NOTICE OF
MEETING
COMMITTEE: ORGANISATION
SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
DAY/DATE: MONDAY,
23RD JULY 2007
TIME: 2.30PM
VENUE: EAST
COMMITTEE ROOM
MUNICIPAL
BUILDINGS
EARLE
STREET,
CREWE
Despatch date: 11th July
2007
Enquiries to: Carol Jones
Tel: 01270 537598
Fax: 01270 537605
Chair: Councillor A C Johnson
Tel : 01270 820124
Fax: 01270 628204
E-mail: agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
To: Members of
the Organisation Scrutiny Committee
(Councillors W T Beard, J A Beech (Deputy
Chair), D H D Charlesworth, H W Curran, R E Dodd, B
Evans, K Healey, A C Johnson (Chair), Z S Krizanac, J Lewis, A
Moran (Deputy Chair), D J Straine-Francis)
Chief Executive, Executive Directors,
Assistant Chief Executive
Other recipients of the agenda
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 or in the Public Gallery, other than beverages
offered by the Council during Committee breaks.
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
Declaration of Interests
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
Whipping Declarations
Members to declare in respect of items where
the whip has been applied.
4
Record of Meeting
4.1 To approve
as correct the Record of the Meeting held on 25th May
2007. (4.1)
4.2 To approve
as correct, the Record of the Special Meeting held on
25th June 2007. (4.2)
5
Board Business
5.1 Board Meeting –
26th July 2007
The Committee is invited to comment on Board
reports which fall within its remit.
5.2
Provisional Items (Board’s Forward Plan)
To consider the Board’s Forward Plan for July
and September 2007. (5.2)
5.3 Responses/Referrals from
the Board or Council
At the previous meeting, the Committee made
comments on a Board report (Wulvern Housing – Governance
Review). At its meeting held on 31st May, the
Board took into account the Committee’s comments, together with the
comments from the other two Scrutiny Committees and deferred making
a decision, referring the item to the Organisation Scrutiny
Committee for consideration and recommendation back to the Board at
the earliest opportunity.
The Organisation Scrutiny Committee
(formerly known as the Performance and Overview (Organisation)
Committee) held a special meeting on 25th June 2007, and
its recommendation to Board as detailed in the Record of Meeting
above, is attached. (5.3)
6.
Performance Monitoring
6.1 Best Value Performance
Indicators
The enclosed report provides service
performance information in respect of key national Performance
Indicators for the period 1st April 2007 to
30th June 2007. (6.1)
6.2 Financial Out-Turn
– 2006/2007
The Committee is invited to consider the
out-turn report for 2006/2007, as submitted to Full Council on
27th June 2007.
6.3 Financial
Monitoring – (first quarter) 2007-2008
To consider the Financial Monitoring report
for the period 1st April to 30th June 2007.
(to follow)
6.4 Efficiency Plan –
2006-2007
See the
efficiency plan statistics - spreadsheet (PDF)
To receive the final out-turn efficiency
savings for 2006/2007 compared with expected savings for the same
period. (6.4)
7. Work
Programme
7.1 Emergency
Planning
At the previous meeting, it was agreed that
the Committee receive a presentation on the emergency planning
process. Roger Booth, District Emergency Planner, will make a
presentation to the Committee.
7.2 Election
Process
At the previous meeting, the Committee
requested a report on the election process surrounding the
elections in May this year. (7.2)
7.3 Referral from Audit
Committee
The newly-established Audit Committee has
asked if the Organisation Scrutiny Committee would review the ICT
service provision for Members and whether Thin Client Technology
(TCT) is proving to be sufficiently effective. The Committee
has expressed the view that the current service provision is not
acceptable, but has not given detailed reasons.
The Committee will be invited to consider if
it wishes to include such a review in its work programme, following
which Councillor A C Johnson, who sits on the Audit Committee, will
be able to advise Members on the following –
- the reasons for the review
- the scope of the review
- timeline
- method of review (eg, task
group, witness evidence?)
- who can assist in providing the
information?
- potential outcome of the
review
7.4 Other
Reviews
7.4.1 At the meeting held in
May, the Committee agreed that the timeline for reviewing
“Communications and Press and Media Relations” and
“Member Support and Development” be agreed at the
July meeting.
The Committee is now invited to schedule these
two reviews into its work programme, and to identify the following
for each review -
- the reasons for the review
- the scope of the review
- timeline
- method of review (eg, task
group, witness evidence?)
- who can assist in providing the
information?
- potential outcome of the
review
7.4.2 Timing of Reviews
Within the Timetable of Public Meetings for
2007/2008, there are four remaining meetings of this Committee
(17th September, 12th November,
7th January and 3rd March). If the Committee
intends to complete its reviews within the Municipal Year, it may
wish to consider appointing task groups to undertake some of the
work, reporting their progress to the main Committee.
7.5 Climate Change Task
Group
The Local Economy and Environment Scrutiny
Committee has established a task group entitled “Climate Change”
and has requested each of the other two Scrutiny Committees to
appoint two Members to it. This issue has previously been raised
with this Committee which declined to nominate anyone in the
absence of Terms of Reference.
The Terms of Reference have been agreed as
follows -
(a) To
discuss and agree the content of a Climate Change Strategy for
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council, specifically –
(i) To consider and comment on
existing Council Policies and strategies;
(ii) To identify Council policies and
practices which need to be addressed;
(b) That discussions be led by
relevant Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council Officers; and
(c) That
contributions from Officers from external agencies such as the
North West Regional Development Agency, the Environment Agency and
associated ‘not-for-profit’ organisations and other local groups be
sought.
8 Date of
Next Meeting
17th September 2007
This agenda can
be made available in larger text on request