Agenda and minutes

Decision: That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 25 January 2018 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

Decision: That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel held on 8 March 2018 be noted.

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.

There were no declarations of interest received.

There were no public questions for consideration.

To consider the Executive Cabinet minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 2018.

Decision: That the minutes of the Executive Cabinet meeting held on 15 February 2018 be noted.

To view the latest notice of Executive Decisions click here. 

The document is also attached and correct as of 14 March.

Members of the Committee considered the Notice of Executive Decisions for March 2018 which gave notice of key and other major decisions Executive Members are expected to make.

Members discussed the best way to receive this document and agreed that the document should be enclosed with the agenda. 

Decision: That the Notice of Executive Decisions be noted.

Denise Fisher, Health and Safety Advisor, and Jane McDonnell, HR Services Manager, will attend the meeting and deliver a short presentation on health and safety. 

Denise Fisher, Health and Safety Advisor, attended the meeting and delivered a short presentation on health and safety. 

The presentation had been requested at the last meeting, but the Chair highlighted the need to keep within the remit of the Committee and not overlap the work being undertaken by the Governance Committee. 

Members raised several points and noted that if a task took longer, but it was being done safely, this would be accepted by management and supported.  This will be tested in a future staff survey.  

Asim Khan, Director (Customer and Digital) noted that Chorley Council has a responsibility to keep staff safe, and that as the new approach has been implemented alongside the modernisation strategy overall efficiencies have been gained. 

Members noted that a pilot had been undertaken on the A674 in Wheelton to cut the edgings, in addition to the grass.  Due to health and safety there had been a need to engage a traffic management company.  This work had not been undertaken for a number of years.  The pilot will be reviewed, with a view to rolling out this approach across Chorley in the winter season. 

The Chair suggested that health and safety be a topic for a Member Learning Session in the new municipal year and thanked Denise for her presentation. 

Decision: That the presentation be noted.

To consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) (to follow). 

Rebecca Huddleston, Director (Policy and Governance), presented a report which reviewed communications with Councillors, as requested at the meeting in October.

Members receive information in different ways, including intheknow (fortnightly), intheboro (monthly), Member Learning Sessions, agenda papers, undertaking overview and scrutiny inquiries, briefings (for Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs, Executive Member and portfolio briefings, Opposition briefing etc), press releases and social media. 

Member Support Working Group had reviewed intheknow as a communication tool in September 2017 and discussed the effectiveness of the publication, which they felt continued to be a useful tool.  It was agreed that no changes to the publication were required.  However, Democratic Services will promote the use of intheknow with officers, especially in relation to ward information and neighbourhood preferred project updates. 

Members noted that the document detailing officer contact telephone numbers and the officer management structure in the Members’ Room will be updated.  Asim Khan advised that ICT are looking to create a dynamic application on the iPads to provide officer contact information and will consult Member Support Working Group on the development of this. 

Decision:

1.         That the report be noted.

2.         To review communication with Councillors in October 2018.

To consider the report of the Director (Customer and Digital). 

The Director (Customer and Digital) presented a report which informed Members of the current position of the Chorley Council Flood Relief Scheme, including volumes of applications, amounts of monies pending and already paid out.  The report gave an overview of wider flooding issues in the borough and the action taken to address these.

A total of 426 properties in the borough were confirmed as flooded as a result of Storm Eva on 26 December 2015.  Chorley Council’s flood relief scheme was made up of a number of different elements based upon guidance. 

There were other funds and schemes available, including a local discretionary relief fund, the Lancashire Flood Appeal and Property Level Resilience Grants (PLRG).  Details of claims were set out in the report. 

Members noted that the council closed its scheme to new applications on 30 November 2017.  There are currently 28 outstanding applications.  There have been some lengthy delays in work being completed due to the fact that many flood doors and barriers are bespoke and as such have a long lead time for manufacture.

Recent information has indicated that the MHCLG are intending to close the scheme on 31 March 2018 with final payments for reimbursement to the council being made in June 2018.  The council are seeking confirmation that any grants paid out after this time will still be reimbursed.

The report set out totals, including unclaimed grants for properties in Croston where a grant application has not been made by the owner despite a number of reminders being issued.  The council made a significant financial contribution of £1M to the Croston Flood Risk Management Scheme which is vital in reducing the risk of flooding to the community.

The council is endeavouring to secure grant funding which the government has already earmarked for the protection of the community of Croston and has been in correspondence with ministers over a number of months regarding this.

Since the extensive flooding in December, there has been work taking place in a number of specific areas where flooding is a known issue, including The Common (Adlington), Town Lane and Waterhouse Green (Whittle-le-Woods), Hurst Brook (Coppull), Clematis Close (Euxton) and Weldbank Lane (Chorley). 

The Croston Flood Risk Management Scheme is now complete.  This scheme decreases the river level through Croston during a flood event by restricting the amount of water flowing through the new structure and embankment, holding back the water in a flood storage basin upstream.  The defences were put into operation for the first time over the weekend of 21 and 22 October 2017, successfully protecting the residents and the community.

It is expected the likelihood and severity of flooding will be significantly reduced.  There may still be some issues with surface water flooding which will be duly considered and investigated once we have a heavy rainfall event.

The report set out other work the council is undertaking in this area, including the Making Space For Water multi-agency group, input into the Lancashire County Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.OS.8

To consider the Work Plan of Lancashire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee.

Members noted the work programme for the Lancashire County Council Health Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair requested that the council's representative on the Committee attend the next meeting to deliver an update and give the Committee the wider context of the work programme.

Decision: That the report be noted.

Quality of housing provided by social landlords Task and Finish Group

To receive a verbal update on the inquiry from the Chair, Councillor Jane Fitzsimons.

Councillor June Molyneaux, a member of the Task Group, updated the Committee on the actions undertaken at the meeting earlier in the week.

A draft survey was considered by Members and will be sent to a random sample of tenants in April. 

Decision: That the update be noted.

To consider the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2017/18.

Decision: That the work programme be noted.