Agenda and minutes

Councillor Michael Vincent was elected as Chairman of the committee.

Councillor Kerry Jones was elected as Vice Chairman of the committee.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors E Anderton, C Birch and Fail.

Councillor Ibison declared an interest in Agenda Item 5 (Local Plan) because a member of his family had recently submitted a planning application.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 18 April and 27 April 2016.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings of the committee held on 18 April 2016 and 27 April 2016 be confirmed as a correct record.

Rea Psillidou (Planning Policy and Economic Development Manager) has submitted a report updating the committee on the progress of the Local Plan. 

Ms Psillidou will attend the meeting with Councillor Pete Murphy (Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder) to present the report.

The Planning Policy and Economic Development Manager submitted a report, which the Head of Planning Services, David Thow, presented.

The Plan’s progress had been held up to some extent as highways evidence from Lancashire County Council and Highways England had taken longer than anticipated to be concluded.  There had also been some difficulty in arranging meetings with Natural England.  The Strategic Flood Risk Assessment was nearing completion.

A meeting had been held in May with a representative from the Department of Communities and Local Government to review some of the issues and difficulties being faced, and Mr Thow was confident that the DCLG would continue to be helpful in overcoming those hurdles.

There would be a consultation with stakeholders, including Town and Parish Councils, on the draft Plan between now and December 2016.  Councillor Pete Murphy explained that there would be continuing consultation as the Plan was a living document. 

Mr Thow confirmed that the council was currently on target to complete and submit the Plan by the 31 March 2017 deadline.

RESOLVED that

(i)            Mr Thow be thanked for attending the meeting.

(ii)          Rea Psillidou be thanked for her very comprehensive report, and

(iii)         That a further report about the progress of the Local Plan be submitted to the committee for the meeting on 12 September 2016.

Councillor Howard Ballard, Chairman of the LCTS task group, will present a report on the task group’s work.

Councillor Howard Ballard, Chairman of the LCTS task group, presented a report.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood, will present a report to the committee.

Neil Greenwood (Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety) and Mandy Seddon (Environmental Health Officer) presented a report.

There were currently 1148 food businesses that supplied direct to customers in the borough; the number fluctuated as businesses closed and others opened. 

Food hygiene ratings could be viewed on the council’s website, which was updated fortnightly.  Ratings could not be updated without a review having taken place and there were not enough resources to revisit a business unless that business had requested it. 

Broadly speaking, ratings 0, 1 and 2 were non-compliant.  If there was an imminent risk to health, action would be taken immediately and a return visit would be made, if necessary, to ensure that standards were being complied with.  A zero-rating would not necessarily lead to closure as that rating might have been awarded, not due to an imminent risk to health, but because a satisfactory system was not in place.

Ratings would remain in place until the next routine inspection unless the business requested a review in which case a return visit would be made after 3-6 months.

High risk premises with good compliance would be of less concern than lower risk premises with poor compliance.  Any premises that were not compliant would receive advice and information from council officers. 

The Food Standards Agency produced a handbook in a number of different versions and languages, which was free to download from their website. 

Mr Greenwood emphasized that it was the responsibility of the businesses to ensure that they were complying and it was not the responsibility of the council to insist on re-visits.  A graduated approach to enforcement was being applied. 

RESOLVED that

(i)            Mr Greenwood and Ms Seddon be thanked for their report, and

(ii)          That the report be noted

The Head of Transformation, Marianne Hesketh, has submitted a report, the 4^th Quarter Performance Statement 2015/16, January –March 2016.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation, Marianne Hesketh, submitted a report on the 4^th Quarter Performance Statement 2015/16, January to March 2016.

Members noted that the Shaping Your Neighbourhood initiative was being reviewed by officers and it was expected that a report would be available by September.  To date, Neighbourhood Lead Members were the only councillors who had been involved, which the committee felt was disappointing.  In particular, the Chairman highlighted that opposition members would only have very limited opportunity to contribute to the review.

RESOLVED that a report on the review of Shaping Your Neighbourhood be prepared for the meeting of the committee to be held on 12 September 2016.

Philippa Davies, Corporate Director of Resources, has submitted a report updating the committee about the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2016/17.

Councillor Michael Vincent will also refer to the council’s response to the consultation on Lancashire County Council’s budget proposals which was reported to the Cabinet on 20 January 2016.

Peter Foulsham introduced a report that had been submitted by the Corporate Director of Resources.

The committee discussed options for a task group on food hygiene, having received a report previously from the Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety.  Members agreed that there should be an emphasis on promoting the premises with ratings of 3 – 5 and that the idea of healthy eating and healthy choices might also be encouraged. 

Questions were posed about the Left Coast initiative, about which councillors said they would like more information.  In particular, they expressed some concern that the objectives of Left Coast were unclear and they were not aware of any performance information that would be helpful in assisting members to understand whether the scheme has achieved its aims.  This was particularly important as the council had committed £20,000 per year to Left Coast for the next three years. 

The committee were reminded that the task Fleetwood Market task group reported to Cabinet in July 2014 and that the implementation of the task group’s recommendations was reviewed by the committee in August 2015.  The committee took the view that an update on the current issues being faced at the market would be helpful, including current performance information.

Six consultations about the way in which Lancashire County Council’s budget proposals were likely to affect the Supporting People initiative, and its consequent impact on residents, were still active.  Councillors agreed that they would like Wyre to take the opportunity respond to the outstanding consultations.  One of these (sheltered accommodation) would need to be done solely by email in view of the fact that the deadline for the consultation was 24 June 2016.  The five others would be considered at the next meeting.

RESOLVED that

(i)            A draft scoping document for a task group on aspects of food hygiene where members would be able to add value be submitted to a future meeting of the committee

(ii)          A report on Left Coast be requested for the committee meeting to be held on 12 September 2016

(iii)          A report about the issues currently facing Fleetwood Market, as well as an update in the implementation of the task group’s recommendations be requested for the committee meeting to be held on Monday 12 September 2016

(iv)          Arrangements be made to give members the opportunity to respond to the six outstanding consultations on LCC’s budget proposals, one of which would be dealt with via email and the other five considered at the next meeting of the committee on 4 July 2016

Monday 4 July 2015 at 6pm.

RESOLVED that the next meeting of the committee be held at 6pm on Monday 4 July 2016 at the Civic Centre, Poulton-le-Fylde.