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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Tewkesbury Borough Council Offices, Severn Room

Contact: Democratic Services Tel: 01684 272021  Email:  democraticservices@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

66.

Announcements

When the continuous alarm sounds you must evacuate the building by the nearest available fire exit. Members and visitors should proceed to the visitors’ car park at the front of the building and await further instructions (during office hours staff should proceed to their usual assembly point; outside of office hours proceed to the visitors’ car park). Please do not re-enter the building unless instructed to do so.

 

In the event of a fire any person with a disability should be assisted in leaving the building.   

Minutes:

66.1          The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was advised to those present.

66.2          Members were informed that an external trainer from Frontline Consulting was observing the meeting in order to inform the Overview and Scrutiny Committee training session which he would be delivering to the Committee on Wednesday 26 January 2022.

67.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions

To receive apologies for absence and advise of any substitutions. 

Minutes:

67.1          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G J Bocking and P D Surman.  There were no substitutions for the meeting. 

68.

Declarations of Interest

Pursuant to the adoption by the Council on 26 June 2012 of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct, effective from 1 July 2012, as set out in Minute No. CL.34, Members are invited to declare any interest they may have in the business set out on the Agenda to which the approved Code applies.

Minutes:

68.1          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.

68.2          There were no declarations made on this occasion.

69.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 137 KB

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2021.

Minutes:

69.1          The Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2021, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. 

70.

Executive Committee Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 79 KB

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.

Minutes:

70.1          Attention was drawn to the Executive Committee Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No.14-19.  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. 

70.2          A Member drew attention to the Agenda for the meeting on 2 March 2022 and asked whether the Tewkesbury Borough Council Domestic Waste and Recycling Collection Services Policy and Procedures would be considered by the Depot Services Working Group prior to that.  In response, the Head of Community Services indicated that this was a new policy so had not previously been considered by the Working Group but it would make sense to take it to that Group before the Executive Committee meeting; however, he indicated that there may be a delay in the policy coming forward as Gloucestershire County Council had deferred its Resources and Waste Strategy pending the outcome of government consultation.  The Member noted that the Spring Gardens Regeneration Phase 1a report had been in the pending items section of the Forward Plan since September 2019 and he asked whether this was still active or if it could be removed.  In response, the Head of Finance and Asset Management explained that the Spring Gardens project had been put on hold for two years during budget setting in January 2021; however, Officers were starting to re-look at this in anticipation of restarting the project and discussions were taking place with the consultants around how to take it forward.  A meeting of the Spring Gardens and Oldbury Road Regeneration Member Reference Group would be arranged for later in the year or early in 2023.

70.3          It was

RESOLVED           That the Executive Committee Forward Plan be NOTED.

71.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/22 and Action List pdf icon PDF 131 KB

To consider the forthcoming work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the actions arising from previous meetings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

71.1          Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/22, circulated at Pages No. 20-47, which Members were asked to consider.

71.2          The Head of Corporate Services drew attention to the Agenda for the meeting on 8 February 2022 which included the annual Growth Hub report.  He indicated that it was proposed to remove this item on the basis that an update on Growth Hub activities had been included within the Economic Development and Tourism Strategy report that had been considered at the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.  At the recent workshop on maximising the value of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Members had expressed the view that a standalone annual report was no longer necessary, therefore, it was proposed to remove this item from future Work Programmes and only bring a report to the Committee if any particular issues arose.  With regard to the Agenda for 8 February 2022, a Member noted that an Overview and Scrutiny Committee workshop had been due to be arranged in November 2021 in relation to the Housing Strategy and the Chair confirmed that the workshop had taken place.

71.3          In terms of the action list which covered the period 18 June 2019-12 October 2021, the Chair advised that, of the 52 actions, only 13 remained outstanding.  A Member drew attention to Page No. 27, and the actions in relation to the Warm and Well Scheme Update which had been considered by the Committee in October 2019.  Given the fuel crisis and rising energy costs, he expressed the view that it would be timely to hold the fuel poverty session which was due to be arranged.  The Head of Community Services indicated that he would need to consider Officer resources and whether it would be appropriate to hold a training session in person under the current COVID guidelines; in any case, he would be happy to send the relevant information to Members by email.  The Member suggested the training session could be delivered online, if necessary; he felt that now was the time to make the information available in order to assist residents with reducing the cost of heating their homes and accessing grants and subsidies available.  With regard to Page No. 41 and the item in relation to the Carbon Reduction Action Plan considered by the Committee on 13 July 2021, the Member asked whether the Carbon Reduction Programme Officer job description could be circulated following the meeting as this seemed a fairly simple action.  The Head of Finance and Asset Management undertook to do this and confirmed that the Carbon Reduction Programme Officer had been appointed and would take up his post at the end of February.

71.4          It was

RESOLVED          1. That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2021/22 and action list be NOTED.

2.That the Annual Growth Hub Report be removed from the Agenda on 8 February 2022, and from future Work Programmes, as a standalone annual report was no longer felt to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

72.

Council Plan Performance Tracker and COVID-19 Recovery Tracker - Quarter Two 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 324 KB

To review and scrutinise the performance management and recovery information and, where appropriate, to require response or action from the Executive Committee. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

72.1          The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 48-11, attached the performance management and COVID-19 recovery information for quarter two of 2021/22.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was asked to review and scrutinise the information and, where appropriate, identify any issues to refer to the Executive Committee for clarification or further action to be taken.

72.2          During the debate which ensued, the following queries and comments were made in relation to the Council Plan and Recovery Plan trackers:

Priority: Economic Growth

P70 – Objective 2 – Action c) Publish the Infrastructure Funding Statement – A Member noted that the target date had been revised to December 2021 and he asked whether this had been achieved.

The Head of Development Services confirmed that the Infrastructure Funding Statement had been published in accordance with the December 2021 deadline.

Priority: Housing and Communities

P75 – Objective 1 – Action a) Work with partners to undertake the required review of the Joint Core Strategy – A Member noted that Deloitte had now been appointed to help review the Joint Core Strategy timetable and he asked who had approved funding for that and what the budget was.

The Head of Development Services explained that Deloitte had been commissioned to assist with the Joint Core Strategy following the resignation of the Joint Core Strategy Manager in July.  Deloitte’s role was to act as the programme manager and to advise the Council on a common timetable for the three Joint Core Strategy authorities and the resources required to deliver it.  She reminded Members that the Joint Core Strategy was adopted in December 2017 and had been due to be immediately reviewed so there were a number of technical issues which needed to be addressed.  The three Joint Core Strategy authorities had gone out to consultation on its issues and options document but, due to a number of factors including COVID-19, things had not progressed as quickly as hoped.  There had been several planning policy changes since the original Joint Core Strategy was adopted, as well as enactment of the Environment Bill in November 2021; this represented a substantial material change in circumstances and meant that a more complete review would need to be undertaken to take account of the national changes to the planning policy framework and the new legislation.  Deloitte had produced a draft programme which Officers were now considering to ensure it was robust and that it could be delivered within budget and this would be taken to the Joint Core Strategy Member Liaison Group at the end of January and the Planning Policy Reference Panel in February.  In terms of funding, all three Joint Core Strategy authorities, plus Gloucestershire County Council, contributed to the Joint Core Strategy budget and approximately £87,000 had been approved for the work commissioned to Deloitte, some of which was via staff savings as two staff previously funded through the Joint Core Strategy budget were no longer in post.  It had been agreed that if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

73.

Separate Business

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.

Minutes:

73.1          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. 

74.

Trade Waste Project Update

(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 receive an update on the progress of the trade waste project.

Minutes:

(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))

 74.1         Members considered an update on the progress made in relation to the trade waste project and the next steps.