Issue - meetings

(a)       To receive and note the minutes

(b)       To consider any recommendations contained within the minutes

Any recommendations from the meeting held on 29^th October will be tabled at the meeting.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 3^rd September 2018 were noted.  It was noted that the recommendations from this meeting had been tabled at the Cabinet meeting held on 5^th September 2018.  It was noted that within the Overview and Scrutiny Board minutes, at Minute No. 32/18 references was made to Councillors Mallett and Hotham not taking part in the debate due to an other disclosable interest, this was not factually correct and would be amended accordingly.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held on 1^st October were also noted.  It was highlighted that the recommendations within those minutes would be picked up within the items of the Cabinet agenda.

The Leader welcomed Councillor L. Mallett, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny board to the meeting and invited him to present the draft minute extract from the meeting held on 29^th October 2018 which had been tabled and contained recommendations from that meeting.  In presenting the recommendations it was noted that the majority of these would be considered within the items of the Cabinet agenda, later in the meeting.

Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan

Councillor Mallett explained that this recommendation referred in particular to quality and standard of the political debate at full Council and the re-introduction of supplementary questions in order to aid this.  Members had felt that there was an area of difficulty and frustration when questions were asked and there was not the opportunity to expand further or to respond if it was felt the question had not been understood correctly.

The recommendation was that the Constitution Review Working Group carry out a wider review of Council procedures to aid the debating process, with particular focus on supplementary questions.

The Leader indicated that he was happy for this to be referred to the Constitution Review Working Group for further discussion.

Transport Planning Review

Councillor Mallett provided background information to this item, which was something that the Board had considered in much detail, culminating in a small sub group of the main Board meeting with officers from Worcestershire County Council Highways team to try and resolve a number of issues.  He invited Councillor S. Colella to present the recommendation as he had proposed it at the Board meeting.

The recommendation was that the Issues and Options consultation process be suspended pending receipt of further information form Worcestershire County Council in respect of the future plans for the infrastructure for Bromsgrove District.

Councillor Colella explained that he had made the recommendation as following the meeting with WCC Officers he had been concerned that although they had listened to what was being said he did not truly believe that they understood the problems and complexities of highways issues within the District.  He believed that this could have a long term effect on future plans and it would be difficult for them to comment on the Issues and Options consultation when there was no detail around Highways issues for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32