Report Title
Overview and Scrutiny Update
Which Committees is this report
intended for? (Please state dates)
Cabinet Date:
Overview and Scrutiny Date: 20 July 2011
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 – 2012/20 July 2011/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
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 of Overview and Scrutiny
Please confirm this report has been signed off by:
Management Team
Yes
Relevant Strategic Director
Yes
The Chief Executive
Yes
Not apt
Not apt
Not apt
Agenda Item No____16________
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY UPDATE
Summary:
This report updates the Committee on progress with
topics in its agreed work programme (attached at
Appendix B) and invites Members to identify any
arising items for future meetings. The Scrutiny
Committee’s working style and role is attached at
Appendix C
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
1.1
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.
1.2
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
Introduction to Overview and Scrutiny
At the beginning of the last meeting, 22 June 2011, Members received a brief
training session on Overview and Scrutiny, including the legislation and
working style. A Member subsequently suggested that this information would
be beneficial to all Councillors. The slides from the presentation were,
therefore, appended to the Members’ Bulletin, Issue 607, June 29 2011.
2.2
Representatives
Committee
on
the
Norfolk
Health
Overview
and
Scrutiny
At Full Council on 28 June 2011 Mrs A Claussen-Reynolds was appointed as
the Council’s representative on the Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny
Committee. Mr B Jarvis was appointed as her named substitute. Both are
Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the
terms of reference of the Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
2.3
Management of Council Business
At the June meeting of Overview and Scrutiny it was suggested that it could
be helpful for all Members to receive the ‘Management of Council Business’
matrix to keep them informed of reports going through the cycle of committee
meetings. All Members are now included in this weekly electronic mailing.
3.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme (attached at
Appendix B)
3.1
An update on the waste contract was requested, and is on the Work
Programme, for the July meeting
3.2
A combined report on Animal/Pest Control is on the agenda for September.
3.3
Civil Contingencies/Business Continuity: there is a degree of overlap within
these topics. To avoid duplication they will, in future, be combined in a single
update. This will be brought to the Committee on a 6-monthly basis.
3.4
Members requested a 6-monthly update on Gypsy and Traveller Sites. They
further requested that the next update should include information on the
allocation of Capital Grant expenditure on the sites, and the under-use of the
Cromer site.
3.5
The Chief Executive will be updating Members on the Active Communities
restructure in July. Members had asked if there could also be an update on
partnerships. The Chief Executive has advised that this would be premature
because of a major review to take place on the whole community
engagement infrastructure in North Norfolk. This topic will come to the
Committee at a later, more appropriate date. The Chief Executive will,
however, summarise the current position regarding the County Strategic
Partnership, North Norfolk Community Partnership and Local Area
Partnerships.
3.6
In connection with 3.5 Members are reminded that North Norfolk District
Council is represented on the Norfolk County Strategic Partnership Joint
Scrutiny Panel by Mr E Seward. Attached at Appendix D is an extract from
the Democratic Services Team Leader’s notes from the meeting of 8 April
2011. This may provide Members with some clarity on the situation regarding
the County Strategic Partnership.
3.7
Affordable Housing: the Strategic Director – Community has advised that
September would be a better time to receive a report on Affordable Housing
schemes, because this would allow time to prepare more detailed information
for Members. The Chief Executive of Victory Housing Trust will attend the
July meeting of Overview and Scrutiny to address Members’ questions on
disposal strategy.
3.8
Other topics which were suggested for consideration at last month’s meeting
included Council assets and income raised from them, pre-scrutiny of RIPA
policies and coastal issues.
A report on the Community Infrastructure Levy will come to the Committee in
September. This has been referred from the Planning Policy and Built
Heritage Working Party which took place on 27 June 2011 when it was
resolved unanimously
“That a report be produced for consideration by Overview and Scrutiny
Committee in advance of submission to Cabinet.”
3.9
The Chairman has agreed that, as part of the Committee’s work on equality
issues, it will receive a presentation by the Norfolk Coalition of Disabled
People on the Norfolk Disability Pilot Project. This will take place in
September or October when work on the second phase of the project – how
to sustain disabled residents’ involvement in decision making – will be
complete.