Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 21 May 2007

Present at the meeting:

• Councillor Mrs S Loudon (Chairman)
• Councillor P R Franzen
• Councillor M Aldred (Vice Chairman)
• Councillor Mrs J Hurst
• Councillor N D Ash
• Councillor J Moodie
• Councillor Mrs J S Birch
• Councillor C Rigby
• Councillor G M Bretherton
• Councillor R T Splaine
• Councillor Mrs B Bourne
• Councillor Mrs M J Whiteside
• Councillor J F Davies
• Councillor N R Whittingham
• Councillor R J Derricutt
• Councillor G Wilkes
• Councillor J Hilton
• Councillor R Winkworth
• Councillor I A Franzen

Co-opted Members

• Rev R Moore
• Mr B Turrell

Also present by invitation, Councillor B Merry.

1. Welcome to New Members: The Chairman on behalf of the Committee extended a warm welcome to Councillors Mrs B Bourne, R J Derricutt and J Hilton.

2. Apologies for absence: Councillors H L Cadman, M A Dewhurst, P A Tushingham and F B Walker.

3. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 4 April 2007 were approved as a correct record.

4. Exclusion of the Public - Section 100a Local Government Act 1972: Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Committee discusses the following item for the reasons set out below:

Items not subject to confirmation by the Council

5. Appointment of Minority Party Vice-Chairman: Councillor P R Franzen asked for clarification on this appointment and the Director of Legal and Property Services explained, that following legal advice, the appointment would be made at the next meeting of the Council on 11 July 2007.

Resolved: The Committee notes the report and requests the Director of Legal and Property Services to circulate a copy of the legal advice to all Members of this Committee.

6. Whipping declarations: The Director of Legal and Property Services reminded the Committee that government guidance expected Members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees not to act in accordance with party whipping and that, if they did, they were to declare it.

There were no declarations made.

7. Questions (if any) on the business of the Cabinet: There were none.

8. Forward plan for June to September 2007 : The Assistant Chief Executive reported that, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the Executive Leader was required to publish a forward plan of key decisions that the Cabinet expected to make in the following four months. Each Plan would be submitted to this Committee for comment at least fourteen days before its publication. The Committee considered the plan that was to be published in June 2007.

The Democratic Services Manager explained the purpose of the forward plan for the benefit of the new Members of the Committee.

Members of the Committee made comments on the lack of content of the plan and requested further information.

Resolved: The Committee accepts the report and requests the Assistant Chief Executive, following discussions with the relevant Chief Officers, to provide further information for all Members of this Committee on the reports as requested for future meetings of this Committee.

9. Select Committees, membership and review topics: The Committee considered a report which sought approval for a process for determining topics for review by this Committee in the present Municipal Year. The report referred to the appointment of Chairs and invited Members to indicate which Select Committee they would wish to serve on, subject to compliance with the political balance calculation. Members gave their views on the composition of the Select Committees.

A list of review topics was set out in the report and Members were invited to add to the topics if they so wished.

It was moved by Councillor C Rigby and seconded by Councillor R Winkworth:-

The Committee appoints the following Councillors as Chairs of the Select Committees:-

• Health Scrutiny - Councillor G Bretherton
• Chairs of the three Select Committees - Councillors Mrs J S Birch, F B Walker and Mrs M J Whiteside

On the motion being put to the vote, the Chairman declared it carried and it was:-

Resolved: (1) The Committee appoints the following Councillors as Chairs of the Select Committees:-

• Health Scrutiny - Councillor G Bretherton
• Chairs of the three Select Committees - Councillors Mrs J S Birch, F B Walker and Mrs M J Whiteside

(Councillors R J Derricutt, I A Franzen, P R Franzen and R T Splaine requested that their votes against this decision were recorded).

It was also resolved: (2) The Committee agrees:-

• to score topics against corporate objectives, potential revenue savings and scope for service improvements;
• to consider as topic areas, the list of items referred to in the report, together with suggestions from Members at the meeting.
• to Members e mailing further topics to the Assistant Chief Executive by Monday, 4 June 2007 at the latest for inclusion in the matrix; and
• to the matrix being submitted to the next meeting of this Committee for discussion and choice of areas for the next round of Select Committees.

(3) The Committee agrees to the following composition of the four Select Committees:-

(During the discussion on the Membership of the Select Committees, the Chairman moved that Councillor P R Franzen was no longer heard. This was seconded).

Having put the motion to the vote, the Chairman declared it carried.

10. Remediation of Ince Central Estate (Minute 128 – 2006 refers): The Chairman of the meeting agreed to this item being taken as urgent, the special circumstances being the need to keep Members updated.

The Committee considered a report on the current position and the financial issues affecting the Ince Central estate contaminated land case and the intention to make a delegated decision to continue remediation work on the estate, the cost of which would be at risk to the Council until Government funding had been determined.

The Cabinet would consider the report on 31 May 2007, prior to consideration by Council on 11 July 2007.

The Director of Environmental Services confirmed that the Mayor had consented to the issue being exempt from the call in process for the following reason:-

The decision is one of urgency in that the delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s or an individual’s interests.

Members asked questions on the report.

Resolved: The Committee notes the report.

(Councillors Mrs. J. Hurst and J Moodie declared a prejudicial interest in the above item because they were involved with local residents and Members of the Stock Transfer Board, but they remained in the meeting).