Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

To provide the Sub-Committee with the first annual report of the Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCos) in which North Herts Council has a role to enable the Sub-Committee to fulfil its role as shareholder. The LATCo in this report covers the area of CCTV. The committee is also requested to consider what information they wish to be included in future reports.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee noted the report.

(2)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee made recommendations on the content of future reports and annual reviews.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Cabinet Sub-Committee to fulfil its role and responsibilities as shareholder in the local authority trading companies for CCTV.

Audio recording – 18 minutes 4 seconds

The Service Director – Resources presented the report entitled ‘Annual Review of North Herts Trading Companies – CCTV’ and advised that:

·       This report detailed the history of the company.

·       Income had increased initially and then fallen as some of the major corporate clients had left.

·       The company had appointed a new Business Development Manager and had a stable position in the current market.

·       The company contributed around a third of the monitoring costs of the CCTV control room.

·       There had recently been a joint shareholder and directors meeting held which had looked at commissioning work on the future of the company and whether it could extend its clients further. As well as existing contracts needed to be delivered via a company.

·       The company was making a profit and was therefore a sustainable company.

The following Members asked questions:

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

·       Councillor Ian Albert

In response to questions, the Service Director – Resources advised that:

·       The CCTV company contributed towards the capital costs for the control room and the cost to the Council was net of the company contribution.

·       The CCTV company was separate to the CCTV Partnership Joint Executive and it was therefore required for these to be looked at from two different perspectives.

·       This committee was looking at the company from a shareholder perspective.

·       He was a representative on the Management Board of the CCTV Partnership Joint Executive and an Officer shareholder representative of the CCTV company.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

Points raised during the debate included:

·       Thought was needed in relation to the timing of meetings and annual reviews to ensure Members had time to provide comments and feedback.

·       It would be useful to have interim reports, possibly 6 monthly, to enable Members to be kept up to date with information ahead of the yearly meeting.

·       Officers to provide an email update after the initial review meeting of the CCTV company to enable Members to decide if an interim meeting would be required before the next planned committee meeting.

Councillor Val Bryant proposed and Councillor Ian Albert seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee noted the report.

(2)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee made recommendations on the content of future reports and annual reviews.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Cabinet Sub-Committee to fulfil its role and responsibilities as shareholder in the local authority trading companies for CCTV.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

To provide the Sub-Committee with the first annual report of the Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCos) in which North Herts Council has a role to enable the Sub-Committee to fulfil its role as shareholder. The LATCos in this report cover the areas of property management. The committee is also requested to consider what information they wish to be included in future reports.

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee noted the report.

(2)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee made recommendations on the content of future reports and annual reviews.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Cabinet Sub-Committee to fulfil its role and responsibilities as shareholder in the local authority trading companies for property management.

Audio recording – 12 minutes 44 seconds

The Service Director – Enterprise presented the report entitled ‘Annual Review of North Herts Trading Companies – Broadwater Hundred’ and advised that:

·       The key points were set out in Section 7 of the report.

·       Broadwater Hundred Limited had two directors who were Officers at the Council.

·       Broadwater Hundred Property Management Limited had three directors who were also Officers at the Council.

·       The Council owned Harkness Court in Hitchin which had been let on to companies and resulted in the four flats in that property having been let since September 2024.

·       As this was only the first year of trading there was not yet much financial information available.

·       The Council would still receive an income from the property management company even if the flats were vacant.

·       The Council provided a loan to the property management company to enable trading and this was all part of the business case.

In response to a question from Councillor Daniel Allen, the Service Director – Enterprise advised that the flats had been rented at a higher rent than forecast in the business case due to supply and demand.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·       Councillor Ian Albert

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

Points raised during the debate included:

·       An interim report should be provided after the company accounts were carried out in March 2025.

·       The need for overarching when setting dates for meeting, so that the timing of meetings coincided with the other Local Authority Trading Company reports.

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Val Bryant seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee noted the report.

(2)   That the Cabinet Sub-Committee made recommendations on the content of future reports and annual reviews.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To enable the Cabinet Sub-Committee to fulfil its role and responsibilities as shareholder in the local authority trading companies for property management.