HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY COUNCIL
TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER AT 10.30 A.M.
EXECUTIVE REPORTS TO COUNTY COUNCIL
LEADER OF THE COUNCIL
This report is made by the Leader of the Council and, together with separate reports from each member of Cabinet, comprises the report under Standing Order 6(2)(h).
1. Medium Term Financial Position
1.1 In anticipation of very difficult financial times ahead the Leader has asked officers of the council to initiate a comprehensive review of the council’s business systems including staffing levels, managerial tiers and spans of control, procurement, commissioning and outsourcing. This work will be set in the context that Hertfordshire County Council is a relatively high performing council but at relatively high cost – although its is inevitable that some of that additional cost is attributable to the ‘London effect’,
1.2 Given the scale of this project, its fruits are unlikely to impact significantly on the 2010/11 budget process but are intended to enable the council to sustain good quality public services within a balanced budget and at an affordable price for our residents into the medium term.
1.3 This council has a established reputation for transforming the way it operates which anticipates to secure financial savings and service improvements. The Leader believes that the council can draw on the skills of its managers and staff to make ‘once in a generation’ changes which will keep Hertfordshire at the cutting edge of public service delivery while ensuring that the people of Hertfordshire can prosper, secure in the knowledge that their local county council is providing good stewardship of public money.
2. 10:10 campaign
2.1 At the last meeting of the County Council, the Leader was asked whether the council intended to join the 10:10 campaign, which asks local authorities to sign up to reducing their carbon emissions by 10% by 2010. He declined to make an immediate commitment but undertook to review the implications of the campaign.
2.2 The County Council’s Corporate Plan sets out the council’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions in the County, including cutting the emissions arising from county council operations by 25% by 2013. It also sets out the measures the Council will put in place to achieve this aim. Having considered the aspirations of the 10:10 campaign, the Leader is content that they are deliverable within existing policy commitments and is happy to put in hand the processes for endorsing the 10:10 campaign, which will be progressed through the Environment and Planning Cabinet Panel.
3. Hertfordshire Works
3.1 On 19 October, the Leader chaired an additional meeting of the local economic partnership, Hertfordshire Works. This meeting considered a second draft of Hertfordshire’s new economic development strategy to be launched for consultation at the Hertfordshire Forward conference referred to below.
4. County Councils Network (CCN)
4.1 On 20 October, the Leader attended a CCN Policy Summit, part of the CCN’s work to develop policy in key areas prior to the next general election. It is hoped that these policies will influence the proposals that are put forward by the major national political parties. The Summit also featured contributions from Chris Leslie, Director of the New Local Government Network, and John Mills, Rural Commissioner and former Chief Executive of Cornwall County Council.
4.2 The Leader attended meetings of the CCN’s Management Committee on 3 November and its Executive Committee on 4 November. Issues considered by the Executive included the CCN’s responses to the Care and Support Green Paper and the consultations on the implementation of the Sub-National Review. It also received updates on local government finance issues, the Total Place initiative and performance management and improvement issues.
4.3 The CCN Management Committee meeting was preceded by an occasional meeting between the CCN and District Sounding Board. These meetings are beginning to develop some interesting thinking about the recasting of the two-tier system to retain multi-tier representation while seeking some of the efficiencies and clarity seen by some as the benefit of unitary models.
5. Hertfordshire Local
5.1 On 20 October, the Leader spoke at a briefing event for community leaders on the development of local arrangements to reinforce local representative democracy and sought feedback and guidance on the development of effective localist arrangements.
5.2 Building on a number of initiatives that are already in place, including personalised services, branded information points in libraries and locality budgets for County Councillors, these initiatives develop the ‘confident citizens’ condition of wellbeing in the Corporate Plan and the associated actions under the ‘Be a leading council’ priority.
6. Regional Economic Forum
6.1 The Leader attended the latest meeting of the Regional Economic Forum (REF) on 30 October. Chaired by the Regional Minister, this forum brings together key bodies from across the region to take a collective response to the challenges currently faced by the region’s economy. The Leader represents the East of England Strategic Authority Leaders (EESAL) on this body.
6.2 Held on this occasion in Bedford, items considered at this meeting included the customary presentation by the host authority on their experience of the recession and items on business’s experience of bank lending and tackling worklessness in the East of England.
7. Regional matters
7.1 In his capacity as chairman presumptive of the East of England statutory Leaders’ Board, the Leader met with the outgoing Chairman of EEDA, Richard Ellis, to discuss transitional arrangements arising on the abolition of EERA at the end of March. The Regional LGA/Leaders Board will meet for its first formal session on 19 November.
7.2 In the same capacity, the Leader was invited to a seminar convened by the Chairman of the LGA with the leadership of the nine regional LGAs to reflect on the capacity of local government to take on additional responsibilities and on the future relationship between the national LGA and the regional groupings.
8. Hertfordshire Forward Conference
8.1 The Leader attended Hertfordshire Forward's annual conference on Friday 6 November. With a theme of 'The Hertfordshire Economy - From Recession to Recovery', the conference featured presentations from:
· David Frost, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce;
· James Ayling, Employer Services Director, National Apprenticeship Service – East of England;
· Jackie Hunter, Senior Vice President, Science Environment Development, GlaxoSmithKline;
· Brian King, Northgate Solutions; and
· Nat Wakely, Director of Selling Operations, John Lewis plc.
8.2 The conference also launched the consultation on Hertfordshire’s draft new Economic Development Strategy, with the Leader giving a presentation on the main points of the document. The Leader will also be providing an introduction to the strategy in a forthcoming webcast, which will be available on Herts Direct.
8.3 This year’s admission to the conference was extended to Hertfordshire’s businesses, and there was a good turnout from the private sector, providing partners on Hertfordshire Forward and Hertfordshire Works with a good opportunity to network.
9. ‘Leeds Castle’ Leadership Programme
9.1 Between 10 and 12 November, the Leader attended the final module of the Leadership Programme, held at Hanbury Manor.
10. Forward Plan – November 2009
The Leader will invite the County Council to receive the updated Forward Plan dated 14 November 2009 (circulated separately).
Robert Gordon, DL
Leader of the Council
November 2009
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