Agenda and minutes

80.1          The Chair advised that the meeting was being held under the emergency provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and, specifically, the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.  The meeting was being broadcast live via the internet, it was not being recorded by the Council but, under the usual transparency rules, it may be being recorded by others.  

81.1          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors H C McLain, S Thomson and P N Workman.

82.1          The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

82.2          There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2021.

83.1          The Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2021, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record.  

83.2          The Chief Executive advised that he would be circulating previously promised updates on the development at the airport, the A417 missing links and Junctions 9 and 10 of the M5 motorway to Members later in the week.

To determine whether there are any questions for the relevant Lead Members and what support the Overview and Scrutiny Committee can give to work contained within the Plan.

 84.1         Attention was drawn to the Executive Committee Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 12-18. Members were asked to determine whether there were any questions for the relevant Lead Members and what support the Overview and Scrutiny Committee could give to the work contained within the Plan.

84.2          Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           That the Executive Committee Forward Plan be NOTED.

To consider and approve the forthcoming Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

85.1          Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/22, circulated at Pages No. 19-32, which Members were asked to consider.  

85.2          The Head of Corporate Services advised that the Work Programme was shaping up nicely and he drew attention to some key points of interest: the presentation from Severn Trent Water, which was an outstanding action following the scrutiny review of the water outage in 2019, had now been added for consideration  at the meeting on 8 June; the monitoring of the Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Challenge Report Action Plan would be considered for the first time at the meeting on 8 June; and, on 13 July, the first annual report on the work of the Climate Change and Flood Risk Management Group would be received. There were still a number of items in the pending section and it was hoped they would be programmed in as soon as possible.

85.3          Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme                                   2021/22 be NOTED.

To receive a presentation on the virtual Growth Hub performance during 2020/21 and its support to economic growth and COVID-19 business support in the borough. 

86.1          The Economic and Community Development Manager indicated that the presentation aimed to provide Members with the context of where the Borough was from an economic point of view. The presentation covered the following main points:

·          The whole country had been affected by the COVID pandemic and Tewkesbury Borough was no different. The Borough had 4,390 businesses of which 3,875 were micro businesses (up to nine employees). The unemployment rate was 3.7% which equated to 2,090 people in February 2020 – the Gloucestershire rate was 4.4%. Up to March 2020, the total staff on furlough was 15,600 but as of January 2021 this was 6,400. Primarily the furlough was within the accommodation, hospitality, wholesale and retail sectors. This economic context had influenced, and would continue to influence, the Growth Hub delivery and service.

·          Tewkesbury Growth Hub – flagship delivery – the Growth Hub had been opened in 2018 and was the first one in the world delivered within a local authority setting. The key aims of the Growth Hub network were to help businesses to start-up, grow and reach their full potential; to provide support for businesses to accelerate growth; and to enable businesses to meet, network and promote their services to each other. The Council’s award winning Hub did all of that and continued to be a flagship for the County and Growth Hub network successfully delivering the unique selling point of linking hub support with Council services. The Hub currently had two full-time members of staff – Hub Manager and Navigator - yet it still punched above its weight in terms of the work it did with, and support offered to, businesses.

·          Growth Hub Service – offered a support solution for every business with the support available being dependent on the growth stage and ambition of each business. Advice was provided to pre, new start and growing businesses with a full business navigator service providing free online support – this would be face to face again when COVID rules allowed – including specialist advice and signposting with mentors, guides and delivery partners. It provided an online resource centre and business directory as well as workshops and one-to-one advice sessions. It also had the unique selling point of being a one-stop-shop for regulatory, planning and environmental health advice.

·          Growth Hub Network – the network in Gloucestershire was unique in that it had a Hub in each district. This had started in Gloucester in 2014, followed by smaller access points in county libraries; Cirencester Hub had opened in 2018, followed shortly thereafter by Tewkesbury Growth Hub, and Stroud Hub had opened in 2020 – this meant it had opened and almost immediately had offered its services remotely due to the COVID pandemic. The Forest of Dean Hub was due to open later this year and Cheltenham was due to open properly in December 2021 – although it had been operating virtually since March 2021.

·          Engagement – the Tewkesbury Growth Hub continued to achieve high engagement with Hub visitors at 1,967  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

To receive the biannual update on the progress of the Depot Services Working Group. 

87.1          The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 33-38, set out the progress made by the Depot Services Working Group and asked the Committee to agree that the Working Group continue its work for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

87.2          The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair welcomed the Chair of the Depot Services Working Group (and Lead Member for Clean and Green Environment) to introduce the report. He explained that the Depot Services Working Group had now come to the end of the workstream it had been set up to complete but Members felt there was still a lot of work for the Working Group to do in respect of waste, recycling and grounds maintenance and it would like to continue if agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Ubico was growing and, as both a partner and user of the service, Members felt it would be prudent to keep a close eye on its contract to ensure it was being delivered in the best way possible. The Council had been looking at the different ways of delivering its commercial waste service and would soon start looking for a new depot – likely in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council – and it was hoped the Depot Services Working Group would be able to help with those workstreams.

87.3          The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee indicated that, as a Member of the Depot Services Working Group, he felt the Working Group should continue but that it may be beneficial for it to meet more regularly than the quarterly arrangement suggested. He was aware that it was grass cutting season and that, along with the commercial waste service changes, quarterly may not be frequent enough going forward. It was understood that there needed to be a balance between Members being kept informed and some projects not having much movement between meetings so it was agreed that an item would be included on the Agenda for the next Working Group meeting to consider the frequency of meetings.

87.4          Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           1.  That the progress of the Depot Services Working Group be                                NOTED.

                                                2.  That the Depot Services Working Group continue to meet                                       for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

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.

88.1          The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 39-56, set out the Committee’s annual report for 2020/21 which Members were asked to approve.  

88.2          The Committee was advised that it was a requirement of the Council’s Constitution that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee reported annually to Council and the report before Members sought to ensure the Council’s scrutiny work was transparent and that the Council was held accountable for its decision-making with the needs of the community being considered. The annual report provided the opportunity for both the Council and the public to view the work of the Committee. The Head of Corporate Services advised that the Committee had undertaken fantastic work throughout 2020/21 and had more than fulfilled its Terms of Reference with Working Groups, speakers, Motions and strategy action plan reviews.

88.3          Members were advised that, within the report, it had been noted that the annual Overview and Scrutiny Committee report would be considered by the Council in April; subsequently that meeting had been cancelled and the report would now go to Council in June. In the meantime, if any Members wished to suggest any contextual amendments, which did not change the substance of the report, they were invited to email them to the Head of Corporate Services who would make the changes. Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           1.  That Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Annual Report                                     2020/21 be APPROVED.

            2.  That any suggested contextual amendments be delegated                    to the Head of Corporate Services, in consultation with the                          Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, subject to them not                     changing the substance of the report.

The Chair will move the adoption of the following resolution:

That under Section 100(A)(4) Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

89.1          The Chair proposed, and it was

                 RESOLVED           That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act                         1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following                            items on the grounds that they involve the likely discussion of                                 exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the                              Act.

To approve the separate Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2021.

90.1          The separate Minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2021, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record.

(Exempt –Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 –Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))

To consider the initial project milestones.

(Exempt –Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 –Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information))

91.1          The Committee noted the report which set out the initial project milestones for the trade/commercial waste service.