Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 12 March and 13 June 2024.

The Chairman advised that there was spelling mistake 12 March 2024 meeting minute 71,  2024-35 should read 2024-25. This had been corrected in the minute book. Subject to this correction, the minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 12 March 2024 and 13 June 2024 were agreed as  correct records and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

There were no items of urgent business.

Report of Assistant Director – Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To report to the committee the council’s performance position at the end of the financial year 2023-2024.

Recommendations

Officers recommend the committee:

1.1         To note the Council’s End of year performance report for 2023/24

Resolved

(1)      That the Council’s End of year performance report for 2023/24 be noted.

The Committee considered a report from the Assistant Director – Customer Focus that detailed the council’s performance position at the end of the financial year 2023-2024.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services advised that 26 of the 27 Business Plan measures had been achieved. The one measure not achieved was “Net Additional Housing Completions to meet Cherwell Needs” with a final figure of 792 completions, which was  70% of the set target. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services advised that this measure had been heavily affected by the national context, circumstances such as inflation, high building costs, and high interest rates which resulted in the lower than expected number of completions.

Following a question from the Committee on how the Council’s measured targets were set as  and could the targets be more challenging  as most targets had been met, the Performance Team Leader advised that the Council use national targets and benchmark from previous years and took into consideration local context to set ambitious targets.

In response to a question from the Committee asking why the number of housing completions target was missed by 30%, the Corporate Director of Communities advised that housing delivery had been good in respect of the requirements of the Cherwell Local Plan 2015 with an average of 1281 homes built a year. In 2023-2024, the number fell to 792 homes built however this was consistent with national figures linked to issues with house building across the country. The Corporate Director of Communities also advised that there 6000 homes had been granted planning permission within the district but had not yet been built.

Resolved

(1)      That the Council’s End of year performance report for 2023/24 be noted.

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 2024-2025 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 2024-2025.

·         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.

Meeting dates have been set for the remainder of the Municipal Year and are as follows (all 6:30pm):

Tuesday 10 September

Tuesday 15 October

Tuesday 26 November

Tuesday 28 January

Tuesday 11 March

Resolved

(1)        That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman work with officers to bring forward a work programme, incorporating the topics suggested, to the next Committee meeting.

(2)        That the following working groups continue into 2024/25, with authority being delegated to the Assistant Director Law and Governance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to liaise with Group Leaders regarding nominations to each group:

·             Climate Action

·             Food Insecurity

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

The Chairman referred to the three working groups that had been established in 2023-2024: 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 all working groups should continue and asked the Assistant Director Law and Governance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to liaise with Group Leaders regarding membership of the working groups.

The Committee asked if it was possible for experts in the topic fields to attend working group meetings to give guidance to working group members. The Chairman advised that working groups should discuss in their meetings if experts in that field would be invited to attend the working group meetings.

The Assistant Director of Law and Governance advised the Committee that within the working group meetings, targets should be decided by the working group to focus discussion and not make to topic of discussion wide.

The Principal Officer - Scrutiny and Democratic Lead presented the list of suggested topics that Officers and Members had put forward for inclusion on the Overview and Scrutiny work programme. The Committee endorsed all topics and agreed that the Chairman and Vice-Chairman work with officers to bring forward a work programme incorporating the topics to the next meeting of the Committee.

As part of the work programme planning, the Committee requested that officers be advised that presentations be kept short and more interactive for the Committee.

Resolved

(1)      That the Chairman and Vice-Chairman work with officers to bring forward a work programme, incorporating the topics suggested, to the next Committee meeting.

(2)      That the following working groups continue into 2024/25, with authority being delegated to the Assistant Director Law and Governance, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to liaise with Group Leaders regarding nominations to each group:

·                Climate Action

·                Food Insecurity

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