Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 June 2025

The minutes of the meeting 26 June 2025 were approved and the meeting actions reviewed

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

Cllrs Simon Clifford, Nick Ireland and Shane Bartlett declared an interest in relation to the Shareholder Committee of Dorset Innovation park, and clarification of the role was provided by the Monitoring Officer.

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either 1 question or 1 statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response.   If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting. The first 8 questions and the first 8 statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  Further information read Public Participation - Dorset Council

All submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on 21 July 2025

When submitting your question or statement please note that:

•         You can submit 1 question or 1 statement.

•         a question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.

•         It must be a single question and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted.

•         Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to 3 minutes to present your question.

•         when submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g., the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)

•         Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.

•         questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

•         all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.

There was no public participation.

To receive questions submitted by councillors.  

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total.   Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting. 

The submissions must be emailed in full to [email protected]  by 8.30am on 21 July 2025 

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

The Committee to consider the report from the Corporate Director Finance & Commercial

The committee recognised and thanked the Corporate Director Finance & Commercial for the provision of this report ahead of the introduction and scene setting provided before the councillor questions.

The discussion that followed covered off several areas such as;

·       The approach taken by the finance team in terms of challenge to budget holders around their forecasts

·       The business partner model taken by the finance team.

·       The role of rebasing and the approaches taken to address any areas of consistent overspend

·       The framework pricing approach

·       Financial controls applied to hold actual spend close to budgeted spend.

·       Large budget gaps and subsequent adaptations that are undertaken to mitigate those either at service, directorate or organisational level ahead of being rebalanced in the next year’s budget.

·       The role of controls-based testing.

·       The role and importance of professional judgement.

·       The inherent complexity of budget setting

·       The positive approach to scenario planning and early engagement at multiple levels to drive savings targets.

Recommendations

A policy or approach to considering rebasing a budget area following consistent and significant discrepancy between forecast and actual spend.

A policy or approach to unprecedented or exceptional budget changes and approach to how that can be managed/mitigated including the political implications of those changes/ decisions

Actions

The Corporate Director Finance & Commercial to bring back the date of the last SWAP audit of budget controls

The Committee to consider the report from the Corporate Director Finance & Commercial

The Committee recognised the complexity and detail in the report and the report was presented by the Corporate Director Finance & Commercial who outlined the legislation and high-level practices of procurement

The discussion that followed covered areas such as:

·       How suppliers were chosen and selected

·       The approval process and the triple check (cost, invoice, receipt)

·       Existing suppliers and the monitoring of their performance

·       The weighting between quality, price and social value and how that was adjusted in practice

·       The definitions of quality and their weighting

·       The importance of the alignment of procurement processes with the council’s strategic direction

·       The officer process of purchasing items

Recommendation

That an approach of supplier performance to be considered and weighted as part of the procurement process.

That there is an urgent consideration given to the strategic document around the weighting of procurement practices to reflect the direction of the council

That consideration be given to the threshold ranges in the Contract procedure rules and the minimum requirements.

Actions

Corporate Director Finance & Commercial to feedback on the legal considerations of current supplier performance if that could be done.

Vote to extend was proposed by Cllr Craig Monks and seconded by Cllr Jack Jeanes.

To consider the report from the Sustainability Team Manager and the Carbon Management Officer

The Sustainability Team Manager and Carbon Management Officer presented the report overviewing the qualitative report showcasing the large programme initiatives and their progress.

The subsequent discussion pulled out several key areas including;

·       The use of glyphosate and the balance between cost and requirement to manage weeds

·       The councils role as a lead in the environmental and ecology practices to encourage practice changes in other sectors.

·       The impact of the nature emergency and the role of the Nature Recovery Strategy

·       Water ways and water quality

·       The councils responsibilities, influence and policies that can be used

Recommendation

That waterways and water quality are given prevalence within the nature recovery strategy

A water quality task and finish group to be created to address the controllable factors and scope out areas

Action

The Sustainability Team Manager to update around the 30% nature recovery target

To review the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

The Committee reviewed the work programme.

To review the Executive arrangement forward plans.

Forward Plans are provided to members of the Place and Resources Scrutiny Committee to review and identify any potential post decision scrutiny to be undertaken, by scheduling items into the work programme to review after a period of implementation.

The committee reviewed the forward plans.

To consider any items of business which the Chair has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph x of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.

There was no exempt business.