Agenda item

The Service Director Performance and Innovation has submitted a report updating the committee about the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2019/20.

Peter Foulsham, Scrutiny Officer, introduced a report that had been submitted by the Service Director Performance and Innovation.

Following discussion, it was agreed to convene a task group on Transport Connectivity across the Fylde Coast, to develop the work carried out in April by a group that focused for its one meeting on the Poulton to Fleetwood rail link. Membership to the group would be opened up again bearing in mind that eighteen new councillors were elected to the Council on 2 May 2019. Several amendments to the draft scoping document were agreed.

The committee discussed a draft scoping document for a task group review of the Resident Car Parking Permit Scheme. It was agreed that the review would need to be cognisant of the council’s wider car parking policy and pricing.

Councillors expressed interest in receiving a report about the environmental enforcement pilot project, run by District Enforcement, which had been previously considered under Item 8 of the agenda, towards the end of its twelve-month duration. The purpose of the report would be to review the pilot project and provide an opportunity for comment about how the lessons learned might be taken forward. The Scrutiny Officer agreed to discuss the matter with the Street Scene Manager to identify a suitable date for a report to be submitted to the committee.

Governance Trainee, Emma Keany, reported on a short research project that she had carried out, about the way in which other local authorities (Districts in particular) identified actions that they could take to reduce the council’s carbon footprint. She drew the work of Ryedale Council to the committee’s attention and reminded members that climate change had been included in the Business Plan 2019-2023.

Peter Foulsham confirmed that the long-awaited Statutory Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local Authorities and Combined Authorities was published on 7 May 2019. There was an expectation that the Guidance be considered by all councils, although all decisions about implementation were left to local discretion. A summary of the Guidance would be sent to all councillors and would be an agenda item at a future meeting of the committee. It was further noted that the Guidance might have training and development implications for committee members, and possibly other councillors and officers, depending on how it was to be interpreted locally.

The roll-out of tablets to councillors had started. It was intended that members be suitably equipped and trained for the introduction of paper-less meetings by early July. It was noted that one or two teething problems had been identified but these would be sorted out ready for full implementation as soon as possible.

Reference was made to the review of the Council’s constitution that was nearing completion.  Councillors discussed whether it would be appropriate for the committee to consider the recommended changes before a report was submitted to Full Council.

It was agreed

(i)            That the draft scoping document for a task group on Transport Connectivity across the Fylde Coast be approved, subject to some minor amendments;

(ii)          That a task group be set up on Transport Connectivity across the Fylde Coast;

(iii)         That a task group be set up to review the Resident Car Parking Permit Scheme;

(iv)         That a report on the District Enforcement environmental crime pilot project be requested in a timely fashion towards the end of the pilot period;

(v)          That a task group on climate change be included in the committee’s work programme, to be commenced later during 2019/20;

(vi)         That a summary of the Statutory Guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local Authorities and Combined Authorities be circulated to all councillors

(vii)        That the committee would request the opportunity to consider and comment on the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution, subject to the views of the Corporate Management Team and the Executive.