Agenda and minutes

Standing item.

The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting and announced that as they were considering the 2024/25 Council Tax Precept and Budget, any Member in arrears on their Council Tax could not vote or speak on that item.

The Chair invited Members to a viewing of the Service’s new Command Unit on the rise of the meeting.

Apologies were received from County Councillors Lorraine Beavers and Terry Hurn.

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 18 December 2023 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

Resolved: - That the proceedings of the Performance Committee held on 13 December 2023 be noted.

The Director of People and Development presented the report. In accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 a pay policy statement for 2024/25 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.

Resolved: - That the Pay Policy Statement be approved.

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer advised that the 4 appendices in the Budget Report were linked, with changes in one impacting on the others: A) the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) set out the financial outlook and estimated borrowing over the next five years, B) the Capital Strategy set out major expenditure for investment for investment within the Service (including the ten-year capital programme), C) the Reserves Strategy set out savings and how they were planned to be used over the next 5 years, and D) the Treasury Management Strategy set out investment, borrowing, repayment and how money was set aside to repay borrowing.

The Director of Corporate Services / Treasurer presented the report that set out the Council Tax Precept and Budget for 2024/25 along with the associated appended documents.

The Authority was required to set a balanced budget and council tax precept for the next financial year by 1 March 2024. The Authority had to ensure it:

·       Considered the link between capital investment decisions and the revenue implications.

·       Considered the Treasury Management implications of revenue and capital decisions.

·       Provided value for money.

·       Reflected best practice.

The Budget and appended documents in the report formed the Service’s financial strategies which were part of our strategic planning activity and governance framework which set out the direction of the Service and how it would achieve the aim of making Lancashire safer. These financial strategies were one of six core strategies that set out how Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), would provide services in line with the following priorities in the five-year Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP):

·       Valuing our people.

·       Preventing fires.

·       Protecting people and property.

·       Responding to fie and other emergencies.

·       Delivering value for money.

Financial Context

The economy in 2024 was expected to struggle as inflation was forecast to remain above the government set target of 2% until the end of 2025. According to the Bank of England, increased borrowing costs and weak Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth resulted in a 50-50 chance of recession in 2024.

The public sector continued to face substantial challenges, among them rising demands and reducing financial resilience. Nationally, Fire and Rescue Services continued to face inflationary pressures because of significant increases in running costs and demand pressures, such as responding to climate change emergencies.

Funding

The funding for the fire sector had changed in the last 15 years. The 2008 banking crisis was followed by a period of austerity in the sector. During this period, government grants for the fire sector reduced; in cash terms the main grant, the Revenue Support Grant (RSG), for Lancashire reduced from £19m (35% of the funding) to £10m (14% of the funding).

Changes to the funding methodology during this period also meant that changes in the economy, which impacted on benefit claimant numbers or business rates, now impacted on funding levels. Council Tax and Business Rates represented 85% of the Service’s funding and these changed had presented an additional risk.

Funding for capital schemes had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65/23

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 John Singleton;

·       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 2024. During this period all had undertaken their respective role in accordance with the defined terms of reference.

County Councillor Singleton commented that volunteers were sought for the second workshop of ‘Climate Fresh’ to be held on 22 March 2024. A quiz would be held over Easter in SHQ canteen which he encouraged everyone to attend.

Councillors thanked staff within the Service for their work to help them within their respective roles.

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

The report summarised Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) prosecutions pertaining to fire safety offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005. There were currently four cases in the judicial system for offences with one set for trial in July 2024, one due for sentencing in January 2024, however, it had been adjourned awaiting a new date, and two were set for plea hearings in February 2024. 

Protection teams continued to investigate and build files in relation to further cases where offences were believed to have been committed, which involved a number of types of premises as outlined in the report. It was highlighted that LFRS Protection Department was also supporting a joint enforcement case with a local authority, Health & Safety Executive and Lancashire Constabulary regarding a complex converted mill.

Given the rapidly evolving regulatory change in building fire safety, an update on Fire Protection and Business Support was also provided, detailing how the Service was adapting delivery whilst developing its workforce, to ensure that it kept pace with the changes and improved public and firefighter safety within the built environment.

Members noted during the 23/24 performance year to end December 2023, there had been 2,517 business fire safety checks delivered. Around 349 had led to unsatisfactory outcomes and were triaged by Fire Protection teams during the period with both informal and formal enforcement taken. 

LFRS continued to embed legislative changes which came into force from 1 October 2023 amendments of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which had been introduced under Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022. These amendments required that all responsible persons must record the fire risk assessment in full (including the findings) along with the fire safety arrangements for premises in all circumstances.

In October 2023, the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR), a new regulatory body within the Health and Safety Executive, came into effect. The focus of the regulator was high-risk residential buildings, which were:

-        at least 7 floors or at least 18 metres in height.

-        at least 2 residential units.

-        care homes and hospitals during their design and construction phase.

As a statutory partner of the new BSR, LFRS had appointed a dedicated BSR Fire Safety Officer who would work as part of a north-west regional BSR team, comprising a Regional BSR Manager, 2 Fire Safety Engineers and 7 Fire Safety Inspecting Officers.

Members also noted arson risk reduction included one case with one defendant, who was also the occupier, following a guilty plea to ‘arson with reckless’ was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment.

Resolved - that the Authority noted the report.

The Authority received a report that provided information relating to operational incidents of note since the last meeting. As the operational period had been very busy, the report detailed only the larger deployments or more complex incidents. As a result, some incidents that Members had been made aware of locally, may not have formed part of the report. Full details of the following incidents were provided in the report:

·       Waste fire within former power station in Lancaster.

·       Fatal road traffic collision in Down Holland.

·       Person rescued from Blackpool building fire.

·       Explosion involving domestic properties in Blackburn.

·       Road traffic collision with car on fire in Lytham.

·       Male trapped under wagon in Altham.

·       Firefighters rescue casualties from Blackpool domestic building fire.

County Councillor Pattison thanked the staff within the Service for their work dealing with the incident at the Supaskips site in Lancaster.

County Councillor Singleton thanked the staff for their attendance at the incident in St Annes involving a McClaren supercar that had crashed into two houses.

Councillor Hugo expressed appreciation for the Services work in dealing with the incident in Blackpool which could have been significantly worse.

Resolved: that the Authority noted the report.

Standing item.

The Monitoring Officer 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 22 April 2024 at 10:30 hours at Washington Hall Training Centre, Euxton.

The next meeting of the Authority would be held on Monday 22 April 2024 at 10:30am at the Training Centre, Euxton.