Agenda and minutes

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary and other interests in relation to any Agenda item.

Councillor S J Criswell declared a non-statutory disclosable interest in relation to Minute Number 24 as a Cambridgeshire County Councillor. Cambridgeshire County Council is responsible for the appointment of Members to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority.

(At 7.01pm, during the consideration of this item, Councillor L R Swain entered the meeting.)

Representatives from Luminus Group Limited will be in attendance to discuss with Members their Regulatory Judgement from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The following representatives from Luminus Group Limited were in attendance to answer the Panel’s questions on the Home and Communities Agency (HCA) regulatory judgement on the organisation: Mr Mike Forrest, Chairman of the Board; Mr Tom Miskell, Interim Chief Executive and Mr Nigel Finney, Executive Director (Operations).

Members were informed of the changes that had been undertaken since the HCA judgement including; the change of Board Chairman, the appointment of three new Board members, the resignation of Dr Chan Abraham as Chief Executive and the appointment of Mr Miskell as Interim Chief Executive.

Luminus has entered into a legally binding agreement with the HCA to rectify some issues that have been highlighted including the gas safety certificates. The Panel was informed that whilst Luminus have been rectifying issues around the gas safety certificates, they took the opportunity to ensure that the electric certificates were up to date.

Luminus have also updated the company’s mission and there is also a desire to be transparent with staff, residents and partners. The Interim Chief Executive stated that he had met with the Council’s Managing Director and Corporate Director (Delivery) and will meet the Executive Leader and the Executive Councillor for Housing and Regulatory Services in the week commencing 17th July.

In response to the question, was there trouble with the electric certificates as well the gas safety certificates, the Panel was informed that the main issue was the gas safety certificates which has now been rectified however what Luminus are trying to do is update the electric certificates as well at the same time. No problems with the electric certificates had been identified.

With the resignation of the previous Chief Executive, Members asked is there still influence upon the Board and the company from the previous Chief Executive and do they still use Luminus property to host their church? In response the Panel was informed that the previous Chief Executive stopped using Luminus’ property for his Church before Christmas 2016. The previous Chief Executive has no links with any part of the organisation.

Following a question regarding the £48m commercial investment in an external property development company, Members were informed that the investment was a way for Luminus to develop commercial property however, due to legislation, Luminus could not be in control of the company. The investment was supposed to deliver a number of properties, some of which are located in Huntingdonshire, however the investment is not delivering the number of properties anticipated. Luminus Board and Management are still establishing the full details of the investment that was made several years ago.

In response to a supplementary question on the £48m investment, Members were informed that £35m is the capital investment and the rest is interest. The investment is repayable in 2036 and was meant to deliver housing. The Interim Chief Executive stated that he will clarify how many houses are expected to be delivered and how far off the target it is when he has the full facts.

When it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

Jason Ablewhite, Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner, will be in attendance to discuss the Fire Governance Consultation.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Jason Ablewhite, was in attendance to addressed the Panel and inform them of his Fire Governance Consultation. Members were informed that the Government have amended legislation to allow Police and Crime Commissioners to take on the governance of the Fire Service. The legislation provides four options relating to fire governance: the no change option, the representation option, the governance option and the single employer option.

The PCC stated that he has been working closely with the Fire Authority on governance and they have been fully involved with the process. The Panel was informed that the PCC and three members of the Fire Authority decided to hire PA Consulting in order to put together a Business Case. The consultant recommended option three, the governance option.

An eight week consultation is now in progress and in the opinion of the Police and Crime Commissioner there are significant benefits of fire governance coming under the remit of the PCC.

The PCC highlighted the potential savings from the better use of the fire and police estates by explaining to Members the current collaboration over the location of the Fire Service Headquarters and the relocation of the Fire Service’s training facility to the Police training centre at Monks Wood.

The PCC expects that there will be opposition from Cambridgeshire County Council, however he believes that change is required. Every other PCC with the exception of Bedfordshire is pursing the governance option.

In response to the question, what risks that had been identified, the Panel was informed that the biggest risk was lack of staff buy in. There is an option to have one Chief Officer across both services however the PCC believes that the option is not practical and that the staff wouldn’t buy into it.

Concern was raised that the Parish Councils are not receiving the information on the Fire Governance consultation, however the PCC stated the Parish Councils are receiving the information however the consultation has only just begun.

Following a question, Members were informed that if the Fire Authority was abolished it would save £108k per annum. The PCC recognised that his office does cost more than the previous Police Authority however he has more responsibility. In response to the question, would he take on a deputy for the governance of the Fire Service, the Panel was informed that he wouldn’t but he would appoint an assistant commissioner on a part time basis.

In response to the criticism from the Fire Authority, the PCC stated that it is not surprising they are criticising the plans as they are not keen to give up their allowances and responsibilities.

Following concerns that the governance will be in the hands of one individual and that the PCC wasn’t elected at the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, the Panel was informed that the current PCC stood on the platform of taking on the governance of the fire service and that the next PCC election will be in 2020. The PCC  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.