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 programme 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, as attached as Appendix B, suggests a list of items to be considered at its meetings in the coming civic year.

(3)   That the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan Extract as attached as Appendix C was considered and to be updated with the most recent version for future meetings.

REASON FOR DECISION: 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 – 91 minutes 27 seconds

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

·         Point 8.7 in the report should refer to Action Plan at Appendix C, not Appendix B as written.

·         Following this meeting the items up to December had been completed.

·         The Call to Account had taken place and the Chair was finalising his report to present to the Committee, it was hoped this would be at the January meeting.

·         The Lord Lister Update from the Strategic Housing Manager needed to be scheduled.

·         Proposed an Anti-Social Behaviour in Town Centres update from the Police and a Telephone Scams update from a relevant organisation for the Crime and Disorder Matters item in January.

The Chair advised that Councillor Val Bryant had requested a specific focus to look at safe walking at night as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour update.

The following Members took part in the discussion:

·         Councillor Claire Strong

·         Councillor David Levett

·         Councillor Adam Compton

Points raised in the discussion included:

·         It would beneficial to receive feedback from the Police as to why the reports provided by them to Planning Control Committee meeting is not in line with the incidents highlighted by residents.

·         Requested that the Police outline how they record and register crimes and the effect this can have on reports to the Planning Control Committee.

·         There appeared to have been an increase in burglaries recently.

·         A regular report on Climate Change and the proposed actions from the new strategy, including on where progress is being made and what actions are proposed for the Council and contractors.

·         Requested feedback on the installation of solar panels on the roof of the District Council Offices, as part of the regular update on the Climate Change Strategy.

Councillor Claire Strong requested that as part of the Strategic Housing Managers report to be scheduled on the Work Programme, this include an overview of the allocation of DLUHC grant funds for homelessness.

The Chair noted that an updated version of the Peer Review document had been received by the Council but not yet released publicly. The Chair suggested to remove the recommendation 2.3 of the report for future meetings.

Councillor Adam Compton proposed and Councillor Ian Moody seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Committee prioritises proposed topics for inclusion in the work programme 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, as attached as Appendix B, suggests a list of items to be considered at its meetings in the coming civic year.

(3)  That the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan Extract as attached as Appendix C was considered and to be updated with the most recent version for future meetings.

REASON FOR DECISION: 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.