Agenda item

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 work on the workstream on Town Centres could be reviewed.

·         All Panel Chairs should look at the work programme from the last year and consider any items outstanding from last year’s work programmes.

·         It was suggested that throughout the year each Panel Chair could give a very brief verbal update on the work they are undertaking.

The Chair summarised the topics from discussions as follows:

• Poverty & Inequality Commission update
• Local Plan
• Flytipping
• Build the Change
• Consultations
• Town Centres
• Cemeteries
• Covid 19
• White Paper on Planning

The Chair reminded members that when planning items for the work programmes of both OSC and the individual panels there is a need to be very clear and specific on the information, questions and queries being raised or requested. This allows the officers to prepare a detailed report specifically on the areas where there is a concern and ensures that they have covering the relevant information. There will be flexibility on the work programme but the terms of reference for each item must be very focused.

Any further suggestions and new ideas can still be emailed through.

It was agreed that the Local Plan item come to the next meeting of the Committee on the 13 July. The Chair will work with officers on a draft Work Programme this will be bought to the next meeting of OSC on 13 July 2021.

A draft of all scrutiny panel work programmes will come to the next meeting of the committee.

It was suggested that when agenda planning sufficient time is allowed for each item and was suggested that there are two substantive items for each business meeting

The Chair advised that training from the Centre for Public Scrutiny on work programming will be arranged and detailed with be sent to all OSC members.

Claire Johnson will send an email on the process for the work planning coming back to scrutiny.