Issue - meetings

To receive the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Annual Report.  

87.1           The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated separately at Pages No. 1-30, set out the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s annual report for 2018/19. Members were asked to consider the contents of the report.

87.2           The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee explained that the annual report provided a good summary of the Committee’s activity during the year and demonstrated the breadth of coverage. He felt there was no doubt about the effectiveness of the Committee with the best example being the review of the water outage event in December 2017 which had culminated in a public hearing in April 2018. This was the highest profile review the Committee had undertaken in recent years with the most positive piece of the work being the outcome. A follow-up report had been presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee last month which Severn Trent had attended and provided further assurance that lessons had been learnt and key recommendations implemented. The Chair was of the view that the Committee was one which worked for its communities and that the work undertaken emphasised that fact. In addition to that review, the Committee had also set up a Task and Finish Working Group to look at the concerns raised around grass cutting within the Borough. This had resulted in a review which was produced expediently and a grass cutting action plan which should resolve any issues moving forward. The Committee had also provided robust challenge to the delivery of actions within the Council Plan, for example, it had sought further information on the trade waste service and the potential redevelopment of Healings Mill as well as scrutinising more routine actions such as absence management, enviro crimes, planning performance and the overall financial performance of the Council, particularly around Ubico. The Chair reported that the Committee had grown over the last four years and he hoped this would continue when the new Committee was established under the next term of Council. He felt the role of overview and scrutiny was crucial in helping the Council achieve its future priorities and ambitions and he thanked his Committee Members for their support during the last four years, as well as the Officers that supported the function, all of whom had been key to the collective effort.

87.3           Accordingly, it was

                  RESOLVED          That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s 2018/19 Annual                            Report be NOTED.

To approve the annual report as required by the Council’s Constitution to ensure that the activities of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee are promoted both internally and publicly to reinforce transparency and accountability in the democratic process. 

111.1        The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 157-187, attached, at Appendix 1, the Annual Overview and Scrutiny Report 2018/19.  Members were asked to approve the report.

111.2        A Member drew attention to Page No. 164 which contained a reference to Severn Vale Housing and he questioned whether that should be updated in light of the fact that it no longer existed.  In response, the Head of Corporate Services advised that the report looked back at the work that had been undertaken by the Committee during the year and it was accurate in that Severn Vale Housing had been in existence at the time the housing strategy report had been presented, as such, it was appropriate to retain this reference.

111.3        The Chair thanked the Officers for the report which he felt was a good reflection of the hard work of the Committee throughout the year.  He extended his thanks to Members for their tenacious scrutiny over the Council term and his appreciation to Officers for their support.  It was

RESOLVED          That the Annual Overview and Scrutiny Report 2018/19 be NOTED.