Agenda item

To receive reports and any announcements from the Leader and members of the Cabinet on matters falling within their area of responsibility:

(a)        Report of the Leader;

(b)        Report of the Business Support Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(c)        Report of the Commercial and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(d)        Report of the Community and Partnership Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(e)        Report of the Contract and Technical Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(f)        Report of the Customer Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(g)        Report of the Housing and Property Services Portfolio Holder (attached);

(i)         Report of the Planning Services Portfolio Holder (attached); and

(j)         Report of the Strategic Projects Portfolio Holder (attached).

The Council received written reports from Portfolio Holders. The Chairman invited the Leader of Council to provide an oral report and the opportunity for other members of the Cabinet to give updates on matters concerning their relevant portfolios.

(a)          The Leader of the Council

Councillor C Whitbread advised that he had been involved in a number internal and external meetings since the last Council meeting.

The Cabinet continued to prepare the forth coming budget, consider options for the St John’s Road Site and the Accommodation Strategy and progress the Council’s development company, which would be scrutinised at Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19 November 2019. The forth coming budget included a number of innovative ideas including bringing back the Highway Rangers.

Finally, he had attended the recent South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) meeting to discuss some of the economic development issues in the surrounding areas.

(b)          Strategic Projects Portfolio Holder

Councillor A Lion advised that he had become the Deputy Chairman of the London, Stansted, Cambridge Corridor (LSCC) which incorporated the economic area around Epping Forest, Uttlesford, Harlow, Broxbourne and Hertfordshire and helped to influence the economic development within LSCC area.

He would also be attending the Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 6 November 2019, which would be scrutinising the proposals to relocate the Moorfields Eye Hospital from Islington to a new site in St Pancras.

Finally he had attended digital showcase regarding the Digital Innovation Zone for Epping Forest, Hertfordshire and Essex.

(c)           Commercial and Regulatory Services Portfolio Holder

Councillor A Patel provided the Council with an update on the Group Company Structure that had been approved by Cabinet on 11 July 2019. He advised that a members and officers steering group had been established and had met on a fortnightly basis since September 2019 to progress the project.

Following a request from the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor M Sartin, an update on the Group Company Structure would be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny on 19 November 2019 for members to scrutinise.