Agenda and minutes

Venue: Main Hall, Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 8GL

Contact: Caroline Lovelock - 01264 368014  Email: clovelock@testvalley.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

141.

Public Participation

Minutes:

There was no public participation.

142.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

143.

Urgent Items

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

144.

Minutes

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 2021 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

145.

Call in Items

Minutes:

There were no call in items.

146.

Urgent decisions taken since last meeting

Minutes:

There were no urgent decisions.

147.

Equality and Inclusion pdf icon PDF 172 KB

To provide an update on matters relating to Equalities and Inclusion matters within the organisation since the date of the last report to OSCOM. (20 minutes)

 

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which provided members with an update on matters relating to Equalities and Inclusion matters within the organisation since the date of the last report to the Committee.

 

At the OSCOM away day Members were advised that an update on the areas of Equalities and Inclusion would be provided during the course of the year.  The Committee last received a report in April 2019, in a report headed ‘Disability Review’ which fed back on a programme of work focussed on developing mechanisms for review of equality issues as part of an evidence-led approach to decision-making.  The Committee endorsed the findings of the review. 

 

There are two Equality Objectives which are published as part of the Council’s Corporate Plan. 

 

Objective 1

 

To strengthen the Council’s evidence-led approach for developing new policy and strategy.  By developing a suite of engagement tools and clear processes that will enable the needs and views of people who share a protected characteristic are understood.

 

Objective 2

 

To strengthen the Council’s approach to understanding the experience people have of the services they receive.  We will develop ways in which the views of people who share a protected characteristic are sought as part of reviewing how services are provided. 

 

These objectives in turn feed into the Council’s Core Values and are also published as part of the Corporate Plan, one of which is ‘Inclusiveness’: ‘ we value diversity, promote equality of opportunity for all and ensure that our services are accessible to everyone in Test Valley’. 

In order to assist compliance with the Council’s Public Sector Equality Duty and other Equality Act obligations, statistics are collated and published annually in relation to protected characteristics across the Borough. 

 

In answer to a question the Head of Legal and Democratic Services reported that in order to meet the two objectives the Council makes use of focus groups, citizens assembly and experts and informs and educates.  On the subject of the data published in March 2021 regarding protected characteristics across the Test Valley the Head of Legal and Democratic Services will undertake to ascertain more detailed data on the north and south split within the Borough.

 

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services will look into the details of the 18 affordable housing units delivered in the year with wheelchair access as set out in 2.13.10 of the report.

 

Members suggested that developers should take into account equalities and diversity issues when designing developments and this should be included in our internal policies for example the Local Plan.

 

Resolved:

 

That the content of the report be endorsed.

 

148.

CIL/S106 Panel Scoping Document pdf icon PDF 22 KB

To comment on the draft scope and propose any amendments. (15 minutes)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Hamilton presented a scoping document for a CIL/S106 panel.  The review of the panel would be to understand the process of allocation of CIL/S106 money and how the money is being spent and whether there are any areas for improvement in the process.

 

The Deputy Chief Executive explained the difference between CIL and S106 and the Planning and Building Portfolio Holder reported that there would be CIL/S106 training in the autumn as part of the Planning training schedule.  He would be interested in looking at ways that new S106’s are created.

 

Councillor Hamilton would be happy for any other members to join the panel.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That the draft scope be endorsed.

 

2.  That the Lead Member engages with the Head of Planning and Building, the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development and the Head of Community and Leisure to further develop the scope for review.

 

149.

Communications Panel Scoping Document pdf icon PDF 100 KB

To consider the scoping document for the Communications Task and Finish Panel and the next steps (15 minutes)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Brooks presented the final scoping document for a Communications panel.  She reported that there had been a discussion with those members who would join her on the panel to look at the structure of the panel meetings during the course of the review.

 

Resolved:

 

That the Communication Panel’s scoping document and next steps be approved.

 

150.

Updates on Panels

Lead Members to update the Committee on the progress of their Panels (20 minutes)

Minutes:

Budget Panel – The next Budget Panel will be held on 4 October 2021.

 

Audit Panel – At the meeting on 26 July 2021 the panel agreed the schedule for the next year.  Councillor Borg Neal suggested that the panel should see the final Audit Report before it is considered at the General Purposes Committee.  This will be looked at for 2021/22.

 

Review of Outside Bodies – This is ongoing and Councillor C Dowden will report back in due course.

 

Climate Emergency Action Plan – The panel has held three meetings which included input from outside representatives.  The next two meetings will be for members only to finalise the report and recommendations to come to the Committee in October.

 

Process for the selection of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee – Councillor C Dowden is in the process of collating comments and feedback.

 

Enforcement Panel – Councillor Burley had emailed an update to the Chairman.  The panel has met to look at how to take the review forward and had agreed a programme.  The next meeting will look at the legislative framework for enforcement.

151.

Programme of Work for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 121 KB

To consider the next steps following the Away Day and to keep the Committee’s future work programme under review (20 minutes)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman had circulated the updated list of topics which were identified at the Away Day. The list was broken down into key sections based on the agreed outcomes of the discussions at the roundtable that followed the Away Day.  

 

The Chairman noted that the need for the future presentation or roundtable on Community Resilience, may be obviated by the recently announced all-member workshop to be held on 9th October in King’s Somborne.

 

The Chairman also circulated a document which identified suggested topics that committee may like to discuss or receive information on.  The list has been reviewed in light of the new work programme developed by the committee (following the away day) with a number of existing topics now able to be removed as they have been superseded by the new updated work programme.

 

The Committee considered and agreed the Work Programme.

 

·  Move Portfolio Holder presentation to November and decide at the October meeting which portfolio will be scrutinised.  A suggestion was made that this should be the Community & Leisure Portfolio, with a view to examining the Leisure Centre issues and its post-COVID recovery.

·  Check Regeneration Officer presentation as presentation already received by Members.

·  Move Climate Emergency Action Plan to November.

·  Add Feedback from Armed Forces Covenant Panel to November

 

Members agreed to remove those topics listed.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That the topics raised at the Away Day be discussed with relevant officers to consider the way forward.

 

2.  That the future work programme be agreed.