The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor Land, as a Member of the Committee, (with no substitution).

An apology for absence was also submitted on behalf of Councillor C Guglielmi as Portfolio Holder with responsibility for enforcement.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Monday 20 September 2021 be approved as a correct record.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest by Councillors in relation to any on the agenda for this meeting.

Subject to providing two working days' notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

On this occasion no Councillor had submitted notice of a question.

To present to the Committee a draft detailed Work Programme 2021/22, to consider the detail and ordering of the Work Programme.

The work programme of the Committee was circulated to it with the agenda for the meeting.    At the meeting a proposed revised Work Programme was circulated addressing the issues previously approved (Minute 27 of 20 September 2021 refers) and providing for a review of the performance at the half year point against the key priority actions for 2021/22.

Further to the above, the Committee was invited to re-schedule the meeting to be held on 20 December 2021 and instead hold that meeting on 13 December 2021.

The Committee also had before it at the meeting, the scoping document for the Joint Scrutiny Panel to look at Economic Development and Growth.  .

The Committee noted the contents of the report and RESOLVED to approve the changes set out and otherwise relayed to it (as set out at Appendix A to these Minutes).

The Committee also RESOLVED to approve the scoping document for the Joint Scrutiny Panel to look at Economic Development and Growth (as set out at Appendix B to these Minutes)

To provide an update on the range of enforcement activities being carried out by multiple services of the Council.

The Committee  had undertaken an enquiry into the Council’s enforcement function as “Effective Enforcement and Regulation” was a priority in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2020-24 (within the theme of Delivering High Quality Services).

To assist the Committee with its enquiry, the Committee received a report in the name of the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Governance and Finance.  His report referenced the Corporate Enforcement Group (CEG)  which had been formed in 2017 with a view to coordinating the enforcement response across the Council under the overarching Corporate Enforcement Strategy. The Group had had a number of iterations and the current  membership comprised of Portfolio Holders, Directors, Assistant Directors and Senior Mangers within the Council with the aim to improve and develop the enforcement response across the Authority.

It was also reported to the Committee that all authorised Officers, when making enforcement decisions should abide by the Corporate Enforcement Strategy, and the supporting documented procedures, both within the appendices and departmental processes.

Enforcement enabled the Council to ensure rules were followed in a way that improved outcomes for residents in Tendring.  The Council’s investment and wide range of enforcement activity successfully helped to keep the District clean and tidy, supported high quality housing, kept people safe whilst travelling, and ensured better health.

The Council would exercise its regulatory activities in a way which was:

      “Proportionate – our activities will reflect the level of risk to the public and enforcement action taken will relate to the seriousness of the offence.

      Accountable – our activities will be open to public scrutiny, with clear and accessible policies, and fair and efficient complaints procedures.

      Consistent – our advice to those we regulate will be robust and reliable and we will respect advice provided by others. Where circumstances are similar, we will endeavour to act in similar ways to other local authorities.

      Transparent – we will ensure that those we regulate are able to understand what is expected of them and what they can anticipate in return.

      Targeted – we will focus our resources on higher risk enterprises and activities, reflecting local need and national priorities”.

The report had also provided an overview of training for officers to equip them to carry out their enforcement duties in accordance with the legislative requirements and the Corporate Enforcement Strategy.  In addition, details of enforcement activity across the Council, including against fly tipping, littering,  stray dogs, dog fouling, noise nuisance, situations prejudicial to health, filthy and verminous premises, pests, contaminated land, permitting of polluting processes, abandoned vehicles, regulated housing conditions in the owner occupied and privately rented housing (including in respect of the licensing of mobile home sites and houses in multiple occupation), enforcement of tenancy conditions and the collection of rent for those properties where the Council  was the landlord, planning enforcement and anti-social behaviour (with partners).

In response to questions, Members were advised that the Council’s Community Ambassadors had also been trained in issuing Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fowling, littering and fly tipping.  Those Notices had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

To report to the Committee and update on Bring Sites, Public litter bins, A120 transfer site and recycling levels within Tendring.

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Talbot, Portfolio Holder for Environment to the Scrutiny Committee meeting together with John Hamlet, Street Scene Manager.   Full Council, at its meeting on 13 July 2021, instructed this Committee to conduct a thorough review of recycling bring sites, the process of determining public litter bin sites and the clearing of the A12/A133 near the waste transfer station. The aim approved by Council was that this Committee could enquire into those elements of the strategic approach to waste and recycling and the delivery against that approach.

The Committee then heard a prepared oral statement from Councillor Talbot, who then left the meeting.

The Chairman invited the Committee to establish a Task and Finish Group to look at the Waste and Recycling elements requested by Full Council for this Committee to enquire into  and that this group be chaired by Councillor Daniel Land.

Pursuant to the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 13, the Committee will review any new and/or amended published forthcoming decisions relevant to its terms of reference and decide whether it wishes to enquire into any such decision before it is taken.

Matters may only be raised on those forthcoming decisions at Committee meetings where the Member has notified the Committee Services Manager in writing (or by personal email) of the question they wish to ask, no later than Midday, two working days before the day of the meeting.

The Committee NOTED the contents of the report.

To present to the Committee the updated Recommendations Monitoring Report, outlining any recommendations the Committee have sent to Cabinet. The Committee is requested to consider the report and determine whether any further action is required on the recommendations submitted.

The Committee NOTED the contents of the report.