Agenda and minutes

Standing item.

As the Chairman had been caught in heavy traffic, the Vice-Chairman took the chair. 

Apologies were received from County Councillor Stephen Clarke.

Members are asked to consider any pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests they may have to disclose to the meeting in relation to matters under consideration on the Agenda.

None received.

RESOLVED: - That the Minutes of the CFA held on 13 December 2021 be confirmed and signed by the Vice-Chairman.

RESOLVED: - That the proceedings of the Performance Committee held on 15 December 2021 be noted and endorsed.

RESOLVED: - That the proceedings of the Planning Committee held on 7 February 2022 be noted and endorsed.

(Verbal report)

The Chief Fire Officer updated Members on the process for the recruitment and selection to the post of Assistant Chief Fire Officer.

RESOLVED: - That the report be noted.

(Verbal report)

In the absence of the Clerk and Monitoring Officer to the Authority the Director of People and Development updated Members on the process for the recruitment and selection of the Independent Person to replace Mrs Hilary Banks, who had been closely associated with and a dedicated source of guidance for the Fire Authority for over 20 years.

Mrs Banks was present in the meeting.  She stated that it had been an honour and pleasure to serve the Authority and Service, in which she was very proud.  She had attended many meetings over the years where she had witnessed the dignity and respect shown for the views of Members and Officers and she was thankful to have not had any serious issues to deal with during her tenure.  She was concerned that a replacement had not yet been found and, as it was a legal requirement for the Authority to have an Independent Person, she requested what the proposals were to seek her replacement going forwards.

The Director of People and Development advised that it was being considered whether it would be possible to revise the framework of the Local Pensions Board and appoint an independent chairman whose role would also include that of the Independent Person.  Mrs Banks expressed concern at the length of time that would take.  She felt that there would be many professional people willing to step up to public duty (to serve their community and to some degree enhance their own careers) and she was shocked that there had been no interest expressed even under her current terms.  She did not think adding another dimension to the role would make it more attractive when the real role was to serve the Authority.

On behalf of the Authority, the Vice-Chairman expressed sincere thanks Mrs Banks for her dedication and service and Members applauded.

RESOLVED: - That the Authority approved Mrs Banks to continue in the role as Independent Person until a replacement could be appointed.

The Director of People and Development presented the report.  In accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 a pay policy statement for 2022/23 was considered by Members. 

The pay policy published data on senior salaries and the structure of the workforce and it demonstrated the principles of transparency.

The pay policy statement set out the Authority’s policies for the financial year relating to: -

-    The remuneration of its chief officers;

-    The remuneration of its lowest paid employees;

-    The relationship between the remuneration of its chief officers and that of other employees who were not chief officers.

The statement included: -

-    The level and elements of remuneration for each chief officer;

-    Remuneration range for chief officers on recruitment;

-    Methodology for increases and additions to remuneration for each chief officer;

-    The use of performance-related pay for chief officers;

-    The use of bonuses for chief officers;

-    The approach to the payment of chief officers on their ceasing to hold office under, or be employed by, the authority, and

-    The publication of and access to information relating to the remuneration of chief officers.

It also included the Authority’s policies for the financial year relating to other terms and conditions applying to its chief officers.

Councillor Hugo noted the Service paid less than the foundation living wage (currently £9.90) to green book staff on the rate of £9.44 (as referred to on page 54 of the agenda pack); she queried whether this was something the Authority could strive to pay.  In response, the Director of People and Development confirmed that the staff on grade 1 posts were at the top of the pay scale at £18,562.  He advised that a pay increase offer of 1.75% (or higher to those on the lowest pay point) had been made which would be effective from 1 April 2021 however, this had not been agreed with the representative bodies but this would address her query. 

In response to a question raised by County Councillor Hennessy, the Director of People and Development confirmed that the Government view of an appropriate pay for a chief executive should be at a ratio of no more than 1 to 25.  When this was applied for the Service at the pay scale of £18,569 the Chief Fire Officer’s earning ratio was 1 to 8.249.  A more realistic appraisal was a competent firefighter pay where the earning ratio was 1 to 4.64 therefore clearly within standard.

RESOLVED: - That the Pay Policy Statement be approved.

This report provided an update regarding the inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) that started from week commencing 22 November 2021 and the work completed pre and during inspection. Additionally, it covered a summary of the national report, State of Fire 2021, which has recently been published.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that the Service received a hot debrief from the HMICFRS team on 9 February 2022 however, it was not possible to deduct from that the gradings that would be awarded.  Inspection reports were expected to be published in the late Spring 2022 although no specific dates had yet been confirmed.  LFRS would receive a copy of its report ahead of this to check for factual errors. 

The inspection process had focussed attention regarding some key areas.  Overall, the experience had been very positive and enabled the Service to continue to identify areas needing improvement, helping shape many of the actions within Annual Service Plans.  When the final report was received in summer it would provide further clarity and direction, therefore enabling the focussing of resources on the areas requiring strengthening to ensure LFRS continued towards its aim of being graded as outstanding.

The report also updated Members on the national State of Fire report produced by Sir Thomas Windsor released in January 2022.  The report highlighted that overall, nationally there had been progress from round 1 inspections with improvements in culture and people and investment in fire protection.  However, an area identified as being problematic was the resourcing and prioritising of prevention work.  Other areas identified as requiring further improvement included the diversity of recruitment and challenges around the on-call duty system.  Members considered appendix 1 which set out a summary of 6 national recommendations of which 2 had been completed with the remaining 4 ongoing.

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer advised that having done one full round of inspections, the HMICFRS were now much more mature in their considerations.

The Authority commended the work done by Officers and staff and looked forward to the final report with confidence.

RESOLVED: - That the report be noted and endorsed.

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer advised that the Financial Strategy encompassed the following 4 items on the agenda which were intrinsically linked, with changes in one impacting on the others: i) the Treasury Management Strategy set out investment, borrowing, repayment and how money was set aside to repay borrowing, ii) the Reserves and Balances Policy set out savings and how they were planned to be used over the next 5 years; iii) the Capital Strategy and Budget set out major expenditure for investment within the Service and iv) the Revenue Budget was for the day to day running of the Service.

The Chairman of the Authority arrived at this point and apologised for his late arrival.

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer presented the report that set out the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy for 2022/23.

Treasury Management Strategy for 2022/23

The Strategy Statement had been prepared in accordance with the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice.  Accordingly, the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority's Treasury Management Strategy would be approved by the full Authority, and there would also be a mid-year and a year-end outturn report presented to the Resources Committee. In addition, there would be monitoring and review reports to Members in the event of any changes to Treasury Management policies or practices.  The aim of these reporting arrangements was to ensure that those with ultimate responsibility for the treasury management function appreciated fully the implications of treasury management policies and activities, and that those implementing policies and executing transactions had properly fulfilled their responsibilities with regard to delegation and reporting.

The Authority had adopted reporting arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the Code as set out in the report.

The Treasury Management Strategy covered the following aspects of the Treasury Management function: -

•        Prudential Indicators which would provide a controlling framework for the capital expenditure and treasury management activities of the Authority;

•        Current Long-term debt and investments;

•        Prospects for interest rates;

•        The Borrowing Strategy;

•        The Investment Strategy;

•        Policy on borrowing in advance of need.

Setting the Treasury Management Strategy for 2022/23

In setting the treasury management strategy the: economic forecasts, interest rate forecasts, the current structure of the investment and debt portfolio and the future capital programme and underlying cash forecasts were considered.

Economic background

The treasury management activity would be influenced by the forecast of interest rates for the year. In December 2021 the Bank of England increased the Bank Rate by 0.15% to 0.25%. This increase was the first in over 3 years and was made in response to inflationary pressures.  This was followed by a further 0.25% increase in February to give a base rate of 0.5%. The November inflation rate, as measured by Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was 5.1% which was the highest for a decade and the Bank of England forecasts suggested it might rise to 6% or 7% in the first few months of 2022.

Arlingclose Forecast

The Authority’s treasury management adviser Arlingclose  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71-20/21

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer presented the report.  The Fire Authority held reserves to meet potential future expenditure requirements. The reserves policy was based on guidance issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). It explained the difference between general reserves (those held to meet unforeseen circumstances), earmarked reserves (those held for a specific purpose) and provisions (where a liability existed but the extent and/or timing of this was uncertain). In addition, the policy identified how the Authority determined the appropriate level of reserves and what these were. The policy confirmed that the level of, and the appropriateness of reserves would be reported on as part of the annual budget setting process and as part of the year end accounting process.

Review of Level of Reserves

In determining the appropriate level of general reserves required by the Authority, the Treasurer was required to form a professional judgement on this, taking account of the strategic, operational, and financial risk facing the Authority.  This was completed based on guidance issued by CIPFA and included an assessment of the financial assumptions underpinning the budget, the adequacy of insurance arrangements and consideration of the Authority’s financial management arrangements. In addition, the assessment should focus on both medium and long-term requirements, taking account of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (as set out in the draft budget report elsewhere on this agenda).

For Lancashire Combined Fire Authority this covered issues such as: uncertainty surrounding future funding settlements and the potential impact of this on the revenue and capital budget; uncertainty surrounding future pay awards and inflation rates; the impact of changes to pension schemes and the remedy for the McCloud judgement; demand led pressures; risk of default associated with investments as set out in the Treasury Management Strategy, cost associated with maintaining operational cover in the event of Industrial Action etc.

There remained a great deal of uncertainty over long term funding than in recent years as the impact of both Brexit and the Pandemic on public finances and the national economy were still unknown. As a result, the anticipated multi-year settlement had been postponed again, hence the draft settlement only covered 2022/23. As a result of the Local Government Finance Settlement the Authority will receive a 1.1% inflationary increase for 2022/23.

Furthermore, the outcome of the fair funding review of relative needs and resources and the Government intention to move to greater retention of Business Rates had also been postponed, and hence were likely to take effect over the next settlement period, which it was anticipated would be a multi-year settlement.

The position in terms of pension costs was also extremely uncertain with guidance relating to Immediate Detriment being issued, and subsequently withdrawn, and with there being no clear decision as to where the costs of implementing this would fall.

As such the Treasurer considered it prudent to increase the minimum target reserves level to £4.0m, 6.5% of the 2022/23 net revenue budget, reflecting the increasing level of uncertainty. This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72-20/21

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer presented the report.  The Authority’s capital strategy was designed to ensure that the Authority’s capital investment:

·         assisted in delivering the corporate objectives;

·         provided the framework for capital funding and expenditure decisions, ensuring that capital investment was in line with priorities identified in asset management plans;

·         ensured statutory requirements were met, i.e. Health and Safety issues;

·         supported the Medium-Term Financial Strategy by ensuring all capital investment decisions considered the future impact on revenue budgets;

·         demonstrated value for money in ensuring the Authority’s assets were enhanced/preserved;

·         described the sources of capital funding available for the medium term and how these might be used to achieve a prudent and sustainable capital programme.

Managing capital expenditure

The Capital Programme was prepared annually through the budget setting process and was reported to the Authority for approval each February.  The programme set out the capital projects taking place in the financial years 2022/23 to 2026/7 and would be updated in May to reflect the effects of the final level of slippage from the current financial year (2021/22).

The majority of projects originated from approved asset management plans, subject to assessments of ongoing requirements.  Bids for new capital projects were evaluated and prioritised by Executive Board prior to seeking Authority approval.

A budget manager was responsible for the effective financial control and monitoring of their elements of the capital programme.  Quarterly returns were submitted to the Director of Corporate Services on progress to date and estimated final costs.  Any variations were dealt with in accordance with the Financial Regulations (Section 4.71).  Where expenditure was required or anticipated which had not been included in the capital programme, a revision to the Capital Programme must be approved by Resources Committee before that spending could proceed.

Proposed Capital Budget

Capital expenditure was expenditure on major assets such as new buildings, significant building modifications and major pieces of equipment/vehicles.

The Service had developed asset management plans which assisted in identifying the long-term capital requirements. These plans, together with the operational equipment register had been used to assist in identifying total requirements and the relevant priorities.

Vehicles

The Fleet Asset Management plan had been used as a basis to identify the following vehicle replacement programme, which was based on current approved lives:-

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer presented the report which set out the draft revenue budget for 2022/23-2026/27 and the resultant council tax implications.

The budget requirement had been re-assessed taking account of known / anticipated changes, incorporating current year-end forecast projections, and forecast vacancy factors based on anticipated recruitment resulting in a total requirement of £63.0m.  The main points to note in terms of budget requirement were:-

·      the uncertainty surrounding future inflation rates, in terms of the outstanding pay award for green book personnel in 2021/22, uncertainty surrounding next years pay awards for all staff, with a 2% allowance built into the budget, and uncertainty surrounding other inflation, particularly around energy and fuel costs;

·      the increase in national insurance contribution rates;

·      the number of wholetime recruits required next year, and the impact of this on vacancy levels;

·      the investment required in support functions in order to improve capacity and resilience and review existing pay structures;

·      the increase in our contribution to support the capital programme, therefore reducing future borrowing requirements;

·      the increase in vacancy factor for green book posts, reflecting the current challenges in recruitment.

It was noted that the Local Government Settlement was not the anticipated multi-year settlement, as it only covered next year. It did however allow for:-

·         a 1.1% increase in funding, and it had been assumed that this increased by a further 1.0% in subsequent years;

·         established a new ‘Service Grant’ the Authority’s share of which was £1.1m. Whilst this was a one-off grant, it had been assumed the element of this which offset national insurance increases (£0.3m) was provided in some form in future years;

·         a change to the council tax referendum principles for FRAs for 2022/23, allowing those in the bottom quartile to increase council tax by up to £5, whilst all others had a 2% referendum limit set. Lancashire was in the bottom quartile hence able to take advantage of this flexibility. This increase would generate an additional £1.6m of council tax, over and above a 2% increase, for the Authority (£2.2m as opposed to £0.6m). This was a one-off change and only applied to 2022/23 council tax increases.

This potential increase was a one-off opportunity to address some of the longer-term challenges within the Service, such as:

·         Invest in improvements to support our ‘road to outstanding’ ambition;

·         Review capacity/resilience and pay structures within support functions;

·         Outcome of Emergency Cover Review (ECR) mitigating the impact of removing the Day Crewing Plus duty system;

·         Invest in our asset base/reduce future borrowing;

·         Provide re-assurance that we are able to meet some of the uncertainties surrounding the current pension situation, in terms of both pensionability of allowances and Immediate Detriment.

It was therefore propose utilising the flexibility to increase council tax by £5 (10p per week), to £77.27. That level would still be below the anticipated sector average and the Authority would still have the 9^th lowest cumulative increase over the last 10 years.

Looking longer term the key variables remained future funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74-20/21

The Deputy Chief Fire Officer presented the report.

At the Planning Committee meeting on 12 July 2021, the committee approved a draft of Integrated Risk Management Plan along with the revised name ‘Community Risk Management Plan’, whilst also approving the commencement of a period of public consultation.  A 10-week consultation period ensued, culminating in the production and presentation of a consultation report which was shared with the Planning Committee on the 15 November 2021, in which the Committee agreed the consultation was adequate in respect of scale and scope.

The outcome of the consultation, including feedback from the key stakeholders along with some suggested amendments was shared with the Committee and the final version of the CRMP, as now considered by Members included the agreed amendments.

A summary of the key changes:

-       The name had been changed to ‘Community’ Risk Management Plan aligning us with other FRSs and national terminology.

-       The methodology on which the CRMP was based, was supported by NFCC best practice guidelines.

-       The CRMP was underpinned by our SAoR, a SAoR which was built on a newly developed, and data led methodology that identified the Operational risk within our county.

-       The Strategies that supported the delivery of our CRMP had been expanded from 3 to 6 and now include a People, Finance, and Digital and Data Strategy in addition to our Prevention, Protection, and Response Strategies.

-       All 6 Strategies had also been refreshed to run concurrently with the CRMP timeframe - 2022-27.

-       The way in which our 5 key priorities are presented have been reviewed so that we can demonstrate the commitment to our people is our highest priority:

o   Valuing out people so they can focus on Making Lancashire Safer

o   Preventing fires and other emergencies from happening

o   Protecting people and property when they happen

o   Responding to fires and other emergencies quickly and competently

o   Delivering value for money in how we use our resources

-       Our longstanding STRIVE values were now supported by the recently published Code of Ethics which had been referenced within the CRMP.

-       In addition to the 6 core strategies, we have also developed a Climate Change Operational Response plan which supports the CRMP, the SAoR and the Response strategy. This too was referenced within the CRMP.

Following endorsement by the Combined Fire Authority the refreshed Community Risk Management Plan would be published in April 2022 to outline our approach to the identification and mitigation of risk within our county for the next 5 years (2022-2027).

RESOLVED: - That the Authority approved the Community Risk Management Plan 2022 – 2027 and authorised its publication.

The concept of Member Champions was introduced in December 2007.  A review of the areas of focus for Member Champions was considered at the Authority meeting held in June 2017 where new areas of responsibility were agreed.  The current Member Champions and their areas of responsibility were:

·         Community Safety – Councillor Jean Rigby

·         Equality, Diversity and Inclusion – Councillor Zamir Khan

·         Health and Wellbeing – County Councillor Andrea Kay

·         Road Safety – County Councillor Ron Woollam

Reports relating to the activity of the Member Champions were provided on a regular basis to the Authority.  This report related to activity for the period up to February 2022.  During this period all had undertaken their respective role in accordance with the defined terms of reference.

All Member Champions presented their reports, and the following was noted:

In addition to her update Councillor Rigby circulated to Members a leaflet providing advice for staff and agencies who visit homes and make safeguarding referrals due to clutter / hoarding.

In addition to her update County Councillor Kay advised that she had been working in partnership with the Police and 4 schools in the Wyre area to seek the views of young people on climate change.  She advised that an event had been arranged at Fleetwood Fire Station on 8 March 2022 for the young people to interview staff.  It was hoped they would be able to present their views on any potential improvements at a future Fire Authority meeting.

In addition to County Councillor Woollam’s report on road safety, County Councillor Pattison expressed concern that cars were driving over the 20-mph speed in some streets in her district of Morecambe Central. She had noticed signage stating ’20 is plenty’ in some homes in Lancaster and queried whether it would be possible to work together with Lancashire County Council highways team to purchase more of these signs for other areas where this was a problem.  County Councillor Woollam agreed to look into this request.

RESOLVED: - That the Authority noted the report and acknowledged the work of the respective Champions.

The report was presented by Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer Jon Charters.

The report summarised Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) led prosecutions with respect to fire safety offences, and also set out convictions resulting from arson and malicious call incidents for which Officers had contributed evidence to the Police led Criminal Justice process.  Fire Protection and Business Support Information were also included in the report to provide Members with an update on the continually evolving regulatory position; in particular, ongoing work to ensure business and residential premises providers were supported through the changes and how staff were being trained and developed to deliver against increasingly complex regulatory expectations.

RESOLVED: - That the Authority noted the report.

This report provided Members with information relating to the diversity of operational incidents of note since the last report to the Authority and covered the period from 1 December 2021 – 31 January 2022.

The Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer advised that currently on site was a Haggland vehicle which was an all-terrain vehicle used when responding to emergencies in remote / inaccessible locations.  The capability of these types of vehicle enabled the Service to provide year-round emergency cover in response to natural disasters across the County, especially flooding, which was becoming more severe and intense.  This was the first deliverable under the Climate Change and Operational Response Plan 2022-27.  Members were invited to view the vehicle after the meeting.

The Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer drew Members’ attention to the following incidents:

6/12/21 - Blackpool

North West Fire Control were alerted to a flat fire where it was believed people were trapped inside.  Fire engines from Blackpool and South Shore attended.  The fire was located close to the entrance of the 1^st floor flat.  6 Firefighters in breathing apparatus and 2 firefighting water jets, entered the building to carry out a rescue and to extinguish the fire.  Firefighters rescued 2 males from the flat who were handed over to the ambulance service for life saving treatment.  Unfortunately, both casualties were declared deceased at the scene.  The investigation is ongoing with a cause yet to be established.

26 December 2021 - Lancaster

Two fire engines from Morecambe attended to a report of a carbon monoxide leak at a premises on Marine Road in Morecambe.  The building was evacuated and 8 casualties were taken to the local hospital.  Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to complete a full search and ventilate the building.  Once the search and rescue phase was complete, fire crews assisted the police and local council representatives with the investigation.  This included the use of the Aerial Ladder Platform from Morecambe.  The fire service was in attendance for six hours.

12/01/22 – Wyre

Fire engines from Fleetwood and Bispham attended Kemp Street in Fleetwood, following reports of a house fire with persons trapped inside.  On arrival the fire involving a log burner was intense and was causing significant amounts of smoke.  The first fire engine quickly committed 2 firefighters in Breathing Apparatus to search for casualties and to fight the fire.  The remaining 2 firefighters outside heard banging from an upstairs window.  This led them to notice 2 casualties struggling to breath from a small top opening window who were barely visible due to the thick smoke enveloping them in the room.  The firefighters quickly pitched a ladder to the window and affected a successful rescue of both occupants.  One firefighter received a precautionary check for smoke inhalation.  The fire was believed to be accidental, with radiated heat from a log burner igniting nearby combustible products.

The Acting Assistant Chief Fire Officer added that the decisions taken and swift actions of the first crew on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78-20/21

Standing item.

The Director of People and Development confirmed that there had been no complaints since the last meeting.

RESOLVED: - That the current position be noted.

The next meeting of the Authority will be held on Monday 25 April 2022 at 10:00 hours in Washington Hall, Service Training Centre, Euxton.

The next meeting of the Authority would be held on Monday 25 April 2022 at 10:00am at the Training Centre, Euxton.

An item of business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman of the meeting is of the opinion that the item should be considered as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Clerk should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

Having been absent at the start of the meeting the Authority Chairman, County Councillor O’Toole acknowledged and congratulated staff who had been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.  These were: Chief Fire Officer, Justin Johnston had been awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal; Crew Manager Lindsay Sielski had been awarded a British Empire Medal and Prince’s Trust Team Leader at South Shore Fire Station, Daniel Thomson was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire for his work with Lytham Coastguard.

The Chairman also acknowledged Hilary Banks for her service to the Authority. 

The Authority applauded to show their appreciation.

The Authority is asked to consider whether, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, they consider that the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

RESOLVED: - That the press and members of the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there would be a likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the appropriate paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, indicated under the heading to the item.

(Paragraphs 3 and 4)

The report provided Members with an update regarding pensionability of allowances.

RESOLVED: - That the Authority noted the recommendation as outlined in the report.