Strategy Committee - 5 June

Went to Strategy Committee on Tuesday. A few quick comments:

1. General

I just don't think the single Party Strategy Committee works for the following reasons:

a) There was minimal discussion on some key decisions as I will outline below and the consideration of alternative options was not considered

b) It is a recipe for delay as more items are likely to be requisitioned to full Council by the Tory opposition

c) It is clearly against past Lib Dem principles for multi-party cabinets and I know for a fact some Lib Dem Councillors prefer them, so why the change? My own view is that the Lib Dems should offer the Tories one place for them to choose 1 person with 4 substitutes to fill. If the Tories choose not to take up the offer, that is up to them.

2. Specific

A few comments on certain items:

a) Sheltered Housing Review

I am pleased that this has been handled in such a sensitive way. However there was no reference at the meeting to the current position regarding negotiations with staff.

b) Roundshaw Stock Transfer

I am very concerned that this item was scarcely debated and the alternative option of the stock being managed by Sutton Housing Partnership was not debated. The big issue is that many tenants are concerned with the actual performance of Roundshaw Homes. What will happen to the Sutton Council representation on the Community Board if the transfer goes ahead? None of this was discussed on Tuesday.

c) Local Area Agreement

The Lib Dems missed a trick here. They should have agreed to ask the LGA to develop performance indicators on the speed of government departments in dealing with issues like this. The potential additional £5m funding will help with the modernisation of services as we move towards greater efficiencies in what is the post-expansion period we are now in.

d) Sutton Town Centre Action Plan

I disagree with the Tories and have no problem with spending what is after all Section 106 monies on this. However, I think we really have to consider whether all the fuss over Tramlink is worth the bother. After all it is frightfully expensive and we could see much more bus infrastructure at a much smaller price. Bus services are also quicker to develop. I also think Sutton residents voted in 2006 for efficient services not grand projects and local politicians should ignore that at their peril. The other fundamental reason is that Tramlink will also lead to greater planning pressures in the centre of Sutton. In other words you can't argue for Tramlink for the town centre without accepting greater housing density. I am not sure the Lib Dems (especially Lyn Gleeson) are prepared to accept the latter, thus it might be better to spend any money after the study confirms this point, on simply subsidizing a few more bus routes instead of going on about a grand project that will contradict other policies in the Lib Dem manifesto.

e) Tenant'sHeating and Hot Water Bills

I suspect there will be a great deal of dismay from tenants about the 46% increase (especially in Sean Brennan's and Graham Tope's ward), but there was no debate at Strategy Committee. This shows the weaknesses of the new system as there would have been some debate on this issue.

f) Carshalton War Memorial Hospital and Intermediate Care Provision

This was a confidential item, but as I am not on the Council anymore, I can free speculate on the issue. Under the 2005 BHCH Sutton Hospital CCH option, I believe the preferred proposal was for the PCT to flog off the Carshalton War Memorial site and for the Council to flog off Ludlow Lodge and for intermediate care to have gone in 2010 to a St Helier LCH along with the mental health services that would have been dumped there. However the collapse of the BHCH proposals, mainly due to the fact they have overtaken by events such as a reduction in PFI spending and patients choice being allowed to work it way through the system, now means it is much more likely the War Memorial Hospital site is likely to be reused forintermediatee care as St Helier will still be needed as a CCH, (even if it only gets a phased rebuild, whilst Epsom is slightly downgraded). In other words the Council will get a tasty capital receipt form the sale of Ludlow Lodge and a joint facility will be developed in the correct place. Let's hope I am proved right and this is the first good example of Sutton Council taking the lead, I have always advocated it should, on the whole issue of local acute and community health services.