Decisions

Fuel cards are used in County Council vehicles to allow staff to draw fuel from most fuel stations whilst on Council business.

The initial period of the current contract for the provision of fuel cards will expire on 22 March 2021.  This formed part of Decision OKD05 19/20 . The terms of the current agreement allow for the contract to be extended for a period of up to 24 months, until 22 March 2023.

It is proposed that the Council takes the 2-year extension in order to:

1. Maintain business continuity and;

2. Ensure the contract arrangement with the provider remains co-terminus with partners with whom the Council has aggregated its requirement to ensure best value.

The total value of the proposed contract extension is approximately £840,000.

The Chief Fire Officer has approved the contract extension for fuel cards for a period of 24-months with a proposed expiry date as 22 March 2023, in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders on Procurement and Contracts.

West Sussex County Council is the lead commissioner for the Learning Disability Pooled Budget and currently contracts for specialist health provisions for adults with LD and autism. The providers of the services are Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust (SPFT) and Sussex Community Foundation Trust (SCFT). 

The combined value of the two contracts is £3,805,017 per annum.  The contracts were let on a 3 year term, commencing 1st July 2018. 

A decision is required to invoke the provision under clause 2.4 of the contracts between WSCC and SPFT and SCFT, to apply an extension for a period of four years until 2025, following the expiry of the initial 3 years of the current contract in 2021.  The total contract value over the recommended extension period is £15, 220, 068.

Taking up the full four year extension will allow the County Council and its health partners to:

• Work to deliver the service developments and improvements as identified
• Maximise opportunities to share best practice and achieve scale and partnership efficiencies, by continuing to work with the current providers that deliver services across Sussex and who work strategically with key system partners such as Sussex CCG’s, the Sussex Health and Care Partnership and NHSE.
• Make best use of resources, including WSCC staff resources (in particular commissioning and contracting staff) that are temporarily diverted to manage the additional pressures and challenges presented by Covid-19

The Executive Director of Adults and Health has approved a four year extension to the contracts for the provision of specialist health services to 30 June 2025.

The Highway and Transport Delivery Programmes identify capital highways infrastructure maintenance and transport improvement schemes for delivery during 2021/22 and beyond. Capital funding for the Delivery Programmes is predominantly received from the Government for roads maintenance (the Local Highway Maintenance Block), and transport improvements (the Integrated Transport Block) supported by additional funding from developer agreements and contributions.

The indicative forward programmes for Highway Infrastructure Maintenance, Local Transport Improvements (LTIP) and Community Highway Schemes (CHS), have informed the 2021/22 Highways and Transport Delivery Programmes. These provide transparency of the maintenance and improvement investment needs and the funding priorities prepared and selected for review and approval in this decision.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure has approved:

(1)     the Highways, Transport and Planning Delivery programme for 2021/22.

(2)     delegated authority to the Director of Highways, Transport and Planning to adjust the Highways, Transport and Planning Delivery Programme 2021/22 to take account of budgetary pressures and any changes in priority arising as a result of network availability, emergencies, or other operational circumstances, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure.

The County Council shares a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for learning and development service training providers with East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and Surrey County Councils. The DPS was implemented in April 2017 following key decision CR05 16-17 in September 2016, with a validity period of 4 years which ends in March 2021

The Cabinet Member has endorsed:

(1) That the current Dynamic Purchasing System for the provision of learning and development (including apprenticeships), due to expire, on 31 March 2021 is extended for a further period of 2 years to 31 March 2023 with the option to extend its validity further pending its review at the end of the two years; and that

(2) authority is delegated to the Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development to agree the further extension to 31 March 2025 if required.  A further decision report would be published at that time.

The Council is working in partnership with District & Borough Councils, registered housing providers and registered care providers to develop and deliver extra care housing across West Sussex. 

Extra Care provides an alternative option for people who require care but want to retain their independence through having their own front door.

The Council has invested capital grant funding into the builds of Monaveen and Lingfield Lodge (Report Ref FN16 2019-20). A return of investment has been agreed through the reduction in the cost of care the council may provide to a person through a council managed budget or placement.

Following a procurement process (Report ref: AH03 2020-21) between July and October 2020, the Council is now in a position to award contracts for the delivery of Extra Care Services at Monaveen and Lingfield Lodge.

The Executive Director Adults and Health has approved the award of the Extra Care Contracts until 30 September 2025 in relation to:

·     Lot 9 – Lingfield Lodge – London Care

·     Lot 10 – Monaveen – Housing 21

The West of Horsham highway infrastructure package includes four significant highway junction projects to support the delivery of the major housing and employment allocations to the east and west of the A24 as follows -

• A24 Farthings Hill roundabout (completed 2020)

• A281 Newbridge roundabout (completed 2020)

• A24 Great Daux roundabout (on hold)

• A24 Robin Hood roundabout (see below)

In July 2020, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure approved the commencement of the procurement process to secure a build contractor for the A24 Robin Hood scheme and delegated authority to the Director of Highways, Transport and Planning to appoint the build contractor.

The procurement process has now concluded.

The Director of Highways, Transport and Planning has approved the appointment of Landbuild Ltd for the construction of the A24 Robin Hood Junction Improvement Scheme, as set out in section 2 of the report.

64.1     The Council considered the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and recommendations for the scheme of allowances and expenses from May 2021, in the light of a report from the Governance Committee (pages 63 to 96).

64.2     An amendment was moved by Cllr M Jones and seconded by Cllr Walsh.

‘The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group generally welcomes the report of the Panel and thanks the Panel for its work during its review of the Member Allowance Scheme. The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group support the Panel’s recommendations about sustainability as a move to reducing the County Council’s carbon footprint, to support our climate change emergency.

The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group welcomes the IRP’s recommendation to freeze allowances in 2021/22 in view of the ‘present economic environment in which Council services are being increasingly severely restricted, and constituents are suffering with furlough, loss of business income and possible looming unemployment’ (paragraph 31).  This is further re-enforced by the decision by the Government to impose a public sector pay freeze for public sector workers which includes all of the workers in services that the county council employs.

In light of this, the Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group recognises that recommendations (m) and (p) in the Panel’s report may lead to reductions in the special responsibility allowance paid to some future postholders in the roles of senior advisers to cabinet members and minority group leaders.

However, the Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group have become concerned that there is an overall lack of consistency in the report relating to the treatment of special responsibility allowances.  If it is appropriate to reduce the aforementioned allowances, then it believes it is also appropriate to apply a similar reduction by the same effective amount.

The Labour Group and the Liberal Democrat Group therefore puts forward the following amendment to the Governance Committee’s recommendation, in the light of the severe financial pressures and in order to ensure consistency with all special responsibility allowances for councillors, which could save £88,290 compared to the current cost of special responsibility allowances. Combined with the potential reductions in minority group leader of £4,285 and senior adviser to cabinet members’ allowances of £7,324, this could total £99,809.

‘That the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report and recommendations be approved, but the Council agrees to go further than the IRP’s recommended approach to freeze allowances and thereby agrees to reduce the special responsibility allowances paid to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Leader, Cabinet Members, Committee Chairmen and Foster Panel members by 25% in May 2021. This would have consequential amendments to the IRP’s recommendations (g)-(k).’

An extract from Schedule 1 of the Member Allowance Scheme is shown below, illustrating the effect of the proposed amendment.

Schedule 1

Special Responsibility Allowances

* and ** reflect the IRP’s recommended levels.’

64.3     The amendment was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 35.5.

(a)      For the amendment – 11

Cllr Buckland, Cllr N Dennis, Cllr M Jones, Cllr Lord, Cllr Millson, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Purchese, Cllr Quinn and Cllr Smytherman.

(b)      Against the amendment – 40

Cllr Acraman, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Barnard, Cllr Barrett-Miles, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Catchpole, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jones, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kennard, Cllr Kitchen, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Magill, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McDonald, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr R J Oakley, Cllr S J Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Purnell, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Turner, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Whittington and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

(c)      Abstentions – 8

Cllr Arculus, Cllr Bradford, Cllr Bridges, Cllr Brunsdon, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Edwards, Cllr Fitzjohn and Cllr Sudan.

Cllr Barling, Cllr Barton, Cllr Cloake, Cllr Goldsmith, Cllr Hall, Cllr High, Cllr Lea, Cllr Smith, Cllr Simmons and Cllr Walsh were absent for the vote.

64.4     The amendment was lost.

64.5     Resolved –

That the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report and recommendations, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

65.1     The Council considered a minor change to the arrangements for scrutiny, in the light of a report from the Governance Committee (pages 97 and 98).

65.2     Resolved –

That the Constitution be amended to provide that scrutiny of the Drug and Alcohol Action Team is by the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee rather than the Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee.

66.1     The Council considered proposed revisions to the Code of Conduct Section 2, Member Officer Relations Protocol, in the light of a report from the Standards Committee (pages 99 to 110).

66.2     Resolved -

That the revised protocol, as set out at Appendix 1, be approved for inclusion in the Code of Conduct section of the Constitution.

The purpose of Operation Watershed is to support people in their local communities who want to work with the County Council to become more prepared for, or to reduce the risk of, flooding. Local groups are encouraged to apply for funding to finance schemes and projects of all sizes as a way of achieving this.

£1.500m is allocated for Operation Watershed in the Capital Programme agreed by Full Council in December 2017.

The allocation for 2020/21 is £0.375m.  In this period five full applications have been received and evaluated totalling £90,771.72 and are set out in Appendix A of the report.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure has approved the applications from the community groups or parish councils set out in Appendix A of the report.

West Sussex County Council is a designated Highways Authority under the Highways Act 1980 and has a duty to maintain highways maintainable at public expense.

In January 2019, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure approved the commencement of a procurement process for a new Highways Maintenance Term Contract or set of contracts and delegated authority to the Director of Highways and Transport to finalise the terms of and award the Highway Maintenance Term Contract or set of contracts at the conclusion of the procurement process.

In November 2019, the Director of Highways, Transport and Planning awarded five-year contracts for Lots 1, 2 and 3 (core services, drainage cleansing, hedge and grass maintenance)

Lots 4, 5 and 6 (carriageways, footways and infrastructure works) are procured annually and the formal procurement process for the delivery of highways improvements to be undertaken during the 2021-22 financial year is complete.

The Director of Highways, Transport and Planning has approved the award of contracts to the following contractors to deliver works programmes for Lots 4, 5 and 6 for highways works during 2021-22: