Agenda and minutes

Members will disclose any pecuniary and any other significant interests they may have in relation to the matters to be considered at this meeting.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday 12 March 2018 were agreed as a correct record.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation (Marianne Hesketh) has submitted a report which she will present to the committee.

The committee will have an opportunity to comment and ask questions.

The committee has previously identified asset management as a likely topic for scrutiny task group review, and the committee will be invited to consider this option. 

The Service Director Performance and Innovation submitted a report on a proposed updated Asset Management Strategy and an action plan for its implementation over a 5 year period. She invited the Committee to comment on the proposals prior to consideration of them by the Cabinet.

Members of the Committee welcomed the reference in paragraph 5.4 of the report to opportunities to generate additional revenue or capital receipts and asked that the long awaited report on the review of car parks be submitted to the next meeting of this committee.

Concern was also expressed about the potential loss of open space in the Borough and suggested that the wider value to local communities of such space should be considered, prior to a decision being made to sell any of the sites listed in the action plan

Marianne Hesketh confirmed that the options to be explored for Cleveleys Bus Station would focus on ways of generating more income at that location and would not include the possible sale of the site.

RESOLVED:

1. That the report be noted.

2. That the Service Director Performance and Innovation be requested to ensure that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be given an opportunity to comment on the options identified during the various reviews listed in the action plan before decisions were made, particularly on the areas of open space at the following locations (items 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 in the plan):

-  land off Eskdale Avenue Fleetwood;

-  land off Croasdale Avenue Thornton Cleveleys;

-  land off Tarnway Avenue, Thornton Cleveleys;

-  land off Hargreaves Street, Thornton Cleveleys;

-  land off School Lane, Out Rawcliffe.

3. That the Service Director Performance and Innovation be requested to amend the wording of item 13 in the action plan to refer more generally to the exploration of any opportunities to invest in new assets which would generate a good return for the council (not just to possible acquisitions for the creation of a portfolio of industrial units).

The Service Director Performance and Innovation (Marianne Hesketh) will provide a verbal report updating the Committee about the progress of the Digital Transformation Plan.

The committee will have an opportunity to comment and ask questions.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation, Marianne Hesketh, submitted a report providing information about the progress that had so far been made on digital transformation within the Council.

RESOLVED:

1. That the report be noted.

2. That the progress so far made on digital transformation be welcomed.

3. That, with regard to the implementation of the Modern.gov meetings management system:

(a)   the progress made on the implementation of Phase 1 of the  project to improve the efficiency of the agenda publication and minute production process be welcomed;

(b)   the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be given an opportunity to consider and make recommendations on arrangements for funding the purchase of iPads for Councillors to enable  the planned introduction, as Phase 2 of the Project,  of paperless meetings from May 2019, to be achieved;

(c)   the Overview and Scrutiny Committee also be involved in the trial of paperless meetings, prior to its full implementation across the Council.

Roy Saunders, Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager, will provide an update for the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2017/18 and plans for the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2018/19.

The Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager, Roy Saunders, referred to the Committee’s work programme for 2017/18 and for 2018/19, which had been submitted with the agenda. He said that work on current task groups was progressing well and it would be helpful for the Committee to identify a topic for the next task group review.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation reported that the consultation exercise on the current choice based letting scheme for the allocation of social housing in Fylde and Wyre had just been completed. The Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder had suggested that it would be useful for scrutiny members to consider possible options for changes to the Scheme arising from the consultation, to help inform the decision making process.

RESOLVED

1. That the latest position with regard to current task groups be noted.

2. That a (probably fairly short) Task Group review on the responses to the recent consultation on the “My Home Choice” (Fylde Coast choice based social housing letting scheme) be included in the Committees work programme to consider and report to the Cabinet on possible options for changes to the Scheme.

3. That the possibility of appointing a Task Group on car parks be considered at the next meeting of the Committee, when the Committee was expecting a report of the Head of Engineering to be submitted on the outcome of the consultations on the Council’s car parks.

4. That an opportunity to consider funding options for the implementation of paperless meetings (referred to when considering the report on the digital transformation programme earlier in the meeting) be added to the work programme.

Monday 21 May 2018 at 6pm.

RESOLVED that the next meeting of the committee be held at 6pm on Monday 21 May 2018 at the Civic Centre, Poulton-le-Fylde.