1.                        PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1     The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee had responsibility for producing an Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report. 

1.2     The Annual Report provides an overview of the year, highlighting successes alongside the challenges of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees during the 2014-15 Municipal Year.

2.                        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1                  The Maidstone Borough Council Constitution for 2014-15 stated that      “Overview and Scrutiny Committees may report annually to the full    Council on their workings and make recommendations for future work          programmes and amended working methods if appropriate” (Part One,       article 6.3 (d) of the previous Constitution).

2.2                  The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the four Overview and Scrutiny        Committees formed the Scrutiny Coordinating Committee as per the constitution.

2.3     The Committee held five meetings over the course of the year and were responsible for considering any cross-cutting issues that arose and deciding which Committee, based on its terms of reference, was best placed to examine the issue.

2.4     Overview and Scrutiny at Maidstone Borough Council aligned to the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s principles:

·         Constructive ‘critical friend’ challenge;

·         Amplifies the voices and concerns of the public;

·         Led by independent people who take responsibility for their role; and

·         Drives improvement in public services.

2.5                  Overview and Scrutiny continued its cross party Budget Working Group in   2014-15.  It was established during the 2012-13 Municipal Year as an          outcome of the Capital Programme Review undertaken by Overview and        Scrutiny.  The Budget Working Group harnessed the appetite of    back   bench Scrutiny members who were keen to have early involvement in the     development of the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Capital      Programme.

2.6                  During the 2014-15 Municipal Year the Budget Working Group, a sub          group of the Strategic Leadership and Corporate Services Overview and      Scrutiny Committee, ‘provided a sounding board for early stage       consideration of commercial projects which in turn prompted the group to initiate Member Development sessions on strategic risk’ (Councillor Mrs           Gooch).

2.7                  Some of the successes highlighted in the Annual Report include the            following:

·         The Community, Environment and Housing Committee’s successful lobbying for the retention of the Community Warden Service;

·         Increased public engagement, particularly in relation to the Local Plan.  The Planning and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee involved residents and Parish Councils; and

·         The Twilight Economy Review and the Career’s Guidance Review.

2.8     One of the key challenges highlighted by the Scrutiny Coordinating   Committee in its report was the Local Plan and in particular the allocation of housing sites for the borough.  This was given careful consideration          over a series of three meetings.

3                         AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1        Council are asked to note the report.

3.2        Council could choose not to note the report; however the work of Overview and Scrutiny during the 2014-15 and its opportunity to share this with all members of the Council and residents would be lost.

4          PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1         The preferred option is detailed at 3.1 of this report, that Council note the report so that the work of the Overview and Scrutiny committee members during the 2014-15 Municipal Year is recognised by all members of the Council.

5         CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

5.1         Not applicable to this report.

6         NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

6.1         Once the report is noted it will become a public document and a point of reference for members and residents.  It is the last Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Report as the Council have now changed its Governance arrangements, moving from an Executive model to a Committee system.

7         CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

7.1       Not applicable to this report.

8          REPORT APPENDICES

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·               Appendix I: Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2014-15

9          BACKGROUND PAPERS

None