Agenda item

The report provides the Committee with an update on its approved Work Programme for 2023/24 (including progress with enquiries set out in its Work Programme), feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee in respects of enquiries undertaken and a list of forthcoming decisions for which notice has been given since publication of the agenda for the Committee’s last meeting.

The report also provides an update of the current position on the development of the work programme for 2024/25. This Committee is specifically invited to determine a proposed Work Programme to be submitted to the meeting of Council on 6 August 2024 for approval.

The Committee was provided with a report setting out a proposed work programme for 2024/25 for consideration as to whether to recommend the work programme to Council for adoption in accordance with point 3 of Article 6.01 of the Councils constitution.

The report as set out the response from Cabinet to recommendations from the Committee in respect of School Age Education Provision (Cabinet minute 18 of 24 May refers) and of Mainstream and Community Transport Provision (Cabinet minute 19 of 24 May refers). The Committee also received details of proposals for Cabinet decisions published between 15 April 2024 and 8 July 2024.

The Committee heard an update on the Work Programme item from the Head of Democratic Services and Elections (Keith Simmons).

It was reported that the Director of the Coastal Communities Unit of Essex University had been contacted in the hope that they could have presented at this meeting an outline of the work of the Unit. However, they were unable to attend, so that meeting would be rescheduled and was contained in the work programme set out before the Committee. The intention was to secure an early meeting with the Director, in consultation with the Committees Chairman, and then to invite all Members to the Committee to attend.

The Committee heard how the Council undertook a consultation which included the public and partner organisations. The results of that consultation were submitted to an informal meeting of the Members of this Committee on 4 June 2024 for consideration. The work programme now submitted as prepared on the basis of the discussion of the informal meeting.

The Members of the Committee discussed the following items, that were set out in Appendix A to this item in the agenda, for the work programme:

·         NHS Dentistry item would be confirmed in the Committee’s work programme for its third year running with the inclusion of a request for an off agenda briefing paper for September 2024 to update the Committee on the position of the Integrated Care Board’s progress with its action plan to improve dentistry provision. A check was to be made as to whether those on pension credit were entitled to free NHS Dentistry.

·         Crime and Disorder (Familial Violence/Abuse) would be confirmed in the work programme and the enquiry would take place through a Task and Finish Group; Councillor Carolyn Doyle volunteered to Champion this enquiry.

·         District Wide Sports and Activity Strategy Plan would be confirmed in the work programme.

·         The outline of the work of the University of Essex Coastal Communities Unit would be confirmed the work programme on the basis referred to earlier.

·         Joint Working with Parish & Town Councils in the District would be confirmed in the work programme with the addition of a representative from the Essex Association of Local Councils added to the list of invitees. In addition the recently published Oxfordshire Councils Charter (which sets out an accord on joint working between all Councils in that County) would be an item of information to be submitted to the enquiry (and an invitation would be sent to the Officers to address the enquiry).

·         Youth Provision of School Age Children outside of school/education would be confirmed in the work programme as an extension for this year’s Education enquiry. This enquiry would be facilitated through a Task and Finish Group, Councillor Terry Barrett had volunteered to Champion this enquiry.

·         Water Quality in the District would be confirmed in the work programme. The recent article the Portfolio Holder from Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Council on the role of District Councils in championing water quality in coastal areas would be submitted to the enquiry. In addition, it would assist the enquiry to extend invitations to assist the enquiry from the LGA’s special interest group on coastal matters. There was also a reference to a case of material from an earlier study by the Council into coastal water quality that should be referenced to the enquiry.

·         To Consider Grant Funding would be confirmed in the work programme. The enquiry could usefully have an evidence say as part of its process in advance of the meeting of the Committee concerned. This would need to be arranged and representations of community groups invited to address it. The enquiry would look at funding streams, processes, the implications of subsidy control, the accessibility of grants funding, the time formal streams of funding had, the extent to which the funded one off or ongoing work, a gap analysis of funding, and the value of funding outcomes.

The work programme could usefully also include off agenda briefings on continued progress with the matters identified in the recommendations concerning school age education provision and mainstream and community transport provision completed in this year’s work programme enquiries.

After a short discussion the Committee unanimously RECOMMENDED that the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committees work programme 2024/25 be submitted to Full Council for approval.

The Committee RESOLVED to note the contents of the report on decisions in respect of previous recommendations and the list of forthcoming decisions.

It was further RESOLVED that the Head of Democratic Services and Elections be authorised, following consultation with the Committee's Chairman, to:

a)    Finalise the review of the year 2023/24 Overview and Scrutiny Report to be submitted to Council.

b)    Appoint individual Councillors to Task and Finish Groups referenced in the Work Programme as, ultimately, approved by Council and then to make appropriate arrangements to call meetings of those Task and Finish Groups.

c)    To request that pre-meetings be arranged ahead of each of the arranged formal meetings of the Committee to enable the Members of the Committee to consider key lines of enquiry and otherwise assist them to prepare for the coming formal meeting.