete Award, young person. ASDAN,Youth Achievement Award, Open College Cultural workshops and art groups held at Swan Network (OCN) in Fishing, BTEC Peer Mentoring, Valley School. Schools are supported closely by the LCSP City & Guilds in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair, Managers to develop achievement in schools and and Senior Member Training recognition. Successful club established with Slovak/Roma effort is rewarded as well through a range of young people at Emmanuel Baptist Church.Up to incentives and encouraging acts such as stickers Young people have received recognition at Try 50 young people attending the sessions. and merit systems. Angle Annual Award Ceremony and at the Duke Partnership with Connexions, Beat Project and of Edinburgh Award Presentation Evenings. Ethnic Minorities Communities Achievement Northfleet Technology College’s Rock Band Service (EMCAS) is working well. entertained about 350 families at two transition Centres/projects have held smaller award events held at Painters Ash and Shorne Village ceremonies to give certificates in recognition of Two detached projects reach young people in Hall. the work undertaken by Senior Members. rural areas and offer a range of educational and fun activities. St George’s C of E School’s dance group Young people involved in the Gifted Young entertained people at Wrotham Road Primary Gravesham event, which showcased a variety of Gravesham Borough Council are investing in the School where 50 families attended a Transition talent within the area. youth council (re-branded as Vox Box); Event. collaborating with Kent Youth Service to organise
Young people at the Accessible Night (disabled another Gifted Young Gravesham extravaganza in Our Best Practice and Multimedia manager films Page 74 young people) at Northfleet Youth Centre visited November and the “Big GYG (Gifted Young fun activities across Gravesham and creates DVD’s Finland and some have achieved their Bronze Gravesham)”on 3 July as part of Big Day Out); and photo albums that can be seen on the Duke of Edinburgh Award.A group are now collaborating with Kent Youth Service on a variety Talking Directory website.These can be used by working towards their Silver Award.The group of other provision including input to DoE Award anyone in the local area to promote enjoyment in also did the opening presentation at the Try scheme. young people and celebrate a certain project or Angle Awards idea that supports Every Child Matters. The Adolescent Resource Centre aims to link all its Lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender group activities and groupwork into accredited Aims for the future established at the Grand.Young people entered programmes.It has a host of supportive • Work with young people to raise aspirations the Police LGBT poster and poetry competition – preventative programmes to offer to schools in an by ensuring successful progression and and won both awards! attempt to avoid exclusions.ARC tries to make its recognising achievement. activities/programmes as comtemporary, • Re-engage young people out of school in the Miracles Youth Centre working towards a innovative and as varied as possible.ARC’s user learning process. community radio station. group informs the content of its programmes. • Extend and support the interest and enjoyment of learning through enriching School holiday programmes offered within Many schools are beginning to develop Parent young people’s opportunities to learn in and Centre/Projects Teacher Associations or Parent Councils and these out of school. are liaising closely with School Councils to deliver • Encourage young people to volunteer... Reach for the Sky programmes undertaken with events such as Sports Days and Fetes and also which they do a lot of now! young people leaving school and unsure about fundraising activities and consulting to develop • Target detached work in identified areas of their future. new after-school activities or setting up breakfast need across D&G in partnership with CDRP clubs or family rooms. • To keep one step ahead of young people in Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) our thinking and introduce them to activities workers and programmes established and have Young People in the Local Area are celebrated which they previously may not of thought of been offered in a variety of youth work settings yearly by ‘Gravesham’s Got Talent’where acts from or had the opportunity to participate in. and schools. across the local schools perform at the Woodville • To develop more activities and study support Halls. opportunities within schools during the ‘Super Sundays’in partnership with 1-2-1 holidays and after-school. Also, aiming to 10 encourage more family time and family Chair.The idea for the re- establishment of SNAP All schools in Gravesham have School Councils activities through liaising closely with Kent discos came from Gravesham young people at a that are consulted on within the school before 4.key themes Childrens University and Adult Education. YAG meeting. decisions take place.
Youth Service Annual Area Plan has targets for Young people have undertaken Recruitment and 4.4 Making a Positive Contribution involving young people in planning and Selection Training and are involved in the Key figures decision making processes. appointment of all staff. • In 2005, the count of young offenders (aged 10-17) in the Joyce Green ward in Dartford Young people lead and make decisions on Young people undertaking training in Quality was 3.5%, ranking it as the 6 out of the 283 funding applications for the Youth Opportunity Assurance, so they can visit centres/projects and wards in the KCC area. Northfleet ward in and Youth Capital Funds. comment on the quality of the service they Gravesham ranked 9th at 3.3% whilst observe. Riverside ward in Gravesham ranked 11th at Young people have the opportunity to vote for 3.2% 11 . peers annually in the Kent Youth County Council Consultation Days were held with young people • At least 113 organisations across the area elections. 48 candidates across Kent are elected to identify issues for them and explore priorities offer volunteering opportunities to young via this process. of the Local Children’s Services Partnership (LCSP). people 12 . • All our secondary schools offer volunteering Young people shortlist, present and perform for Youth Service has given support to the opportunities to support the primary schools the Try Angle Awards. development of both Youth Councils.Involvement in the local area - either on focussing on the in meetings, trips and residential experiences. secondary school specialism through a fun Re-establishment of the Dartford and Gravesham day or supporting the transition into Year 7 Youth Associations that support the voluntary Young people attended a Domestic Abuse
with Peer Mentors etc. sector. Conference, and shared their experiences which Page 75 were well received for their courage. What is happening now? Work in partnership being undertaken to Connexions involve young people in the establish youth club provision at Tree Community Young people took park in both areas in Melas development of their service and Local UChat Centre with voluntary sector,extended schools and Vaisaki Festivals. Forums, where young people attend to comment and Community Safety Partnership. on service delivery and feed into consultations via Young people’s participation in both areas for the the LCSP Youth Consultations. The Adolescent Resource Centre’s staff team Dartford Festival and Big Day Out. complete a yearly plan which is presented to Nearly all secondary schools in Dartford and young people as a template for discussion Schools ensure that decisions that impact on the Gravesham have school councils, some of which before a final plan is put together by everyone. children or young people made within the are very well established and have input on a schools are made with their view.We attend and wide range of school issues, including taking a The Adolescent Resource Centre has a user group support many celebration assemblies and family lead on aspects of Healthy Schools. who organise its yearly presentation.They celebration/family fun days held by schools, encourage and support the young people’s voluntary organisations and children centres. The Youth Offending Team recruits mentors and participation in the Youth Service YAG, advisors and aims for young people to be on consultation days and youth County Council Aims for the future panels, organises reparation schemes within the elections.ARC always uses young people on its • Continue to involve young people in community and involves young people in interview panels.For those that are interested in planning and service we offer. feedback of services received and conferences. volunteering ARC introduces them to a number • Ensure ethnic community, LGBT and disabled of voluntary schemes. young people participation in decision The majority of centres’ projects have Senior making arenas. Member groups who actively assist staff to plan All interviews for new staff for Connexions Kent • For ARC to be a centre of excellence for the programmes and evaluate. and Medway include a young person on the disadvantaged and challenging young interview panel who are fully trained in people of Gravesham. Young people attend Youth Advisory Groups interview skills beforehand. • Encourage the secondary schools to use their (YAGs) and Dartford has a young person as Vice specialist funding to support projects linking 11 with the primary schools with the secondary with education providers, support agencies, people, through support services, do not 4.key themes school students helping. employers and strategic partners to reduce the become NEET (Not in Education, Employment or number of young people who become ‘Not in Training). Employment Education and Training’ (NEET). 4.5 Achieving Economic Wellbeing This group will identify gaps in local provision Schools are committed to ensuring all students Key Figures and make recommendations on solutions and are competent users of ICT, leave school with • The 2001 census indicated that 28% of all actions that could be considered by the 14-19 accredited levels of competency in basic skills, Dartford residents and 31% of Gravesham Kent Thameside Planning Forum, Local Children achieve a broad range of qualifications both residents have no qualifications against a Service’s Partnership (LCSP) Youth Sub Groups vocational and academic, and have advice and Kent and Medway average of 31%. and LCSP Boards. support on careers and further study. • In 2001, 34% of 16-17 year olds in Gravesham and 33% in Dartford did not hold a formal The Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership, The Youth Service provides a City & Guilds NVQ qualification.The same applies for 12% of 18- Gateway Knowledge Alliance, Kent County entry level 3 course in Automotive Vehicle 19 year olds in Gravesham and 9% in Council/Kent Works and Land Securities are Maintenance and Repair, targeted at 14-16 year Dartford. supporting teachers in producing education olds. • The number of young people who are not in materials on the regeneration of Kent education, employment or training (NEET) Thameside to be used across the curriculum in There is the Alternative Curriculum Programme at has fallen significantly from 5.7% in 2003 for secondary schools. This ‘toolkit’ informs, Highfield still working with young people (part of the North West Kent Connexions area to 4.2% educates and inspires students about the Youth Service) who do a lot around economic in Dartford and 3.8% in Gravesham in 2008. challenges, development and opportunities in wellbeing.
• Although the education system across Kent the local area so that young people can make a Page 76 remains selective with vastly different intakes at positive contribution to the Kent economy and The Adolescent Resource Centre ensures young age 11,there has been a reduction in the their local community and are also aware of the people complete their education, remain at home extreme polarisation between schools with local career opportunities that regeneration where possible and stay out of the youth justice outstanding results and those with much lower may bring. 2009 is the fourth year that the system.To undertake as many accredited learning performance.Secondary schools generally project has run with eight local schools programmes as possible. achieve satisfactory or better judgements from participating. Ofsted although there are some whose GCSE’s Secondary schools have arranged links with remain below 30%.The Building Schools for the Working in partnership with other services, banks such as Lloyds to come and deliver finance Future programme and the rise of academies schools are developing a range of provision and budget information talks to the students. have reduced polarisation and a previous including training and resources to support linkage between certain schools and high post- young people. HSBC are delivering training to support sessions 16 NEET numbers. on budgeting that can be delivered to families. • 14-19 reforms and vocational centres are Special needs personal advisors working with Kings Farm offer a solicitor drop-in weekly to showing early signs of improved attendance, disabled young people in schools and support families around legal concerns. retention, success and progression. Connexions Access Points. Schools all have a Connexions Personal Adviser • Kent remains the largest local authority with 123,000 young people aged 13-19 and 2,000 The Youth Offending Team raises the profile of Partnership Working: With the Kent Thameside 14- 20-25 with learning difficulties or disabilities excluded young people within the education 19 planning forum, using local management (LDD). Kent has several conurbations but its system. information, we are able to meet the needs of rural nature and poor transport infrastructure local young people by tailoring provision to suit remains a potential barrier to young people’s The Adolescent Resource Centre provides their preferred learning styles as well as to meet engagement and choice. emotional support and social care services labour market needs. which enable young people to complete their What is happening now? education and provides additional learning First Steps to Employment: Following on from the A new sub group has been developed called opportunities which are accredited and can be success of First Steps to Employment Training and the 14-19 Kent Thameside NEET Prevention and added to their Records of Achievement. ARC is Employment Fairs in November 2007 and January Reduction Sub-group; this group will be able to increase life opportunities through the 2008 in Swanscombe and Northfleet, further job meeting bi-monthly to work collaboratively acquisition of qualifications and ensure young and training fairs have been held in Swanscombe 12 and Gravesend as well as taster days and courses few.Taster days will be held on the 28th July,4th schools have completed an Information, Advice in CSCS, forklift, ICT and customer services.The and 18th of August 2009 where young people and Guidance (IAG) health check to date.Local 4.key themes project aims to give young people advice and can attend workshops to identify the schools are fully committed to offering effective, help into training and/or employment and to opportunities on offer.Other providers will also impartial IAG so that young people have an make them aware of the type of employment offer a lunch time market place to highlight all the awareness of choices available to them and can that will arise out of the regeneration. other local employment, education and training manage their own career pathways.Three schools opportunities available.Targeted events like this have already achieved the Investors in Careers Connexions provides information, advice, and will also be offered at the college at other key quality award and seven schools are actively guidance and where appropriate intensive points during the year. working towards it. support in relation to careers, employment, education and training.Connexions is working Entry to Employment (E2E): A broad range of Diplomas: There is a national timeline for the roll- with schools and young people to raise provision is available through the E2E programme out of diplomas, and an expectation that by 2013 aspirations, achievement, motivation and ensure in Dartford and Gravesham which is designed to learners will be entitled to have access, within successful progression.Working with local engage and motivate 16-18 year olds to enable travel to learn areas, to up to 17 Diplomas. partners to identify gaps in training provision and them to make an informed choice and move on Delivery of the Construction and Built find funding to offer appropriate provision.Also to further training or employment.Young people Environment Diploma commenced in September offering targeted programmes to engage young can access a number of local providers delivering 2008 in Gravesham,Wilmington, Hextable and people and assist them with achieving a smooth personal and social development, basic skills, Swanley and a further 7 Diploma lines will be transition into education, employment and/or employability skills, work placements as well as a available from 2009.To date, consortia in the Kent training.Connexions have employed an range of vocational areas.Over half progress into Thameside area have been successful in bidding Employment Link Consultant who finds local jobs College, apprenticeships or employment on to deliver 13 Diploma lines by 2011 and are well and these are displayed in Connexions Access completion of the programme. on track to deliver the entitlement by 2013.
Points, schools, colleges and other outreach Page 77 venues, they are also mailed out monthly to NEET Area Prospectus:Young people in Dartford and Apprenticeships:We are working hard to ensure young people. Gravesham can now use the local area prospectus that by 2013 any 16 year old that is suitably to look at the latest information on courses, qualified will be entitled to start an Further education: The number of 16-18 year olds learning and training available for them at apprenticeship.All young people can now access accessing North West Kent College has continued www.kentchoices4u.com .The September the vacancy matching system to search for to rise, increasing by 24% from 3,090 young Guarantee ensures that every school leaver has a apprenticeship vacancies people in 2006/07 to 3,836 in 2008/09.The rise reasonable offer of a place in education or (http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/).Connexions can be attributed to an increase in the local 14-19 training by September of the year they have left. Personal Advisors have been trained to support population, increased participation as well as the In 2008, the Guarantee was met and all young young people in searching and making College continuing to adapt and extend its people in the Dartford and Gravesham area applications.A “Time To Do It”roadshow was held curriculum offer to meet local needs. received an offer. at Acacia Hall in Dartford in May 2009 to give young people the opportunity to hear about Learning Shops: North West Kent College launched On-line Application System: Since 2007, young what apprenticeship and further education a second Learning Shop at The Bridge people in Gravesham have been able to apply options are available locally. development in Dartford to offer free recruitment on-line for education and training provision as services and help companies identify funded part of a pilot scheme aimed at broadening Aims for the future training programmes.It also offers training, access and raising awareness of the options • For ARC to be a centre of excellence for the mentoring and funding advice for local available to them. In 2008, 61% of young people disadvantaged and challenging young people entrepreneurs.The Learning Shop at Bluewater in Gravesham applied on-line and following the of Gravesham. has now achieved National Skills Academy status; success of the pilot, the on-line application • To raise participation and achievement by local employers in Bluewater will be able to offer process is expected to be active in Dartford by shaping provision on offer in schools, College opportunities for local Apprenticeship’s in a 2011. and training providers using data on young variety of occupations, such a business admin, people’s intended choices as well as marketing, visual and store merchandising, hair Information,Advice and Guidance: All secondary information of local labour market and beauty,catering, landscape gardening, schools in Dartford and Gravesham have received opportunities. maintenance and warehousing to name just a a Connexions library audit and 18 out of 20 • For all local schools to achieve the Investors in 13 Careers Quality Award 4.key themes • To work with family learning projects with identified families with low educational achievements in particular to increase levels of literacy and numeracy • To work with agencies supporting teenage parents to increase opportunities for training or employment
4.6 Cross Cutting What is happening now? The Dartford and Gravesham Youth Sub Group meets bimonthly and works towards better co- ordination and planning for youth services across the area, through information sharing and mapping service provision.The group also explores opportunities for pooling budgets to enable better commissioning of services.
North West Kent College’s capital application for Page 78 its Gravesend campus was approved by the Learning and Skills Council in 2008.The £32 million project is the first phase of the College’s capital programme and is on target to be completed by summer 2009.The project will provide a brand new teaching and learning facility as well as a new building to house reception, student services and administration.
Aims for the future • Explore opportunities for the development of services for young people in the Thames Gateway. • Equalize access to services across the area
14 Targets Action Responsible Local Priority action plan 4.1 Being Healthy 2007-2011 Provide a wider range of Engaging with the School Sports LCSP Dartford: opportunities for physical Partnerships in Dartford and Partnership • Increasing Healthy Weight and Healthy Lives activity outside of school time Gravesham. Schools • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Ensure that children and young people have healthy lifestyles • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families
Improve the provision of drug Map access and referral routes for Dartford and Dartford: and alcohol support services support services for drug and Gravesham • Increasing the safety of children and young people alcohol problems to make them Drug and • Increasing Healthy Weight and Healthy Lives more transparent. Alcohol Group Gravesham: • Reduce alcohol abuse • Ensure that children and young people have healthy
lifestyles Page 79
Ensure all agencies are aware and Dartford and Dartford: encourage take up of the Drugs Gravesham • Increasing the safety of children and young people Intervention Support Programme Drug and • Increasing Healthy Weight and Healthy Lives DISP and alcohol support Alcohol Group Gravesham: programme • Reduce alcohol abuse • Ensure that children and young people have healthy lifestyles
4.2 Staying safe
Ensure young people live in a Develop a comprehensive LCSP Dartford: safe environment and access programme of ‘out of school Partnership • Improving educational outcomes opportunities in both social hours’ activities and Schools • Increasing the number of children and young people and learning environments opportunities for young people having their emotional needs met at secondary level. Gravesham: • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families
Appropriate processes in place to Dartford Youth Sub Group Priority: ensure the provision of play Borough • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other local spaces/facilities. Council planning groups/developments and links to LCSP plans.
15 action plan Targets Action Responsible Local Priority Ensure young people live in a Address bullying and focus on Youth Sub Dartford: 2007-2011 safe environment and access anger management Group • Increasing the number of children and young people opportunities in both social having their emotional needs met and learning environments • Increasing the safety of children and young people Gravesham: • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime
Promoting E-Safety and being E- Youth Sub Dartford: savvy Group • Increasing the safety of children and young people • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families Page 80 Provide public reassurance Dartford Dartford: around fear of crime Borough • Increasing the safety of children and young people Council Gravesham: • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime
Open a Youth Café in Dartford so YMCA Dartford: young people have a space they • Increasing the safety of children and young people own. • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met • Gravesham: • Reduce youth offending numbers and anti-social behaviour • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families
Highlight housing issues that Youth Sub Dartford: could put young people at risk. Group • Increasing the safety of children and young people Gravesham: • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime
16 Targets Action Responsible Local Priority action plan 4.2 Staying safe 2007-2011 Ensure young people live in a Provide floating support for YMCA Dartford: safe environment and access young people in Local Authority • Increasing the safety of children and young people opportunities in both social housing. • Increasing the number of children and young people and learning environments having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime
Prevent young people from Enhance existing networks and Youth Dartford: being involved in ASB and relationships with educational Offending • Improving educational outcomes criminality. establishments. Team Gravesham: • Reduce youth offending numbers and anti-social Dartford and behaviour Gravesham • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime Borough • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their
Councils families Page 81 • Increase the number of young people who have skills and ARC with vocational qualifications for work through implementation Charlton of the 14-19 strategy Athletic
Continue to work with partner Youth Gravesham: agencies & the voluntary sector Offending • Reduce youth offending numbers and anti-social re. services & resources for the Team behaviour target group of young people. • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime Dartford Dartford: Borough • Increasing the safety of children and young people Council work with CVS
Continue to work in partnership KCC Youth Dartford: to provide PAYP and R4S Service • Increase the number of children and young people in Programmes for young people at Education, Employment or Training (EET) risk of offending and those not in Connexions Gravesham: education, employment and • Reduce youth offending numbers and anti-social training (NEET). behaviour • Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime • Increase the number of young people who have skills and vocational qualifications for work through implementation of the 14-19 strategy 17 action plan Targets Action Responsible Local Priority 2007-2011 4.2 Staying safe Prevent young people from Formalise arrangement for ARC CDRP priority being involved in ASB and providing emergency access to criminality. funds Dartford Borough Council
Ensure multi-agency support for ARC Youth Sub Group Priority: the Youth Inclusion Support • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other local Panel (YISP) planning groups/developments CDRP Priority
4.3 Enjoying and Achieving
Re-engage young people out Develop ARC services across the ARC Dartford: Page 82 of school in the learning area so provision is the same in • Increase the number of children and young people in process Dartford and Gravesham. Education, Employment or Training (EET) • Improving educational outcomes • Increasing the safety of children and young people • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Reduce alcohol abuse • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families
Extend and support the Establish Dartford and KCC Youth Dartford: interest and enjoyment of Gravesham Detached Project. Service • Improving educational outcomes learning in and out of school Gravesham: • Increase the number of young people who have skills and vocational qualifications for work through implementation of the 14-19 strategy
Monitor accreditation and Gravesham Dartford: learning outcomes attained by Borough • Improving educational outcomes young people outside of a school Council Gravesham: environment • Increase the number of young people who have skills KCC Youth and vocational qualifications for work through Service implementation of the 14-19 strategy
18 Targets Action Responsible Local Priority action plan Extend and support the Increase opportunities for LCSP Dartford: interest and enjoyment of parental engagement and Partnership • Increasing the safety of children and young people 2007-2011 learning in and out of school support Schools • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families Ensure that children and young Youth Sub Dartford: people have the opportunity to Group • Increasing the number of children and young people celebrate their achievements. having their emotional needs met Gravesham: • Raise aspirations of children and young people and their families
4.4 Making a Positive Contribution
Promote further Review Local Youth Forums Connexions Youth Sub Group Priority: opportunities for • Participation of young people in identifying need, Page 83 participation design, delivery and evaluation of services Consultation of young people KCC Youth Youth Sub Group Priority: about the services provided Service • Participation of young people in identifying need, through the newly established design, delivery and evaluation of services partnership protocol
Develop a LCSP Young People’s KCC Youth Youth Sub Group Priority: Stakeholder Group for both Service • Participation of young people in identifying need, Dartford’s and Gravesham’s LCSPs design, delivery and evaluation of services Local Youth Panel to continue to KCC Youth Youth Sub Group Priority: distribute and monitor the Youth Service • Participation of young people in identifying need, Opportunity Fund and Capital design, delivery and evaluation of services Youth Fund
Establish a Young Person’s Dartford Youth Sub Group Priority: website Borough • Participation of young people in identifying need, Council design, delivery and evaluation of services Ensure young people have Ensure that the needs of children Youth Sub Youth Sub Group Priority: access to services and are and young people from diverse Group • Participation of young people in identifying need, represented in participation backgrounds are identified and design, delivery and evaluation of services initiatives work funded to address needs
19 action plan Targets Action Responsible Local Priority 2007-2011 4.4 Making a Positive Contribution Encourage volunteering Extend links with VSU and Connexions Youth Sub Group Priority: Volunteer Bureau, explore • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other funding opportunities and local planning groups/developments increase opportunities for young people to be involved in voluntary work
Encourage more young people to Youth Sub Youth Sub Group Priority: become volunteers Group • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other local planning groups/developments Begin Youth Work in parks – YMCA Dartford: detached work with volunteers, • Increasing the safety of children and young people hut, activities, and café area Gravesham: based on Canadian model • Reduce youth offending numbers and anti-social behaviour
• Reduce the fear of crime and youth crime Page 84
4.5 Achieving Economic Wellbeing
To raise participation and Using local data work with 14-19 Connexions Dartford: achievement by shaping Planning Forum and local • Improving educational outcomes provision on offer in schools, providers to tailor provision. 14-19 Planning • Increase the number of children and young people in College and training providers Ensure that enough provision Forum Education, Employment or Training (EET) using data on young people’s remains in place during the Gravesham: intended choices as well as changing funding situation when • Increase the number of young people who have skills information of local labour post 16 funding moves to KCC and vocational qualifications for work through market opportunities implementation of the 14-19 strategy
All schools to achieve the Support local schools to achieve Connexions Dartford: Investors in Careers Quality green health checks for IAG and • Improving educational outcomes Award % of schools achieving the IiC 14-19 Planning • Increase the number of children and young people in Award Forum Education, Employment or Training (EET) Gravesham: • Increase the number of young people who have skills and vocational qualifications for work through implementation of the 14-19 strategy
20 Targets Action Responsible Local Priority action plan 4.6 Cross Cutting 2007-2011 Explore opportunities for the Develop a site as part of Phase III YMCA Dartford: development of services for of YMCA development • Improving educational outcomes young people in the Thames (incorporating ARC services) • Increase the number of children and young people in Gateway including a Youth Café and music Education, Employment or Training (EET) studio • Increasing the safety of children and young people • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met • Increasing healthy weight and healthy lives
Explore opportunities for the Establish Youth Clubs for 8-11, 11- YMCA Dartford: development of services for 13 and 13-19 year olds by • Increasing the safety of children and young people young people in the Thames establishing youth service KCC Youth • Increasing healthy weight and healthy lives Gateway provision within community Service • Improving educational outcomes facilities Youth Sub Group Priority: • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other local planning groups. Page 85 Establish KCC Youth Provision at KCC Youth Dartford: The Bridge Development Service • Increasing the safety of children and young people • Increasing healthy weight and healthy lives • Improving educational outcomes Youth Sub Group Priority: • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other local planning groups.
Equalize access to services To provide more equitable ARC ARC Dartford: across the area services for Dartford. • Improving educational outcomes YMCA • Increasing the number of children and young people having their emotional needs met • Increasing the safety of children and young people • Increasing healthy weight and healthy lives
Map all existing plans & Dartford Youth Sub Group Priority: strategies to ensure links to this Borough • To ensure that appropriate links are made with other plan & identify gaps Council local planning groups/developments
21 Dartford and Gravesham Youth Strategy • Staying Safe young people’s opportunities to learn in Appendix A: What do you think? • Enjoying and Achieving and out of school. • Making a Positive Contribution Why a Youth Strategy? • Achieving Economic Well Being Theme 4: Making a positive contribution consultation Across Dartford and Gravesham, young people • Promote further opportunities for (10-19 year olds) make up 13% 17 of the We have identified priorities for Dartford and participation in planning services document population.You therefore form a significant Gravesham under each of these themes.We • Ensure ethnic minority and lesbian or gay part of the local community and your well decided on the priorities by considering key young people have access to services and 2006 being, involvement in and contribution to life facts and figures about the area and what are represented in participation initiatives of the area is important. services are currently available. However, there • Encourage volunteering may be things which we have missed out, or • Prevent young people from being involved This Strategy has been created to bring that we are not aware of and that is where we in criminality by targeting those most at together all the agencies and organisations want your input. risk of offending working for young people in the area. In doing this, we hope to identify key issues and work What are the priorities for the future? Theme 5: Achieving economic well being towards achieving positive outcomes for the All the agencies involved have committed to • Increase the number of young people who young people of Dartford and Gravesham. working towards these priorities both have the skills and vocational qualification individually and by taking action as a group. for work. The agencies involved include; Dartford • Enable pupils to maximize their
Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Theme 1: Being Healthy opportunities through further education Page 86 Council, Kent County Council Youth Service, • Promote the emotional health and well and employment on leaving school Youth Offending Service, Connexions,YMCA, being of young people Adolescent Resource Centre (ARC), Dartford • Continue to focus on levels of teenage What do you think? School Cluster, Gravesham School Cluster. pregnancy across Dartford and Gravesham • What do you think of the priorities • Encourage young people to be healthier identified? Are they the right ones for What are the aims of the Youth Strategy? through making informed choices about Dartford and Gravesham? • Ensure young people in Dartford reach the foods they eat • What do you think is the number one issue their full potential through staying healthy, • Provide a wider range of opportunities for affecting young people in Dartford and active and safe. physical activity outside of school time Gravesham today? • Ensure young people have things to do • Improve the provision of drug and alcohol • How could services for young people in and places to go. support services Dartford and Gravesham be made better? • Enable young people to be involved in the • Any other comments planning and delivery of local youth services. Theme 2: Staying safe • Ensure all young people are aware of and • Create safe and accessible opportunities in have access to services. both social and learning environments • Work in partnership across authorities to • Ensure young people live in a safe ensure the coordinated delivery of youth environment services in the Dartford and Gravesham areas. Theme 3: Enjoying and achieving • Work with young people to raise How is the Youth Strategy structured? aspirations by ensuring successful There are five themes which the Government progression and recognising achievement has identified as being important to the lives • Re-engage young people out of school in of young people and we have structured our the learning process Strategy around these themes.They are; • Extend and support the interest and 22 • Being Healthy enjoyment of learning through enriching Feedback from KCC Youth Service • Focus more on drugs and alcohol. • Fighting Consultation Delivered in schools in Yr 10, this is too late • Nowhere to go/hang out Appendix A: What do you think of the priorities identified? – sex education in Yr 7 why not drugs? This • No good jobs Are they the right ones for Dartford and should include special needs schools who • Housing Gravesham? also need this information. • Gangs consultation • Yes we agree they are O.K. It will help to • Fine to provide physical activity • Education keep youth out of trouble. Needs more outside/after school, but it needs to be • Teenage pregnancy document about stress, crime and drugs/alcohol. accessible, because we leave school to go • Healthy eating Young people will become healthier.Young to rural areas – so unable to stay behind. • Getting young people’s voices heard so 2006 people get pregnant to show off and prove • School counsellors should be accessible they can get the activities they want to do they can do it, just the same when some outside school time – even in other venues. and go to have fun especially at weekends take drugs. Schools nurses – mates can take the micky if • Street wise – safety • Priorities should help young people meet you go see them.The location within schools • No indoor skateparks their full potential and teach them of nurses should be more discreet. • Peer pressure valuable skills. • More interaction with school councils so • Things to do • Education should be a priority – make it issues within school can be discussed and • Underage purchasing of cigarettes and enjoyable to go to school, why can’t school action taken. alcohol be fun? Young people need to get a good • Peer Mentoring/Befrienders in school is • Anti-social behaviour education so they have the best really good.Training for peer mentors • Parents unable to control their children opportunities in employment and further should be given, some schools don’t do • Youth crime education. this.This is important.Training for teachers • Transport costs • Eating healthy – eating fruit instead of also needed so they know what to do with • Leisure entrance costs Page 87 crisps and sweets (fruit should be provided peer mentors. on all projects.We do not want fat people • Information for young homeless is needed How could services for young people in Dartford like America. for all young people. and Gravesham be made better? • Staying safe. Parents need to know their • Schools should consider linking with youth • More pools and cleaner ones children are safe. workers and projects to provide the out of • Skateparks, youth clubs, trips out and • Things to do and places to go – school activities.Youth workers should be places to go (suggestions were) – membership cards able to use school facilities ‘out of hours’. • Services available in times of day that suit that give young people entrance free to • School Award nights – in school time, not young people e.g. after school, weekends, leisure facilities, lower entrance fees to Friday nights! evenings. Places geared to young people access leisure facilities e.g. cinemas, • LGBT need support services – there is no and not closed down when young people bowling etc.Transport too expensive evidence of this.There is lack of information need them most locally and for young people living in rural for these young people. Schools need to • Bus passes all the time in education areas, plus entry costs. take this issue on board. • More places for young people so parents • Some young people unaware of what the • VSU go into schools and do work with know their kids are safe youth service does let alone other service volunteers – not mentioned in plan. • Hang out and chill out zones providers within the strategy. • Parks – make them less boring • Service providers should be asking more What do you think is the number one issue • Dirt track for motorbikes what young people want and not be affecting young people in Dartford and • Under 18 snooker clubs telling them what they can have. Gravesham today? • Under 16 clubs • Teenage pregnancy – what is actually • Drugs (coke being the new cannabis), • Letting young people on buses without being done about it? • Smoking Oyster Cards • Physical activity not readily available – • Graffiti • Climbing facility have to be 16yrs to use the gym. • Vandalism • Free transport • Peer pressure not mentioned. • Bullying in and out of school • Teenage gym 23 • Teen shelters and youth houses/clubs – General Appendix A: access to dancing, singing, listening to music Feedback came from a total of 247 young • More youth workers people. • More confidential/discreet services consultation • More school visits – make them more fun Young people asked for a copy of the final • More services generally geared to young document. It was felt that all services should document people be supervised by warden and youth workers • Reward young people for doing good things that are child/young person friendly to prevent 2006 • 24hr services for young people vandalism and promote better respect for • Better advertising of things/services for services and communities. Services need to young people they can do and take part in include young people in the setting up and • Making services free design in order to promote ownership. • Helping parents to help their kids to behave • Better contraception services, because they obviously are not working – if they were then most people wouldn’t get pregnant • Better Police services
Further Comments
• Healthy eating – 5 a day Page 88 • Dartford - other places look better and have better parks and facilities. • We need a cinema in both Dartford and Gravesend • Ice Rink in Dartford • Leisure facilities too expensive • Cameras to monitor local shops to stop the buying of cigarettes and alcohol. Need to stop adults buying it for young people • Use famous people to advertise safe sex • Like the idea of doing work and being rewarded with activities • Television adverts re: safe sex should be more nasty (showing actual warts etc.) like the drink driving advert • Healthy food – burger costs £1and tuna pasta salad costs £3! More young people will put on weight • Support for parents so they can talk to children about sex and even help with schoolwork • Skate parks • Services for parents – they need to be more responsible for their children
24 acknowledge- ments
• Adolescent Resource Centre • Connexions Kent & Medway • • Dartford Borough Council • Dartford YMCA • • Dartford & Gravesham Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership • The Grand •
• Gravesham Borough Council • KCC Extended Schools • KCC Youth Service • Page 89 • Kent County Council • Kent Drug and Alcohol Action Team • • Kent Youth Offending Services • Key Training Services • • Learning and Skills Council • NHS West Kent •
If you have any comments please contact [email protected]
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Dartford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Home Gardens, Dartford, Kent DA1 1DR Tel: (01322) 343434 Web: www.dartford.gov.uk Page 95 Agenda Item 9
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director: Communities
Subject: The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games
Purpose and summary of report: To update Members on progress with the Council’s programme relating to The London 2012 Games and present them with a Strategy which outlines Gravesham’s ambitions in terms of a Legacy once the Games are over. Recommendations: That Cabinet endorse the strategy and action plan contained within the report and look to consider a revenue and capital budget for 2010/11.
1. Introduction
1.1 The Council has had an officer group working on the 2012 Games since 2008 and we have also been actively involved in the Kent London 2012 Coordinating group. Following a restructure in April the post of an Officer for the London 2012 Games was created and the officer took up the post in June 2009.
1.2 This report seeks to update on the work of the officer group, the work of the Kent London 2012 Coordinating Group and the opportunities now presenting themselves to the Council due to the new resources.
1.3 A strategy for Gravesham relating to The London 2012 Games also accompanies this report and this suggests the direction that Gravesham might go to create a lasting Legacy once The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are over.
2. Gravesham: Planning for the London 2012 Games
2.1 Since her appointment Gravesham’s Officer for The London 2012 Games has been on a fact-finding mission to uncover the myriad of opportunities that the proximity of the Games offers to Gravesham.
2.2 Meetings with a variety of key individuals working with The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), Government Office South East (GOSE) The Arts Council, the Kent London 2012 Coordinating group, the Kent Disability Sports Officer and other associated groups and individuals has highlighted the need for Gravesham to identify a few key themes, associated to desired outcomes which can be developed.
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2.3 The creation of a “brand” for Gravesham: Go Gravesham has already been adopted and will accompany all the council’s activities in this arena. There is a dedicated website: www.gogravesham.org.uk and this will be linked to the council’s main website which will communicate the council’ activities during the countdown to the London 2012 Games.
2.4 A consultation exercise took place at the Big Day Out in July and the council took the opportunity to ask members of the public what they would like to see in the lead up and during the London 2012 Games. Feedback from the public has helped shape the strategy for the Games and the key opportunities for Gravesham are around:
1. Encouraging and Supporting Active and Healthy Communities
2. Creating opportunities for Tourism and Economic Development
3. Celebrating Cultural and Developing Community Price
4. Working with local Businesses
2.5 It is suggested that Gravesham adopt these themes to drive forward its aspiration to create a lasting Legacy for the borough and that these are reflected in a new action plan with realistic targets for the council to achieve.
3. The Strategy
3.1 The variety of aspects which Gravesham might become involved with is bewilderingly large and it has been suggested that we focus on areas which will provide us with tangible benefits afterwards.
3.2 The accompanying Strategy ( Gravesham: A Strategy for The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ) suggests four themes for Gravesham to focus on which are outlined above.
3.3 The Strategy outlines these opportunities in detail; however, this is not designed to be a document “set in stone” as it is not possible to predict what other opportunities might present themselves as we approach The London 2012 Games: this Strategy is therefore ideally a working document detailing Gravesham’s “Direction of Travel”.
4. Financial Information
4.1 At present no budget exists for work around the 2012 Games, although we do have existing budgets for sports and recreation, arts and cultural and Regeneration and Tourism.
4.2 However, for some new work to be taken forward a revenue and capital budget will be required for the 2012 officer to enable her to have some flexibility when taking forward the action plan.
5. Section 17 Considerations
The 2012 London Games is a great opportunity for all residents of Gravesham, but particularly Young People. It is hoped by inspiring our residents to take up opportunities such as volunteering, new sporting and cultural opportunities and well as opportunities
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for Business and Tourism tourist destination of choice, which will contribute significantly in meeting the authority’s obligations under the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act and combating Crime and Anti social behaviour.
6. Summary
The Games produce opportunities of all kinds like no other single event. There are many opportunities to benefit the area, through business, volunteering, tourism and education with the aim to create a positive legacy.
Locally the Cultural Olympiad is one way to raise the profile of the area over a four year period, inspiring residents, encouraging participation in the arts and sports while attracting media coverage and visitors.
There are several athletes based in the area who are hoping to compete at the Games, support for these athletes is beneficial to their progress, to inspire residents and to promote the local area.
During the London 2012 Games we have opportunities to attract visitors and promote the area as a place to be based during the event. In addition to athletes families and athletes there will also be approx: 50,000 reporters covering the Games and events in the UK – it is too big an opportunity to miss.
APPENDIX 1
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Gravesham Borough Council Action Plan – September 2009 Update Note:
A small working group was established in March 2007 to look at the opportunities/ “threats” the 2012 Games will present to the Borough This group has not met since October 2008 but is due to start regular meetings (producing updates) in September 2009
While it was originally agreed by the group that the action plan will mirror the nine sectoral groups as devised by the Kent London 2012 Coordinating Group, in order to establish where actions need to be systematically progressed over time, the September Officer’s group may revise this approach as much more is now known about the general approaches to The London 2012 Games which are being progressed. GBC is represented at the Co-ordinating group by Dartford as part of the NW Kent cluster.
It is still anticipated that some of the sectoral groups will have more input from officers from time to time depending on the nature of the subject. A funding line has been added in order to show where additional funding is needed or being sought from.
The new Role of Gravesham’s Officer for The London 2012 Games will be coordinating the council’s efforts and collating the latest Page 98 information for a cross-divisional approach.
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
Sports • Enhance support for potential Olympians and AH/TC • Promote Free Admission for All within • Part of SDO work plan Paralympians (financial and coach mentoring). National Sportspeople (FANS existing for 2009/10 to promote • Develop single sport specialist facilities. scheme) within borough including budgets, related schemes. • Support venues in Kent to attract pre-Games specific sponsorship opportunities. unless • Support in principle for training camps and major sports events. • Support local single sport facilities specific MEAPA extension as • Promote Paralympic sports through new including MEAPA. programmes part of Southfields initiatives & creation of associate officer posts. • Work with Gravesham Disability developed. development. Planning • Increase sports participation on the back of the Sportslink Project (GDSP) to app. Approved. External Games. develop sporting opportunities for funding to be sought. disabled people within Gravesham. • Discussions with • Increase participation through Nurstead Court on draft Active Gravesham campaign in proposals for site response to Active People survey development, awaiting results. further correspondence. • Proposal put forward for Olympic • Active Gravesham
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
Legacy Funding as part of Thames programme ongoing Gateway Funding. incl. BDO area/Big 7 • Successful bid for “ AdiZone ” new Events & Summer facility to be sited in the Riverside Activity Programme. Leisure area – launch pencilled in Meeting with GDSP tba For April 2010. in Sept 09. Awaiting • Public consultation, as part of ‘Active People’ results BDO, undertaken to gather broad nationally for 09/10. views from public relating to their • Possible cycle / running areas of interest – will be taken provision in A2 corridor. forward at next meeting Project included in (September 09) Thames Gateway Legacy Action Plan. Funding bid to Sport Page 99 England – Awaiting outcome. Planning application lodged to KCC – Awaiting decision • Develop relations with Gurdwara on poss. Involvement of Indian • Letters have been given Hockey team – Artificial pitch to main Gurdwara @GRFC (Legacy Fund Bid) contacts via NKREC and KCC Sports Unit to be given to national Olympic contacts (June 09). Awaiting feedback.
Tourism • Work with Visit Britain to maximise international SH • Prepare and consult on Tourism Activity • Draft Tourism Strategy opportunities and exposure. Strategy for the Borough. assumes to Cabinet September • Raise the visibility of Kent’s offer through a • Work with Visit Kent to secure existing 2009. targeted UK campaign, particularly focused on marketing exposure – long-haul budgets in • GBC partner of Visit Londoners. (US) and short haul (London, place. Kent and participation in • Deliver a new customer care initiative - ‘Pride Europe, etc) and investigation of US and Europe in Kent’. emerging markets, e.g. India. marketing campaigns. • Launch and grow Kent tourism’s Destination • Expand hotel development Funding • SH represents Management System. opportunities, as identified by KT required for Gravesham at Kent • Develop an improved research programme, to Hotel Futures study. improvement 2012 Tourism working
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
better support growth of the sector. • Support expansion of other visitor of tourism group meetings. accommodation, including B&B, website • New hotel proposals camping & caravanning – presence supported and coming temporary and permanent. and DMS. forward through • Promote and remain true to planning system and national Quality in Tourism grading Funding identification of site scheme. contribution criteria in Local • Audit of accessible accommodation may be Development and attractions required. required to Framework. • Improve website marketing and Dickens • Promotion of business inter-linked new Destination 2012 opportunities for new Management system, interoperable B&B’s (10 new bed Page 100 with Visit Kent/England/Britain. Funding for spaces in 2009). • Development of attractions – Gads cruise liner Business advice support Hill, Riverside, Cobham Park, etc. provision accessed through Kent • Investigate cruise liner provision on study. Quality Programme. the Thames in Gravesham to take • Promotion of advantage of deep water and high accommodation with speed train connections. Quality in Tourism standards through Towncentric. • Exploration of sites for expansion of other visitor accommodation provision. • Joint working with Kent partners on Kent-wide DMS has reduced cost implications. Funding case to be made through tourism strategy. • Progress with visitor related projects, e.g. Cobham Park Heritage Project, Gad’s Hill s.106 negotiation, Town Pier
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
Pontoon, new Gurdwara, etc. • SH represents GBC at Dickens 2012 tourism steering group. • Scoping study to be commissioned in respect of investigation of cruise liner provision.
Arts • Create a nationally & internationally recognised BT/JB • Land Securities and partners have • Possible involvement for brand for culture in Kent. proposed an ‘An angel of the arts development • Create a practical and creative ‘toolkit’ for local South’ within the Ebbsfleet area. projects through the
communities to be part of a Cultural Olympiad. • “Go Gravesham ” branding created North Kent Arts Page 101 • Arts used to create a ‘sense of place’ and and supported by LOCOG / GOSE Partnership. improve the public realm, focussing on heritage • Virtual Museum created and • 2012 theme through Big and transport points. launched November 2008 Day Out and Active • Explore the creation of a digital game, aimed at • Culture Strategy produced and Gravesham activity area young people, raising aspirations through includes: Tourism, The to be looked at individual community engagement. Environment, Diversity, Sport, • Funding application Heritage and Religious Centres etc submitted to Arts • Plans to link young people across Council to date without the world (via Create, Compete success Collaborate : Accentuate Project) • Arts Regional Council now in fledgling stage visit 6 December 2007 • Exploring opportunities to link with • Awaiting branding Dance South East and their plans criteria via Creative to develop a regional cultural Programmer (Caterina programme alongside The London Loriggio) 2012 Games.
Business, • Establish a business support programme for SH • Raise awareness among business All within • ‘Olympic Business Economic small & medium sized businesses. of high speed connectivity into existing Opportunities’ page is Development & • Develop identified business sectors, with London and Olympic City. budgets, ‘live’ on GBC website. Regeneration particular reference to the 2012 opportunity • Inward investment promotion via unless • In place via KTS • Support and develop social enterprise, using KTS communications group. specific Communications Group. 2012 as the catalyst. • Develop GBC website Olympic programmes • In place via KTS
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
• Maximise employment opportunities for adults pages with link information for developed. Communications Group. and young people. businesses. Volunteering • Maximise the number of Kent individuals AH/SH • Work with local voluntary • No action required at volunteering at the Games. organisations to promote present. LOCOG • Establish a network of motivated volunteers opportunities assoc. with the Volunteering Strategy available and accessible for large one-off Games. will no longer be events in Kent, pre, during and post 2012. • Target specific groups to produced. To be • Engage those in hard-to-reach groups with the encourage take-up of volunteers, replaced by Action Plan 2012 volunteering opportunity and to esp. those highlighted within Active – No release date yet. encourage their engagement in longer term People Survey. • Awaiting feedback from comm. Vol. Sally Clarke – Re: poss Volunteer project linked Page 102 to Learning Skills Council Initiative/Train to Gain. Schools & • Increase the profile of competitive school sport, AH • SDO to work in p’ship with SSP in • Part of SDO work plan Young People including staging a biennial Kent School relation to Kent School Games for 2008/09 to work in Games. • Don’t-Sit Get Fit Co-ordinator work p’ship with SSP. • Use the 2012 Games as a catalyst within Kent to feed into Healthy Schools • Work with DSGF post – Healthy Schools programme. Programme feed into work plan • Engage young people in a range of learning • Work with SSP to increase take up • Incl. Sport Unlimited experiences through Olympic and Paralympic of students for sports leadership Project - Skateboarding, resources. courses. Swim project at NWKC, • Achieve greater involvement amongst young St Georges School people in sports leadership. Sessions etc
Skills & Training • Run targeted workshops, initially with tourism & SH/AH • Work with Employ Kent Thameside • SH sits on Employ KTS creative businesses, with key impacted sectors. to understand and access Management Group – • Use the catalyst of the Games in growing and employment opportunities for local issues re. LSC Olympics supporting vocational training. people. skills strategy on next • Use the catalyst of the Games to increase • Seek focus on customer care skills agenda. participation in apprenticeship programmes by in the Borough – generic skill • Investigating routes for Kent businesses. development across all sectors. customer focused skills • Widen and promote access to training Raise aspirations and confidence. training through e.g. opportunities for volunteers. Work jointly with Employ KTS? tourism groupings. • GBC volunteering programme • Investigating elements
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
supported by some form of of Pride in Kent initiative accreditation or progression into including ‘Greeter’ work? programme as piloted in Thanet, together with ‘Welcome Host’ Training, Transport • Determine and manage, or maximise TC/SH • ODA produced Draft Transport • Options for upgrading accordingly, the impact of the Games on Kent Plan in 2007. Northfleet station gateways, particularly Dover, Ebbsfleet and • Awareness raising of key gateways emerging and Ashford. – road, train, ferry, etc. discussions taking place • Maximise integration opportunities for Fastrack • Look to the River – how to use? on linking to Ebbsfleet in North Kent, given that the official 2012 Park • ODA updated transport & Rail will be sited at Ebbsfleet. plan received October
• Understand and proactively manage the impact 2007 but does not take Page 103 of Games – related traffic on the M2 & M25 and the issue forward on rail commuters. significantly. • Integrate tourism’s Destination Management • A scheme for upgrading System with ‘Journey Planner’ by 2012 Northfleet station and • Lobby for seamless ticketing for Kent based linking it to Ebbsfleet tourists visiting the Games. exists but costs more than available funds. Network Rail may provide the balance, if so the scheme may be able to proceed – there is narrow window of opportunity for its delivery for physical and funding reasons. • Network Rail has plans for enhancing Gravesend station with longer platforms and an extra bay platform, which they hope to get authority to design in detail in autumn 2009.
Sectoral Group Kent Strategy – Key Actions Lead Related Actions by GBC Funding Action to Date by GBC Officer(s) Officers
Looking at 2011/12 delivery. • Suggestions of a cruise liner terminal being explored with PLA • HA asked for money for Ebbsfleet junction improvements to deal with peak Olympic traffic flows but without success Comms & Media • Design & deliver the Kent ‘press packs for the GC • To be developed in partnership Page 104 20,000 national and international media that will with Communications Team cover the Games and their preparation.
Page 105 APPENDIX 2
THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES: A STRATEGY FOR GRAVESHAM
THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT
At 12.48pm on the 6 th July 2005, Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic committee, announced that London was the successful city winning the rights to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. At the opening ceremony on Friday 27 th July 2012 London will welcome over 23,000 competitors and officials to compete for 16 days in the largest event in the world.
The goal of the Olympic Movement is to “contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will embrace the Olympic philosophy to celebrate sport, culture and education to inspire a lasting legacy for London and the whole of the UK.
PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY
The main aim or purpose of this strategy is to ensure that Gravesham achieves the maximum possible benefits from the opportunities linked to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. The proximity of the Olympic venue in Stratford to Gravesham means that Gravesham Borough Council has a unique opportunity to use the impetus generated by this event to create initiatives and openings for the borough that would not have otherwise materialised.
The London Olympics Organising Committee have suggested that there is a general principle to be followed, “it is not necessarily about doing lots of new things; it is about achieving existing targets and priorities and using the Games…as the magic dust to try and actually accelerate the deliver of some of those existing priorities”. This strategy seeks to adopt that principle.
The strategy has been developed in such a way as to allow for expansion of the actions dependent on the level of support and commitment. Using the Olympic analogy, it sets out bronze medal actions that we can achieve with our current level of resources, and silver and gold targets that are only achievable with new resources and new commitment from clubs, businesses and residents across the borough. A haul of gold medals and associated benefits is achievable only by everyone working together.
KEY IMPACTS OF PREVIOUS OLYMPIC GAMES
Volunteering – There were 47,000 Volunteers involved at Athens 2004
Participation – in Sydney 2000 there were 199 nations, 10,651 athletes, 300 events and 16,033 media
It was estimated that the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games would add $6.5 billion to the Australian GDP and 100,000 full time jobs over a 12 year period from 1994-2006.
Estimated Global TB audience of 4 billion people ( www.dcms.org ) Prior too the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Barcelona was ranked as the 16 th most popular tourist destination in Europe. By 1999 it had risen to third.
From October 1986 (the month Barcelona won the bid) to July 1992, the general rate of unemployment in Barcelona fell from 18.4% to 9.6%, a drop of nearly 50%. Page 106
PRIORITIES FOR LONDON 2012
The London 2012 organising committee aims; “To stage inspirational Games that capture the imagination of young people around the world and leave a lasting legacy”. This will be achieved through four clear strategic objectives:
- To stage an inspiration Games for everyone, from athletes to the viewing public - To deliver all venues on time and on budget, providing a sustainable legacy - To maximise the economic, social, health and environmental benefits of the Games for London and the UK - To achieve a sustained improvement in UK sport, in both elite performance and grassroots participation
Key to the success of the London 2012 bid was the emphasis the bid placed on the legacy for the whole country involving sport, culture and education, particularly the opportunity to enthuse young people and to engage them in active recreation.
THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF LONDON 2012
There have been a number of studies of the potential impact of London 2012. Locum was commissioned to examine the impact of the Games on the South East of England. They started with the DCMS Olympic Games impact study which identified potential positive impact, but also a displacement e.g. it forecasts growth in GDP overall, but the large growth in London implies a negative impact on GDP of circa £4 billion 2005-2016 to the rest of the country caused by the displacement of activities and resources towards London. Locum suggest that nations and regions must avoid the “hype” of London 2012 and concentrate on developing ideas to capitalise on winning opportunities in a competitive market place.
Locum suggests that London 2012 represents an opportunity to accelerate the achievement of South East Regional Strategy (RES). The current RES identifies six sector priorities: media, marine, health technologies, environment, built environment and aerospace. Locum identify other competencies which relate to the Olympics – events management, tourism, travel and culture and suggest that the South East has the following strengths in terms of maximising benefits and mitigating negative effect:
- Proximity to London/Olympic Park - Greatest concentration of internal gateways - Large skilled resident workforce - Large concentration of high quality sports facilities - Large concentration of high quality visitor attractions and natural assets
Compete, Create, Collaborate for a World Class Performance is the South East’s offer for London 2012 and it outlines how the region can maximise opportunities from the Games. Key deliverables are identified which include targets for participation and for tourism. There is a commitment to participate in the Cultural Olympiad by building on the strength of arts provision and festivals and to offer all young people the opportunity to compete, create or collaborate with a young person from a competitor country between 2008-2012. There is also a focus on business, launching a business support programme to enable South East business to secure Games related contracts and a commitment to ‘upskill’ the 14-19 age group to take advantage of the employment opportunities related to the Games. It is envisaged that a legacy is achieved by developing more volunteers for sports, culture and community projects and that inward investment is increased by capitalising on the locational advantage and competitive regional economy.
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LOCAL AND COUNTY PERSPECTIVE
Officers from Kent County Council were at the Games staged in Beijing to appraise themselves first-hand of what happened there: early in 2009 Kent County Council secured Beacon Status for its work relating to coordinating activities for the London 2012 Games in Kent and this continues to contribute to the county’s standing in terms of engagement with the London 2012 Games.
Kent was quick off the mark in establishing a coordinating group and Gravesham is represented on that group by Dartford, all of the potential beneficiaries of the London 2012 Games meet on a quarterly basis and there is an action plan (appendix 1) which is regularly updated.
Sitting under this large cross-sectoral coordinating group there is a Kent Officer Group to which representatives from all the boroughs and districts are invited and there is still a Kent Thames-side group looking at specific aspects relating to that field of influence and Gravesham has its own internal officer’s group.
What is now clear is that many of the potential cross-sectoral synergies, while they are emerging, are quite complex in their structures and there is no “clear steer” from any one sector and certainly no “Olympic blue-print” for anyone to buy in to.
What is emerging is that each organisation needs to decide what it wants affiliation with the London 2012 Games to produce and then set upon that path.
GRAVESHAM AND THE GAMES
The Borough has excellent road, rail and river links to London and with the new high speed domestic trains bringing journey times down to 19 minutes in to the Olympic site and 24 minutes away from St Pancras. Gravesham is also well placed to access gateways such as Ebbsfleet, Gatwick, Stanstead and Dover. It is also within easy range of major tourist destinations such as Canterbury, Thorpe Park, Brands Hatch, Bluewater and the beautiful Kent coast for day visits.
EXISTING BOROUGH INFRASTRUCTURE
SPORT AND CULTURAL PROVISION
Residents enjoy a wide range of public, education and voluntary sector leisure services and facilities in and around the borough.
Flagship sports facilities include the Cascades and Cygnet Leisure Centre, The MEAPER Gym and the Nurstead Court Equestrian Centre and the latter two have been identified and publicised by Kent on the international stage as part of its “offer” for Training Camps.
Kent is set to announce (September 2009) which countries have signed Memoranda of Understanding to use facilities in Kent for training purposes, although these will not be legally binding.
GRAVESHAM; THE WAY FORWARD
In one way or another The London 2012 Games is likely to impact on all aspects of the council’s business. In terms of those who live, work and use the area for recreational purposes they will be looking to Gravesham Borough Council to provide the local lead on all
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aspects of The London 2012 Games as it impacts on and inspires their lives. It is the council’s task to ensure that their aspirations are satisfied by our actions.
However, given the uniqueness of the opportunities facing the council choosing a way forward is not straightforward.
We have been strongly advised to find our niche, to identify what we are currently doing which we would like to improve and use the Legacy created through our links to The London 2012 Games to generate the impetus to make these things happen.
From the myriad of unfolding opportunities four core themes suggest themselves for Gravesham to focus on:
1. ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT ACTIVE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
The government has set a target of 70% of adults taking part in five times 30 minutes moderate activity on a weekly basis by 2020. The Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) described a legacy of participation as “a main plank in the success of the bid” to host the Games. The Select Committee reporting on progress towards London 2012 also suggest that possibly the greatest prize to emerge from the Games would be demonstrable increase in participation in sport throughout the community. However, a report by Demos in 2004 found that although hosting the Olympics could deliver a sustained increase in participation, past Olympics had not automatically done so.
This theme would contribute to the current Corporate Plan – Goal two: Communities – to foster vibrant and cohesive communities with affirmative action to promote meaningful engagement, diversity and social inclusion, health and well-being, leisure and culture – particularly 2.2, 2.4 and 2.5 and would built on the current work of the Sport and Recreation Team. To be really effective this work needs to tie-in and complement national, regional and county initiatives. We already have some existing resource in this are both in terms of capacity and revenue/capital funding, but there is also potential for external resources.
2. CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Although there will be other towns and cities across the region competing for visitors, Tourism South East is targeting growth in visitors numbers to the region as a result of London 2012. There is again some debate nationally about the impact of the Games on tourism and when and where any benefits may accrue. The Tourism Alliance has stated that “most in-bound Olympics related tourism will be a substitution for leisure and business tourism that would otherwise occur”. There is more optimism for increasing tourism after the Games with the many tourism organisations seeing the potential to use the Games as a ‘shop window’ for the UK.
There is potential to develop and improve the visitor economy in the borough and the Tourism Strategy outlines the proposals. External resources are available for ‘upskilling’ in the leisure industry and for supporting local business in tendering for Olympic contracts. There may also be opportunities to build on Gravesham’s existing strengths in the arts and events and to develop a major event for the Cultural Olympiad. The Cultural Olympiad is a four year national festival of events and activities leading up to the Games in 2012. As well as the traditional art forms, the programme aims to encompass culture in its widest sense including food, design and fashion.
The three main strands that are expected to make up the four year festival are:
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1. Mandatory ceremonies including the torch relay and the opening and closing ceremonies for both games; 2. Bid Projects and Major ‘Signature’ Events including a World Culture Festival, International Music Programme, Olympic Carnival and International Shakespeare Festival 3. UK Cultural Festival is intended to involve arts institutions and community organisations across the country.
Some of the budget for the Cultural Olympiad is expected to come from the £40 million Olympic Legacy Trust Fund set up to support sporting and other initiatives around the UK such as the UK School Games. However, LOCOG has already warned that the vast majority of available funding for the Cultural Olympiad will go towards to major ceremonies and that there is minimal funding available for the other elements. This could affect funding for cultural organisations and community groups following the recent news that an extra £675 million has been diverted from the Lottery to pay for the increasing cost of the games; specifically it will affect their ability to deliver a Cultural Olympiad. LOCOG has subsequently stated that one of their tasks will be to design a programme that enables everyone that wants to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad to identify sources of funding.
In terms of training camps, two have been identified in Gravesham and grants of £9 million have been made available to encourage overseas competing teams to use training camps in the UK in the lead up to the Games. Kent County Council is the lead officers for this work.
CELEBRATE CULTURE AND DEVELOP COMMUNITY PRIDE
This theme again is building on existing work and links to Goal 2 of the Community Plan. Gravesham had high levels of volunteering in sport, % against a national average of 4.7% according to Sport England’s nationwide survey; however these levels can still be substantially increased. There are a number of programmes currently on offer which will contribute to developing skills for community volunteers. There are also grant schemes starting to emerge which will offer training for volunteers and benefits which could encourage residents to volunteer for the first time to be a volunteer.
Twinning programmes could also be developed which build on existing projects and would support the regional objective that every young person should have an opportunity com compete, create or collaborate with a young person from another Olympic country. “Greet the World” is a significant opportunity to tap in to regional developments with a creative slant that has emerged through Create, Compete, and Collaborate. Officers have achieved officer links to this regional programme and will update as we receive more information. There are opportunities here to some some inter-generational activities linking those who remember the last time The Olympic and Paralympics Games were hosted in Britain with the current generation who are about to have the experience for the first time: initiatives of this type are likely to attract fund and commendations for Gravesham.
On of the unique selling point for Gravesham is our cultural diversity and projects that embrace this could be successful. We have been particularly successful with our culturally diverse parades and events and this is an area that could be built up on.
One emerging theme linked to young people could be to focus on disability. Many of the potential opportunities surfacing around The London 2012 Games are linked to linking the able and disabled young people to enhance the lives of both, to foster courage, determination and equality (all Paralympics Principles) in the young people of Gravesham and to build cohesion for the future. This admirable aim seems well with our gift to achieve
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PARTNERSHIPS WITH BUSINESS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The London 2012 Olympic Games potentially offers Gravesham companies an excellent source of new business given the Borough’s close proximity to the main Olympic Park. Many of the contracts for the Olympics will be large and therefore may not be suitable for a number of small firms; however, there will be significant sub-contracting opportunities with main contracts.
The Governments have an easy to use website for lower-value contracts for all types of products and services called Supply 2. There is also a specific website for 2012 related contracts and opportunities called CompeteFor. Here Businesses are able to upload their business and service on the website allowing companies to find you as well as bidding for contracts and it is all free to use.
For even more opportunities Village Supply Chain is looking for companies who can supply goods or services to the Olympic Village in Stratford (less than 20 miles away). Funding is also available for small business to ‘upskill’ and receive training in Bid Writing and Tendering Workshops.
Another opportunity for the Council is the good river links to many of the Olympic sites (particularly the sites in Greenwich). Nationally and locally Olympic officials are interested in any scheme that will divert traffic away from roads in to the main sites and the proposed pontoon with its emerging possibilities is of particular interest.
STRATEGY DELIVERY
The strategy has aims which are to be delivered in the long-term, beyond 2012 and there are going to be a number of major national policy developments and initiatives announced between now and London 2012. For these reasons it will be important to constantly review the strategy and update it taking in to account any new opportunities.
Page 111 Agenda Item 10
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Communities)
Subject: Draft protocol for the referral of a ‘Councillor Call for Action’ to the Overview Scrutiny Committee. Purpose and summary of report: To set out a draft protocol to enable ‘Councillor Call for Action’, introduced by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, to be referred to a Scrutiny Committee and resolved in a timely manner.
Recommendations: (1) That the draft protocol be endorsed. (2) That Annex 2.5, Scrutiny Procedure Rules, to the Constitution be amended to reflect this additional responsibility.
1. Background
1.1 The ‘Councillor Call for Action’ (CCfA) was introduced under section 119 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
1.2 This enables any member of the council to refer to a scrutiny committee any local government matter which affects their ward. For the purposes of the Act a local government matter is one which:
• relates to the discharge of any function of the authority; • affects all or part of the electoral area for which the referring member is elected or any person who lives or works in the area; and • is not an excluded matter
1.3 However, it should be made clear that r eferring an issue to overview scrutiny must be seen as a last resort, only being considered after every effort has been made by the ward councillor to resolve the issue.
2. Protocol
2.1 The draft protocol (attached as Appendix A to this report) sets out the sequence of events and timescales for the referral of a CCfA to a Scrutiny Committee and the actions to be taken by the committee to resolve the issue and includes a draft CCfA referral request form.
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3 Financial Implications
3.1 There are no financial implications to this report.
4 Risk Assessment
4.1 It is a legal requirement to put in place arrangements to consider Councillor Calls for Action. Best practice guidance from the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA)states that its success will rely on several broad principles being recognized and supported, these being:
4.1.1 Transparency in decision making and the involvement of scrutiny in the decision making process at some level.
4.1.2 Willingness to identify mistakes and shortcomings, and a recognition of the need to resolve problems through discussion.
4.1.3 An understanding (among senior officers and executive members in particular) of the role that scrutiny can play to help a council improve its services.
4.1.4 An understanding, and a wish to bolster and support the role that ward councillors play as champions and leaders of their communities.
5 Section 17 Crime and Disorder Act 1988 Implications
5.1 Section 19 of The Police and Justice Act 2006, sets out the CCfA for crime and disorder and community safety issues. However Section 19 is not yet in force. If and when Section 19 is brought into force then the provisions for crime and disorder CCfAs will, in practice, be dealt with in the same way, and the same protocol would be applicable.
5.2 When Section 19 of The Police and Justice Act 2006 comes into force Crime and disorder CCfAs will have to be referred to a ‘crime and disorder committee’ with scrutiny powers. Proposals for setting up such a committee are currently being developed. A report on this topic will be submitted to a future meeting.
Background Papers
Councillor Call for Action- best practice guidance - IDeA publication February 2009.
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Appendix A
Draft Protocol for Councillor Call for Action
The ‘Councillor Call for Action’ (CCfA) was introduced under section 119 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. This enables any member of the council to refer to an overview & scrutiny committee any local government matter which affects their ward. For the purposes of the Act a local government matter is one which:
• Relates to the discharge of any function of the authority;
• Affects all or part of the electoral area for which the referring member is elected or any person who lives or works in the area; and
• Is not an excluded matter*
Referral to the Overview Scrutiny Committee should be seen as a last resort. Implemented only after every other avenue of resolving the CCfA has been exhausted.
Before making a Councillor Call for Action referral
Before referring a matter as a Councillor Call for Action to the Overview Scrutiny Committee a Councillor must have tried to resolve the issue/problem themselves. Councillors should:
• ensure that the service area or partner agency has been informed of the issue and been given enough time to resolve it;
• ensure that this is not an issue that is currently being or should be pursued via the council’s complaints process;
• ascertain whether or not any other form of local scrutiny is investigating the issue (eg Kent County Council).
*Excluded matters
• any matter relating to a planning decision;
• any matter relating to a licensing decision;
• any matter relating to an individual or entity in respect of which that individual or entity has a right of recourse to a review or right of appeal conferred by or under any enactment;
• any matter which is vexatious, discriminatory or not reasonable to be included on the agenda for, or to be discussed at, a meeting of a Scrutiny Committee or any of its sub committees
Making a Councillor Call for Action referral
To refer an unresolved issue to the Overview Scrutiny committee as a ‘Councillor Call for Action’ the councillor will be asked to complete the attached form outlining what the issue is and what steps have been taken towards a resolution.
• the Scrutiny Services Officer will receive the referral form, log it to track its progress. The Assistant Director (Business & Law) will assess the issue to ensure that it is not a matter excluded from referral to the Overview Scrutiny committee.
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The Councillor will be informed whether or not their referral has been successful.
A successful referral will ensure that the ‘Councillor Call for Action’ will be placed on the next available agenda of the Overview Scrutiny committee.
In deciding whether or not to take the matter further the Committee could consider:
• not to accept the CCfA referral and give the referring Councillor reasons why it has decided it does not wish to take the matter forward;
• have all reasonable attempts at a resolution have been made by the ward councillor;
• has the relevant service or partner agency been informed and been given enough time to resolve the issue. What response has the Councillor received?
If the committee decides to accept the referral it must decide how it intends to take the matter further. This could include:
• asking for further evidence and or witnesses to be brought to a future meeting then making recommendations to the cabinet/partner agency;
• setting up a task group to undertake a more in depth review.
Once the committee has completed its work on the referral the member who made the referral will receive a copy of any report or recommendations made in relation to it.
Timescales
• once a CCfA has been assessed as not being a matter which is excluded from referral to the Overview Scrutiny Committee, the item will be included on the next agenda of the relevant committee;
• if a committee agrees to take the matter forward, the hearing will usually be held as an item on the next available agenda. In exceptional circumstances, for example where there are unavoidable time constraints, a separate meeting may be convened;
• should a CCfA hearing result in recommendations to Cabinet being made, the Cabinet will usually respond to the recommendations, setting out any action it intends to take, within 28 days of the date of the Cabinet agenda on which the recommendations were placed;
• should a CCfA hearing result in recommendations to partner organisations, such organisations will also be requested to make a response to the recommendations, although they are under no legal obligation to do so.
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Draft Councillor Call for Action Request Form Date:
Councillor
Your ward :
Subject of your CCfA
Your main areas of concern
How have you tried to resolve the issue?
Please complete and return the form to:
Doug Finch - Scrutiny Services Officer
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 117 Agenda Item 11
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Assistant Director (Communities)
Subject: Review of the format of Council meetings
Purpose and summary of report:
To set out the recommendations of the Working Party established to review the format for Council meetings.
Recommendations:
That the recommendations contained in paragraphs 2.2 to 2.4 be endorsed for consideration by the Council.
1. Working Party to review format of Council meetings
1.1 The Cabinet established two Working Parties with cross party membership with one conducting a review of the Overview Scrutiny function and the other conducting a review of procedures for meetings of the full Council.
1.2 This report deals with the outcome of the review undertaken by the Working Party established to look at the format of Council meetings.
1.3 The Working Party, chaired by Cllr Bryan Sweetland, looked at the current format of Council meetings and considered a series of suggestions aimed at making Council meetings more community involved and positive public events as follows:-
(1) State of the Borough Debate (provision for this is contained within the Constitution); (2) Leader's annual speech addressing policy areas for the year; (3) "Green Paper" policy debates; (4) Leader's question time; (5) Lead Member / Portfolio holder question time; (6) Themed debates; (7) Debating petitions (rather than just asking questions of petitioners/ deputations); (8) Annual meeting with Gravesham Borough Council partners.
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1.4 Consideration was give to web-casting Council meetings and to involving young people in taking a more active participative role through the local democracy week initiative.
1.5 It was felt that an additional Council meeting could be incorporated within the municipal year which would involve Partner Organisations and include a State of the Borough debate.
1.6 Specific topics for discussion could be placed on the Council's website for people to vote on which topics they would like to see debated at the additional Council meeting.
1.7 Consideration was also given to hold a Leader's Annual Speech with a response from the Leader of the Opposition.
1.8 It was felt that currently deputations were "stage managed" and could be made more flexible and user friendly.
2. Proposals for consideration by Cabinet
2.1 The Working Party has requested that the undermentioned proposals be considered by Cabinet for adoption by the Council meeting on 6 October 2009.
2.2 An additional meeting of the Council, to be held in January of each year, be programmed into the committee timetable, organised as shown below and widely promoted:-
• State of the Borough Debate, comprising the Leader's annual speech addressing policy areas, a response from the Leader of the Opposition concluding with a right of reply by the Leader. The suggested timing for these should be a maximum of 15 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes respectively;
• These speeches to be followed by a debate on a number of chosen topics. (Topics to be chosen by public poll. Should it prove necessary final decision as to these topics to be made by the Assistant Director (Communities).
2.3 At Council meetings there should be a Leader's and Portfolio Holders' question time with the public being allowed to register their questions no later than noon on the day before the meeting. A maximum of five questions from the public with a limit of three minutes per questioner be allowed.
2.4 The existing provisions for submission of petitions to Council by the public be retained but that the restrictions be eased to allow any of the presenters (up to a maximum of five) to address the Council and that this together with a period of debate around the issue raised last a maximum of 30 minutes.
As a precursor to possible web casting of meetings existing resources be utilised and the Annual Council and the State of the Borough Debate meetings be filmed and that these films be made available either in their entirety or in part for viewing on the website.
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3. Constitutional Issues
3.1 Under Annex 2.1 of the Council Procedure Rules there is provision for a State of Gravesham Debate which will cover the Working Party's recommendation to hold an additional Council meeting in January each year. The Cabinet has the authority to decide the form of the debate with the aim of enabling the widest possible public involvement and publicity.
3.2 Annex 2.1 of the Constitution allows Members of the public to ask questions of the Cabinet at Ordinary Meetings of the Council. The restrictions will need to be amended on the notice given to the Proper Officer (currently seven working days before the day of the Council meeting) to allow registration of questions by 12 noon on the day before an Ordinary Meeting of the Council.
3.3 The time allowed for dealing with questions from the public will also need to be changed to allow a maximum of five questions from the public with a limit of three minutes per questioner.
3.4 The current rules concerning Deputations to the Council will also need to be amended to allow more than one person (up to a maximum of five persons) to address the Council and that 30 minutes be allowed to address the Council to include a period of debate around the issue raised.
NCC/SH Sept 2009 Review of format of Council meetings
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 121 Agenda Item 13 Last amended 26.8.09
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Business)
Subject: Development of Family Houses at Kings Drive and Trafalgar Road Purpose and summary of report:
To recommend the use of funds previously secured for the provision of affordable homes via Section 106 Agreements to assist in the provision of 6 family homes for affordable rent at Kings Drive, Gravesend and for 4 family homes for affordable rent at Trafalgar Road, Gravesend.
Recommendations: Cabinet is requested to confirm its support for working in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency and Circle Anglia and to allocate funds secured for such purposes via Section 106 Agreements to part finance 6 family homes for affordable rent at Kings Drive, Gravesend and 4 family homes for affordable rent at Trafalgar Road, Gravesend.
1. Background
1.1 In the current economic climate opportunities are arising for the provision of affordable housing on sites where an affordable element would not normally be sought i.e. sites of less than 15 units.
1.2 Two such ‘windfall’ sites are as follows:-
• Site of former doctors surgery at Kings Drive that has been vacant for approximately 3 years. The site has planning permission for 5 x 2-bed houses and 1 x 3-bed house.
• Site of former timber yard at Trafalgar Road that has planning permission for 4 x 3-bed family houses.
1.3 The sites were included on the council’s Site Register, which is forwarded to all our preferred partners and other affordable housing providers who have expressed an interest in developing in Gravesham and who meet the Homes and Communities Agency criteria, whilst also having a local management base. Page 122
2. Current Position
2.1 Circle Anglia contacted the council and expressed an interest in appraising both sites.
2.2 Discussions took place between the Housing Strategy and Development Manager and Lead Member for Housing regarding both sites and support was given in principle for the sites to be developed for affordable housing. The Lead Member for Housing agreed that, due to the mix of tenure in the surrounding areas, the high demand for affordable rented 2 and 3-bed family houses and the existing low stock of council-owned 2-bed houses, it was appropriate for the homes to be offered for affordable rent. For information, the council’s waiting and transfer lists for 2-bed homes for applicants in housing need as at June 2009 totalled 375 with 260 registered for 3-bed homes.
2.3 It was therefore agreed that Circle Anglia appraise the schemes on a general needs affordable rent tenure and begin discussions with the HCA regarding funding.
2.4 Both schemes were included in Circle Anglia’s South East Bid Package to the HCA in March 2009. Gravesham Borough Council supported the bids for both schemes on the basis that the homes were to be developed on brownfield sites and would provide much needed general needs rented family homes. The homes are larger than average, will meet Code Level 3 for Sustainable Homes and meet HCA Design Guidelines.
2.5 Circle Anglia firstly acquired the land and entered into contract on Kings Drive and then in early August 2009 they acquired the land and entered into contract on Trafalgar Road. Completion of the homes at Kings Drive is expected late September/early October with a start-on-site date for Trafalgar Road expected late 2009.
3. Funding
3.1 Following further consultation with the HCA, Circle Anglia were advised of the grant available for each scheme. Scheme costs and funding are detailed in 3.2 and 3.3 below.
3.2 Kings Drive – Scheme Costs and Funding
Scheme Costs £1,030,365 (land purchase, works and on costs)
HCA Grant £585,000
Circle Anglia Finance £370,365
Shortfall £75,000
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3.3 Trafalgar Road – Scheme Costs and Funding
Scheme Costs £744,339 (land purchase, works and on costs)
HCA Grant £390,000
Circle Anglia Finance £329,339
Shortfall £25,000
3.4 Circle Anglia enquired whether the council could provide any funding to reduce the shortfall across both schemes. The Housing Strategy and Development Manager and Lead Member for Housing agreed that, in order to assist with the provision of much needed general needs rented family homes, the use of commuted sum funds to meet the shortfall on each site could be considered.
3.5 Circle Anglia has agreed to enter into a Nomination Agreement (Rented) and a Sensitive Lettings Plan (following the Kent Housing Group ‘Creating a Sustainable Community in Kent’ protocol) with Gravesham Borough Council.
This will mean that the Council will have 100% nomination rights for first lettings and 75% for second and subsequent lettings in any 12 months for a period of 80 years from the date of the Nomination Agreement.
4. Funding by use of commuted sums
4.1 Commuted sums are financial contributions made by a developer to a local authority to fund infrastructure and services that are associated with a new development and that are required in order to enable planning permission to be granted. Typically, services and infrastructure that can be funded include highway and public transport schemes, public spaces, community facilities and affordable housing.
4.2 In exceptional circumstances, and at the complete discretion of the Council, where it can be demonstrated that the inclusion of an element of affordable housing within the development site would be inappropriate, direct provision by the developer of affordable housing on another site may be considered as an alternative (Policy H10). Alternatively a commuted payment can be made for the authority to secure new affordable housing itself.
4.3 As at June 2009 Gravesham Borough Council held funds collected through this route of £504k, with £250k of this fund having been previously allocated to assist in the provision of 16 family homes at Norfolk/Suffolk Road that are due for completion in November 2009.
4.4 Following a recent inspection of Section 106 and Unilateral Agreements undertaken by GBC Internal Audit, a report has now been published which includes a recommended action plan to ensure the council’s use of planning obligations is strategically planned, managed and monitored.
A recommended action point is for arrangements to be put in place for approval of expenditure from Section 106 and Unilateral Agreements ledger codes to be delegated to the appropriate Lead Member based upon the advice of the officer
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responsible for monitoring planning obligations, the Service Manager – Finance or Senior Accountant for the Business Directorate and a delegated representative from Legal Services.
It is proposed that by end September 2009, a template document be prepared for formal approvals.
5. Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1 The use of commuted sums currently held by the Council for the provision of additional units of affordable housing could be utilised to help provide 10 much needed family homes across the two sites detailed above, and it is on this issue that Cabinet support is sought.
5.2 Therefore, in order to facilitate the development of 10 family sized homes, Cabinet is requested to authorise the use of Commuted Sums previously secured through Section 106 Agreements for this use, to part-finance the homes proposed on the two sites, whereby the formal approval procedure as recommended in the Internal Audit Inspection of Section 106 and Unilateral Agreements will be followed.
6. Section 17, Crime & Disorder Act 1998
6.1 In the current economic climate, many sites have been ‘mothballed’ by developers, awaiting an upturn in the market. Such sites can become the subject of anti-social behaviour such as fly-tipping, grafitti and other acts of vandalism.
7. Risk
7.1 Commuted sums contributions received from developers through Section 106 Agreements are required to be used for the provision of affordable housing within the borough usually within a 10 year period. Should the funds collected not be spent within the agreed timescale, the Council may be requested to return any part of the contribution that remains unspent with interest accrued on a daily basis.
Background papers: There are no background papers pertaining to this report.
4 Page 125 Agenda Item 14 Final REPORT version 1 last updated 030909
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Report to Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Assistant Director (Communities)
Subject: Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-2013
Purpose and summary of report: To present to Members a draft Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-2013 prior to a public consultation exercise. Recommendations: (1) Members are asked to approve each the proposals for change (as compared to the current strategy) outlined in paragraph 3.2 of this report and to confirm whether they agree their inclusion in the draft Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-2013 or whether they require amendment.
(2) Members are also asked to agree an inclusion within the draft strategy for a continuation of the current policy whereby all loans/repayable grants to owner occupiers are interest free ‘soft loans’, payable only on change of ownership of the property.
(3) Taking into account the outcomes of recommendation (1) & (2) above, Members to agree the draft strategy for stakeholder consultation as outlined at paragraph 4 of this report. After the consultation process authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Communities) and the Lead Member for Housing to finalise the Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy.
(4) Members endorse in principle the proposed implementation date of the policy, and exceptions thereto, as laid out at paragraph 4.4 of this report.
1. Background
1.1 The Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2006-2009 was adopted by Cabinet in April 2006.
1.2 The strategy directs and informs the work of the Private Housing Team in their three main functions, namely
1.2.1 promoting and enforcing housing standards in the private sector Page 126
1.2.2 dealing with mandatory and discretionary grant aid to occupants of private sector housing
1.2.3 promoting and providing advice in respect of energy efficiency in the home
1.3 The policy was updated by changes made at Cabinet in September 2008, this to take account of the successful outcome of the Regional Housing Bid submitted to the Government Office of the South East (GOSE) by the North West Kent Partnership of local authorities in October 2007. GOSE awarded renovation grant funds for specified risk based initiatives over the period April 2008 to March 2011.
1.4 The strategy is now due for revision and update to form a Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-2013.
2. Shaping the Private Sector Renewal Strategy 2009-2013
2.1 The following factors have been taken into account in preparing a draft strategy for 2009-2013:
2.1.1 Overarching strategies including Kent Local Area Agreement 2 (KA2), the Dartford and Gravesham Sustainable Community Strategy 2008-11, the Corporate Plan 2008-11and the draft Gravesham Housing Strategy 2009- 13. These strategies all demonstrate clear links between housing and health, social inclusion, community safety and also the climate change agenda.
2.1.2 The findings of the Gravesham Housing Stock Condition Survey 2006, previously presented to Members at Cabinet in January 2008.
2.1.3 Changes in central government funding to discretionary grant aid programmes, this now on the basis of bids to the South East Regional Housing Board of GOSE. Currently we are in receipt of such funding as part of a North West Kent partnership comprising 8 local authorities and covering the period April 2008 to March 2011.
2.1.4 The growing emphasis on the use of loans and repayable grants such that monies are recycled back into the grant aid pot.
2.1.5 The growing importance of partnership working, both in obtaining and delivering grant aid and also in promotional and enforcement work within the private sector housing remit.
2.1.6 The national Regulatory Reform agenda, including the Regulators’ Compliance Code, which specifically includes housing standards within its remit.
2.1.7 Changes in relevant legislation and mandatory guidance thereto.
3. Private Sector Renewal Strategy 2009-2013
3.1 Taking into account the factors outlined at paragraph 2 above, a Private Sector renewal Strategy 2009-2013 has been prepared in draft format for consideration by Members before it is agreed as a consultation draft. The draft strategy is attached as Appendix A to this report.
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3.2 The proposed changes between this draft and the current strategy as are summarised as follows:
3.2.1 Limits to mandatory disabled facilities grants (DFGs) are increased in accordance with legislative changes (from £25,000 maximum to £30,000 maximum).
3.2.2 It is proposed, that in certain cases, Gravesham utilises the new power to place a limited charge of up to £10,000 on a DFG adapted property when it is sold within 10 years and where the cost of the DFG works is over £5,000. It is proposed that the Council will seek to apply this where the works could reasonably be expected to add value to the property, such as by the construction of additional rooms or amenities by the construction of an extension or by the conversion of a non-habitable space.
3.2.3 It is proposed that we align and make consistent the two slightly different Coldbusters schemes that we currently operate:
3.2.3.1 One scheme is currently fully funded by the Council as a grant of up to £5,000, and the other funded by North West Kent partnership bid monies and available as a grant up to £1,500 only and then as a repayable grant for the balance up to a total £5,000. The Gravesham Coldbusters is currently open to both owner occupiers and to tenants in the private rented sector, whereas the North West Kent Coldbusters is available to owner occupiers only.
3.2.3.2 It is proposed that we now make these schemes consistent, whatever the source of funding, and all now to follow the North West Kent model.
3.2.3.3 However, in the case of vulnerable applicants on means tested benefits, we propose, that where funds allow, we will ‘top up’ and make the loan element available as a grant
3.2.4 We propose to introduce a series of new grants/loans as follows:
3.2.4.1 Warmlet Landlord Loans for landlords who have joined the Kent Landlord Accreditation scheme (introduced to Members at Cabinet in March 2009), to enable works identified in an Energy Performance Certificate to be carried out. It is proposed that this would be a loan of up to £5,000 repayable interest free over a 5 year period.
3.2.4.2 Hard to Heat Homes grants -to be developed as part of the North West Kent initiative from within grant funding already allocated or indicated from GOSE
3.2.4.3 In Touch Emergency Heating Scheme to deal with provision of emergency heaters for vulnerable households whose main heating has broken down and whilst they are awaiting long term grant aided assistance to replace it.
3.2.4.4 Home Security Grant, as outlined at Cabinet/Management Team Awayday on 24 July 2009. This would initially be a pilot scheme
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for 2009/10 funded from existing renewal funding (£10,000) for purchase of equipment and with the CDRP funding installation costs (£4,000). This initiative would be targeted to vulnerable properties within an identified high risk area.
3.2.5 It is proposed that we explicitly commit to ring fencing repaid grants back into the private sector renewal pot. Department for Communities and Local Government have made clear that they will audit the use put to such incoming monies.
3.2.6 All references to work in relation to empty dwellings have been removed from the Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-13 as there is now a separate Empty Properties Strategy.
3.3 Members are asked to consider each the proposals for change outlined in paragraph 3.2 and confirm whether they agree their inclusion in the draft policy or whether they require amendment.
3.4 Members are also asked to confirm whether they are agreeable to including within the draft strategy a continuation of the current policy whereby all loans/repayable grants to owner occupiers are interest free ‘soft loans’, payable only on change of ownership of the property.
4. Consultation with stakeholders and next steps
4.1 Once the draft strategy is agreed it will then be necessary to carry out a stakeholder consultation.
4.2 It is proposed to carry out an 8 week period of consultation with partners, other enforcement agencies, and the general public, using a variety of methods including mailshot, press release, website etc
4.3 All incoming responses will be entered on to an evaluation grid (as recommended by Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services, LACORS) for consideration by Cabinet at its meeting in January 2010.
4.4 It is proposed that the Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-2013 then be amended accordingly, published, publicised and made effective immediately, with the exception that the changes to DFGs and Coldbusters grants as outlined at paragraph 3.2.2 and 3.2.3.2 above (assuming that these are taken forward into the new strategy) would not apply to applications already properly made and that are approved prior to 1 April 2010.
4.5 Delegated authority for the housing portfolio-holder would be sought in respect of finalising the details of new grant/loan schemes proposed and agreed in principle under the strategy.
5. Financial Implications
5.1 The resource implications for this policy review and development exercise relate to officer time and promotional expenses (i.e. printing, postage etc), which will be contained within existing budgets.
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5.2 All figures given in this report are in accordance with the Housing General Fund Capital Programme up to 2013. However discretionary grant programmes would be adjusted should indicative funding be diverted or not materialise.
5.3 In respect of the Regional Housing Board funding for 2010/2011, the current indication is that authorities are likely to receive only 80% of the funding previously indicated (i.e. 80% of £186k for Gravesham). However, as an authority with a good record of spend, we may well be allocated more than the 80% as funds are reallocated from more poorly performing authorities in the region.
5.4 By increased emphasis on loans and the recycling of funds, future demands from capital receipts to finance private sector renewal assistance will diminish.
6. Risk Assessment
6.1 The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) England and Wales Order 2002 requires a local authority to produce a private sector housing renewal policy if the authority wishes to make use of the general provisions of the legislation to provide assistance for private sector renewal. Thus a current strategy document is vital if Gravesham is to be able to continue to offer private sector housing assistance.
6.2 It is essential to update the Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy to ensure that it reflects current overarching strategies, current legislation and guidance and current funding available.
6.3 The Private Sector Housing Renewal Strategy 2009-13 will serve as a document to direct and inform the work of the Private Housing team and to ensure and demonstrate consistency to stakeholders.
6.4 The strategy makes clear that we realise the need to work in partnership with other agencies and with stakeholders, and sets out some of the ways in which we will seek to do this.
6.5 Any reduction in the private sector renewal grant programme will detract from the corporate objectives regarding excellent housing and decent homes. It will also be detrimental to objectives on health, social inclusion, community safety and climate change.
6.6 The private sector stock condition survey has highlighted clear need in respect of ongoing grant assistance to vulnerable households if we are to meet PSA7 targets for decent homes.
6.7 Any reduction in the thermal efficiency work of the private sector renewal programme (particularly Coldbusters and Warmfront top ups) will have a particularly significant effect on achieving decent homes targets, will also have negative impact on corporate environment and climate change objectives and will be detrimental to our work in relation to NI187 (tackling fuel poverty).
7. Crime and Disorder Act 1988 – Section 17 Implications
7.1 The provision of good quality and safe private sector accommodation is consistent with an increased perception of security and wellbeing.
7.2 The Home Security grant scheme is a direct intervention to prevent crime in identified areas of high risk.
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7.3 The encouragement of good practice in the private rented sector will allow concentration of staff resources on the wilfully badly performing landlords.
8. Equality Implications
8.1 It is proposed that an equalities impact assessment of the draft policy be undertaken during the consultation period and amendments proposed as necessary on return to Cabinet in January 2010.
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Gravesham –
a place of choice
improving homes,
transforming lives
Page 2009-13 Strategy Renewal Housing Sector Private 0 of 18 Page 132
This document sets out how we will achieve our key aims for private housing to:
• Increase the proportion of vulnerable people living in decent homes
• Help older and disabled people to live independently in the community
• Improve the energy efficiency of private housing
• Target resources where they are most needed • Promote and enforce statutory housing standards
Our Commitment and Review 2 1 Introduction 3 2 What do we know about private housing in Gravesham? 3 3 What will our new strategy achieve? 5 4 What is private housing? 6 5 What assistance are we able to provide? 7 6 Loans or grants? 10 7 Fees and charges 10 8 What is excluded from this strategy? 10 9 How will our new strategy be funded? 11 10 Enforcement action 11 11 Promotion of energy efficiency 12 12 Other ways of promoting and achieving housing renewal 13 13 Who are our key partners in this strategy? 13 14 How does this strategy fit with other strategies and plans? 13 15 Implementing and monitoring the strategy 15
Appendix 1: Application for discretionary assistance Appendix 2: Application for mandatory assistance (DFGs) Appendix 3: Grant and loan conditions Appendix 4: Policy for waiving or reducing repayments Appendix 5: Housing enforcement policy Appendix 6: Table of financial assistance available Appendix 7: Private Sector Housing Action Plan Appendix 8: Performance Indicators
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Our Commitment and Review
Gravesham Borough Council is committed to: − improving private housing − enabling independence and choice − providing a coherent preventative service including information, advice, enforcement and advocacy, − effective partnership working with key agencies and others working and living in the borough. − Good quality housing is essential to the health and wellbeing of the community.
By helping people to improve their homes we will contribute to achieving our vision of Gravesham as a place of choice with every resident enjoying a high quality of life.
In 2006 the Council’s Private Housing Renewal Strategy 2006 to 2009 was introduced.
The Strategy outlined the way the Council could assist owner-occupiers and those who rent privately by means of a new range of grants, assistance and loans. The Strategy was especially designed to target vulnerable people in the community - the disabled, the over 60’s and families with children under 16, principally on means tested benefits and its content was intended to reflect the Regional Housing Strategy’s key priorities to ensure:
• Energy efficiency improvements • The delivery of decent homes • Improving the private rented sector • Help for older and disabled people to live independently in the community • Regulation of basic housing standards in the private rented sector. • Properties occupied by vulnerable households will be the focus of our enforcement work.
The Council's Private Housing Renewal Strategy has proved to be effective at targeting our resources in line with the objectives of the strategic and operational policies set out in the Kent Area Agreement, the Sustainable Community Strategy for Dartford and Gravesham, the Local Development Framework and our Corporate Plan.
The Strategy has helped forge partnerships with key stakeholders including the “in touch Home Improvement Agency”, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, other West Kent housing authorities, the National Landlords Association, the Energy Savings Trust Advice Centre (ESTAC), Creative Environmental Networks (CEN) , the EAGA Partnership and Warmfront and has delivered substantial improvements over the period 2006-2009. For illustration, in the year ending March 2009:
• In conjunction with our partners, approximately 449 homes have been surveyed for energy improvements with a total of 664 energy efficiency measures delivered, primarily cavity wall and loft insulation, with a spend by Gravesham BC of over £234,000 .
• Over 70 Disabled Facilities Grants have been completed through the year at a spend of over £725,000
• 20 households have been assisted via the Minor Works Grant, at a spend of nearly £55,000 .
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• 9 units of family accommodation have been brought up to the Decent Homes Standard through the Decent Homes Repayable Grant and Renovation Loans, at a spend of over £108,000 in the private sector and a further £36,000 of works is scheduled – there are many more property owners that are in the process of applying.
• 46 residents have been assisted through Warm Front top-ups at a cost of over £26,000.
The new Strategy for 2009-13 maintains the majority of the initiatives that took place in 2006 /09 and sets out to build further on successes to date. Improvements have been made to take into account some of the challenges faced in the delivery of our 2006/09 programme through a thorough analysis of current best practice and further Government guidance. Although there is a balance between loans and grants the council will move further toward the recycling funds through loan scheme to reinvest in the private housing sector. This will help to ensure that Gravesham is able to continue its effective track record in delivering key outcomes and in developing a housing policy for an ageing society. [Note – the term “loan” includes repayable grants currently at 0% interest.]
The Council is well placed to deliver an effective renewal programme for Gravesham - 2009-13 will see a continuing allocation for Decent Homes Assistance. This will help make more dwellings decent in line with central Government targets, we will continue to promote sub regional working and will participate in a Kent-wide landlord accreditation scheme.
Introduction 1 Poor quality housing can have a significant impact on the health of the occupant and it is primarily the responsibility of homeowners to maintain their own property. This strategy recognises that better housing is at least as important as medical progress in terms of public health. Some householders, particularly some older people and other vulnerable residents, do not have the necessary resources to keep their houses in good repair. In these circumstances Gravesham Borough Council has an important role to provide assistance as part of its statutory duty regarding the condition of the housing stock.
The Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 swept away previous legislation in relation to renewal grants and replaced it with new powers to provide a broader range of assistance for people who need help to repair and adapt their homes. This Order enables the Council to take an innovative approach to private housing renewal by providing a range of grants, loans, practical advice or directly carrying out work to repair, improve, extend, convert or adapt homes to meet the needs of the people who live in them.
2 What do we know about the condition of private housing in Gravesham?
House conditions are measured against two national standards, firstly the basic statutory standard measured under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) which requires that no serious hazards are present from a list of the 29 specific hazards and secondly the Decent Homes Standard that additionally requires the dwelling be in reasonable repair, have modern facilities & services and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
At 1 April 2008 there were 33741 dwellings in the private sector.
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Research over a number of years has helped to inform and provide an evidence base for the strategy. This has included base information from the Gravesham Council Housing Stock Condition Survey 2006. This survey indicated that:
• Approximately 80% of homes are owner occupied and they are normally the owner’s most important asset
• 19.2 % of private dwellings failed to meet basic minimum standards and this percentage is considerably higher in the private rented sector
• Hazards from excess cold were and remain the greatest cause of this failure and are the most significant in terms of health and cost.
• The cost of repairing these non decent homes was estimated at £9.94 million
• The Council faced a potential immediate demand in excess of £1.3 million for means tested grants and loans to vulnerable households. These funds would be merely targeted at bringing unsatisfactory owner occupied dwellings up to basic minimum standards
• Disrepair was disproportionately high among dwellings occupied by private tenants • 44% of tenants in privately rented accommodation were in receipt of benefits while 23% of owner occupiers were in receipt of benefit payments. • At 48% the private rented sector has the highest percentage of vulnerable households living in non decent homes. By comparison, the figure for owner occupied homes is 35%. • The national target is that by 2010 at least 70% of vulnerable households should be living in homes that meet the Decent Homes standard. The stock condition survey indicated that by 2010 an additional 442 homes in Gravesham would need to be improved to meet that target. By April 2009 we had improved 256 homes to the Decent Homes Standard with 160 of these being occupied by vulnerable persons. • On average the houses in Gravesham have better energy efficiency than the national average when judged by the Standard Assessment Procedure. Despite this almost 18% of households are at risk of being in fuel poverty; this is much worse
than the national average of 7%. (A fuel poor household is one which needs to
spend more than 10 per cent of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate heating regime.)
• The National Indicator 187 (NI 187) measures progress made by Councils in tackling fuel poverty through the improved energy efficiency of households inhabited by people claiming income related benefits and in 2009 Gravesham set a baseline to improve housing conditions for those in fuel poverty. • Just over 11% of all households were in need of disabled adaptations and the projected cost to deal with disability, long-term illness and infirmity issues was some £6.39 million. • Data from the Gravesham Housing Needs Survey 2006 indicated that the number of people in the over 65 age group will rise by 13,600 by 2021. Furthermore 2.6% of existing households indicated that they had elderly relatives who may need to move to the Borough in the next three years.
All this information builds a picture of significant problems in sections of the privately owned housing stock, and the need for the Council to take action to help vulnerable residents to improve their homes. We aim to ensure that vulnerable people have the confidence to make the right choice by providing all the information they need about what is possible.
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What will our new strategy achieve? 3 This strategy will build on our delivery during the period 2006-2009 and continue to provide choice, advocacy and a framework of support and advice for vulnerable households in Gravesham whose homes are in disrepair or are inadequate for their needs.
In 2001 the government required all local authorities and housing associations to produce action plans to ensure their housing stock achieved the Decent Homes Standard. This standard establishes a benchmark for quality in the condition of housing, ensuring that it is in a good state of repair and provides good levels of thermal comfort.
In 2003 the Government extended the requirement for Decent Homes Standard to dwellings occupied by vulnerable households in the private sector. In this context vulnerable households are defined as those in receipt of certain means tested or disability benefits.
It is evident from the stock condition survey (2006) that 39.1% of Gravesham’s vulnerable households occupy non-decent housing. In line with the South East Regional Housing Strategy’s recommendations, our strategy continues to be primarily targeted at assisting these households by increasing the number of private homes meeting the Decent Homes Standard.
The connections between poor health and poor housing are well established. A third of older people live in the worst housing conditions, furthermore a third of older people live in non-decent housing, with the worst conditions in the private sector. Fuel poverty is proven to be a major detractor from good health, educational attainment and general wellbeing. It is due to a combination of factors which typically comprise a low household income, poor insulation standards and an inefficient or expensive heating system. Many homes built before 1995, when the building regulations were amended, are needlessly costing householders money in wasted fuel. The evidence suggests that many homes in all areas of the borough lack sufficient loft insulation and/or cavity wall insulation.
Our strategy will therefore continue to prioritise and reflect one of the Regional Housing Strategy’s key aims to improve the energy efficiency of properties within the borough and to help make affordable warmth available to vulnerable people who are at the greatest risk of suffering from cold and draughty homes. The strategy seeks to make the most of Gravesham’s private housing stock, making it fully adaptable as circumstances change, and to enhance quality and resilience in the face of climate change.
The quality of housing can also affect how safe people feel. We are therefore piloting an additional scheme for security measures for those who are most at risk of crime. It is intended to expand the pilot scheme if it is successful and sufficient funding is available.
Naturally, resources are limited so we will carefully target our assistance to ensure that it reaches those who are at greatest risk and achieves the widest overall improvement in the private housing stock across the borough. Available funding is not sufficient to meet more than a proportion of demand and careful consideration has therefore been given to establishing eligibility criteria that are fair and inclusive of the people who most need our help.
The Council is keen to ensure that its resources are targeted effectively and we will continue to assess ways in which to tie in energy efficiency improvements with meeting decent homes standard.
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We will continue to encourage, and where necessary, enforce statutory standards of health and safety in compliance with national housing legislation for the private housing sector.
The Housing Act 2004 introduced a new way to assess the condition of homes in England and Wales in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. This is a risk- based approach to assess hazards to health and safety in dwellings, and on which remedial and enforcement action can be taken if necessary.
If the Council discovers a serious hazard in a home, it has a duty to take the most appropriate action. There is a choice of action available to the Council, including the following: • serve an Improvement Notice requiring essential repairs or improvements;
• make a Prohibition Order, which closes the whole or part of a dwelling or restricts the number of occupiers;
• take emergency action where there is an imminent risk to the occupiers;
• serve a Hazard Awareness Notice informing interested parties of the presence of hazards;
For detailed information about the HHSRS see the Department for Communities and Local Government website (www.communities.gov.uk/housing/rentingandletting/housinghealth)
The Housing Act 2004 also introduced a new definition of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) which includes shared houses and flats as well as bedsit accommodation. Part 2 of the Act introduced the mandatory licensing of certain types of higher risk HMOs (properties with more that two stories housing two or more families with at least 5 people sharing facilities) . The council will require that proper standards of management are in place in all types of HMO.
Where appropriate we will to try to deal with problems informally at first but if formal action is required then the Council will usually make a charge to recover the costs incurred. In some cases the Council may carry out works in default if a notice is not complied with and in these cases the costs of the remedial works will also be recovered.
What is private sector housing? 4 Private sector housing is made up of privately rented housing and owner occupied housing.
Privately rented housing has an essential role to play in providing accommodation for people who cannot afford to buy a home of their own and for those not yet certain of their long term job/location. High house prices and a shortage of social housing mean that renting from private landlords is the only option for a considerable number of local people.
Owner occupied housing accounts for more than 82% of all homes in the borough. Most of these are well maintained and suitable for the needs of their residents but a significant number are in a poor state of repair or lack adequate heating or insulation. Others are occupied by disabled people and have not been adapted for their needs.
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What assistance are we able to provide? 5 The council’s website includes comprehensive advice and information about all the initiatives included in this strategy. This can be found at:-
http://www.gravesham.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=280
All individual schemes have been grouped under four headings:
1. Repairs – appendix 1 and 6
• Decent Homes Repayable Grant
This is an interest free loan available to enable the over 60s, disabled people or families (with children under 16) on means tested benefit to stay in their own homes and make their home decent. The aim is to improve living conditions to alleviate serious risks to health and safety. The assistance is up to a maximum of £10,000 (in exceptional cases the a panel comprising the Assistant Director (Communities) or the Private Sector Housing Manager and the Lead Member for Housing may consider approving a repayable grant of up to £30,000).
Generally the funds are repaid only when the property is sold or on change of ownership or on breach of a condition of the loan.
• Minor Works Grant
This scheme assists owner occupiers who are vulnerable households to maintain their homes. Works can include adaptations or disrepairs likely to seriously affect the occupants’ health and safety. It is available to those over 60, disabled people or families (with children under 16) on means tested benefit or very low income. The assistance is up to £5,000.
• Handyperson Service
The council provides funding for a Home Improvement Agency run by The Hyde Group in partnership with Kent County Council. The Agency can provide assistance to the elderly, disabled or those who receive income related benefits with gardening, handyperson and security services.
2. Adaptations – appendix 2
Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)
Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants are available as prescribed in the Housing Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (as amended) and in the Government circular “Delivering Housing Adaptations for Disabled People”. Detailed information is therefore not included in this strategy document. The maximum amount of assistance is £30,000.
Disabled people can obtain a mandatory DFG for a range of work including:
• making it easier to get into and out of their homes • making it easier to get around in their bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen • making it easier to use the toilet, bath and shower • making it easier to prepare and cook food • improving or installing a suitable heating system • helping to control lighting, power and heating
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• making it easier to get around their home to help them care for another person • making their home safe for everyone who lives in it
For mandatory disabled facilities grants (DFG) the council may decide on a case by case basis to place a limited charge of up to £10,000 on an adapted property when it is sold within 10 years and where the cost of the DFG work is over £5,000. This includes adaptations for children. Gravesham Borough Council will seek to apply this where the works could reasonably be expected to add value to the property. Any recovered funds will be recycled to provide further financial assistance to eligible persons. For example the provision of additional rooms or amenities by the construction of an extension or the conversion of a non habitable room/space are measures that will be considered for the application of such a property charge.
3. Safer Homes – appendix 1 and 6
• Home Security Grant
Working in partnership with the police, our community safety team and home improvement agency we will identify an area with properties at high risk of crime and implement a pilot scheme to install wireless burglar alarm in nominated eligible properties. The pilot scheme will be designed so that occupiers of non eligible properties will be able to purchase one of the alarm systems. Any future development of this or similar schemes will depend on the outcome of the pilot scheme and available funding.
4. Warm and energy efficient homes – appendix 1 and 6
• Warmfront Top-Ups
Warmfront is a national government grant that provides insulation and some heating measures (up to £3500 and £6000 for oil fired heating) to homeowners or those in privately rented accommodation on certain income or disability benefits. We refer suitable clients to Eaga who operate this scheme.
A number of low-income clients are being asked to subsidise the cost when the cost of works exceed the grant limits. This can lead to either further financial hardship or cancellation of essential improvement works. The Council therefore offers Warmfront Top-ups to help householders in this situation as a grant of up to £1000 (subject to budget reviews).
• Coldbusters scheme
This scheme will provide heating systems, loft and cavity wall insulation to any owner occupier aged 60 and over, disabled people, single person households and those caring for children under 16 – all groups being on means tested benefits. The maximum funding available will be £5000. To facilitate low cost measures the first £1500 will be a non repayable grant and the remaining balance up to £3500 will be in the form of an interest free repayable grant on the change of ownership of the property. This scheme is also available to all persons 65 and over regardless of income.
Where the Council has additional capital, “top up” funding for the loan element will be available for vulnerable households on means tested benefits.
This scheme is not available to those who are privately renting.
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• Hard to Heat Homes
Implementing hard to heat initiatives is a key tool in eradicating fuel poverty in homes that are solid wall construction or are off mains gas supply. This includes measures such as solid wall insulation and heating to be delivered during 2009/10. This will have a focus on assistance for those caring for children under 16, over 60’s and disabled to overcome fuel poverty.
For 2009/ 10 the Council is keen to work sub regionally to develop a partnership approach to delivering energy efficiency initiatives through cross boundary working with energy installers.
• “in touch” Emergency Heating Scheme
The Warmfront scheme provides grants for boiler repairs but the scheme cannot respond to emergency situations. This can leave older and disabled people at risk of illness and possible admission to hospital. This strategy will implement an emergency heating scheme. This will be achieved by working in partnership with the Home Improvement Agency to provide emergency heating for vulnerable people until the main heating system has been installed. This will be funded from existing resources by the council to obtain temporary heaters.
• Gravesham Warm Let Scheme – Landlord Loans
Subject to funding being available, Landlords who have joined the voluntary Kent Landlords Accreditation Scheme will be eligible to apply for loan assistance to implement the measures contained within an energy performance certificate. Gravesham will assist with a maximum loan of £5000 repayable over a five year period. Repayments will be due monthly following certified completion of the eligible works. Eligible works include insulation measures (including external insulation) and heating measures. Generally window replacement and solar heating schemes will not be considered eligible as the payback period is excessive.
These initiatives for warm and energy efficient homes will help to prevent cold-related illness and accident admissions and re-admissions to hospital amongst vulnerable householder groups. It will also reduce the number of homes occupied by vulnerable householders in the private sector that fail the Decent Homes Standard.
• PCT Healthy Homes Project
We will endeavour to increase partnership working and establish a protocol with the PCT to target assistance to vulnerable persons.
• What about exceptional cases?
The council does not operate a blanket policy under our strategy. Local residents are at liberty to request that we consider an application for assistance irrespective of whether their application falls within the standard categories given above. Any such request will be assessed and determined by the Private Sector Housing Renewal Panel. In such case your request will be acknowledged within 10 working days. The Panel will consider your case and respond to you with their decision within a further period of 10 working days
Appendix 4 details the council’s policy for waiving or reducing, in exceptional circumstances, the conditions normally attached to assistance given.
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Loans or grants? 6 For a number of years Gravesham Borough Council has been offering financial assistance to vulnerable households as grants or loans. The advantage of loans is that funding can be recycled to other households when repayment occurs on change of ownership.
Gravesham Borough Council will continue to promote loans as a vehicle for improving conditions in dwellings whilst keeping grant aid available for smaller sums where a loan would be undesirable or uneconomic to administer.
In conjunction with our home improvement agency we will ensure that applicants are given comprehensive information and are fully aware of any obligations they undertake once assistance has been provided. Money that is repaid to the Council when dwellings are sold / or on change of title will be reinvested in the private sector housing capital programme. The Council reserves the right to assess recovery of the loan on a case by case basis and will deal with issues in a sensitive manner.
In exceptional circumstances where there is insufficient equity in the property to pay back a loan on sale of the property consideration will be given by the Housing Renewal Panel to provide grant-aid rather than loan assistance, see Appendix 4.
Fees and Charges 7 Fees currently 11% of the eligible works will normally be charged by “in touch”, the Dartford and Gravesham Home Improvement Agency, for assisting a client through the process of obtaining assistance including project management of works. Other charges can include those for Land Registry, Planning or Building Control and surveyor or architect fees. Other agencies may charge higher fees based on national rates.
The Council will consider whether the fees are reasonable in assessing and determining any application. Should you chose to use the “in touch”, the Dartford and Gravesham Home Improvement Agency then they will obtain all necessary Planning and Building Control approval on your behalf. This will ensure that the works progress smoothly and the management costs are included in the fee level of 11% stated above.
If a preliminary structural or electrical survey is required to determine the extent of work necessary then the applicant will be liable for these charges. The application must include satisfactory invoices so that, if a grant is approved, the applicant may be reimbursed for some or all of these costs.
What is excluded from this strategy? 8 Separate funding streams are available for works to social housing and this strategy will not therefore apply to this tenure.
In view of the level of need within traditional private housing funding will not normally be available for boats, caravans or tents . Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants are however now available for caravans and mobile homes provided that the eligibility criteria are met.
This limitation may be reviewed by the Private Sector Housing Panel in cases of hardship where improvements to thermal efficiency are necessary for the health and safety or wellbeing of the occupants of static mobile homes.
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How will our new strategy be funded? 9 In late summer 2007, local authorities were contacted by the Government Office of the South East (GOSE) and invited to submit bids for funding for private sector housing renewal work (grants and loans) for the 3 year period 2008-2011. These bids were required to be risk/needs focused, and partnership bids were encouraged. Bids were to be submitted by mid October 2007.
As part of a North West Kent Partnership of 8 Local Authorities, Gravesham submitted a bid focused on thermal efficiency and decent homes particularly for vulnerable households. The Gravesham BC bid was for £633,225 over the 3 year period with a commitment to contribute a further £50k from our own funds each year.
Gravesham BC received:-
£129k in 2008/09 £212k in 2009/10 and GOSE has indicated that future funding will be £186k in 2010/11.
In addition Gravesham Borough Council Capital Programme estimates for 2009-2013 are:-
Programme 2009-2010 (£) 2010-2011 (£) 2011-2012 (£) Heading Disabled Facilities 208,000 208,000 208,000 Grants (mandatory) 312,000 (GOSE) 312,000 (GOSE) 312,000 (GOSE) Private Sector 165,700 165,700 165,700 Renewal Coldbusters 130,000 130,000 130,000
In the future monies are likely to be awarded following the submission of local authority partnership bids. Further funding will be dependent upon achieving positive outcomes from our strategy and it is therefore crucial that we develop a clear, challenging and innovative action plan to ensure the Council continues to attract vital investment into the borough.
Enforcement Action 10 Landlords have a responsibility to ensure that all accommodation they let is in good repair. We will continue to use and develop the enforcement tools available to us to tackle landlords who offer substandard accommodation and we will ensure that relevant departments of the Council work closely together to achieve this. We may consider the use of Interim and Final Management Orders for HMOs or Empty Dwelling Management Orders in the rare instances when all other enforcement measures have failed to achieve a satisfactory outcome and we are working to develop robust policies for these measures.
Working with Private Sector Landlords and Agents
We will continue to engage with private sector landlords, including providing education and training to landlords and agents via our Landlords’ Forum and associated landlords’ events. We also meet informally with Landlords’ Associations including the National Landlords Association and other representative organisations
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Plans are well advanced for setting up a pan Kent private landlords’ accreditation scheme in partnership with key stakeholders and the strategy makes room for the development and resourcing of this scheme.
We have recently joined the Kent Landlord Accreditation Scheme (KLAS) which is run on an agency basis on behalf of Kent Authorities by the London Borough of Camden which runs similar schemes nationally. This aims to drive up standards in the private rented sector by encouraging landlords to use good practice
Funding is from existing resources and funded jointly initially for a two year period by social and private housing departments.
This scheme will benefit landlords by providing updated information training and receiving accredited status. Landlords will need to be accredited to be eligible for loan assistance. It will benefit tenants as they will be able to confirm whether a potential landlord is accredited and thereby abides by agreed standards. It will also benefit Gravesham Borough Council by freeing up resources to deal with bad landlords and assist the homeless persons unit to refer vulnerable persons to properties run by accredited landlords.
Cross-authority partnership working
The Council continues to lead and participate on excellent sub regional work within Kent with all local housing authorities collaborating on a range of private sector improvement initiatives. Joint working is taking place on the delivery of the Housing Act 2004, as well as a host of other initiatives including funding of home improvement initiatives; jointly running landlords’ forums; Kent wide energy and carbon reduction programmes.
Promotion of Energy Efficiency 11 Gravesham Borough Council has a duty to develop programmes to reduce energy use, carbon emissions and fuel poverty.
Over the last ten years it is estimated that Kent residents have saved well in excess of 500,000 tonnes of CO2, not including the savings made on household energy bills. Many organisations continue to contribute to these savings in partnership with the councils, including Gravesham. Gravesham Borough Council continues to progress community events which will include working with various vulnerable households such as those families with children under 16, the disabled and the elderly. Some of the major events and activities planned include:
• Working with the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre (ESTAC) to provide advice and support to the community and collection and preparation of national indicators. • Provide training events in partnership with Eaga Plc (Warmfront) and ESTAC to other partners e.g. PCT, KCC, voluntary organizations, Home Improvement Agency, Kent Fire and Rescue, etc • Attend corporate events in Gravesend e.g. Children’s Day and Big day Out to offer advice and support on energy matters • Attend Kentwide events such as the Kent County Show to offer advice and support on energy matters including renewable energy. • Continue to work with various schools and colleges in providing talks and advice. • Take active part in the ‘energy saving day’ by organizing event in Gravesend town centre to offer advice and support on energy matters, benefits and services via our Home Improvement Agency. • A rural community energy event in partnership with ESTAC in Gravesham to promote renewable and sustainable energy.
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• Working with landlords to improve energy efficiency in the private rented sector by running 3 Landlords’ Forums a year with Dartford Borough Council and producing a Landlords’ Newsletter twice a year.
Other ways of promoting and achieving housing renewal 12 • Technical home maintenance advice
We will provide information and advice on our website www.gravesham.gov.uk under the Private Sector Renewal web page.
As well as details of the schemes within this strategy we will provide specific advice to home owners and landlords to help them maintain and improve their properties.
• Community maintenance and building skills training
This is delivered by North West Kent College via a range of DIY and full time courses.
For further information visit the college at www.nwkcollege.ac.uk telephone 01322 62 94 00.
Who are our key partners in this strategy? 13 Assistance has been targeted to help achieve key strategic priorities. Working in partnership with other service providers is the most efficient and effective way of achieving success.
The Council recognises that a range of partnerships will best promote collaborative working and deliver our priorities for private sector housing. Our key partners include:
• Dartford and Gravesham Home Improvement Agency • Kent County Council • Kent Police • Private Sector Landlords • The National Landlords Association. • Kent Fire and Rescue Service • Camden Council (Kent Landlord Accreditation Scheme) • Lettings and Managing Agents • Housing Associations • Local Kent housing authorities (District/Borough councils and Medway) • Warmfront, ESTAC and the energy suppliers • Gravesham BC Corporate Housing Group and other GBC departments
How does this strategy fit with other strategies and plans? 14 The aims of this strategy are:
• To provide decent, safe, energy efficient, warm, secure and healthy homes • To develop an area based focus where necessary to ensure assistance is aimed at those suffering the worst housing conditions or whose properties are the most unsuitable • To encourage and enforce quality provision in the private rented sector and to support landlords through a range of incentives/enforcement activities.
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• To support initiatives to tackle homelessness and increase the availability of accommodation to meet the needs of homeless households • To support initiatives to deal with obsolete / long term empty housing • To support the overarching strategic commitment to improve and sustain the wellbeing of Gravesham residents
These aims are reflected and complemented by those set out in other appropriate local strategies:
Kent Agreement 2 (KA2)
Our strategy ties in with the key themes in the vision for the county. The private sector housing team can advise on hazards in the home and if necessary take steps to ensure that serious hazards are reduced to an acceptable level. With partners we work to provide financial assistance to allow vulnerable households to live more independently in the community; this includes the processing of grants to allow persons of restricted mobility to live in their homes more easily. We have measures in place to tackle fuel poverty by targeting help, for example, by improving the energy efficiency of homes of people at the greatest risk.
These functions contribute directly to the KA2 themes of:-
• High quality homes • Improved health, care and wellbeing
Dartford and Gravesham Sustainable Community Strategy 2008 – 2011: Places of Choice to Live, Work and Enjoy
Our strategy contributes to all five key themes, namely:
• Economic development • Health and well-being • Safer communities • Environment and transport • Housing and stronger communities
Gravesham Borough Council Corporate Plan 2009-13
The vision in the Gravesham Borough Council Corporate Plan is to make Gravesham “A Place of Choice” and our strategy, as outlined above, contributes to all six goals of the Corporate Plan, namely :-
• Environment – to achieve a safe, clean and green place of choice. • Communities –to foster vibrant and cohesive communities with affirmative action to promote meaningful engagement, diversity and social inclusion, health and well being, leisure and culture. • Housing - to seek to provide and work with others to ensure quality and affordable housing. • Business – to secure a sustainable and vibrant economy, particularly in the town centre and Ebbsfleet, with attractive investment opportunities and a developing tourism market. • Regeneration – to maximise regeneration opportunities for the benefit of existing and new communities. • Transformation -to transform the council into an economically sound organisation delivering excellent accessible services that provide vale for money.
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Gravesham Borough Council Housing Strategy 2009 - 2013
This is the overarching corporate housing strategy and it shows how the Council and its partners will work together to address Gravesham’s housing needs and to ensure quality and affordable housing.
Implementing and monitoring the strategy 15 The strategy will take effect from (date to be confirmed).
We have developed an action plan (see Appendix 7) which includes clear measurable targets (Appendix 8) so that we can gauge our success in delivering real and lasting improvements in the borough’s housing stock.
The impact and outputs of the strategy will be continually monitored and measured against the targets. The Corporate Housing Group will meet regularly to evaluate outcomes and discuss and recommend any amendments to the strategy that may be required to improve take-up or better targeting of assistance.
Key partners will be advised of progress and outcomes of the action plan and, where appropriate, will be consulted on any proposed enhancements or amendments to the scheme.
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Further information and advice
General advice may be obtained from:
The Private Sector Housing Team Gravesham Borough Council Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU
Tel: +44 (0)1474 33 73 31
Fax: +44 (0)1474 33 79 43
Enquiries may also be made electronically at:
Further information is available from our web site at:
www.gravesham.gov.uk
“in touch” support Home Improvement Agency will provide advice and assist applicants who are elderly and/or vulnerable. They can be contacted at:
Lansdown House, Lansdown Place, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 8QX
Telephone: +44 (0)1474 56 62 83
Fax: +44 (0)1474 53 52 05
Or via their website: http://www.housingcare.org/home-improvement-agency-in-touch- home-improvement-agency-188.aspx
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Complaints and appeals
Appeals against refusal of any grant application should be made in writing to:
The Private Sector Housing Manager Gravesham Borough Council Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU
The letter should plainly state the grounds on which the appeal is made. Appeals will only be considered on the basis that the strategy has not been applied correctly or that an exception should be made to strategy due to unique circumstances. Appeals will not be considered on the basis that the appellant disagrees with the strategy.
A written response will be made within 21 days of receipt of the appeal letter.
If an appellant is unable to make a written representation then appeals in other formats will be accepted and the determination will be communicated in a manner that is appropriate to ensure that the appellant readily and fully understands its content and meaning.
The Council’s corporate complaints procedure may also be used in the event that applicants are dissatisfied with the service they have received. Complaints should be directed to Regulatory Services in the first instance so that an opportunity is given to resolve any complaint direct.
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Appendix 1.
Gravesham – A Place of Choice
The Application Process for all applications other than Disabled Facilities Grants
Potential grant applicants should make a preliminary enquiry to the Private Housing Team located in the Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU.
This enquiry can be made in the following ways;
• in writing addressed to the Private Sector Housing Manager
• by telephone to 01474 337331
• by e-mail to [email protected]
• by personal visit to the Civic Centre during office hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A member of the team will try to see you, however this cannot be guaranteed unless a preliminary appointment has been made
If your enquiry falls within the standard categories, you will be asked to complete a preliminary test of resources. Details of your income and savings (all bank and building society accounts, shares etc) will be requested and you are asked to make full and frank disclosure at this stage as all details will be required to be verified when the full application is made. A recent typical wage slip should be provided if you are in employment.
This preliminary test will be processed within 7 working days and you will be informed of the approximate amount of assistance which may be available on the basis of the information given.
If you then wish to proceed with the application the council will obtain confirmation of your title to the property through the Land Registry. A charge of £5 will be made for this. Alternatively you can provide proof of title yourself.
On receipt of proof of title you will be placed on a waiting list for a survey of your property. We would hope to carry out this survey within 30 working days depending on the demand for assistance at the time of your enquiry.
Following the survey you will be provided with a schedule of the eligible work which will be considered for assistance. In the case of Empty Properties and other assistance to landlords, you may be required to carry out works other than those for which assistance is available.
With your agreement, your case will be referred to In touch support, our Home Improvement Agency (HIA), who can provide professional assistance and guidance throughout the application and building works process from start to completion of all works.
Gravesham Borough Council partly funds the Dartford and Gravesham Home Improvement Agency along with Dartford Borough Council and Kent County Council through the Supporting People initiative. This results in the provision of an agency service at low cost.
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Subject to your approval the Home Improvement Agency (HIA) will then prepare a specification of work, draw up any necessary plans, apply for and obtain all necessary planning consents and building regulation approvals. The HIA will then obtain competitive tenders from known builders and oversee the works until completion and final payment.
You are most strongly advised to make use of the HIA or other professional agent to supervise the grant process to completion of works and the reasonable professional fees are eligible for financial assistance within the scheme.
For some of our grants and loans, the fees for approved professional services are in addition to the eligible expense limit for the eligible works. This has been designed so as not to discourage an applicant from using an approved agency. If the cost of eligible works exceeds the financial assistance available then the reasonable professional fees for the additional works may receive financial assistance at the discretion of the Private Sector Housing Manager.
You will also be sent details of agents who can act on your behalf in making the application. If you wish to use a professional agent, their fees will be considered as part of the eligible expenses.
In any event we will expect you to submit your application within 3 months of receipt of the application pack. At the end of this period, unless there are good reasons for the delay, your enquiry will be removed from our priority list. It is important that you keep us fully informed of any delays you are experiencing.
You or your agent will be informed when we consider that we have received all necessary papers to consider the application to be valid. If you have not submitted all the required details you will be informed within 10 working days of receipt of your application form.
A valid application is not just a completed application form. You must include with it those items listed below. This ensures that the council has all the information it needs to approve your application.
• The relevant application form fully completed and signed by;
The person or persons having title to the property,
and (where appropriate) the tenant or tenants who, within their lease, have a power to repair the property.
• The certificate of future occupation completed and signed by the applicant
• A minimum of two competitive estimates for all work listed on the schedule of work. Your builders must provide an individual price for each specified item written on the schedule. Three copies of the schedule are provided. One is for you to retain and the others are to be given to your builders to complete. The priced schedules must be signed by your builder on the last page and returned with a covering letter on company headed note paper.
• Papers confirming details of income and capital
• Utility bill (for occupiers)
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• Papers confirming mortgagee's agreement for Empty Property assistance and signed Nominations agreement for Empty Property assistance.
• Application for Voluntary Accreditation for landlords application for Energy Efficiency , HMO or Empty Property funding
Once you have provided all the paperwork needed to assess your grant entitlement the Council will issue an approval within 20 working days providing that there is sufficient budget available. If we are unable to process the application within that time frame you will be informed and given a reasonable indication of the length of and reason for any delay. We may sometimes have to apply to outside agencies for example the Department of Works and Pensions for confirmation of financial statements and delays in this respect are beyond our control.
You will be informed when the application is approved, the amount of the assistance and the time frame within which the works must be completed. The amount will normally be based on the lowest estimate, however the council will review any estimate which it considers to be unreasonable and will base the award on reasonable building costs. You must not commence work until you have received this formal approval. You must complete the works within the time period specified unless the council agree to a longer period; this will normally be considered only when the works have been delayed for reasons beyond your control.
If your application is refused, you will normally be notified in writing of the reasons for refusal within 20 working days of receipt of the full information to assess your grant.
Fees
Charges necessarily incurred in undertaking the works will also be considered for assistance. The following list provides an indication of the type of fees and charges that may be assisted. This list is not exhaustive:
− Cost of technical and structural surveys − Design and preparation of plans and drawings − Assistance on completing forms − Advice on financing the cost of the relevant works which are not met by grant − Applications for building regulations approvals or planning permission (including the application fee and preparation of related documents) − Obtaining estimates for the relevant works − Advice on contracts − Consideration of tenders − Supervision of the relevant works − Reconnection of electricity, gas, water or drainage services where this is made necessary by the relevant works − Charges made by Agency services for advising or assisting with application − For disabled facilities grants, services of an Occupational Therapist to advise on scheme or review works. − Fees incurred by the council to prove ownership of the property − Fees incurred by the council in registering a charge against the property − Fees incurred by the council in setting up loan assistance − Fees incurred under the provisions of the Party Wall Act 1996 − Fees for removal and storage of effects
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Our HIA, In touch support, charges a flat rate of 11% for their work and such charges will be eligible in full.
Other agents will charge in accordance with the type and complexity of the works. These charges will be eligible provided that they comply with the rates published by the agent’s professional body and that the work carried out is considered necessary for the progress of the application.
Applicants should note that they will be liable for an agent’s fees in making the application and they should ensure that they have sufficient funding available to meet these fees as there will be no guarantee of financial assistance until the application is approved. Generally, abortive fees for discretionary grant aid will not receive financial assistance. Page 153
Appendix 2
Gravesham – A Place of Choice
The Application Process for Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants
Potential grant applicants should make a preliminary enquiry to the Private Housing Team located in the Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend DA12 1AU.
This enquiry can be made in the following ways;
• in writing addressed to the Private Sector Housing Manager
• by telephone to 01474 337331
• by e-mail to [email protected]
• by personal visit to the Civic Centre during office hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A member of the team will try to see them, however this cannot be guaranteed unless a preliminary appointment has been made
Your needs must first be assessed by the Occupational Therapy Bureau of Kent County Council and we will refer your enquiry to them. The Occupational Therapist will visit you to assess your needs and will contact your doctor in relation to your conditions and any anticipated changes.
We recognise that many applicants who have contacted the Occupational Therapy Bureau will be referred to us after an initial visit by the Bureau. We recognise that mandatory disabled facilities grants are a fundamental right and we will endeavour to reduce any delays experienced by working closely with the Bureau to this end. Any applicant who is waiting for an assessment by the Bureau may contact us and we will request from the Bureau the likely waiting time for assessment. If your need is for a simple adaptation, for example to access your property or repair an existing adaptation, we may be able to fast track your application using other forms of assistance.
Unless you are in receipt of specific benefits that confer eligibility, the Occupational Therapist will contact us after their initial visit and ask us to carry out a Preliminary Test of your Resources to assess your entitlement for grant. You will be asked to complete a form. Details of your income and savings will be requested and you are asked to make full and frank disclosure at this stage as all details will be required to be verified when the full application is made. A recent typical wage slip should be provided if you are in employment.
This preliminary test will be processed within 7 working days and you will be informed of the approximate amount of grant which may be available on the basis of the information given.
On receipt of your confirmation that you wish to proceed with a grant application, we will contact the Occupational Therapy Bureau and request their assessment of your needs. This may involve a joint visit at your home between the Occupational Therapist and a member of the Private Sector Housing team or separate appointments. We will ask the Occupational Therapist to provide written details of your requirements (performance schedule). On receipt of this document, we will arrange a further detailed survey of your home and prepare a schedule of the works which will be sent to you with a grant application package. We will endeavour to Page 154
provide this package to you within 20 working days of carrying out of the detailed survey.
Where necessary, we will carry out a search on the land registry to confirm your title to the property which you are adapting.
You will also be sent details of agents in particular our Home Improvement Agency, in touch support, who can act on your behalf in making the grant application. We strongly advise that you use a professional agent and we will pay their fees as part of the eligible grant expenses. We will also pay the reasonable fees of a private Occupational Therapist where this is considered necessary to facilitate the work.
You will be informed when we have received all necessary papers to consider the application to be valid. If you have not submitted all the required details, you will be informed within 10 working days of receipt of your application form.
A valid application is not just a completed application form. You must include with it those items listed below. This ensures that the Council has all the information it needs to approve your grant.
The relevant grant application form fully completed and signed by;
The person or persons having title to the property,
and where appropriate, the tenant or tenants who within their lease have a power to adapt the property.
The certificate of occupation completed and signed by the owner of the property to be adapted
A minimum of two competitive estimates for all work listed on the schedule of work. Your builders must provide an individual price for each specified item written on the schedule or a price against your agent’s specification. Three copies of the schedule are provided. One is for you to retain and the others are to be given to your builders to complete. The priced schedules must be signed by your builder on the last page and returned with a covering letter on company headed note paper.
Note: VAT will not be paid on the cost of work unless your builder provides a current VAT number and is still VAT registered at the time of payment. Works to assist a disabled person are sometimes exempt from VAT.
You will not usually have to pay Building Regulation fees and Planning fees if a building regulations application is required for the work.
After we have received your valid application, we have to confirm your financial status. We may ask you to provide documentary evidence of your status and we may have to contact other organisations to confirm this, for example the Department of Works and Pensions. We will endeavour to process your application within 10 working days of receipt of all the necessary paperwork. If you have not submitted all the required details you will be informed within 10 working days of receipt of your application form. If we are unable to process the application within this time frame you will be informed and given a reasonable indication of the length and reason for any delay.
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You will be informed when the grant is approved and the amount of the grant. You should not normally commence work until you have received this formal approval; however if the works are needed urgently and if there is an agreed need to commence the works before grant approval, you should contact us at any stage during your application. Provided that we have agreed to this early start, it will not prejudice your application.
You must however be aware that, if the grant contains any discretionary funding by the council or Kent County Council, this discretionary funding should not be relied upon until the disabled facilities grant is approved.
The works should normally be carried out within 12 months of the date of approval unless we agree to a longer period. If you are having difficulty in carry out the works, please let your grant surveyor know at the earliest possible time.
If your grant application is refused you will be notified in writing of the reasons for refusal
Fees
Charges necessarily incurred in undertaking the works will also be considered for council assistance. The following list provides an indication of the type of fees and charges that may be assisted. The list is not exhaustive:
− Cost of technical and structural surveys − Design and preparation of plans and drawings − Assistance on completing forms − Advice on financing the cost of the relevant works which are not met by grant − Applications for building regulations approvals or planning permission (including the application fee and preparation of related documents) − Obtaining estimates for the relevant works − Advice on contracts − Consideration of tenders − Supervision of the relevant works − Reconnection of electricity, gas water or drainage services where this is made necessary by the relevant works − Charges made by Agency services for advising or assisting with application − For disabled facilities grants, services of an Occupational Therapist to advise on scheme or review works. − Fees incurred by the Council to prove ownership of the property − Fees incurred by the council in registering a charge against the property − Fees incurred by the council in setting up loan assistance − Fees incurred under the provisions of the Party Wall Act 1996 − Fees for removal and storage of effects
Our HIA, in touch support, charges a flat rate of 11% for their work and such charges will be eligible in full.
Other agents will charge in accordance with the type and complexity of the works. These charges will be eligible provided that they comply with the rates published by the agent’s professional body and that the work carried out is considered necessary for the progress of the grant.
Applicants should note that they will be liable for an agent’s fees in making the application and they should ensure that they have sufficient funding available to meet Page 156
these fees as there will be no guarantee of financial assistance until the grant is approved. However in the case of Disabled Facilities Grants only, we will consider making grant available to cover any abortive fees. Page 157
APPENDIX 3
Gravesham – A Place of Choice Grant & Loan Conditions
1. Persons eligible to apply for assistance
1.1 Any person or persons who make an application for assistance must:
a] live in the dwelling as his/her sole place of residence except for a landlord applying for Empty Property, HMO, decent homes or Energy Efficiency assistance. b] have an owner’s interest in the dwelling, alone or jointly with others c] have a duty or right to undertake the works in question or have the explicit permission in writing from the owner to do so. d] satisfy such financial tests as are approved by the Council from time to time as part of this policy e] be aged 18 years or over at the time of the application f] be a citizen of the European Union or have a permanent right of residency in the United Kingdom g] if the applicant is a company, it must have a registered office within the United Kingdom
1.2 The applicant must complete the prescribed application form and submit all supporting documents requested by the council.
2. Prior Qualification Period
2.1 The Council may specify a period of time during which the applicant, or in the case of energy efficiency assistance in the private rented sector, the occupying tenant, must have lived in the dwelling as his/her only or main residence prior to the date of application for assistance and may specify different periods for different purposes.
2.2 In the case of Decent Homes Repayable Grants, a prior qualifying period of 3 years applies.
3. Age of Property
3.1 The council will not normally provide renewal assistance for properties unless the property was constructed more than 10 years before the date of the application.
4. Test of Financial Resources – Owner Occupiers
4.1 The government will continue to make mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) available and they will be subject to a test of financial resources (TOFR). In the case of applications for disabled children, there will be no test of resources for mandatory grants. The TOFR will also apply to some categories of Discretionary Disabled Facilities Assistance.
4.2.1 Other financial assistance will generally only be available to persons eligible for or in receipt of means tested benefits. Applicants who do not receive means tested benefits will be subject to the Local Test of Resources.
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5. Amount of financial assistance
5.1 The maximum grant or loan will be as described within Appendix 6, Table of financial assistance, with the proviso that the Assistant Director (Communities) or the Private Sector Housing Manager in consultation with the lead member for Housing, may increase the maximum figure in exceptional cases.
5.2 Only one grant or loan will be available on the same premises in any 10 year period. Minor works grants will be available to a maximum value of £5000 over any 5 year period.
5.3 Where the discretionary financial assistance is £10,000 or other approved maximum, eligible fees over that limit will be eligible to receive assistance in addition to the maximum eligible expense limit. This has been designed so as not to discourage an applicant from using an approved agency.
6. Exclusion of works already carried out
6.1 The Council will not generally approve an application for assistance if the assisted works have been carried out before the application is approved.
6.2 Where the relevant works have been begun but have not been completed, the application may be approved if the Council are satisfied that there were good reasons for beginning the works before the application was approved.
6.3 Where the Council decide to approve an application in accordance with 6.2 above, they may, with the consent of the applicant, treat the application as varied so that the assisted works do not include any that are completed.
6.4 This section will not apply where works are to provide fire precautions to a House in Multiple Occupation, or for Minor Works Grants where the works are considered urgent and the council has given prior written consent to the works being carried out.
7. Works for which financial assistance will not be available
7.1 Generally, financial assistance will not be available for the following types of work: • Repairs to outbuildings such as porches or conservatories • Construction of conservatories • General external or internal decoration • Replacement of windows and doors to improve noise insulation or for cosmetic purposes • Renovation of kitchens and bathrooms which are otherwise satisfactory • Replacement or repair that is covered by household insurance policies • Extensions to property that do not conform to Building Regulations and/or are not permanent structures • General maintenance items
7.2 Grant or loan assistance may be made available on any one or more of the above items if it is an integral part of a scheme to complete adaptations for a disabled person or the work supports a current policy priority such as empty property initiatives.
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8. Disabled Persons Top-up
8.1 Qualification for Top-up financial assistance will be based on the adaptations being recommended by an Occupational Therapist and the total costs being assessed as appropriate to the works in question and the total exceeding the sum of the notional loan and mandatory DFG.
9. Approved Contractors
9.1 The council encourages owners to use reputable contractors who belong to a recognised trade body. The council is working towards the establishment of an approved list of builders and may in future require that only these contractors can be used. The council recommends the use of the government endorsed Trustmark scheme to find reliable and trustworthy tradespeople. A Trustmark contractor can be found by visiting the Trustmark website at www.trustmark.org.uk
10. Landlord assistance for works to HMOs and energy efficiency works
10.1 Landlords must join the Kent Landlord Accreditation Scheme (KLAS) or other scheme as approved by the Council’s Private Sector Housing Manager.
10.2 The landlord must remain in the scheme throughout the period of the loan and the landlord must continue to maintain the property in compliance with the requirements of the KLAS.
10.3 The property must be available for letting throughout the loan period. During this period, the property must, in the case of energy efficiency assistance, be let to a qualifying household.
11. Financial Assistance for properties containing Category 1 hazards under Housing Health and safety rating System
11.1 If it appears to the council that the property on which financial assistance is sought contains Category 1 hazards, as assessed under the Housing Health and Safety rating System, assistance will only be approved if the council is satisfied that, on completion of the eligible works, these hazards will be removed or reduced to acceptable levels.
11.2 In such cases, the council must be satisfied that satisfactory financial and other arrangements are in place for carrying out the works and that the carrying out of those works is the most satisfactory course of action
12 . Supervision of works
12.1 The contract for the works will be between the applicant and the chosen contractor and will not include the Council.
12.2 The responsibility for supervision of works rests with the applicant unless he/she appoints a professional advisor or agent for that purpose.
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12.3 The Council does not accept any responsibility for supervision of works and the applicant will be responsible to the Council for ensuring that the works completed are to an acceptable standard.
13. Payment of Assistance: Conditions as to carrying out works
13.1 The assistance will be paid only if:
a] the assisted works are completed within the period specified in the approval or such further period as the Council may subsequently allow. b] the assisted works are carried out in accordance with the conditions of approval. c] the assisted works are carried out by one of the contractors whose estimate accompanied the application. d] the applicant confirms his acceptance of and satisfaction with the completed works and these works have been executed to the satisfaction of the Council. If the applicant is not satisfied with the works payment may be made direct to the applicant (see 16.2) e] the Council is provided with an acceptable invoice, demand or receipt for payment for the works and any professional fees and other charges. For this purpose an invoice, demand or receipt is acceptable if it satisfies the Council’s audit standards and is not submitted by the applicant or a member of his family. f] the Council is provided with all relevant gas and electrical certificates and appropriate specialist guarantees.
14. Additional cases in which assistance may be recalculated, withheld or repaid
14.1 The council may require repayment of financial assistance or withhold further payment in the following circumstances;
a] The applicant gave inaccurate or incomplete information.
b] The eligible works were started before the financial assistance was approved without the knowledge and consent of the council.
15. Insurance claims
15.1 The applicant must pursue insurance claims for works where appropriate and repay to the council any funds which can be claimed under insurance.
16. Payment of assistance
16.1 The Council will normally pay the assistance direct to the contractor either on the completion of the works or by up to three instalments as the work proceeds.
16.2 Where assistance is payable, but the assisted works have not been executed to the satisfaction of the applicant, the Council may at the applicant’s request and if they consider it appropriate to do so withhold payment from the contractor. If they do so, they may make the payment to the applicant instead.
16.3 Where assistance is in the form of a loan guarantee the Council will enter into legal agreements with the parties at the appropriate time.
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17 . Time allowed for submitting an application and completing works
17.1 We would normally expect an application to be submitted within 3 months of receipt of an application package.
17.2 When the financial assistance has been approved, it will be a condition that the works are completed within a period of 9 months unless there is written agreement from the council to extend this period.
18. Conditions for Repayment of Assistance
18.1 If an owner of the dwelling to which the application relates ceases to be the owner before the works are completed, he shall repay to the Council on demand the full amount of any assistance that has been paid.
18.2 If an owner of the dwelling(s) to which the application relates ceases to be the owner within the condition period, he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
18.3 This condition period is as follows;
Decent Home Repayable Grant – Sale or change of ownership - all cases Coldbusters - Zero Mandatory DFG Zero or 10 Years Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grant (Top up) - 10 years Minor Works Grants 5 years Landlord loans - 5 years
Landlord loans are to be repaid in equal monthly instalments for the period of the loan from the date of certified completion of works as defined by the Council. Any adjustment required to ensure equal monthly payments shall be made by adjusting the first repayment.
Note : the Department for Communities and Local Government monitors the recycling of recovered loan funding into the Council’s capital programme for private housing renewal.
Loans and repayable grants are “soft loans” with a zero rate of interest. A different rate of interest, which should be no more than 1% above base rate, can be charged by agreement of the parties subject to approval by the Private Sector Housing Manager and the Portfolio Holder for Housing.
18.4 If an owner of the dwelling(s) to which the application relates, having undertaken to let the dwelling(s), ceases to let the dwelling(s) in accordance with his undertaking he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
18.5 If an owner of the dwelling(s) to which the application relates, having undertaken to let the dwelling(s) to a qualifying tenant, ceases to let the dwelling(s) in accordance with his undertaking he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
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18.6 If an owner of the dwelling(s) to which the application relates, having undertaken to join the Council’s approved landlord accreditation scheme, fails to comply with the terms of the scheme he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
18.7 Where the owner of the dwelling to which an application relates ceases to be the owner he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
18.8 Where the owner of the dwelling(s) to which the application relates having undertaken to remain in occupation of the property no longer resides at the property he shall repay to the Council on demand the monies paid.
18.9 For mandatory disabled facilities grants (DFG) the council may decide on a case by case basis to place a limited charge of up to £10,000 on an adapted property when it is sold within 10 years where the cost of the DFG work is over £5,000. This includes adaptations for children. Gravesham Borough Council will seek to apply this where the works could reasonably be expected to add value to the property. Any recovered funds will be recycled to provide further financial assistance to eligible persons. For example the provision of additional rooms or amenities by the construction of an extension or the conversion of a non habitable room/space are measures that will be considered for the application of such a property charge.
18.10 Where the Council have the right to demand repayment but there are extenuating circumstances they may determine not to demand repayment or to demand an amount less than described above (see Appendix 4).
19. Additional Conditions (general)
19.1 Where the Council approve an application for assistance they may impose additional conditions with the consent of the applicant.
19.2 The additional conditions may include but need not be confined to:
(a) Requiring the applicant to make contribution towards the assisted work; (b) The Council having the right to recover specialist equipment when no longer needed;
19.3 The applicant shall notify the authority of his intention to make a relevant disposal of the dwelling and shall furnish to the authority any information reasonably requested by them in connection with such notification.
19.4 Breach of any of these additional conditions shall give the Council the right to demand repayment of the assistance.
20. Security for Assistance
20.1 Any condition above that creates a liability to repay the assistance shall be registered as a restriction on sale at the Land Registry.
20.2 The liability to repay any assistance may be discharged at any time by paying to the Council a sum equal to the amount of the assistance or such lesser sum as the Council may agree.
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21. Power to carry out works which would attract financial assistance .
21.1 The council may, by agreement with a person having a qualifying owner’s interest in the property, execute at his/her expense; a) Any works towards the cost of which assistance is payable or might be paid on an application duly made and approved, and b) Any further works which are in their opinion necessary or desirable to execute together with the work mentioned in paragraph (a) above
21.2 The council will make a reasonable charge for the arrangement and supervision of the works, in addition to the cost of the works. The council may carry out the works or commission and supervise the work of a contractor.
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Appendix 4
Gravesham – A Place of Choice
Policy for waiving or reducing repayment of financial assistance, reducing the priority of any registered charge or removing any charge in exceptional circumstances
Process
Any request for:
waiving or reducing the repayment of financial assistance reducing the priority of any registered grant element charge, or removing any registered charge or restriction.
shall be made in writing prior to any circumstances which may result in a breach of the conditions if possible.
The request shall be made in writing to the Private Sector Housing Manager setting out any exceptional circumstances that exist.
The Private Sector Housing Manager or Assistant Director (Communities), with the Lead Member for Housing will consider the request in having regard to the policy criteria set out in this appendix. Subject to the applicant promptly providing any supporting evidence a decision will normally be taken and communicated in writing within 28 days. It is stressed that all decisions will be evidenced based and people will need to provide proof of the change in circumstances.
Any person aggrieved with a decision should use the Council's formal complaints procedure.
Policy Criteria
Financial Hardship - a disposal made following a detrimental change in the financial circumstances of the household
Guidance - this will normally apply to permanent or long-term changes in employment. This will include unemployment but some redundancy payments should be used to repay part or all of the financial assistance. Move from permanent full-time employment to part-time or temporary working will be considered where there is little prospect of a return to full-time employment [within reasonable travelling distance].
Employment - a disposal made to enable the household to seek or take up employment or change the place of employment
Guidance - this will normally apply to situations where a person's employer is moving its base or the person is otherwise required to move their home to remain in full-time employment. Account will be taken of any financial benefit which may arise, for example, promotion.
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Health - a disposal made for reasons connected with the physical or mental health of a person in the household
Guidance - the council will be particularly sensitive to circumstances involving a deterioration in a person's health which necessitates a move to supported or specially adapted accommodation. This policy criteria includes older people and people with a disability.
Suitability for the number of occupants - a disposal made to enable accommodation to be provided which is more suitable for the number of occupants
Guidance - this criteria will normally be applied where a change of circumstances has arisen which will give rise to statutory overcrowding (Housing Act 1985) and to the crowding and space hazard (Housing Act 2004).
Value of premises - disposal where the proceeds of sale are less than the amount of financial assistance owing
Guidance - this is to protect households from financial hardship particularly in cases of negative equity. The most likely circumstances will be reducing house prices/market decline. The council's policy is designed not to provide loans which create negative equity.
Inheritance - a disposal by a person where those premises were vested in that person under a will or intestacy
Guidance - the council's policy for providing financial assistance aims to ensure that older people live in homes which are safe, healthy, warm and secure. This improves the quality of their lives. The framework is designed to ensure before assistance is given that the terms and conditions are set out and the applicant receives advice on the extent and nature of any obligation. The approach is designed to ensure older people on limited means make little or no financial contribution to the improvements. Instead, part of the costs are recovered when the property is eventually sold.
Where a property is being disposed under a will or intestacy the council will not normally require repayment of the housing assistance provided that the person benefiting under the will continues to fulfil the occupancy condition. Where the property is sold subsequent to the settlement of the estate the council will normally require full repayment of the housing assistance.
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Appendix 5
Housing Enforcement Policy
1. Scope of Policy
The Private Housing team of the Housing Services Department has responsibilities including: • assessment of hazards in residential premises under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System • statutory nuisance affecting residential properties • standards of repair, amenity, fire precautions and management in Houses in Multiple Occupation including licensing of properties within mandatory and additional licensing schemes
2. Introduction
The council’s aim in respect of the above functions is to:
• Comply with statutory and regulatory duties in respect of protection of the public and residential occupiers • Protect residential occupiers against harm to health and safety • Protect and improve the quality of life for residents of Gravesham
This policy is designed to: • Ensure consistency of approach and enforcement • Enable officers to make reasoned decisions regarding enforcement • Inform the public of the principles by which enforcement action is determined and subsequently taken • Ensure that, as a signatory to the Government’s Enforcement Concordat, the council has a relevant (and periodically reviewed) policy in place for the private housing function. • Ensure compliance with the Regulators’ Compliance Code which came into force in April 2008.
The policy has been worked up following consultation with private sector landlords through the Dartford and Gravesham Private Sector Landlords’ Forum.
Civic Centre, Windmill Street, Gravesend, Kent DA12 1AU Page 168
3. General Principles of Policy
The council seeks to avoid bureaucracy and unnecessary expense. However, the council recognises that it is a regulator and that it must act properly, promptly and efficiently where there is a contravention of a statutory requirement – particularly when compliance cannot readily be achieved by means of informal action or advice.
When the council identifies premises which are in poor condition the council will normally consider the case for drawing this informally to the attention of the owner.
This informal opinion will normally be provided in writing. Such written opinion would include an explanation of:
• the remedial action which in the council’s opinion is needed and the timescale in which the council considers the action needs to be taken;
• why the council considers remedial action needs to be taken and the nature of the enforcement action the council might be required to take in the future if the advice is not followed
Enforcement officers will use their skill, knowledge, experience and judgement to decide how individual cases should be dealt with and whether a situation should be resolved by informal means or by formal proceedings. Those officers will take advice from colleagues and senior officers where appropriate and will have due regard to this policy.
The council is under a legal duty to take action in the following circumstances;
• When a property is identified as containing a category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System the council must consider the most appropriate course of action to deal with it and take that course of action
• The council is under a duty to take action to license certain Houses in Multiple Occupation. These properties are generally those considered to pose the greatest risk to occupiers, which are 3 or more storeys in height and are occupied by 5 or more persons. If the property cannot be licensed the council is under a duty to take over the management of the property.
• The council is under a duty to take action in relation to properties which it considers to pose a statutory nuisance i.e. where a nuisance is being caused to the occupier or to the general public or where properties pose a risk to the health of the occupier or the public.
The council exercises discretion in accordance with this policy in undertaking other actions.
Enforcement will be carried out with due regard to the circumstances of the individual or business, and to ensure that the rights of individuals and organisations are safeguarded. Enforcement will be carried out without prejudice and human rights issues will be properly considered and enacted. There will be a consistency of approach towards enforcement.
The council’s enforcement activity is predominantly focused on private rented properties, however there are circumstances when the council will intervene in owner occupied properties. As indicated above the council must take action where it is brought to its attention that a property contains a category 1 hazard or is causing a nuisance. This will normally be as a result of information provided by a member of the public; however where a property is in very poor condition then a pro-active visit may be made to the property.
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The occupier's wishes will be taken into account when considering what action is taken about the property. For example a suspended notice can be served when it is not considered to be in the best interests of the occupier for works to be carried out, subject however to an overriding consideration of ensuring the health and safety both of the occupier and any neighbours.
In the case of Houses in Multiple Occupation which comprise a number of flats in a converted house any requirement by the council for the provision of fire precautions will necessitate works being carried out to owner occupied as well as rented flats.
4. Principles of Enforcement
Enforcement needs to be fair but firm and effective. The following principles underpin this approach: • Agreed Standards and Procedures • Helpfulness • Openness • Transparency • Proportionality • Consistency • Accountability • Targeting • Complaints procedure
Standards and Procedures
The standards which landlords and owners of properties must reach in respect of their properties are laid down in legislation and by decisions of the courts. The council will always be prepared to justify its decisions with regard to the appropriate legislation and case law and put such justification in writing.
Standards for Houses in Multiple Occupation are specified by the government in respect of 3 storey Houses in Multiple Occupation and this standard will normally be applied proportionally to smaller Houses in Multiple Occupation.
The council produces procedures in respect of the performance to be expected of its officers which will be made available to residential owners and occupiers on request.
All investigations into alleged breaches of legislation will follow best professional practice and the requirements of
The Human Rights Act 1998
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984- Codes of Practice
The Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act
The Code for Crown Prosecution
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Legislation and Regulatory Reform Act 2008
Regulators’ Compliance Code
Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Act 2008
Helpfulness
The council will deal courteously and efficiently with all individuals, organisations and businesses that it comes into contact with. Staff will identify themselves by name, and contact numbers will be made available. Electronic means of communication (for example, by E-mail) will be facilitated wherever possible.
Openness
Information and advice will be provided in plain language, and details of charges etc. will be made readily available. Translation services will be made available where practicable to assist customers who do not have English as their first language. Transparency
Transparency is important in maintaining public confidence in the council’s regulatory capability. The council will help those being regulated and others to understand what they need to do and how it may be achieved. The council will also make its own role in the matter clear.
The council will explain carefully (and, if necessary, in writing) why the action is necessary, who must carry it out, and by what date it must be carried out. A clear distinction will be made between a legal requirement and a recommendation.
The council will give every reasonable opportunity for discussion before formal enforcement action is taken, unless urgent action is necessary to protect health and/or safety, or to prevent the destruction of evidence that would compromise the council’s case. In such circumstances, the council will give a written explanation of its reasons for taking immediate action and this will be done as soon as practicable after the event.
The council will give written notice of any rights of appeal against enforcement action at the time that the action is taken.
Proportionality Discretionary enforcement action taken by the council will be proportionate to the risks posed to the occupier's/public’s health and safety. Enforcement action will be proportional to the degree of harm / risk and to the particular circumstances of the case. The following issues will be considered;
• the physical condition of the premises (e.g. whether it is practicable to repair or whether the structure is completely outworn) and of any premises onto which they abut (e.g. within a terrace of houses of a block of flats);
• whether a defect comes within the landlords legal repairing obligations;
• the life expectancy of the premises if repaired;
• the need to take into account the relationship of the premises with neighbouring properties and the condition of those properties;
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• proposals for the future of the area in which the premises are situated, including: whether the premises are within a conservation or renewal area or area which is proposed as a renewal area of whether there are longer term plans for clearance; when considering clearance as an option the need for the particular type of premises both in the short and longer term;
• the owner(s) and occupants of the premises including their circumstances and wishes and any proposals they may have for the future of the premises;
• in the case of rented premises, the management record of the landlord;
• the effect of the property on the community in the area;
• how the condition of the property will affect the local environment and overall appearance of the locality:
• track record of the landlord regarding compliance.
Consistency
The council will carry out enforcement in a fair, equitable, and consistent manner in accordance with its policies and procedures. Similar approaches will be taken in similar circumstances to achieve similar ends. However, the council recognises that consistency does not mean uniformity and that officers of the council are required to take decisions that take account of a wide variety of situations and circumstances. Officers are expected to take account of local and national standards and guidance, and be aware of this policy. Any departures from the policy must be agreed by the Private Sector Housing Manager or Assistant Director (Communities) and recorded in writing, including reasons for the departure.
Accountability
The council and its officers must be able to justify their decisions and be subject to public scrutiny. All decisions will be within the framework of published strategy and policies. Any deviations from policy will be discussed with a senior officer and/or Housing Panel and documented with reasons. Any changes or revisions to policy will be subject to approval at the appropriate elected Member body (usually Cabinet) and subject to call-in arrangements of Overview Scrutiny Committee as laid down in the Constitution of the council.
Targeting
Enforcement effort will be targeted on a risk assessed basis so as to focus on problems. This will include proactive projects focused on identified high risk properties and topic areas, and reactive work which will be complaint and intelligence lead. Businesses and individuals who persistently break regulations will be dealt with using the full range of powers and sanctions available.
Complaints Procedure
The council has a formal complaints procedure, although many complaints can be dealt with directly by a senior manager within the relevant service department. Information regarding the formal complaints procedure may be obtained from Customer Services on tel: 01474 564422, or through the council’s Internet web site: www.gravesham.gov.uk
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In addition to the council’s own complaints procedures, the Local Government Ombudsman hears complaints regarding local government mal-administration, and details of this service are also available from Customer Services.
5. Power to require information
The council can require any person with an interest in the property to produce relevant documents at a time and place specified. Documents will normally be required to be produced at the Civic Centre, Windmill Street
6. Powers of Entry
Council officers, who are authorised in writing, have formal powers of entry to residential premises at all reasonable times. Normally 24 hours notice of the intention to enter must be given to all interested parties and occupants, however entry without notice is authorised for investigation of offences relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation.
A warrant can be obtained from the local magistrates court authorising entry by force if need be and this may be authorised by the court without prior notice to the owner or occupiers where admission has been refused or the occupier is temporarily absent or an application for admission would defeat the purpose of entry ( for example to investigate overcrowding).
The council may leave recording equipment in a property for example to monitor presence of chemicals.
Where the council has reason to believe that a statutory nuisance exists similar powers of entry are available and a warrant can be authorised for entry by force.
7. Pre-formal Enforcement Action Procedures
While formal enforcement action is a necessary and important part of the enforcement process, it should generally be viewed as a last resort.
The council will normally inform a landlord by telephone or letter about works needed to a property. This enables the council to reach sensible agreements with owners and landlords by giving them the right to make representations; and helps reduce the burden that can arise from having to take formal enforcement action. The council are not prevented from taking immediate enforcement action in any case where such action appears to them to be necessary . Such decisions will be taken by the council in the light of the circumstances of each case. While those circumstances will inevitably vary, examples where immediate action might be warranted include:
• where a council considers there is imminent risk to the health and safety of the occupants of the premises;
• where the council has followed pre-formal enforcement procedures with the owner of landlord on previous occasions and considers that to repeat this would amount to an unreasonable duplication of effort.
8. Enforcement Actions
The Housing Act 2004 provides a number of different enforcement actions as follows
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• Service of a Hazard Awareness Notice – this notifies of the existence of a hazard but does not require remedial works • Service of an Improvement Notice - this requires work to be carried out to remedy a defect • Service of a Prohibition Order – this prohibits the use of the whole or part of a residential premises • Emergency Remedial Action – this enables the council to take immediate steps to remedy a serious health and safety risk • Emergency Prohibition Order – this prohibits the use of premises with immediate effect • Make a Demolition Order – to demolish a property which contains serious health and safety hazards • Declare a Clearance Area – used where a number of properties are involved
In addition an Improvement Notice and Prohibition Order may be suspended for a period until a specified condition occurs. The council is obliged to review any suspended action at least every 12 months.
9. Charging For Enforcement
Under section 49 of the Housing Act 2004 the council will continue to make a reasonable charge as a means of recovering certain expenses incurred in serving an Improvement Notice, a Hazard Awareness Notice, a Prohibition Order or in taking Emergency Remedial Action
There is no maximum charge and the charge will be assessed by the amount of work carried out in preparing and serving each notice.
The charge may be waived in the following circumstances;
• cases of financial hardship [i.e. people in receipt of a means tested benefit] • where notice is served on a freeholder and costs can be recharged to leaseholders who have no control over the actions of the freeholder
Other exceptional circumstances will be considered by the Private Sector Housing Manager
10. Works In Default/Emergency Remedial Action
A number of statutory enforcement procedures enable the council to carry out ‘Works in Default’ following the expiry of the term stated in a Notice. The purpose of the Works in Default process is to enable the council to affect an early remedy to the particular situation that has given rise to the service of a statutory Notice (generally prior to prosecution).
Work may generally be carried out by the council, or at the council’s instruction – the cost of such works (plus administrative charges) being recovered either as a civil debt or by virtue of a ‘charge’ being placed on a subject property.
The council will effect Works in Default where there is tangible risk to public health and/or safety or that of the occupier and where there is a reasonable chance of recovering the costs of the works. The council will generally advise the recipients of notices before Works in Default are carried out.
Where a category 1 hazard exists and that hazard involves a risk of serious harm the council may take steps to remove the hazard without prior notification to the landlord. A notice must be served within 7 days of taking the action and a right of appeal exists even though the work has already been carried out. The cost of carrying out these works will be recharged to the person responsible and the costs may become a charge on the property if not repaid.
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11. Prosecution
Prosecution is an important part of enforcement. However, the council recognises that the institution of a prosecution is a serious matter and that it may be used in conjunction with other action to secure compliance. Decisions regarding prosecution will take account of the Code for Crown Prosecution and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
A prosecution will not be commenced or continued unless the council is
• satisfied that it is in the interest of the public or the environment, • that there is sufficient, admissible and reliable evidence that the offence has been committed, and • that there is a realistic prospect of a conviction.
In considering prosecution the council will consider: • The nature of the offence • The effect of the offence • The foreseeability of the circumstances or the resultant offence • The intent of the offender • The history of offender • The attitude of the offender • The deterrent effect on the offender or on others Prosecution will only be instigated following review of the matter by the Private Sector Housing Manager in consultation with the Head of Legal Services.
12. Working with other Regulators
Where the council and another enforcement agency (for example, the Health and Safety Executive and the Fire Authority) both have powers to take enforcement action, the council will liaise with that other body to ensure that (a) action is effectively co-ordinated, (b) that proceedings are for the appropriate offence, and (c) that inconsistencies are avoided.
In respect of means of escape from fire in Houses in Multiple Occupation or buildings containing flats the council is obliged to consult with the Kent & Medway Fire and Rescue Authority as far as is practicable in accordance with the agreed protocol “Working together in Partnership”
13. Review Procedure
The council will review this enforcement policy at least every three years or when changes in legislation or centrally issued guidance makes this necessary. The review will be carried out in consultation with the Gravesham Private Sector Landlords' Forum and other partners and stakeholders.
Page 8 of 8 Appendix 6 Table of financial assistance GRANT NAME QUALIFYING CONDITIONS Eligible Work MAX GRANT GRANT STANDARD WHEN CONDITIONS WORKS COMPLETED Location Property Applicant MINOR WORKS Anywhere Any Owner Minor disabled Up to £5000 in any 5 Financial aid to be None in borough Occupier adaptations year period paid back if only applicant(s) cease to Over 60, or Urgent Health and live in the property or disabled, or Safety issues on change of children <16 ownership within 5 Must have nil Works to assist years contribution Warmfront up under LTR £1000 DHRG DECENT HOMES Anywhere Over 10 Owner Major renovation Up to £10,000 Loan to be paid back if Works must be to REPAYABE in borough years old Occupier only Panel decision if over applicant(s) cease to contribute towards the GRANT Property Over 60, or £10,000 (max £30,000) live in the property or decent homes standard must be non disabled, or on change of decent children <16 Up to £10,000 in any 5 ownership Resident for at year period Page 175 least 3 years Hierarchy applies LTR applies such as and must be warmfront/coldbusters less then the estimated cost of works LANDLORD LOAN Anywhere Property Landlord, Works to making Pay back in 60 monthly Loan to be paid back Must move the property in borough must be non freeholder or property decent payments. on sale of property or towards the decent homes decent and leaseholder and tenanted property is standard and complete the over 10 accredited Hierarchy of Loan of up to £5000 for not let at any time eligible work in EPC years old under KLAS funding completion of works within 5 years (5year Tenant must be recommended in an occupancy cert) vulnerable Energy Performance household and Certificate (excluding assessed on window replacement and case by case solar heating) cases
Word/Private Housing/Private Sector Renewal Strategy/2009 Amended strategy Page 1 Appendix 6 Table of financial assistance GRANT NAME QUALIFYING CONDITIONS Eligible Work MAX GRANT GRANT STANDARD WHEN CONDITIONS WORKS COMPLETED Location Property Applicant COLDBUSTERS Anywhere Any Owner Heating and Up to £5000 The first £1500 will Aim towards SAP rating in borough Occupiers insulation works be a non repayable >65 Over 60, or grant and the disabled, or remaining balance up children <16 or to £3500 will be in the single people form of an interest On income free repayable grant; related benefit to be paid back if unless over 65 applicant(s) cease to live in the property or on change of ownership
Where the Council Page 176 has additional capital “top up” funding for the loan element will be available for vulnerable households on means tested benefits.
Word/Private Housing/Private Sector Renewal Strategy/2009 Amended strategy Page 2 Appendix 6 Table of financial assistance
GRANT NAME QUALIFYING CONDITIONS Eligible Work MAX GRANT GRANT STANDARD WHEN CONDITIONS WORKS COMPLETED Location Property Applicant DISABLED FACILITIES GRANT Anywhere Any Owner Access into and Up to £30,000 The council may To deliver adaptations for in the Occupiers or around the home. decide on case by disabled people to stay in borough Privately case to place a their home Rented Adaptations to charge of up to Those provide easier £10,000, where the registerable access to cost of the works is disabled washing/bathing over £5000. including facilities children TOR applies Any minor variations from these schemes can be considered via panel comprising:- Assistant Director (Communities) and Private Sector Housing Manager. Major variations will be considered by either the Assistant Director (Communities) or the Private Sector Housing Manager, and the Lead Member for Housing. Page 177
Households must be on one of the following benefit:- Income support Housing Benefit Council Tax Benefit Income Based Jobseekers Allowance Income related employment and support allowance Attendance Allowance Disability Living Allowance Pension Credit Disabled Pension Benefit (which must include constant attendance allowance) War Disabled Pension (which must include the mobility supplement or constant attendance allowance) Child Tax Credit (where the relevant income is £15,460 or less) Working Tax Credit (where the relevant income is £15,460 or less) Word/Private Housing/Private Sector Renewal Strategy/2009 Amended strategy Page 3 Page 178
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Service Area – Private Housing – Action Plan Goals . To provide mandatory DFG programme and discretionary housing assistance under Housing Renewal Strategy To facilitate home improvement by funding Home Improvement Agency To enforce Housing Standards including the decent homes standard and provide advisory service to landlords and tenants To license Houses in Multiple Occupation To provide advice, publicise and encourage energy efficiency measures to assist in meeting the target for National Indicator 187
What we want to achieve Corporate Plan Goal How are we going to Target Lead Officer achieve it? 7.1 To provide mandatory Disabled Work towards improving 7.1.1Working with our To provide Private Sector Facilities Grant programme to assist condition of private sector partner organisations adaptations to 50 Housing Manager eligible vulnerable persons to stay in housing stock (3.3) including Dartford applicants a year. their own home Borough Council, KCC Page 179 social services and the Home Improvement Agency to identify the clients needs, complete the tender process and process the financial aid of £520,000 per annum.
7.1.2 Chair quarterly Private Sector meetings of the HIA Housing Manager steering group
To use discretionary funding when appropriate to facilitate the installation mandatory adaptations. What we want to achieve Corporate Plan Goal How are we going to Target Lead Officer achieve it? 7.2 To provide discretionary housing Work towards improving 7.2.1 Working with our To assist 50 Private Sector assistance to increase the number of condition of private sector partner organisations homes/yr meet or Housing Manager homes meeting the decent homes housing stock (3.3) including the Home move towards the standard focussing on energy Improvement Agency to decent homes efficiency, carbon reduction, fuel identify the clients’ standard with loans poverty and disrepair. needs, complete the or grants tender process and process the financial aid. 7.2.2 To work with our ongoing Private Sector Local Housing Authority Housing Manager Partners in the North & Page 180 West Kent Private Sector Renewal Partnership to implement the measures therein.
To recycle repaid loan Ongoing funds to improve additional dwelling in the private housing sector. 7.3 To provide advice and publicity in Work towards improving 7.3.1 Working with the Ongoing Private Sector relation to energy efficiency measures condition of private sector Energy Savings Trust Housing Manager in residential accommodation in the housing stock (3.3) Advice Centre to provide Energy Efficiency borough advice. Officer To combat fuel poverty and to meet the target set in To promote and run At least four events Private Sector National Indicator 187 education and training per year. Housing Manager events including Energy Efficiency seminars on Warmfront Officer and other energy initiatives with partners and voluntary organisations. What we want to achieve Corporate Plan Goal How are we going to Target Lead Officer achieve it? 7.4 To licence all licensable Houses in Work towards improving 7.4.1 carry out Ongoing Private Sector Multiple Occupation (HMO) and to condition of private sector compliance inspections Housing Manager review licensed premises periodically housing stock (3.3) of licensed premises Excellent regulatory services (1.6) 7.4.2 Ensure compliance ongoing Private Sector through informal and Housing Manager formal action 7.4.3 Identify a partner to November 2010 Private Sector operate Interim and Final Housing Manager Management Orders in poorly managed HMOs To improve poorly managed and sub Work towards improving 7.4.4 Ensure compliance Ongoing standard HMO accommodation up to condition of private sector through informal and standard housing stock (3.3) formal action to improve Page 181 Excellent regulatory services 15 HMOs per year. (1.6) 7.5 To promote and regulate housing Work towards improving 7.5.1 Respond to service Ongoing Private Sector standards in all private sector condition of private sector requests within 5 working Housing Manager residential premises housing stock (3.3) days for routine service requests and within 1 working day for request classed as high risk. To work with partner organisations and Excellent regulatory services 7.5.2 Establish protocol June 2010 Private Sector Kent Councils to employ best practice (1.6) for information exchange Housing Manager and joint working. with partner organisations including police and immigration services 7.5.4 Enforce statutory ongoing Private Sector standards primarily using Housing Manager the HHSRS introduced under the Housing Act 2004 What we want to achieve Corporate Plan Goal How are we going to Target Lead Officer achieve it? 7.6 To engage with Landlords and Work towards improving 7.6.1 Jointly run 3 times a year Private Sector agents to promote good housing condition of private sector Landlords Forums three Housing Manager standards housing stock (3.3) times a year with Excellent regulatory services Dartford Borough Council (1.6) and Landlords Representatives. 7.6.2 To produce a 2 editions a year. Private Sector Landlords Newsletter Housing Manager twice a year distributed to landlords and published on the GBC Page 182 website 7.6.3 To consult and set November 2009 Private Sector up the Kent Landlord Housing Manager Accreditation Scheme 7.9 Review the fees structure for HMO Work towards improving 7.9.1 Meet and agree Annually Private Sector licensing condition of private sector figures with finance and Housing Manager housing stock (3.3) management to ensure Excellent regulatory services that fees are realistic and (1.6) all costs recouped.
7.10 Review charging protocol for the Work towards improving 7.10.1 Review and agree Annually Private Sector service of notices condition of private sector figures with finance and Housing Manager housing stock (3.3) management. Excellent regulatory services (1.6)
APPENDIX 8
Detailed below are the national and local performance indicators which relate to this service area. This includes statutory national indicators (NIs) and local, published, performance indicators (LIs). The tables also enable other management performance indicators (MPI), which are not published, to be monitored in the same place.
Indicator Description Source What we Target 2009-10 Target 2010-11 Target 2011-12 Reference achieved 2008-09 NI 187 Tackling fuel poverty - % of people Gravesham data SAP* < 35 = 14% To decrease receiving income based benefits living in a SAP > 65 = 17% SAP < 35 by home with a low energy efficiency rating. 1% and increase SAP > 65 by 1% LI 62 The percentage of Regulatory Services Gravesham data 96% 95% 95% 96% complaints/requests for service of a routine nature receiving a first response Page 183 within 5 working days. LI 68 Number of homes (private sector homes) Gravesham data 177 150 150 150 achieving Decent Homes Standard as a direct result of action by the local authority (Kent Strategic Housing PI – collected quarterly as cumulative total) MPI 44 Number of homes made decent occupied Gravesham data 82 80 80 80 by vulnerable households PH2 Number of homes improved through Home Gravesham data 71 50 50 50 Improvement Grants/Loans or similar (Kent Strategic Housing PI - collected quarterly as cumulative total) PH3 Number of House in Multiple Occupation Gravesham data 13 15 15 15 (HMO) properties brought up to standard as a direct result of action by the local authority (Kent Strategic Housing PI - collected quarterly as cumulative total)
Indicator Description Source What we Target 2009-10 Target 2010-11 Target 2011-12 Reference achieved 2008-09 PH5 Number of Disabled Facilities Grants Gravesham data 71 50 50 50 completed to enable people to stay in their own homes. (Kent Strategic Housing PI - collected quarterly as cumulative total)
* SAP - The standard application procedure that defines the energy efficiency (or energy cost rating) of a structure by taking into account items such as heating systems, the position of the site and the makeup and materials of the structure. Page 184 The scale ranges from 1 (lowest) to 100 (highest) Page 185
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 187 Agenda Item 15
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Assistant Director (Housing & Environment) Service Manager – Finance
Subject: Rent Increase 2009-10 - Changes
Purpose and summary of report: To update members on the recent announcement by Government in respect of lower rent increases for Council tenants in 2009-10, and the decision taken by the Assistant Director (Housing & Environment) under delegated authority with regard to reducing rents for council tenants in 2009-10. Recommendations: Members are asked to;
1. Note that a decision has been taken by the Assistant Director (Housing and Environment), in consultation with the Service Manager - Finance, to amend Council Housing Rents for 2009-10 in accordance with the government’s amended Housing Subsidy determination for 2009-10, released in May 2009. The offer made by the government is to reimburse local authorities where average rent increases are reduced from an average of 6.2% to 3.1% nationally.
2. Approve the revised Housing Revenue Account budget for 2009-10 (as shown at Appendix A to this report), incorporating the effects of this amendment to both the rental income and negative Housing Subsidy payable to central government in 2009- 10.
1. Background
1.1 On 3 March 2009, Full Council ratified the Housing Revenue Account 2009-10 budget and the average rent increase of 5.9% based upon the requirements of the Government’s rent restructuring policy.
1.2 The approved rent increases were fully implemented, rent increase notices were served and all systems were set up to collect the new rent from 4 April 2009.
1.3 On 6 March 2009 (after rent notices had been served to Gravesham’s tenants), the Minister for Housing announced that the national average guideline increase in rents would be reduced from 6.2% to 3.1%. It was also announced that the subsidy position of those authorities who reduced their Page 188
actual average rent increase in parallel with the new national average would be reimbursed to cover the significant loss of income.
1.4 On 11 March 2009 CLG wrote to authorities with further details of the proposals. The letter set out that if the Council’s average actual rent increase was revised to be equal to 3.1 per cent of the government’s average guideline rent then they will give each Council the increase in subsidy commensurate with the changes.
1.5 CLG issued a draft amending Housing Subsidy determination on 26 March 2009, with a 4 week consultation period. This amending determination outlined the way in which the government’s reimbursement to local authorities will be effected. A formal response was made by GBC to this consultation, accepting the Government’s offer of reduced rents (with subsequent reimbursement).
1.6 On 20 May, CLG announced the final determination, stating that the compensation via the subsidy system would be backdated to April 2009, for those authorities reducing their actual rents accordingly.
2. Decision and Justification
2.1 In light of the above, a decision has been taken by the Assistant Director (Housing & Environment) to reduce the actual rents for Gravesham’s tenants accordingly, under delegated authority for rent setting given to him by the Cabinet.
2.2 In accordance with the final determination the average rent increase in Gravesham will be reduced to 3.1% from 5.9%. This will result in an average rent increase of £2.08 per week, from £67.32 to £69.40, over 52 weeks. It should be noted that all individual rent calculations have been revised in line with the announcement in determining the average charge.
2.3 Based on the final determination in the CLG notification of 20 May, the anticipated reduced rent income is approximately £600,000. It is expected that the additional subsidy allowance will cover the loss of income.
2.4 The change in rents is a variation to the terms of Council house tenancies and the requirements of Section 103 of the Housing Act 1985 must be complied with. This includes the service of a Notice of Variation on tenants specifying the changes at least 4 weeks prior to the change in rent taking effect.
2.5 In order to meet the requirements outlined above, the new rent took effect on 17 August 2009, and for this reason, the rents from this point onwards were adjusted accordingly downwards to take account of the higher rental payable for the first 19 weeks of the rent year. In this way, the average rent increase for Gravesham’s tenants during 2009-10 will equate to 3.1%.
2.6 A letter was sent to tenants informing them that a lower rent is being charged from 17 August 2009, and outlining that this approach is the most reasonable and pragmatic solution to minimising the impact of the government’s proposals.
2.7 By reducing the average rent increase to tenants for 2009-10 to 3.1% the Council is not only reducing the financial burden on tenants in the current economic climate but doing so without putting the sustainability of the HRA at
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risk due to the subsidy allowance from the Government to cover the loss of rent income.
3. Alternative Options
3.1 The rent increase could have been left unchanged from that approved by Council in March 2009. However, this is not the recommended option as allowances will be made available to the Council, via the HRA subsidy determination and claimable within the financial year.
4. Other Financial Implications
4.1 There will be additional administrative costs including the cost of revised letters and changes to systems. The Government has stated that they expect all Council’s to cover these costs themselves. Such costs have been estimated as being not in excess of £5,000 and on this basis are not seen as a reason for retaining the existing higher rent levels.
4.2 Nonetheless, in responding to the government’s consultation, such costs have been brought to the government’s attention and it is hoped therefore that an administration grant could be received to cover them.
5. Conclusions
5.1 This report outlines the delegated decision taken for implementation of the reduced average rent increase of 3.1% for the 2009-10 financial year.
5.2 Members will recall that a rent increase of 5.9% was agreed by the Cabinet on 9 February and subsequently ratified by Full Council on 3 March 2009.
5.3 In recognition of both the current economic climate and the current rate of inflation, the Government announced on the 6th March that it was revising the guideline rent from 6.2% to 3.1%. This was followed up with a consultation paper on the 26 March setting out how they intended to implement this change. On 20 May, CLG announced the final determination and that the compensation via the subsidy system would be backdated to April.
6. Risk
6.1 The imperative to implement the change, in addition to other workloads, increased the risk of error. The implementation was carefully planned and system and data tests were undertaken to minimise the risk of error.
7. Section 17 Crime and Disorder Act
7.1 There are no Section 17 Crime and Disorder Act implications arising from this report.
An amended version of the Housing Revenue Account estimate for 2009-10 Appendix A has been attached to this report.
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The background papers to this report are held within files in the Housing and Environment Department
4 Page 191 APPENDIX A
HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT 2009-10 ORIGINAL AMENDED DIFFERENCES ESTIMATE ESTIMATE 2009-10 2009-10 2009-10
£ £ £ RENTS OF DWELLINGS (21,553,300) (20,953,300) 600,000 SERVICE CHARGES (853,400) (853,400) 0
SHOP RENTAL INCOME (180,320) (180,320) 0 LESS MGT & MAINT EXPENSES 65,230 65,230 0 (115,090) (115,090) 0
OTHER RENTS AND INCOME (410,150) (410,150) 0 INTEREST ON HOUSES SOLD (6,940) (6,940) 0 INTEREST ON INTERNAL BALANCES (7,280) (7,280) 0 (424,370) (424,370) 0
GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION (8,530) (8,530) 0
TOTAL INCOME (22,954,690) (22,354,690) 600,000
SUPERVISION & MANAGEMENT - GENERAL EXPENSES 3,233,810 3,233,810 0 - WARDEN SERVICES 390,160 390,160 0 - COMMUNITY HALL 34,080 34,080 0 - OTHER SPECIAL EXPENSES 1,188,080 1,188,080 0 4,846,130 4,846,130 0
SUPPORTING PEOPLE FUND 157,340 157,340 0
REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE -DIRECT WORKS 6,801,230 6,801,230 0 -REPAIRS ADMINISTRATION 639,420 639,420 0 -DEPRECIATION 4,475,620 4,475,620 0 11,916,270 11,916,270 0
HRA SUBSIDY PAYMENTS 6,185,040 5,585,040 (600,000) 6,185,040 5,585,040 (600,000)
CAPITAL FINANCING COSTS - DISCOUNTS (1,890) (1,890) 0 - INTEREST CREDIT (7,080) (7,080) 0 - PREMIUM ON LOANS 95,250 95,250 0 - DEBT MGT EXPENSES 40,800 40,800 0 - DEPRECIATION OF ADJ (113,900) (113,900) 0 13,180 13,180 0
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 23,117,960 22,517,960 (600,000)
DEFICIT/(SURPLUS) 163,270 163,270 0
STATEMENT OF WORKING BALANCES -WORKING BAL B/FWD (1,855,181) (1,855,181) (1,691,911) -DEFICIT/(SURPLUS) FOR YEAR 163,270 163,270 0 WORKING BAL C/FWD (1,691,911) (1,691,911) (1,691,911)
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This page is intentionally left blank Page 193 Agenda Item 16
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Business)
Subject: Investigation of the potential for cruise liner terminal provision in Gravesham. Purpose and summary of report: To seek Cabinet approval for the investigation of the potential for cruise liner provision in Gravesham. Recommendations: That approval is given to the commissioning consultants to undertake a scoping study of the potential for cruise liner provision in Gravesham and that any shortfall in funding be met from reserves up to a maximum of £10,000.
1. Introduction
1.1 Gravesham is strategically located as the Gateway to the Port of London on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Thames. There are a number of advantages including deep water wharves and high speed domestic train connections via Gravesend (24 minutes) and Ebbsfleet Station (17 minutes) to London St Pancras and other Kent destinations. European destinations are conveniently accessible for a day visit from Ebbsfleet International via Eurostar services to Paris in just over 2 hours and Brussels in 1 hour 45 minutes.
1.2 Cabinet recognise that the twin advantages of deep water wharves and high speed train access may be of interest to cruise operators and have asked for the potential for cruise liner provision on this stretch of the Thames to be investigated.
2. Scoping Study
2.1 It is understood that the London Development Agency recently commissioned an independent study into the potential to expand cruise liner provision for London, focusing on opportunities within the Thames Barrier at Woolwich and by implication the market for smaller cruise liners.
2.2 Demand for cruising continues to be strong and demand for cruise ship visits to London, as a ‘must see’ destination, are likely to increase if they can be adequately accommodated. However, current facilities and conditions appear to restrict growth and as a consequence the LDA’s work is seeking to support the case for improving cruise liner provision on the Thames. A number of options for expansion within Central London are being investigated and it is anticipated that a Page 194
more detailed feasibility study, together with the preparation of business plans for specific provision, will be taken forward.
2.3 It is considered timely to undertake a similar scoping study for the lower reaches of the Thames within Gravesham and competitive quotes have been sought for this work.
2.4 Indications are that a study would cost in the order of £15,000. The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has confirmed £5,000 towards this cost. It is recommended that any shortfall in funding to be met from reserves up to a maximum of £10k.
2.5 Cabinet is asked to approve the commissioning of consultants to undertake a scoping study of the potential for cruise liner provision in Gravesham
3. Risks and Section 17
3.1 Risks – at this preliminary stage of investigation, these are minimal.
3.2 Section 17 – activities aimed at improving visitor economy need to be aligned with community safety initiatives locally.
There are no background papers to this report.
2 Page 195 Agenda Item 17
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Service Manager – Revenues & Benefits
Subject: Benefits Policies
Purpose and summary of report: To present the Cabinet with a suite of Benefits policies for approval.
Recommendations: 1. Members are requested to approve the Benefits policies set out in paragraph 2.3 of this report.
1. Introduction
1.1 Members will recall that the Cabinet approved a programme of Value for Money (VfM) reviews back in October 2008. One of the reviews in the approved VfM programme related to Housing & Council Tax Benefits and this review was conducted during February 2009 and completed in March 2009.
1.2 The Benefits VfM review made a number of recommendations highlighting opportunities to refine the existing systems and procedures to help improve processing times and service delivery. The review also highlighted opportunities to improve the quality of information available to customers to help them provide the necessary information to the Benefits team at an earlier stage in the process. Many of the recommendations from the VFM review have already been implemented and combined with additional input and refinement from management the new procedures have had a dramatic impact on our speed of processing, reducing the time taken to process ‘new claims’ from 28 days down to 18.5 days and reducing the time for processing ‘changes of circumstances’ from 11 days down to 9 days.
2. Benefits Service – Policies and Strategies
2.1 Benefits Management and staff have embraced the opportunity to improve a number of areas of the benefits service and this has resulted in a need to update or create specific policies or strategies covering the operation of the service. We Page 196
recognise the need to take our customers’ views into account in the development of policies, strategies and procedures and in renewing these documents and processes we have consulted and engaged with customers and stakeholders to help shape our service around our customers.
2.2 The new and revised policies and strategies have also been considered by the Transformation Policy Overview Committee (POC) at their meeting on 8 September 2008. Recommendations from the POC to the Cabinet regarding any amendments to the policies or strategies will be drawn to Cabinet Members attention prior to the Cabinet meeting.
2.3 The new and revised policies and strategies are attached as the following appendices for approval by the Cabinet.
Appendix one: Benefits Service – Take up Strategy
Appendix two: Benefits Service – Overpayment Recovery Policy
Appendix three: Benefits Service – Overpaid Housing Benefit Write-off Policy
Appendix four: Benefits Service – Discretionary Housing Payments Policy
Appendix five: Benefits Service – Training Strategy
Appendix six: Revenues & Benefits Service – Vulnerable Policy
2.4 Members will recall that at the July 2009 Cabinet, Members approved the Anti- fraud & Corruption Strategy, the Whistle-blowing Policy and the Housing & Council Tax Benefit Anti-fraud policy. The policies and strategies contained within this latest report to Cabinet build on the continuing formalisation and improvement of the benefits service we provide to our customers.
2.5 The policies and strategies will be reviewed on an annual basis and any changes will be reported to Cabinet for approval.
3. Risk
3.1 Failure to obtain Cabinet approval of the policies and strategies contained within this report would significantly reduce their status and value. Conversely, Cabinet approval adds weight and authority to the content of these documents and gives our customers assurance of our commitment to providing them with a high quality service.
4. Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act
4.1 There are no direct factors regarding Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act in relation to this report.
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There are no background papers relating to this report.
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GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
Benefits Service
Take Up Strategy
2009/2010
Take Up Strategy 2009 Page 1 of 8 Version 1 Page 200
Contents
Introduction
Reasons for Take Up Strategy
Why People Do Not Claim
Developing and Targeting Take Up
Networking/Liaison
Website
Leaflets/Posters
Home Visits
Staff Awareness
Advertising
Monitoring and Review
Conclusion
Take Up Strategy 2009 Page 2 of 8 Version 1 Page 201
Introduction
Gravesham Borough Council’s vision is to make Gravesham A Place of Choice, a place where everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, a great place in which to bring up a family, a place of opportunity and a place that is open for business. Our ambition for Gravesham is to make it a clean, green and safe place where diverse and vibrant communities can flourish and live together, bound by a strong sense of belonging. Access to services must be as seamless as possible and we will work with other public service providers, local businesses, the voluntary and community sector and regional agencies to achieve this aim. For detailed information on Gravesham Borough Council’s vision please see the Corporate Plan 2008/11. Link to website
Over 8,000 households in the Borough of Gravesham are getting help in paying their rent and/or Council Tax through the Housing and Council Tax Benefit schemes. However, we know that there are many households that do not claim the benefits they are entitled to, particularly pensioner households.
Gravesham Borough Council’s Housing and Council Tax Benefit Take-Up Strategy reflects the Council’s commitment to improve the quality, accessibility and efficiency of the Benefit Service. It also reflects our commitment to work in partnership with other stakeholders, such as the Kent Benefits Partnership, the Pension Service, Citizens Advice Bureau and other internal and external stakeholders. This strategy outlines the means by which the Benefit Service will deliver this commitment to our customers and goes beyond the first step of raising awareness to ensuring that eligible claimants are enabled to make successful claims and involves identifying and targeting particular groups and areas where take-up is low.
Reasons for Take Up Strategy
There are various important reasons why Gravesham Borough Council should prioritise Housing and Council Tax Benefit Take Up.
• The Authority has a legal obligation to develop and implement policies to address poverty and social exclusion. Section 123 (3) (a) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefit Act 1992 states that every authority awarding Housing Benefit: ‘Shall take steps as appears to them appropriate for the purpose of securing that any person who may be entitled to Housing Benefit from the authority become aware that they may be entitled to it’. There is an equivalent provision in relation to Council Tax Benefit under Section 123 (4) (e) of the same act. • To ensure that the Benefit Service remains accessible to all residents of the borough and is operated in an efficient and cost effective manner • To ensure that the Benefit Service works closely with service partners (both within the council and external organisations) in proactively encouraging joint working to ensure all resources are utilised within the borough to maximise the take-up of benefits efficiently and effectively and to ensure that service take-up of other key services is also maximised • It ensures a smooth return to employment for those of working age
Take Up Strategy 2009 Page 3 of 8 Version 1 Page 202
• It improves revenue collection for the authority – rents, Council Tax, service charges, by ensuring that people at risk of debt have a higher income, thereby reducing their liabilities to the authority • To ensure that staff are given effective training, so that customers receive advice and assistance appropriate to their circumstances to ensure that every opportunity is taken to maximise take up of available benefits • It puts extra spending power into the local economy as benefits are usually spent on local goods and services • It reduces pressure on other public services – education, health and social services, by easing long-term poverty and commits the council to addressing poverty in partnership with other agencies • To meet the requirements of Right time Right Benefit
Why People Do Not Claim
There are various reasons why someone may be reluctant to claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
• Lack of knowledge and awareness is commonplace, even though information is available customers do not always access it • Lack of personal contact during the claims process • Uncoordinated activity resulting in failure to reach vulnerable groups • Complicated claims processes and perception of Government prying • Older people can see benefits as a ‘charity’ rather than ‘entitlement’ • An increasing number of people are coming into the borough whose first language is not English. This means that customers may not be aware of what they could be entitled to or may be reluctant to claim because of language difficulties
Developing and Targeting Take Up
An effective benefit take up campaign requires good forward planning, good quality information that is relevant to the audience being targeted and an efficient and customer friendly Benefit Service.
There needs to be an integrated approach from the Local Authorities, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the voluntary sector, so that the customers receive a clear and simple message that every effort is made to turn initial enquiries into benefit payouts.
In developing benefit campaigns we will ensure that the followingkey issues are taken into account.
• the identification of which benefits to promote and who is missing out • what is the best method to use to reach the target group, developing a better understanding of claimants’ needs through customer consultation • the role of publicity • how will the language needs of groups such as deaf and ethnic minorities be met • the impact on other agencies • can benefit take-up be integrated into other areas of Local Authority services
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In consideration of the above we will target take-up at the following groups, identified in national surveys as under-claiming and from local consultation.
• Pensioners – The Kent Benefits Partnership (KBP) will carry out an exercise to encourage take up from the results of pension credit scans received from the DWP Pension Service • Owner Occupiers will receive information about claiming Council Tax Benefit in with their annual Council Tax Bills • Disabled Groups – we will look to engage with members of disability groups and encourage attendance at the Vulnerable Clients Forum • In work/low-income claimants – we will work with the Job Centre Plus and the Revenues & Customs Department (HMRC) to implement the In and Out of Work process • Customers whose first language is not English – we will use a poster/leaflet from the National Leaflet campaign website to advertise that benefits are available and work closely with community groups to encourage access to the benefits Service
We will develop the use of customer profiling to target specific groups who are seen as under claiming.
Gravesham is part of the Kent Benefits Partnership (KBP) which has a take- up strategy for Kent, to increase the take-up of Housing and Council Tax Benefit in Kent and Medway. Link to KBP Take Up Strategy
The Kent Benefits Partnership will continue using the following Take Up initiatives on behalf of service partners across Kent.
Telephone Line A dedicated telephone line is available between 1pm and 5pm every week day. This will increase the amount of outreach work and home visits KBP are able to undertake.
Advice Surgeries Advice surgeries will be held during the year, these will be advertised on our website, the KCC website, and through posters, local papers and various other media sources.
Backing Kent People It is intended that a Mobile Gateway will be held as a result of this initiative.
Mail Take Up Campaign KBP will be using Royal Mail’s door to door service to deliver leaflets directly into the homes of Gravesham’s residents. Post codes will be selected using the results from the Mosaic customer profiling system.
Home Visits KBP will be carrying out home visits for all welfare benefits and carrying out benefit entitlement checks.
Other Take Up activity includes, attending the Kent County Show, arranging for a leaflet to be distributed through KCC’s primary schools whereby a copy will be given to every child to take home and they will be attending other events organised by KCC Backing Kent People.
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It is the Benefit Service’s vision to build upon the current work carried out by KBP and focus on further specific types of take-up in the District in the following ways:
Networking/Liaison
To work closely with service partners (both within the Council and external organisations) in proactively encouraging joint working to ensure all resources are utilised within the borough to maximise the take-up of benefits efficiently and effectively.
To update and maintain the Service Level Agreement with the Housing Needs Team for the provision of a Fast Track service for their clients.
To update and maintain the Service Level Agreement with the Housing Services Department. To encourage joint initiatives by including leaflets for their tenants with our Benefits mail, for example Warm front.
To continue to work closely with the DWP to promote greater access and awareness of the benefit process through initiatives such as,
• Service Level Agreements with Job Centre Plus, Pensions Service and Valuation Service • Continue developing joint working with the Pension Service • Look at introducing “Job shadowing exercises” with Job Centre Plus and Pension Service • Provision of Housing Benefit forms and leaflets at Job Centre Plus and local Pension Service offices
To continue to promote Housing & Council Tax Benefit take-up by maintaining regular liaison links with landlords and Registered Social Landlords within the borough through attendance/representation at the Landlords’ Forum.
To continue to work closely with Advice providers within the public and voluntary sectors eg Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Rethink, DGS Mind, KCC, Porchlight and other groups in Benefit take-up and associated matters including:
• Continuing to host the Vulnerable Clients Forum expanding this to meet diverse groups in the community • Continue to attend the Dartford and Gravesham Area Advice Forum • Continue to monitor and update Service Level Agreements with Kenward Trust and the Citizens Advice Bureau • Work closely with Sevenoaks District Council when using their Rent Deposit Scheme
To provide effective benefit overview training to staff working for internal and external stakeholders to promote take-up and awareness of Housing & Council Tax Benefit rules.
Website
To continue to maintain a highly functional website in respect of benefits related information ensuring it is updated on a regular basis.
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Links will be available to download a claim for Housing and Council Tax Benefit, including Second Adult Rebate, a claim form to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment and a range of up to date benefit leaflets.
A hyper-link is also available to an interactive Benefits calculator, this enables customers to work out how much they could be likely to receive.
The current Broad Market Rental Rates are available and updated on a monthly basis.
Office addresses and opening hours will be displayed for prospective customers that prefer face-to-face contact.
Leaflets/Posters
We will provide up to date leaflets to cover various benefit topics and ensure that they are available in the Civic Centre and Local Area Office reception areas, and other customer access points such as the Grand, Towncentric, libraries, RSL offices, CAB etc. They are also available on our website.
We will continue to review the Housing and Council Tax Benefit claim form to ensure legislative changes are taken into account and that it remains customer-friendly by referring it for consultation with our customers.
We will have a varied stock of national leaflets produced by the Department for Work and Pensions and other organisations available to our claimants.
Home Visits
We will continue with the on-going provision of a home visiting service for elderly and housebound customers.
Staff Awareness
All Benefits staff will be trained to a level that will ensure that the service is delivered promptly and accurately. We have a training strategy and a training matrix has been set up to monitor all training undertaken.
We will continue with the ongoing training of front line staff within Customer Services to deal with housing benefit and council tax benefits in a more efficient and effective manner and to continue with the Fast Track service for applicants submitting fully complete claims supported by all relevant documentary evidence.
Advertising
By ensuring that the Housing and Council Tax Benefit schemes are publicised in appropriate places and by the appropriate means through marketing in Your Borough and the local media.
We will work with the Communications Manager and explore other methods of advertising such as using the Plasma TV screens in the reception area.
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We will advertise our disabled services including large print leaflets, Induction Loops in our offices, Minicom and we will also offer Translation Services to customers whose first language is not English; this is called ‘Language Line’.
Monitoring and Review
It is important to monitor the outcome of take-up work. The Kent Benefits Partnership will keep records of all their methods of take-up and will follow this up to find out how many claims are subsequently made. They will send us a quarterly report so that we are aware of the results of their Take Up work.
We continue to streamline Customer Services processes to meet the needs of our customers by the use of feedback from a variety of customer surveys and questionnaires.
Conclusion
The Council commits to a take-up policy that supports its corporate vision.
The Council will work with staff, customers and partners to increase Benefit take-up and remove barriers.
The Council will work to review and improve Benefit take-up amongst its residents by using a variety of initiatives. A key objective of the Benefits Service is to introduce eBenefits and this will help to make rent and tax payers aware of not only the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit schemes but also encourage the take-up of other benefits they may be entitled to claim.
The Council will work with partner organisations to maximise the take up of ALL social benefits.
Take Up Strategy 2009 Page 8 of 8 Version 1 Page 207
GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
Revenues & Benefits Service
Overpayment Recovery Policy
April 2009
Overpayment Policy 2009 Page 1 of 10 Version 1 Page 208
1. Introduction
Gravesham is committed to providing a quality service to customers together with minimising fraud and errors in the Benefits system. We are striving to achieve top quartile performance in relation to National and Local Performance Indicators.
One of the key areas of our Service is the way in which we present, administer and collect overpayments of Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
This policy supports the basic principles identified by the new DWP local performance framework and the Audit Commissions Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOE).
Within this policy both overpayments of Housing Benefit and Excess payments of Council Tax are referred to as “Overpayments”.
2. Background Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit overpayments
2.1. What is an overpayment ?
Housing Benefit Rent Allowance
• An overpayment of HB is any amount which has been paid to either the claimant or a Private Landlord but to which there is no entitlement. This includes
any amount of rent allowance paid on account, which is in excess of entitlement to HB
Rent Rebate
• An overpayment of rent rebate is any amount of Housing Benefit credited on to their Rent account but to which there is no entitlement
Council Tax Benefit
• An overpayment of CTB, known as ‘excess’ CTB, is benefit
paid or allowed for a claimant, and to which they have no entitlement to by law usually paid as an entry as a credit to their Council Tax account
Overpayment Policy 2009 Page 2 of 10 Version 1 Page 209
2.2. Causes of Overpayment
Overpayments can be caused by a number of reasons including
• a change in the claimant’s circumstances • an LA official error • a Departmental official error • a payment irregularity • claimant error or fraud caused by a failure to notify a change of circumstances
2.3. Identification of Overpayments
All Housing and Council Tax Benefit Overpayments will be identified and actioned at the earliest possible date by minimising the level of outstanding work. All incoming post which is likely to produce overpayments will be identified, recorded and then fast-tracked for assessment.
When identifying overpayments we will:
• Decide why the overpayment has arisen • Work out the value of the overpayment. • Decide whether or not to recover the overpayment. • Decide from whom to recover the overpayment. • Notify the person that they have been overpaid and advise them of their appeal rights. • Decide how to recover the overpayment.
3. Prevention Of Overpayments
Minimising fraud and error is a key aim. We will aim to minimise the level of error and therefore the level of Overpayments within the system by taking the following measures:
• Continuing to comply with Verification Framework standards • Identifying individual error rates for each member of staff and implement training as required • Advising claimants and landlords of the requirement to report changes in circumstances • Regular publicity of fraud prevention and prosecution activity • Regular training sessions by our Training officer will ensure staff knowledge is up to date and training to other departments such as Council Tax and Housing will reduce the level of errors in the system • Continue to monitor the levels of performance including Accuracy checks which are currently done on a daily basis by the Senior Benefit Officers.
Overpayment Policy 2009 Page 3 of 10 Version 1 Page 210
4. Classification of overpayments
4.1. Classification types
On identification, all overpayments are categorised into specific types to record reasons for overpayments occurring and for subsidy purposes. The types of overpayment are backdated award, claimant error, LA error, DSS error, other error, future error, liability reduction, fraud, Indicative Rent Level error, pure EPP error, administrative delay, liability ceased and technical error. Classification of overpayments is the responsibility of assessment staff to check at the time they make amendments to Benefit claims.
4.2. Revising classification
In the event of an error in classification the error will be amended by the Overpayments Officer or a Senior Officer within the Benefits service who has not been involved in the initial decision.
5. Calculation and Notification of Overpayments.
5.1. The final overpaid amount is determined by taking into account any underlying entitlement to benefit and any unpaid or returned cheques or BACS payments, within a period of 14 days following the date of receipt at the Council offices.
5.2. They will be calculated accurately and in good time to
• Provide a quality service to claimants and landlords • Meet regulatory requirements • Give accurate Management Information on the value of overpayment debt • Ensure only the correct overpayment amount is recovered from the debtor by using the proper effective date of change • Enable the correct calculation of subsidy claims and avoid subsidy loss
6. Recovery of overpayments
6.1. The majority of Housing and Council Tax Benefit Overpayments are recoverable. A recoverable HB overpayment may always be recovered from the claimant and/or person to whom it was paid. This does not apply in the case of excess CTB, as this is recovered direct from the claimants council tax account. Some debts are irrecoverable, for example, those caused by Official Error where the claimant could not reasonably have known that they had been overpaid or where they hadn’t contributed to the error.
6.2. Officers assessing claims will decide if the overpayment is recoverable at the time of processing the overpayment. Any overpayment considered to be irrecoverable will be referred to a Senior Officer for a
Overpayment Policy 2009 Page 4 of 10 Version 1 Page 211
final decision. The Overpayments Officer will monitor the level of recoverable overpayments that the Council decides not to recover by using reports via the Northgate system.
6.3. It is at the discretion of the Council whether to recover an overpayment. Where known, the personal circumstances of the claimant should be taken into account when deciding whether to recover the overpaid amount.
Whom to recover from
6.4. Any recoverable overpayment will be recovered from the claimant or the person to whom payment was made (this could be a landlord or the claimant’s appointee). When deciding who should repay the debt all factors must be taken into account such as the likelihood of the person receiving the payments knowing they were being overpaid. Where payments are made to a landlord we will make a judgement based on evidence available on whom to recover from.
6.5. Where the overpayment has been made due to misrepresentation or failure to disclose a relevant fact by the customer, someone acting on their behalf, their landlord or an agent, then recovery will be sought from the person to whom the payment was made.
6.6 We prioritise recovery of fraud overpayments by interviewing claimants immediately after they have been issued with a Formal Caution or Administration Penalty and make arrangements with them to clear the debt.
7. Recovery Methods
Councils can recover overpayments by any lawful means. We will adopt one or more of the following methods of recovery dependant upon the individual circumstances of each case. The amounts specified in each case are in relation to the 2009/10 financial year.
7.1 Recovery of Rent Rebate/Rent Allowance From Future Benefit
Action Timescale Follow Up Notification Within 2 working days
Customer 10 working Letter to customer requests to days confirming new renegotiate recovery rate within 2 recovery rates working days
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7.2 Recovery of Rent Rebate/Rent Allowance by Sundry Debtors
Action Timescale Follow up Invoice sent Within 2 days Due date deferred by one calendar month
1st On due date Failure to pay Reminder invoice within 14 days will result in 2nd reminder being issued
2nd 14 days after Failure to pay Reminder due date invoice within 7 days will result in final reminder being issued
Final 7 days after 2nd Failure to pay Reminder reminder invoice within 7 days
Chase up Weekly report Failure to telephone run to identify respond to call call outstanding will result in invoices Letter Before Action being issued
Letter Failure to Refer for court before respond to letter proceedings action before action within 14 days within 14 days
Court Failure to Proceedings respond to all of above
7.3 Recovery from ongoing benefit - Rent Allowance or Rent rebate
Where a claimant continues to receive Housing Benefit we will make deductions from ongoing payments of Housing Benefit having regard to their financial circumstances. Where appropriate we will recover debts at the weekly amounts recommended by the DWP.
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For the financial year 2009/10 the rates are as laid out below.
Type of Claimant Claimant Error Cases Fraud cases. Claimants in receipt of £9.75per week £12.80 per week Income Support / Jobseekers Allowance (contributions based)
As well as the above mentioned rates of recovery we will also increase deductions, where appropriate, by half (50%) of any of:-
the earnings disregard, if applicable regular charitable income or voluntary payments, if applicable War Disablement or War Widows Pension, if applicable
In all above mentioned cases, the recovery amounts are subject to an overall maximum deduction which does not reduce the benefit payable to less than £0.50 pence.
7.4 Arrangements
A Guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Overpayments is issued with every Overpayment Letter and invoice providing information to claimants about overpayments and appeal rights. There is also advice to contact Housing Benefits if an arrangement to pay in instalments is required. The Overpayment Officer will keep a central list of all arrangements to pay.
7.5 By deduction from certain DWP benefits
We may ask the DWP, Debt Management Office, to recover an HB/CTB overpayment by deduction from certain DWP benefits, as prescribed by Regulation. These are
• Income Support • Attendance Allowance • Jobseeker’s Allowance • Disability Living Allowance • Incapacity Benefit • Industrial Death Benefit • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit • Carer’s Allowance • Maternity Allowance • State Pension credit • State Retirement Pension • Severe Disablement Allowance • War Pension • War Disablement Pension • Bereavement Benefit
Overpayment Policy 2009 Page 7 of 10 Version 1 Page 214
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance • Widow’s Benefit • Widow(er)s Pension
Where necessary entitlement to benefits will be identified through the Customer Information System (CIS) connected to the Department for Works and Pensions Database.
7.6 Recovery from benefit payments made by another authority
Where possible we will recover overpayments from Benefit payments being made by other Local Authorities.
7.7 County Court action
Where standard recovery action has failed to recover the debt it will be recovered in the County Court by the Council’s Court Officer.
7.8 Tracing Debtors
All available resources will be used to trace debtors including data matching options, Experian searches, LoCTA searches and utilisation of the DWP Customer Information System. External Tracing Agents will also be deployed when all other avenues have been explored and it is cost effective to do so.
7.9 Recovery from a Blameless Tenants Housing Benefit
If a debt is recoverable from the Landlord/Agent and they still receive Housing Benefit payments for other tenants we may deduct the debt from future payments due to them.
The effectiveness of the above recovery methods will be reviewed annually by the Assistant Revenues & Benefits Manager and the Overpayments Officer.
8 Payment Methods
We will accept a variety of payment methods as outlined below:
• Cash • Cheque • Credit/ Debit Card • Recovery from ongoing Housing or Council Tax Benefit • Recovery through the Council Tax Bill (Council Tax Benefit Only) • Recovery from other Welfare Benefits
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9 Corporate Debt/Write Off
Where all recovery action has been attempted and the overpayment is still outstanding the debt will be passed to the Corporate Debt Section. The Corporate Debt Section will endeavour to recover the overpayment with any other outstanding debts.
Write Off action will be taken in accordance with the principles laid out in our Financial Rules. Debts will be recommended for write off by the Overpayments Officer or an authorised officer within the Local Authority’s Debt Recovery section. The Overpayments Officer will keep a copy of the outstanding overpayments where Benefit is no longer in payment, in the event of future Benefit being awarded, enabling recovery in the future.
10 Targets
10.1 The Overpayments Officer will keep a breakdown of all overpayments being recovered by different methods, (e.g. by deductions from DWP Benefits). Statistics will be given to the Assistant Revenues & Benefits Manager on a monthly basis on all outstanding overpayments. We will monitor the age of overpayment debt so that it does not become statute barred and therefore unrecoverable.
10.2 The Local Performance indicators are
1. (LI26) The amount of housing benefit overpayments recovered during the current year as a percentage of overpayments raised during the current year.
2. (LI27) The amount of housing benefit overpayments recovered during the current year as a percentage of total housing benefit overpayment debt outstanding.
3. The amount of housing benefit overpayments written off during the year as a percentage of the total housing benefit overpayment debt
10.3 Our targets are
2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
1. 65% 68% 71%
2. 27% 29% 31%
3. 4% 3.5% 3%
These targets will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure we are trying to achieve maximum recovery on all outstanding debt.
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11 Training
Regular training will be given to staff in line with Best Practice identified within the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit Overpayments Guide. The section will strive to continuously improve its performance.
12 Appeals
12.1 If the claimant believes the overpayment decision to be wrong they can ask us to: • explain our decision; • look at our decision again - this is called a ‘reconsideration’; or • pass their case to an independent tribunal - this is called an ‘appeal’.
12.2 There are time limits for reconsiderations and appeals. If the claimant wants to ask us to look at a decision again, or if the claimant wants to appeal against a decision, they should do so within one month of the date on the Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit decision letter.
12.3 If the claimant misses the one-month time limit, it is still worth contacting us as there are special circumstances in which it may be possible to extend the time limit.
12.4 The claimant can ask us to explain our decision at any time but after the one month time limit we may not be able to reconsider a decision if, after looking at our explanation, the claimant decides that they think the decision is wrong.
13 Debt advice
13.1 Anyone experiencing debt problems will be advised to contact the Councils Housing Needs team or the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) for free, confidential and unbiased advice on debt.
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GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
Revenues & Benefits Service
Overpaid Housing Benefit write off policy
April 2009
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 1 Page 218
Background
The Council has a statutory duty to ensure the prompt and efficient collection of all debts owed to it.
Detailed recovery arrangements have been agreed for every aspect of the collection function. The procedures are regularly reviewed to take account of best practice and new technology. At the beginning of each financial year, a tight recovery schedule is drawn up within the framework of the relevant legislation. Comprehensive management information systems provide relevant data for making informed decisions on efficiency, effectiveness and economy.
Staff training plans are consistently reviewed and updated.
Challenging performance standards and targets are agreed annually within the service development plans. Performance is regularly monitored and benchmarked against similar authorities.
Purpose
At the end of a rigorous recovery process, there may still be debts that are not likely to be recovered and need to be properly considered for write off. This document provides guidance on determining which debts are not cost effective to pursue. It outlines the correct processes to be followed when writing off a debt.
A write-off policy enables bad debts to be systematically identified and cleared from the council’s books in order that attention may be clearly focussed on the collectable debt. It facilitates the optimum use of resources.
This policy covers recoverable and non recoverable Housing Benefit overpayments in both the Northgate and Authority Financials debtor systems where no ongoing benefit is in payment.
Criteria
Debts may be non-recoverable where:
• The overpayment has been created due to ‘official error’; and
• It is reasonable to expect that the claimant, someone acting on their behalf, or the payee could not realise they were being overpaid.
• The claimant is subject to a bankruptcy order which has subsequently been discharged.
Meaning of ‘official error’
An official error is a mistake, whether in the form of an act or omission, made by the authority, the DWP or HM Revenue and Customs. It does not include cases when the claimant, someone acting on their behalf, or the payee, caused or materially contributed to that error.
If a debt is identified as not non recoverable, the Authority still has the discretion whether or not to recover the debt.
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 2 Page 219
Debts which are recoverable but we chose not to recover the monies may be:
• The debtor is deceased and investigation confirms that there are no assets in the estate;
• The Authority is time-barred from any legal enforcement proceedings in respect of the debt;
• A company has ceased trading leaving no assets;
• The debt is included in a bankruptcy order or liquidation (winding up) proceedings;
• The outstanding balance is small and deemed uneconomical to pursue;
• The Authority is unable to take action through the Court due to lack of evidence;
• The debtor is insolvent.
• The debtor has absconded and the usual tracing procedures fail to yield a positive outcome; or
• There are exceptional circumstances, for example, affecting the physical and mental condition of the debtor (subject to any overriding legislation) or where all recovery remedies have been exhausted without obtaining payment.
In all instances the normal recovery procedure will have been exhausted by the Overpayments Officer.
Actions
The following table sets out the actions that are carried out in order to either write off a debt or attempt to recover. For recovery of the debt it should be used as a guide to help prioritise debts. For write off it should be used to remind those who have the power to write off the parameters that have been agreed.
Debt Collection and Write off policy Amount Action Comments £0.00 to £100.00 Decision Notice If no payment then write off Invoice Reminder Reminder 2 Final Notice Check CIS, Locta, Experian, other in house systems Pre Court letter Proactive telephone calls
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 3 Page 220
£100.01 to £1000.00 Decision Notice If no payment discuss case Invoice with senior officer to consider Reminder write off and then refer to Reminder 2 Assistant Director Final Notice (Transformation and Check CIS, Locta, Experian, Finance) for write off other in house systems authorisation Proactive telephone calls Refer to Recovery section for County Court action utilise Charging orders, consider attachment of earnings, instruct County Court Bailiffs, consider insolvency £1000.01 to £5000.00 Decision Notice If no payment discuss case Invoice with senior officer to consider Reminder write off and then refer to the Reminder 2 Service Manager (Finance) Final Notice for write off authorisation Check CIS, Locta, Experian, other in house systems Proactive telephone calls Refer to Recovery section for County Court action utilise Charging orders, consider attachment of earnings, instruct County Court Bailiffs, consider insolvency £5000.01 to £15000.00 Decision Notice If no payment discuss case Invoice with senior officer to consider Reminder write off and then refer to the Reminder 2 Director (Transformation and Final Notice Finance) for write off Check CIS, Locta, Experian, authorisation other in house systems Proactive telephone calls Refer to Recovery section for County Court action utilise Charging orders, consider attachment of earnings, instruct County Court Bailiffs, consider insolvency £15000.01 and over Decision Notice If no payment discuss case Invoice with senior officer to consider Reminder write off and then refer to Reminder 2 Cabinet for write off Final Notice authorisation Check CIS, Locta, Experian, other in house systems Proactive telephone calls Refer to Recovery section for County Court action utilise Charging orders, consider attachment of earnings, instruct County Court Bailiffs, consider insolvency
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 4 Page 221
Authorisations & Key Processes
Prior to a non recoverable debt being written off the ‘ Request for classification of LA non-recoverable & subsequent agreement to Write Off an overpayment from the Northgate Benefit system’ proforma must be completed by all relevant members of staff as required on the proforma. See Appendix 1 for the proforma.
Prior to a recoverable debt being written off the ‘Reason for Write Off Recommendation’ proforma must be completed. See Appendix 2 for the proforma.
The Assistant Director of Transformation and Finance has powers to authorise the writing off any debt less than £1000.
Any case recommended for write off should have 2 signatures, one of whom should be on the authorised list of signatories (for submission of write-offs). See Appendix 3 for the list of authorised signatories.
Where tracing processes are considered necessary, a minimum of 4 databases should be checked.
Any write off approved by an Authorised Officer of the Council or by relevant Cabinet committee should be actioned on the relevant systems within 28 days. All documentation should be maintained by the originating department. See Appendix 4 for the list of Council Authorised Officers.
Only designated person(s) may write off a debt on the Authority Financials and Northgate systems or other relevant database.
A reconciliation of debts written off the system will be carried out at least once every 6 months.
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Appendix 1
Name: Ref No:
Address:
Request for classification of LA non-recoverable & subsequent agreement to Write Off an overpayment from the Northgate Benefit system
Please answer both sections
Section 1 Has the overpayment been created because of ‘official error’; and YES / NO Is it reasonable to expect that the claimant, someone acting on their behalf, or YES / NO the payee could not realise it was an overpayment? Was the overpayment created prior to the claimant being made bankrupt, YES / NO which has now been discharged?
If you have answered no to the above questions the overpayment is not classified as a non- recoverable overpayment.
If you have answered yes to any of the above questions please answer the questions in Section 2.
Section 2 If the overpayment has been created because of ‘official error’ is it reasonable to expect the claimant, someone acting on their behalf, or the payee to realise YES / NO that they were being paid too much? Is the overpayment due to an error (or fraud) of the claimant or a third party? YES / NO
Is the overpayment for HB or CTB relating to a period in the future? YES / NO Is the overpayment for a payment on account of HB which is being recovered YES / NO by deductions from ongoing HB? Is the overpayment due to CTB reduction due to a retrospective reduction in Council Tax due to capping or a delayed award of a discount or disability YES / NO reduction? Did the overpayment arise and/or has been decided after the date of YES / NO bankruptcy?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to only the questions in Section 1 the overpayment cannot be recovered.
However, if you have answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions in Section 2 the overpayment is still recoverable.
Meaning of ‘official error’
An official error is a mistake, whether in the form of an act or omission, made by the authority, the DWP or HM Revenue and Customs. It does not include cases when the claimant, someone acting on their behalf, or the payee, caused or materially contributed to that error.
Please complete the recommendations detailed overleaf. Please delete statements as appropriate (*)
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 7 Page 224
Benefit Officer’s Recommendation
*My recommendation is that the overpayment is still recoverable
*My recommendation is that the overpayment is as a result of ‘official error’ and as a consequence it should not be recoverable (give reason(s) for decision)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signed ………………………………………. Dated ……………………………...
Senior Benefit Officer’s Decision
* I agree with the Benefit Officer’s Recommendation
* I disagree with the Benefit Officer’s Recommendation (give reason(s) for decision)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signed ……………………………………… Dated ……………………………...
Overpayment Officer’s Decision
I confirm that I have followed Gravesham Borough Council’s overpayment write off procedures fully and make my recommendations to the Service Manager Revenues and Benefits/ Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager for the stated overpayment to be written off of the Northgate Benefit system.
* I agree with the Senior Benefit Officer’s Recommendation
* I disagree with the Senior Benefit Officer’s Recommendation (give reason(s) for decision)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Signed ……………………………………… Dated ……………………………...
Recommendations agreed by Service Manager Revenues and Benefits / Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager
Signed ……………………………………… Dated ……………………………...
System updated by Overpayments Officer
Signed ……………………………………… Dated ……………………………...
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 8 Page 225
Overpayment Write Off request
Debtors Name
Debtors Address
Claim reference number
Invoice number
Amount
In respect of (please give details)
Period of original overpayment
Reason for overpayment (please give details)
Date of original invoice
Date of reminder invoice(s)
Date of final reminder
Date of pre-court letter
Reason for request (please give details)
Overpayment Officer …………………………………… Date ……………………
Service Manager Revenues and Benefits / Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager
…………………………………………………………….… Date ……………………
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 9 Page 226
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Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 10 Page 227
Appendix 2
INVOICE NO: INVOICE DATE: CLAIM REF NO:
DEBTOR NAME & ADDRESS:
DETAILS: Overpaid Housing Benefit (Dates) to Total
BALANCE O/S: £
REASON FOR WRITE – OFF RECOMMENDATION
Please indicate which classification applies by marking ‘X’ in the appropriate box.
A. Normal recovery procedure exhausted by overpayments section and the outstanding balance is small and deemed uneconomical to pursue.
B. Unable to take action through the Court due to the lack of evidence. Inadequate information available.
C. Debtor no longer at address given – tracing procedures exhausted.
D. Debtor insolvent. No prospect of dividend available for the Council’s claim in the near future.
E. Debtor deceased and no funds in estate.
F. The debt is time-barred from any legal enforcement proceedings.
G. Company has ceased trading leaving no assets.
H. The debt is included in a bankruptcy order or liquidation (wind up) proceedings.
I. Other
Requested by: ______(name & signature)
Position held: ______
Authorised by: ______(name & signature)
Position held: ______
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Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 12 Page 229
Appendix 3
Authorised signatories
Service Manager Revenues and Benefits
Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager
Assessment Team Leader
Senior Benefits Officer
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 13 Page 230
Appendix 4
Authorised Officers of the Council
Director or Transformation and Finance
Assistant Director of Transformation and Finance
Service Manager - Finance
Overpaid Housing Benefit Write Off Policy 2009 14 Page 231
GRAVESHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
Revenues & Benefits Service
Discretionary Housing Payments Policy April 2009
Page 232
1. Introduction
In 2001 a scheme was introduced granting all local authorities new powers to make discretionary payments on top of the housing and council tax benefits statutory schemes. The legislation governing DHP’s can be found in the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001 (S1 001/1167).
Gravesham are implementing a programme of measures aimed at improving the quality of life for the community. To this end they are committed to ensuring that residents receive the benefit they are entitled to. This policy specifies how Gravesham’s Benefits section will operate the Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) scheme and highlights the factors we will consider when making awards. Each case will be decided strictly on it’s own merits and all customers will be treated fairly, reasonably and consistently. The Benefits section is committed to working with the local voluntary sector and other interested parties to maximise entitlement to all available state benefits and this will be reflected in the administration of the DHP schemes.
2. The DHP schemes
There are two separate DHP schemes:
• covering shortfalls between rental liability and the payment of housing benefit • covering shortfalls between council tax liability and entitlement to council tax benefit
The main features of the schemes require that
• schemes are discretionary; a claimant does not have a statutory right to a payment • the amount that can be paid out by the authority in any financial year is cash- limited by the Secretary of State • The administration of the scheme is for the Benefits section to determine • DHP’s are not a payment of Housing Benefit (HB) or Council Tax Benefit (CTB). However, the minimum amount of HB/CTB must be in payment in the benefit week that a DHP is awarded for.
3. Objectives
The Benefits section will consider making a payment of a DHP to claimants who meet the criteria specified in this policy. They will treat all claims on their individual merits, and seek through the operation of this and associated policies to:
• Help alleviate poverty • Encourage and sustain residents in employment • Safeguard residents in their homes • Help those who are trying to help themselves • Keep families together • Support the vulnerable in the local community • Help claimants through personal crises and difficult events
Discretionary Housing payments cannot be awarded for any of the following:
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• Ineligible services or support charges • Any rent you have to pay if you only qualify for Council Tax Benefit • Any council tax you have to pay if you only qualify for Housing Benefit or Second Adult Rebate • Increases in your rent to cover rent arrears • Sanctions and reductions in any benefit. • Amounts of Housing or Council Tax Benefit that have been suspended. • Amounts being repaid for overpayments of housing and council tax benefit. • Arrangements made to clear council tax arrears.
The Benefits section considers that the DHP scheme should be seen as a short term emergency fund. It is not and should not be considered as a way around any current or future entitlement restrictions set out within the housing and council tax benefit legislation.
4. Claiming a DHP
• A claim for a DHP must be in writing and signed by the claimant. This will be in the form of a DHP application form provided by the authority on request. The claimant will be required to return the form as soon as possible and will be requested to include supporting evidence of their income and outgoings. This should include current bank statements showing all transactions over a 2 month period, proof of any debts or loans they are responsible for and any arrangements made. They will also need to complete a financial statement. • Private interview facilities will be available for all customers making a claim if requested. Home visits will be made where appropriate. • The Benefits section will request any reasonable evidence to support an application for a DHP. The claimant will be asked to provide the information within one month of any such request although this time limit will be extended in appropriate circumstances. • If the claimant is unable to or does not provide the required evidence the Benefits section will consider the application and make a decision based on the information they have. Any other evidence, including that held on file, will be taken into account. If no evidence is provided to confirm an expenditure the Benefits section will use an average figure for the size of the claimant’s family. If a declared expenditure seems excessive in relation to the family size the Benefits section have the right to reduce the figure in line with an average for the family size. The claimant will have the right to dispute this figure but will need to supply evidence for the figure he/she has declared • The Benefits section reserves the right to verify any information or evidence provided by the claimant.
5. Period of Award
In all cases the Benefits section will decide the length of time for which a DHP will be awarded on the basis of the evidence supplied and the facts known. The start date of any award will normally be the Monday after receipt of claim, however the Benefits section will have the discretion to award a DHP for a period prior to receipt of a claim if they consider the individual circumstances warrant a backdating.
The Benefits section cannot award a DHP for any period outside an existing HB/CTB benefit period granted under the statutory scheme. The minimum period of a DHP award will be for one week and the maximum, depending on the claimant’s circumstances, will be 6 months. Page 234
6. Awarding a DHP
In deciding whether to award a DHP, the Benefits section will take into account:
• The amount available in the DHP budget at the time of the claim • The shortfall between housing and council tax benefit and the relevant liability • Any steps taken by the claimant to reduce their rental or council tax liability • The financial and medical circumstances of the claimant, their partner, any dependants and anyone else living in the claimant’s home • The income and reasonable expenditure of the claimant and everyone else living with them in their home • Any savings or capital of the claimant and if appropriate their family • Any other special circumstances brought to the attention of the Benefits section.
The Benefits section will decide how much to award based on all of the above circumstances. This may be an amount below the difference between the liability and the payment of housing benefit and/or council tax benefit, but cannot exceed the weekly eligible rent on their home or their council tax liability . An award of a DHP does not guarantee that a further award will be made at a later date even if the claimant’s circumstances have not changed.
7. Changes of Circumstances
The Benefits section may need to revise an award of a DHP where the claimant’s circumstances have materially changed.
8. Method of Payment
An award of a rent DHP will be paid to whoever receives the housing benefit payment and will be paid by cheque or BACS (depending on whichever payment method has been chosen), and at the same time as the HB.
An award of a council tax DHP will be credited to the council tax account.
Payment frequency will normally be made in line with current housing and council tax benefit arrangements.
9. Notification
The Benefits section will advise claimants of the outcome of their claim within 14 days of receipt of their claim or as soon as is practicable thereafter. Where the claim is unsuccessful, the Benefits section will set out how the decision has been reached and enclose a financial appraisal of their income and expenditure. The claimant will be given the right to ask for any of the figures on the appraisal to be reviewed and must provide documentary evidence to back up their figures. They will also be asked to provide up to date bank statements showing all transactions over the previous two months. They will be given a month to ask for a review. Where the claim is successful, the Benefits section will advise:
• The weekly amount of DHP awarded • the income and expenditure used in the calculation • the period of award • whom it will be paid to • the requirement to report a change of circumstances. Page 235
10. Review of Decisions
DHP’s are not payments of housing or council tax benefit and are therefore not subject to the statutory appeals mechanism. All councils are expected to set up an appropriate review process.
The Benefits section will operate the following policy, in dealing with a request for their decision to be reviewed about a refusal to award a DHP, a decision to award a reduced amount of DHP or a decision not to backdate a DHP.
• A claimant or their authorised representative who disagrees with a DHP decision may dispute the decision. A request for a review must be made in writing within one month of the formal notification being issued. Where appropriate the Appeals Officer will explain the DHP decision by telephone, in writing or at an interview. If they are willing to review their decision, based on the revised figures provided by the claimant, a new decision will be issued. • If they still dispute the decision and the disagreement cannot be resolved the Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager will consider the case. He/she will review all the evidence held and will make a decision within 14 days or as soon as is practicable thereafter. • Where a decision is made, not to revise the original decision, he/she will notify the claimant in writing. • Where the claimant is still not satisfied, they will be entitled to a further review, provided this is made in writing within one calendar month of the date of the decision letter sent by the Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager. In these cases the Revenues and
Benefits Manager will conduct the review in consultation with the Assistant Revenues Manager and advise both the claimant and the Appeals Officer of the outcome of the review. This decision will be final and binding and may only be challenged via the judicial review process or by complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman, if there is an allegation of maladministration.
• In appropriate circumstances the above time periods for review may be extended.
11. Overpayments
The Benefits section will decide whether it is appropriate to recover overpayments of DHP. If recovery action is decided on then an invoice will be issued together with a letter detailing the circumstances of the overpayment, and sent to the claimant or the person to whom the award was made.
Recovery will not usually be made for any overpayments that occur as a result of a Local Authority error, unless the person who received the payment could reasonably have known they were being overpaid or they contributed to the overpayment.
12. Publicity
The Benefits section will work with all interested parties to publicise the scheme. A copy of this policy statement will be made available on request in the Benefits office and posted on the council’s internet site.
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13. Fraud
Gravesham Borough Council is committed to fighting fraud in all it’s forms. A claimant who tries to fraudulently claim a DHP by falsely declaring their circumstances, providing a false statement or evidence in support of their claim, may have committed an offence under the Theft Act 1968. Where the Benefits section suspects that such a fraud may have occurred, the matter will be investigated as appropriate and this may lead to criminal proceedings.
14. Debt advice
Anyone experiencing debt problems will be advised to contact the Councils Housing Needs team or the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) for free, confidential and unbiased advice on debt.
15. Review of Policy
The policy will be reviewed annually and in light of any legislative changes, trends or other factors that impact on the effectiveness of the policy.
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Gravesham Borough Council Benefits Department Training Strategy v1.0
Benefits Department Training Strategy 2009/10
Gravesham Borough Council aspires to be a top performing Local Authority. We have a clear vision and set priorities which guide our work.
The Council recognises that its employees are its most valuable assets. Moreover its staff will work more effectively and efficiently if they are and feel that they are valued and treated fairly.
The Council also fully accepts its responsibility to make resources available to provide Development and Training opportunities to maximise the potential of its workforce.
Aim
This strategy is intended as a positive statement of intent and direction that provides high quality training to all staff within the Benefits department.
The aim of this strategy is to provide the necessary training to achieve the objectives set out in our business plan.
Method
The Benefits department use both internal and external sources for training. The Benefits department have a Training and Policy Officer with the primary role to ensure that all staff are trained to a high level of competency in order to carry out their roles effectively.
Responsibilities
The training of all benefit staff is co-ordinated between and delivered by either the Training and Policy Officer, the relevant Team Leader and Senior Benefit Officers.
The Senior Benefit Officers are responsible for carrying out regular one to ones with all the benefit assessment staff. The Team Leader Assessments is responsible for carrying out the appraisals of the assessment staff and the Senior Benefit Officers.
1 Page 238
Gravesham Borough Council Benefits Department Training Strategy v1.0 Co-ordination
All training requests are made by either the Senior Benefit Officers or the Team Leader Assessments in respect of the assessment staff.
Within the Benefits department there are various methods used to identify the training needs of the staff. These are:
• Regular one-to-ones • Appraisals • Feedback sheets • Management checks • Quality checks
The Senior Benefit Officers are responsible for the above and also collate and report the information to the Training and Policy Officer.
• Changes to legislation • Changes to computer processing software
The Training and Policy Officer is responsible for the above and will disseminate all necessary updates and changes and provide the relevant training to the appropriate staff in a timely manner.
Evaluation of training is carried out by tests during the training sessions and management checks carried out for the specified areas post training.
Records of all internal courses held and attendees are held by the Training and Policy Officer. These records are held in a central location, and access is available to all Management staff within the Benefits department and Customer Services department.
A skills matrix has been compiled by the Training and Policy Officer detailing all training areas that are standard (internal and corporate), system based, refresher training and legislative training for all Benefit staff. This must be updated by either the Training and Policy Officer or Management staff within the Benefits department and Customer Service department. The skills matrix is found in the following location H:\Revenues and Benefits\Shared\Training Material\Skills Matrix.xls
The Personnel department will arrange the corporate training courses required by staff. All records of the corporate courses attended will be held by the Personnel department and will be included within the training matrix.
2 Page 239
Gravesham Borough Council Benefits Department Training Strategy v1.0 Implementation
The Training and Policy Officer will determine if the training should be held as a group session or on an individual basis.
The KBP provides a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) for all benefit staff with varying levels of difficulty to cover all roles. The TNA results are used to identify areas of training for individual members of staff.
Although group training is more time effective this should only be used for areas where all staff are required to attend, otherwise the training will be delivered to only the staff that require it.
The Training and Policy Officer has developed a training plan for new entrants in line with the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) minimum training recommendations. The training plan has been designed to cover a 13 week period, or as long as is required, and includes all legislation and system training needed to carry out their role effectively.
Handouts and notes are provided at all training sessions and evaluation of training is carried out during the training session and post-training.
If appropriate training will also be carried out by the KBP, this will be determined by the needs of the service.
Induction
Corporate Induction
The corporate induction is carried out by a member of the Personnel department. A proforma is completed ensuring that all areas have been covered.
Departmental Induction
The departmental induction is carried out by the relevant team leader within the Benefits department. A proforma is completed ensuring that all areas have been covered. When the proforma is completed it must be sent to the Personnel department where it will be held on the entrants’ personal file.
External Training
Gravesham Borough Council is a member of the Kent Benefits Partnership (KBP) and as such we receive subsidised training. KBP are our first choice for external training provision. KBP will also endeavour to arrange an external training provider if they cannot deliver any course requested. KBP has a clear training strategy to cover all the areas they are responsible for.
3 Page 240
Gravesham Borough Council Benefits Department Training Strategy v1.0
The KBP training strategy can be found via the following link:
H:\Revenues and Benefits\Shared\Kent Benefit Partnership\Training Strategy 2008
In the event of KBP being unable to provide a specialist training course we use other external training providers in the benefits field e.g. Institute of Revenues and Rating (IRRV), HBinfo, etc. Priorities
Departmental / group training – This is carried out regularly and all benefit staff are expected to attend the training sessions relevant to their role. The Training and Policy Officer delivers this training with handouts being given to all staff.
One to one training – This is identified from feedback sheets, one to one’s, management checks, quality checks and appraisals. An individual training plan is then compiled to cater to the persons needs. The training is delivered by either the Training and Policy officer, a Senior Benefits Officer or the relevant team leader.
Budgets and Expenditure
The training budget is managed by the Personnel department. The Personnel department must be given the details of any external training courses booked prior to the course date and invoices should be sent to them for remittance.
Commitment
Service Manager Revenues and Benefits, Assistant Revenues and Benefits Manager, Team Leader Assessment and Senior Benefit Officers are committed to the continual improvement of all staff members within the Benefits department. As a result of this all staff are given adequate time for training and reading.
All benefit staff recognise their role within the department and understand that training is essential in order to improve themselves. They are committed to the training that they receive and give feedback on all training that is provided.
Equal Opportunities
All staff are eligible for training and development. They must not be discriminated on any grounds but especially those of disability, gender, race, religion and belief, or sexuality.
4 Page 241
VULNERABLE POLICY 2009/10
Background
The Revenues and Benefits Department recognises instances where the circumstances of a debtor make it inappropriate to apply the normal enforcement remedies, for example bailiff action or committal proceedings. This document provides guidance for staff and our collection agents on how to deal with Vulnerable Persons who owe Council Tax, NDR, Housing Benefit Overpayments or Sundry Debts. It seeks to assist officers and agents to promptly identify such cases in order that they may be handled sensitively and responsibly.
Definition
Vulnerability may result from:
1. Age or Infirmity
2. Physical or mental health
3. Social & financial circumstances
4. Learning or language difficulties
5. A combination of any of the above
The list is not exhaustive
Examples of debtors who may be Potentially Vulnerable are people who are
• Recently bereaved
• On a drug or alcohol rehabilitation programme
• Terminally ill or with a long term illness
• Have learning or language difficulties
• Recovering from a serious accident or illness
• Suffering from a nervous breakdown or with a predisposition to the condition
• Recently released from prison
• Recovering from a recently failed business
• Asylum Seekers/Refugees
• Deaf or blind (i.e. people with a profound sensory disability)
Page 242 Identification
Based on the above descriptions, the member of staff or agent can make a judgement on whether a debtor may be considered vulnerable. The initial request to treat a person as vulnerable may come from a third party e.g. the CAB. There are no blanket definitions; each case has to be considered on its merits.
Any debtor who is considered potentially vulnerable must be flagged up immediately to the designated senior officer. The account should be marked with the appropriate code on the respective computer systems. All recovery proceedings must be suspended forthwith for an initial period of 28 days. The basis of the decision should be summarised and the information passed to the designated senior officer for further investigation.
The senior officer will undertake a detailed review within 28 days of each referral. The debtor may be visited at home, interviewed by telephone, or if so disposed, invited to attend a face to face discussion in the office. With the debtor’s consent, further information and/or opinion may be sought from medical practitioners, the Social Services and relevant professional bodies. It is imperative that this stage is completed expeditiously so as to limit any uncertainty or anxiety on the part of the affected person.
Evaluation
Having weighed carefully all the evidence, the senior officer will conclude whether the debtor would be adversely affected if recovery proceedings were to continue. If so, the case will be identified as a Vulnerable Person’s account and appropriate notification issued. All future enforcement notices and actions will be stopped. The designated senior officer will ensure that all Vulnerable Persons are accorded the personal and sensitive attention required, within the provisions of the law. Any person adjudged not to be a Vulnerable Person may appeal to the Revenues and Benefits Manager whose decision will be final.
In undertaking the investigation, the designated senior officer would seek to ensure that
• The liability is correctly calculated and all reductions have been applied (e.g. status discounts, Council Tax benefit)
• A comprehensive statement of means is completed. Where applicable, a clearly affordable repayment plan is agreed, together with a suitable payment method. Care must be exercised to avoid the accumulation of arrears which would have to be repaid at a later date
• The debtor has a named contact and direct line for any future enquiry
• Any authorisation for a third party to act on behalf of the Vulnerable Person is obtained and properly recorded.
• Where appropriate, a recommendation may be made for the debt to be written off in part or whole. Any request should be supported with as much information as possible of the debtor’s circumstances – both personal and financial
Periodic Reviews
The accounts of all Vulnerable Persons will be reviewed at least once annually. Affected persons would be duly notified of any changes. Page 243 Agenda Item 18
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Director (Transformation and Finance)
Subject: Quarter 1 Performance Report 2009-10 (April to June 2009)
Purpose and summary of report: To present Members with an update on performance against the council's Corporate Plan objectives, the national and local indicators and the corporate risk register for the first quarter of the 2009-10 financial year. Recommendations: 1. Members note the progress made against each of the Corporate Plan priorities in the first quarter of 2009-10. 2. Members raise any questions or queries they have regarding progress against objectives in their performance management framework meetings.
1. Introduction
1.1 In October 2008, the council introduced a new Corporate Plan for Gravesham which set out the priorities for the council, in line with the new Cabinet portfolios. A year-end review of the plan was undertaken in the summer 2009 and incorporated the introduction of the new Youth Gravesham portfolio, which is due to be formally approved at Council in October 2009.
1.2 The performance information is therefore presented to Cabinet against the following six appendices to this report:
1.2.1 Appendix one - Environment – clean, safe and green portfolio
1.2.2 Appendix two - Communities portfolio
1.2.3 Appendix three - Housing portfolio
1.2.4 Appendix four - Youth Gravesham portfolio
1.2.5 Appendix five - Business and Regeneration portfolio
1.2.6 Appendix six - Transformation portfolio
1.3 The performance data reported in the appendices is as up to date as possible. As a number of the performance indicators are reported by other organisation on Page 244
behalf of Gravesham, there is very little control over the availability of data and therefore data will be reported to members as soon as it is available.
2. Risk
2.1 The performance reports provide a quarterly update on the council’s corporate risks as set out in the Corporate Risk Register. This enables Members to monitor progress and actions undertaken to mitigate those risks.
2.2 The performance reports also set out the performance information for the new national indicators and local indicators for the council enabling progress against priorities to be monitored effectively. Where progress is not as rapid as anticipated, reasons can be discussed and management action agreed to improve performance and outcomes against the council’s stated objectives.
3. Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act
3.1 The reports for Cabinet include information specific to Community Safety and the fear of crime. This information assists in identifying areas which require attention and thus helps to guide the decision-making process and the direction of appropriate management action.
Background papers pertaining to this report are held by the Audit and Performance Team. Requests to view these papers must, in the first instance, be made to the Committee and Electoral Services department.
2 Page 245 Appendix one
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – ENVIRONMENT - CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Environment – to achieve a safe, clean and green place of choice
Member: Councillor John Cubitt
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. Crime figures in the borough have fallen: • The percentage of people with a high level of perceived ASB, as measured by the Kent Crime and Victimisation Survey, has fallen from 13% (July 2008) to 7%(May 2009) May 2009 and Priority 1.1 • Reported Acquisitive Crime fell by 11.1% between ongoing June 2008 and May 2009 • Total recorded Kent Crime and Victimisation Survey (KCVS) crime, which constitutes the six highest crime categories by volume, fell by 11.8% for April/May 2009 in comparison to April/May 2008 A further 11 PCSO’s were trained in June 2009 specifically on issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). PCSOs, in conjunction with GBC staff were deployed on Operation June 2009 Priority 1.2 Cinder in April 2009 where 18 fixed penalty notices were issued. Further activities are planned for August and October 2009. The council’s drive to stop fly-tipping is continuing with seven cases currently under investigation and two ready to Ongoing Priority 1.3 go to court. There have already been four prosecutions for flytipping in the past 12 months. The Updating and Screening Assessment(USA)and Detailed Assessment (DA) for Air Quality were submitted in accordance with the DEFRA timetable. Recommendations were made to declare further Air Quality Management Areas June 2009 Priority 1.4 (AQMAs) at Echo Square/Parrock Street and to carry out further monitoring at Springhead/Ebbsfleet and at Meopham (The George). Currently awaiting response from DEFRA. The council has undertaken a series of ‘door-stepping’ exercises in order to raise the profile of recycling in the June 2009 and Priority 1.5 borough. A participation survey is in the process of being ongoing undertaken to analyse the affect of the door-stepping on recycling participation rates. The council has continued to send its Local Business newsletter to local businesses in the borough. Specific May 2009 Priority 1.6 articles on crime reduction, food safety, health and safety. Taxis, trading standards and building control were included. The council arranged and delivered a successful Food Safety Week, with the audience for the initiative being the elderly as they are particularly vulnerable to food poisoning. A series of 10 talks and interactive sessions were held over June 2009 Priority 1.6 a three-week period at Gravesend and Northfleet Age Concern Day centres and in Gravesham Sheltered Housing. A total of 170 people attended the events and received free fridge thermometers.
Appendix1Cleansafeandgreenportfolio0.doc Page 1 of 5 Page 246 Appendix one
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – ENVIRONMENT - CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN – Q1 2009-10
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. Food safety promotional articles were also included in the ‘Grey Gossip’ newsletter as well as the newsletter that is June 2009 Priority 1.6 circulated at St James’s Oaks. Two presentations were made to pupils at primary schools (Vigo and St Joseph’s Convent preparatory school) during Noise Action Week to raise awareness regarding ‘nice June 2009 Priority 1.6 noises’ and ‘nasty noises’ and how they affect people. Over 200 pupils were involved in this well received initiative.
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators KA2 Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10
NI 15 Serious violent crime rate 0.16 incidents Targets for future years 1.0 (number of incidents per will be set as part of the incidents 1,000 population) Kent Agreement 2 (KA2) once the baseline for Kent is established in summer 2009
NI 21 Dealing with local Surveys to be conducted 24.7% N/A concerns about anti- every two years (Base: 1186) Surveys undertaken (CI: 2.5%) social behaviour of their every two years. children in the area. NI 32 Repeat incidents of N/A 22% N/A domestic abuse Data reported on an New indicator annual basis Proxy target set for futures years based on Kent Police figures of in 2009-10 22.3% repeat victims in 2008-09
NI 47 People killed or seriously N/A Target for this 23.8% injured in road traffic Data reported on an performance indicator to annual basis accidents be confirmed, in line with the Kent Agreement, once the data is published in November 2009.
NI 186 Per capita CO2 emissions N/A Target for this Data not yet in the local authority area. Data reported on an performance indicator to available – annual basis be confirmed, in line with due the Kent Agreement, once September the data is published in 2009 September 2009.
NI 188 Adapting to climate N/A change. Data reported on an Level 1 Level 1 Level 0 annual basis NI 189 Flood and coastal erosion N/A 90% of agreed actions 92% risk management. Data reported on an progressing satisfactorily. annual basis
Appendix1Cleansafeandgreenportfolio0.doc Page 2 of 5 Page 247 Appendix one
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – ENVIRONMENT - CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10 NI 191 Residual household 537.9 kgs 733 kg 596 kgs 623 kgs waste per head NI 195 Improved street and Litter - 4% Litter 6% Litter - 4% Litter - 5% environmental cleanliness Detritus - 5% Detritus - 5% Detritus - 6% (levels of graffiti, litter, Graffiti - 1% Graffiti - 1% Graffiti - 3% detritus and fly posting). Flyposting -0% Flyposting -0% Flyposting -0% District Council NIs
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 16 Serious acquisitive crime 15.9 incidents – rate (number of incidents 2.81 incidents 16.4 incidents annual target per 1,000 population)
NI 20 Assault with injury crime 1.92 incidents Targets for future 7.1 incidents rate (number of incidents years will be set per 1,000 population) by the CDRP once the baseline for Kent is established in summer 2009.
NI 22 Perceptions of parents N/A Surveys to be 24.7% taking responsibility for Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1186) every two years. the behaviour of their two years (CI: 2.5%) children in the area NI 23 Perceptions that people in N/A Surveys to be 40.2% the area treat one another Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1154) with respect and every two years. two years (CI: 2.8%) consideration NI 27 Understanding of local N/A Surveys to be 24.6% concerns about anti- Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1215) social behaviour and every two years. two years (CI: 2.4%) crime issues by the local council and police
NI 35 Building resilience to N/A Indicator reported Level 3 violent extremism Data reported on an on by the Police – annual basis awaiting targets
NI 37 Awareness of civil N/A Surveys to be 18.4% protection arrangements Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1229) in the local area every two years. two years (CI: 2.2%) NI 41 Perceptions of drunk or N/A Surveys to be 31.1% rowdy behaviour as a Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1120) problem every two years. two years (CI: 2.7%)
NI 42 Perceptions of drug use N/A Surveys to be 28.1% or drug dealing as a Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 942) problem every two years. two years CI: 2.9%
Appendix1Cleansafeandgreenportfolio0.doc Page 3 of 5 Page 248 Appendix one
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – ENVIRONMENT - CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 48 Children killed or N/A Target for this -7.7% seriously injured in RTAs Data reported on an indicator to be annual basis confirmed once the data is published in November 2009.
N/A NI 182 Satisfaction of businesses 75% 75% with local authority Data reported on an regulation services annual basis NI 184 Food establishments in N/A Targets to be set the area which are once comparative 80% broadly compliant with Data reported on an annual basis data is available. food hygiene law
NI 185 CO2 reduction from local Data for 2008-09 used to set the baseline. Reductions authority operations reported from 2009-10 onwards. Awaiting further clarification to enable targets to be set.
NI 192 Household waste 24.04% 30% 24.93% recycled and composted
NI 194 Level of air quality - Data for 2008-09 used to set the baseline. Reductions reduction in NOx and reported from 2009-10 onwards. Awaiting further primary PM10 emissions clarification to enable targets to be set. through the local authority’s estate and operations NI 196 Improved street and environmental cleanliness 1 – Very Effective 1 – Very Effective 1 – very effective annual basis - fly tipping Local performance indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 5 Average time taken to remove: a. Offensive graffiti 1 day 1 day 1.5 days b. Non-offensive graffiti 3.4 days 5 days 4.6 days LI 6 Percentage of roads 100% 100% 95% cleaned within schedule.
LI 7 Percentage of vehicle N/A 23.36% fleet meeting Euro 4 Data reported on 26.66% year-on-year emissions standard improvement of an annual basis 16.34% LI 44 Percentage of new reports of abandoned vehicles investigated 98.70% 97.50% 92.54% within 24hrs of notification.
Appendix1Cleansafeandgreenportfolio0.doc Page 4 of 5 Page 249 Appendix one
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – ENVIRONMENT - CLEAN, SAFE AND GREEN – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 45 Percentage of abandoned vehicles removed within 24 hours from the point at 66.67% 95.50% 94.44% which the authority is legally entitled to remove the vehicle. LI 46 Percentage of conservation areas in the N/A local authority area with Data reported on 62.50% 52.17% an up-to-date character an annual basis appraisal. LI 61 The percentage of Regulatory Services complaints/service requests of a high risk 100% 100% 100.00% nature receiving a first response within one working day. LI 62 The percentage Regulatory Services complaints/service requests of a routine 93% 95% 96% nature receiving a first response within five working days. LI 63 The number of food safety inspections of high and medium risk food premises achieved as a 15% 100% 100.00% percentage of those due for inspection (annual, cumulative target) (NB: indicator to be reviewed due to changes in Food Standards Agency regulations)
Section three – progress against corporate risk register
Risk Management (Corporate Risk Register) Note: New Risk Register approved at Cabinet on 09 March 2009 The Risk Progress Crime and the fear of The total recorded crime for Gravesham fell by 1.8% from crime (risk number 10) June 2008 to May 2009, in comparison to the previous year. The percentage of people with a high level of perceived anti-social behaviour, as measured by the Kent Crime and Victimisation Survey, has fallen from 13% (July 2008) to 7%(May 2009).
Appendix1Cleansafeandgreenportfolio0.doc Page 5 of 5 Page 250
This page is intentionally left blank Page 251 Appendix Two
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – COMMUNITIES – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Communities – to foster vibrant and cohesive communities with affirmative action to promote meaningful engagement, diversity and social inclusion, health and well-being, leisure and culture
Member: Councillor David Turner
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. The Discover Gravesham Virtual Museum has been nominated for two prestigious awards; the APSE Service Award for Best Information & Communication Technology May 2009 Priority 2.1 Initiative and the Arts and Business Cultural Branding Award. The short listing for these awards will be known by August. The North Kent Local Authority Arts Partnership (Gravesham Borough Council, Swale District Council, Medway Unitary Authority and Kent County Council) has May 2009 Priority 2.1 won the prestigious Rouse Kent Public Art Awards 2009 for their Hei People project. On 22 June 2009, the council took part in the national Fly A Flag For Our Armed Force day. The event was undertaken June 2009 Priority 2.1 at the Fort Gardens and involved the Thames Defence Heritage Group. The council implemented a ‘Disabled Arts’ programme June 2009 and which produced an excellent response with the art work Priority 2.1 ongoing being displayed at Big Day Out in July 2009. A meeting has been held with the Kent Sports Development Priority 2.2 Unit of Kent County Council with the aim of setting up a June 2009 and and Community Sports Network in Gravesham in 2009-10. This ongoing Priority 2.5 is in embryonic stage at present. A total of 2,295 users accessed the 60+ Free Swimming initiative in June 2009 compared to 3,344 for both April and June 2009 and May. This programme has continued to grow in popularity Priority 2.2 ongoing on a monthly basis, with a 25% increase in usage when compared to the figures for May 2009. Gravesham’s Officer for the 2012 Games started in post and has undertaken a number of exploratory meetings with a variety of organisations to explore what is happening, who June 2009 and Priority 2.3 we can link with and what we can add to things that are ongoing already planned. It is intended that a full proposal will be drawn up in September/October 2009. A service level agreement (SLA) has been agreed with NHS West kent, along with the other healthy living centres across June 2009 Priority 2.5 west Kent, and funding for the Gr@nd has increased to £54k per annum for three years.
Appendix2Communitiesportfolio0.doc Page 1 of 4 Page 252 Appendix Two
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – COMMUNITIES – Q1 2009-10
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. Training on conducting Equalities Impact Assessments has been provided to a number of officers and the council is now working towards coming impacts assessments in all its June 2009 and priority 1 areas by end of March 2010. Assessments have Priority 2.7 ongoing been completed for them Local Strategic Partnership, volunteering, the neighbourhood development team, although this is not exhaustive.
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators KA2 Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10 NI 3 Civic participation in the N/A Surveys to be conducted 15.8% local area Surveys undertaken every two years (Base: 1159) every two years. (CI: 2.1%) NI 6 Participation in regular N/A Surveys to be conducted 23.7% volunteering Surveys undertaken every two years (Base: 1062) every two years. (CI: 2.6%) NI 8 Adult participation in sport N/A Data for and active recreation Data reported on an 2008-09 will be annual basis 21.9% 18.7% available in December 2009.
NI 120 All-age all cause mortality Data not yet available – is due to be published by the rate (all persons) Department for Health which will allow accurate reporting and target setting.
NI 175 Access to services and Indicator to be reported by Kent County Council with data facilities by public disaggregated where possible. Awaiting data to enable transport, walking and accurate reporting and target setting. cycling District Council NIs
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 1 % of people who believe Surveys to be 74.4% N/A people from different conducted every (Base: 987) Surveys undertaken (CI: 2.7%) backgrounds get on well every two years. two years together in their local area
NI 2 % of people who feel that N/A Surveys to be 57.1% they belong to their Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1198) neighbourhood every two years. two years (CI: 2.8%) NI 4 % of people who feel they can influence decisions in N/A Surveys to be 30.8% their locality Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1081) every two years. two years (CI: 2.8%)
Appendix2Communitiesportfolio0.doc Page 2 of 4 Page 253 Appendix Two
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – COMMUNITIES – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 5 Overall/general N/A Surveys to be 72.3% satisfaction with local Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1234) area every two years. two years (CI: 2.5%)
NI 70 Reduce emergency Data not yet available – is due to be published by the hospital admissions Department for Health which will allow accurate reporting caused by unintentional & and target setting. deliberate injuries to young people
NI 119 Self-reported measure of N/A Surveys to be 74.3% people’s overall health Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1248) and wellbeing every two years. two years (CI: 3.1%)
NI 121 Mortality rate from all Data not yet available – is due to be published by the circulatory diseases at Department for Health which will allow accurate reporting ages under 75 and target setting.
NI 122 Mortality rate from all Data not yet available – is due to be published by the cancers at ages under 75 Department for Health which will allow accurate reporting and target setting.
NI 129 End of life care – access Data not yet available – is due to be published by the to appropriate care Department for Health which will allow accurate reporting enabling people to be and target setting. able to choose to die at home (
NI 138 Satisfaction of people N/A Surveys to be 78.8% over 65 with both home Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 235) and neighbourhood every two years. two years (CI: 5.2%) NI 139 The extent to which older Surveys to be 33.1% N/A people receive the conducted every (Base: 1242) Surveys undertaken (CI: 2.6%) support they need to live every two years. two years independently at home
NI 140 Fair treatment by local N/A Surveys to be 71.2% services Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 1068) every two years. two years (CI: 2.7%) Local performance indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 66 Measure of the year-on- N/A Data not yet available. Once available year increase in the Data reported on an year-end performance and targets will annual basis number of young people be reported. put on accredited pathways.
LI 67 Attendance at Outdoor N/A Data not yet available. Once available Festivals – maintain and Data reported on an year-end performance and targets will annual basis improve attendance – be reported. community cohesion etc.
Appendix2Communitiesportfolio0.doc Page 3 of 4 Page 254 Appendix Two
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – COMMUNITIES – Q1 2009-10
Section three – progress against corporate risk register
Risk Management (Corporate Risk Register) Note: New Risk Register approved at Cabinet on 09 March 2009 The Risk Progress Capacity (risk number 2) No update at present. Succession planning No update at present. (risk number 9)
Appendix2Communitiesportfolio0.doc Page 4 of 4 Page 255 Appendix three
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – HOUSING – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Housing – to secure the housing needs of the borough
Member: Councillor Tony Pritchard
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. The draft housing Strategy for 2009-2013 has been developed and consulted on in August 2009. The June 2009 and Priority 3.1 consultation results will be built into the strategy along with ongoing the findings from the North Kent Strategic Housing market Assessment.
The funding bid to complete phase two of the Christianfields June 2009 and development has been successful. The council will now be Priority 3.2 holding detailed discussions with the tenants affected by the ongoing new 10-year rent guarantee.
A joint procurement exercise between Gravesham and seven other local authorities has been completed for June 2009 Priority 3.3 delivery of the North West Kent Coldbusters grant scheme for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
The Tenants Forum AGM was held in April 2009 and the new structure of the forum was approved. The new tenant April/May 2009 Priority 3.5 Participation Manager also commenced employment with the council.
A tenant participation training strategy and a BME and Less represented participation strategy have been produced and June 2009 Priority 3.5 an equalities impact assessment of the whole service has been undertaken.
The council is continuing to work with the London Borough of Croydon in relation to implementing a new resident June 2009 and Priority 3.5 involvement structure, constitution and revised tenant ongoing compact. The review of the Tenant Participation Strategy and Compact will commence in quarter two of 2009-10.
Following Cabinet approval in July 2008 to procure a new Housing IT system a tendering procedure commenced and approval to award the contract to Capita was made in March 2009. Following a period of negotiation contracts were The signed in July 2009 and the project has moved into the implementation implementation phase. The new system covers all Housing of a sound functions including repairs and will provide a cutting edge Housing replacement to the in-house system which is now over 12 Ongoing system years old. Gravesham will benefit from being part of a large underpins the user community which improves our business continuity delivery of all resilience. housing objectives The new system is scheduled to be fully live in June 2010 and over the next 10 months virtually all Housing staff will be involved to some degree plus key staff from the IT Services team.
Appendix3Housingportfolio0.doc Page 1 of 3 Page 256 Appendix three
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – HOUSING – Q1 2009-10
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators KA2 Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10 NI 141 Percentage of vulnerable Data not available at the district level at present. people achieving Information below is at Kent County Council Level: independent living Data not Data not 68.20% N/A available available
NI 154 Net additional homes N/A 5765 – based provided Data reported on an on draft SEP 465 homes 235 homes annual basis report
NI 155 Number of affordable N/A Increase of homes delivered (gross) 1356 – Data reported on an baseline to be 140 homes 141 homes annual basis confirmed NI 159 Supply of ready to N/A develop housing sites Data reported on an 142% 100.0% 172.4% annual basis NI 187 Tackling fuel poverty – percentage of people SAP < 35 - SAP < 35 – SAP<35 – N/A receiving income-based 14% 13% 14% Data reported on an benefits living in homes annual basis SAP > 65 – SAP > 65 – SAP >65 – with a low efficiency 22% 18% 17% rating. District Council NIs
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 156 Number of Households 12 households 24 households 15 households living in TA NI 158 Percentage non-decent N/A council homes Data reported on an 0.00% 7.20% annual basis
NI 160 Local Authority tenants’ N/A Surveys to be satisfaction with landlord Surveys undertaken conducted every 78.94% services every two years. two years Local performance indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 1 Percentage of rent 96.87% 98.70% 98.63% collected in the HRA LI 2 Percentage of tenants with more than seven 5.61% 5.48% 5.56% weeks (gross) rent arrears.
Appendix3Housingportfolio0.doc Page 2 of 3 Page 257 Appendix three
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – HOUSING – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 3 Tenants satisfaction with the opportunity for participation in N/A Surveys to be 52.41% management and Surveys undertaken conducted every (Base: 540) decision making in every two years. two years (CI: 4.21%) relation to housing services provided LI 4 Average time taken to re- 28 days 25 Days 27 days let council houses. LI 41 Number of non-local authority-owned vacant dwellings returned to 5 dwellings 40 dwellings 48 dwellings occupation or demolished during the financial year (Annual target) as a direct result of action by the local authority.
LI 42 Percentage of new homes N/A built on previously Data reported on an 75.00% 91.99% developed land. annual basis LI 68 Number of private sector homes achieving decent homes standard as a 13 dwellings 150 dwellings 177 dwellings result of direct action by the local authority (Kent Strategic Housing PI)
Section three – progress against corporate risk register There are no corporate risks relating to the Housing Portfolio.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – YOUTH GRAVESHAM – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Youth Gravesham - investing in the future
Member: Councillor Laura Hryniewicz
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. There has been extensive consultation with young people in the borough over the past four months. The purpose of the consultation was to gain the views of young people to April 2009 and enable them to help shape the work of the new Youth All Portfolio. A report is being presented to the September ongoing Cabinet to set out the proposed work stream for the Youth portfolio, which will enable more specific reporting in future performance reports.
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators KA2 Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10 NI 55 Obesity in primary school Data not available at the district level at present. age children in reception Information below is at Kent County Council Level: years N/A Data not Data reported on an 9.70% N/A annual basis available NI 110 Young people’s Data not available at the district level at present. participation in positive Information below is at Kent County Council Level: activities N/A Data reported on an 67% N/A 59% annual basis
Section three – progress against corporate risk register There are no corporate risks relating to the Youth Gravesham portfolio.
Appendix4YouthGraveshamportfolio0.doc Page 1 of 1 Page 260
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – BUSINESS AND REGENERATION – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Business and Regeneration – to secure a sustainable and buoyant economy, particularly in the town centre and Ebbsfleet, with attractive investment opportunities and a developing tourism market and to maximise regeneration opportunities for the benefit of existing and new communities.
Member: Councillor Mike Snelling
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. Work on the local development Framework (LDF) has progressed during the first quarter of 2009-10. Areas of work include: • The Water Strategy and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment has been completed by entec. April 2009 and • A draft Core Strategy and Generic Development Priority 5.1 ongoing Management Policy has been circulated to the LDF Steering Group and comments have been received • A number of baseline reports to support the LDF are in the process of being drafted and will pull together a wealth of information into a short summary for each theme. The council has drafted a tourism strategy for the borough which has been discussed and is due to be discussed June 2009 Priority 5.2 further at the Policy Overview Committee. This year’s Gravesham Heritage Festival has attracted over May 2009 and on 7000 visitors around the borough throughout the two weeks going and dates for next year have been confirmed (15 to 30 May 2010). Two new accommodation providers have now signed up to May 2009 and on the Quality Assured Programme and are awaiting grading – going Priority 5.3 Thames House B&B, Royal Pier Road and the Darnley Arms in Cobham. The brand new programme of talks is now available at July 2009 Towncentric; this includes a lecture from Tom Hart Dyke (Lullingstone Castle World Gardens). Children's Day in June created footfall and car park use comparable to busiest Christmas days and the bringing to town of popular children's television characters also raised June 2009 and Priority 5.3 perceptions of Gravesend over a wider area. Street ongoing entertainment presented as part of the Big 7 Festival has further shown the potential particularly for Windmill Street for outdoor eating/evening promotion. The effects of free parking on Saturdays in Council town centre car parks is being closely monitored . This is through surveys of businesses as well as data from the vehicle May 2009 and Priority 5.3 management system. Indications so far are a measurable ongoing increase in car park use and reports from businesses of increased footfall. This support for the town centre is to go through until 02 January, 2010
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – BUSINESS AND REGENERATION – Q1 2009-10
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. The council has identified a number of sites for sale; a June 2009 and building plot in St Albans Road and other properties in Priority 5.4 Newmans Road and the Denton Rent Office. These sites ongoing will go to auction in either July or September 2009. The A2 Activity park planning application has been June 2009 and submitted to Kent County Council, with Gravesham Priority 5.6 receiving a copy as a consultee and is in the process of ongoing being considered by the Regulatory Board. Discussions with Network Rail are continuing with regards to the Transport Quarter development and the area that is required by network rail for station improvements. A June 2009 Priority 5.7 consultation was undertaken in June and work is underway to analyse these results.
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators KA2 Indicators
Description Performance to KA2 Target Local Outturn date 2009-10 Target 2008-09 (April – June 2009) 2009-10 NI 78 Achievement of five or N/A Data not yet available – due March 2010 more A*-C grades at Data reported on an GCSE or equivalent academic year basis including Maths and English NI 152 Working age people on Data not available at the district level at present. out of work benefits Information below is at Kent County Council Level: N/A Data not Data reported on an 9.60% N/A annual basis available
NI 171 New business registration Data not available at the district level at present. rate Information below is at Kent County Council Level: N/A Data not Data reported on a 94.80% N/A calendar year basis available
District Council NIs
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 151 Overall employment rate Data not yet available. Data is reported by the Office of (working age) National Statistics and once available will allow accurate reporting and target setting.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – BUSINESS AND REGENERATION – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 157 Processing of planning apps: a. Major application in 80.00% 75.00% 57.14% 13 weeks b. Minor applications in 79.59% 84.00% 72.41% 8 weeks c. Other applications in 95.27% 92.00% 93.46% 8 weeks
NI 170 Previously developed Data not yet available. Data is reported by the CLG and land that has been vacant once available will allow accurate reporting and target or derelict for more than 5 setting. years
NI 172 Percentage of small Data not yet available. Data is reported by the Office of businesses in an area National Statistics and once available will allow accurate showing employment reporting and target setting. growth Local performance indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 43 The number of planning appeal decisions allowed against the authority's decision to refuse on planning applications, as 37.5% 20.0% 29.5% a percentage of the total number of planning appeals against refusals of planning applications. LI 46 Percentage of conservation areas in the N/A local authority area with Data reported on an 65.20% 52.17% an up-to-date character annual basis appraisal. LI 47 The percentage of authority buildings open N/A to the public in which all 91.66% 91.66% Data reported on an public areas are suitable annual basis for, and accessible to, disabled people LI 48 The percentage of standard searches carried 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% out in ten working days
Appendix5BusinessRegenportfolio0.doc Page 3 of 4 Page 264 Appendix five
Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – BUSINESS AND REGENERATION – Q1 2009-10
Section three – progress against corporate risk register
Risk Management (Corporate Risk Register) Note: New Risk Register approved at Cabinet on 09 March 2009 The Risk Progress Regeneration (risk Member and officer involvement in the Thames Gateway Kent and number 4) Kent Thameside projects is continuing. Economic Downturn (risk The impact of the recession in first quarter of 2009 is seen as number 5) being the greatest. There have been some signs of improvement in the economy nationally, but unemployment is likely to continue to rise (4.3% in Gravesham – April figures), as will demands for council assistance, e.g. housing benefits, albeit rate of increase may decline. Council actions to monitor impacts, respond flexibly where possible and to encourage new initiatives to maintain confidence locally Key regeneration project Actions and regularly monitored and there is regular liaison with – Cobham and the National Trust to progress transfer matters. Ashenbank Management Scheme (risk number 6) Key regeneration project A revised planning application for the site is due imminently. The – Heritage Quarter (risk Council’s objection to the Village Green registration is being number 7) progressed Key regeneration project Target for submitting an outline planning application is Autumn – Transport Quarter (risk 2009. The programme is being revised to take account of the late number 8) decision by a partner organisation not to re-build Darnley Road bridge Governance (risk number The council has completed the annual review of its Governance 11) arrangements which were presented to the Finance and Audit Committee in June 2009. An action plan has been completed which will be reviewed in September 2009. The Constitution is in the process of being reviewed and updated. It is anticipated that there will be a report to Cabinet in September with recommendations from the working groups. The project is due to be completed in order to report to council in October 2009. The Policy Library is in place and is regularly reviewed. Reminders are sent to officers prior to the review date of each policy to act as a reminder for updating policies. Business Continuity Subscription to management agreement with county emergency Resilience, Emergency planning – commitment to ‘One Kent Plan’ Planning and Civic A total of 127 staff have attended training sessions in six different Protection (risk number areas of Emergency Planning (including Member training). 12) Engagement of the county officer to assist objective of achieving BS 25999 Change in National Advice on the national economic position is to be taken into Priorities (risk number 14) account by the Service Manager (Finance) when reviewing the Medium Term Financial Plan. A review of the council’s Corporate Plan has been undertaken by the Performance and Policy team and is due to be presented to Council in October 2009, which realigns the council’s actions against its priorities.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – TRANSFORMATION – Q1 2009-10
Portfolio: Transformation – to turn the council into an economically-sound organisation delivering excellent accessible services that provide value-for-money
Member: Councillor Adrian Warburton
Section one – progress against Corporate Plan Priorities
Key Developments Date Corporate Plan ref. The Value for Money programme for 2009-10 was approved by Cabinet on 1 June 2009 and the fieldwork for the review June 2009 and Priority 6.1 of Council Tax has been completed. Monitoring of ongoing previously completed reviews (Benefits, Internal Audit and Planning) is continuing. Financial training was provided to Members of the Finance and Audit Committee ahead of the June committee meeting, to assist them in scrutinising the final accounts robustly. The 2008-09 Statement of Accounts and Outturn budget June 2009 Priority 6.2 were presented to the committee in June 2009 and the closedown of the accounts met the statutory deadline of 30 June 2009. Benefits and Customer Services are working together to develop a single team of highly trained staff with the aim of improving the customer experience through an increase in the number of issues resolved at the first point of contact. May 2009 and Priority 6.3 This has enabled a ‘Fast Track’ service to be introduced, ongoing whereby customers are contacted after they have submitted an application form, an appointment is made and the claim is processed within 48 hours of the appointment providing they bring all the information needed to process their claim The Fraud Team continues to improve its performance in preventing, detecting, investigating and deterring fraud; they June 2009 and Priority 6.3 have achieved 17 sanctions in the first quarter this included ongoing 3 successful prosecutions, which have been publicised by the local press, 4 Administration Penalties and 10 cautions. The Local Strategic Partnership met in May 2009 and agreed the format for reporting performance against the objectives in the Sustainable Community Strategy, providing May 2009 Priority 6.3 clarity on the role all partners will play. The first report will be presented to the LSP in September 2009. Work has commenced to verify that all partnerships are recorded on the council’s partnership register, and to update June 2009 and and expand upon the information held in the register to Priority 6.4 ensure it holds much more comprehensive information ongoing about each partnership. The review of the council's partnership framework is ongoing. A presentation was given to Wider Management Team in June 2009 specifically on the new Comprehensive Area June 2009 and Assessment (CAA), in order to raise awareness. In addition Priority 6.5 to this, the council is reviewing the work currently underway ongoing in relation to vulnerable communities as this forms a key part of the CAA regime.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – TRANSFORMATION – Q1 2009-10
Section two – progress against performance indicators
Key Performance Indicators District Council NIs
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
NI 14 Avoidable contact : The Targets for this average number of indicator will not be set 20.59% 16.79% customer contacts per until comparative data resolved request is available. NI 173 Flows on to incapacity Data not yet available – due December 2009 benefits from employment NI 179 Value for Money – total net value of on-going N/A £1,609,729 £851,068 cash-releasing value for Forecast for 2009-10 (cumulative target) (Actual 2008-09 figure money gains that have to be reported in due to be submitted to impacted since the start October 2009 the CLG by 24 July of the 2008-09 financial 2009.) year (CLG DSO). NI 180 Changes in Housing Benefit / Council Tax 933.8 changes 1210 changes 965.4 changes Benefit entitlements within the year (DWP DSO) NI 181 Time taken to process Housing Benefit / Council The Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) have Tax Benefit new claims confirmed that no data will be available in relation to 2008- and change events (DWP 09 in order to report on this indicator and set future targets DSO) Local performance indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 21 Percentage of invoices for commercial goods & services paid by the 97.45% 100.00% 98.08% Authority within 30 days of receipt or within the agreed payment terms. LI 22 Percentage of council tax 29.05% 97.00% 95.76% collected LI 23 Percentage on non- 30.21% 98.5% 97.62% domestic rates collected LI 24 Average processing time taken across all new Housing and Council Tax Benefit Claims submitted for which the date of 18.6 days 20.0 days 28.7 days decision is within the financial year.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – TRANSFORMATION – Q1 2009-10
Key Performance Indicators
Description Performance to Local Target Outturn 2008-09 date 2009-10 (April – June 2009)
LI 25 Average processing time taken for all written notifications of changes of 7.1 days 7.5 days 10.5 days circumstance that require a new decision on behalf of the authority. LI 26 The amount of housing benefit overpayments Targets are in the recovered during the process of being Data not currently current year as a reviewed following 62.19% available percentage of the availability of overpayments raised data. during the current year LI 27 The amount of housing benefit overpayments Targets are in the recovered during the process of being current year as a Data not currently reviewed following 24.76% percentage of total available the availability of housing benefit data. overpayment debt outstanding. LI 28 The number of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (HB/CTB) prosecutions and 1.97 5.30 6.53 sanctions, per year, per 1,000 caseload, in the Local Authority area. LI 64 Average waiting time for 9 minutes 15 minutes 12 minutes visitors to Civic Centre LI 65 Percentage satisfaction 93% 93% 91% with the Contact Centre
Section three – progress against corporate risk register
Risk Management (Corporate Risk Register) Note: New Risk Register approved at Cabinet on 09 March 2009 The Risk Progress Challenging financial The introduction of new budget setting and budget monitoring position (risk number 1) processes in 2008-09 have instituted strong financial control over the council’s budget. Working balances have increased and a new finance improvement plan has been developed to continue strengthening of the council’s financial position. Value for money (risk The Audit Commission published their 2008-09 Value for Money number 3) Profile in April 2009 for Gravesham. The profile is in the process of being summarised and will be circulated in due course.
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Corporate Plan Performance Monitoring – TRANSFORMATION – Q1 2009-10
Risk Management (Corporate Risk Register) Note: New Risk Register approved at Cabinet on 09 March 2009 The Risk Progress Value for money (risk HM Treasury published the final report on the Operational number 3) Efficiency Programme at the same time as the April 2009 Budget. The report states all public sector organisations employing more than 250 people must collect data for back office operations from continued approved value for money indicators used by the national audit agencies from December 2009. Implications for Gravesham will be reported in due course. The Transformation group continues to monitor progress against delivery plans and an Annual Report was provide to Cabinet on 6 July 2009. The programme of value for money reviews for 2009-10 has also been agreed. The recommendations from the Internal Audit Review of Partnership Working are in the process of being implemented. A review of the overall framework is underway and the Partnership register is being updated. Fraud and Corruption A revised Anti-Fraud & Corruption Strategy, Whistleblowing Policy (risk number 13) (formerly Confidential Reporting Policy) and Housing & Council Tax Benefits Anti-Fraud Policy have been agreed by Cabinet and will be submitted to Council in October for incorporation into the council’s policy framework. The council has developed a corporate approach to the investigation of allegations of fraud or corruption intended to make the most effective use of skills and resources within the organisation. This involves the utilisation of officers from internal Audit, benefit Fraud and Personnel based on the nature of the allegation and the investigatory skills required.
Appendix6Transformationportfolio0.doc Page 4 of 4 Page 269 Agenda Item 19
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: 1. Cabinet 2. Finance and Audit Committee
Date: 1. 14 September 2009 2. 23 September 2009
Reporting officer: Service Manager – Finance
Subject: Budget Monitoring Report 2009-10
Purpose and summary of report: To submit a budget monitoring report against the 2009-10 Original Estimates for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Services. Recommendations: 1. Cabinet and Finance & Audit Committee Members are asked to note the report and to consider what action they feel necessary.
2. Cabinet and Finance & Audit Committee Members note the additional VAT reclamation (£1,033,000) received from Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs in relation to Leisure Centre admissions (see 2.2 below) and the effect of this upon the working balances brought forward into 2009-10.
3. That Cabinet Member’s endorse the Service Manager – Finance’s recommendation that an amount of £500,000 be ring-fenced within the specific reserve for “Spend to Save” initiatives to assist in delivering savings over the forthcoming Medium Term Plan period.
1. Background
1.1 This budget monitoring report summarises known variances to the 2009-10 Original Estimates (as reported to Cabinet on 9 February 2009) up to and including the end of July 2009.
1.2 The Original Budget for 2009-10 represents a net revenue budget of £14,139,930 for the General Fund, with this being fully funded from central government grant (in the form of Revenue Support Grant and redistributed National Non-Domestic Rates), Council Tax and income generated through fees and charges.
1.3 Explanations for any major variances identified against the original budget are given in section eight of the report, split by directorate. For comparability, tables six and seven within section eight below summarise the variances by Cabinet Portfolio and also by Directorate.
1.4 Members were previously appraised of a projected £239,530 projected overspend on the General Fund budget at the Cabinet Awayday on 24 July 2009 Page 270
(including the effects of Cabinet decisions taken up to and including that date), and a projected £6,700 overspend on the Housing Revenue Account at the Cabinet meeting of 1 June 2009. This report provides an updated position with regard to both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account.
2. Level of Reserves
2.1 The originally anticipated levels of working balances for both the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account as at 1 April 2009 were £1,323,000 and £1,636,000 respectively.
2.2 As members will note in the table below, since closing the accounts for 2008-09, the authority has received an additional £1,033,000 in repaid VAT monies from Her Majesty’s Revenues & Customs (HMRC) (after fees payable to Pricewaterhouse Coopers for their involvement in recovering the overpayment and including simple interest). As this amount effectively relates to the submission of a claim for overpayment which was made prior to 31 March 2009, this reclamation of overpaid VAT monies can be treated as being an addition to the level of General Fund working balances as at 31 March 2009. As such, discussions with the Audit Commission regarding the adjustment of the working balances as at the end of 2008-09 to include this amount are currently ongoing. Therefore, on the assumption that this amount is added to the General Fund balances as at 31 March 2009, the adjusted level of working balances becomes £3,607,630 (as opposed to £2,574,200 previously).
2.3 Taking this into account, together with the other variances occurring against the Probable Budget for 2008-09 (reported to Cabinet on 6 July 2009), the level of working balances which were actually brought forward as at 1 April 2009 are as follows;
Working Balances General HRA Fund £000 £000 Original Brought Forward Balances 1 April 2009 (1,323) (1,636) 2008-09 Variances (as per 2008-09 out-turn (1,251) (219) report to Cabinet – 6 July 2009) Additional VAT Reclamation received from HMRC (1,033) nil Working Balances B/fwd into 2009-10 (3,607) (1,855)
Table 1a: Effect upon General Fund Balances brought forward from 2008-09
2.4 As members will already be aware, the level of General Fund and Housing Revenue Account working balances are currently earmarked in the following manner;
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Working Balances General HRA Fund £000 £000 General Working Balances – available for all uses (2,857) (1,855) Specific Reserve – Local Development (250) nil Framework Specific Reserve – Spend to Save (500) nil Working Balances B/fwd into 2009-10 (3,607) (1,855)
Table 1b: Split of the General Fund/HRA Working Balances
2.5 Members are requested to endorse the recommendation by the Service Manager - Finance that £500,000 be placed within the specific reserve for “Spend to Save” initiatives, for use over the current Medium Term Financial Plan period in delivering initiatives that will assist in meeting the current Medium Term Financial Plan shortfall in funding.
3. Ongoing Potential Variances
3.1 Notwithstanding the known variances to the 2009-10 Original Budget outlined within section eight of this report, there are two other items which potentially could have a material financial effect upon the level of General Fund working balances, namely;
3.1.1 Lord Street Compensation. The authority is currently in the process of seeking to reclaim administrative and legal expenses from its development partner for the Lord Street, Eden Place and Parrock Street regeneration scheme, following failure by the developer to meet the original development agreement for the site. As the negotiations have not yet been concluded, it has therefore been felt prudent not to make assumptions about the level of compensation which will potentially be received as a result of these negotiations.
3.1.2 VAT Reclamations. Members will be aware that the authority successfully reclaimed VAT amounting to £359,000 in 2008-09 in relation to Leisure events. In addition, the authority has also recently received £1,033,000 from HMRC in relation to Leisure Centre admissions (see 2.2 above). Notwithstanding these two successful reclamations received recently, the authority also submitted several other VAT reclamation claims during 2008-09, together with claims for compound interest to be paid on the amounts already reclaimed. However, these additional reclamations are dependant upon the outcome of the current “Isle of Wight” legal challenge and other current ongoing legal cases. Given that reclamation of additional monies is by no means certain, no allowance has been made within this budget report, and officers will present further information to members, as it becomes available, in future budget monitoring reports.
3.1.3 Staff Pay Award. Recent negotiations regarding the staff pay award for 2009-10 (set in accordance with the National Joint Council pay scales) have resulted in an offer made by the employers amounting to a 1% increase in pay between 2008-09 and 2009-10, with effect from 1
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April 2009. If the actual pay increase agreed by the National Joint Council differs to that contained within the budget for the current financial year, this could have a material effect upon the level of General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets, with a 0.5% difference amounting to approximately £60,000 and £12,000 respectively for the two accounts.
4. Current Economic Pressures
4.1 Consumer Prices Index (CPI) annual inflation was 1.8 per cent in July (the latest statistics available), down from 2.9 per cent in March 2009. It is difficult to determine the full implications of inflation on local authorities budgets with there being no standard measure of inflation for local authorities, however the Medium Term Financial Plan is adjusted as necessary to take account of changes in the economic environment as outlined in section five below. That said, the graph below shows the general trend in both the CPI, RPI (Retail Price Index) and RPI- X (Retail Price Index – all items) and shows how all three indicators of inflation have shown significant fluctuation over the past two years;
Graph 1: Percentage changes in CPI, RPI and RPI-X
4.2 The Retail Price Index as at July 2009 stood at a negative 1.4% (a reduction of a further 1% since March 2009), although July’s figures did represent growth on the equivalent figures for June (negative 1.6%). Retail sales showed ongoing resilience to post a 0.4% rise in July, far greater growth than had been forecast by most analysts, taking the annual rate to 3.3%, the highest level since May 2008. The increase was driven by furniture and electrical goods store sales as sales in household goods stores rose by 4.5% during the month, the largest gain since August 2006. These are strong enough to suggest that the UK could enjoy GDP growth in Q3 which would enable the economy to join Japan, Germany and France in pulling out of recession.
4.3 Public finance figures have been far worse than had been feared as the government posted a record July deficit in a month that generally returns a
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surplus. The Public Sector Net Borrowing (PSNB) requirement came in at just over £8bn against the expectation of a £500m deficit (compared to a £5bn surplus in 2008). These figures show the degree to which the recession has hit tax receipts and show the potential for the deficit to exceed that projected in the Budget, undoing some of the good news in the Q1 figures which suggested that the Chancellor’s forecast of £175bn could be undershot. The effect of this upon the authority’s Medium Term Financial projections has been considered in paragraph 5.3 below.
4.4 In terms of borrowing, Public Works Loans Board (PWLB) interest rates have reduced significantly during 2008-09 making borrowing much cheaper than previously. Similarly, the Bank of England base rate has reduced to 0.5% which has resulted in a reduction in investment income, however, this has been more than offset by higher than expected levels of investment. In terms of borrowing rates, the current rate for PWLB borrowing as at 24 August 2009 (10 Year) was 3.65% (unchanged from that last reported as at 14 May 2009).
5. Medium Term Financial Plan
5.1 The Medium Term Financial Plan is constantly being reviewed in order to take into account longer term assumptions of inflation rates, central government grants and energy prices, together with building in all known variances to the council’s budget as a result of Management Team and Cabinet decisions during 2009-10.
5.2 The current Medium Term Financial Plan can be seen as Appendix A to this report, with any changes to the Plan since that presented to Cabinet in June 2009 being as follows (notwithstanding those variances outlined in section eight below);
5.2.1 Employers Pensions Contributions. Whilst the current Medium Term Financial plan already incorporates an assumed 1.3% stepped increase per annum in employer contribution rates into the KCC Pension Fund, in line with the outcomes of the last formal valuation of the Fund in March 2007, the plan now includes an additional sensitivity analysis in respect of further increases in employer contributions. It has been felt necessary to quantify this financial risk to the authority as a consequence of the current investment market returns, the effect of this upon the Pension fund monetary assets, and the impending formal valuation of the Pension fund in March 2010 (which will affect the authority’s budgets from 2011-12 onwards). Furthermore, the Medium Term Financial Strategy is also in the process of being updated to include more commentary and quantification of this risk. The updated Medium Term Financial Strategy will be presented to the Cabinet in February 2010 in line with the 2010-11 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account estimates. It should be noted however, that at this time no actual adjustment to the Medium Term Financial Projections has been made in relation to Pension’s contributions – as further information regarding the March 2010 valuation becomes available, the Medium Term Financial Plan will be updated accordingly.
5.3 In addition to the inclusion of an additional sensitivity analysis in respect of Employers Pension Contributions, consideration has also been given to the current rate of inflation used within the Medium Term Financial plan in light of
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currently negative CPI figures and RPI running below the current inflation figure of 2% pa used in the Medium Term Financial Plan. Having taken into account the promising signs outlined in 4.2 above, together with the addition of a further £50bn of quantative easing announced by the Bank of England after its meeting on 6 August 2009, officers have reached the conclusion that no adjustment to the currently assumed rate of inflation of 2% for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 is felt necessary at this time. Future reviews of the plan will however be carried out in line with future economic forecasts.
5.4 The current Medium Term Financial Plan projections, which take into account those variances in the current year outlined in section eight of this report (and therefore excluding the effect of Cabinet decisions upon the General Fund/Housing Revenue Account working balances), can be summarised as follows;
Medium Term Financial Plan 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 £ £ £ £ (Surplus)/Shortfall in Funding 5,830 427,180 940,360 1,251,320 Cumulative (Surplus)/Shortfall 5,830 433,010 1,373,370 2,624,690 Table 2: Medium Term Financial Projections 2010-11 - 2012-13
6. Treasury Management
6.1 The Treasury Management Strategy Statement (TMSS) for 2009-10 was approved by full Council on 3 March 2009. The authority’s Annual Investment Strategy, which is incorporated in the TMSS, outlines the authority’s investment priorities as follows:
6.1.1 Security of Capital
6.1.2 Liquidity
6.2 In respect of the recent turmoil in the financial markets, the subsequent downgrading of several financial institutions, and the consequential reduction in investment capacity available to the authority, a number of recommendations have been made by officers to the TMSS to be approved by Full Council on 6 October. These can be seen in a separate report to the Cabinet elsewhere upon the agenda, which the Cabinet is asked to note prior to the recommendations being presented to the Finance & Audit Committee.
6.3 The authority also aims to achieve the optimum return on investments commensurate with the proper levels of security and liquidity. In the current economic climate it is considered appropriate to keep investments short term, and only invest with highly credit rated (those rated AA- and above by Fitch) financial institutions (taking into account the creditworthiness matrices, including Credit Default Swap (CDS) overlay information provided by the authority’s Treasury Management Advisors - Sector). In addition, short term investments are made with the Public Sector Reserve facility offered by the authority’s current bank, the Co-Operative Bank Plc (who currently have a Fitch credit rating of A-).
6.4 A full list of investments held by the authority as at 30 June 2009 (end of quarter 1 2009-10) can be seen in the table below;
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Investments (Qtr 1) Investment Date of £'000 Repayment Building Societies/Banks Brittania BS 2,000 01/07/2009 Coventry BS 1,000 14/09/2009 Nottingham BS 2,000 01/07/2009 Abbey National 1,000 06/08/2009 Nationwide BS 2,000 06/08/2009 Leeds BS 1,000 20/10/2009
Money Market Funds AIM 2,000 On Call Standard Life 1,650 On Call
Total Investments 12,650 Table 3: Investments as at 30 June 2009
6.5 Officers can confirm that during the first quarter of 2009-10, all investment activities undertaken by the authority were within the approved limits within the Annual Investment Strategy.
6.6 As illustrated in the economic background section above, investment rates available in the market are at an historical low point. The average level of funds available for investment purposes in the first quarter of 2009-10 was £10.075m. These funds were available on a temporary basis, and the level of funds available was mainly dependent on the timing of precept payments, receipt of grants and progress on the Capital Programme.
6.7 As shown in Table four below, the authority’s return on investments to the end of quarter 1 2009-10 was equal to £12,935. The Council’s budgeted investment return for 2009-10 is £10,630, and performance for the year to date is therefore only £2,305 above the annual budget with three quarter’s worth of investment returns still to be received.
6.8 In terms of borrowing, during the first quarter of 2009-10, all borrowing activities undertaken by the authority were within the Prudential Indicators outlined in the TMSS (i.e. the maximum amount allowed to be borrowed by the authority).
6.9 Sector’s target rate for new long term borrowing for the first quarter of 2009-10 was 4.50%. Interest rates on borrowing have gradually increased during the quarter across all bands, with the low points in early April and the high points in early to mid June. It is anticipated that further borrowing of approximately £650,000 will be undertaken during October of 2009 in relation to the forthcoming gym works at Cascades Leisure centre.
6.10 Officers are currently exploring opportunities for the provision of training services to Members in relation to Treasury Management responsibilities in light of the recent situation in the financial environment and the recommendations resulting from this situation by both CIPFA and the Audit Commission.
6.11 The table below summarises the treasury management position as at the end of quarter 1 2009-10;
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Prudential Indicator 2009-10 Quarter 1 – Indicator Actual £’000 £’000 Gross borrowing 9,058 8,479 Investments (1,427) (12,650) Net borrowing 7,631 (4,171) Investment Return (%) 0.75 1.49 Investment Return (£) 11 13 Principal sums invested > 364 days 0 0 Table 4: Treasury Management Indicators (Qtr 1 2009-10)
7. Efficiency Reporting
7.1 As part of the April 2009 Budget announcement, the Chancellor announced increased targets for efficiency savings in 2010-11 across the public sector. Councils in England are now be expected to deliver 4% savings in 2010-11 – an additional 1% on top of the 3% originally envisaged in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. The efficiency targets have been revised accordingly.
7.2 Efficiency is reported as part of the National Indictor set, NI 179 (Value for Money gains). VFM gains must be cashable and show evidence of improved or unchanged performance, not service cuts. In July 2009, this authority reported a figure for NI 179 to the Communities and Local Government (CLG) department for 2008-09. Efficiency targets set by CLG have been exceeded by this authority for 2008-09 since the last reported forecast in December 2008. (See table).
7.3 Figures for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are for information and have not been submitted to CLG, although they do evidence the ongoing nature of efficiency gains.
7.4 A forecast figure for 2009-10 will need to be approved and submitted to CLG by 23 October 2009. The current position with regard to efficiency savings can be seen in table five below;
Year 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Reported % 2007-08 baseline (cumulative) 3.0% 6.1% 10.3% ACTUAL 851,068 1,938,207 2,857,240 2008-09 draft figure TARGET Gravesham’s cumulative target as 791,670 1,609,729 2,718,067 per CLG revised guidance/ £
Above or (below) target: 59,398 328,478 139,173
Table 5: Gravesham’s Efficiency Targets and Efficiency Gains 2008-09 to 2010-11
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8. Current Position
8.1 The position for the General Fund revenue budget is shown below, this is in accordance with the Cabinet Portfolios:
Variance between Original Projected Budget & Projected Budget Out-turn Cabinet Portfolio Out-turn 2009-10 2009-10 (Under)/Over Spend £ £ £
Leader and Regeneration 4,281,150 4,259,780 (21,370) Deputy Leader and Community 4,185,380 4,232,380 47,000 Community Safety and Environment 2,990,880 3,044,880 54,000 Housing 1,087,090 1,101,190 14,100 Transformation 1,595,430 1,582,530 (12,900) Youth 0 0 0 All Portfolios (Other Variances) 0 (75,000) (75,000) Total 14,139,930 14,145,760 5,830 Table 6: General Fund Revenue Projected Out-turn: Cabinet Portfolios
8.2 The cumulative value of the known variances represents an increase of £5,830 above the original budget. Explanations of the major variances are shown by Directorate within the remainder of this section, with management actions being outlined below each variance in italics . Therefore, in order to provide comparability, the following table shows the projected out-turn for the General Fund in accordance with the management directorates;
Variance between Original Projected Budget & Projected Budget Out-turn Directorate Out-turn 2009-10 2009-10 (Under)/Over Spend £ £ £
Special Projects 166,230 166,230 0 Chief Executive 1,087,350 1,083,950 (3,400) Housing and Environment 3,358,850 3,444,850 86,000 Business 2,377,000 2,340,100 (36,900) Community 4,304,180 4,352,210 48,030 Transformation and Finance 2,847,460 2,834,560 (12,900) Interest and Investments (1,140) (1,140) 0 All Directorates (Other Variances) 0 (75,000) (75,000) Total 14,139,930 14,145,760 5,830 Table 7: General Fund Revenue Projected Out-turn: Directorates
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8.3 Chief Executive
8.3.1 SEEC Membership. As per the report to Cabinet Briefing on 22 June 2009, the previous membership agreement with the Regional Chamber has now been transferred to SEEC, with this resulting in a 75% saving in 2009-10 and beyond equal to £3,400 per annum.
No management action is considered necessary in relation to this variance as it represents a saving over the previous arrangement with the Regional Chamber.
8.4 Housing and Environment
8.4.1 Recycling Income. Income from the sale of recycled paper and from metal collection is currently well below expected levels, due to lower than anticipated tonnages and falling prices. Current projections suggest a shortfall against budget of £14,000.
Ongoing discussions with Kent County Council are being held regarding the potential for mitigation of this detrimental variance in respect of Recycling income levels and the outcomes of these discussions will be contained within future Budget Monitoring reports.
8.4.2 Waste Collection. The number of requests for collection of household bulky items has dropped significantly since the introduction of charges for this service. It is estimated that there will be approximately £40,000 less income than had been anticipated for 2009-10.
To help offset this shortfall, key officers are actively investigating alternative work practices in certain areas and are hopeful of creating compensating savings.
8.4.3 Penalty Charge Notices. Current forecasts suggest that the income from PCNs will be about £90,000 lower than the Original Estimate this year. About 25% of this (£22,000) will affect the General Fund, with the remainder falling on the “ring-fenced” Parking Decriminalisation Account.
A revised approach to shift patterns of Civil Enforcement Officers to tackle illegal parking on the grounds of safety and traffic flow is currently being implemented. Consequentially, it is possible that these changes will result in a reduction in the shortfall outlined above.
8.4.4 Choice Based Lettings. During 2008-09 it was identified that the costs associated with Choice Based Lettings, whilst originally being charged to the Housing Revenue Account, should be borne by the General Fund instead. As such, the original budget for 2009-10 (amounting to £10,000) will now be charged to the General Fund. (Please note that this variance has previously been incorrectly categorised as being within the Business Directorate).
No management action is currently being taken in respect of this variance as the change has been necessitated by accounting policy.
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8.5 Business
8.5.1 Land Charges. Although the trend in the Housing Market is upwards, the recovery continues to be slow. Personal Search Agencies currently maintain a larger share of the Local Land Charge Search Business. The costing exercise as recommended by the Lord Chancellor in 2008-09 has resulted in a decrease in our Local Authority fees. Part of this is recovered by changes in procedures and charges relating to the provision of access to Personal Search companies. An analysis of the numbers of searches being requested during 2009-10 can be seen in table eight below, however, at present it has not been felt necessary to adjust the assumed level of income in 2009-10;
2009-10
Searches Requested April May June July
Official Land Search 50 63 62 66 Additional Queries 110 166 157 181 Personal Search 135 112 110 131 Common Land/Village 9 13 15 5 Green Total 304 354 344 383 Table 8: Local Land Searches (April to July 2009)
Whilst no variance to budgeted income is currently projected in relation to Land Charges, the situation will continue to be closely monitored and updates will be provided in future budget monitoring reports.
8.5.2 Market. The quarterly rental charge for the Market has recently been reviewed, and as a consequence the amount charged has increased, with this being backdated to 6 May 2007. The additional rental income amounts to £11,900 in 2009-10.
On the basis of this variance increasing the level of income to the General Fund in the current year, no management action is currently considered necessary, however, officers are continuing to review this situation in light of the Heritage Quarter development and potential impact on the Market.
8.5.3 Sale of Staff Time. Three members of the Regeneration section are working for varying amounts of time on the Homes and Communities Agency funded 'Great Expectations' project at Riverside Leisure Area and Canal Basin for its duration until March 2011. This time is funded by the Great Expectations budget and is claimed quarterly in arrears, with the total amount anticipated to be claimed amounting to £25,000 in 2009-10.
Ongoing monitoring of this increase in income will continue to be carried out to ensure that the anticipated savings are delivered in accordance with expectations.
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8.6 Community
8.6.1 Building Control Partnership. In order to meet the timetable required by the partnership’s Constitution, an update of the current year’s business plan is required to be presented to the Joint Committee in September 2009. Therefore the financial table below is a forecast of 2009-10 which forms part of the update to the financial plan. Whilst this forecast suggests that at present Gravesham’s share of the deficit amounts to £18,930 (with this being based upon initial contributions to the partnership), it is also forecast that there are to be further reductions in running costs and a small increase predicted in income for 2010-11 as the industry recovers from the recession and therefore no deficit for 2010-11 is currently forecast. The total anticipated contribution to the partnership therefore in 2009-10 (including an agreed contribution of £86,050 to cover non-fee earning work) amounts to £104,980.
Building Control 2009/10 2009/10 Partnership Original Forecast Budget (July) £ £
Staff 1,333,041 1,290,970 Premises 91,700 91,700 Transport 62,571 60,571 Supplies & Services 173,645 183,675 Gross Expenditure 1,660,957 1,626,916
Fee Income (1,233,199) (1,116,837) Contribution from partners for non-fee (427,758) (427,758) earning activities Gross Income (1,660,957) (1,544,595)
Gross (Surplus) / Deficit 0 82,321
Deficit allocation: - Swale 22,227 Medway 41,161 Gravesham 18,933 Total 82,321 Table 9: Building Control Partnership projected (Surplus)/Deficit 2009-10
Joint management/member action is being enforced through the Joint Partnership Board to limit the exposure of the authority to any deficit generated by the Partnership and to continually review the situation to address any shortfall as it arises. Whilst the partnership is currently forecasting a deficit, the action being taken through the Joint Board is aimed at erasing this deficit by the end of the financial year.
8.6.2 Charging for Serving Notices. Charges for Serving Notices has reduced as a result of fewer notices being issued - this being as a result of the ongoing economic climate. For the current year, this amounts to a £4,100 loss of income.
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Management are currently looking at opportunities to increase the level of income generated through serving of notices and therefore reduce this budget variance.
8.6.3 Leisure Centre Legal Fees. A working budget was agreed for this work which was set at £20,000 based on the estimated timescales of completion by April 2009 and the amount of consultant and legal input that the project required. Negotiations highlighted that the existing documentation provided little assistance with preparing the new modern best value contract that was to be introduced and therefore most of the existing information and documentation had to be disregarded. This has resulted in additional work by the Council’s consultants which amounts to a £25,000 overspend.
Management are currently in the process of identifying the final costs associated with developing the new lease agreement between GCLL and the authority, and a detailed report will be presented to the Cabinet in due course.
8.7 Transformation and Finance
8.7.1 Efficiency Reporting Grant . As Members will be aware, the authority was required to include details of efficiency savings on Council Tax leaflets with effect from 2009-10. In relation to this requirement, the Government have allocated grants to Local Authorities to meet the costs of generating and including this information. For Gravesham, the grant received amounts to £5,000 in 2009-10.
No management action is seen as necessary in relation to this additional income stream to the authority.
8.7.2 Server Installation Costs . The forthcoming changeover in the computer server for the Revenues and Benefits system (Northgate) will result in additional expenditure of £7,500 in respect of installation costs involved with procurement and assessment of server options.
Management are currently giving consideration to whether this variance can be met from additional Administration grants provided by the Department for Works and Pensions and an update will be provided in future budget monitoring reports.
8.7.3 Concessionary Travel Fares. Journey numbers have increased due to improved service provision and the elderly shopping in Gravesend rather than at Bluewater. However, the latest information available, as at the end of Quarter 1, indicates that Gravesham is due a refund of overpaid costs amounting to £15,800. This situation will continue to be closely monitored and included in future budget monitoring reports as quarter two, three and four information becomes available. A comparison of the number of passes issued in 2008-09 and 2009-10, together with the total number of passes in operation over the same period, can be seen in tables 10a and 10b below;
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2008-09 2009-10
New Concessionary Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Passes issued in 2008- 1 2 3 4 1 09 & 2009-10 National Companion 3 0 1 1 0 Pass
National Standard Pass 958 649 415 428 375
Total 961 649 416 429 375
Table 10a: Concessionary Travel Passes Issued in 2008-09 and 2009-10
2008-09 2009-10
Total Concessionary Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Passes in Operation 1 2 3 4 1
National Companion 92 92 93 94 93 Pass
National Standard Pass 12,808 13,433 13,789 14,160 14,505
Total 12,900 13,525 13,882 14,254 14,598
Total Concessionary Bus Passes
15,000
14,500 Total
14,000
13,500
13,000 NoOperation in
12,500
12,000 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Quarter 1
Period
Table 10b: Concessionary Travel Passes in operation 2008-09 and 2009-10
A correlation is currently being compiled by officers between the number of bus passes issued and the number of bus journey’s undertaken within the
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Borough. The results of this exercise will assist in projections of future variances in respect of Concessionary Travel arrangements and will be included in future budget monitoring reports.
8.8 Interests and Investments
8.8.1 There are no known variances at this time although the situation continues to be monitored closely an updates will be provided in future budget monitoring reports.
8.9 All Directorates
8.9.1 Employees. Ongoing vacancies during the period April to July of the year have lead to a current under-spend against the budget of £70,000. However, many of these vacancies are now being filled and therefore this under-spend situation will continue to be closely monitored and included in future budget monitoring reports. Future budget monitoring reports will contain a more detailed analysis of the salaries monitoring position in accordance with Management Directorates and Cabinet Portfolios. It should be noted, that this saving is in addition to the 5.75% vacancy allowance built into the salaries budgets for the current financial year.
As noted above, a number of vacant positions are currently in the process of being filled and more detailed analysis of variances arising from employees expenses will be included in future budget monitoring reports.
8.9.2 KCC Second Homes. The authority has recently been notified of its claimable share of the 2009-10 monies arising within Kent in respect of council tax collected on second homes. For 2009-10 this authority’s share amounts to £9,200.
No management action is considered necessary in relation to this variance as it represents an increase in income to the authority, although officers are currently in the process of identifying schemes for which this additional grant funding could be utilised.
8.9.3 Northgate Licences. Further to the above, as part of the upgrade to the servers for the Northgate systems, it has been necessary to purchase additional user licences in order to meet the requirements of the current agreement. In 2009-10, this additional cost amounts to £4,200, and this was also included in the report to Cabinet on 6 July 2009, and therefore it was agreed that this would be met from the General Fund working balance.
Management are currently giving consideration to whether this variance can be met from additional Administration grants provided by the Department for Works and Pensions and an update will be provided in future budget monitoring reports.
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9. Items Carried Forward from 2008-09
9.1 As per the 2008-09 Out-turn report presented to Cabinet on 6 July 2009, and approved by members at that meeting, the following carried forward items from 2008-09 will also be met from the 2009-10 budget;
Directorate Description Amount Reason
£
Communities Legal Costs 11,600 Delays in the implementation of new contract agreement with GCLL Transformation Promotion of Direct 5,060 After a couple of unsuccessful and Finance Debit Payments take up campaigns it was decided to examine what other LA’s that have high DD take up, have done. Hence, this was not spent last year as Automated Direct Debit System (AUDDIS) as a project was put back due to other pressures and priorities on the service. Authorities that have AUDDIS seem to have a higher DD take up as it is easier to administer.
Transformation Do it online 15,000 Delays in approval process of and Finance new website design have pushed the completion and payment of the project in the year 2009-10 Transformation Do it online (15,000) ‘Do it online’ Website upgrade and Finance paid from LABGI grant money. Delays in approval process of new website design have pushed the completion and payment of the project in year 2009-10 Business Legal Fees 29,850 Legal fees in respect of Travellers and Lord Street / Parrock Street contingency fund Business Local Development 41,690 Pre agreed schemes delayed until Framework 2009-10. Resulting in an under spend against budget in 2008-09. Business Planning Delivery (36,000) Pre agreed schemes delayed until Grant 2009-10. Resulting in an under spend against the expenditure budget in 2008-09. Planning Delivery Grant Contribution will be needed to fund Local Development Framework scheme in 2009-10. Total 52,200
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10. Effect Upon The General Fund Working Balance
10.1 In addition to the variances to the Original Budget for 2009-10 outlined above (amounting to £5,830) and the carried forward items from 2008-09 (amounting to £52,200), the following Cabinet decisions have also been taken during the current financial year where the resulting financial impacts are to be met from the General Fund working balances;
10.1.1 Bowls Clubs. Whilst the grants payable to bowls clubs had previously been reduced in the General Fund budget presented to Full Council on 3 March 2009, at the meeting of Full Council, the decision to reduce the funding was reversed and consequently, this amount is now included in the approved General Fund budget for 2009-10. Therefore £6,000 has been included in the General Fund budget for 2009-10.
10.1.2 Vehicle Parks. On 20 May 2009, the Cabinet agreed to introduce free parking at weekends between June and December 2009 in response to the current economic climate. The loss of income resulting from the introduction of this free parking amounts to £45,000 to be met from the General Fund balances.
10.1.3 White Post Lane Travellers. As members will be aware, the authority has recently been involved in the eviction and subsequent relocation of the travellers previously residing at White Post Farm in White Post Lane. As per the report to Cabinet on 20 May 2009, initial projections suggested that the costs of this legal challenge and eviction could amount to an additional £185,500 during 2009-10 and this amount was therefore agreed to be taken from the General Fund working balances. As part of the eviction and subsequent relocation of the Travellers during July 2009, officers have sought to negotiate and mitigate the financial effects of this action upon the authority, and therefore the exact costs arising from this action will be reported in a future Budget Monitoring report once all costs have been incurred.
10.1.4 Public Sector Licences. As reported to Cabinet on 6 July 2009, the Leader has authorised the entry into an agreement with Microsoft under the Public Sector Agreement 109 (PSA09) using the emergency clause contained in section 2.3 of Annex 2.7 of the Contract Procedure Rules within the Constitution, with this increase in costs being met from General Fund balances. The opportunity to take advantage of promotional pricing has been taken leading to a net saving of nearly £40,000 to the Council. In 2009- 10, the increased cost of this agreement amounts to £20,600.
10.1.5 Concessionary Fares. In light of the recent case won by Stagecoach in respect of the applicable reimbursement rate receivable for concessionary travel arrangements, Arriva (who operate within Gravesham's boundries) have proposed a settlement in order to avoid the need for court action. Gravesham's element of this settlement amounts to £19,130, with this being met from the General Fund working balances.
10.2 The combined effect of these Cabinet decisions, together with the variances outlined in Section eight and nine above, have the following effect upon the General Fund working balances;
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Working Balances General Fund £ Balance Brought Forward (see Section 2) (3,607,630) Variances to the 2009-10 Original Budget 5,830 Items carried forward from 2008-09 52,200 Cabinet Decisions taken during 2009-10 276,230 Working Balances C/Fwd (as at August 2009) (3,273,370)
Breakdown of General Fund Working Balance General Working Balances (2,523,370) Specific Reserve (Local Development Framework) (250,000) Specific Reserve (Spend to Save) (500,000) Working Balances C/Fwd (as at August 2009) (3,316,870)
Table 11: Effect upon General Fund Balances
11. General Fund Capital Monitoring
11.1 The current General Fund Capital position can be seen as Appendix B to this report and includes carried forward items from 2008-09 (as reported to Cabinet in July 2009) together with the effect of any changes to the programme as identified during the current financial year to date.
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12. Housing Revenue Account Budget
12.1 The position for the housing revenue account budget is shown below:
Variance Original Projected between Budget Out-turn Budget & Description 2009-10 2009-10 Projected £ £ Out-turn £ Supervision and Management 4,846,130 4,779,130 (67,000) Repairs and Maintenance 7,440,650 7,430,600 (10,050) Depreciation 4,475,620 4,475,620 0 Supporting People Fund 157,340 157,340 0 Subsidy Payments 5,585,040 5,585,040 0 Capital Financing Costs 13,180 13,180 0 Sub-Total (Expenditure) 22,517,960 22,440,910 (77,050) Rents and Service Charges (21,806,700) (21,806,700) 0 General Fund Contribution (8,530) (8,530) 0 HRA Shops (115,090) (125,090) (10,000) Other Income (424,370) (428,720) (4,350) Sub-Total (Income) (22,354,690) (22,369,040) (14,350) Total 163,270 71,870 (91,400)
Table 11: Housing Revenue Account projected out-turn 2009-10.
12.2 As members will be aware, the authority has recently reduced rental charges to housing tenants in response to an offer made by government to reimburse local authorities willing to reduce average rent increases to 3.1% for 2009-10. Accordingly, the original budget figures for both rental income and subsidy payments have been adjusted accordingly. More information regarding this amendment to the HRA budget for 2009-10 can be found in the specific report to Cabinet elsewhere upon the agenda.
12.3 The projected underspend on the Housing Revenue Account currently amounts to £91,400, with the significant identified variances all being listed below. This is to provide an overall view of the total variances between the Original Budget and the Projected Out-turn for 2009-10.
12.3.1 Employees. Ongoing vacancies within the Department during the period April to July have lead to a current under-spend against the budget of £67,000. However, many of these vacancies are now being filled and therefore this under-spend situation will continue to be closely monitored and included in future budget monitoring reports. It should be noted, that this saving is in addition to the 5.75% vacancy allowance built into the salaries budgets for the current financial year.
12.3.2 District Shops. Due to dilapidations caused by a previous occupant of a HRA shop, a charge in lieu of outstanding repairs and decorations has been levied upon the previous occupant to recover these costs which can be met from within the existing repairs and maintenance budget. The charge for dilapidations amounts to £10,000.
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12.3.3 Sale of Land. During the year, the authority has received a sum of £4,350 for the sale of a piece of land adjacent to a property in York Road. No budgeted income is assumed from the sale of such assets on the grounds of prudence and hence this receipt has been credited to the HRA working balance.
12.3.4 Insurance Works. Monies have been received from Zurich Municipal (the authority’s insurance provider) in respect of insurance claims by tenants settled in 2008-09, and therefore the reimbursements have been credited to the HRA working balances. These reclamations amount to £16,800 in 2009- 10.
12.3.5 AEI Cliff Face. There has been an unforeseen budget overspend in relation to the cliff face at AEI due to clearance costs resulting from a recent collapse in part of the cliff face. This amounts to £6,750 during 2009-10.
13. Housing Capital Monitoring
13.1 There are no known variances to the Housing Capital Programme at this time, other than in relation to slippage amounts from 2008-09 which were reported to the Cabinet in July 2009. Therefore the current Housing Capital position can be seen as Appendix C to this report.
14. Risk
14.1 The purpose of this monitoring exercise is to mitigate financial risks to the Authority by identifying major variances at an early stage to enable members and officers to take corrective action if and when required.
15. Section 17 Crime and Disorder Act
15.1 The Crime and Disorder budget is within the overall General Fund and any significant variance has been included within the report.
The background papers to this report are held within files in the Accountancy Section
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Appendix A
GENERAL FUND BUDGET 2009-10
MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN 2009-10 to 2012-13
Projected Projected Projected Projected 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Revenue Employees 13,423,390 13,940,670 14,298,590 14,472,070 Running Expenses 9,253,780 9,271,830 9,559,570 9,644,560 Recharges to Other Accounts (1,288,280) (1,355,550) (1,367,840) (1,380,160) C Tax Benefit & Rent Allowances 31,902,910 32,540,970 33,191,790 33,855,620 less: Specific Govt Grants (32,502,220) (33,152,260) (33,815,310) (34,491,620) Capital Financing 976,090 1,018,830 1,015,500 1,002,430 Special Items ------Other Government Grants (1,633,860) (1,342,790) (1,230,860) (938,960) Investment Income (4,880) (4,500) (16,240) (20,240) Fees & Charges (4,419,410) (4,616,040) (4,698,380) (4,782,360) Rental Income (1,355,930) (1,354,030) (1,354,030) (1,344,030) NET SERVICE EXPENDITURE 14,351,590 14,947,130 15,582,790 16,017,310
Net Contribution to / (from) Reserves 70,400 101,280 100,550 99,810 Appropriation to / (from) Balances (252,840) ------
BUDGET REQUIREMENT FOR THE YEAR 14,169,150 15,048,410 15,683,340 16,117,120 less: Parish Precepts (210,570) (214,780) (219,080)` (223,460)
GROSS EXPENDITURE 13,958,580 14,833,630 15,464,260 15,893,660
Transfers to / (from) the Collection Fund 115,490 ------
EXPENDITURE TO BE MET FROM COUNCIL TAX & GOVERNMENT GRANT 14,074,070 14,833,630 15,464,260 15,893,660
INCOME FROM COUNCIL TAX (5,736,080) (5,965,970) (6,024,340) (6,083,280) (Band D increase limited to 3% for 2010-11, 0% thereafter)
EXPENDITURE TO BE MET FROM GOVERNMENT GRANT 8,337,990 8,867,660 9,439,920 9,810,380
ANTICIPATED GOVERNMENT GRANT RECEIVABLE (8,332,160) (8,440,480) (8,499,560) (8,559,060) (Increase limited to 1.3% for 2010-11, 0.7% thereafter)
SHORTFALL / (SURPLUS) IN FUNDING 5,830 427,180 940,360 1,251,320
CUMULATIVE SHORTFALL / (SURPLUS) IN FUNDING 5,830 433,010 1,373,370 2,624,690
Efficiency Savings 2009-10 to 2012-13 Cumulative Target Efficiency Savings 1,609,730 2,718,070 tbc tbc
Identified Cumulative Efficiency Savings 1,938,207 2,857,240 tbc tbc
Effect of: Increase salaries pay award by 0.5% 61,180 62,100 63,640 65,240 Increase Employer Pension Contribution (1.0%) n/a 126,970 127,220 130,820 Reduce vacancy allowance by 1% 131,760 135,050 138,430 141,890 Increase wages pay award by 0.5% 2,720 2,760 2,840 2,900 Increase energy inflation by 1% 2,900 3,090 3,240 3,410 Reduce investment rates by 0.5% 7,800 4,030 3,250 3,250 Page 290
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Appendix B GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PROGRAMME
MONITORING - August 2009
Original Revised Original Revised Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Note 2009-10 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11 Director - Business Civic Buildings - enhancements 50,000 56,840 50,000 50,000 Civic Buildings - removal of hazardous materials 50,000 49,740 -- -- Cobham Park Heritage Project Ph 1 -- 40,000 -- -- Cobham Park Heritage Project Ph 2 -- 46,000 -- -- Conservation Area Appraisals 29,110 29,110 -- -- Facilities for the Disabled 10,000 16,370 -- -- Great Expectations Project 1,280,420 1,257,860 709,690 709,690 Lord St./Parrock Street: Option Appraisal -- 3,660 -- -- Parrock St. Car Park - new toilet block 89,690 99,690 -- -- Other Environmental Improvements -- 30,530 -- -- Manor Road Gate 12,000 12,000 -- -- Public Conveniences – prog. of refurbishment -- -- 80,000 80,000 Town Pier pontoon 1 600,000 446,220 1,200,000 1,650,000 2,121,220 2,088,020 2,039,690 2,489,690
Director - Communities CCTV Development -- 28,610 -- -- Children's Play Strategy -- 4,010 -- -- Electoral Registration / Election IT system 30,000 28,390 -- -- Leisure Centres - improvements 600,000 600,000 -- -- Neighbourhood Development Forum 40,000 40,000 -- -- Playsites Programme of improvements -- 43,230 -- -- Recreational Activities for young people 33,260 29,700 -- -- Sports Pitches 150,000 150,000 150,000 150,000 Virtual Museum 6,000 6,000 -- -- Youth Initiatives 50,000 50,000 -- -- 909,260 979,940 150,000 150,000
Director - Housing & Environment Allotments - improvement works -- 9,650 -- -- Cemeteries - extension 33,040 33,040 -- -- Quality Public Space 19,000 38,020 -- -- Vehicles and Plant 300,000 300,000 -- -- 352,040 380,710 -- --
Assistant Director - Special Projects Gravesend Delivery Board Projects: Heritage Quarter -- 7,600 -- -- Town Centre Traffic/Transport Dvlpmnt Work -- 60,000 -- -- Transport Quarter -- 29,260 -- -- Transport Quarter Stage 3 2 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,000,000 3,096,860 3,000,000 3,000,000
6,382,520 6,545,530 5,189,690 5,639,690
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GENERAL FUND CAPITAL PROGRAMME
MONITORING - August 2009
Original Revised Original Revised Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate Note 2009-10 2009-10 2010-11 2010-11 Funding Required 6,382,520 6,545,530 5,189,690 5,639,690
Funding Available Unsupported Borrowing 600,000 600,000 -- -- GF Capital Receipts 602,100 958,590 580,000 438,400 Grants & Contributions 4,880,420 4,686,940 4,609,690 4,259,690 Leasing 300,000 300,000 -- -- 6,382,520 6,545,530 5,189,690 4,698,090
Unsupported Borrowing Required ------941,600 6,382,520 6,545,530 5,189,690 5,639,690
Notes: 1 Scheme cost has increased and scheme has been rephased. Government funding of £1m is no longer available. 2 Scheme, which is 100% grant aided, consists of both capital and revenue elements. Amount shown here is the total scheme cost and will be amended once capital / revenue split is finally determined. 3 Further receipt due in 2010-11 or 2011-12. Amount is subject to ongoing negotiations.
C:\moderngov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\4\8\2\AI00005284\Cabinet14909AppendixBGeneralFundCapitalProgramme0.xls Page 293 Appendix C HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME
INVESTMENT PLANS
Original Slippage Revised Original REF Agreed PROJECT Budget 2009- from Budget Budget No Changes 10 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Strategic Partnering;
A Decent Homes 2,171,300 - 188,110 2,359,410 1,981,300
B Health & Safety 895,000 - 20,930 915,930 895,000
C Minor / Other Works 150,000 - 9,920 159,920 150,000
Non Strategic Partnering;
D Decent Homes 2,219,000 - 278,930 2,497,930 1,950,000
E Health & Safety 405,000 - 287,930 692,930 405,000
F Minor / Other Works 360,000 - - 360,000 360,000
Other;
G Housing Computer System 475,220 - - 475,220 -
Sub-Total (HRA Capital Programme) 6,675,520 - 785,820 7,461,340 5,741,300
H Housing Associations 250,000 - - 250,000 254,000
I Private Sector Grants 1,019,190 - 284,970 1,304,160 1,002,370
J Empty Properties 100,000 - - 100,000 100,000
Total (HRA & GF Capital Programme) 8,044,710 - 1,070,790 9,115,500 7,097,670 Note; Decent Homes - Expenditure 4,390,300 - 467,040 4,857,340 3,931,300 Page 294 Appendix C HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME
INVESTMENT PLANS
Original Slippage Revised Original REF Agreed PROJECT Budget 2009- from Budget Budget No Changes 10 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Strategic Partnering - Decent Homes Expenditure
1 - Improvements & Conversions 280,000 - 78,370 358,370 180,000 2 - Replacement Doors & Windows 400,000 - 2,310 402,310 400,000 3 - Various Roofing Schemes 801,300 - 54,420 855,720 951,300 4 - Electrical Improvements 690,000 - 42,160 732,160 450,000 - Apollo Works (Carried Forward) - - 10,850 10,850 -
2,171,300 - 188,110 2,359,410 1,981,300
Strategic Partnering - Health & Safety Works
5 - Structural Repairs-Flatted Dvts 350,000 - 2,350 352,350 350,000 6 - Obsolete Materials Replacement 250,000 - (420) 249,580 250,000 7 - Tank Replacements 50,000 - 6,310 56,310 50,000 8 - Fire Precaution Works 150,000 - 9,670 159,670 150,000 9 - Stair Treads & Com. Areas Floors 80,000 - 1,660 81,660 80,000 10 - Warden Call Systems Upgrade 15,000 - 1,360 16,360 15,000
895,000 - 20,930 915,930 895,000
Strategic Partnering - Minor / Other Works
11 - Various Door Entry Systems 30,000 - 1,220 31,220 30,000 12 - Communal Aerial Upgrades 20,000 - 1,400 21,400 20,000 13 - Estate Improvements 100,000 - 7,300 107,300 100,000
150,000 - 9,920 159,920 150,000 Page 295 Appendix C HOUSING CAPITAL PROGRAMME
INVESTMENT PLANS
Original Slippage Revised Original REF Agreed PROJECT Budget 2009- from Budget Budget No Changes 10 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Non Strategic Partnering - Decent Homes Expenditure
14 - Energy Efficiency Improvements 1,600,000 - - 1,600,000 1,500,000 15 - Major Voids & Improvements 619,000 - 278,930 897,930 450,000
2,219,000 - 278,930 2,497,930 1,950,000
Non Strategic Partnering - Health & Safety Works
16 - Obsolete Materials Replacement 235,000 - 287,930 522,930 235,000 17 - Fire Risk Assessments 50,000 - - 50,000 50,000 18 - Major Lift Refurbishments 120,000 - - 120,000 120,000
405,000 - 287,930 692,930 405,000
Non Strategic Partnering - Minor / Other Works
19 - Disabled Adaptations 300,000 - - 300,000 300,000 20 - Rear Accessway Fencing 60,000 - - 60,000 60,000
360,000 - - 360,000 360,000
Housing Computer Systems
21 - Housing Computer System 475,220 - - 475,220 -
475,220 - - 475,220 - Page 296 Appendix C HOUSING GF CAPITAL PROGRAMME
INVESTMENT PLANS
Original Slippage Revised Original REF Agreed PROJECT Budget 2009- from Budget Budget No Changes 10 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11
Affordable Housing Schemes
22 - Laffans Yard & Beaney's Yard 250,000 - - 250,000 254,000
250,000 - - 250,000 254,000
Renovation Grants
23 - Private Sector Renewal Grants 369,190 - 214,730 583,920 352,370 24 - Coldbusters Phase 2 130,000 - 26,990 156,990 130,000 25 - Disabled Facilities Grants 520,000 - 43,250 563,250 520,000
1,019,190 - 284,970 1,304,160 1,002,370
Empty Properties Programme
26 - Empty Properties Programme 100,000 - - 100,000 100,000
100,000 - - 100,000 100,000 Page 297 Agenda Item 20
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Service Manager – Finance
Subject: Finance Improvement Plan
Purpose and summary of report: To submit a Finance Improvement Plan for the eighteen months commencing 1 October 2009 for the services undertaken by Financial Services department. Recommendations: Members are asked to endorse the Finance Improvement Plan for eighteen months commencing 1 October 2009.
1. Background
1.1 The first Finance Improvement Plan was produced in April 2008 as a tool to help the Finance Section to focus on priorities and areas for improvement. This plan has devolved over time and has led to significant achievements within the Finance section.
1.2 The aim of the plan is to achieve Financial Excellence for the council though robust financial management and sound use of resources.
1.3 The Finance Improvement Plan now forms part of the Increasing Revenues and the Financial Improvement Finance Delivery Plan for the Council’s Business Transformation agenda.
2. Finance Improvement Plan
2.1 The Finance Improvement Plan in Appendix A summarises the achievements made over the last 18 months and outlines the proposed actions to be taken over the next 18 months.
2.2 The Finance Improvement Plan has evolved over the last eighteen months and staff within the Finance section are committed to achieving excellent financial management. The Plan has been presented to Wider Management Team to raise awareness of the developments within Financial Services and to ensure corporate commitment to the continuous improvement of financial information and control across the organisation.
2.3 The Finance Improvement Plan is monitored by the Leader of the Executive on a monthly basis, Management Team on a six monthly basis and by the Business Transformation Group as part of the transformation agenda.
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3. Risk
3.1 The Finance Improvement Plan has taken on board the risk associated with financial management. One purpose of the Plan is to mitigate risks to the Authority through strong financial management.
4. Section 17 Crime and Disorder
4.1 The Crime and Disorder budget is within the General Fund which is subject to strong financial management.
The background papers are within files held within the Accountancy Section
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Appendix A
Finance Improvement Plan as at 20 th August 2009 For 18 months from 1 October 2009 (To Cabinet 14 September 2009)
Current Priorities;
1. Final Accounts 2008-09 / Audit review 2. Leisure 3. Budget monitoring reports
4. Payroll Page 299 5. Activity / budget monitoring and training 6. Use of Resources – tying up management ownership 7. Participatory Budgeting 8. Competencies 9. Zero Based Budgeting 10. Equalities Impact Assessment – Concessionary Fares & Financial Statements
ACTIONS TO BE UNDERTAKEN
No. Tasks Action Deadline 1 Provide Financial Training to non Financial Prepare separate training material for Ongoing one to one Managers/ Members training and full training by Management Team end December 2009. Closedown of Accounts Heads of Service
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No. Tasks Action Deadline Operational staff
Recognise areas where training is required and allocate appropriate resources.
Include activity monitoring F & A Members finance Continuation of a dedicated Senior Accountant training – ongoing for each Directorate. 21 May 2009 Liaise with Committee section for Members training, completed. 10 June 2009
Include treasury management training to October 2009
Finance and Audit Committee September 2009 Page 300
Attendance at forthcoming CIPFA Financial Advisory Network course in respect of Financial Completed Statements and Annual Governance Statement by Service Manager (Finance), Chair and Vice- Chair of F and A Committee. Completed before F and A Closedown of Accounts training to F and A 2 Committee weeks before F and A Committee
Continued liaison with the Audit Commission and technical research to deliver improvements in the presentation of the annual Statement of Accounts and supporting working papers to aid the understandability of the accounts annual audit process.
VFM training for Finance, including November 2009 benchmarking. Report for Wider Management Team to be prepared.
Develop Induction training for new staff October 2009
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No. Tasks Action Deadline 2 Financial reporting Improve financial reporting to Cabinet, F and A First Quarter report to Committee (quarterly) Cabinet Away Day – July 2008 June 2009 Improve managers ownership of variances and completed enhance management action December 2009 Introduction of enhanced Budget Monitoring reports to Cabinet, incorporating Treasury Probable report Cabinet 6 Management, Efficiency reporting, Partnership April – ongoing monitoring, Capital Finance monitoring etc.
Include activity monitoring in budget monitoring reports in consultation with Service Managers From September 2009
Actual against probable September 2009
3 Use of Resources New target for Use of Resources Score – Level Commence August 2009 Page 301 3. and completed by end March 2010 New criteria for Corporate Working Group.
Involvement and ownership required from Management Team and Wider Management Team.
4 Concessionary fares Keep abreast of changes to concessionary 21 July 2009 travel arrangements, companion passes, evaluate financial implications. Completed
Draft consultation document by 21 July 2009 circulate draft response Week ending 26 July 2009
Monitor Concessionary fares arrangements and Ongoing variances
5 Review Financial Procedure Rules Completion of the full review of Financial Currently being updated
3
No. Tasks Action Deadline Procedural rules, including new additions in respect of Partnerships, Petty Cash and Payroll procedures. Compare with other Authorities
Update for e procurement/ authorisation limits
Include internal audit recommendations
6 Participatory Budgeting Scope plan for Participatory Budgeting. By end March 2010
Need more involvement with John Britt re public Nov 2009 consultation. Arranging meeting to discuss approach.
Participatory Budgeting scheme by 2012 February 2010 Page 302 Visit / contact one of twenty two Local Authorities operating scheme (Real People Real Power- CLG)
Enhance public consultation on budgets, Public Finance Sub Group underway.
7 Finance performance standards and Review own performance and compare to other Completed 20/02/09 Competencies authorities
Internal Questionnaire evaluated and feedback to Wider Management Team. Evaluated at Finance Training day. Ongoing improvements.
Examine competency skills required under CIPFA Financial Management Framework and September 2010 in line with Use of Resources – Workforce planning.
Arrange workshops, compare to other authorities, via CIPFA benchmarking and Kent
4
No. Tasks Action Deadline Price Book
8 Benchmarking provision Provide benchmarking advice to for all Commence October 2009 departments/ services
Other Local authorities, CIPFA benchmarking, Kent Price Book By March 2011
HM Treasury published the final report on the Commence September Operational Efficiency Programme at the same 2009 time as the April 2009 Budget. The report states all public sector organisations employing more than 250 people must collect data for back office operations from approved value for money indicators used by the national audit agencies from December 2009.
9 Zero Based Budgeting Trial zero based budgeting approach for Finance Commence in August / Page 303 as part of budget process during 2009/10. September 2009
Involvement with I.T. for zero based budgeting.
Feedback to Management Team re progress November 2009
Expand to all departments in a staged approach By March 2011
10 Equalities Impact Assessment Set up working group for Equalities Impact November 2009 Assessment (EIA). Include one/two volunteers from Public Finance Sub group.
Working Group underway
EIA for :
• Concessionary Fares
• Financial Planning
5
No. Tasks Action Deadline 11 Leisure Centre Evaluate proposals for prudential borrowing, Ongoing tendering, etc
Consideration of financial and technical effect of undertaking prudential borrowing and the most appropriate point in time at which to undertake such borrowing on behalf of the Leisure Centres.
Continued attendance at all Leisure Centre progress meetings.
12 Fees and Charges Implement delivery plan for review of fees and End August 2009 charges j
Liaise with relevant budget managers Page 304
Report to POC – Transformation
Prepare report for Management Team/ Cabinet
Produce Charging Strategy September 2009
Consult on uniform approach to concessions Implement by June 2010
Place Charges dictionary on web October 2009 j Fees and Charges report presented in 2010-11 Budget.
Review approach in 2010-11 Internal Audit Plan December 2009
13 Payroll Carry out a full review of the provision of Payroll To commence November Services VFM review in conjunction with (weekly to monthly) Assistant Director - Transformation and Finance and Service Manager - Audit and Performance.
Review procedures for payroll
6
No. Tasks Action Deadline Workshop meetings commenced October Internal departmental involvement (DSO)
Weekly to monthly staff review Regular monitoring of efficiency savings, 14 Efficiency Statements Ongoing reported as NI 179 (value for money gains). 24 July 2009 submitted Submission deadlines are Actual 2008-09 – reported in July 2009.
Forecast 2009-10 – due to report in Oct. 2009.
Actual 2009-10 – due to be reported in July 2010.
Forecast 2010-11 – due to be reported in Oct. 2010. Page 305
Actual 2010-11 – due to be reported in July 2011. 15 Service provision statements (SLA’s) Distribution and adoption of Service Level March 2010 Agreement statements to Service Managers for 2009-10 Financial year 1 st stage , 2 nd stage November 2009
16 Bank Tender Bank tender process – full review of bank and End March 2009 (report), credit card charges. Future re-tendering of bank full review ongoing. contract in line with contracts register.
Full review report received 15 May 2009
Report to Cabinet 9 March 2009
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No. Tasks Action Deadline 17 Final Accounts 2008-09 Produce financial statement for 2008-09 End June 2009 incorporating changes to Financial regulations during the year and recommendations arising Audit July / August 2009 from 2007-08 audit of account
18 International Financial Reporting Standards Report to Management Team and Members End September 2009 (IFRS) regarding the implications of the required adoption of IFRS’s for Local Authority accounting purposes in 2010-11 (and the consequent re-statement of 2009-10 accounts to be IFRS compliant). Training session Finance.
Report to Management team, Cabinet and F and A Restatement of Accounts December 2009 Page 306 19 Revaluation of Pension Fund Annual Pension Fund Assumptions Valuation completed March 2009 2009 – report to management team Compare actuals against assumptions
Formal revaluation early indication of October 2010 implications to Management Team and Cabinet
Sensitivity Analysis of valuations in MTFP and strengthening of Medium Term Financial August 2009 Strategy in respect risk presented by future pension fund valuations.
20 Grants Compile a list of all grant funding streams End September 2009
Incorporate grants listing into budget monitoring report
Report to Management Team and Cabinet
21 Chief Accountants Group Six weekly attendance and deal with issues Ongoing arising from the meetings
8
No. Tasks Action Deadline 22 Kent Finance Officers Group Monthly and deal with issues arising from the Ongoing meetings
23 Transformation initiatives South East Business Transformation Ongoing Practitioners Event
CLG consultations on Efficiency information in Council Tax Leaflets Consultation period ends October 2009.
24 Leasing Carry out a full review of existing leasing September 2009 arrangements surrounding Leased Cars
25 Insurance Service Provision Carry out a full review and consider options for August 2009 future provision of insurance services to Council
House Tenants and in respect of the authority’s Page 307 corporate insurance arrangements. Advertise internally. Request to management team 1 July 2009
26 Case Management System Implement stage two of case management End September 2009 system
27 Treasury Management Manage daily treasury management of Council’s Ongoing funds.
Daily review of Credit Ratings
Regular updates to Cabinet in budget monitoring reports
Review effectiveness of new staffing December 2009 arrangements for Treasury Management
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No. Tasks Action Deadline 28 Corporate Debt Policy Produce a corporate debt policy. Review other End December 2009 Local Authorities policies and practices December 2009 Produce targets for different types of debts review effectiveness of collection
29 Medium Term Financial Plan Enhanced three year planning and budgeting. Ongoing
Management savings and unavoidable growths calculated and reflected in plan. Assumptions compared to other Local Authorities Sensitivity By end of January 2010 analysis.
30 Corporate Risk Register Manage actions/ controls on Corporate Risk Quarterly monitoring from
Register 2009-10. Namely: June 2009. Page 308
• Challenging Financial Position
• Value for Money
• Economic Downturn
• Fraud and Corruption
31 Communications Council Tax budget consultation November 2009
Community engagement - Public Finance Sub Inaugural meeting July Group 2009
Website – review content in relation to finance December 2009 (internal and external)
Joint Council Tax leaflet for 2010-11 with other Kent authorities February 2010
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ACTIONS COMPLETED
No. Tasks Action Completed
1 Budget Monitoring Introduced new budget monitoring Cabinet approved Jan framework. Reviewed and currently 2008. updating budget monitoring reporting to managers/ Management Team/ Cabinet
Revise financial reporting/ spreadsheets/ for Budget monitoring revenue (including salaries) and capital March 2008
Roll out new monitoring framework after Cabinet awayday 28 closedown 2007/08 July Page 309 Cabinet 1 September Cabinet formally quarterly
2 Bank Reconciliation Completed bank reconciliation for 2007/08 April 2008
Ensure reconciliations are up to date each month. Ongoing - completed Bank reconciliation – Audit review up to end June exp and “Satisfactory” May – income
VAT reconciliation
NNDR/Council Tax reconciliation
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No. Tasks Action Completed
3 Financial Management Information Improved financial management information Training 2 days March to managers, members. Undertaken crystal 2008 Income, Exchequer, Accountancy, Budget report writing training Managers Test reports, liaised with customers Ongoing Devised standard reports for budget managers
4 Medium Term Financial Plan Reviewed and updated MTFP, March 2008
Embedded into Council July 2008 Page 310
Golden thread with Corporate Plan, capital September 2008 strategy, asset management plan Full review October Full separate report to Cabinet May 2009
5 Use of Resources Set up a Corporate UoR Working group From Dec and ongoing
Fully reviewed criteria, critically self scored.
Visited Sevenoaks for best practices
Set up UoR sub group for implementing actions
6 Insurance Tender Liaised with Medway May 2008
Written specification, reviewed arrangements in place , placed advert, fully evaluated tender
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No. Tasks Action Completed
Cabinet approval to award tender
7 Communication channels Improved communication between Finance, September and ongoing Directors, Service Managers, Members
Regular team meetings, meetings with Directors, Service Managers, Lead Members
Ongoing team building within Finance
8 Treasury Management Policy Compared with other Authorities January 2008
Reviewed policy & Cabinet approved Policy
9 Capital Strategy/ Asset Management Plan Updated Capital Strategy close links with Jan 2008 Page 311 Corporate plan and Asset Management Plan.
Report to Cabinet
10 E procurement Member of Business Transformation Group. From end December and ongoing E procurement and Increasing revenues delivery plans
Chair EPIT to action procure to pay recommendations
11 Corporate Debt policy Reviewed and completed policy for sundry Ongoing debtors. Implement recommendations in internal audit report
12 Credit card charges Reviewed credit card charges with March 2008
13
No. Tasks Action Completed streamline
£7k saving
13 Closedown of Accounts 2008/09 Prepare Statement of Accounts Report to F and A June 2008. Re-present report Implement SORP changes September 2008
Check reconciliations up to date
Update files/ prepare working papers
Provide training to members
14 Finance Restructure Reviewed finance structure, implement 1st stage implemented Page 312 changes appoint to new post. 2nd stage part implemented
15 Case management system Implement case management system , 1st stage implemented increase debt collection (manual)
16 General Fund Estimates Complete General Fund Estimates process 9 February 2009 and report to Cabinet meeting of 9 February 2009
17 Medium Term Financial Strategy Update Medium Term Financial Strategy 9 February 2009 2009-10 to 2012-13 to incorporate effects of current economic climate and to take account of 2009-10 estimates as an updated basis for calculation, together with effects of changes to interest rate assumptions
18 Service provision statements Review of recharge methodology, allocation, First stage of validation Time recording etc Implement service of existing basis for
14
No. Tasks Action Completed
provision statements officer time recharging completed January 2009
19 Treasury Management Strategy Present to Finance and Audit Committee the Updated strategy updated Treasury Management Strategy for reported to Finance and 2009 to 2012 taking into account current Audit Committee on 12 economic situation, together with calculation February 2009, to be and reporting of Prudential Limits for adopted by Full Council borrowing and investing over the next three 3 March 2009 financial years.
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Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: 1. Cabinet 2. Overview Scrutiny Committee Date: 1. 14 September 2009 2. 24 September 2009 Reporting officer: Chief Executive
Subject: Budget 2010/11 – priorities for action
Purpose and summary of report: To consider the priorities for 2010/11 as part of the preparation of the budget for that year.
Recommendations: That:- 1) consideration be given to the suggested priorities for action contained within the report and the proposals be approved with any amendments agreed by members, and 2) the agreed proposals be incorporated into the corporate plan as part of the review taking place with consideration being given to the document at the Council meeting in October 2009.
1. Introduction
1.1 As part of the agreed procedure for the preparation of a budget for a forthcoming financial year consideration needs to be given as to the priorities for that year. The timetable is therefore that this consideration takes place during June/July 2009 in respect of the preparation of the 2010/11 budget.
1.2 The corporate plan for 2008 to 2011 sets out the priorities of the Council which are as follows
Existing Communities – To work with people and partners to meet the needs and maximise opportunities for existing communities.
Future communities – In conjunction with the government other agencies and communities to seek to positively shape the future of Gravesham.
Service provision – To provide services which are increasingly excellent in quality and value for money.
Flowing from the three priorities are six goals
Priority – Existing communities Page 316
Environment – to achieve a safe, clean and green place of choice.
Communities – to foster vibrant and cohesive communities with affirmative action to promote meaningful engagement, diversity and social inclusion, health and well-being, leisure and culture.
Housing – to seek to provide and work with others to ensure quality and affordable house.
Priority – Future communities
Business – to secure a sustainable and buoyant economy, particularly in the town centre and Ebbsfleet, with attractive investment opportunities and a developing tourism market.
Regeneration – to maximise regeneration opportunities for the benefit of existing and new communities.
Priority – Service provision
Transformation – to transform the council into an economically sound organisation delivering excellent accessible services that provide value for money
1.3 Later in this report it is recommended that these priorities and goals are re- affirmed.
1.4 Within the context of the above priorities and goals there will be a number of specific actions which the Cabinet will wish to progress during 2010/11. The intention in this report is not to identify range of the action which will be taken but to seek to clarify the key initiatives we need to drive forward in 2010/11. The suggestions set out below are put forward to facilitate discussions.
1.5 Once decisions are made in respect of the proposals in this report it will be necessary to make appropriate amendments to the corporate plan which has been the subject of review in recent months. The amended corporate plan will then go to Council in October for consideration and approval.
2. Matters for consideration
2.1 In giving consideration to the priority areas of action to be progressed during the 2010/11 financial year and then in medium term there are a number of factors to consider.
2.1.1 What are concerns of the public
2.1.2 What are the issues which require short and medium term action?
2.2 Action arising from the consideration of such factors should be in keeping with the Corporate Plan.
2.3 There are a number of concerns regularly raised by people through channels such as the Neighbourhood Forum, work with young and elderly people and representatives of different communities, consultations and representations. The intention below is to seek to capture the key points being raised by the public to
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enable these to be taken into consideration as discussions are made on the priorities for action and the allocation of resources.
2.3.1 Community Safety – despite the progress that has been made there are on-going concerns about anti-social behaviour in the borough. One of the points raised is safety in the town centre, particularly in the evenings.
2.3.2 Economic recession – clearly the borough has been adversely affected by the recession. Not only is the viability of the town centre a concern but also other businesses throughout the borough. Unemployment has been rising during the year although June saw a slight decrease. At this time the training and skilling of local people is crucial. Other vulnerable people in this period of recession include the homeless and those needing prompt and efficient services for the payment of invoices, benefits etc.
2.3.3 Regeneration and heritage – it is important that action is taken to help enable regeneration to take place within the borough providing much needed new employment as well as meeting the housing needs for now and into the future. However, there are concerns amongst the public for heritage to be preserved in the borough. There is also the question of social regeneration and addressing the needs of existing communities, the creation of new communities and the legacy for future communities.
2.3.4 Transport – concerns about public transport are regularly raised by people. Whilst this Council does not have any direct responsibilities for this, through the community leadership role local authorities have, it can raise the concerns with the County Council and the main organisations providing public transport in the area.
2.3.5 Community engagement – not only are there young people in Gravesham who want to be involved and have a voice about the future but concerns are regularly raised by others about the youth and the need to take action to involve them, provide facilities for them etc. A balanced approach is essential as the Council seeks to address the fears about young people but also engage with them.
2.3.6 Opportunities – one of the major opportunities which needs consideration is The London games in 2012. Connected with this are opportunities to take tourism forward, an example being the bicentenary year in 2012 for the birth of Charles Dickens. A point often made is that the River Thames is an important asset and it is imperative that the potential advantages are realised. With the Paralympics games also occurring in 2012 it is important to consider the opportunities to work with people with disabilities. There are many possibilities so it is vital that the Council, working together with other agencies and communities, has a clear focus which will leave a lasting legacy after the games in 2012.
2.3.7 Basic services – a consistent message from the public is the importance of basic front line services such as refuse collection, public conveniences, car parks etc. Through the Neighbourhood Forums and engagement with other groups in the communities other matters raised which involve partner organisations include highway repairs and improvements, transport and health. A concern raised by the Muslim community and other people is the limited availability of burial space in the borough.
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2.3.8 Community events – the importance of the contribution of a programme of events and initiatives is recognised. The contract for the Christmas lights will be up for renewal. This summer the Big Day Out developed into the Big 7 festival over seven days. In amongst all the economic challenges the community and council face there is a real desire amongst people that a programme of events should be maintained. This is a point made each year at the budget consultation events.
2.3.9 Financial situation of the Council – the Medium Term Financial Plan has identified a budget shortfall in the General Fund Budget by 2012/13 of approximately 2.8 million. Transformational action will be needed to address this gap and a report was submitted to Cabinet on 6 July 2009 to address this.
3. Emerging principles
3.1 Having regard for the above there are a number of emerging principles which should be taken into account.
3.2 Corporate Plan – taking into consideration the above matters for consideration together with the current review of the corporate plan it is recommended that the present priorities and goals within the plan should be retained. In addition the various components which are highlighted in the corporate plan as features of the vision of the borough becoming a Place of Choice should be re-affirmed as important.
3.3 Regeneration which includes economic development and community safety continue to be essential areas to address. There is an overlap with these for the town centre and other places in the borough. For example, not only does successful regeneration with sustainable communities, the creating of new jobs, action of skills and training etc, contribute to the future viability of the town but so do the levels of safety and the public perception about these. Quality events also provide a positive contribution. The town centre and other locations in Gravesham town need to be seen as places where families can go and which are considered to be friendly and vibrant.
3.4 Community engagement – the above re-affirms the need to continue to develop practice engagement by the Council with the various communities in the borough. It is important to build on the work taking place through the Neighbourhood Forums, budget consultation, Older Persons Forum and other meetings with various communities. There are three particular aspects though that the Chief Executive would recommend for a priority focus.
3.4.1 Young people – in the light of the new portfolio being established the council should actively progress engagement with young people for two reasons. Firstly there are young people who want to be involved today and make a positive contribution to live within Gravesham and it is crucial that the council engages with them. Secondly, we should foster the culture that develops the involvement of young people not only to realise the contribution they can make now but to help release their potential for the future.
3.4.2 Vulnerable people – work is underway in identifying who are the vulnerable amongst the people of Gravesham. As circumstances change so do those
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who are vulnerable and an approach needs to firmly be embedded within the council to achieve this.
3.4.3 Customer care – like many organisations the council has areas of good practice but also that which is poor. The aim needs to be firmly established that as a council we are seeking to achieve excellence. The Chief Executive intends to drive action on this forward through the Business Transformation Group. In addition the Council is working, and will continue to do so, with the County and District Councils in Kent. All the above is aimed at providing on-going improvements to the community and customer focus of the Council.
3.5 Services – a clear message is that people would wish essential services to be protected and action taken to realise some of the opportunities which will arise. The business community in particular has stressed the potential benefits which could be accrued locally from The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
4. Priority areas of action
4.1 It is therefore proposed that the action outlined below should be given priority consideration in the preparation of the budget for 2010/11 and in having regard for the period covered by the Medium Term Financial Plan through to March 2013.
4.2 Regeneration - 2010/11 will be important in taking forward a number of initiatives.
4.2.1 Transport and Heritage Quarters
4.2.2 Economic development including action on the recession and vulnerability.
Action to help local businesses during the recession and as the town and country emerge from it.
Training and skills for local people to help them find employment both through the difficult times of recession and the opportunities from regeneration.
Promoting the area and assist in erecting new employment opportunities.
Identifying and supporting people who are vulnerable through the recession and from other circumstances. Services such as benefits and homelessness have vital contributions to make.
Promoting the town centre and other areas as places which are safe, friendly and good for families and others to visit. Successful approaches being pursued by other places such as Brighton will be accessed to determine what successful pro-actives could be used in Gravesham.
Delivery of the tourism strategy.
Free car parking on Saturdays – the present initiative comes to an end in early January 2010. A decision will be required as to whether this should continue or finish.
Christmas – the contract for the Christmas lights is due for renewal in 2010/11 and consideration will be required on the approach to be pursued for Christmas 2010 and thereafter.
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4.2.3 Vision for Gravesham 2020 – finalise and progress delivery, a vision for the borough including priority focus on the town centre. It is essential that there is a clear vision for why the town centre is a sound business choice for companies and other organisations to choose Gravesend as a location.
4.2.4 Local Development Framework – progress as per timetable.
4.2.5 Multi Area Agreement – deliver the agreed action, particularly that contained within the Joint Investment Plan agreed through the Single Conversation process.
4.3 Key projects – linked to regeneration are a number of key projects. Some of the current ones will have been delivered so the area for consideration is what should be going forward in 2010/11.
4.3.1 Town Pier – the provision of a pontoon and services established with a private sector partner.
4.3.2 Riverside promenade – delivery of the Great Expectations initiative and investigate other river related opportunities with any resource requirements been identified.
4.3.3 Lord Street – develop and consult an option for the redevelopment of this site and commence the delivery of the proposals.
4.3.4 Woodlands Park – develop proposals to improve and significantly enhance facilities in the park.
4.3.5 Cruise Liner Terminal – progress the possibility of a terminal and explore scenario of a liner being used off the Northfleet Embankment as a hotel during the Olympic Games.
4.3.6 Visitor attraction – work with Gads Hill School towards achieving a Dickens Heritage Centre by 2012 and investigate other opportunities in the medium term for providing other attractions.
4.3.7 Gallery Space proposals – investigating gallery space being made available in the west end suite of the Woodville Halls
4.4 Community Safety – a focus on specific areas of the borough to pro-actively address specific anti-social behaviour
4.5 Housing
4.5.1 Christian Fields – ongoing delivery of Phase 2.
4.5.2 Other initiatives to regenerate estates and provide housing.
4.5.3 Delivery of decent homes to the agreed standard for the public sector stock.
4.6 Environment – CO2 reduction – implementation of agreed action.
4.7 Young people – working with young people identify initiatives to be delivered in 2010/11
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4.8 Health – to put in place new financial arrangements for the Grand as the current ones came to an end.
4.9 Culture – deliver a programme of events which embraces the diverse culture of the borough and in particular develop the Big 7 week long festival.
4.10 The London 2012 Games – progressively putting in place preparations for 2012 plus the delivery of specific initiatives in the lead-up to the Games and ongoing legacies after them.
4.11 New cemetery / crematoria – progress action on new facilities
4.12 Public Transport – work with communities, Kent County Council and organisations providing public transport in the borough not only within the intention of raising and seeking resolutions to the concerns people have but also to actively strive for high quality services to be provided in Gravesham. There is no anticipated budget requirement at this stage for Gravesham Council.
4.13 Management on the Council
4.13.1 A balanced and sustainable budget – given the financial situation a key priority should be taking forward the proposals on the budget which were approved by Cabinet on 6 July 2009.
4.13.2 Transformation – interwoven throughout the proposals for achieving a balanced and sustainable budget is the transformation agenda, including important aspects such as procurement and shared services. It is crucial that resources are allocated on a priority basis to such work.
4.13.3 Gateway initiative – working with KCC introduce a Gateway in Gravesham as part of the ongoing provision of such facilities across Kent.
4.14 Performance and project management – once the priorities for action are considered and agreed by Members the intention will be to pursue financial requirements through the preparation of the budgets for 2010/11 and subsequently years. Performance and project management will be used as appropriate to progress delivery.
5. Other initiatives?
5.1 The above does not include initiatives which other organisations are delivering on and the council provides a supportive or regulatory role as appropriate.
5.2 Questions
5.2.1 Do members agreed with the proposals?
5.2.2 Are there any other initiatives which should be included which are key drivers for action to be delivered or progressed by March 2011 and in the medium term by March 2013?
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6. Risk management
6.1 Without clarifying the main areas of action to be taken forward in a new financial year the risk is that consideration is not given to the allocation of appropriate resources. This report seeks to facilitate a process to address the risk.
7. Section 17, Crime & Disorder Acts 1998.
7.1 Specific consideration is given to community safety within the proposals.
8 Page 323 Agenda Item 22
Gravesham Borough Council
Report to: Cabinet
Date: 14 September 2009
Reporting officer: Chief Executive
Subject: Council Improvement Plan (CIP)
Purpose and summary of report: To present to Cabinet a proposal to co-ordinate the council’s drive for continuous improvement and to introduce a mechanism to monitor improvement plans undertaken by the council.
Recommendations: Cabinet approve the Council Improvement Plan proposed at appendix one and the arrangements for reporting to and monitoring by Senior Management and Members.
1. Introduction
1.1 The council is committed to continuous improvement and the delivery of high quality services to our customers. This is reflected in Goal 6 of the current Corporate Plan.
1.2 As well as identifying improvement action through reviews by external organisations such as the Audit Commission, the council’s aim is to proactively identify areas to focus on and drive forward improvement in these areas through the use of internally conducted service and Value for Money reviews and the development and implementation of service improvement plans.
1.3 This report sets out proposals for the areas of improvement to be driven forward within the council during 2009-10 together with a suggested mechanism to enable effective monitoring of progress against improvement plans.
2. Council Improvement Plan
2.1 It is proposed that a Council Improvement Plan (CIP) is created to set out the strategic plan of improvement action being undertaken by the council and the monitoring mechanisms in place for these actions.
2.2 A CIP for 2009-10 has been prepared and can be found at appendix one to this report for Members comment and consideration. The CIP also sets out how each Page 324
of the identified improvement actions links to the Corporate Plan and the expected outcomes intended to be delivered.
2.3 The CIP will be an evolving document which can be updated at least annually to reflect new improvement plans as these are prepared, but can also act as a formal record over time of specific improvement action taken by the council.
3. Arrangements for reporting to/monitoring by Senior Management and Members
3.1 It is proposed that the CIP will be presented to Management Team on a quarterly basis and used to monitor progress against improvement plans.
3.2 It is proposed that the CIP will be presented to Cabinet on a six-monthly basis to enable Members to maintain an overview of progress against improvement plans.
4. Risk
4.1 Failure to adopt the CIP plan may impact on the authority’s drive for continuous improvement and prevent the council from being able to effectively demonstrate effective management of and use of resources in service improvement.
4.2 Failure to show evidence of progress against the CIP will leave the authority vulnerable to an adverse assessment by the Audit Commission, either in our ‘Use of Resources’ assessment or any future Comprehensive Area assessment.
5. Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act
5.1 Though the adoption of a CIP will not specifically impact on Community Safety, an improvement plan related to Community Safety may be included in any future CIP.
2 Gravesham Borough Council – Council Improvement Plan 2009
Subject Method of Lead Officer(s) Monitoring Target Date for Corporate Plan Improvement Arrangements Completion Links/Expected Outcomes Control Transformation Delivery plan for Glyn Thomson Transformation Group March 2011 6.1.3 – Implement the each of the eight Nick Brown monitoring progress Transformation Strategy via agreed work against each delivery the work streams and streams: plan on a quarterly basis. delivery plans agreed.
- Customer and Community Engagement
- Procurement
- Asset Management
- Collaboration Page 325
- Challenge
- Workforce Development and Innovation
- Increasing Revenue and Financial Improvement
- Use of Technology
Page 1 03 September 2009
Gravesham Borough Council – Council Improvement Plan 2009
Subject Method of Lead Officer(s) Monitoring Target Date for Corporate Plan Improvement Arrangements Completion Links/Expected Outcomes Control Planning VfM Action Plan Kevin Burbidge Progress against action Last 6.1.1 – Complete VfM and Clive Gilbert plan and performance to recommendation business process reviews be reported to due September across all council services. Management Team (MT) 2009. quarterly until MT signs Improved performance in off action plan as turnaround time of complete (May, August, applications received. November 2009, February 2010) Page 326 Regeneration Audit Commission Kevin Burbidge Progress to be reported Last Implementation of the action Inspection Action to the Finance & Audit recommendation plan will help support Goal 5 Plan Committee. due September – Regeneration. 2010.
Benefits VfM Action Plan Nick Brown Progress to be reported Last 6.1.1 – Complete VfM and Mike Bytheway to MT monthly until recommendation business process reviews September 2009, then due October 2009. across all council services. every two months until MT signs off action plan Reduction in average as complete. processing time for new claims to 20 days by 30/06/09 and 17 days by 31/12/09.
Audit Commission Nick Brown Progress to be reported To be added on 6.1.5 – Improve the quality Inspection Action Mike Bytheway to the Finance & Audit finalisation of the and efficiency of the Plan (Inspection Committee. report. Benefits Service to scheduled customers. September 2009)
Page 2 03 September 2009
Gravesham Borough Council – Council Improvement Plan 2009
Subject Method of Lead Officer(s) Monitoring Target Date for Corporate Plan Improvement Arrangements Completion Links/Expected Outcomes Control Finance Finance Nick Brown Progress to be reported Eighteen month 6.2 – To achieve Financial Improvement Plan Julie Gibbs by the Service Manager – plan in place from Excellence for the council Finance to the Leader of October 2009. though robust financial the Executive through Last management and sound Monthly One to One recommendation use of resources. meetings. due March 2011.
Progress is considered by the Transformation Group on a quarterly
basis through monitoring Page 327 of the Increasing Revenue and Financial Improvement Delivery Plan.
Progress to be reported to MT every six months.
Council Tax VfM Action Plan Nick Brown Progress to be reported To be added on 6.1 – Complete VfM and Robin Daly to MT – timescales to be finalisation of the business process reviews agreed. VfM report. across all council services.
Reprographics VfM Action Plan Nick Brown Progress to be reported To be added on 6.1 – Complete VfM and Robin Daly to MT – timescales to be finalisation of the business process reviews agreed. VfM report. across all council services.
Page 3 03 September 2009
Gravesham Borough Council – Council Improvement Plan 2009
Subject Method of Lead Officer(s) Monitoring Target Date for Corporate Plan Improvement Arrangements Completion Links/Expected Outcomes Control Customer Action Plan currently Sarah Parfitt Action Plan will be To be added on 6.3 – To deliver high quality, Profiling/ being developed Robin Daly presented to finalisation of the accessible Customer Community Management Team for action plan. Services to all of our Profiling endorsement and Customers. agreement of monitoring arrangements. The information from Customer Profiling and Community Profiling will support the current corporate plan and inform Page 328 future council priorities.
Customer Focus Action Plan currently Glyn Thomson Action Plan will be To be added on 6.3 – To deliver high quality, being developed and the presented to finalisation of the accessible Customer Customer Care Management Team for action plan. Services to all of our Working Group endorsement and Customers. agreement of monitoring arrangements.
Vulnerable Action Plan currently John Britt and Action Plan will be To be added on 6.3 – To deliver high quality, People being developed the Cross presented to finalisation of the accessible Customer Practitioners Management Team for action plan. Services to all of our Group. endorsement and Customers. agreement of monitoring arrangements.
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