Agenda item

(Director of Governance) The overview and scrutiny provisions (Article 6) of the Council’s Constitution require that the Committee approve an annual overview and scrutiny work programme each year. Progress towards the achievement of the work programmes for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and each of the select committees, is reviewed by the Committee at each meeting.

(a)          Current Work Programmes

The proposed overview and scrutiny work programmes for 2016/17 are attached as an appendix to this report. Subject to the preceding item on the agenda, members may wish to add further items to the work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Select Committees.

(b)          Reserve Programme

A reserve list of scrutiny topics is developed as required, to ensure that the work flow of overview and scrutiny is continuous. When necessary, the Committee will allocate items from the list appropriately, once resources become available in the work programme, following the completion of any ongoing scrutiny activity.

Members can put forward suggestions for inclusion in the work programme or reserve list through the adopted PICK process. Existing review items will be dealt with first, after which time will be allocated to the items contained in the reserve work plan.

(a)          Work Programmes

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The committee considered their work programme and noted the progress to date. The Democratic Services Manager commented that following on from the O&S Co-ordinating working group meeting the Work Programme would be reworked to remove the cyclical reports that go to the O&S Committee on a regular basis. They would not appear on the work programme but would appear on the agenda when due.

Youth Council

Some of the items could also be moved to reserved programme and it may be that it was more appropriate for the Youth Council to give their annual presentation to a wider audience such as the full Council.

Councillor Stallan wondered if the full council was the right place for them to go to – if they were to ask for additional funding would it not be more appropriate for them to go through O&S on to the Cabinet.  Mr Macnab replied that any one off requests could go directly to the Cabinet. Also, if they wanted it the Youth Council could hold a presentation before the start of a Council meeting and not during the actual meeting itself. Councillor Surtees thought it would be better to have it during the meeting.

Councillor Girling thought the best way forward was for them to go to the Council meeting, as they should be heard by all members. Councillor Philip wondered if this was possible under our constitution; and thought that they would get more of an audience at an O&S Committee meeting. Ms O’Boyle reminded the members that the council could have a single item meeting if they desired it or open it out for a presentation if they wished.

Councillor Sartin suggested that some more research was done and the Youth Council was spoken too, to ascertain their views and then come back with some formal recommendations.

Epping Forest College

Councillor Wixley noted that the annual review of the Epping Forest College was on the work Programme. They had only recently had a new Principal start and it would be more appropriate to have this at a later date. Councillor Sartin said this could be moved to the reserve programme and be brought back when the time was right.

Children Services

Councillor Girling informed the meeting that since April 2016, the last time that we had officers from ECC come to talk to us about Children Services, he and some other Councillors have been holding informal meetings with these officers. So far they have held two meeting with them and he had attended the Epping Forest Children’s Advisory Board and also an ECC Cabinet meeting to express our concerns about the loss of children services and facilities in our district. He was also planning a tour around our district with the relevant Essex County Council Portfolio Holder.

(b)          Select Committees

Communities Select Committee

The Chairman, Councillor Knight reminded the Committee that this Select Committee was due to receive the new District Commander in November and that item 31 of their work Programme  was new.

Governance Select Committee

The Chairman, Councillor Avey had nothing to add to the work programme as printed.

Councillor Dorrell noted that item 1 of the work programme should say “Review of Elections and Referendum” and not ‘elections of May and June 2016’.

Neighbourhoods Select Committee

Councillor Wixley asked if item 1, ‘Enforcement Activities’, was the same for item 13 on the Governance Select Committee ‘Enforcement’. He was informed that they were referring to two different types of enforcement – planning for the Governance SC and Environmental for the Neighbourhoods SC.

Resources Select Committee

The Chairman, Councillor S Kane had nothing to add to the work programme as printed.