Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting Via Zoom - Live on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDyc2cNcl19OvcGOCuZDTBQ

Contact: Richard Woods, Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

8.

Declarations of Interest

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

 

Minutes:

There were none.

9.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 346 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 25 May 2022.

Minutes:

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 25 May 2022 were agreed as a true record of the meeting.

10.

Chair's Announcements

To receive communications from the Chair.

Minutes:

There were none.

11.

Waste Management Contract - Joint Scrutiny

Minutes:

At the Chair’s invitation, Councillor McCord introduced the item and explained that the Waste Management Contract had been added to the work programme at the recent meeting of Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee following concerns around the current waste contract and the need to provide value for money for residents.

 

Members felt that South Northants provided a prestigious service, Daventry had issues with different collection days and there were issues with waste collection in Northampton. Members expressed concerns regarding litter and fly tipping which were on the increase in West Northants. Members discussed the differences between the urban and rural villages and felt there should be a process of harmonising metrics as there needed to be new expectations set as in villages collection times would take longer, as it would include travelling to the village rather than street to street collection.

 

Members hoped that in the period before the new waste contract, scrutiny and officers could use the opportunity to get ahead and see what harmonisation would look like and understand what recycling will look like in the future; the cost of delivering services and how to make services more efficient; the effectiveness of the 123 system and alternate week system; and consider the use of electric plant vehicles.

 

It was felt that this could be a joint Scrutiny review and Place OSC, would at its next meeting consider a request from Corporate OSC to undertake joint scrutiny with Corporate OSC of the Waste Management Contract.

 

12.

Highways and Transport Contract

Minutes:

At the Chair’s invitation the Deputy Democratic Services Manager introduced the item and explained that the Highways and Transport Contract would be a joint scrutiny exercise between Place and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committees led by Councillor Bambridge and Councillor McCord. They were currently trying to get 5 members from each committee to join the task and finish group and once members were in place, this would be scoped to give the task and finish group its focus and objectives.

 

Members discussed the interest from members at each committee and the need to give the task and finish group to look at specific areas such as pothole carriageway repairs, gulleys and flooding, winter gritting service. Members felt that the task and finish group needed to involve parish councils and members of the public and solve issues relating to potholes. Members felt that with the future of electric vehicles, road infrastructure needed to be investigated with EV charging points needed for electric vehicles.

 

The Chair concluded that this would be a great opportunity for scrutiny to review and present their case. The Chair thanked the Deputy Democratic Services Manager who would arrange the Highways and Transport contract task and finish group and take things forward.

 

13.

Review of OSC Committee Work Plans pdf icon PDF 417 KB

To review and note the Committee Work Plans from:

 

§  Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee

§  People Overview & Scrutiny Committee

§  Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair of Corporate Overview & Scrutiny provided an update on the committee work programme. He explained that the Annual report and People Strategy had been done, and he was looking forward to the Children’s Trust Budget as it was an interesting topic, and Councillor Herring would pick up the Care aspect of the Children’s Trust. In the Autumn, Corporate OSC would begin reviewing the 2023/2024 budget. There would also be work on Asset Management and Social Values.

 

The Chair of People Overview and Scrutiny presented the People work programme and summarised that with the new directorate Communities and Opportunities, there would be an opportunity to review contracts and delivery plans. Another item on the work programme linked with the Children’s Trust, at the last committee meeting there was a review of the Children’s Trust and members were concerned that the service was steady, but they were not making significant improvements. One example of this was that only 43% of children taken into care received a health check within a month, members were concerned that their health should be assessed quicker, and this percentage should be higher. Topics of upcoming scrutiny on the People work programme included integrated care systems, schools, sports and leisure needs, anti-poverty strategy and homeless strategy.

 

The Assistant Manager Democratic Services added that People Overview and Scrutiny had reviewed a draft housing strategy back in March and the committee were keen to do pre-decision scrutiny on this topic in the future when it had the capacity to do so. People Scrutiny were also looking to do a workshop style session in August to fit in with the timescale of the development of the strategy, as well as a site visit for the Vulcan hub on 9 August.

 

The Chair of Place Overview and Scrutiny presented the Place work programme and summarised that Highways and Transport was an upcoming topic as discussed at the meeting earlier, and the levelling up fund had been called in at the last committee meeting. He explained that the tree policy task and finish group had concluded, and their draft report was being reviewed and would be published shortly and the final report would be brought to the next committee meeting. The Northampton town plan and waste strategy would also be discussed at the next meeting. There was also an active travel oversight group that was underway, and the committee would receive reports on crime and disorder, flooding, fly tipping and libraries next year.

 

At the Chair’s invitation, the Deputy Democratic Services Manager then invited the Planning Policy and Heritage Manager to provide an update to members on the Northampton Local Plan part 2 consultation. He explained that the plan had been submitted to the inspector and planning would consult with the public and report back to scrutiny before inspectors write their final report. He explained that as detailed in the constitution, there was a requirement that the Chairs of scrutiny were informed so they could provide input during the process. The Planning  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Urgent Business

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any items of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.