Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Muna Cali and John Caswell.

Members to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2016.

The minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 20 January 2016 were signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record.

The Chair to note public address requests.

The public can speak on any agenda item for a maximum of three minutes per speaker per item.  You are not required to register your intention to speak in advance but should arrive at the meeting a few minutes early, complete a Public Address Protocol and notify the Scrutiny Officer of your intention to speak.

There were none.

There were none.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to approve the Work Programme 2016/2017 and set up the Scrutiny Panels. (Report to follow).

The Chair confirmed that as a result of the Work Programme four topics had been identified for Scrutiny review in 2016/2017.

The Committee was asked to prioritise the reviews and also indicate whether they wished to serve on the Scrutiny Panels. The Chair advised the Committee that other non-Executive Members would then be asked if they wished to serve on any of the Panels.

AGREED :-

That the priority of suggested reviews be as follows:

A report on Unitary Status would be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at each stage of the process.  A copy of the report that the University of Northampton is producing for Northamptonshire County Council regarding Unitary Status would also be requested for the Committee, when the report is published.  The Chair advised that reports would be received by the Committee, along with the report of the University and it would then be decided whether there was the need for a Working Group to be set up. Councillor Larratt would Chair this Working Group if the need arises for such a Group.

Scrutiny Panel 1     - Child Sexual Exploitation, Human Trafficking and Domestic Slavery

Membership of the Panel would comprise:

Chair              Councillor  Dennis Meredith

Deputy Chair To be elected by the Scrutiny Panel 

Members        Councillor  Rufia Ashraf, James Hill,Brian Oldham, Brian Sargeant, Zoe Smith and Graham Walker. Further members would be invited to join the Panel.

Scrutiny Panel 2 –  Museum Trust

Membership of the Panel would comprise:

Chair              Councillor  Jamie Lane

Deputy Chair To be elected by the Scrutiny Panel 

Members        Councillors  Samuel Shaw, Gareth Eales, Brian Sargeant. Councillor Arthur McCutcheon also requested to join this Panel. Further members would be invited to join the Panel.

Scrutiny Panel 3   - Homelessness

Membership of the Panel would comprise:

Chair              Councillor  Zoe Smith

Deputy Chair To be elected by the Scrutiny Panel

Members       Councillors Terrie Eales, Samuel Shaw, Dennis Meredith and Phil Larratt.  Further members would be invited to join the Panel.

The Chair advised that should the above Scrutiny Panels conclude their reviews before the end of the Municipal year 2016/2017 the list of issues suggested at the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme event would be revisited and a further Scrutiny Panel set up.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee further AGREED: 

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agrees its Work Programme for 2016/2017 from the issues suggested by the recent Work Programming event.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee invites other non-Executives, who are not a member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to join the membership of the Scrutiny Panels.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee communicates details of the Work Programme 2016/2017 with all Councillors, and Directors.

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme for 2016/2017 is published on the Overview and Scrutiny page of the Council’s webpage.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to receive the final reports from the three Scrutiny Panels.

Councillor Rufia Ashraf, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 1 – Health Check of the Local Economy, presented the final report of this Scrutiny Panel to the Committee.

Councillor Ashraf advised  that the objective of this Scrutiny Panel was to look at how partners locally, including the private sector, can work together to influence the local economy.  A comprehensive review took place between July 2014 and March 2016.  A wealth of background data and information was received by the Scrutiny Panel.  A series of interviews with a number of key expert advisors were held.  A number of organisations and groups provided written information.  Desktop research was undertaken by the Scrutiny Officer, the findings of which informed the review.

Councillor Ashraf highlighted that information gathering was very important to this review so that the Scrutiny Panel could inform its health check of the local economy. This enabled the Scrutiny Panel to devise its key findings, conclusions and recommendations that will be considered by Cabinet later this year.  She referred the Committee to the key conclusion, findings and recommendations of the final report.

Councillor Ashraf thanked all those involved in this Review and presented the report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval.

AGREED:      That the report of Scrutiny Panel 1 – Health Check of the Local Economy is approved and presented to Cabinet for its consideration.

Councillor Dennis Meredith, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 2 – Impact of anti-social behaviour on the town, presented the final report of this Scrutiny Panel to the Committee.

Councillor Meredith advised the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the that objective of this Scrutiny Panel.  The review had taken place between July 2014 and March 2016.   He added that the result was a piece of work, which recommends to Cabinet a number of improvements to dealing with anti-social behaviour on the town.  

Councillor Meredith referred the Committee to the key conclusion, findings and recommendations of the final report.

Councillor Meredith thanked all those involved in this Review and presented the report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval.

AGREED:      That the report of Scrutiny Panel 2 – Impact of Anti-Social Behaviour on the Town is approved and presented to Cabinet for its consideration.

Councillor Gareth Eales, Chair, Scrutiny Panel 3 –  Effectiveness of the enforcement of Licensing Policy in respect of Taxis and Private Hire  presented the final report of this Scrutiny Panel to the Committee.

Councillor Eales advised the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the  objective of this Scrutiny Panel.  This in-depth review had taken place between July 2014 and March 2016.      

Councillor Eales referred the Committee to the key conclusion, findings and recommendations of the final report.  He highlighted that the sentence prior to the recommendations of the report should read Scrutiny Panel 3 recommends to Cabinet”.  He suggested that the report is updated.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee requested that it is ascertained how much it would cost for a six months’ trial period of Taxi Marshals. The Chair would then relay this information to Cabinet when presenting the report.

Councillor Eales thanked all those involved in this Review and presented the report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for approval.

AGREED:      That the report of Scrutiny Panel 3  –  –  Effectiveness of the enforcement of Licensing Policy in respect of Taxis and Private Hire, as updated,    is approved and presented to Cabinet for its consideration.

Councillor Phil Larratt, Chair, O&S NBC Owned Street Lighting Working Group, apprised the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on progress on this Scrutiny activity.

At the meeting held on 4 April 2016, the Working Group had considered the Corporate Asset Register and drafted a number of conclusions and recommendations for inclusion within its final report.  Councillor Larratt advised that he had visited Abington Park and had seen eight street lights in the park and confirmed that these are not included with the Corporate Asset Register.  This would be discussed at the next meeting of the Working Group.

A final meeting is scheduled for May 2016.  It is anticipated that the final report of the Working Group will be presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 13 June 2016.

AGREED:      That the update is noted.

Councillor Brian Sargeant to provide an update on the work of NCC’s Health,  Adult Care & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Councillor  Brian Sargeant  provided an update from Northamptonshire County Council (NCC)’s Health, Adult Care and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee; highlighting the salient points of the meeting. He advised that the Committee would be visiting a local prison.

The update was noted.

The Committee to approve wording for the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016.

The Chair presented the draft Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/2016 to the Committee for approval.  Following approval of the Committee the Annual Report would be finalised and presented to Council in the Municipal year 2016/2017.

AGREED:     That the wording for the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/0216 is approved and the Report is presented to full Council in the Municipal year 2016/2017.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider any potential issues for future pre decision scrutiny.

There were none.

There were none.