Agenda and minutes

1.         This meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking.

2.         The Chairman will read the following announcement:

“I would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the Internet and will be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available for those that request it.

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you wish to avoid this you should move to the upper public gallery”

The Chairman made a short address to remind all present that the meeting would be broadcast on the Internet, and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

It was reported that Councillor Mrs J Whitehouse was substituting for Councillor Mrs A Haigh, and that Councillor Ms J Hedges was substituting for Councillor G Mohindra.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). 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.

No declarations of interest were reported pursuant to the Councils Code of Conduct.

Decisions required:

To confirm the minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 10 April 2008.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 April 2008 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

(Deputy Chief Executive) To receive a presentation from Catherine O’Connell, the Locality Director of the West Essex Primary Care Trust on their proposals to:

1)      Develop a GP led health centre for West Essex; and

2)      Improve health services in Chipping Ongar.

The PCT Proposals for each of the above schemes are attached to this agenda for information.

The Committee received a presentation from Catherine O’Connell, the Epping Forest Locality Director of the West Essex Primary Care Trust. She was there to talk  about their proposals to, i) develop a GP led health centre for West Essex and,  ii) to improve health services in Chipping Ongar.

i)          The Panel noted that a recent National Access and Responsiveness Survey highlighted problems with access to GPs. New Government money (£250m) was made available to provide for 100 new GP practices in areas with fewer doctors, poorest health outcome and lowest patient satisfaction. The funds were also to establish 152 GP led health centres, one in each PCT area, on top of existing services.  The PCT plans to extend their existing primary care health provision by extending the standard GP services already provided at Traps Hill Surgery and Forest Medical Centre in Loughton. The new service would run from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, including all bank holidays, and would provide a wider range of services than currently offered, such as blood tests, x-rays and ultrasound.

The new surgeries would offer booked and walk-in appointments both to patients registered at the practice and to those who are not registered but needed to access primary care for any reason. Increasing the numbers of GPs in Loughton would bring it in line with the rest of West Essex. Access to a GP would improve by giving local people and the large commuter population the ability to see a GP outside normal working hours.

The PCT would select the new provider by a competitive tender process – this would mean that the services could be run by local GPs or GP practices, NHS organisations or commercial providers. The outcome would be decided by a panel that would include patients, senior doctors and the PCT.  The existing doctors, nurses and staff currently employed at these surgeries will remain on their current terms and conditions.

The new provider would be judged on their ability to provide high quality services that are accessible, responsive and meet all the core requirements such as  an access plan, clinical governance plan, workforce development plan, information management and technology plan and a patient participation plan. The emphasis will be on quality of service.

The PCT wished to consult the local population on this proposal, they would like to know if they had missed something; is the location right; any other factors that they have not taken into account? They have provided a feedback form to be filled in and returned and are also holding public meetings. The consultation period end on 9 July 2008.

Ms O’Connell emphasised that this was not to be a Polyclinic

ii)         The Panel was then apprised of the PCT plans to improve health services in Chipping Ongar. The Ongar War Memorial Hospital, although greatly loved was cramped, had privacy problems, did not comply with new infection standards, did not have enough space to provide all potential services and the building itself needed major  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Decision Required:

(1)   To appoint members to the following Standing Panels in accordance with pro-rata in the proportions shown below:

(2)   To Consider requests for appointments to Standing Panels by non affiliated members; and

(3)        To appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman to the following Standing Panels:

1.         (Assistant to the Chief Executive). The Council has agreed that pro rata apply to Overview and Scrutiny Standing Panels only. The Overview and Scrutiny rules provide that the memberships must reflect pro rata requirements and the lowest number of members required to achieve cross-party representation whilst allowing the inclusion of members who are not members of a political group or are not members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. This year the Standing Panels should have 12 members.

2.         The Committee are asked to make appointments to Standing Panels in accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure rules.

3.                  Nominations to Chairman and Vice Chairman of these Panels are excluded from the calculation required under the Council's protocol regarding allocation of Chairman and Vice-Chairman positions between the political groups.

4.         Nominations to the Panels, which may be submitted up until the day of the meeting, were sought through the Members Bulletin and officer liaison with the Group Leaders. A list of the proposals submitted to date is attached. Those outstanding will be circulated for consideration at the meeting.

The Committee were asked to make appointments to Standing Panels in accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny rules. The Committee were reminded that the Council had agreed pro rata applied to Standing Panels and that membership should be kept to a minimum to allow each Group to have representation.  It was noted that on this basis it had been calculated that Panels would consist of 11 Members, plus any independent member that wished to be a member of a Panel.

It was reported that nominations to Chairman and Vice Chairman to Standing Panels were excluded from the pro rata calculation rules required for such positions contained in the Council’s constitution.

The Committee had before them a report detailing a list of nominations received and a tabled paper detailing late nominations and changes to the schedules.

RESOLVED:

That the appointments to Standing Panels annexed to these minutes be adopted.

            Decisions Required:

(1)        To appoint members to the following Task and Finish Panels in accordance with Overview and Scrutiny procedure rules:

(a)   Leisure Task and Finish Panel.

(b)   Customer Transformation Task and Finish Panel.

(2)        To appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman to the Task and Finish Panels.

1.         (Assistant to the Chief Executive). The Committee are asked to consider appointments to Task and Finish Panels. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had reviewed the requests for reviews and has determined that two Task and Finish Panel Reviews should be undertaken.

2.         The Overview and Scrutiny Rules state that 'Task and Finish' Scrutiny Panels shall be flexible as to the number of Councillors appointed to membership.  There is no restriction on the numbers appointed.

3.         Any Councillor may be a member of a 'Task and Finish' Scrutiny Panel, save that a member of the Cabinet may not be a member of any Panel which bears directly on his or her portfolio. Additionally no 'Task and Finish' Scrutiny Panel can be comprised of members of a single political group only.

4.                  It is a requirement of the procedure rules that a Chairman and Vice - Chairman should be appointed to each Panel.

5.         Nomination to the Panels, which may be submitted up until the day of the meeting, were sought through the Members Bulletin and officer liaison with the Group Leaders. A list of the proposals submitted to date is attached. Those outstanding  will be circulated for consideration at the meeting.

The Committee were asked to consider appointments to Task and Finish Panels.

It was noted that any Member could be appointed to Task and Finish Panels. However Cabinet Members would not be able to serve on panels which bore directly on their Portfolio. In addition no panel could comprise of members of a single political group and restrictions on numbers did not apply.

Members were also asked to appoint a Chairman and Vice Chairman to each Panel. 

The meeting had before them a tabled schedule detailing late nominations.

RESOLVED:

That the appointments to Task and Finish Panels annexed to these minutes be adopted.

(a)               Updated Schedule

The Committee are asked to note the updated schedule.

(b)        Reserve Programme

A reserve list of scrutiny topics is required to ensure that the work flow of OSC is continuous.

OSC will ‘pull out’ items from the list and allocate them accordingly once space becomes available in the work plan following the completion of existing reviews.

Members can put forward any further suggestions for inclusion in the reserve list either during the meeting or at a later date.

Existing review items will be dealt with first, and then time will be allocated to the items contained in the reserve work plan.

Any space within the work plan is filled on an ongoing basis.

The Committee noted the work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and for the Standing and Task and Finish Panels. These panels were to meet before the next O&S meeting to update and agree their terms of reference and work programmes.

Councillor Mrs Whitehouse asked that Lonica Vanclay proposed presentation to the next meeting of the Committee be publicised as widely as possible.

To consider and comment on the Council’s Best Value Performance Plan. The Plan has been circulated separately and members are asked to bring this with them to the meeting.

The Committee considered the Best Value Performance Plan 2008/09. As this was still incomplete (some figures were still being gathered) the Committee considered the report as a draft, work in progress statement. They noted that the report is produced in two version each year, a full version and  a summary version that is distributed all the households in the district. They also noted that this would be the last time that they were required to produce this report in its current form, although it be continued to be published in some form in the future.

The Committee thought that the report was well presented, but although it talked of aims and targets it still should say what was achieved last year.

            RESOLVED:

            That the Committee endorsed the Best Value Performance Plan for 2008/09.

As the Environment and Planning Standing Panel has now been disbanded, the Committee are asked to agree the last set of minutes for this Panel from their meeting held on 23 April 2008.

The Committee were asked to agree the last set of minutes for the now disbanded Environment and Planning Standing Panel.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Environment and Planning Standing Panel for 23 April 2008 be agreed.

To note that the Calendar for 2008/09 has been changed to reflect that the Environment and Planning Services Standing Panel has now changed its name to the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Standing Panel (keeping the dates originally scheduled for the Environment and Planning Panel).

The new Planning Services Standing Panel has been put on the Calendar and given the following meeting dates:

19 June 2008;

09 September 2008;

18 November 2008;

06 January 2009;

12 February 2009; and

13 April 2009.

A copy of the calendar is attached to this agenda.

The Committee noted the changes made to the calendar of meetings now that the Environment and Planning Standing Panel had been disbanded and replaced with the Safer, Cleaner, Greener Standing Panel, which would keep the dates of the Environment and Planning Standing Panel. The new Planning Services Standing Panel was given the following new dates:

19 June 2008;

09 September 2008;

18 November 2008;

06 January 2009;

12 February 2009; and

13 April 2009.

Recommendations:

(1)        To review the Cabinet agenda and indicate matters of concern/comment for the Chairman to discuss with the Cabinet; and

(2)        To raise any further matters to be discussed with the Cabinet at their next meeting on 9 June 2008.

The Executive Procedural Rules (Rule 2.2 (iii) and (v) provide an opportunity at Cabinet meetings for Members of this Committee to raise any matters for consideration by the Cabinet (Overview and Scrutiny Rule 16). This item provides an opportunity to raise such matters either in relation to proposed Cabinet items or other matters of concern. 

The Chairman of the Committee will report accordingly to the Cabinet at its next meeting.

1.         Councillor Angold-Stephens informed the Committee that under item 10 of the Cabinet agenda, ‘Loughton High Road Town Centre Enhancement Final Account’ – that only the works under phases 1 and 2 had been completed.

2.         Councillors Mrs Whitehouse, Jon Whitehouse and Stephen Murray expressed concerns that all of item 20, the ‘Waste Management Budget Overspend 2007/08’ was to be considered in private session. They considered that not all the report should be private. Councillor C Whitbread explained that it was subject to ongoing negotiations and was therefore sensitive at this time.

3.         Councillor Angold-Stephens commented that the creation of a Conservation Officer Post, under Cabinet agenda item 15, should be supported.

To note the scheduled dates of future meetings of this Committee:

10^th July 2008;

28^th August  2008;

29^th September 2008;

06^th November 2008;

11^th December 2008;

29^th January 2009;

05^th March 2009; and

16^th April 2009.

The future meeting dates of the Committee were noted:

10 July 2008;

28 August 2008;

29 September 2008;

06 November 2008;

11 December 2208;

29 January 2009;

05 March 2009; and

16 April 2009.