Meeting –
20th February 2003
ATTENDEES
M A Johns Chief Executive
J H Ebdon Deputy Chief Executive
J H Keelty Director of Finance, Planning and Strategy
A Wheatcroft Director of Business Resources
J M Wilkinson Director of District Valuer Services
P Sanderson Director of Modernisation
A Grinstead Non Executive Director
D Stathers Non Executive Director
M Morrison-Paton Head of Communications
A Sherriff (part)
B McCormick (part)
K Kendrick (part)
L Yue (part)
RG Lawrence Secretary
Local Ratepayer Valuation Forums
Introducing the paper, Paul Sanderson said that the pilot LRVFs
had originally been set up following the recommendations from the
DETR review of Reval 2000 and the 2000 Review of the VOA. The Board
had decided, at their September 2002 meeting, to extend the pilot
on a limited basis subject to receiving the views of ODPM and NAW.
Both departments were both now content to leave the decision over
the future of LRVFs to the VOA. The Board considered that getting
closer to the ratepayer at a local level remained an important element
of the modernisation programme and agreed that LRVFs should therefore
continue to be tested in the existing four pilots in North Wales
and South West Group and that a further one should be added in a
major conurbation. Elsewhere, GVOs would consult ratepayers through
local Chambers of Commerce and other existing local business groups.
Financial Matters
Additional bids for 2003/04 running costs were considered and,
after considering the options and recommendations put forward by
John Keelty, the Board decided that they should, for the most part,
be funded out of the centrally held Agency reserves. There were
risks in carrying virtually no reserves at the centre but the expectation
was that running costs surpluses would emerge elsewhere later in
the year. Consideration would then be given to bringing back to
the centre any surpluses to replenish the central reserves
Turning to capital funds, John Keelty said that bids for capital
funds from CEO divisions exceeded the funds currently available
to the Agency for capital expenditure during the next financial
year. The Board agreed that allocated budgets should not exceed
the Agency’s total capital allocation and that divisions should
find ways of reducing their needs for capital expenditure, informing
the Board of the consequences. The matter would be reconsidered
by the Board during the early part of the next financial year, but
in the meantime funds would be allocated for capital expenditure
on accommodation and IT on a pro-rata basis in line with their bids.
Pay Issues
The Board agreed a pay and workforce strategy for the Agency to
be submitted to the Treasury. It confirmed that it was committed
to implement team bonus awards under the pay agreement and commissioned
further work on how this should operate, for negotiation with the
Trade Unions.
VOA Forward Plan
John Keelty presented the paper and asked the Board to recommend
the draft 2003/4 Forward Plan. Subject to a minor drafting change,
members were content with the draft plan which would now be sent
to officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and
the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) for their comments. It would
then be submitted to the Agency’s Advisory Board and treasury
officials before clearance by the Paymaster General.
ODPM Research Project – Brownfield Sites
Introducing the paper, Linda Yue, on secondment from the VOA to
ODPM, said that ODPM were carrying out two pilot studies to consider
how the VOA database might be able to help to identify land and
building vacancies and dereliction. The main driver for the work
was the Government’s pledge to develop Brownfield Sites in
preference to green belt land. Board members were told that any
additional work which might result from the VOA’s continued
involvement in the project, such as capture of data over and above
that needed for carrying out its statutory valuations, would be
paid for by ODPM.
The Board agreed in principle to the VOA’s continued involvement
in the project, subject to further discussions taking place with
ODPM so that the extent and detail of any additional work for the
VOA could be established. Once this had been done, the VOA would
be able to judge whether there were any capacity or other constraints
on the amount of such work it could undertake.
Management and Leadership development
Introducing the paper, Anne Wheatcroft said that a lot of work
had been carried out in this area due to the recent numbers of promotions.
The Board noted that there had been fewer candidates taking part
in the scheme than had been hoped and that it would be useful to
establish why this was the case and whether the initiatives being
offered were appropriate.
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