Agenda item

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2022/23 and Action List

Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny, Tuesday, 6 September 2022 4:30 pm (Item 38.)

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

Minutes:

38.1 Attention was drawn to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme, circulated at Pages No. 28-37, and the action list setting out the actions arising from meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee between October 2019 and June 2022, circulated at Pages No. 38-47. Members were asked to consider the Work Programme and action list.

38.2 The Corporate Services Manager advised that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee workshop to review the Capability Policy had taken place on 23 August where it had been agreed that a further session would be held to consider the draft revised policy prior to bringing that to the Committee for endorsement. In order to facilitate the workshop, that item would now be moved to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 22 November 2022. Members were also advised that the Place Leisure Presentation which was currently included in the pending items section of the Work Programme had now been arranged for the meeting on 11 October 2022. Work was underway with other relevant Officers to schedule in the remaining pending items.

38.3 A Member noted that use of mobile surveillance equipment for fly-tipping investigations was still included in the pending items section and he asked if the cameras had been purchased and deployed as Members had asked to be notified when that had happened. The Head of Community Services confirmed that the cameras had been received about three weeks ago and these had been deployed to known hotspot areas; if Members were aware of any areas where there were regular problems, he asked them to let him know so they could be investigated.

38.4 In terms of the action list, the Corporate Services Manager advised that 13 of the 22 actions had been completed. Two actions related to the proposed training session on the Government’s Housing Design Guide and it was hoped the target date of September would be achieved. It was noted that the two actions relating to Ubico, set out at Pages No. 40 and 44 of the report, would be removed from the action list as soon as the information was provided. The following issues were raised during the discussion:

Meeting Date: 22 October 2019
P38 – Warm and Well Scheme Update.	A Member noted that this was intended to be provided at the Town and Parish Council Seminar in April 2023 and she questioned whether it could be brought forward given the concerns around rising energy costs and heating bills faced over the winter. The Head of Community Services undertook to see if this was possible and gave assurance that it was intended to provide information via the Borough News and Parish Newsletter so Parish Councils would have that in advance of the seminar. A Member asked whether social media would be used to promote messages and information throughout the winter and the Head of Community Services confirmed that would be the case. The Financial Inclusion Partnership had been reconvened to look at cost of living issues and Warm and Well had been invited to attend those meetings. He took on board the concerns about the cost of living and confirmed that the Council would do as much as possible to support residents. A Member suggested that information put out by the Borough Council should also be sent to Town and Parish Councils for inclusion within their communications, for instance, the majority had their own websites and some used social media. The Head of Community Services undertook to speak to colleagues in the Communications Team about the best way to do this.
Meeting Date: 8 March 2022
P42 – Agenda Item – Council Plan Performance Tracker and COVID-19 Recovery Tracker.	A Member asked whether there was a date in mind for the session on the Government’s Housing Design Guide and the Head of Development Services advised that the Garden Town team had commissioned LDA Design to create the design manual for the Garden Town and discussions were underway to provide the seminar in September if possible, although it may need to move to October.

38.5 Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2022/23 and the action list be NOTED.

Supporting documents: