Agenda item

(a)          To consider the updated work programme

      i.        The current Overview and Scrutiny work programme is attached for information.

     ii.        Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were due to make a presentation to the Committee on 5 January 2016, in relation to proposed changes to service delivery. Despite having had this matter in the work programme for a considerable time, the Council has recently been advised by the Fire and Rescue Service that they do not wish to make the presentation in a public forum (at this stage) and that this is intended as a briefing for Members of the Council only at the present time. With the agreement of the Safer, Greener and Transport Portfolio Holder, a private member briefing by the Chairman of Essex Fire Authority and the Chief Fire Officer on the future service delivery plans of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, will therefore be held on the evening of 27 January 2016. This matter has therefore been removed from the current work programme.

    iii.        Article 6 of the Constitution (Overview and Scrutiny) requires that the Committee receive a verbal report from the relevant Portfolio Holder or appropriate lead officer after three months of the completion of any scrutiny review, indicating whether the recommendations arising from such review have been agreed or modified.  In addition, the Portfolio Holder or lead officer must also make a further report to the Committee on progress with the implementation of the recommendations, after six months. The work programme has therefore been updated to reflect the completion of the work of the Youth Engagement Task and Finish Panel and to schedule arrangements for progress reporting on the implementation of the Panel’s recommendations.

   iv.        Workload commitments within Community Services and Safety mean that the January 2016 timescale for the final report of the Grant Aid Review Task and Finish Panel cannot now be met. The Panel will not be able to produce a final report for the 2016/17 budget setting process and it is intended that this will therefore be deferred until 2017/18.

(b)          Reserve Programme

A reserve list of scrutiny topics is required to ensure that the work flow of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is continuous. The Committee will ‘pull out’ items from the list and allocate them accordingly once space becomes available in the work programme following the completion of existing reviews.

Members can put forward any further suggestions for inclusion in the reserve list either during the meeting or at a later date. Existing review items will be dealt with first, then time will be allocated to the items contained in the reserve work plan.

(c)          Request for Scrutiny Review (PICK Form)

A PICK Form (attached) has been submitted by Councillor Wixley, seeking a ‘return’ presentation to the Committee by the Superintendent of Epping Forest, given the current widespread general interest in Epping Forest and issues such as the present public consultation on the Forest Management Plan for 2017–2027.

Rather than treating the PICK Form as a request for scrutiny review, it is suggested that a further presentation by the Superintendent of Epping Forest be added to the work programme of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2016/17, to be made to a meeting as early in the municipal year as possible.

(a)          Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Committee considered their work programme and noted the current progress. The Committee noted that:

(i)            The Fire and Rescue Service would no longer make their proposed presentation to the Committee and it would be removed from the work programme. They will now do separate, private briefing on 27 January 2016.

(ii)           It was noted that a progress report on the recent Youth Engagement Task and Finish Panel would be scheduled for a future meetings, probably to the next meeting and the April meeting.

(iii)          The original timescale of the Grant Aid Review Task and Finish Panel could not now be met. See below.

Select Committees:

(1)          Housing Select Committee

The vice chairman had nothing to report.

(2)          Governance Select Committee

The Chairman, Councillor Church, reported that their work programme was on schedule. He also noted that they had asked the Resources Select Committee to consider the Planning Enforcement report as in more readily sat within their purview.

(3)          Neighbourhood & Community Services Select Committee

The lead officer Mr Macnab reported that the committee had held a waste review meeting on 17 December. The Key finding are to be considered at their next meeting on 19 January and will then go on to the main Overview and Scrutiny Committee and then on to an appropriate Cabinet meeting in the Spring.

(4)          Resources Select Committee

The Chairman, Councillor Mohindra, reported that at their last meeting they discussed the EFDC apprenticeship scheme and were looking to have a presentation on this. They also looked at Private Funding  and concluded that they would like local ward members to be made aware of this funding.

They also had a report on sick absences and would like to applaud the council on the work it was carrying out on mental health issues.

Task and Finish Panels:

Grant Aid Task and Finish Panel

The Chairman of this Panel Councillor Caroline Pond reported that they had submitted an interim report last April. But, unfortunately due to the untimely death of the lead officer, they had had to rearrange a lot of their meetings and workload. They will now have two more meetings one on 15^th February and another on 14^th March. They hoped to have a final report by April.

(b)          Reserve Programme

There were no current items on the reserve list.

(c)          Request for Scrutiny Review (PICK Form)

Councillor Wixley submitted a PICK form, to invite, for a return visit to the committee, the Superintendent of Epping Forest, Paul Thomson and Judy Adams the Chairman of the Friends of Epping Forest. Given the current widespread general interest in Epping Forest and issues such as the present public consultation on the Forest Management Plan for 2017-27 and also the public interest in the proposed City of London (Various Powers) Bill which according to the press reports had attracted 14000 signatures on an on-line petition.

The Committee agreed to add this item to their work programme for a future presentation. When arranged members would be asked via the Council Bulletin for any questions to be put to the speakers.

Councillor Surtees commented that at recent meeting he had noted that the first part of the public consultation had been completed and a further consultation was to be held in the summer. This may alter the time we ask the speakers to come to us.