Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10 April 2014 (enclosed)

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10 April be confirmed as a correct record for signing by the Chair.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

Item 2: Minutes of Overview and Scrutiny Committee – 10 April 2014 14.OS.88: Briefing note regarding Chorley and South Ribble Hospital - Councillor Mark Jarnell

Item 5b: Notice of Executive Decisions – Land at Union street and Chorley Old Road Play Rea, Whittle-Le-Woods - Councillor Eric Bell

There were no questions submitted by any member of the public.

There has been no Executive Cabinet minutes published since the last meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 10 April 2014

There were no Executive Cabinet minutes to consider.

To consider the Notice of Executive Decisions that was published on 4 June 2014 (enclosed)

Members considered the current Notice of Executive Decisions which gave notice of both key and other decisions which the Executive expected to take, over the forthcoming months.

 RESOLVED – that the Notice of Executive Decisions be noted.

Following discussions from previous meetings Members are asked for their views on future scrutiny of the Executive Cabinet, including pre executive cabinet scrutiny.

Members discussed the different ways in which the Committee could effectively scrutinise the Executive. Some Members felt that it would be better for the Committee to consider future agenda items to be determined by the Cabinet instead of scrutinising the minutes of those decisions.

The Chair commented that better scrutiny of the notice of executive decisions would fulfil this requirement. Anything of interest could be identified and further information sought to be presented to Members before a decision is taken.

It was also drawn to the Committees attention that Members could seek further information or influence the decision of all Cabinet reports, at its Informal Cabinet meetings which take place before the items are determined by the Executive at Cabinet meetings, and that the call-in procedure could be implemented by any Member that felt a decision had been an incorrect one.

A request was made for a review of the way in which the Committee scrutinises the Executive to be undertaken. However, as the Committee were soon to undertake some scrutiny training, it was AGREED to delay the decision. The training programme would be developed to allow Members to look into this issue more closely in order to help everyone understand the processes and help shape the way forward for future scrutiny of the Executive.

The Committee will receive an update on the joint scrutiny review that Chorley is undertaking with Lancashire County Council on the issue of the Disabled Facilities Grant funding in 2015/16.

Councillor Julia Berry confirmed that she was representing Chorley on the joint Disabled Facilities Grant Funding Task Group with Lancashire County Council. The Group had held its first meeting to scope the review and Councillor Berry would update the Committee as it progressed.

To consider the Final Report of the CCTV Provision and Infrastructure Task Group (enclosed)

The Chair of the Task Group, Councillor Robert Finnamore presented the Final Report of the CCTV Review to the Committee. The Group considered that there was enough evidence to support the continuation of CCTV in the Borough of Chorley and were recommending a number of options for the Executive to consider for the replacement of its current provision and infrastructure.

The Chair thanked the Members of the Group for all their hard work and it was RESOLVED that the report be approved and submitted to the next meeting of Executive Cabinet for determination.

To consider the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2013 – 14 (enclosed)

Members considered the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report that detailed the work of the Committee in 2012/13, including the specific outcomes from the Task Groups and the Committee’s role in crime and disorder scrutiny, other performance and holding the Executive to account.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and submitted to the next meeting of full Council for information.

The Democratic Services Manager will update the Committee on the scrutiny training that is being delivered on 3 July 2014.

The Democratic Services Manager gave notice of a scrutiny training session that was taking place on 3 July 2014, 2-7pm and encouraged all Members to attend. The training was being delivered an external provider, INLOGOV and would be tailored to meet the authority’s requirements including the effective ways of scrutinising the executive using the notice of key decisions as discussed previously on the agenda.

Consideration of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for the year.

Members are asked to make suggestions for potential scrutiny topics to be reviewed in 2014/15.

The Committee considered the Overview and Scrutiny Programme for 2014/15.

Members had been asked to make suggestions for potential scrutiny topics to be reviewed in 2014/15 and it was AGREED for a review to be undertaken to look at transport issues in Chorley. The task group would be chaired by Councillor Finnamore with support from Councillor Julia Berry and a membership would be sought via inthknow.