MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

HERITAGE, CULTURE AND LEISURE COMMITTEE

3 NOVEMBER 2015

REFERENCE FROM COUNCIL

1.        OVEVIEW AND SCRUTINY ANNUAL REPORT 2014-15

1.1     On 16 September Council considered the report of the Head of Finance       and Resources – Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2014-15.

1.2     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

1.3     The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee had responsibility for producing the   Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report. 

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

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

1.6     The Annual Report 2014-15 is the last following the decision of Council       on 10 December 2010 to return to a Committee system.

1.7     The Scrutiny Coordinating Committee wanted to ensure a sense of    continuity between the two systems of governance and ensure the topics     it had looked at remained on the radar of the new Committees.  Therefore         it made the following recommendation “that the new Policy and Resources       Committee considers the topics (listed below) as part of its work           programme in the next Municipal Year.”

·         Maternity Services

·         Draft Economic Development Strategy

·         Careers Guidance Review

·         The Local Plan

·         Continued representation from Maidstone Borough Councillors on MKIP       Joint Committees (post Overview and Scrutiny)

·         Budget Working Group

·         Loneliness and Isolation

·         MKIP Environmental Health Shared Service

·         Play Areas Strategy

·         Crime and Disorder.

1.8     It is likely that these topics have already been considered and programmed into the four new Service Committees’ Work Programme, if        appropriate.  Therefore this report and the recommendation should be       noted.

2.      RECOMMENDED:

          That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report to Council         2014/15 be           noted subject to the following amendments:

          The deletion of the duplicate paragraph on page 10; and to read:

                   “That the new Committees consider the topics (listed) as part                      of their work programmes in the next Municipal Year”.