Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting via Zoom

Media

Items
No. Item

15.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 262 KB

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Commission held on 1st June 2020.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Commission held on 1st June 2020 were approved.

16.

Declarations of Pecuniary and Personal Interests

No declarations were made.

Minutes:

No disclosures were made.

17.

Declarations of the Party Whip

Minutes:

No declarations were made.

18.

Questions under Scrutiny Committee Procedures 11.16

No questions were submitted.

Minutes:

No questions were submitted.

19.

Economic Recovery Cell Update pdf icon PDF 225 KB

A report of the Strategic Director for Housing, Planning and Regeneration and Regulatory Services to provide the Commission with more detail on the approach to economic recovery.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report of the Strategic Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration and Regulatory Services To provide the Commission with more detail on the approach to economic recovery was considered (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

The Strategic Director of Housing, Planning and Regeneration and Regulatory Services attended the meeting, provided a presentation and assisted with the consideration of this item. The following summarises the discussion:

 

      i.        The report and the work of the Officers in establishing the Council’s approach to recovery was praised. It was acknowledged that the work undertaken was extensive and significant and that the Council’s response to the unpredictable situation had been effective.

 

    ii.        ‘Charnwood in Business’ was a scheme initiated by the Council to allow local business to promote their services to residents of the Borough utilising the Council’s resources such as social media channels. The Economic Recovery Group had acknowledged that recent changes to public restrictions meant that some areas of the Borough remained within the area identified by the Government as requiring further restrictions, and this would cause disadvantage to businesses in those areas. Following the removal of the further restrictions in place, the Council will actively promote businesses in these areas that had an interest in the Charnwood in Business scheme.

 

   iii.        Some of the public toilets in the Borough had reopened, such as in Market Place in Loughborough, the Outwoods and in Queen’s Park. The opening of public toilets within parishes was subject to the respective Parish Council’s approval.

 

   iv.        The Council had commissioned Third Life Economics to undertake an Economic Impact Assessment, which would identify the key issues facing Charnwood across a range of sectors in the medium to longer term. A draft of the Economic Impact Assessment was currently being reviewed by senior Officers and would be circulated to Members once finalised.

 

    v.        The impact of the pandemic on Loughborough University had been included in the Economic Impact Assessment provided by Third Life Economics. It was anticipated that as many students as possible would attend the University in Autumn 2020 and that a careful and considered approach was being taken to ensure safety.

 

   vi.        The Council was monitoring the situation closely and was as prepared as possible for a future outbreak. An outbreak plan managed by Public Health England had been developed and the Council was following advice and guidance from the Government and promoting public health information to residents.

 

RESOLVED that the Commission noted the report.

 

Reason

 

To ensure the Commission was kept informed of the Council’s recovery efforts.

20.

Pre-decision Scrutiny of any specific financial matters to be considered by Cabinet

The following items of specific financial matters have been identified for pre-decision scrutiny from the Cabinet agenda for 9th July 2020 in order to make recommendations as appropriate to Cabinet:

 

21.

Capital Plan Outturn Report 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 240 KB

A report of the Head of Finance and Property Services to show the total expenditure on the Capital Plan for the year 2019/20 compared with the current budget, which was reported to Cabinet in the Capital Plan Amendment Report on3rd July 2019 (minute 17), plus subsequent reports on 19th September 2019 (minute 30) and 16th December 2019 (minute 59).  In addition, the report details those schemes that require carry forward of budget to 2020/21 and 2021/22 also the provisional arrangements for the financing of the Plan.

 

Minutes:

A Cabinet report of the Head of Financial Services to show the total expenditure on the Capital Plan for the year 2019/20 compared with the current budget, and those schemes that require carry forward of budget to 2020/21 and 2021/22 also the provisional arrangements for the financing of the Plan was considered for pre-decision scrutiny (item 7a on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

The Head of Financial Services, the Group Accountant and the Lead Member for Finance and Property Services attended the meeting to assist with the consideration of this item.

 

The Commission did not have any issues it wished to discuss or questions on the report.

 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet be informed that the Commission supports the recommendations as set out in the report of the Head of Financial Services.

 

Reason

 

The Commission, having carefully considered the report, felt the Cabinet should approve the recommendations set out.

22.

General Fund and HRA Revenue Outturn 2019/20 and Carry Forward Budget pdf icon PDF 352 KB

A report of the Head of Finance and Property Services to inform Cabinet of the Revenue Outturn position of the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for 2019/20 compared with the Original budgets and request budget carry forwards of £5.6k for the General Fund.

 

Minutes:

A report of the Head of Financial Services to inform Cabinet of the Revenue Outturn position of the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for 2019/20 compared with the Original budgets and request budget carry forwards of £5.6k for the General Fund was considered for pre-decision scrutiny (item 7b on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

The Head of Financial Services, the Group Accountant and the Lead Member for Finance and Property Services attended the meeting to assist with the consideration of this item.

 

The Commission did not have any issues it wished to discuss or questions on the report.

 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet be informed that the Commission supports the recommendations as set out in the report of the Head of Financial Services.

 

Reason

 

The Commission, having carefully considered the report, felt the Cabinet should approve the recommendations set out.

23.

Cabinet items for Pre-decision Scrutiny

The following item has been identified for pre-decision scrutiny from the Cabinet agenda for 9th July 2020 in order to make recommendations as appropriate to Cabinet:

 

24.

Enterprise Zone Update

An exempt report of the Chief Executive will be circulated to members. To follow.

 

THIS IS AN EXEMPT REPORT AND WILL BE CONSIDERED UNDER ITEM 13.

Minutes:

An exempt Cabinet report of the Chief Executive was circulated to Members and was considered under item 13 of the agenda.

25.

Scrutiny Commission Pre-decision Scrutiny - Cabinet Response pdf icon PDF 260 KB

To set out the Cabinet’s responses to the recommendations of the Commission on pre-decision scrutiny items.

 

Minutes:

A report of the Cabinet was considered setting out its responses to the recommendations of the Commission on pre-decision scrutiny items (item 9 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet’s responses to the Commission’s recommendations be noted.

 

Reason

 

The Commission was satisfied that it added value where appropriate and welcomed the Cabinet’s consideration of the Commission’s views and recommendations as part of its decision-making process.

26.

Commercialisation Scrutiny Panel Report pdf icon PDF 185 KB

Toconsider the observationsandrecommendationsoftheCommercialisation ScrutinyPanel.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report of the Commercialisation Scrutiny Panel to present observations and recommendations to the Scrutiny Commission was considered (item 10 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Commission considered the Commercialisation Scrutiny Panel report, attached as an Annex to the report, and agreed to submit it to the next available Cabinet meeting. 

 

Reason

 

To ensure the observations and recommendations were considered by the Cabinet.

27.

Scrutiny Commission Work Programme pdf icon PDF 253 KB

A report of the Head of Strategic Support setting out the list of forthcoming Executive Key Decisions and the Group’s Work Programme for consideration, in order to identify items for future scrutiny.                  

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report of the Head of Strategic Support to enable the Commission to review its own work programme, and the list of forthcoming Executive Key Decisions in order to schedule items for pre-decision scrutiny, was considered (item 11 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

The Head of Strategic Support attended the meeting to assist with the consideration of this item. The following Cabinet item was identified for pre-decision scrutiny:

 

·         Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) Loughborough Town Centre – 14th September 2020.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    that forthcoming Executive Key Decisions or decisions to be taken in private by the Executive, set out in Appendix 2 to the report, and scheduled scrutiny of those matters, be noted;

 

2.    that the Commission’s current work programme be noted;

 

3.    that the ‘Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) Loughborough Town Centre’ item be scheduled for pre-decision scrutiny at the Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 14th September 2020.

 

Reasons  

 

1 &3 .To ensure effective and timely scrutiny, either to provide Cabinet with advice prior to it taking a decision or to ensure that the Council and external public service providers and partners were operating effectively for the benefit of the Borough.

 

2. To ensure effective and timely scrutiny.

 

Eileen Mallon left the meeting at 7pm.

28.

Exempt Information

It is recommended that members of the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item on the grounds that it will involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and it is considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that members of the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of this item on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest of disclosing the information.

 

At this point in the meeting the live streaming was switched off.

29.

Enterprise Zone Update

An exempt report of the Chief Executive will be circulated to members.

 

For information, further meetings of the Group are scheduled as follows:

 

10 August 2020

14 September 2020

12 October 2020

16 November 2020

7 December 2020   

Minutes:

An exempt Cabinet report of the Chief Executive was considered for pre-decision scrutiny (exempt item 13 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

 

The Chief Executive, the Strategic Director for Corporate Services and the Leader of the Council attended the meeting to assist with the consideration of the item.  A summary of the Commission’s discussion on this matter is provided in the exempt minute (Scrutiny Commission Minute 29E. 2020/21).

 

RESOLVED that recommendations be made as detailed in the exempt minute (Scrutiny Commission Minute 29E 2020/21).

 

Reason

 

As set out in the exempt minute (Scrutiny Commission Minute 29E 2020/21).