1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.      

2.1     The Overview and Scrutiny Committee are able to undertake pre-and-post decision scrutiny, reviews and policy development. To properly support and structure the Committee’s work over the 2024-25 Municipal Year, a Work Programme needs to be agreed.

2.2     It is important that the Committee sets its own work programme, with Statutory Guidance stating that:

‘Effective scrutiny should have a defined impact on the ground, with the Committee making recommendations that will make a tangible difference to the work of the authority. To have this kind of impact, scrutiny committees need to plan their work programme, i.e. draw up a long-term agenda and consider making it flexible enough to accommodate any urgent, short-term issues that might arise during the year’.[1]

2.3     A virtual workshop was held with the Committee Members on 28 May 2024. The workshop covered:
- Introduction to Overview and Scrutiny
- Review of 2023-24 Work Programme
- Review of submitted scopes
- Suggestion Session
- Next Steps

The aim of the workshop was for the Committee Members to discuss the work programme topics it proposed to take forward for the 2024/5 municipal year and the scope of the work to be undertaken in respect of each topic.

2.4     During the workshop, it was explained that reviews were assigned ‘weightings’ which were established in last year’s work programme. These served as a guide to select topics and informed how many reviews would be advisable to keep a balanced workload:
- 3-4 Light reviews OR
- 1 Medium review, 2 Light Reviews OR
- 2-3 Medium Reviews (depending on review remit) OR
- 2 Heavy Reviews.

2.5     During the workshop, the Committee considered the scopes from last year’s work programme, attached as Appendix A-B but favoured the idea of a fresh start with new review topics.

2.6     Following the workshop, revised scopes for the new topics submitted were considered and these are attached as Appendices C-D, with greater focus being placed on the review’s priority, scope and deliverability. Members also requested that further work be done on the initial scopes to help define them better. This has been included in Appendices C-D.

2.7     If agreed by the Committee to form part of their work programme, the proposal would be to undertake the CIL and Section 106 review first (Appendix C) and to carry out further work on the Planning Enforcement review (Appendix D) to better define the outcomes sought and information required.

2.8     At the workshop the Committee Members highlighted that the administration programme was not yet known and capacity needed to be retained within the work programme to allow them to be responsive to the work of the Cabinet.

2.9     The Committee is asked to decide which of the reviews it proposes to include in its work programme for this 2024/5 municipal year. The work programme will be presented at each meeting and reviewed in September 2024 to make sure it is still appropriate.

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1     Option 1 – Select 2 reviews.

On the basis of the outcome of the workshop and content of the scopes, it is recommended that the Committee select 2 to take forward. The workshop’s clear preference was for the scopes set out in Appendices C-D.

This will ensure the reviews are focused, well-planned and supported, with flexibility for the Committee to undertake pre-and-post decision scrutiny, alongside its Crime & Disorder Committee function. This work could be supported sufficiently by the Democratic Services Team.

3.2     Option 2 – Select a different number or makeup of reviews.

This is not recommended, as it could mean that the Committee would not complete the work across the year, given the number of scheduled meetings and officer support currently available. Capacity also needs to be retained to be responsive to the work of the Cabinet.

3.3     Option 3 – Do Nothing.

Failing to identify a work programme and items for review is not recommended as this would greatly reduce the effectiveness of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1    Option 1 (as outlined in point 3.1) is the preferred option for the reasons outlined above.

5.       RISK

5.1    The risks associated with Option 1 have been considered in line with the Council’s Risk Management Framework.

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

6.1     Informal consultation took place with the Committee at an OSC Member Workshop held on 28 May 2024.

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

7.1     Once the Committee has chosen the topics for inclusion within its work programme, work to commence the reviews will begin.

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

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

·         Appendix A: ITS Review Scope

·         Appendix B: Health Inequality Review Scope

·         Appendix C: CIL and Section 106 Review Scope

·         Appendix D: Planning Enforcement Review Scope

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

Overview and Scrutiny: Statutory Guidance for Councils and Combined Authorities: Overview and scrutiny: statutory guidance for councils, combined authorities and combined county authorities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)