Maidstone Borough Council
Planning, Transport & Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Work Programming 2013-2014
Report of: Orla Sweeney, Overview & Scrutiny Officer
1. Introduction
1.1 To consider topics for the Committee’s work programme in the 2013/14 municipal year.
2. Recommendation
2.1 That Members:
· Consider the suggested review topics and suggest any other topics they wish to review in 2013-14;
· Determine which review topics to include in the Committee’s work programme for 2013-14; and
· Consider the terms of reference for topics selected.
3. Reasons for Recommendation
3.1 The Scrutiny Committees are required to create a work programme for the next municipal year. The scrutiny team have received a number of topic review suggestions from the public, Members and Officers.
3.2 There will be a ‘marketplace’ from 6 p.m. in Room B at the Town Hall. This will be a department showcase and will help inform the Committee on major pieces of work for the coming year, applicable to the Committee’s terms of reference.
3.3 At the meeting the relevant Cabinet Member will present his or her priorities for the year and advise the Committee of pre-decision scrutiny work it could be involved in. This information will be included in the ‘forthcoming list of decisions’, updated throughout the year.
3.2 In order to provide some background information regarding priority areas and responsibilities, appended to this report is the following information:
· The Committee’s remit;
· Relevant issues referred to the Committee by the 2012/13 Overview and Scrutiny Committees & Review suggestions from the public, Members and Officers; and
· The Council’s priorities and outcomes as identified in the Strategic Plan.
3.3 Members of the scrutiny team will lead a workshop with the Committee to gather ideas that have come forward on the night and explore suggestions in more detail. Members will then agree which topics to review and begin to structure its 2013/14 work programme.
4 Setting the Work Programme
4.1 Unfortunately the Committee does not have the time or resources available to review all of those topics identified by Members as of interest. The Committee is therefore required to select the topics for review it feels are most important for 2013-14. The following considerations may assist Members in its decision making:
· It affects local people (community outcomes)
· Will bring improvements for local people and/or the council
· It relates to a poor performing service
4.3 The draft work programme shown at Appendix A includes information from the Spatial Planning timetable in relation to the Local Plan which is within the remit of the Planning, Transport & Development OSC in 2013-14. In addition to this, the Committee may which to scrutinise items on the Council’s Forthcoming List of Key decisions which will be included as part of the agenda item ‘Future Work Programme’ on every agenda.
4.4 The draft work programme can be used to help Members set a timescale for review topics by allocating Committee meetings to interview witnesses and to which completed review reports can be presented to Committee.
4.4 The complete work programme does not need to be drawn up immediately; Members are recommended to allow some flexibility in the work programme to allow for new issues to arise.
5. Impact on Corporate Objectives
5.1 The Committee will primarily consider reports that deliver against all the Council priority: ‘For Maidstone to have a growing economy.’
5.2 The Strategic Plan sets the Council’s key objectives for the medium term and has a range of objectives which support the delivery of the Council’s priorities. Actions to deliver these key objectives may therefore include work that the Committee will consider throughout the coming year.
Appendices
· Draft work programme – Appendix A
· Relevant issues referred to the Committee by the 2012/13 Overview and Scrutiny Committees & Review suggestions from the public, Members and Officers – Appendix B
· Committee’s terms of reference – Appendix C
· The Council’s priorities and outcomes as identified in the Strategic Plan – Appendix D