Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Michael Carr Amanda Scarce
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Apologies for absence Minutes: No apologies for absence were received. |
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Declarations of Interest and whipping arrangements Minutes: No declarations of interest or whipping arrangements were received. |
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Minutes: The minutes of the Overview Board held on 30th March 2010 were submitted.
RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record. |
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Overview & Scrutiny Proposal - Railway Station Development Update (Invitees: Executive Director, Portfolio Holder, Worcestershire County Council and Network Rail representatives to provide verbal feedback) Minutes: The Chairman thanked the Executive Director for Planning and Regeneration, Regulation and Housing Services (PRRH) and the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration for attending the meeting and gave a brief outline of the original Overview and Scrutiny proposal which had been brought before the Overview Board at its meeting on 30th March 2010. The Board was informed that the representatives from Worcestershire County Council (WCC) and Network Rail had declined to attend the Overview Board meeting as they felt it not appropriate at this time.
The Executive Director for PRRH explained that this was a new project to him and he had only attended one meeting which had taken place at Network Rail headquarters. The Executive Director for PRRH advised that he was unable to comment on why the representatives from WCC and Network Rail had chosen not to attend the Overview Board meeting. The Executive Director for PRRH confirmed that the proposal was to move the Bromsgrove Railway Station to the former oil terminal and goods yard and this site was currently leased by Network Rail to a company called D B Shenkner and Network Rail were working with them with a view to buying out the lease.
The works had currently been costed out at £12.5million. It was possible that those costs could be reduced by the time a detailed scheme had been produced. However, the only funds currently available were £5million from WCC via the regional funding allocation and £2million from London Midland. There was a shortfall therefore of £5.5m. Network Rail were currently investigating the possibility of getting Bromsgrove Railway Station re-prioritised, which would assist with this gap, and at the potential of phasing the associated car park, or alternative commercial funding arrangements for the operation of the car park. The Executive Director of PRRH confirmed that WCC and Network Rail were working towards narrowing the funding gap.
Members then discussed with the Executive Director for PRRH the following issues:
The Portfolio Holder added further background information and confirmed that five weeks ago she had attended the Integrated Transport Forum at WCC at which time was told that the funding was available and that by December 2010 work would be starting, only to be informed two weeks later that £5million had been withdrawn from the funding. It was not clear who had withdrawn this funding.
The Railway ... view the full minutes text for item 71. |
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Community Involvement in Local Democracy Task Group (Task Group Chairman: Councillor L. J. Turner) Minutes: The Chairman of the Community Involvement in Local Democracy Task Group advised the Board that the draft recommendations for the Task Group had now been agreed and the final report would be brought to the Overview Board meeting on 1st June 2010. It would then be presented to the Cabinet meeting to be held on 30th June 2010. The Chairman of the Task Group would be on annual leave on 30th June 2010 and asked the Chairman of the Overview Board to present the report on his behalf, together with the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services.
The Chairman of the Task Group advised that the draft recommendations had been presented to both the Equality and Diversity Forum and Corporate Management Team (CMT) meeting. CMT had discussed both the feasibility of the recommendations and the financial implications of them.
The areas covered by the recommendations were then discussed in detail by the Board. The Scrutiny Officer confirmed that they had tried to choose recommendations that were both strategic and flexible, but specific enough to produce tangible outcomes, which would help to improve the community engagement in the democratic process and have a positive affect on some of the National Indicators within the Place Survey. The Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services advised that already, requests for information on the Task Group had been received from other authorities and it would be possible to identify from these some capacity for working in partnership with these districts or at County level.
The Board complimented the Chairman of the Task Group on the wide ranging areas that had been covered by the Task Group. |
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Verbal update on the Chairman's Quarterly Meeting with the Leader Minutes: The Chairman advised that the reason for the Chairman’s quarterly meeting with the Leader was to maintain a regular update between the Boards and the Cabinet in order to make the Overview and Scrutiny process more effective. The following issues had been discussed:
The Chairman reminded Members that if there was any particular item they wished to be raised at future meetings with the Leader, the Scrutiny Officer should be contact in the first instance to ensure that these were passed on. |
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Forward Plan of Key Decisions Additional documents:
Minutes: The Board considered the Forward Plan of Key Decisions 28th April to 31st August 2010. Members gave consideration to the following items:
RSOLVED that Officers ask the Head of Environmental Services and the relevant Portfolio Holder to provide a report and attend the Overview Board meeting on 1st June 2010, on the Garden Waste Service Future Development. |
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Minutes: The Work Programme was considered by the Board and the Scrutiny Officer confirmed that the following items would be included in the agenda for the Board meeting on 1st June 2010:
The Board was advised that the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Meeting held on 15th June 2010 would be used as a Work Programme planning exercise for the Joint Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Boards in order to plan more effectively for the forthcoming municipal year. If Members had any items which they wished to put forward for the Work Programmes then these should be sent to the Scrutiny Officer as soon as possible. Members were also reminded that prior to this meeting a short training session would take place.
RESOLVED that the Work Programme be amended with the changes outlined above. |
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To consider any other business, details of which have been notified to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services prior to the commencement of the meeting and which the Chairman considers to be of so urgent a nature it cannot wait until the next meeting |