Issue - meetings

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to agree and prioritise items for the new work programme.

Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, following the presentation from and question and answer session with the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive a detailed discussion ensued, and it was AGREED that:

1.    The presentations on the 2022/23 Local priorities received from the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive be welcomed and noted;

2.    Two to three items be considered at each scheduled meeting be agreed;

3.    Following the meeting, the draft 2022/23 work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as attached as Appendix A, be circulated to the Chair, of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration with all the draft work programmes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Panels to ensure there is no overlap or duplication of topics; and

4.    The draft 2022/23 work programmes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Panels be referred to Cabinet on 14 September 2022 and Council on 21 September 2022 for ratification and approval, endorsement.

The Committee to agree and prioritise items for the new work programme.

The Chair introduced this item, the aim is to plan the work programme and prioritise items for the business meetings for the year. It was highlighted that there are a number of items outstanding from the last year. There was an item on Flytipping that was not taken last year due to purdah and it was agreed that an update on the Build the Change programme would come back to the Committee.

The Chair also suggested the following areas for the work plan:

• The Local Plan
• Town Centres
• Consultations including how these are put forward, what procedure has been followed, how has feedback been received and acted upon.
• Cllr Greer has put forward the suggestion of Cemetery work following the re-organisation of the service. How is this being implemented, what is the programme to ensure that support is provided where needed.

Members were then invited to put forward suggestions for the coming year. The range of suggestions included the following:

• The Local Plan is very important and should be taken early to fit in with consultation timetables. Including building on the utilisation of Brownfield and Greenbelt sites and what the options are?

·         Regarding whether briefings come to OSC it was noted briefings on big issues are provided to political groups. It was important that there is sufficient time for other items. It was raised that workshops and briefings have been helpful and engaging on the Regeneration Scrutiny panel in the last year. This was in addition to the scheduled meetings at was at the panels request.

·         There is a lot of items going through national government at present such as White paper on Planning, National Health Bill, Police and Crime Bill, and the Integrated Care Programme. Would it be appropriate to invite the MP’s and/ or the Greater London Assembly Member to meet with scrutiny? Officers agreed to look into this suggestion further.

·         Planning felt there could be a discussion on the White Paper

·         Fly tipping, this should include what the Council is doing, what is in place, what enforcements are in place. This should also include specific trends and what is the disparity between the east and west of the borough, aligning this with areas of economic deprivation. How can recycling be increased.

·         Covid could be looked at from an internal and external point of view. Internal could incorporate the update on the Build the Change programme, what learning has the Council made to how we do business internally and externally what lessons has the council learned to what can be done differently and has any reflection been undertaken looking at where things could have been done differently at each set of lockdowns to ensure that as an authority the council can be future proofed.

·         Town Centres as an item could sit under the Regeneration and Economic Development Scrutiny Panel or by OSC from a wider point of view from a delivery prospective and where the Council is looking at encompassing within the Local Plan within this. The previous  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5