Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

To approve the Minutes of the meetings held on 6 June 2019 and 3 October 2019.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the previous meetings held on 6 June 2019 and 3 October 2019, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were received.

No declarations of a party whip were received.

There were no members of the public present that wished to speak.

To receive a verbal presentation.

Consideration was given to an update on the Pre-Budget 2020/21 Consultation report, which was due to be part of a wider public consultation beginning on 1 November 2019 and ending on 6 January 2020.

Members asked questions and made comments in relation to;

·         the fact that the budget implications of the Poynton floods (when?) and Beechmere House fire (August 2019) had not been referred to within the consultation documents;

·         how the council was planning to manage the additional cost implications of the Poynton floods and Beechmere House fire, and what pressures and impacts this might have on other services;

·         what long-term cost implications would arise from any flood risk mitigation work in Poynton and other affected areas; and

·         how the adult social care council tax precept, and additional grant funding for social care, would be allocated and used.

The Chairman asked that all members of the committee be sent a printed copy of the Pre-Budget 2020/21 Consultation report.

RESOLVED –

1          That the report and consultation documentation be noted.

2          That the relevant officer(s) ensure that members of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a printed copy of the full Pre-Budget 2020/21 Consultation report.

To receive a verbal presentation.

Consideration was given to an update on the council’s Best4Business Programme, which informed the committee of the outcomes of the external review, as well as the anticipated budgetary impacts and future timeline of the programme.

Members asked questions and made comments in relation to;

·         how the responsibility for managing the Programme budgets is shared between Cheshire East Borough Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council;

·         what the original estimated cost of the Programme was, and why its total cost impact was estimated to be £22.3 million; and

·         concern that a meeting of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Working Group had not been  held for a long period of time.

RESOLVED –

1          That the update be noted.

2          That a meeting of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Working Group monitoring the progress of the Best4Business Programme, be held before 3 December 2019, when Cabinet is expected to take a decision on the next steps and future timeline of the Programme.

To consider the most recent statutory guidance relating to overview and scrutiny, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in May 2019, alongside the ‘Scrutiny Healthcheck’ report undertaken by the former chairmen and vice-chairmen of the council’s overview and scrutiny committees from 2018/19.

Consideration was given to the Statutory Scrutiny Guidance published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in May 2019, as well as the Scrutiny Healthcheck report composed by the former chairmen and vice-chairmen of the council’s overview and scrutiny committees in 2018/19.

Members discussed the recommendations within the Scrutiny Healthcheck report and affirmed which committees and bodies each one should be referred to.

RESOLVED –

1          That the Statutory Scrutiny Guidance of May 2019 be noted.

2          That the committee endorse the Scrutiny Healthcheck report and its recommendations, and ask that the Head of Democratic Services and Governance (Statutory Scrutiny Officer) appropriately administer the recommendations.

To note the current forward plan, identify any new items, and to determine whether any further examination of new issues is appropriate.

Consideration was given to the council’s Forward Plan of key decisions.

Members raised concern in respect of the proposal within the Pre-Budget 2020/21 Consultation report to delay the 2020/21 new homes bonus round two allocation for one year until 2021/22, and that local town and parish councils, and other bodies that had planned to submit applications for review and allocation in 2020/21, would need to be informed of this potential delay as soon as possible.

RESOLVED –

1          That the Forward Plan be noted.

2          That the relevant officer(s) ensure that local town and parish councils, and any other interested local bodies, be made aware of the above proposal within the Pre-Budget 2020/21 Consultation.

To consider the committee’s work programme.

The committee reviewed its work programme, and discussed the proposal to move the item to monitor the activity and progress of the Fly Tipping Working Group to the Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED –

That the Fly Tipping item be passed on to the Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee to add into its work programme.

The report relating to the remaining item on the agenda has been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

The Chairman made a brief statement about the subject matter of the next item and the reason for its being considered in private.

RESOLVED –

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3  and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

To consider the Cabinet report.

In accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972,

the Chairman agreed that this item be considered as an item of urgent

business to enable the committee to provide its comments and feedback on the decision-making Cabinet report in advance of Cabinet meeting on 5 November 2019. It therefore could not have been deferred until the next meeting of the committee on 9 January 2020.

The committee considered the report on this matter. It was noted that the final decision-making report would be presented at Cabinet on 5 November 2019.

RESOLVED –

That the committee notes the report and agrees to pass on its views and comments to Cabinet, to be taken into consideration as part of its decision-making on 5 November 2019.