Issue - meetings

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor R Howe, Executive Councillor for Healthy and Active Communities, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillors T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for consideration of this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Health Protection, Community Health and One Leisure services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Chairman reported that a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairmen would be held on 18th December 2013 to review the outcome of the Facing the Future exercise to date. An update on progress would be delivered to the Panel at its January 2014 meeting.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillors J D Ablewhite, Executive Leader of the Council, and J A Gray, Executive Councillor for Resources, were in attendance for consideration of this item).

(T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Corporate Office, Communications and Commercial and Industrial Estates services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

At the conclusion of the discussion, Councillor J A Gray placed on record his appreciation of the work of the Estates Team and made particular mention of the completion by Mr C Luscombe, Estates Strategic Assessment Officer, of a strategic review of the Council’s Estates function.

Members expressed their gratitude for the contribution to the Council made by Mrs H Donnellan, Corporate Team Manager, who would be leaving the authority the next day and extended their best wishes to her for the future.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Councillor for Environment, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillors S J Criswell, T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Parks, Open Spaces and Countryside and Car Parking and Street Rangers services (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor T D Sanderson, Executive Councillor for Strategic Economic Development and Legal, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillors I C Bates, G J Bull, R Howe, Mrs L Kadic, T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Electoral and Land Charges, Licensing, Legal, Democratic and Document Centre services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(At 19.05pm during the discussion on this item, Councillor S Cawley took his seat at the meeting.)

(At (20.03pm) Councillor R Carter left his seat at the meeting).

(Councillor J A Gray, Executive Councillor for Resources, was in attendance for the item).

(Councillors Mrs M Banerjee, Mrs B Boddington, R Carter, R B Howe and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Procurement, Internal Audit, Insurance and Risk Management and Accountancy services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). A template detailing Corporate and Technical items was also submitted. Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Councillor for Environment, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillors R C Carter, T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review template for the Refuse and Recycling, Vehicle Management, Grounds Maintenance and Street Cleansing services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillors R B Howe and T D Sanderson, Executive Councillors for Healthy and Active Communities and Strategic Economic Development and Legal respectively, were in attendance for this item).

(Councillors G J Bull, Mrs L Kadic, T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

With the assistance of a note which had been prepared by the Scrutiny and Review Manager (a copy of which is appended in the annex to the Minute Book) the Panel was reminded of the process for undertaking Facing the Future service reviews. In doing so, the Chairman commented that the areas for review by the Panel were both non-statutory services.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor D M Tysoe, Executive Councillor for Environment, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

(Councillors R C Carter, J A Gray, N J Guyatt, T V Rogers, T D Sanderson and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

The Panel considered the strategic service review templates for the Facilities Management and Administration, Environment, Building Control and Projects and Asset Management services (copies of which are appended in the annex to the Minute Book). Following discussion, Members agreed upon their recommendations to the Cabinet on the services’ priority areas for implementation or further investigation.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor B S Chapman, Executive Councillor for Customer Services, was in attendance for this item).

(Councillors S J Criswell, J A Gray and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

With the assistance of a briefing note which had been prepared by the Scrutiny and Review Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel was reminded of the Facing the Future process that had been adopted to undertake reviews of all Council services. Members’ attention was drawn to Section 6 of the briefing note, which set out their role in the process.

Please refer to the attached Process Note.

Members are reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential matters. In addition, if there are any questions/requests for additional information, then please raise them in advance of the meeting with the relevant Officer.

(Councillor N J Guyatt, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, was in attendance for this item).

(Councillors J D Ablewhite, Mrs B Boddington, P L E Bucknell, D B Dew, R S Farrer, Mrs L Kadic, P D Reeve, T V Rogers and R J West were also in attendance for this item).

With the assistance of a briefing note which had been prepared by the Scrutiny and Review Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel was reminded of the Facing the Future process that had been adopted to undertake reviews of all Council services. Members’ attention was drawn to Section 6 of the briefing note, which set out their role in the process. They were also reminded of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct in respect of the treatment of confidential information.

The Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing delivered an overview of the Planning service and drew Members’ attention to the statutory and prescriptive nature of its role, the existing pressures placed upon Officers and current areas of work. It had successfully generated income for the Council and the Executive Councillor’s vision for the service centred on offering increased levels of consultancy to other authorities.

To consider a report by the Assistant Director, Finance and Resources, outlining a delivery review programme.

Approved a suggested process for a detailed review of service areas by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels.

Further to Minute No. 13/36, the Cabinet considered a report by the Assistant Director, Finance and Resources (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) outlining a suggested process for a detailed review of service areas by the Overview and Scrutiny Panels. 

Having received an updated programme of meetings for the Panels and in noting that the process would be the subject of an external assessment (Peer Review) by the East of England Local Government Association, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  that the suggested programme for reviewing service areas be endorsed.