Agenda item

Report of Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Summary

To provide the Committee with the draft overview and scrutiny work programme for 2010/11, to update Members on work programme items from the 2009/10 overview and scrutiny work programme and to consider items for inclusion on the 2010/11 work programme.

Recommendations

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is recommended:

(1)            To agree the Overview and Scrutiny Committee element of the draft work programme for 2010/11 as set out at Appendix 1 of the attached report.

(2)            To note the update on items carried forward from the 2009/10 overview and scrutiny work programme.

(3)            To consider the items suggested for inclusion on the 2010/11 Work Programme.

The Committee considered the report on the draft overview and scrutiny work programme 2010/11 and made a number of observations.  The Committee acknowledged the need to take account of potential resource constraints and the boundaries of the District Council’s responsibilities when determining the work programme.  They noted that it was important to ensure that any scrutiny review would deliver tangible results for the benefit of the residents of the district.

Monitoring of past scrutiny reviews

The Committee noted the status of the previous scrutiny reviews and proposed timescales for further updates and progress reports.  They confirmed that they wished to consider the final version of the reports on Democratic Engagement with Young People and Crime and Anti-social Behaviour at the July meeting. 

Scrutiny topics for 2010/11

Built Environment Conservation Area Policy

The Scrutiny Officer reminded the Committee that they had already determined to undertake a review of the Council’s Built Environment Conservation Area Policy during 2010/11.  The Committee considered the draft scoping document for the review and agreed that it would be best conducted in select committee rather than by a task and finish group.  The Committee felt that although the list of outcomes should include the “wider understanding of, and support, for the built environment conservation work of the Council” it was important not to present this as the prime driver for the review.  The Committee took account of advice from officers regarding resource constraints in the planning team and agreed that it would be sensible to schedule this work for the meetings in October and December 2010 and January 2011.  The Scrutiny Officer was asked to liaise with planning officers and present a more detailed project plan to the Committee in due course.   

Youth Services

The Committee noted that this topic had been carried forward from the previous year pending the value for money review of that service area.  The Committee felt that “Youth Services” was too wide a remit for a productive scrutiny review and that any such work in this area would need to be more clearly defined.  They agreed to defer any further consideration of this topic until January 2011 when they anticipated that the value for money review would have been completed.  In the meantime the Scrutiny Officer undertook to bring more details about the value for money review membership and timescales to the July meeting.

Preparations for an Ageing Population

The Committee noted that this topic had been carried forward from the previous year.  They were concerned that it was also too wide ranging and that, based on some members personal experience of a lengthy county council review of the same topic, it was unlikely to produce any tangible results.  It was agreed that the Scrutiny Officer should circulate information on the outcomes of the County Council review and that the Committee would then take a view as to whether there was any particular issue that they wished to pursue further.

Review of Secondary Education Attainment Levels in Cherwell

The Committee considered a draft scoping document for a review into secondary education attainment levels in Cherwell.  Some members of the Committee felt that this would be an important and worthwhile review topic given its links to issues around deprivation and the Council’s corporate priority to promote a district of opportunity.  However, other members of the Committee believed that this was a matter for the County Council and that the ability of the District Council to influence matters and produce tangible benefits was limited.  The Committee was informed that the County Council Scrutiny Committee had just completed a review into this matter and that the conclusions were due to be published at the end of the month.  The Committee agreed that the Chairman should write to the County Council inviting the Cabinet Member and lead officer to attend a meeting in the autumn to present the findings of the scrutiny review and to comment on the proposed response from the Cabinet.  It was suggested that this discussion could be broadened to include consideration of the work on NEETS (theacronym for the government classification for people currently "Not in Employment, Education or Training").

In discussion members of the Committee also suggested that the following might be appropriate topics for a scrutiny review: deprivation, the motor car as the scourge of society and the impact of new benefit payment regimes on the voluntary sector.  However, the Committee concluded that these topics were not of sufficient priority to be taken up at this time.  They agreed that if individual members wished to bring these, or any new topics, forward they should prepare a scoping document for consideration.  The Scrutiny Officer confirmed that she would be able to support members in preparing the scoping documents.

The Committee noted that it they would need to be flexible in work programme planning as it might need to undertake work at short notice in response to the demands on the Council to deliver savings and efficiencies.

The Committee also expressed its desire to support the Portfolio Holder for Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation and agreed that it would be appropriate to invite him to the July meeting so that they could learn more about the Banbury Brighter Futures project and offer their support.

Meeting Dates

Finally the Committee agreed to move the dates of its meetings in July and September to accommodate the annual leave commitements of several of the members.  They proposed the following changes:

• Move the meeting on 27 July to 21 July
• Move the meeting on 14 September to 21 September.

Resolved

(1)               That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee element of the draft work programme for 2010/11 be agreed.

(2)               That the update on past scrutiny reviews carried forward from the 2009/10 overview and scrutiny work programme be noted.

(3)               That the following items be included on the 2010/11 Work Programme:

July meeting                           Youth Services ~ project brief

                                                Breaking the Cycle of Deprivation ~ briefing

September meeting              Secondary Education Attainment ~ briefing

October / DecemberBuilt Area Environment Conservation Policy

January 2011             Built Area Environment Conservation Policy

                                                Youth Services Value for Money Review