Issue - meetings

(Chairman of the Select Committee) Article 6 (Overview and Scrutiny) of the Constitution requires that the chairmen of the select committees report to the meeting in regard to progress with the achievement of the current work programme for each select committee and on any recommendations for consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The current work programme for each select committee is attached as an appendix to this agenda.

(a)          Stronger Communities Select Committee

Councillor S Murray reported that the first meeting had been held on 15 June 2021 and the new Chairman, Councillor J Lea, had done an outstanding job.

(b)          Stronger Council Select Committee

Councillor P Bolton reported that the reviewing of local elections was already on the select committee’s work programme. Therefore, Overview and Scrutiny Committee did not need to duplicate this scrutiny. Also, pre-scrutiny was beginning to work and he encouraged more of this.

Councillor S Murray thought that the local elections review should go to the July meeting as it seemed a bit late to review these elections by September 2021. Councillor M Sartin said that there was an officer Elections Planning Group, which held meetings throughout the year. A Small added that the report would try to be brought forward, but he did not know if this would be possible.

(c)          Stronger Place Select Committee

Councillor A Lion reported that this was last year’s work programme and the work had been competed but he was not aware of any new work programme items that had previously been agreed. At the first meeting in the municipal year on 22 June 2021, members received a verbal report on the main modifications of the Local Plan. The Committee had also spent time reviewing what it wanted to scrutinise in the forthcoming year. He had requested some of the directorates’ business plans and was looking at the Corporate Plan 2018-2023, including the Cabinet work programme and other documents. Mr Dawe had also made some suggestions, so it might take some time to get a work programme together but this was actively being worked on.

Councillor J H Whitehouse added that the green action plan used to regularly come to the previous Neighbourhoods Select Committee so it should be subject to scrutiny by one of the select committees.

Councillor M Sartin replied that this was one of the issues to discuss at the Joint Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, which was being held on 22 June 2021.

            RESOLVED:

(1)          That the Committee noted the work programmes of the three select

                        committees.