Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services.

The Service Manager – Finance and Corporate Services presented the report of the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services which provided information relating to the operation of scrutiny over the last 16 months with a view to inform debate at the Corporate Overview Group. The Service Manager recommended that the Council continue using the current model of scrutiny as this model had produced high levels of satisfaction with officers and councillors. It was noted that councillors and officers were pleased that the current model of scrutiny was more transparent and that councillors were using the scrutiny matrix in order to suggest new topics that needed to be scrutinised.

The Group were supportive of the transitional model of scrutiny which had been implemented in May 2019. However, members of the Group raised suggestions in order to make the scrutiny process more effective. Members of the Group suggested that presentations and reports be shorter and that more member briefings be organised so that councillors would be able to digest information required before the meeting. The Group also recommended that members of the Cabinet be invited to scrutiny meetingsthe help inform debate. The Chairman of the Communities Scrutiny Group was pleased to note that the Portfolio Holder for Environment had watched the live streams of the meetings and supported additional recommendations suggested by the Chairman. The Group also asked if scrutiny meetings could be more frequent however, it was agreed that officer resources were currently stretched due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was RESOLVED that

a)    The report of the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services be noted.

b)    The transitional arrangement for scrutiny be endorsed by the Group in order to become the permanent arrangements as currently stated in the Council’s Constitution.