(a) To receive the Annual Overview and Scrutiny Committee Report 2020-21
(attached);
(b) To note the progress report of the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny
Committee – June/July 2021 (attached); and
(c) To answer any questions without notice asked in accordance with Council
Rules.
Minutes:
(a) Overview and Scrutiny Annual report
The Council received the sixteenth Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, its Select Committees and Task and Finish Panels for 2020/21, to be approved, by the Chairman of the Committee Councillor M Sartin.
Councillor S Murray asked for it to be put on record the excellent way in which Councillor M Sartin chaired the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He then advised that he would abstain from approving the report due to the way in which the report covered call-in requests as he didn’t feel the understanding of the importance of the decisions and the heat of the debate on some of the issues raised.
He then went on to point out on pages 282, 283 and 284 of the agenda, External Scrutiny, that there were three really positive pieces of scrutiny that were done during the year, Epping Forest Youth Council, Local Mental Health Services and Young People’s Mental Health Services.
Councillor Murray stated that the Stronger Communities Select Committee, at their first meeting in July 2020, had an excellent presentation from the Grow Community Garden which was documented on page 288 of the agenda to which he would like to bring to the Council’s attention.
Lastly he highlighted that the Stronger Council Select Committee scrutinised the Council’s Accommodation review as reported on page 297 of the agenda and asked where it was documented the breakdown of the £5 million spent on the refurbishment of the Civic Offices and was it possible to have one list detailing where and how the money was spent.
Councillor M Sartin thanked Councillor Murray for drawing to members attention some of the areas on the report, it was quite a full report that did cover and show the work that was carried out over the last year by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and also by the three Select Committees.
Councillor C Whitbread thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and in particular Councillor M Sartin and Councillor B Jennings for all of the hard work that had gone into this committee over the last year and also gave thanks to the three Select Committees as they all did essential work for the Council. He was pleased to report that a lot of new policies were emerging, particularly around housing, which were now going to the correct committees and being scrutinised efficiently before they came to Council.
With regard to the Civic Offices refurbishment, the second floor of the Civic Offices had now been let out and this income will not only be to the benefit of the Council but to the benefit of local residents. The project was very heavily documented through its many phases to which the Pandemic played a great part in changes and the new ways of working for Council staff.
The refurbishment had been on time and in budget and a final report with all the costings will go to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or the Stronger Council Select Committee at a later date.
The Council are one of the leaders at the forefront of technology and once the Civic Offices were fully functioning it would be a great asset to the whole community of Epping Forest and will deliver fundamental savings and a greener working environment for Epping Forest.
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked if the report could include how decisions were made and how they were changed. Before the consultation closed I attended many of the briefings and were shown things like working pods to be included which are now not in the offices and the building was somewhat different to what members were led to expect, therefore it would be interesting to know how this all changed along the way and why.
Councillor C Whitbread agreed that it had changed as things had moved on as the building was developed. Originally all three floors were going to be used by the Council, apart from part of the ground floor, which was hoped to be used as a community hub. Where possible members have been kept informed but obviously some things had to move very quickly. He pointed out that there were various pods situated throughout the first and second floors of the building. The refurbishment work was not fully completed as another entrance was hoped to be opened up for access to the café area and where it was hoped the library would also go.
The Civic Offices was an old building and with all the new refurbishment works it was now a building for the 21st century.
(b) Report of the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee
The Council received a report from Councillor M Sartin, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the three meetings held in June and July 2021 and the business that was discussed.
RESOLVED:
(a) That Council approved the annual report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee; and
(b) That the report of the three Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings held in June and July 2021 be noted.
Supporting documents: