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

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Everett (with no substitute).

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on 11 February 2019.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 11 February 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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.

With reference to Agenda Item 7, Councillor Baker indicated that he would declare a Personal Interest if there was to be any discussion in respect of the forthcoming executive decision to dispose of the greensward at 12-16 Wignall Street, Lawford insofar as he was a local Ward Member and that he knew personally some of the residents in that locality.

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.

There were no such questions on this occasion.

To provide an overview of the Council’s financial position against the budget as at the end of December 2018 and to present an updated forecast on an on-going basis as part of developing the long-term financial plan.

The Committee had before it a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (report A.1), which presented it with an overview of the Council’s actual financial position against the budget as at the end of December 2018 and which also presented an updated forecast on an on-going basis as part of developing the long-term financial plan..

The Committee was made aware that, at its meeting held on 15 February 2019, Cabinet had considered the same report and had resolved that:-

RESOLVED that -

(1)       in respect of the financial performance against the budget at the end of December 2018:

(a)    the position be noted; and

(b)   the proposed in-year adjustments to the budget, as set out in Appendix H to item A.6 of the Report of the Finance and Corporate Resources Portfolio Holder be agreed.

(2)       in respect of the Updated Long Term Forecast:

(a)    the updated forecast be agreed; and

(b)   the Resources and Service Overview and Scrutiny Committee be consulted on the latest position.

The Cabinet report referred to above was attached as Appendix A to item A.1 of the Report of the Deputy Chief Executive for the Committee’s consideration.

Members raised questions and/or concerns which were responded to by the Head of Finance, Revenues and Benefits Services & Section 151 Officer (Richard Barrett) and the Head of People, Performance and Projects (Anastasia Simpson), as appropriate.

Having considered and discussed the report:-

It was RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Scott and:-

RESOLVED that the Committee RECOMMENDS TO CABINET that the uncommitted grant income of £98,000 received from the Government as New Burdens funding be allocated to meet the rising costs of the homelessness service.

It was then moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Miles and:-

RESOLVED that the Committee RECOMMENDS TO CABINET that the Housing Portfolio Holder be urged to direct his Officers to demolish the former Honeycroft sheltered housing scheme building as a matter of urgency in view of the ongoing costs to this Council such as Council Tax on empty properties.

It was further moved by Councillor Miles, seconded by Councillor Baker and:-

RESOLVED that the Committee RECOMMENDS TO CABINET that the previously carried feasibility studies be revisited in order to investigate the potential of the former Spendells sheltered housing scheme building being used for the homeless as a temporary alternative housing provision to bed and breakfast accommodation.

To review this year’s work and to seek Members’ approval to a draft programme of work for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the coming municipal year for recommendation to the Annual Council meeting on 21 May 2019.

There was submitted a report by the Deputy Chief Executive (report A.2), which provided the Committee with a review of the work it had carried out in the current municipal year and which also sought Members’ approval to a draft Work Programme for the Committee for the coming 2019/2020 Municipal Year for recommendation to the Annual Meeting of the Council to be held on 21 May 2019.

The Council’s Head of People, Performance and Projects explained that Appendix A to the report was a summary of what had been discussed and agreed by the Committee in the municipal year thus far.

Members were informed that the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee would undertake discrete researched and evidenced reviews of the effectiveness of:

·           Financial Forecast

·           Budget setting and monitoring (including the General Fund and Housing Revenue account)

·           Service Delivery and Performance (where not delegated to the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

·           Procurement and Contract Management

·           Transformation and Digital Standards

·           Customer Service and Standards

Meetings of task and finish groups could be called as required following the terms of reference being agreed by the Committee.

The Committee was aware that, under the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, the Constitution stated, in relation to the Work Programme (Rule 7), that:

“Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will submit a work programme for the year ahead and a review of the previous year’s activities to the Annual Meeting of the Council for approval.  In addition, it will be responsible for coordinating and prioritising its work programme on an ongoing basis.

In preparing, coordinating and prioritising its programme, each Overview and Scrutiny Committee will take into account:-

·           the General Role and Principles of undertaking its functions, as set out in Part 2, Article 6 of the Constitution;

·           the planned work on the preparation of elements of the Budget and Policy Framework, as set out in the Council’s Business Plan;

·           the need for statutory timetables to be met;

·           the wishes of all members of the committee;

·           requests from the Cabinet to carry out reviews; and

·           Requests from Group Leaders in accordance with Rule 8.”

The Head of People, Performance and Projects stated that Appendix B was a suggested work programme for the new Committee and she invited the Committee to add any extra items it felt were required.

Following discussion by the Committee:-

It was moved by Councillor Stephenson, seconded by Councillor Scott and:-

RESOLVED that:

(a)       the report on the review of the municipal year 2018/19, as detailed in Appendix A to item A.2 of the report of the Deputy Chief Executive, be noted; and

(b)       the draft 2019/20 Work Programme for the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out in Appendix B to the aforementioned report, be agreed and submitted to the Annual Meeting of the Council for approval, subject to the additional items being incorporated therein:-

29 July 2009 – add Review of the Council’s Public Convenience Strategy; NEGC Business Plan 2019 – 2022; and Review of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

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.

Pursuant to the provisions of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 13, the Committee reviewed any new and/or amended published forthcoming decisions relevant to its terms of reference with a view to deciding whether it wished to enquire into any such decision before it was taken. The relevant forthcoming decisions were before the Committee.

The Committee noted the submitted list of published forthcoming decisions.