Issue - meetings
To receive the minutes of the Overview Board held on ...
Meeting: 03/05/2022 - Cabinet (Item 74)
74 Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 28th March 2022 
PDF 249 KB
(a) To receive and note the minutes.
If there are any recommendations as a result of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting on 25th April 2022 these will be published in a Supplementary Papers pack.
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, Councillor C. Hotham, presented the minutes of the meeting of the Board held on 28th March 2022, and in doing so the Cabinet was informed that since the meeting of the Board things had moved forward and that items had been discussed and agreed.
It was confirmed by the Chairman that the Land Drainage Maintenance report that was presented by officers at this meeting had been positively received by Members. In addition to this, it was reported that Members had been encouraged by the Equality Annual Update, which had highlighted the huge amount of work being undertaken in this area. It was confirmed that during the Planning Determination Timescales item presented by the Head of Planning, Leisure and Regeneration, the Board were informed that determination timescales were on target.
The Chairman informed Cabinet that at the last meeting of the Board a Fuel Poverty Task Group had been initiated and the investigation would start in the new municipal year. Members queried the establishment of this task group, and it was confirmed by Councillor C. Hotham that it was hoped that the outcome of the investigation would provide information on provision and signposting for those residents in the District who were most in need of support in respect of fuel poverty.
During consideration of this item, it was also noted that there was one recommendation made by the Overview and Scrutiny Board at its meeting held on 25th April 2022 in respect of the Fireworks Motion. The recommendation was as follows:
The Overview and Scrutiny Board
RECOMMENDED to CABINET
‘that Bromsgrove District Council encourages residents to attend professionally organised firework displays and, in private settings, encourages the use of low noise or visual fireworks only.’
The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board confirmed that this recommendation had been proposed in order to help mitigate the distressing and sometimes extreme effects of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people within the District. Although there was agreement that the effects on animals and vulnerable people were upsetting it was highlighted that there was already legislation in place to monitor the use of fireworks and to ‘encourage’ residents might prove difficult and further clarification was needed in order to understand what the Board’s expectation would be in carrying out the recommendation.
Members discussed the possibility of running a social media campaign regarding the use of the fireworks and Cabinet were satisfied that this would be the best way forward. It was with this in mind that an amendment to the recommendation was proposed as follows:
‘that Bromsgrove District Council, through its social media and other channels, encourages its residents to attend professionally organised firework displays and, in private settings, encourages the use of low noise or visual fireworks only.’
On being put to the vote this was carried.
RESOLVED that
(1) the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting held 28th March 2022, be noted;
(2) Bromsgrove District Council, through its social ... view the full minutes text for item 74