Overview and Scrutiny Committee
15 February 2012
Report Title
Overview and Scrutiny Update
Which Committees is this report
intended for? (Please state dates)
Cabinet Date:
Overview and Scrutiny Date: 15 February 2012
Full Council Date:
Is the report Exempt?
Yes
No
Does the report concern a Key
Decision?
Yes
No
If a Key Decision is it on the Forward
Plan?
Yes
No
Why is it exempt?
Ward(s) affected
All
Responsible Cabinet Member name
Tom FitzPatrick
Contact Officer
Mary Howard
Email address
mary.howard@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Telephone number
01263 511456
Are there Non-electronic
appendices?
Yes
No
List of Background Papers, if any
File Location
909/WPData/New Committees/Overview and
Scrutiny/2011 – 2012/15 February
2012/Overview and Scrutiny Update
Implications/Risks
Have you identified and explained within the
report the implications of the options
available to Members?
(Implications should include financial, legal
and links to the Council’s existing policies
and strategies)
Have you highlighted the risks to the
Council?
Financial Implications and Risks to the
Council should have their own separate
headings. It is not acceptable to simply
state that financial implications or risks have
been alluded to in the main body of the
report.
Have you considered Sustainability issues
in relation to this report? Sustainability
should have its own separate heading. It is
not acceptable to simply state that
Sustainability has been alluded to in the
Yes
None
Yes
None
Yes
None
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
15 February 2012
main body of the report
Have you considered Equality and
Diversity issues in relation to this report?
Equality and Diversity should have its own
separate heading. It is not acceptable to
simply state that Equality and Diversity has
been alluded to in the main body of the
report
Have you considered S17 Crime and
Disorder issues in relation to this report?
Crime and Disorder should have its own
separate heading. It is not acceptable to
simply state that Crime and Disorder has
been alluded to in the main body of the
report
Yes
None
Yes
None
This report has been subject to the following processes:
Consultations with:
Cabinet Member
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Local Member
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Not applicable
S151 Officer
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Not applicable
Monitoring Officer
Yes
If not please state
reason below
S17 Officer
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Democratic Services Team Leader
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Communications Manager
Yes
If not please state
reason below
Other Head(s) of Service:
Others:
Chair and Vice Chair of Overview and Scrutiny
Please confirm this report has been signed off by:
Management Team
Yes
Not apt
Relevant Strategic Director
Yes
The Chief Executive
Yes
Not apt
Not apt
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
15 February 2012
Agenda Item No____15________
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY UPDATE
Summary:
This report updates the Committee on progress with
topics in its agreed work programme (attached at
Appendix A) and invites Members to identify any
arising items for future meetings. The Scrutiny
Committee’s working style and role is attached at
Appendix B.
Conclusions:
That progress is being made in some areas, others
need to be monitored and opportunities for scrutiny
should be discussed.
Recommendations:
That Members should consider any follow-up
actions required on these topics.
Cabinet Member(s)
Ward(s) affected
Mr T J FitzPatrick
All
Contact Officer, telephone number and email: Mary Howard, Democratic Services
Team Leader, Tel.01263 516047, mary.howard@north-norfolk.gov.uk
1.
Introduction
3.1
The Scrutiny Update report is a standing item on all Overview and Scrutiny
Committee agendas. The report updates Members on progress made with
topics on its agreed work programme and provides additional information
which Members may have requested at a previous meeting.
3.1
The report is prepared by the Democratic Services Team Leader whose role
includes that of Scrutiny Officer.
2.
Progress on topics since the last meeting
2.1
Flooding at Walcott
As requested by the Committee, the Council’s out of hours emergency
contact number was published in the Members’ Bulletin, edition 637, 1
February 2012. The number is 01223 849782.
The minutes of the discussion regarding flooding at Walcott have been sent to
Walcott Parish Council.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
2.2
15 February 2012
Big Society Fund
a) A special meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was held on 31
January 2012 for pre-scrutiny of a report on the Big Society Fund. Comments
and recommendations from the Committee were forwarded to the Cabinet in
advance of their meeting on 6 February 2012. Councillors Norman Smith and
Glyn Williams were nominated to work with the Leader of the Council and the
Cabinet Portfolio Member in developing a formal service level agreement
based upon the draft outcomes incorporated within the appendices to the
Report. A meeting of this group will take place soon.
At Cabinet on 6 February the Portfolio Holder, Mr T Ivory, thanked the
Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their comments. In
order to allow sufficient time for the comments to be taken into account before
the document went to Full Council the Cabinet gave core approval to the
substance of the operational framework but delegated work on the details to
the Chief Executive and Portfolio Holder.
2.3
Planning Performance
The latest quarterly report on planning applications and appeals for the period
from October to December 2011 was published in the Members’ Bulletin,
edition 637, 1 February 2012. The report covered the turn round of
applications, workload and appeal outcomes and included figures for land
charge searches.
2.4
Health Trainer Team
At the request of Members the slides from the presentation by John Russell,
Health Trainer Co-ordinator were published in the Members’ Bulletin, edition
637, 1 February 2012.
3.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme
3.1
Annual Plan (Corporate Plan)
The Annual Plan (Corporate Plan) will be go to the 28 March 2012 meeting of
Overview and Scrutiny and Full Council on 18 April.
3.2
Housing Strategy
The work on the Housing Strategy will not be ready in February. Members will
be advised when a revised date has been proposed.
3.3
Civil Contingencies and Business Continuity
The next update on Civil Contingencies and Business Continuity will include
progress regarding flooding at Walcott.
3.4
Work of the Health Trainers
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
15 February 2012
Members have requested that a future Health Update should include the work
of the Health Trainers. This would be after June 2012 when the project will be
fully operational.
3.5
Planning Enforcement
An update on Planning Enforcement has been requested for March.
3.6
Task and Finish Group
The next meeting of the Task and Finish Group is scheduled for 27 February
2012.
Members of the Group are considering the process for selecting topics for
Scrutiny, the sequencing of meetings and a witness protocol. A final report
will be brought to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when the work is
complete.
3.7
Update Reports
The Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme includes a number
of cyclical updates. The workshop on 17 April 2012 will provide Members with
an opportunity to review the frequency of these updates especially those
which concern projects which have become more firmly established since
they were first reported to the committee.
3.8
Domestic Violence
The Community Liaison Officer has obtained some updated information on
Domestic Violence. This will be reported to the Committee on 28 March 2012.
4.
Public Transport Time and Task Limited Panel
The Joint Public Transport Time and Task Limited Panel will meet at
Broadland District Council on 8 February 2012. An oral report will be made to
Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 15 February.
5.
Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee
The statistics for Ambulance Service performance and a Norfolk Health
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Briefing were provided by Mrs A ClaussenReynolds and published in the Members’ Bulletin, edition 637, 1 February
2012.