The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Committee AGREED with the Chair’s proposal thatthe order of the items be changed.  Item 5 - Planning Service Response Times would be taken as Item 4, followed by the Draft Council Plan 2023-26.  PowerPoint Presentations would be made for both items, copies of which had been made available to the Committee and published on the Council’s website. 

No apologies for absence had been received.

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to the items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2022 as true and accurate record.

AGREED the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 15 December 2022 be confirmed as a correct record.

The report presents the draft new Council Plan 2023-26 for discussion and feedback: Investing in Enfield for discussion prior to approval of the final Plan by Council which is scheduled for February 2023.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which presented the draft Council Plan 2023-26: Investing in Enfield, together with a PowerPoint Presentation, which set out the Council Plan Framework, investing in Enfield, together with the priorities, principles and future outcomes to the Committee for discussion prior to approval of the final Plan by Council scheduled for February 2023.

The Head of Corporate Strategyexplained that the new draft Council Plan 2023-26: Investing in Enfield set out the Council’s strategic direction and priorities for the next three years.  The plan set out five overarching priorities; five principles; and six future outcomes that the Council would be working towards.  The Plan would be used to inform and guide staff across the organisation on the Council vision and priorities and would be available online for all the Council’s stakeholders and partners to learn more about the Council and its goals.          

The Chief Executive advised Members that the Council Plan would provide staff with an understanding of their role within the organisation and the reasons for undertaking their duties and responsibilities.  The Corporate Plan would be informed by the Annual Service Plans, which would be circulated to the Committee.  New corporate performance scorecards for 2023/24 onwards in line with the priorities set out in the Plan were to be created, which would track the Council’s performance and progress in delivering the five new priorities

ACTION: Governance

Responding to questions from the Committee, the Leader explained to enable an economy that worked for everyone, a swift economic response to the current economic climate which had been built into the Council Plan.  There had been two fundamental steps to ensure this; the Council had made it a fundamental priority to reflect on the previous four years, reviewing the organisation, its capacity and reviewing its position four years ago.  Regeneration programme, across the Borough, including homes, was very focused and the Administration were confident that it would deliver the five priorities.  The Administration recognised that ‘an economy that works for everyone’ had a direct impact on the life chances and ability to get on in life of all the residents in the Borough.  The Council could not do this alone and was exploring opportunities Pan-London and with local and regional partner organisations.  Examples of the Greater London Authority and the private sector housing providers.

The Chief Executive acknowledged that the local Planning Service was very important to the whole community.  Effective planning data was crucial to the economy and the Business Rates collected by the Council to generate income.  The economic development of the five distinct town centres in the Borough was very important, with a focus on the strengths, together with funding to improve economical transport.

The Leader and Chief Executive, responding to questions about the Lido listed in the manifesto pledges, advised that options had been identified with regards to the location, development of a business case and costs.  The costs had been included in the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP).  In addition to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The report shares the plan to address the shortfall in the capacity of the planning applications service in the short-term.

The Director, Planning and Growth’s report and accompanying presentation on improving customer experience in planning and eliminating the planning applications backlog made at the meeting detailed the short-term plan to address the shortfall in the capacity of the planning applications service and set out the business case to improve Development Management in the Planning Department.             ACTION: Governance and Scrutiny Officer

The Cabinet Member, Licensing, Planning and Regulatory Services emphasised the necessity and importance that the Planning Department changed in the way in which it worked presently and to make the appropriate changes.  The plan would allow the Department to clear the current backlog of planning applications and to improve the professionalism and productivity of the Department for the benefit of residents, businesses, and Officers.

In response to questions from Members of the Committee, the Cabinet Member, Licensing, Planning and Regulatory Services confirmed that the recruitment of the additional Planning Officers had begun.  There was already one person in post, with five positions to fill.  Several applications for the positions had been received that week, with interviews planned.  It was crucial to the implementation and success of the plan that the additional Planning Officers were recruited.  On completion of the recruitment exercise, daily monitoring of the work of the Team and progress made would take place.

The Director, Planning and Growth acknowledged that Planning was a difficult to recruit area across the sector nationally.  There were many challenges, not least the pandemic and economy.  However, the Leader and Cabinet Member, together with senior management were alive to the risk should the recruitment exercise not be successful.  The plan included a change in the culture and leadership of the Planning Service, which would be implemented immediately and would remain in place.  Officers in the Planning Service wanted and needed to make the changes, which would give ownership and empowerment to Officer’s with the provision of sustainable workloads.  Officers had been seeking this resolution for some time, as the current situation did not allow room for them to exercise their professionalism and provide the service they wished to provide.  The plan would also respond to customer needs and would hold the Council to account.  There were many significant applications expected in the near future and the Council needed have the infrastructure, policies and procedures in place to deal with these effectively and professionally.

The Cabinet Member, Licensing, Planning and Regulatory Services confirmed that the Planning Service and Planning Officers were very positive and welcomed the proposal.  They wanted to change and wanted to see the changes implemented. 

The Committee welcomed the changes and expressed the view that it was important to involve councillors, who were aware of the current situation and, from queries received from residents the impact.  At the end of the six-month period, it was imperative that the improvements continued.  Members recognised that the improvements would allow additional and thorough checks to be in place and the identification and investigation of contraventions to planning approval and, where appropriate, allow enforcement action  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To note the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2022/23.

AGREED that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee work programme be noted that the Fly Tipping item to be moved from the meeting of 9 March 2023 to a future meeting.

To note the date of the next meeting is at 7pm on Thursday, 9 February 2023.

NOTED that the next business meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to take place on Thursday, 9 March 2023 at 7pm at the Civic Centre.