Agenda and minutes
PDF 525 KBVenue: the Council Chamber - Council Offices, Trinity Road, Cirencester, GL7 1PX. View directions
Contact: Democratic Services
Media
| No. | Item |
|---|---|
|
Apologies To receive any apologies for absence. The quorum for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is 3 members. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillor Tony Slater. |
|
|
Substitute Members To note details of any substitution arrangements in place for the Meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor David Fowles substituted for Councillor Tony Slater. |
|
|
Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members and Officers, relating to items to be considered at the meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
|
|
To approve the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 6 January 2025. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair’s amendments to the minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2025 had been incorporated into the published version contained in the agenda pack. The Chair invited other Members of the Committee to add their comments on the Minutes but there were none.
Upon being proposed and seconded, the approval of the minutes was put to the vote and agreed by the Committee.
RESOLVED: To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2025. |
|
|
Matters Arising from Minutes of the Previous Meeting To consider actions outstanding from minutes of previous meetings. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no matters arising from the Minutes of the previous meeting. |
|
|
Chair's Announcements To receive any announcements from the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair stated that due to an over-run of the January meeting the reports from the two Gloucestershire Scrutiny Committees item had not been shared or discussed at that meeting so had been moved to the first part of today’s meeting. The Chair encouraged Members and Officers to be succinct with their questions and answers, with timing warnings given by the Vice Chair if it was felt that timings could overrun.
The Chair noted the late supply of the Draft Budget and MTFS report and requested that reports be provided earlier so as to give more time to scrutinise in future.
|
|
|
Public Questions A maximum of 15 minutes is allocated for an “open forum” of public questions at committee meetings. No person may ask more than two questions (including supplementary questions) and no more than two such questions may be asked on behalf of one organisation. The maximum length of oral questions or supplementary questions by the public will be two minutes. Questions must relate to the responsibilities of the Committee but questions in this section cannot relate to applications for determination at the meeting.
The response may take the form of:
a) A direct oral response (maximum length: 2 minutes); b) Where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) Where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no public questions. |
|
|
Member Questions A maximum period of fifteen minutes is allowed for Member questions. Questions must be directed to the Chair and must relate to the remit of the committee but may not relate to applications for determination at the meeting.
Questions will be asked in the order notice of them was received, except that the Chair may group together similar questions.
The deadline for submitting questions is 5.00pm on the working day before the day of the meeting unless the Chair agrees that the question relates to an urgent matter, in which case the deadline is 9.30am on the day of the meeting.
A member may submit no more than two questions. At the meeting the member may ask a supplementary question arising directly from the original question or the reply. The maximum length of a supplementary question is one minute.
The response to a question or supplementary question may take the form of:
a) A direct oral response (maximum length: 2 minutes); b) Where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or c) Where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no Member questions. |
|
|
Report back on recommendations For the Committee to note the Cabinet’s response to any recommendations arising from the previous Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair gave feedback that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation on the Climate and Ecological Emergency had been accepted by Cabinet. |
|
|
Updates from Gloucestershire County Council Scrutiny Committees Purpose To receive any verbal updates on the work of external scrutiny bodies:
Gloucestershire Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee – Cllr Angus Jenkinson Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee – Cllr Dilys Neill
Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Jenkinson invited members for any questions on the GESSC report which had been circulated in the agenda pack.
No questions were asked and the Chair expressed their gratitude on the great job Councillor Jenkinson was doing on reporting from Gloucestershire County Council. There was no report from HOSC as Cllr Neill was not present at the meeting.
|
|
|
Work Plan and Forward Plan For the Committee to note and review its work plan and to select Cabinet decisions for pre-decision scrutiny at future committee meetings. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair explained that a meeting had been held informally earlier in the day to begin the process of formulating a work plan for 2025/2026. Items for inclusion included:
Members felt that it would be necessary to leave time in the Work Plan to react to changing situations including the impact of devolution and the Phase 2 of the Publica Transition. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee wanted to be able to support Cabinet ‘as and when’ and noted that the impacts of these changes will filter through as decisions and timetables are made and would come to O&S ahead of the relevant Cabinet Meeting. The Chair was mindful of the pressures on Officers time and capacity during these substantial alterations to the Council and didn’t want to add additional items whose relevance might soon be changed.
Councillor Evemy, Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation, asked that the Accountable Member for the Public Conveniences item be changed to Councillor Wilkinson, who now held the brief for this.
|
|
|
Update on Strategic Plan for North Cotswolds Purpose To update the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on emerging strategic growth proposals at Moreton-in-Marsh.
Recommendation That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes the update on emerging strategic growth proposals at Moreton-in-Marsh and agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to Cabinet. Additional documents: Minutes: The purpose of the item was to receive an update on the strategic plan for North Cotswolds.
Matthew Britton, the Interim Head of Planning Policy and Infrastructure, introduced the item and explained that in January 2024, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended setting up a Moreton-in-Marsh Working Group to be part of the Local Plan consultation for the Strategic Growth Proposal to consider the required infrastructure to support the additional 1,500 houses expected in the settlement.
The Officer gave the following updates:
In discussing the report, Members raised the following points:
|
|
|
Budget 2025/26 and Medium Term Financial Strategy Purpose To present the Revenue Budget for 2025-26, Capital Programme and Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2025-2026 to 2028-2029
Recommendation That the Committee agrees any recommendations it wishes to submit to Cabinet on 6 February 2025. Additional documents:
Minutes: This report set out the Revenue Budget for 2025/26, Capital Programme and Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2025/26 to 2028/29
Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation, Councillor Mike Evemy, introduced the item. They raised the following points:
The Deputy Chief Executive added information on the risks and uncertainties around Transitional Protection estimates assuming a ‘quick’ transfer of funding along with potential global economy/trade wars.
Members discussed the report, raising the following points:
|