Agenda and minutes

There was no public participation.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no urgent items.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2021 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

There were no call in items.

There were no urgent decisions taken.

To consider the Climate Emergency Action Plan Panel scoping document (20 minutes)

Consideration was given to a report by Councillor Gwynn which requested the Committee to consider a scoping document for a Climate Emergency Action Plan Panel.  The Panel will review the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan in readiness for an update in Q1 2022, pending approval of the review by the Committee in autumn 2021 and the Cabinet shortly after.

When created it was agreed that the action plan had to be a ‘living document’ i.e. updated on a regular basis throughout its period of application. The climate emergency having been declared in September 2019 (with the current action plan being formally approved in June 2020), a first review and update of the action plan that is formally adopted in Q1 2022 is appropriate. A panel, which will provide the time for an appropriate level of discussion and review, is the most appropriate mechanism to achieve this.

The anticipated benefits of a panel are to;

·  Quantify what has been done to date.

·  Quantify what will be done – and when – in the coming years. In particular between now and the next review/update.

·  Identify any resources required to meet the proposed targets.

·  Increase probability of TVBC achieving its overall target of net zero by the target date (that is yet to be agreed).

·  Include actions re resilience to the anticipated increase in climate temperature.

·  Identify appropriate qualitative actions, e.g. policy changes, behavioural changes.

The involvement of Partner Organisations in the panel will change however the panel will include discussions with The Environment Centre, Hampshire Solar Together and Hampshire County Council. There may be scope to invite other organisations such as the Centre for Sustainable Energy. The Committee were informed that a survey had been circulated to all Parish Councils and members will be requested to encourage those Parish Councils who had not responded. It was suggested that the Association of Town and Parish Councils also be consulted by the panel.

The Council’s response to the climate change emergency is relevant to all of the Corporate Priorities, and this panel’s work will assist in ensuring climate change considerations are integrated across all such corporate priorities.

The panel will consist of Councillor Gwynne (Lead Member) together with Councillors Burley, Coole, Johnston, Parker and Warnes. Any members of the Council will be invited to join the panel if they wish.  It is anticipated that representatives of Andover Vision and Romsey Future and possibly other people with specific expertise will be invited to attend panel sessions.

It was suggested that there would also be a financial benefit and therefore it would be helpful to have costings of outlay, savings and carbon reduction.  There is currently no budget for the plan however once targets have been established the panel can look at funding for each area.

Resolved:

That the Climate emergency Action Plan Panel’s scoping document be approved.

To consider the Annual Chairman’s report prior to Council (20 minutes)

Consideration was given to the draft Annual Briefing report which covered the work of the Committee for the period May 2020 to May 2021.  This report will be submitted to full Council on 9 June 2020.  There were no comments or suggestions on the report.

Resolved:

That the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee be approved.

To consider the appointment of Portfolio Co-ordinators (20 minutes)

Councillor Lodge introduced the subject of Portfolio Holder Co-ordinators.  He explained that this would entail the Co-ordinators taking on the responsibility of keeping track of each Portfolio and advising the Committee of any key issues that should be addressed during Portfolio Holder’s presentations.

Members should notify Councillor Lodge or Democratic Services which Portfolio’s they would like to follow.

The next Portfolio Holder presentation is scheduled for July and Councillor Lodge requested members to let him know if there were any key issues and subsequently which Portfolio Holder that they would like to be covered.

Lead Members to update the Committee on the progress of their Panels (10 minutes)

Budget Panel – The next meeting of the Budget Panel will take place on 28 June 2021.

Audit Panel – The next meeting of the Audit Panel will take place on 26 July 2021.

Review of Outside Bodies -Working with the Member and Development Group on how representatives are selected and to improve the way in which representatives report back and the panel will report back in due course.

Informal Process for the selection of Chairman ofOverview and Scrutiny -  The Committee had approved how the informal session would work in regards to the selection of the Chairman and the panel also felt that there could be merit in adopting a similar process for the selection of the Vice-Chairman. The panel recommended that any member of the Committee wishing to be considered for the role of Vice-Chairman be asked to make a short presentation of no more than 10 minutes at an informal meeting prior to the Committee meeting. Process and timescales will be considered and agreed in due course.

Resolved:

That the informal process for the selection of Vice-Chairman be agreed and that the process and timescales will be considered and agreed in due course.

To enable Members to keep the Committee’s future work programme under review (10 minutes)

Due to the change of cycle of both Cabinet and OSCOM the Chairman informed the Committee of a number of items that need to be moved.

·  May – no meeting

·  July - Risk Management report – move from June

·  September - no meeting

·  October - Complaints Report and Annual Audit Report – moved from September

·  October – Review of Climate Emergency Action Plan ready for update in Q1 2022

·  Remove Final Chairman’s Annual Report as this was agreed at this meeting without comment or suggestion.

·  Communications before and after the Pandemic scoping document – TBC

·  Spending Protocol Review (CIL and S106) – TBC

·  Report back on Armed Forces Covenant panel – Civilian and Military Forum and delivery of accountable outcomes – TBC

Councillor Baverstock requested that the local health forum and health and social care committee feedback be added to the work programme as recommended by the Future of Health Provision in Andover and Romsey panel and that a scoping document for the 2^nd stage of the Health Review comes back to Committee.  Councillor Baverstock and the Head of Strategy and Innovation will discuss the way forward.

Councillor Gwynne suggested that an action plan be created and added to future agendas.

Resolved:

That the Work Programme as amended be agreed.