Issue - meetings

This report details Part A - BCP FuturePlaces Ltd investigation findings covering scope areas 1 to 4.

The Chair of A&G Committee has determined a second meeting will be arranged in October 2025 to receive Part B and final report, covering scope areas 5 to 8. 

Receiving the report over two meetings will allow the Committee sufficient time to digest and review the findings to determine next steps. It will also allow the investigator more time to conclude findings in scope areas 5 to 8.

At the conclusion of this investigation there may still be gaps in understanding, and the Committee may or may not decide that further investigation through other means is required.

The Chair set out some background to why this meeting was being held and the way she proposed to manage this item.  The Chair also highlighted that as this was an interim/draft report, no recommendations should be made at this meeting, but it was an opportunity to seek clarity and discuss whether further information was required when the final report was published.

Finally, the Chair suggested that members might choose to provide individual summary reflections at the conclusion of the next meeting, to offer varied perspectives to the public. Participation would be voluntary, and no judgement would be made on those who opted not to contribute.

The Head of Audit and Management Assurance (HAMA) presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report detailed Part A - BCP FuturePlaces Ltd investigation findings covering scope areas 1 to 4.

The Chair of A&G Committee had determined a second meeting would be arranged in October 2025 to receive Part B and final report, covering scope areas 5 to 8. 

Receiving the report over two meetings would allow the Committee sufficient time to digest and review the findings to determine next steps. It would also allow the investigator more time to conclude findings in scope areas 5 to 8.

It was highlighted in the report that at the conclusion of this investigation there may still be gaps in understanding, and the Committee may or may not decide that further investigation through other means was required.

The Committee discussed the report breaking down each section of the scope to consider them one at a time.

Scope 1. Timeline and key decisions:

1.1Produce the timeline of key decisions in respect of BCP Future Places Ltd (as per MO report to A&G Committee 20/3/25).

• The Chair suggested the timeline be used as a reference point throughout the meeting and as a basis for the closing discussion.
• There was an acknowledgement of the significant work by officers in compiling the timeline and some Committee Members advised they had cross checked links and reports and found them to be accurate and consistent.
• The Chair reiterated that the timeline can be added to during the discussion and used to support further lines of enquiry.
• A Committee Member requested the inclusion of the report of the Monitoring Officer (MO) to the Audit and Governance Committee on 20 March 2025 to the end of the timeline.

Actions highlighted for this item:

• Request HAMA add the MO’s report to the end of the timeline to demonstrate the action which had been taken by the Committee.

1.2Find and restate the motivations and considerations behind the decision to create a Urban Regeneration Company (URC) and the environment for decision making in which it was created.

• A concern and observation was made that the 'Big Plan' was never formally ratified at Full Council.
• Acknowledgement that the timeline  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39