- Councillor Mrs S Loudon (Chairman)
- Councillor M Aldred (Vice Chairman)
- Councillor R T Splaine (Vice Chairman)
- Councillor Mrs J S Birch
- Councillor G M Bretherton
- Councillor Mrs B Bourne
- Councillor R J Derricutt
- Councillor M A Dewhurst
- Councillor Mrs J Hurst
- Councillor J Moodie
- Councillor C Rigby
- Councillor P Thompson
- Councillor P A Tushingham
- Councillor N R Whittingham
- Councillor R Winkwort
Co-opted Members
72 Apologies for absence: Councillors N D Ash, H L Cadman, I A Franzen, P R Franzen, M Klieve, F B Walker, Mrs M J Whiteside and G Wilkes and Rev R Buckley and Mr B Turrell.
73 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 5 November 2007 were approved as a correct record.
Items not subject to confirmation by the Council:
74 Whipping declarations: The Deputy 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.
75 Questions (if any) on the business of the Cabinet: There were none.
76 Select Committee No 1 minutes – 26 November 2007: The minutes of the meeting of Select Committee No 1 (Townships) held on 26 November 2007 were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted as referred to below:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Select Committee No 1 – Townships - 26 November 2007
Present at the Meeting:
- Councillor Mrs J S Birch (Chairman)
- Councillor Mrs B Bourne
- Councillor Mrs S Loudon
- Councillor H L Cadman
- Councillor M Klieve
76.1 Apologies for absence: Councillor P A Tushingham and Councillor R T Splaine.
76.2 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Select Committee held on 22 October 2007 were approved as a correct record.
76.3 Recent visits to Newcastle and Easington: Mr J Winterbottom thanked all of those who were able to go along to the North East for the site visit. He updated Members at the meeting who could not attend the site visit and the Select Committee had a general discussion. The visit to Newcastle provided an interesting insight into how Participatory Budgeting had worked for them, although members were concerned with the value for money of this approach, but recognised that there were lessons to be learned.
Easington provided information on how they had gone about changing the way they worked with residents, by giving them chance to decide for themselves how they wanted to get involved and had developed a “menu” of community engagement mechanisms. The committee discussed this and felt it was a good approach.
Resolved: The Select Committee awaits the VFM assessment of Participatory Budgeting (PB) from Newcastle and the PB unit and include the feedback from residents about how and to what extent they want to be involved.
76.4 Plan for future meetings: The Select Committee wish to apply this learning to current activity in Wigan.
Resolved: (1) The next meeting be held at 4.00 p.m. in the Charter Suite at Wigan Town Hall and that the Township Managers and Township Co-ordinators would be invited to attend.
(2) In relation to (1) above, an e-mail be sent to the Townships to enable them to prepare and bring along any relevant information.
Chairman
77 Select Committee No 2 minutes – 10 October 2007: The minutes of the meeting of Select Committee No 2 (Reputation Management) were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted as referred to below:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Select Committee No 2 - Reputation Management - 10 October 2007
Present at the meeting:
- Councillor F B Walker (Chairman)
- Councillor N D Ash
77.1 Apologies for absence: Councillors Mrs S Loudon, J Moodie and G Wilkes.
77.2 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Select Committee held on 11 September 2007 were approved as a correct record.
77.3 Report by the Deputy Chief Executive regarding Reputation Management: Resolved: (1) The Select Committee thanked the Deputy Chief Executive for her report.
(2) The Select Committee agreed to interview the Leader of the Council at the next meeting.
(3) The Select Committee agreed to defer the issue of potential interview subjects to the next meeting.
(4) The Committee agreed to discuss at future meetings the signage on road entrances into the borough.
Chairman
78 Select Committee No 2 minutes –1 November 2007: The minutes of the meeting of Select Committee No 2 (Reputation Management) were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted as referred to below:
Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee - Select Committee No 2 – Reputation Management - 1 November 2007
Present at the Meeting:
- Councillor F B Walker (Chairman)
- Councillor N D Ash
- Councillor Mrs S Loudon
- Councillor J Moodie
78.1 Apologies for absence: Councillor G Wilkes.
78.2 Minutes of last meeting: The minutes of the meeting of this Select Committee held on 21 August 2007 are deferred until the next meeting on 19 November 2007.
78.3 Draft Action Plan for Reputation Management Review: N Yates circulated a draft action plan for the Select Committee to consider using to record progress and agree future tasks to be undertaken in order to conclude the review.
Members of the Select Committee made several suggestions for inclusion in the action plan and agreed to consider the plan at each meeting.
Resolved: The Select Committee agreed to use the action plan to record progress and agree future tasks.
78.4 Interview with Leader of the Council, Lord PRC Smith: Lord Smith provided the meeting with a view of reputation management and members of the Select Committee asked several questions which the Leader responded to in order to assist the Select Committee with reaching its conclusions.
Resolved: The Select Committee thanked the Leader of the Council for contributing to the review.
78.5 Signage – draft proposals for sites and designs: The Select Committee agreed to consider at its next meeting potential sites for improved signage on entrances to the borough. N Yates updated the meeting in relation to neighbouring schemes and potential costs and installation issues.
Resolved: The Select Committee agreed to further consider proposals at the next meeting.
78.6 Time and date of next meeting: The next meeting of this Select Committee will take place on Monday 19 November 2007 at 6:15pm in one of the Select Committee rooms at Wigan Town Hall.
Chairman
79 Select Committee No 3 minutes –26 November 2007: The minutes of the meeting of Select Committee No 3 (Transport) held on 26 November 2007 were submitted for information.
Resolved: The Committee notes the minutes now submitted as referred to below:
Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee - Select Committee No. 3 - Transport - 26 November 2007
Present at the meeting:
- Councillor Mrs M J Whiteside (Chairman)
- Councillor M Aldred
- Councillor M A Dewhurst
- Councillor I A Franzen
- Councillor N R Whittingham
Co-opted Member
79.1 Apologies for absence: Councillors P R Franzen and Mrs S Loudon.
79.2 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Select Committee held on 24 October 2007 were approved as a correct record.
79.3 Progress against the terms of reference set for the Transport review: The Select Committee assessed the progress of the review against the terms of reference.
Resolved: The Select Committee notes the progress to date.
79.4 Outcomes of consultation regarding transport issues: Mrs F Topping provided the group with an overview of consultation exercises that have taken place with groups across the borough regarding transport issues. Groups visited included a local high school and resident forums.
Resolved: The Select Committee notes the comments made as part of the consultation exercises.
79.5 Draft report for the Transport review: Mrs F Topping presented a draft copy of the Transport review report, which was discussed by members of the Select Committee.
Resolved: The Select Committee thanks Mrs F Topping for her work on the report.
79.6 Date and time of the next meeting: Resolved: The next meeting will take place in January 2008 on a date to be agreed.
Chairman
80 Select Committee No 4 minutes – 15 November 2007: The minutes of the meeting of Select Committee No 4 (Health) held on 15 November 2007 were submitted for information.
Resolved: (1) The Committee requests that the Select Committee change the date of the next scheduled meeting for 13 December 2007 in view of the clash with the joint meeting of this Committee and Cabinet on that date.
(2) The Committee notes the minutes now submitted as referred to below:
Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Select Committee No 4 - Health - 15 November 2007
Present at the meeting:
- Councillor G M Bretherton (Chair)
- Councillor R J Derricutt
- Councillor I A Franzen
- Councillor C Rigby
- Councillor Mrs J Hurst
- Councillor N R Whittingham
- Councillor R Winkworth
- Councillor M W Winstanley
80.1 Apologies for absence: Councillor Mrs S Loudon.
80.2 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Select Committee held on 13 September 2007 were approved as a correct record.
80.3 LIFT project: A presentation was given by Rita Chapman from Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT, about the LIFT project. There was a question and answers session.
Resolved: (1) The Select Committee thanked Rita Chapman for her presentation.
(2) It was agreed that if the Select Committee had any further questions around the LIFT project that they would be sent through TO D Taylor.
80.4 Mental Health Services: Presentations were given by John Marshall, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT, Sharon Eid, Adult Services Wigan Council and Ray Walker, 5 Borough’s Mental Health Trust. The presentations gave an overview of how services were provided and how the organisations worked together in the provision of mental health services in the borough.
Resolved: (1) The Select Committee thanked John Marshall, Sharon Eid and Ray Walker for their presentations.
(2) It was agreed that if the Select Committee had any further questions around Mental Health services that they would be sent through to D Taylor.
80.5 Work on Topic: No update was given by D Taylor due to time constraints.
Resolved: The Select Committee agreed that the update would be given to them via e-mail.
80.6 Date and time of next meeting: Resolved: The next meeting be held on 13 December 2007 at 6:00 pm.
Chairman
81 Wigan Safeguarding Children Board (WSCB): Resolved: (1) The Committee agrees to defer the minutes to the next meeting to enable a representative from the Children and Young Peoples Services Department to be present to address the impact of the Board on services and clients and how the process is working relating to current issues.
(2) The Committee requests information on whether this is an Officer only meeting in the other AGMA authorities.
82 Draft annual report 2006/07: The Committee considered a report on the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee during the last Municipal Year and Members were given the opportunity to make amendments to the report as necessary, prior to its submission to Council.
Members commented on the report and on previous reviews.
Feedback on the invasive weeds review would be reported to a future meeting and it was suggested that the teenage pregnancy review would be re visited in the future as part of a separate review and building on past experiences.
Resolved: (1) The Committee notes the report and comments from Members and refers it to the next meeting of Council.
(2) The Committee places on record its appreciation of the hard work of Members and Officers over the last Municipal Year.
(3) The Committee awaits the half yearly report in January 2008.
83 New governance arrangements in Greater Manchester: The Committee considered a report on outline proposals for the constitutional arrangements for sub regional governance in Greater Manchester. The purpose of the exercise was to work together in order to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic wellbeing of the Manchester City Region, its people and businesses, through measures and joint actions which member authorities may determine from time to time. However, this would not create a separate local authority. The ‘sovereign bodies’ would remain the 10 local authorities within Greater Manchester, with any existing statutory responsibilities and services delivered by or on behalf of individual local authorities remaining their responsibility, unless that local authority agreed to devolve such responsibility to the new sub regional arrangements. If other authorities outside wished to join the partnership, this would be considered.
Members asked a number of detailed questions on the report and received appropriate responses were available.
The Cabinet had considered the report at minute 233.
The Deputy Director of Legal Services reported that a further report would be submitted to the Committee following receipt of comments from the 10 authorities of AGMA.
Resolved: (1) The Committee concurs with the decision of Cabinet and awaits a further report.
(2) The Committee invites Mr John Hawkins (Deputy Secretary Head of the Policy Unit) and a representative from one other local authority involved with the proposals be invited to attend a future meeting of this Committee.
(Councillor Mrs J Hurst declared a personal and non prejudicial interest in this item because she is a member of the General Scrutiny Panel of AGMA).
