Agenda and minutes

Councillor Ibison was elected as the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2021/22.

Councillor Matthew Vincent was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the municipal year 2021/22. In the absence of Councillor Ibison for this meeting, Councillor Matthew Vincent took the Chair.

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 26 April 2021.

It was agreed that the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Monday 26 April 2021 be confirmed as a correct record.

The Head of Built Environment, Maria Blundy, has submitted the Planned Maintenance and Investment Projects Schedule for the 2021/22 period.

The Head of Built Environment, Maria Blundy, submitted the Planned Maintenance and Investment Projects Schedule for the 2021/22 period.

Democratic Services Officer, Marianne Unwin, introduced the report and noted any questions posed by members to which she would provide written answers.

Members asked for clarification on the replacements of distribution boards in the Civic Centre and for more information on Fleetwood Leisure Centre.

The Corporate Director Communities, Marianne Hesketh, has submitted a report, the 4^th Quarter Performance Statement 2020/21, January – March 2021.

The Corporate Director Communities, Marianne Hesketh, submitted the 4^th Quarter Performance Statement 2020/21, January – March 2021 for the consideration of the committee.

The committee noted the report.

Marianne Unwin, Democratic Services Officer, will provide a verbal update.

The Democratic Services Officer, Marianne Unwin, gave members a verbal update of the District Enforcement Service over the past year. The Head of Public Realm and Environmental Sustainability had provided the information. 

She explained that due to the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, officers were stood down for much of the year and had been slowly integrated back. Therefore, the figures for enforcement activity and cleanliness over the past 12 months did not reflect the norm.

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, has submitted a report updating the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2021/22.  Marianne Unwin, Democratic Services Officer, will introduce the report and respond to questions and comments from councillors.

The Corporate Director Resources, Clare James, submitted a report to update the committee about the delivery of the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2021/22.

The Democratic Services Officer, Marianne Unwin, provided the committee with a verbal update.

Following discussions, members agreed that before restarting the District Enforcement task group, the committee should receive Councillor Bridge’s, Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder, Executive Report at their next meeting to assist them in a final review of the scoping document.

Members considered the draft ‘tourism recovery’ scoping document. They expressed the need for such a task group especially in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Some members discussed a variety of tourism topics that they saw as important to look at in more detail, in particular, hotel and B&B rates in the area. Following discussions, the committee approved the draft-scoping document with an amendment to the aims of review to include, “to make recommendations to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on specific and focused related topics that might be considered for further scrutiny review”. The committee agreed to commission a task group on tourism recovery in Wyre.

Councillor Sir R Atkins proposed that the committee might examine the relationship between Lancashire County Council and Wyre Council regarding their involvement in waste collection, disposal and recycling. Members agreed to invite Ruth Hunter, Head of Public Realm and Environmental Sustainability, to the next meeting to submit a written report on this matter and to answer questions.

The report was noted.