The Resources and Performance Select Committee met to discuss cabinet responses to select committee recommendations, performance monitoring, and the committee's forward work programme. The committee agreed to exclude the press and public to discuss a report relating to Ranger House, Guildford. They also discussed the impact of local government reform on the council's activities.

Local Government Reform

The committee discussed the potential impact of the upcoming local government reform (LGR) on the council's activities. Councillor Nick Darby, Chair of the Council, noted the need to be aware of what the council can productively do with a council that has a maximum of two years of life. He suggested a two-phased approach: first, preparing the council for the changes, and second, adapting the approach to scrutiny based on the views of those elected to the new unitary authorities. Councillor Nick Darby, Chair of the Council, stressed the importance of ensuring services are transferred effectively to maintain the best possible services.

Steven McCormick, Vice-Chairman of the Council, called LGR the elephant in the room and suggested that the committee should add LGR to its forward work programme to allow for scrutiny of the reform.

Forward Work Programme and Recommendation Tracker

The committee reviewed the forward work programme and recommendation tracker, considering additions and amendments.

Steven McCormick, Vice-Chairman of the Council, noted that the draft Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) framework had not been consulted on via the political groups, despite the report stating that it had.

The forward work programme lists a number of items for future scrutiny, including:

• The land and property maintenance contract with Macro
• The Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Framework
• A review of procurement and contract management policies and practices
• A land and property update report
• The draft budget for 2026/27

The recommendations and action tracker was also reviewed, which monitors the progress of actions and recommendations made by the committee.

Cabinet Response to Select Committee Recommendations

The committee noted the Cabinet's response to previous recommendations. The Cabinet accepted the recommendations regarding the Customer Transformation Programme and the Unit4/MySurrey Stabilisation Board Report.

The Cabinet response to the Customer Transformation Programme acknowledged the challenges in delivering robust benefits, particularly in the context of LGR. The Cabinet agreed to revisit the funding for the programme to ensure future spending benefits Surrey residents and/or any new future authorities.

The Cabinet response to the Unit4/MySurrey Stabilisation Board Report acknowledged the concerns about outstanding issues, costs, and the original specification used when procuring the system. The Cabinet agreed to provide an update to the select committee within three months on the progress in resolving issues with Unit4, the system's performance and capacity, and the effectiveness of the new governance arrangements. The Cabinet also agreed to review the likely impacts of LGR on the use of the Unit4 system.

Performance Monitoring Session Notes

The committee reviewed the notes from the performance monitoring session held on 16 December 2024. Topics discussed included customer and communities, people and change, customer, digital and change projects, service performance (audit), finance, land and property, and health and safety.

Key points from the performance monitoring session included:

• Positive feedback on Surrey County Council's FixMyStreet service.
• Concerns about wait times for the blue badge service.
• Updates on the MySurrey stabilisation project.
• Discussion of budget accountability statements and the importance of timeliness.
• Updates on health and safety building compliance assurance.
• Discussion of mandatory health and safety training courses.