To consider a verbal update regarding bringing the Public Protection Service back in-house

The Committee considered a report, set out in agenda pages 73 to 78, which gave an update on the process of bringing the Public Protection Service back in-house.

The report outlined that the majority of associated regulatory services would be brought back in-house, with a minority of services with more regional significance being provide by West Berkshire Council. Examples of services to be provided by West Berkshire Council included Trading Standards, air quality, and farm animal welfare. The exit plan was likely to be signed off via delegated decision after 8 October 2021.

Bill Soane (Executive Member for Neighbourhood and Communities), Stephen Brown (Interim Assistant Director – Place), and David Thrale (Interim Public Protection Consultant) attended the meeting to answer Member queries.

During the ensuing discussions, Members raised the following points and queries:

·           It was noted that the PowerPoint slide pack would be circulated to the Committee.

·           Was the exit plan on target? Officer response – Yes, this was on track and the goal was to enhance the overall service provision. Staff were doing a fantastic job to enable the transition back in-house to run smoothly.

·           Were any costs in relation to bring the service back in house being kept as low as possible? Officer response – Costs were being kept as low as possible for all parties during negotiations. Negotiations were difficult as the partnership feel that they were losing out by Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) leaving, however officers were working as hard as possible to get a fair deal for both WBC and the partnership.

·           Were there any concerns that critical milestones may not be met on time? Officer response – There had been concerns earlier on in the process with regards to some deadlines, however officers were now more confident as the process moved forwards.

·           Were issues relating to the pension scheme for staff on target to be addressed? Officer response – Parity would be assured for all staff, and allowances would be made for staff who were expected to work antisocial hours.

·           Were negotiations relating to jointly owned partner assets going smoothly? Officer response – The key assets were vehicles, and WBC were looking to take a number from the partnership to eliminate the liability aspect for vehicles. The remainder of joint assets were fairly low level.

·           Had meaningful discussions taken place with the police with regards to antisocial behaviour, and the move on this aspect of the service back in-house? Officer response – Discussion had been had with the police since the beginning of this process, and discussions had also taken place with the Community Safety Partnership. The aim of the service was to build better partnerships, and it was expected that this would be beneficial for the police service, the Community Safety Partnership, and WBC.

·           Who would produce the report in relation to air quality for DEFRA? Officer response – This would be provided by the partnership for WBC, as it was felt better value to pay towards the cost of the expert that was writing this report rather than paying solely for an expert.

·           The Executive Member commented that this was driven by a desire to offer residents a better service. Antisocial behaviour was just one aspect where benefits would be seen, for example by working closely within communities to address issues early and use less police resources. Ward Members and Town and Parish Councils would be a great help in feeding in local knowledge to assist with antisocial behaviour, food hygiene, and licensing issues. Officers were working very hard on very difficult and complicated tasks, for the purposes of providing residents with a better service.

·           It was noted that there were project costs associated with this area, and it was accepted that West Berkshire would be reimbursed for associated project cots. £250k had been allocated to cover costs associated with bringing the service back in-house.

RESOLVED That:

1)     Bill Soane, Stephen Brown, and David Thrale be thanked for attending the meeting;

2)     A further verbal update be considered by the Committee in January 2022.