Agenda item

REPORT OF THE SCRUTINY OFFICER

This report highlights items scheduled in the work programme of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the 2024-25 civic year. It also includes items that have not yet been assigned to a specific meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the Committee prioritises 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 at 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 as attached at Appendix C be considered.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)     To allow the Committee to set a work programme which provides focused Member oversight, encourages open debate and seeks to achieve service improvement through effective policy development and meaningful policy and service change.

(2)     The need to observe Constitutional requirements and monitor the Forward Plan for appropriate items to scrutinise remains a key aspect of work programming.

Audio recording – 3 hours 8 minutes 13 seconds

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report entitled ‘Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25’ and advised that:

·                Members would be invited to a Work Programme training session on 13 May which would contain training from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny and a workshop with the Scrutiny Officer and the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager to begin looking at items for the 2025/26 Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme.

·                Appointments to the S106 Task and Finish Group had been made and the draft scope had been reviewed by the Chair and sent to both officers and the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny to ensure that it had been well defined. Comments on the draft scope were due back on Tuesday 18 March.

·                The Local Government Association Peer Review actions were included in Appendix C of the report.

·                No referrals had been made to Cabinet from the last Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 4 February, however, the referrals from this meeting would be made to the next Cabinet meeting on 18 March.

·                The Scrutiny Officer and Committee, Scrutiny and Member Manager would be attending a Centre for Governance and Scrutiny Conference on Thursday 20 March. Following this, feedback would be provided to Members on its contents.

Councillor Ralph Muncer thanked the Chair, Members, and officers for their engagement with the formation of the S106 Task and Finish Group so far.

The Chair asked Members for their opinions on two items on the Forward Plan to be discussed at the next Committee meeting. These were the Sustainability Strategy and the Town Centre Strategy.

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis supported the discussion of the Town Centre Strategy at the next meeting, although she recognised the work that would need to be carried out by officers before it could be presented and emphasised that they should not be pressured to present it at the next meeting if it was not ready in time.

Councillor Louise Peace highlighted that a consultation on sustainability was ongoing, and that they should wait to discuss the Sustainability Strategy until after the results from this had been published.

In response to Councillor Louise Peace, the Chair advised that the progress of the consultation would be kept under review.

In response to a question from Councillor Ralph Muncer on seeking the views of the Cabinet Panel on Environment regarding the Sustainability Strategy, the Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager advised that this could be organised with them, and that all Members were able to attend meetings of the Cabinet Panel on the Environment.

The Chair also mentioned the Council Tax Reduction Scheme as an item for discussion at the Committee meeting in June, however, if more urgent items needed to be discussed, the discussion of this could be delayed to a future Committee meeting.

The Chair noted that the Town Centre Strategy would come to the next Committee meeting, along with potential updates on Museum Storage Options and the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan. The Chair also wished for these items to be discussed at the workshop in May.

Councillor Matt Barnes proposed and Councillor Ralph Muncer seconded and, following a vote, it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)    That the Committee prioritises 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 at 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 as attached at Appendix C be considered.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1)    To allow the Committee to set a work programme which provides focused Member oversight, encourages open debate and seeks to achieve service improvement through effective policy development and meaningful policy and service change.

(2)    The need to observe Constitutional requirements and monitor the Forward Plan for appropriate items to scrutinise remains a key aspect of work programming.