Agenda item

The Chairman, Assistant Director – Law and Governance/Monitoring Officer and the Principal Officer – Scrutiny and Democratic Lead will facilitate a discussion on work programme planning for the 2025-2026 Municipal Year.

Committee members will have the opportunity to propose subjects for consideration, and should bear in mind the five roles of scrutiny:

·       Performance Monitoring

·       Policy Development

·       Policy Review

·       Holding the Executive to Account – the latest version of the Executive Forward Plan can be viewed via the Cherwell District Council website

·       External Scrutiny

The Committee will also need to consider whether the following three working groups should continue in 2025-2026.

·       Climate Action

·       Food Insecurity

·       Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (joint group with Personnel Committee)

Officers will also give details of suggested topics by service areas, for Committee consideration. 

Resolved 

(1)         That the list of suggested subjects for the 2025-26 work programme (annexe to minutes as set out in the minute book) be approved.

(2)         That the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee work with officers to schedule the agreed items as appropriate.

(3)         That it be agreed that the Food Insecurity and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working groups do not continue as Overview and Scrutiny Working Groups, and relevant officers from the service be requested to discuss with relevant Portfolio Holders the best way to monitor and review progress made on these subjects.

(4)         That the Climate Action continue later this Municipal Year, once work is underway to update the Climate Action Strategy.

The Committee considered a list of suggested subjects to form the basis of the work programme for the 2025-26 municipal year.

The Chair summarised each suggested subject, taking questions, comments and views from the Committee as to whether they should be included on the indicative work programme.

Regarding Local Government Reform and whether there was a role for the Committee in the proposals, the Chair explained that officers had advised the subject would be considered by full Council, and therefore open to scrutiny by all Members. An overview on workstreams to date could be provided to the Committee if it were felt necessary.

The Committee agreed that as the subject was to be considered by full Council, it was not necessary to add it to the work programme.

Regarding a question relating to CDC employment policies, the Chair advised that the Personnel Committee and the Assistant Director of Human Resources would be better placed to address the queries in the first instance. The Committee agreed that it was not necessary to add the subject to the work programme.

In response to a question relating to the frequency of updates regarding the transformation programme, the Assistant Director – Customer Focus suggested quarterly reports may be most suitable initially but added that timing could be reviewed once work was underway.

In response to the Chair’s request for any further subjects for consideration, a request was made for an item relating to housing developers’ implementation of section 106 obligations. There were many new housing developments across the district, and in some cases, developers were building the housing elements but not any of the additional facilities such as parks or other amenity infrastructure. The Corporate Director of Communities suggested that the performance of Section 106 delivery within the district.

The Chair referred to the three working groups that had been established in 2023-2024 and continued during the last municipal year: Climate Action; Food Insecurity; and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (joint with Personnel Committee) and asked for Members’ views on whether the working groups should continue.

The Committee agreed that following the publication of the end of year reports, which made recommendations to the Executive, the Food Insecurity and Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion groups should not continue as Overview and Scrutiny Working Groups. It was suggested that officers discuss with relevant Portfolio Holders the best way to monitor and review future progress made on these subjects. 

Regarding the Climate Action working group, the Corporate Director – Communities explained that there would be a role for the group during the updating of the Climate Action Strategy, but that work was not due to start until later in the year. It was suggested that the group continue once that work was underway. 

Resolved 

(1)         That the list of suggested subjects for the 2025-26 work programme (annexe to minutes as set out in the minute book) be approved. 

(2)         That the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee work with officers to schedule the agreed items as appropriate.

(3)         That it be agreed that the Food Insecurity and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working groups do not continue as Overview and Scrutiny Working Groups, and relevant officers from the service be requested to discuss with relevant Portfolio Holders the best way to monitor and review progress made on these subjects.

(4)         That the Climate Action continue later this Municipal Year, once work is underway to update the Climate Action Strategy.