NOTICE OF MEETING

COMMITTEE:         PERFORMANCE AND OVERVIEW

                             (COMMUNITY)

DAY/DATE:            WEDNESDAY, 7^TH FEBRUARY 2007

TIME:                    2.30 PM

VENUE:                 EAST COMMITTEE ROOM

                             MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS

                             EARLE STREET

                             CREWE

Despatch date:   29^th January 2007

Enquiries to:   Carol Jones

Tel:   01270 537598

Fax:  01270  537605

E-mail: agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk

Chair:   Councillor G Griffiths

Tel:  01270 663832

Fax: 01270 663832

E-mail: cllr.gwyn.griffiths@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk

To:   Members of the Performance and Overview Committee (Community)

[Councillors T E Ankers (Deputy Chair), D Bebbington, J D Bratherton, D H D Charlesworth, S Conquest, G Griffiths (Chair), M Grant  (Deputy Chair), J Lewis, M A Martin, S J S Mottram, J I Stockton and M J Weatherill]

Chief Executive, Executive Directors, Assistant Chief Executive

Other Members of the Borough Council (agenda only electronically)

Local press and radio

Notes for Members of the Public

The Borough Council welcomes and encourages members of the public to attend its Committee, Board and Council meetings.

If you plan to attend, please report to the Reception Desk in the Municipal Buildings, where you will be provided with a Visitor’s Pass.

Car parking is not available at the Municipal Buildings, but there are several town centre car parks.  There is a disabled access to the rear of the Municipal Buildings, and this can be accessed through the side door on Vernon Way.  Please press the button for attention, and someone will meet you and escort you through to the main reception area.

You are asked to remain quiet whilst the meeting is taking place, and to enter and leave the meeting room, or public gallery of the Council Chamber, as quietly as possible.  Please ensure that if you have a mobile phone or pager, it is switched off for the duration of the meeting.

You are not allowed to have drinks or food in the meeting rooms, nor in the Public Gallery, other than refreshments which are offered by the Borough Council during a break in proceedings.  A “No Smoking” policy operates in the Municipal Buildings.

Fire Evacuation

If the fire alarm rings, you should make your way to the nearest exit with your belongings, as quickly as possible, and leave the building.  Please follow any instructions from staff about evacuation routes.           

Copies of the agenda will be available if you attend. Agendas are also made available on the Internet and can be accessed via the Council’s website – see front page for details.

On occasions, members of the press and public will be excluded from the meetings when the business to be transacted is of a confidential nature, for example, dealing with individual people, contracts and financial affairs of other parties.

If you require any further information, please contact Carol Jones the Committee Officer (details on front page).

AGENDA

1.         Apologies

2.         Declarations of Interest

Any Member present (including non-Committee Members) to declare any personal or prejudicial interest, and the nature of the interest, which they have in any item of business on the agenda and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion of that item.

Members who also serve as County, Town or Parish Councillors are reminded of the need to make declarations in respect of any item which directly concerns the business of the appropriate authority.

Declarations are a personal matter for each Member to decide.  Whilst Officers will advise on the Code of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not, is the responsibility of the Member, based on the particular circumstances.

3.         Record of Meeting – 10^th January 2007

To approve as correct, the Record of the Meeting held on 10^th January 2007. (3)

4.         Whipping Declarations

Members to declare in respect of items where the whip has been applied.

5.         Board Business

5.1       Board Meeting – 8^th February 2007

The Committee is invited to comment on Board reports which fall within its remit. 

5.2       Budget Consultation – 2007-2008

The Committee is invited to comment on draft budget proposals.  The Assistant Director (Accountancy and Audit) will be in attendance for discussion and will identify key issues for consideration.

5.3       Provisional List of Board Items (Board’s Forward Plan)

To consider the Board’s Forward Plan for April 2007.  (5.3)

5.4       Responses/Referrals from the Board or Council

At its meeting held on 10^th January 2007, the Committee commented on two Board reports –

Ø       Integrated Youth Support Service for Cheshire

“The Committee supports the recommendation.”

Ø       Appointment to Outside Organisation

“Health issues in general, fall within the remit of the Community P & O.  The Board is asked to consider, in the longer-term, the appointment of a Member of the P & O (Community) Committee, onto the County Health Scrutiny Select Committee.”

Ø       Youth Nuisance Policy and Procedures

Formal comments to the Board were not submitted, but the Committee made observations on the report, principally in respect of grammatical errors; the Chair of the Committee raised these issues at the Board meeting.

The Board noted the comments in respect of each of the two items.

There are no referrals from Council on this occasion.

6.         Performance Monitoring – BVPIs and LPIs

The report (6) provides service performance information on the agreed basket of key national Performance Indicators for the period April to December 2006.

7.         Work Programme

7.1       Educational Attainment

The Committee has agreed that the topic of "Education within the Borough" be included in its annual work programme.  Education is a County Council function and the Committee agreed that to raise Members' level of understanding of this issue, information on attainment levels be provided.  The Local Strategic Partnership Manager will be in attendance to address the Committee.

Members will be invited to ask questions and to consider how they have assisted in addressing educational issues since the last report in February 2006.

7.2        Up-dated Work Programme

An up-dated work programme is attached.  (7.2)

Police Service Review:  The Committee is asked to note that a letter of invitation has been issued to Chief Supt. I Hopkins, Eastern Division Police.  At the time of issue of the agenda, a response is awaited.

8.         Closure of Post Offices

The Government is consulting on the future of the Post Office network with a closing date of 8^th March 2007.

Postwatch has invited comments and the enclosed paper (8) sets out the key proposals together with Postwatch’s own view of those proposals.

9.        Date of Next Meeting

4^th April 2007           

This agenda can be made available in larger text on request

Note: 

In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Council is required to notify those attending meetings of the fire evacuation procedures.  A copy has previously been distributed to Members and instructions are located in all rooms within the Civic Suite.