Agenda item

Work Programme 2021-2022

Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Tuesday 30 November 2021 6.30 pm (Item 35.)

There are five documents for the Committee to consider:

· Appendix 1 – Parish Working Group scoping document (Terms of Reference for the review)

· Appendix 2 – Proposed Terms of Reference for the Constitution Review Working Group

· Appendix 3 – Work Programme for 2021-2022

· Appendix 4 – Topic list update

· Appendix 5 – Update on items previously submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1 To approve the Parish Working Group scoping document (appendix 1).

1.2 To approve the Constitution Review Working Group terms of Reference (appendix 2).

1.3 To note the work programme update (appendix 3).

1.4 To note the update on topics previously suggested for review (appendix 4).

1.5 To note the update on items previously submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Decision:

Resolved

(1) That, subject to the inclusion of Councillors Hallchurch, Mallon and Williams in the group membership, the Parish Working Group scoping document be approved.

(2) That the Constitution Review Working Group Terms of Reference be approved.

(3) That the work programme update be noted.

(4) That the update on topics previously suggested for review be noted and it be agreed to remove Teenage Mental Health from the topic list.

(5) That the update on items previously submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.

Minutes:

The Committee considered its work programme for 2021-22, received an update from officers on potential subjects for review and considered a scoping document in relation to the Parish review, as well as draft Terms of Reference for the Constitution Review Working Group.

With regard to the proposed review of the district council’s relationship with parishes, the Democratic and Elections Officer advised that Councillors Hallchurch and Mallon had joined the working group. The aim of the review was to look at the working relationship between Cherwell District Council and the parishes, with a view to mapping the various interactions and highlighting areas for improvement.

Councillor Bryn Williams expressed an interest in joining the working group.

In relation to the Constitution Review Working Group, the Governance and Elections Manager explained that the Director of Law and Governance had spoken with all Group Leaders individually regarding the prospective Terms of Reference for the review.

Councillors Barry Wood and Les Sibley had indicated they were happy with the proposed approach to the review and the Conservative and Independent Groups would be participating.

Councillor Sean Woodcock had indicated that the Labour Group were not happy with the proposed approach, and would not be participating in the review.

The Governance and Elections Manager explained that the absence of the Labour Group from the working group did not prevent the review from taking place, and the proposed Terms of Reference had been drafted to reflect that.

The timetable for the review had been altered to take account of the time spent discussing the review with the Group Leaders, and it was now proposed to bring proposals from the working group to the March 2022 meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with a view to recommendations being considered by full Council in May 2022.

In response to a comment from Councillor Perran Moon that if no opposition members took part in the review, the working group not be referred to as ‘cross-party’, Councillor Les Sibley confirmed that the Independent Group would be participating in the working group and multiple groups would therefore be represented.

Councillor Ian Middleton stated that the Progressive Oxfordshire stance remained the same as that of the Labour Group, but that the group were happy to continue discussions to try and resolve the issues and give the working group a full democratic oversight.

With regard to the indicative work programme, the Democratic and Elections Officer explained that the COVID-19 response update had been moved to the January 2022 meeting at the request of officers involved in preparing the update.

In relation to the update on topics previously suggested for scrutiny, the Democratic and Elections Officer advised the Committee that information available from a number of sources had been signposted to Members, as well as a report that was considered by the Oxfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board at its meeting on 7 October 2021. It was proposed to close the subject and remove it from the topic list, if Councillor Perran Moon was satisfied that his initial queries had been answered sufficiently.

Councillor Moon indicated that he was happy with the information provided, and that the subject could be removed from the topic list.

With regards to potential new topics for Scrutiny, the Committee requested that a personal safety update be arranged for Members, in light of the recent death of Sir David Amess MP. The Democratic and Elections Officer explained that senior officers had requested a session be arranged for all Members, and discussions were underway with Thames Valley Police for a suitable session to be held in 2022.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding scheduling of updates on Planning Policy, the Recovery and Prosperity Strategy and Digital Infrastructure, the Democratic and Elections Officers advised that discussions were ongoing with relevant officers. A draft of the Recovery and Prosperity Strategy was due to be considered by Executive in January 2022, and would subsequently be scheduled for an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. The Corporate Director Customers Organisational Development and Resources undertook to liaise with relevant officers and Democratic and Elections Officers to schedule a briefing update on digital infrastructure at a future committee meeting.