Agenda and minutes

Decisions required:

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 6 October 2005.

That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 6 October 2005 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

It was noted that Councillor J M Whitehouse was substituting for Councillor M Woollard.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

There were no declarations of interest reported pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.

Recommendation:

To consider the current position on the establishment of the Highways Local Service Agreement.

The Head of Environmental Services and Mr Paul Hardy, the Area Manager for the West Essex Highways office will be attending the meeting to report on the current position regarding the Highways Local Services Agreement and consider questions.

The Chairman of the Committee introduced and welcomed to the Committee, Mr Paul Hardy, the manager of the Area Highways Office for West Essex who was in attendance to discuss the current position on the establishment of a Highways Local Service Agreement (LSA) for the District.

The Head of Environmental Services reported the Cabinet had endorsed the agreement in principle in November 2004, on the basis that the final document contained no fundamental changes.  Under the arrangements, which took effect in April 2005, responsibility for all decision making in respect of highways resided with the County and the Area Highways Offices. The Council had the ability to influence the process as it was consulted over decisions affecting local roads. The Head of Environmental Services reported that these new arrangements were working well and regular meetings had been taking place between the Council and Mr Hardy to implement the spirit of the agreement.

Mr Hardy reported that the agreement should be ready for signing in the next 2-3 weeks. The process had been delayed as there had been concerns about the wording of certain policies specific to a number of participant authorities. He referred to the Loughton Town Enhancement Scheme and Parking Reviews. These projects were complex and had to deal with representations received about them before they could proceed which had delayed works. He reassured the Committee that these projects would be honoured and that Town Centre Enhancement works and Parking Reviews would continue to be carried out and new schemes were planned. Mr Hardy explained that the proposals contained in the Council motion passed in 2002 on residential parking permits would be dealt with as a matter of urgency. He stated that the Highways Panel for West Essex would monitor and report on road maintenance performance. He reported that further funding had now been made available for this and as a result more roads in the District were being repaired. Repair work had  primarily focused on main roads but other routes had also been resurfaced. Mr Hardy stated that performance target for Category 1,  Pot Holes had not been achieved but the emerging new  contract to start in April 2006 should address this issue amongst other things. He said that he was happy to talk to Members about their particular highway related issues.

Several Members expressed concern over the West Essex Highways Office response times to telephone calls and questioned why a number of local schemes had not been completed. A Member asked why funding from a legal agreement for a development in Loughton for highway improvement works had still not been spent for the intended purpose. Mr Hardy empathised with these concerns. He explained the steps that had been taken to improve response times and to ensure that customer received an immediate manual response.  He explained that within his area office there was 25 vacant posts out of 65 positions which accounted for some delays. He stated that delays might also occur as smaller tasks were often batched  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

RESOLVED:

That agenda item 8 (Report of Task and Finish Panel on Register of Development Proposals) be taken as the next item of business.

(Councillor Maclaine). To consider the attached report of the Task and Finish Panel.

The Chairman of the Task and Finish Panel Councillor F Maclaine presented a report of his Panel recommending the establishment of a register for local concerns. He explained that the register would provide a formal means of registering and monitoring matters of   concerns and a record of outstanding issues affecting individual wards.

He reported that the register supported the government’s current E - government proposals  for local councils which requested that an on-line register be established for public concerns. It was likely that the register would enable concerns to be recorded through the website once this wider consideration had been implemented.

The Head of Environmental Services reported that the Comprehensive Performance Assessment Inspectorate had identified the need for such a register during the assessment of the Council. He stated that these proposals addressed this issue.

RESOLVED:

(1)               That a formal means of registering matters of concern affecting the Wards in the District be adopted; and

(2)               That the means of registering such matters with the Council be done by means of a specific form; and

(3)               That each Registration is numbered to facilitate a trace of action/decision taken by the Council; and

(4)            That a record of outstanding issues affecting a Ward be provided; and

(5)               That the ICT and Corporate Support Services Portfolio Holder, in conjunction with officers and other appropriate portfolio holders be requested to consider the operation of and resources required for this scheme.

The Committee is asked to consider the attached updated Overview and Scrutiny work programme for May – Oct 2005. To advise on current developments, all Panel Chairman have been invited to attend this meeting to report on the current work of their panels.

As requested by the Chairman of this Committee at its last meeting on 6 October 2005, Panel  Chairmen are requested to indicate when current reviews will be completed.

Standing Panels                        Chairman

Finance and Performance Management                          Councillor J M Whitehouse

Housing                        Councillor S Murray

Planning and Environmental Services                        Councillor D Stallan

E-Government and Information and

Communication Technology                        Councillor F Maclaine

Constitutional Affairs                        Councillor R Morgan

Task and Finish Panels

Externally Funded Leisure and Youth Provision                        Councillor Mrs A Grigg

Register of Development Proposals                        Councillor F Maclaine

Member Training                        Councillor Mrs M Sartin

Traveller Issues                        Councillor P McMillan

(a)            Standing Panels

(i)                             Finance and Performance Management

Councillor J M Whitehouse reported on the work of the Finance and Performance Standing Panel. The Panel met on 8 November 2005 and gave initial consideration to next years budget, and changes in relation to the Transport for London Concessionary Fares Scheme. The Panel had recommended that fees and charges for 2005/06 be raised by 2.5% to accommodate inflation and changes to car parking charges. The Panel considered a report on the Transport for London Concessionary Fares Scheme proposing changes to the scheme to address the rising costs and demand being placed on it.

The Panel received performance monitoring information for the second quarter of this year. The majority of these were on track save the indicators for the average time to process changes of circumstances for Council Tax and Housing Benefit, major planning applications and the target for empty dwellings. Action had been and  continued to be  being taken to improve these three areas.

The Chairman reported that in considering the performance monitoring schedules, the Panel noted that there appeared to be a conflict between the identified  aim to increase the number of affordable housing in the District and the performance information which implied the reverse. To reconsider the target in view of the Council’s objectives in the area and the levels of resources required to support this, the Committee agreed the issue be added to the Housing Panel work plan. The Chairman of the Housing Panel welcomed this new item and referred to the potential implications of the review.

A member referred to the ‘traffic light system’ used to monitor performance. He asked Officers to ensure that these schedules were fully completed.

(ii)                     Housing

The Chairman, Councillor S Murray reported that the Panel had not met since the last meeting of the Committee on 6 October 2005. However since then Members had  received a  briefing on housing issues which was very informative.  He requested that the work plan item relating to the consideration of the Annual Review of Housing-Related Fees and Charges be deleted from the Terms of Reference/work plan for the Panel. He explained that this work was being undertaken by the Finance and Performance Standing Panel as part of their budget considerations which removed the need for it to be considered by the Housing Panel.

RESOLVED:

(i)            That an item on the provision of affordable housing in the district be added to the Terms of Reference for the Housing Scrutiny Panel and;

(2)               That Term (3)(v), relating to the consideration of the Annual Review of Housing-Related Fees and Charges prior to consideration by the Cabinet, be deleted from the Terms of Reference

(iii)                         Environmental Services and Planning

The Chairman of the Panel, Councillor Stallan reported that the Panel last met on 20 October 2005 and added items to their programme. These were the formulation of the Council’s response to the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, Councillor Mrs Whitehouse’s request on the provision of uniformed neighbourhood wardens and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

Recommendation:

To consider any items to be raised by the Chairman at the Cabinet meeting on 14 November 2005.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). Under the Overview and Scrutiny rules the Committee is enabled to scrutinise proposed decisions of the Executive. The Chairman is also required to report on such discussions to the Cabinet.

The Committee is asked to consider the Cabinet agenda for the meeting on 14 November 2005 (previously circulated) to see whether there are any items that they wished to be raised at that Cabinet meeting.

It was agreed that agenda item 16 (Concessionary Fares – Access into London)  be raised by the Chairman at the Cabinet meeting on 14 November 2005 to highlight the proposals made on the report by the Finance and Performance Scrutiny Standing Panel.

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To consider the attached report.

The Senior Democratic Services Officer reminded the Committee that the recent attempt to recruit to the post of Scrutiny Support officer, which was established as part of the OS review earlier in the year, had not be successful. As a result effort and the resources allocated for the post had been channelled into recruiting a Democratic Services Officers to provide additional support for the Overview and Scrutiny especially the unsupported Task and Finish Panels.   The post was about to go out to advert with a closing date of 2 December 2005. The Senior Democratic Services Officer undertook to keep the Committee informed about this process.

RESOLVED

That the action being taken by the Head of Research and Democratic Services to provide additional staffing support to Overview and Scrutiny be noted.