Agenda item

Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 3rd September and 1st October 2018

(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.

Minutes:

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 them to comment on or future plans for the infrastructure of the District. He believed that the current position could leave the Council open to challenge in the future.

Councillor Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Strategic Housing commented that he understood and sympathised with the views that had been put forward at the Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting, but he did not believe that suspending the current consultation process was the right way forward. However, he assured Members that this was only the start of the process and he believed that as it progressed and pressure was placed on WCC then the Highways issues would be addressed. He reassured Members he was doing all he could to ensure that the matter was taken seriously by WCC officers.

Councillor K May, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Development reiterated that pressure was being asserted at the County Council and she would also continue to highlight the matter until it was satisfactorily resolved.

The Leader confirmed that he was also concerned about the issues discussed and that he was meeting with both the Leader and the Head of Highways at WCC to put further pressure on them to ensure that a robust highways model was in place for the District.

RESOLVED that the recommendation be rejected.

Development of Burcot Lane Site

Councillor Mallett explained that the final recommendations from the Board were in respect of the Burcot Lane report. There had been lengthy discussion around the housing company and the distinction between specific plans and means of investment and the choice of option and future plans. As a result the Board had put forward two recommendations to be considered in respect of how the housing company would operate, which he hoped would be considered in context of the debate later in the meeting on this item.

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