Agenda and minutes

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

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

To receive declarations of personal or prejudicial interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee, Sub Committee, Panel or Forum;

(b)               all other Members present in any part of the room or chamber.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members in relation to the business 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 Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

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

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2006, having been circulated, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 July 2006 be deferred until printed in the next Council Bound Minute Volume.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents/organisations under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 8.

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rule 8.

To receive petitions (if any) submitted by members of the public/Councillors under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9.

RESOLVED:  To note that no petitions were received at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rule 9.

To receive deputations (if any) under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10.

RESOLVED:  To note that no deputations were received at the meeting under the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 10.

To receive any references from Council and/or other Committees or Panels.

RESOLVED: To note that no references were received from Council or other Committees/Panels.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(10 minutes)

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which introduced the final report of the Water Management and Drought Challenge Panel.

The Chairman of the Challenge Panel highlighted some of the key findings of the Panel, which included the need for improved consultation between the water companies and the Council, and the need to introduce compulsory metering to help save water.

The Sub-Committee thanked the scrutiny officer for his research and organisation, and noted that a press release had been issued on the report. The Sub-Committee also expressed its dissatisfaction with Three Valleys Water’s definition of ‘permitted’ or ‘acceptable’ loss, which amounted to 140 million litres of water per day.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the report be noted;

(2)  the Challenge Panel’s findings and recommendations be endorsed;

(3)  the report be submitted to the Cabinet at the next available opportunity.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(10 minutes)

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which introduced the final report of the Light Touch Review of the Residents’ Information Pack.

The Chairman of the Review presented the report and thanked the scrutiny officer for his research and organisation. The Chairman of the Sub-Committee thanked the Review Chairman for his work and proposed that the recommendations of the report be divided into a “to do list” and a “wish list” before being presented to Cabinet.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the report be noted;

(2)  the Review report’s findings and recommendations be endorsed;

(3)  the Review report be submitted to Cabinet at the next available opportunity.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(20 minutes)

The Chairman of the Sub-Committee stated that since there was uncertainty as to how Cabinet envisioned the role of Scrutiny, he proposed to leave the Work Programme for Years 2, 3 and 4 to be confirmed at a later meeting of the Sub-Committee.

The officer agreed to circulate an update on the Community Strategy to Members, and it was agreed that this item be removed from the Work Programme for the 8 March 2007 meeting. It was further agreed that the update on Waste Management be added to the 8 March 2007 meeting, and that the Decent Homes Capital Programme and Planning Effectiveness items be removed from the same meeting.

RESOLVED:  That (1) the nature of the reviews to be undertaken for 2006-07 be approved;

(2)  the review schedule for 2006-07 be approved;

(3)  the review schedule for 2006-10 be approved in principle;

(4)  the Work Programme for Sub-Committee meetings until March 2007 be approved, subject to the above amendments.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(10 minutes)

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy in relation to the scope of the Challenge Panel for the Tourism Review.  It was noted that the purpose of the Panel would be to identify matters outstanding following the Tourism Review, and in the process to ‘wrap up’ the final outcome of the Review.

RESOLVED:  That (1) Councillor Jerry Miles be appointed Chairman of the Challenge Panel;

(2)  the plan for the Challenge Panel be agreed as outlined in the report; and

(3)  a report be presented to the Sub-Committee in November 2006 on the Panel’s findings.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(10 minutes)

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which provided a background to the development of the Council’s Economic Development Strategy, and called on Members to make a number of decisions in relation to the scope of a Challenge Panel on Borough-wide Economic Development.

It was noted that economic development had recently been brought under the control of the Forward Planning team, which had itself moved to Urban Living from the Chief Executive’s Directorate. Members were informed that this gave the Sub-Committee an excellent opportunity to review the work being undertaken by the Council in partnership with GHK (an external consultant) on this matter. The culmination of this work would form the basis of an economic development strategy to be drafted early in 2007. The remit of the Challenge Panel would be to examine this work, but also to investigate the issue of economic development in the Borough more broadly.

Members were informed that the first meeting of the Challenge Panel would likely be scheduled around 17/18 October 2006, with the intention of producing a report the following week. The Chairman of the Sub-Committee informed Members that he was keen for the Panel to include representatives of all three political groups.

RESOLVED:  That (1) Councillor Richard Romain be appointed Chairman of the Panel unless another Member put him/herself forward for the position; and

(2)  the plan for the Challenge Panel, as previously approved by the Chairman, be agreed.

Report of the Director, People Performance and Policy

(10 minutes)

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Director of People, Performance and Policy, which gave preliminary planning information on the Review of Demography and Demographic Change. The scrutiny officer informed Members that he planned to present a scoping document to the Sub-Committee at its November 2006 meeting.

The Chairman expressed his concern that the Review should involve a range of people in the Borough to ensure the issue was carefully examined. The scrutiny officer confirmed that even though the first year of the Review would be a mapping exercise, this would involve going out of the Council to meet residents. It was also noted that although the Council held some statistical information on the demographic composition of the Borough, from the Census for example, there was less information on what people wanted from the Council. It was also important to listen to the needs of individual residents, rather than only engage with residents’ and amenity groups.

The Chairman stated that he wished for all Members of the Sub-Committee to participate in the Review in whatever way they felt able.

RESOLVED:  That (1) all Members participate in the four-year review programme;

(2)  the project be fully planned and scoped; and

(3)  the Review Group report back with a final scope in November 2006 prior to the commencement of the gathering of evidence.

Which the Chair has decided is urgent and cannot otherwise be dealt with.

Reports to Cabinet

Members agreed that when the Sub-Committee submitted review reports to Cabinet, the Chairman of the review should present them.  The Chairman of the Sub-Committee offered to assist the Review Chairman if necessary.

Information Circular

The Chairman noted that, in its current format, the Strategic Performance Report presented in the Information Circular was not helpful to Members.  Councillor Nana Asante agreed to liaise with the Scrutiny officer to discuss how the format and content of the Information Circular could be improved.

Agenda Timings

Members confirmed that they were happy with the way this meeting had been conducted in terms of the timed agenda.