Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Reeves and Matthew Vincent.

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

Councillor Ibison declared an Other Significant 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 9 January 2017.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the committee held on 9 January 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have submitted a report.  Representatives from the CCG will attend the meeting to present information about the way in which the strategy (2030 Vision for Health and Care), which was published three years ago, is being delivered.

Members of the committee will have the opportunity to comment and ask questions.

Dr Tony Naughton, Clinical Chief Officer, Fylde and Wyre Clinical Commissioning Group, made a presentation about the progress that had been made over the past three years towards the 2030 vision that had been agreed in 2014.  His full presentation, including explanatory notes, is attached to these minutes as an Appendix.

In response to questions posed by members of the committee Dr Naughton agreed that A&E departments were not always being used appropriately, but it was equally important that people who really needed that service were not discouraged or turned away.  He also agreed that the effective coordination of care packages was essential if the outcomes were to be positive, and noted that coordination across boundaries was not always straightforward. 

Members raised the issue of social isolation, and made the point that it was difficult to identify people who were socially isolated.  Dr Naughton said that it was only of value to identify people if there were solutions to suggest; a Directory of over four hundred organisations had been complied in Blackpool.  The Chairman, Councillor Michael Vincent, suggested that ways of making better use of the Directory might be explored, Dr Naughton responding by saying that he would be very happy to consider options with Garry Payne (Chief Executive) or Mark Broadhurst (Service Director Health and Wellbeing). 

The Chairman asked that steps be taken by the CCG to keep councillors up to date when significant changes were made. 

RESOLVED that

(i)            The CCG be asked to arrange a meeting with Wyre officers to consider a joint approach to promoting solutions for people who are socially isolated

(ii)          The CCG be invited to participate in regular update meetings with Wyre Council’s scrutiny officer and councillors

(iii)          Dr Tony Naughton and Kate Hurry be thanked for attending the meeting and for their informative presentation.

Rea Psillidou (Planning Policy and Economic Development Manager) has submitted a report.  Ms Psillidou and Councillor Pete Murphy (Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder) will attend the meeting to present the report and respond to questions from councillors.

The Planning Policy and Economic Development Manager, Rea Psillidou, presented a report to update the committee about the progress of the Local Plan. 

Miss Psillidou said that, despite difficulties over the past twelve months, good progress has been made with Lancashire County Council on the highways report since November.  The final Report was expected to be received by the end of February.  Once the final highways position is established there is need to engage with the Local Education Authority and the Clinical Commissioning Groups in relation to the Infrastructure Plan.  There might also be issues to resolve with Natural England in relation to the Habitat Regulation assessment.

The Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder, Councillor Pete Murphy, confirmed that the council was doing all that is could.  There were also a number of other councils in Lancashire who were still awaiting reports about highways, so Wyre was not alone.

In response to questions from councillors Miss Psillidou said that future public consultation was unlikely to cause the same slippage in deadlines as previously as it was unlikely that there would be the same level of response again.  She added that some potential sites shown at the last consultation would be ruled out because of constraints.   This means that the scale of housing that could be delivered in Wyre was likely to be less than the unconstrained housing Objectively Assessed Need (OAN) figure of 9,580 over the plan period (2011-2031). 

RESOLVED that

(i)            Miss Psillidou and Councillor Murphy be thanked for attending the meeting and for the report, and

(ii)          That the report be noted.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation, Marianne Hesketh, has submitted a report.

The Chairman, Councillor Michael Vincent, introduced the report that had been submitted by Marianne Hesketh, Service Director Performance and Innovation. 

The Chairman explained that the council’s waste contract was for eight years with an option to extend for a further eight years.   It was an appropriate time to carry out a review of the current arrangements, alongside an officer review.  Following his proposal, the committee agreed to commission a task group to commence in March.

The Chairman was concerned that a number of people, who were often older more vulnerable residents, were being targeted by people carrying out scams and doorstep crimes.  The committee requested further information from Trading Standards officers at Lancashire County Council about their work, the extent of such scams and doorstep crime and what preventative action might be taken.

The committee requested a report from the Head of Engineering Services about the proposed parking strategy, which was due to be considered by the Cabinet in March.

A question was asked about the council’s underperforming assets, with particular mention being made of the Marine Hall.  The committee requested that they receive a report on this subject, which had not been considered by the committee for three years. 

RESOLVED that

(i)            A task group on the council’s waste contract be set up, with all non-Executive councillors being invited to express an interest in taking part

(ii)           A report on scams and doorstep crime be requested from Trading Standards at Lancashire County Council

(iii)          A report on the new parking strategy be requested from the Head of Engineering Services

(iv)          A report on the council’s underperforming assets be requested from the Service Director Health and Wellbeing

Monday 6 March 2017 at 6pm.

RESOLVED that the next meeting of the committee be held at 6pm on Monday 6 March 2017 at the Civic Centre, Poulton-le-Fylde.