Agenda item

(i)            (Lead Officer & Chairman) to consider the attached report on the draft terms of reference for this committee.

(ii)           Members are requested the review what, if any minutes of appropriate outside bodies they would like to receive during the year. The former Safer Cleaner Greener Scrutiny Panel had on its work programme items to receive the notes of the following meetings:

·         Local Highways Panel;

·         North Essex Parking Partnership;

·         The Police and Crime Panel; and

·         The Leisure Board.

Receipt of these notes/minutes were sporadic at best, with the Panel receiving them sometimes months after the meetings had been held.

Members can:

(i)    ask for any or all of the above to be brought to this Committee when available; or

(ii)   ask that they be put into the Members Bulletin for all members to see and if necessary any specific item that they deem important can be referred to this Panel. Done this way members can see the minutes as soon as they are made available and not have to wait until the next meeting of this Committee.

(i)            The Committee considered their draft terms of reference for the new Select Committee structure suggested by the Scrutiny Review Task and Finish Panel and instituted by the main Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Committee noted that Mr Macnab would be the lead officer and that he would, when the subject under discussion demanded, bring in other Assistant Directors or senior officers for their relevant expertise to aid the Committee in their discussions.

The Committee then went through their draft terms of reference and made the following comments and amendments:

·         That it should specifically exclude Housing matters from the Communities section;

·         That a regular review and update of the Local Plan be included; and

·         That the monitoring and procurement of the Leisure Management Contract be added.

The Committee then went on to consider their draft work programme. They noted that:

·         Under item 7, on the Bobbingworth Nature Reserve Liaison Group, in addition to receiving the notes of the meetings, the committee asked to have a specific updates, when appropriate, on the current position of the site;

·         Under item 8, update on the Green Corporate Working Party, that they receive one at their November meeting; and

·         That regular updates on the position of the Local Plan be added to the work programme.

They noted that a PICK form would be going to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee asking that the Waste Contract be looked at. In anticipation of receiving this item of work onto their work programme the meeting considered, that if the Overview and Scrutiny Committee asked them to look at this, that it should be scoped out at their September meeting and that if appropriate, a one item special meeting be arranged for November. This gap would enable the current situation to resolve itself and enable the committee consider not only the details but also the wider implications of the waste contract. The meeting should be opened out to all members and the public to attend. Also, it should not only have council officers in attendance but also officers from Biffa as well as the external consultant to enable a more complete picture to be had.

This meeting should be held in the Council Chamber and webcasting should also be considered.

(ii)           The Committee then considered if they would like to receive the minutes of  appropriate outside bodies that they would like to keep under review, namely the Local Highway Panel; the North Essex Parking Partnership; the Police and Crime Panel; and the Leisure Partnership Board.

Receipt of these minutes proved to be erratic for the Safer Cleaner Greener Scrutiny Panel and the Committee thought it better that they should be put in the Council Bulletin when they were received, to eliminate any delay in members seeing them. In this way they can identify any items of interest and could ask appropriate officers to report back on these specific matters at the next Select Committee meeting.

Councillor Sartin asked about tourism in our district and where was this reported on. She was told that it was reported to the Asset Management and Economic Development Cabinet Committee.

Councillor Whitehouse asked about One Epping Forest and for any feedback from the LSP. She was told that they published their minutes on their website; a link could be put into the Council Bulletin highlighting this.

Councillor Waller noted that the minutes for NEPP could run into a lot of pages. Could this be summarised and then put into bulletin, as it would save a lot of paper.

AGREED that the notes of meetings for the Local Highways Panel, the North Essex Parking Partnership, the Police and Crime Panel, and the Leisure Partnership Board be published in the Council Bulletin when they were first received by officers.