Agenda item

The purpose of the report is to support and advise Committee members to determine their work programme for the 2021/22 municipal year.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to

(a)      Consider the results of the limited work programme engagement exercise as detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)      Consider suggestions made by the Cabinet and Senior Officers;

(c)      Consider the methods by which the Committee would like to undertake its Overview and Scrutiny activity;

(d)      Consider and agree the work programme for the Committee for the 2021/22 municipal year;

(e)      Agree on whether to create any task group reviews and appoint membership of that review;

(f)       Identify any specific training and support needs required to deliver the 2021/22 work programme.

The Committee had before it a report to support and advise Committee members on determining their work programme for the 2021/22 municipal year.

Jodie Townsend, Interim Governance Advisor, introduced the report, which set out proposals from Cabinet members and senior officers on issues the Committee may wish to look at.  He emphasised that the Committee did not have to agree the whole work programme for the rest of the municipal year at this meeting.  A limited process had been conducted to get an initial list of ideas.  However, a more complete process was to be developed for prioritising items for work programmes going forward.

The Committee could also consider activities outside the meetings such as Task and Finish Groups, deep-dives, briefings, and public engagement days.

The Committee made the following points during discussion of the work programme:

·            A request was made that work of the past Performance Committee was taken on board such as the renewed Skanska contract  and loss of £1.6m.

·            Members noted that some of the issues it would wish to look at were due for consideration at the October Cabinet Meeting.

·            Members noted that no decisions had been taken on climate and sustainability for the past 18 months.

·            Members felt that an informal workshop where members could sit round a table for a broader discussion on the work programme would be a more effective way of agreeing a work programme.

The following areas for Scrutiny were put forward:

·            Library Strategy

·            Recycling Centres

·            Road Work Permissions (Utilities)

·            Covid Planning to include Resilience planning for other major events such as Climate and Flooding

·            Street Design Guide

·            Budget for Highway Maintenance

·            Bus Improvement Plan

·            Carbon Reduction Framework

·            Active Travel

·            Freight

The Cabinet Members and Directors then set out further areas of work that the Committee could get involved with in the future and indicated that although some of the topics that the Committee had raised were going to Cabinet in October, that further opportunities for engagement on those areas would be available over the next 12 months.

Councillor Baines made a formal proposal which was seconded by Councillor Levy, to request that an additional Meeting of the Committee be held prior to the October Cabinet Meeting to consider the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, National Bus Strategy – Bus Service Improvement Plan and 20 mph Policy and New Approach.

Jodie Townsend reminded the Committee that they were not able to look at everything and needed to focus or 3 or 4 topics for effective scrutiny.  He stressed that the Committee looking at the items above at a meeting in October would not be effective scrutiny as proposals were already formulated at this stage.

Anita Bradley, Director for Law & Governance and Rachel Wileman, Assistant Director Strategic Infrastructure and Planning indicated that there was not the officer resource to bring the reports forward in October.

Following Officer advice, the proposal was put to the vote and was carried by 5 votes to 3.

The Committee further agreed that officers should arrange an informal workshop as soon as possible to set the work programme for the Committee.