Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting. 

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There was no urgent business.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 31 January 2012.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 31 January 2012 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Head of Strategic Planning and Economy will be present at the meeting to discuss the latest position regarding the Core Strategy (Local Development Framework) which is scheduled to go to Executive in May 2012 prior to public consultation.

The Committee noted that the Core Strategy would be considered at the Executive in May 2012 and would then be subject to a period of public consultation. They agreed to request a briefing note from the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy detailing the current status of the Core Strategy and confirming the timescale and procedures for the public consultation.  They asked that the Executive report be made available to all members of the Council. 

Resolved

(1)               That the Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy be requested to prepare a briefing detailing the current status of the Core Strategy and confirming the timescale and procedures for the public consultation.

(2)               That officers be requested to make the Executive report on the Core Strategy  available to all members of the Council.

Report of Head of Law and Governance

Summary

To update the Committee on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12.

Recommendations

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee  is recommended to:

(1)               Note any items of interest in the current version of the Forward Plan     (March – June 2012) and consider whether to include them on the work programme for 2011/12.

(2)               Note the current Overview and Scrutiny element of the work programme for 2011/12 as set out at Appendix 1.

The Committee considered a report of the Head of Law & Governance which updated Members on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2011/12. The Committee asked the Democratic and Elections Team to consider options to reformat the work programme report so that it showed all of the scheduled meetings for the year.

Forward Plan

The Committee agreed that there were no items on the Forward Plan for March - June 2012 that they wished to include on their work programme in 2011/12.

Potential Work Programme Items 2012/13

The Committee identified the following as potential topics for scrutiny in 2012/13 and asked that officers present briefing reports on the current status of the issues at the meeting in June 2012:

s         National Benefit changes – implications for residents and for Cherwell District Council services.

s         Concessionary Fares – a review of the first year of operation by the County Council

s         Empty Homes Policy – to be retained as a monitoring item.

s         Core Strategy – to be retained as a monitoring item and be brought to the Committee on the conclusion of the public consultation. 

Agenda for 19 June 2012

The Committee confirmed that the meeting in June 2012 should consider potential topics for scrutiny by the Committee during 2012/13.

Resolved

(1)               That there were no items in the current version of the Forward Plan     (March - June 2012) to be included on the work programme for 2011/12.

(2)               That the current Overview and Scrutiny element of the work programme for 2011/12 be noted and that national benefit changes, concessionary fares, empty homes and core strategy be considered as potential scrutiny topics in 2012/12.

(3)               That it be noted that the 19 June 2012 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should include an agenda item to consider potential scrutiny topics for 2012/13.