Agenda item

The minutes of the meetings held 29 September 2010, 11 October 2010 and 21 December 2010 were confirmed by the Joint Committee as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillor J Marr explained that at the meeting held 29 September 2010, the Joint Committee had been informed that the vacant post relating to Grounds Maintenance / Cremator Operator was to be advertised internally at the two constituent Authorities in the first instance, and then externally should there be no internal applicants.

Councillor J Marr noted that he had learned that the post was not going to be filled and asked under what authority this decision had been made.  The Streetscene Area Manager North, Ian Hoult explained that the scale of the budget cuts as a result of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) was greater than anticipated and, in the light of potential redundancies from the constituent Authorities, there may be scope for internal appointment albeit with a slight delay in order to synchronise with budget setting and the processes of Early Retirements and Voluntary Redundancies.  The Streetscene Area Manager North noted that it was intended to update Members of the Joint Committee at a future meeting as regards this matter and apologised if Members felt they had not be kept up-to-date.  Councillor J Marr accepted the explanation noting that, in future, issues should be brought to the attention of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Joint Committee in the first instance and to the Joint Committee as appropriate.