Agenda item

Scrutiny Reviews 2014/2015

Transport Links to, and within Gedling Borough

The Members Services Officer informed Members about the responses and comments received from the Portfolio Holder, Notts. County Council, Nottingham City Transport and Trent Barton.  Members of the Committee, and the three members of the Youth Council who had been part of the working group, were invited to comment on the responses.

Recommendation 7 included a response from the Commercial Manager, Nottingham City Transport regarding working on marketing campaigns for young people.  Members of the Youth Council indicated that they would like to take up this offer.  They also asked for some clarification regarding the response from Notts. County Council to Recommendation 5 regarding the age limit for statutory concessionary fares.

The Chair thanked the three members of the Youth Council for attending the meeting and their valuable input into the working group.

2015/2016 Work Programme

1.     Scrutiny at committee

·         Programme of Portfolio Holding holding to account

Members were informed that Councillor David Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection, would be attending the next meeting of the committee to discuss and respond to questions on the responsibilities within his Portfolio.  Members were invited to identify areas of performance they would like to consider at the next meeting.

After discussion areas agreed for examination:

·         Radicalisation

·         Safeguarding of vulnerable adults

·         Emergency planning in relation to the provision of grit bins

·         Progress of the animal welfare policy

Members were reminded of the importance of submitting questions in advance of the meeting. None executive members will also be asked to suggest questions for the Portfolio Holder.

·         Bonington Theatre

After considering  the written report and discussion it was decided that a working group would be set up to look at  this report and additional reports to determine if this is an issue that they would like to examine further in further detail.

Councillor Gregory will chair this group and Councillor S Barnes, M Paling and B Andrews will be involved in this review.

·         Recording of Meetings

The Members’ Service Officer gave a verbal update on the progress of the recommendation to introduce a system of audio recording and webcasting which went to Cabinet on the 24^th September.  Cabinet has agreed to adopt the recommendation for Council and Planning Committee meetings.  The success of this will be reviewed after 6 months when consideration will be given to extending it to other committees including Cabinet.

·         Information Requested

Members were informed that information regarding the Planning Improvement Plan and report would be going to the Planning Committee on 14^th October. An update will be available at the next Overview Committee meeting in December.

2.            Scrutiny in working groups

·         Smoking and Obesity working group

The Committee were informed that the first meeting of the working group had taken place and that the review would be divided into two separate sections with obesity the initial focus. Representatives from Public Health attended the meeting and presented data regarding the prevalence and growing problem of excessive weight and the work undertaken to help people lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

RESOLVED:

      I.        note the responses to the Transport Links, to and within the Borough scrutiny review recommendations and receive an update on the progress of Recommendation 7 and clarification on Recommendation 5

    II.        agreed the four areas in the Public Protection Portfolio identified for examination at the next meeting

   III.        to set up a working group to explore the possibility of reviewing the Bonington Theatre

  IV.        note the Cabinet response to the recommendation regarding the recording of meetings and receive a progress report on the 6 month Cabinet review of the success of the system

   V.        receive information regarding the Planning Advisory Report at the December meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

  VI.        Note the information on the progress of the Smoking and Obesity working group.