Agenda and minutes

To note the appointment at the Special meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 May 2003 of Councillor Blann as Chair of the Sub-Committee for the Municipal Year 2003/2004.

RESOLVED:  To note the appointment at the Special meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 May 2003, under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 11.2, of Councillor Blann as Chair of this Sub-Committee for the 2003/04 Municipal Year.

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

RESOLVED:  To note the attendance at this meeting of the following duly appointed Resrve Members:

To receive declarations of interest (if any) from Members of the Committee arising from business to be transacted at this meeting.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interest made by Members of the Sub-Committee in relation to the business to be transacted at this meeting.

To consider whether any of the items listed on the agenda should be considered with the press and public excluded on the grounds that it is thought likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that there would be disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence or of exempt information as defined in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

RESOLVED:  That all items be considered with the press and public present.

To appoint a Vice Chair of the Sub-Committee for the Municipal Year 2002/2003

RESOLVED:  To appoint Councillor Mrs Kinnear as Vice-Chair of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Sub-Committee for the 2003/2004 Municipal Year.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2003, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 31 March 2003, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no public questions to be received at this meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules 9 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 15 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions had been received.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Committee Procedure Rule 16 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no public questions, petitions or deputations submitted to this meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10 (Part 4B of the Constitution).

Report of the Chief Executive

The Sub-Committee received the report of the Chief Executive which detailed the Sub-Committee’s contribution to the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for information and formal endorsement.

In response to a question from a Member, the Chair commented that meetings with a resident’s Group and Transportation staff were required before the review of consultation for highway and transportation schemes could be completed.

In discussion of the future work programme, the Chair informed the meeting it was planned that both reviews would be completed by the October meeting.  Future meetings would also receive information on the relationship with transport providers and a briefing note on grants and loans available to owner-occupiers, tenants, landlords and developers.

Members commented that the Sub-Committee was due to receive the Unitary Development Plan in December, but were unsure how they would scrutinise it.  The Sub-Committee were also scheduled to receive the Local Implementation Plan, which had replaced the Local Transportation Plan.

The Chair reminded the meeting that items on the Information Circular could, at the request of a Member, be brought onto the main agenda.

RESOLVED:  That the Chair’s report of the Sub-Committee’s work over the past year, as agreed for inclusion in the 2002-03 scrutiny annual report, be noted and formally endorsed.

The Sub-Committee received the draft report of the Review of Consultation for Highway and Transportation Schemes.

An Officer commented that many of the recommendations followed current procedure and that only the targeting of non-respondees could be problematic, but a more complete response would be given when Members met the transportation staff involved.

The Chair commented that the review had indicated that Harrow’s practices were as good as any other borough.  He noted that there were two stages of the Review to be completed.  He proposed that the meeting with Transportation staff take place in August.  The meeting would take place during the day and it was suggested that three Members would be nominated to attend.

Following previous discussions, it was agreed that a meeting with Queensbury Residents and Traders Association (QARA) be arranged to canvass the opinions of residents on the consultation procedure.  This meeting would probably take place in the evening and Councillors Blann, Mrs Kinnear and Lent volunteered to represent the Review Group.  Councillor Miles commented that a survey of residents’ opinions on the consultation for the Queensbury CPZ had been carried out and might be of interest to the Review.

The Sub-Committee agreed that once these two meetings had taken place, the final draft of the Review would be written.  Members endorsed the fact that the meeting with residents’ would feed into the meeting with Transportation staff.

In discussion of the draft recommendations of the Review, Members voiced their support for improved consultation with businesses.

RESOLVED: That a meeting with (1) Queensbury Residents and Traders Association be arranged

(2) members of the Transportation staff be arranged.

Item placed on the agenda at the request of the Chair

The Chair stated that he had requested that this item be placed on the agenda as he felt that this Sub-Committee was the best place to monitor rent arrears and voids in relation to Local Authority Housing Stock.

The Chair referred the meeting to the tabled housing statistics and requested that the Sub-Committee inform him of any additional information they felt would be relevant.  The Chair proposed that the statistics would appear on the Sub-Committee’s Information Circular every three months, although there could be some disruption to the service when the service was switched to the new Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO).

Following discussion, Members stated that they wanted information on individual voids and arrears.

RESOLVED:  That a report on rent arrears and voids for Local Authority housing stock be provided to the Sub-Committee every three months.

An Officer informed the meeting that the Mayor’s Waste Strategy was due for publication in August and it was difficult for the Review to progress until then as targets within the strategy could potentially be changed.  The Chair commented that it was important to conclude this review as soon as possible.  He suggested that LA21 should be contacted to feed their comments into the Review as they had attended the information-gathering event.  It was suggested that, as the membership of the Sub-Committee had changed since the Review commenced, the notes of the information-gathering event should be distributed to all Members again.

RESOLVED:  That the notes of the Waste Management Event held on 19 February 2003 be distributed to all Members of the Sub-Committee