Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to the report and appendices (at pages 28 - 35) and the supplementary agenda update (at pages 1 - 8) as delivered and summarised by the Interim Community Services Manager which should be read together with these minutes as a composite document.

Councillor L A Bentley opined that report was based on too many ill-defined assumptions and that an exact, fully-itemised specification of services and costs was required so that Members could make a fully-informed and evidence-based decision.

Councillors D M Carter and Mrs L M Broadley stated that the Council should approach the matter as private-sector based business opportunity insofar as to capitalise on the existing and widely appraised in-house expertise to provide a Council-ran competitively-price and high-quality service(s) to residents in this and neighbouring Boroughs and Districts. Councillor L M Broadley added that a 12-month review period ought to be considered to provide a sufficient-enough evidence base.

Councillor Dr T K Khong stated that a 12-month review period was more advantageous so to account for the seasonal variation in demand for services. He further enquired as to whether the review and the provision of services were predicated upon the existing Scale of Fees and Charges or a proposed, revised Scale.

The Interim Community Services Manager stated that comparative study of the public and private-sector charging structure(s) was first required to be able to respond.

Councillor Mrs S Z Haq enquired as to whether any local assessment had hitherto been undertaken to ascertain market-driven demand for additional services.

The Interim Community Services Manager reported that no local assessment had been undertaken apart from those case studies obtained from other local authorities.

Councillor K J Loydall recommended a 12-month review period together with incremental reports being brought back to this Committee to ascertain whether a sufficient enough evidence base has been accumulated to justify a continued review.

The Chair and Councillor G A Boulter advocated that an six-month review period was adequately indicative to provide a sufficient-enough evidence base in order to ascertain whether a private-sector based business opportunity was achievable. A six-month timeframe was said to allow the Council to gauge the local, market-driven demand, to assess all the options available and implement any changes that may be necessary ahead of the end of the financial year 2017/18.

Councillor J W Boyce moved that:

(i)        A review of the Council’s pest control services be undertaken over a period of six-months, with an update report to be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled for June 2017; and

(ii)       The Community Services Manager be granted delegated authority do anything necessary to give effect to the above at (i) including, but not limited to, undertaking all the necessary steps and actions required to:

(a)       deal with any and all residual matters to otherwise promote and deliver a private-sector based business model in relation to pest control services;

(b)       determine the appropriate benchmarking and setting of any revised Scale of Fees and Charges; and

(c)       to set a date from which any revised Scale of Fees and Charges is to be effective from.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT:

(i)        A review of the Council’s pest control services be undertaken over a period of six-months, with an update report to be brought back to the next meeting of the Committee scheduled for June 2017; and

(ii)       The Community Services Manager be granted delegated authority do anything necessary to give effect to the above at (i) including, but not limited to, undertaking all the necessary steps and actions required to:

(a)       deal with any and all residual matters to otherwise promote and deliver a private-sector based business model in relation to pest control services;

(b)       determine the appropriate benchmarking and setting of any revised Scale of Fees and Charges; and

(c)       to set a date from which any revised Scale of Fees and Charges is to be effective from.