Agenda item

Report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services

The Chairman confirmed that one scrutiny item had been submitted by Councillor R Upton with a proposed topic for the Communities Scrutiny Group to undertake a scrutiny review of the performance of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, regarding their housing services within the Borough, focusing on repairs and maintenance service delivery.

The Group were pleased to see this topic come forward expressing that it had been a while since the performance of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing had been scrutinised and that the organisation had grown considerably over the years and how the pressures on social housing services and maintenance had also increased. Councillor Polenta highlighted the rights for tenants to access quality housing and strengthening the timescales for providers to complete maintenance and repairs on their properties and suggested the Council be more proactive in respect of enforcement where social landlords fail to deliver on maintenance and repairs.

The Group approved that the performance of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing be added to the Communities Scrutiny Group Work Programme at its meeting in July 2025.

The Group noted the summary of scrutiny items taken forward over a one-year period, including items that did not meet the criteria for further scrutiny. The Chairman expressed this had been useful to see a timeline of what had been scrutinised.

The Director – Finance and Corporate Services advised that Councillor Gaunt had commented on the submission of future scrutiny requests and whether provision for additional scrutiny training could be considered. The Director – Finance and Corporate Services suggested Councillors could engage more in the scrutiny process by looking at the Council’s Corporate Strategies and action plans or consider any performance issues that may require a scrutiny review, such as external providers and contracts.

Councillor Way asked a specific question relating to scrutiny requests that had not been taken forward for scrutiny and asked when the scrutiny process is likely to be reviewed, which is expected to be sometime in 2025 and whether Councillors will be given the opportunity to be involved in the review process. The Director – Finance and Corporate Services advised that the Group would be provided with an update on the Scrutiny Review at its next meeting in July.

The Chairman suggested a scrutiny review of the Council’s role within flood alleviation and the pressures on outside agencies around the recent increase in flooding incidents. This was supported by Councillor Edyvean.

Councillor Edyvean suggested that Council Tax on Empty Homes and Second Homes be reviewed at some stage in the future.

The Director – Finance and Corporate Services asked the Group to encourage fellow Councillors to submit items for scrutiny that they feel may help the Council to improve the services it provides to residents. 

It was RESOLVED that the Corporate Overview Group:

a)    Considered the additional items for scrutiny from the current Cabinet Forward Plan, Corporate Strategy, Medium Term Finance Strategy, Capital and Investment Strategy and Transformation and Efficiency Programme/Productivity Plan (Appendix one)

b)    Determined the additional topic to be included in the Communities Scrutiny Group Work Programme for 2025/26 as presented on the newly submitted scrutiny request (Appendix Two)

c)     Reviewed the current work programme of the scrutiny groups (Appendix Three)

d)    Reviewed appendix Four, which summarised the wide range of scrutiny items taken forward over a one-year period and the items that were considered but did not meet the criteria for further scrutiny.

Work Programme 2024/25 – Corporate Overview Group

Work Programme 2024/25 – Governance Scrutiny Group

Work Programme 2024/25 Growth and Development Scrutiny Group

Work Programme 2024/25 – Communities Scrutiny Group

OFFICER ACTIONS – 25 February 2025