Agenda item

To review and note the Committee Work Plans from:

§  Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee

§  People Overview & Scrutiny Committee

§  Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee

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 Policy and Heritage Manager had circulated an email to members outside of the meeting with links to the reports provided to the Planning Policy sub-committee in June.

Members discussed the Northampton Local Plan and felt that they would be best placed to review the feedback at the end of the consultation and then they can scrutinise the revised version. Members felt there was no place at present for scrutiny to add value as the decision was ultimately in the hands of the inspectors who would deliberate the plan and form their own view which would be fed back to the Council. Members asked the Planning Policy and Heritage Manager for a timescale. The Planning Policy and Heritage Manager explained that a report would be brought to Planning Policy in October with the view that it would go to Full Council in November, however this was on the condition that the inspectors had finalised their report in time.

The Chair thanked members and officers for their contributions and concluded the meeting.