Agenda and minutes

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.

90.1          The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was taken as read. 

91.1          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J K Smith, R J G Smith, P D Surman and P N Workman.  There were no substitutions for the meeting. 

92.1           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.

92.2          There were no declarations made on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2020.

93.1          The Minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2020, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. 

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.

94.1           Attention was drawn to the Executive Committee Forward Plan, circulated at Pages No. 13-14.  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. 

94.2           It was

RESOLVED          That the Executive Committee Forward Plan be NOTED.

To consider the forthcoming work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

95.1           Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2019/20, circulated at Pages No. 15-18, which Members were asked to consider. 

95.2          The Chair noted that the Development Services Improvement Plan was due to be considered at the meeting on 14 April 2020 and he questioned whether this would now be postponed due to the Head of Development Services leaving the authority later in the month.  In response, the Head of Development Services suggested that this item should be put back to June or July and it was

RESOLVED          That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2019/20 be NOTED subject to an amendment to move the Development Services Improvement Plan item, due to be considered at the meeting on 14 April 2020, to the new Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2020/21 which would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee for approval.

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

96.1          The report of the Head of Corporate Services, circulated at Pages No. 19-66, attached performance management information for quarter three of 2019/20.  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was asked to review and scrutinise the performance information and, where appropriate, identify any issues to refer to the Executive Committee for clarification or further action to be taken.

96.2          Members were advised that this was the third quarterly monitoring report for 2019/20 and progress against delivering the objectives and actions for each of the Council Plan priorities was reported through the Performance Tracker, attached at Appendix 1 to the report.  Key actions for the quarter were highlighted at Paragraph 2.3 of the report and included implementation of the new Business Transformation Team which would help support internal service improvements, particularly around digitalisation; commencement of a full review of the bulky waste service; sign-off of the pool car pilot which was now business as usual; the Growth Hub celebrating its first year following its launch in November 2018; and, approval of the Medium Term Financial Strategy by Council in January.  The Corporate Services Manager indicated that, due to the complex nature of the actions being delivered, it was inevitable that some would not progress as smoothly or quickly as envisaged and the details of these were set out at Paragraph 2.4 of the report.

96.3          In terms of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Members were informed that the status of each indicator was set out at Paragraph 3.2 of the report. From the 17 indicators with targets, 10 were on target, three were below target but the annual target would be achieved and four were below target and the target was unlikely to be achieved.  KPIs where the direction of travel was down and the indicator was below target were set out at Paragraph 3.3. of the report and these included KPI 5 in relation to number of visitors to the Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre as footfall was down compared to the previous year and was unlikely to achieve its target by the end of the year; KPIs 12, 13 and 14 in relation to the percentage of ‘major’, ‘minor’ and ‘other’ planning applications determined which were all below target; and KPI 27 which related to average number of sick days per full-time equivalent which had increased in quarter three beyond the eight day target for the year.  Key areas where KPIs were performing particularly well were included at Paragraph 3.4 of the report and specific reference was made to KPI 22, where the number of days to process change in circumstances had improved from five days to three days as a result of new ways of working, and KPI 28 where food waste had risen to an average of 10 tonnes per month which had helped to increase the percentage of waste recycled or composted to 53.13%, above the 52% target and the previous year’s outturn of 52.59%.  The Head of Corporate Services advised that it was intended to improve this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.

To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last meeting (26 February 2020). 

97.1          Members received an update from the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee on matters discussed at the last meeting held on 26 February 2020.

97.2           The Council’s representative explained that the meeting had comprised two parts: a presentation from Lead Members and Officers from Gloucester City Council on key issues and concerns affecting economic growth and development; and a verbal update from the Chief Executive of the Local Enterprise Partnership.  He undertook to circulate a copy of the presentation via Democratic Services following the meeting.  He advised that two booklets were made available at the meeting – Gloucester City Council’s Economic Growth Strategy 2018-21 and its Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy 2016/21 - and copies had been placed in the Members’ Lounge.

97.3           The presentation had explained that Gloucester City had been in the process of regeneration for the best part of 20 years and included: the opening of St Oswald’s retail park in 2004; the opening of Oxstall’s Campus in 2003; regeneration of the Gloucester Docks over the last 10 years; completion of the south-west bypass which was linked to the Gloucester Quays development; regeneration of Greyfriars into significant residential development; and, transformation of the Railway Triangle/Corridor for commercial use including Morrison’s, Costa etc.  It had been pointed out that there had not been enough regeneration in the city centre but there would be in future.  In terms of the economic challenges, whilst unemployment was relatively low, it was still the highest in the county with an over-reliance on public sector jobs.  Gloucester City Council’s role was to promote the city to visitors and investors; provide a robust planning framework; and invest in sites and infrastructure, for example, creation of the transport hub with the help of the Local Enterprise Partnership and its purchase of Eastgate Shopping Centre to determine its future use.  In terms of the local economy, there was a population of 130,000 which was growing at 1% per annum.  Whilst the city had an economically active, young population, there was a lack of skills to meet business needs as well as a lack of technical skills.  The average house price was £200,000 with prices rising significantly over the last couple of years.  The shortage of grade A office space had also been noted along with the high level of deprivation and the ageing workforce.  Gloucester City Council wanted to ensure that the wealth created in the city was retained locally – ideally people would live and work locally.

97.4           In terms of key challenges, the City Council faced an ongoing decline in manufacturing and other traditional forms of employment; low property values but high property development costs; the changing face of retail in the city centre; negative perceptions of Gloucester as a place to live and visit; a stressed and over-congested road system; and impacts related to climate change.  Notwithstanding this, there were also opportunities in terms of the high proportion of young residents; the potential to attract more shoppers and visitors  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97.