Agenda item

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE, MEMBER AND SCRUTINY MANAGER

To consider the issues that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee plans to review at future meetings and the activities of its sub-groups.

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Committee prioritises proposed topics for inclusion in the work programmes attached as Appendix A and, where appropriate, determines the high-level form and timing of scrutiny input.

(2)  That the Committee, having considered the most recent iteration of the Forward Plan, suggested the Conservation Areas and Corporate Equality Policy items and a regular Commercial Update to be considered at future meetings and any further suggestions could be made to the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager.

(3)  That the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan Extract as attached was considered.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To allow the Committee to set a work programme which provides focussed Member oversight, encourages open debate and seeks to achieve service improvement through effective policy development and meaningful policy and service change.

Audio recording – 7 minutes 44 seconds

The Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager presented the report entitled Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and drew attention to the following:

·         This was the final Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the civic year, but items could still be added for consideration of the Committee in the next civic year.

·         Items under the Yet To Be Scheduled column would need to be brought to the Committee next year.

·         Levelling Up White Paper would be brought as a future item now this is available from central government.

Councillor David Levett confirmed Members had received the Forward Plan as an appendix and most of the items on it are coming to Cabinet this month.

The following Members asked questions:

·         Councillor David Levett

The Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager advised that First Home was an affordable housing product put forward as a new government policy, which the housing team are looking into. This is being brought to Cabinet next week as a recommendation in the Strategic Planning Matters report, seeking Cabinet approval to consider the First Homes Policy in summer 2023.

Councillor Claire Strong suggested that the Commercial Update was useful when previously brought to the Committee and requested it be brought again. Councillor Aspinwall agreed with this and requested that a regularity be added to the Commercial Report to Overview and Scrutiny.

Councillor Levett, as Chair, requested that a Commercial Update be added to all future Overview and Scrutiny agendas. He further suggested the Conservation Areas and Corporate Equality Strategy as items for future Overview and Scrutiny Committee agendas.

Councillor Strong noted that given the Council had been greatly affected over the past two years, it may be worth looking back at the work done and exploring what worked and what did not. Some good work had come from the pandemic and it was vital this was not lost going forward.

Councillor Levett noted that an Officer at the Council was conducting a review of joint working and summing up actions during the pandemic and it would be useful for this to be reported to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when available.

Councillor Aspinwall agreed and noted that there was a Recovery Plan to look forward, but it would be important to look at the last two years “in the round”. This would allow Officers and Members to learn from good and bad points and further develop good practice. This Committee had taken a more relaxed view of commercial returns during the pandemic, but it was important that this be incorporated back into the Committees work programme.  

Councillor Claire Strong proposed and Councillor Mike Hughson seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)  That the Committee prioritises proposed topics for inclusion in the work programmes attached as Appendix A and, where appropriate, determines the high-level form and timing of scrutiny input.

(2)  That the Committee, having considered the most recent iteration of the Forward Plan, suggested the Conservation Areas and Corporate Equality Policy items and a regular Commercial Update to be considered at future meetings and any further suggestions could be made to the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager.

(3)  That the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan Extract as attached was considered.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To allow the Committee to set a work programme which provides focussed Member oversight, encourages open debate and seeks to achieve service improvement through effective policy development and meaningful policy and service change.