Agenda item

Report of Head of Legal and Democratic Services

Summary

To update the Committee on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2010/11.

Recommendation

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

(1)            Note the current Overview and Scrutiny Committee element of the work programme for 2010/11 as set out at Appendix 1.

(2)            Note the information provided on “Preparations for an Ageing Population” and consider whether to adopt this as a scrutiny review topic in 2010/11.

(3)            Note any items of interest in the current version of the Forward Plan     (July – October 2010) and consider whether to include them on the work programme for 2010/11.

(4)            Note the outcome of the Executive discussion on the Kidlington Pedestrianisation Capital Bid.

(5)            Note the feedback from the Centre for Public Scrutiny Annual Conference and the update on RAF Bicester.

(6)            Note the agenda items for the 21 September 2010 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee considered the report on the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2010/11. 

Preparations for an Ageing Population

The Committee noted that this topic had been carried forward from the previous year.  The Committee noted the conclusions of the county wide scrutiny review of this area and agreed that there was little merit in undertaking a similar review as it was unlikely to produce any different or tangible results.  They agreed that the topic should be deleted from the work programme.

Forward Plan

The Committee noted that the Executive was due to consider a progress report on Civil Parking Enforcement and Banbury Residents’ Parking in October 2010.  They asked that the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Street Scene and Rural be invited to bring the report to the Committee for discussion prior to its submission to the Executive.

Kidlington Pedestrianisation Capital Bid

The Committee were pleased to note that the Executive had accepted the scrutiny recommendation to approve the release of funding for the Kidlington Pedestrianisation project.  The Scrutiny Officer undertook to keep the Committee informed of progress on the implementation of the project.

Centre for Public Scrutiny Annual Conference

The Committee asked that the Committee member who had attended the Centre for Public Scrutiny Annual Conference in June 2010 bring a written report on the conference to their next meeting.

RAF Bicester

The Committee noted the recent sale of the Domestic Site at RAF Bicester and the Council’s ongoing concerns about the condition of the structures and buildings on the Technical Site.  They agreed that the Chairman should ask the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing to write to the new minister setting out the basis of the Council’s concerns and asking him to intervene with the Ministry of Defence. 

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting on 21 September 2010

The Committee noted that there were two main topics for discussion at the September meeting and agreed that the consideration of the project plan for the Built Environment Conservation Area Policy should be scheduled as planned.  However, some members of the Committee remained concerned about the proposal to review secondary education attainment levels in Cherwell and questioned its relevance to the work of a District Council. 

In conclusion the Committee agreed to proceed as proposed and invite the County Council Cabinet Member and lead officer to attend the September meeting to present the findings of their scrutiny review.  The Committee agreed that the discussion should be broadened to include consideration of the work on NEETS (the acronym for the government classification for people currently "Not in Employment, Education or Training") and that local employers should be invited to attend the meeting so that their views on the local job and labour market could be considered.

Resolved

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

(2)            That “Preparations for an Ageing Population” should be deleted from the work programme.

(3)            That the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Street Scene and Rural be invited to bring the progress report on Civil Parking Enforcement and Banbury Residents’ Parking to the Committee for discussion prior to its submission to the Executive (Forward Plan item ~ October 2010).

(4)            That the Executive approval of the Kidlington Pedestrianisation Capital Bid be noted.

(5)            That the Committee member who had attended the Centre for Public Scrutiny Annual Conference in June 2010 be asked to bring a report on the conference to the next meeting.

(6)            That the Chairman request the Leader of the Council and the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing to write to the new minister asking him to intervene with the Ministry of Defence regarding the Council’s concerns about RAF Bicester.

(7)            That the proposed agenda items for the 21 September 2010 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.