Agenda item

The report of the Director for Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The Service Manager –Corporate Services presented the report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services which asked the Group to create and receive feedback on the scrutiny group work programmes for 2021/22 based on the Cabinet Forward Plan, Corporate Strategy, Medium Term Financial Strategy, Investment Strategy and Transformation Plan. The Group were also asked to consider potential topics for scrutiny which were submitted by Councillors and officers.

 

The Group first considered the requests for scrutiny items submitted by either Councillors or officers using the scrutiny matrix. The Chairman informed the Group that she had submitted the item ‘planning communications’ which would address the consistency of the planning application process. It was explained that the public perception and reputation of the Council had been damaged due to parish council’s and residents not being informed about submitted planning applications and therefore, the planning process and its communications method needed to be thoroughly scrutinised. It was agreed that the item should be added to this year’s work programme despite the officer’s recommendation of adding the item to the work programme of 2022/23 due to expected changes in government legislation and recruitment of additional resources to the planning team. Members of the Group made some suggestions which should be included in the scrutiny of this item such as circulating additional information to residents about material and non-material planning conditions and redesigning envelopes so that residents understand the importance of the contents of the letter regarding planning applications. This item was scheduled for April 2022 for consideration by the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group and the Service Manager – Corporate Services was asked to ensure that the list of additional issues mentioned in the matrix was forward to the Head of Planning to inform the preparation of his report.      

 

It was agreed that the Community Infrastructure Levy would be scrutinised in October in order for the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group to develop protocols in regard to how the money generated from the levy is spent. The Service Manager – Finance and Corporate Services was mindful that this was a timely issue and that a framework needed to be developed in order for decision to be made and for the money to be spent Rushcliffe’s communities.

 

It was noted that Councillor Bansal had requested that the Council’s community facilities and assets be scrutinised following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also suggested that the success of the Rock Church’s management of Lutterell Hall and the use of Gamston Community Hall as a vaccination centre should also be discussed. It was agreed that the item would not be scrutinised and instead, the Group would be provided with a briefing note addressing the key lines of enquiry outlined in the matrix and that this issue be subsumed into a broader piece of work outlining the Council’s response to Covid-19 to be scheduled after the pandemic. 

 

The Corporate Overview Group agreed to maintain the rolling work programme which was outlined in the report. The Service Manager –Corporate Services explained that it was a legislative requirement for the councillors to monitor performance and so items such as the health and safety annual report, the customer feedback annual report, and the diversity annual report would remain on the work programme.

 

The Chairman of the Governance Scrutiny Group agreed to contact the Financial Services Manager to see if items could be moved around in the work programme where they were not time dependent in order for the number of substantive items to be better balanced and to consider whether all of the items currently presented on the programme needed to be presented at scrutiny.

 

It was agreed that the conservation areas item for Growth and Development Scrutiny Group and the tree conservation item would be combined for the Growth and Development Group to discuss in January 2022. The Group were also informed that the housing delivery plan scheduled for the Communities Scrutiny Group to scrutinise in January 2022 was time dependent and therefore, could not be changed. It was suggested that due to the lack of items on the Communities Scrutiny Group work programme, that Councillors be reminded to submit their suggestions for scrutiny items by using the scrutiny matrix in their weekly newsletter. It was agreed that the planning communications item be added to the agenda for the Growth and Development Scrutiny Group in April 2022.

 

It was RESOLVED that

 

a)       The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services be noted

b)       The work programme outlined be approved

c)       The Group be provided with a briefing note about the Council’s community facilities in response to the matrix submitted but not approved.

 

Corporate Overview Group

 

November 2021

· Standing Items

· Implementation of Change

o Feedback from Scrutiny Group Chairmen

o Consideration of Scrutiny Group Work Programmes

o Financial and Performance Management

· Rolling Items

o Customer Feedback Annual Report

 

February 2021

· Standing Items

·Implementation of Change

o Feedback from Scrutiny Group Chairmen

o Consideration of Scrutiny Group Work Programmes

o Financial and Performance Management

· Rolling Items

o Diversity Annual Report

 

May 2022

· Standing Items

O Implementation of Change

o Feedback from Scrutiny Group Chairmen

o Consideration of Scrutiny Group Work Programmes

o Financial and Performance Management

 · Rolling Items

o Feedback on Residents’ Survey 2021

 

Governance Scrutiny Group

 

September 2021

· Internal Audit Progress Report

·Asset and Investment Management Outturn 2020/21

·Investment Assets Update

·Risk Management

·Streetwise Annual Report

·Statement of Accounts

 

November 2021

· Internal Audit Progress Report

· Statement of Accounts

· Treasury and Asset Investments – 6 monthly update

 

February 2022

· Internal Audit Progress Report

· Internal Audit Strategy

· External Audit Annual Plan

· Annual Audit Letter

· Risk Management

· Treasury and Asset Investments Strategy - Update

 

May 2022

· Internal Audit Progress Report

· Internal Audit Annual Report

· Annual Governance Statement

· Constitution Update

 

Growth and Development Scrutiny Group

 

July 2021

· Cycling Networks in the Borough

· Trent Footbridge

 

October 2021

· Covid-19 Business Recovery Update

·CIL Update

 

January 2022

· Conservation Areas and Tree Conservation 

 

April 2022

· Planning Communications

 

Communities Scrutiny Group

 

July 2021

· Safeguarding Adults and Children Strategy

·WISE Review

 

October 2021

· Police performance and resources for Rushcliffe

·Positive Futures and YouNG Update

 

January 2022

· Housing Delivery Plan 

 

April 2022

· Waste Strategy

· Carbon Management Plan