Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest from any councillor on any item on this agenda.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Monday 12 June 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Monday 12 June 2023 were confirmed as a correct record by those councillors who were in attendance.

The Corporate Director Communities, Marianne Hesketh, Andrew Fawkes the external consultant from KKP and the Leisure, Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder, Councillor Bowen, have been invited to attend the meeting and present the Wyre Moving More Strategy to the committee and will respond to comments and questions.

The Corporate Director Communities, Marianne Hesketh, submitted the draft version of the Wyre Moving More Strategy.

Marianne Hesketh, Andrew Fawkes, external consultant from KKP, and Councillor Bowen, Leisure, Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder attended the meeting to present the Wyre Moving More Strategy.

Councillor Bowen introduced the item.

Marianne Hesketh explained that this document was created in partnership with the Wyre Moving More Project Board, a cross-sector multi-agency initiative facilitated and led by Wyre Council. Andrew Fawkes provided an update to the committee on the board's activities. There were four core delivery themes, these were health and wellbeing, children and young people, active environments and governance and communication.

Following discussions regarding social and sports clubs, Andrew explained that social and sport clubs were provided with the opportunity to respond to the survey. Marianne agreed to provide feedback to Carol Southern, Active Live and Community Engagement Manager, and to clarify how Wyre social and sports clubs were involved in the process.

In regards to comments about Wyre multiple and health deprivation, Councillor Fail suggested that the figure referring to “around 14,000 residents live in wards which fall within the top 10% most deprived in England” at page 19 of the agenda, ought to be checked against the 2019 ONS data and the Authorities Monitoring report.

Members made comments and asked questions regarding the following topics:

·         The impact of income deprivation, training skills and education deprivation and employment opportunities on health deprivation

·         Accessibility to public open space, sport and leisure facilities

·         Wyre demographics

·         Increased popularity of countryside walking since the Covid-19 Pandemic

·         Partnership work with the education sector for the use of school fields/facilities

·         Barriers to access – 31 per cent of respondents mentioned cost as a reason that stopped them being more active

·         Fleetwood free swimming for children in Fleetwood organised by YMCA Fleetwood in partnership with Fleetwood Town Council and opportunities to replicate this model at other swimming pools across the borough

·         Linking of public open spaces

Marianne updated members that work was on-going to produce a Green Infrastructure Study and Playing Pitches Strategy. She added that the Wyre Moving More Strategy included a number of actions and suggested that Overview and Scrutiny ought to review these actions and receive progress reports.

The committee noted the strategy.

Marianne explained that she would feedback these discussions and the final version of the strategy would be submitted to Cabinet for endorsement.

The Chair thanked Marianne Hesketh, Andrew Fawkes and Councillor Bowen for their attendance and contributions.

The Chair of the Promotion of Self-Care and Social Prescribing in Wyre Task Group, Councillor Rendell, submitted the task group’s draft report and recommendations. The committee will have an opportunity to comment on the report.

The Chair introduced this item.

Marianne Unwin, Democratic Services Officer, informed the committee that the report required additional clarification from officers and the Chair of the task group.

Therefore, it was agreed that this item be deferred until the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has submitted a report to recommend proposals relating to the constitution of the Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee. The committee is recommended to agree the terms of reference for the sub-commtitee as well as its proposed membership.

The Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager (Temporary), Marianne Unwin, will introduce the report.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Cartridge, submitted a report that recommended the proposals that related to the constitution of the Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Marianne Unwin, Democratic Services Officer, introduced the report.

Councillor Atkins welcomed the creation of the Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Councillor Fail commented on the outcome of the council's objective of reducing carbon emissions by at least 78% by 2035, as stated in section 2.1 of the report. The Chair indicated that this was a council priority and that it could be discussed at the Business Plan review themed Overview and Scrutiny meeting on 25 September 2023.

Councillor Fail proposed that the wording at 4c of the Terms of Reference document at Appendix 1 be amended to say “Advising the Leader or Cabinet of key issues/questions arising in relation to climate change reports due to be considered by the Leader, Cabinet or Council”. This amendment was supported by the committee.

The terms of reference and the membership of the sub-committee were agreed, unanimously.

The committee discussed potential items to come to the Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee, such as a review of the Climate Change Strategy and an update from officers on how the sub-committee may make submissions to the Local Plan review.

Following discussions, the Chair proposed that a task group be set up to review the electric vehicle charging points in Wyre. This proposal was supported by the committee and members suggested that the following matters be considered during the formation of a scoping document:

·         To council owned and private charging points

·         To review the usage data

·         To review/monitor Business Plan targets

It was agreed, that a focused and concise draft-scoping document be presented at the first meeting of the Climate Change Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, has submitted a report updating the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2023/24. Marianne Unwin, the Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager (Temporary) will introduce the report and respond to questions and comments from councillors.

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, submitted a report updating the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2023/24. The Democratic Services Officer, Marianne Unwin, provided a verbal update to the committee.

Following discussions, the committee requested for the Democratic Services Officer to provide updates to the next Overview and Scrutiny meeting on the following task group topics as listed on the Work Programme:

·         Poulton to Fleetwood Link

·         Tourism Strategy – review of tourism corporate strategy

·         Leisure Activity Provision

The report was noted.