Agenda and minutes

No apologies were received

The minutes of the meeting held on 8th April 2021 were approved as a correct record

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. NO. 1

Under Schedule 4, 13, Mr H Loxton will ask the Portfolio Holder for Finance & Customer Services, Councillor M Bailey, the following question:-

“What arrangements are in place to reopen the offices of Tamworth Borough Council so members of the public can access face to face help, and when can we expect them to be reopened?”

Councillor Marie Bailey gave the following reply:-

“Tamworth Borough Council through our Officers and Elected members are working hard to protect staff, services and the people of Tamworth ensuring our most vulnerable residents remain a high priority.

Since the pandemic began the Council has continued to deliver services to all of our residents albeit sometimes needing to deliver them in a different way due to the restrictions.  We have listened to our customers and where they have not been able to access services in the way they normally did we have adapted our processes so that we were able to fulfil their requirements.  We are pleased to announce that no formal complaints from customers have been received regarding access to services during these unprecedented times.

Data on how customers access services has been collected and analysed and there is a clear trend that residents are increasingly accessing our services via email, and other digital means and in the last year the number of web chats with customers has increased by 304%, emails increased by 71% with telephone calls decreasing by 6.4%.  In addition the Repairs Contact Centre handled 24,153 telephone calls and 4,639 email enquiries.

As a council we are committed to providing a face to face service for our residents and will do so in line with government guidance.  Given the PM’s announcement on Monday 14th June Tamworth Borough Council will continue to deliver the services in the way we have since the pandemic began, however, officers are currently reviewing the way we will deliver front facing customer service in the very near future.”

Mr Hoxton asked the following Supplementary Question:

“It seems wrong that I can come into the Council offices tonight to this meeting yet a homeless person cannot come into the Council Offices to get help with homelessness advice.  

Could you not be offering a face to face appointment where they book it through email or over the phone and can you confirm that the Tamworth Advice Centre which is obviously Citizens advice which is based in the offices offer face to face appointments to those vulnerable residents that you speak about.”

Councillor Marie Bailey gave the following reply:-

“At the minute appointments can be made but through contact through the customer services centre.  With regards to the other question I will come back with a written response within 2 – 3 days. “ 

The following written response was sent to Mr Loxton.

Dear Mr Loxton 

I am writing to respond to the supplementary question you asked at Cabinet on 14^th June 2021 in respect of the Tamworth Advice Centre and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

There were no matters referred to Cabinet but Councillor Simon Goodall Chair of Infrastructure Safety and Growth Committee attended the meeting  to speak at agenda item 6  - Future High Street Fund: Terms of Reference.  

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

The of the Report of the Leader of the Council to seek to create a governance arrangement for the Future High Street Funds, Terms of Reference that is clear in terms of decision making and the application of financial guidance, the purpose of which is to allow decisions to be taken quickly and at the appropriate level of seniority within the authority.

Councillor Simon Goodall updated Cabinet on the full discussion that took place at Infrastructure, Safety & Growth Scrutiny on Tuesday 15^th June. 

Councillor A Farrell joined the meeting at 6.16pm

Cllr Goodall updated on:

The work programme – once the programme was completed the progress would be reported back to committee, against the baseline Plan.

College funding- clarified the status of the college funding, where that was and the impact on the programme as a whole.

Requested confirmation that reporting on the progress of the programme would be reported to IS&G on a quarterly basis depending on the information available at the time.

Committee was also interested how skills as a wider topic with regards to the college could be impacted by the Council and this could be something that would be included on a wider Scrutiny agenda through one of the Scrutiny Committee’s

Committee also checked that the archaeology was being looked after and some input was being given from the County archaeologist to provide some guidance. 

Committee thanked officers for their hard work on this project and the ongoing work that is still being delivered

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Leisure)

The Report of the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Leisure that sets out a series of proposals relating to the various council housing garages sites dispersed around the housing estate areas of Tamworth. This report builds on a proposed programme set out by the Portfolio Holder for Assets & Finance and the Portfolio Holder for Communities. The report identifies each site and provides costed proposals for consideration of the future of the site.

The report seeks to inform and guide Elected Members of the options available, and to devise a programme for delivery of the preferred options.

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Regulatory and Community Safety)

The report of the Portfolio Holder Community Safety and Regulatory Services to ask Cabinet to endorse the annual refresh of the Tamworth Community Safety Partnership Plan.