Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence from Councillors.

None received.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

None received

To elect a Chair for the Overview and Scrutiny Board for the 2026/27 municipal year.

The Vice-Chair presided over the meeting for this item. Nominations were sought for the position of Chair for the Overview and Scrutiny Board. A nomination was proposed and seconded for Cllr K Salmon. There being no further nominations it was:

RESOLVED that Cllr K Salmon be elected Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board for the 2026/27 Municipal Year.

To elect a Vice-Chair for the 2026/27 municipal year for the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

Nominations were sought for the position of Vice-Chair for the Overview and Scrutiny Board. A nomination was proposed and seconded for Cllr S Aitkenhead. There being no further nominations it was:

RESOLVED that Cllr S Aitkenhead be elected Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board for the 2026/27 Municipal Year.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 23 March 2026.

The minutes of the meeting held on 23 March were approved as a correct record

For the Board to note the latest updates to the Recommendation Tracker and consider any outstanding actions.

Updates to the recommendation tracker since the last meeting and outstanding actions were noted.

To receive an update from the Cabinet Portfolio Holder on the Cabinet response to the recommendations from the Board with regards to the Consultation Framework Working Group.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Customer Communications and Culture provided feedback to the Board on the consultation framework recommendations. It was reported that the majority of recommendations had been accepted and welcomed, with particular recognition of the importance of improving transparency and consistency in consultation processes.

It was acknowledged that consultation processes are increasingly challenging due to declining public trust, the influence of social media, and the risk of consultation outcomes being perceived as predetermined. Concerns were raised regarding the integrity of consultations, particularly the potential for processes to be politicised or undermined through early disclosure.

Cabinet indicated general agreement with the proposal for earlier awareness of upcoming consultations, including sharing forward plans with Group Leaders. However, caution was expressed regarding the recommendation to provide one week’s advance notice prior to consultations going live, due to the risk of leaks or misuse of information.

Officers confirmed that improvements would be implemented, including:

• Increased clarity regarding the selection of consultation methods.
• Continued emphasis on ensuring robust and meaningful consultation approaches.
• Greater transparency through structured documentation.

Members welcomed the overall acceptance of the recommendations and emphasised the importance of ensuring councillors are not informed of consultations after media release.

• Forward plans for consultations to be shared with Group Leaders.
• Efforts to provide advance notice of consultations to members to be undertaken where practicable, while maintaining confidentiality and process integrity.

To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view at the following link:-

https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1

The deadline for the submission of public questions is midday 3 clear working days before the meeting – Tuesday 12 May 2026.

The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday the working day before the meeting – Friday 15 May 2026.

The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.

There were no public items for this meeting.

In June 2025, Cabinet agreed to prepare a new Local Plan under the Government’s reformed plan-making system. The Government has now published the Regulations and guidance setting out the new process, which is intended to enable plans to be prepared and adopted within 30 months from Gateway 1. This report summarises the process and proposed timetable for preparing the new BCP Local Plan and seeks authorisation to undertake the Stage 1 (“Getting ready”) activities, together with delegated authority to progress the Plan through the prescribed Gateway stages. Cabinet decisions will remain for each formal consultation stage.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships presented a report on behalf of the Leader, 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 Board was informed that in June 2025, Cabinet agreed to prepare a new Local Plan under the Government’s reformed plan-making system. The Government has now published the Regulations and guidance setting out the new process, which is intended to enable plans to be prepared and adopted within 30 months from Gateway 1. The report summarised the process and proposed timetable for preparing the new BCP Local Plan and sought authorisation to undertake the Stage 1 (“Getting ready”) activities, together with delegated authority to progress the Plan through the prescribed Gateway stages. Cabinet would make decisions at each formal consultation stage.

The Board was informed that the previous Local Plan had been withdrawn, primarily due to issues relating to the duty to cooperate and housing need assessments. It was explained that the absence of an up-to-date Local Plan limits the Council’s ability to control development and increases exposure to speculative applications, particularly in the context of changes to national policy (e.g. “grey belt”). It was emphasised that the timeline is extremely challenging, with most work required within the first 18 months. A number of issues were raised during discussion of this item including:

·       Scoping Consultation - It was confirmed that the scoping consultation is a statutory requirement. Concerns were expressed that it may offer limited value due to constraints imposed by national policy and predefined frameworks.

·       Member Engagement - It was noted that opportunities for member involvement are limited within formal stages, placing significant importance on early engagement. The proposed working group was identified as a key mechanism for detailed member input. Concerns were raised that insufficient early engagement may lead to frustration and reduced influence at later stages.

·       Risks and Governance - Significant risks were identified, including potential changes in political leadership affecting direction mid?process;possibility of government intervention if the timetable is not met; delivery risks linked to viability constraints in housing development.It was recognised that new “gateway” review stages involving the Planning Inspectorate should reduce the likelihood of late-stage failure.

·       Viability and Delivery - Concerns were raised that policy aspirations may not translate into delivery due to viability issues, particularly in town centres. It was acknowledged that development economics favour greenfield sites, which may conflict with spatial and sustainability objectives.

·       Regional Planning (Devolution) - Concerns were expressed regarding potential future conflict with emerging regional spatial strategies under devolution arrangements. Officers advised that roles are expected to remain distinct, though it was acknowledged that uncertainty remains.

·       Stakeholder Engagement - Members highlighted the need for a broader stakeholder engagement strategy. It was considered insufficient to rely on responses from existing contacts. A strong emphasis was placed on ensuring inclusion of vulnerable groups and those in housing need, community organisations and smaller stakeholder groups and specific groups  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

BCP Council does not have a Social Value Policy nor a Social Value Statement.

In June 2025, CMB convened a Social Value Working Group to develop the Council’s Social Value Statement, aligned to priorities within the Corporate Plan and BCP’s Procurement and Contract Management Strategy.

Scope of the Social Value Statement includes leveraging social value through:

·        Procurement and contract management

·        External offers relating to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

·        Planning

·        Economic Development

·        Community-based projects.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Board was informed that BCP Council does not have a Social Value Policy nor a Social Value Statement. In June 2025, a Social Value Working Group was convened to develop the Council’s Social Value Statement, aligned to priorities within the Corporate Plan and BCP’s Procurement and Contract Management Strategy. The scope of the Social Value Statement includes leveraging social value through; Procurement and contract management, External offers relating to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Planning, Economic Development and Community-based projects. The Board considered the proposed Social Value Statement and the recommendation that it be adopted in accordance with national government guidance. A number of issues were raised in discussion on this item including:

·       It was acknowledged that the statement represents a strong and well?developed framework for embedding social value within procurement and contract management, and Members welcomed the progress made to date.

·       Concern was expressed that the nationally prescribed approach places significant emphasis on monetised outcomes, which may not fully capture wider social, environmental, and community benefits, including preventative outcomes and longer?term impacts. Members noted that a more locally tailored framework could, in principle, better reflect these non?monetised elements.

·       It was recognised that departing from the national model would require substantial additional work, specialist capacity, and financial resource, and could result in inconsistency with national standards and reduced comparability. It was further acknowledged that such change would be more appropriately led at a national level rather than by a single authority.

·       Clarification was sought regarding the scope of the recommendation. It was confirmed that the proposal related solely to adoption of the Social Value Statement for procurement and contract management purposes and did not commit the Council to immediate budget growth or to wider application across all Council activities.

·       The Board discussed a proposal for a separate recommendation to request that Cabinet consider the development of a future action plan and appropriate governance arrangements to explore the extension of social value principles beyond procurement on a phased basis.

·       The Board considered that adoption of the Social Value Statement, as presented, represented a pragmatic and proportionate approach and provided a sound foundation for future development.

The Overview and Scrutiny Board Recommend to Cabinet:

1.     That an action plan, including details of an appropriate governance structure, is produced in order to clearly outline how the social value statement will be taken forward to cover all Council activities beyond procurement.

          Voting: 10 in favour, 2 against (Note that this vote was revisited following further clarification of the motion – the original vote being 11 in favour 1 against.)

2.     That the O&S Board support the recommendation outlined in the report to approve the Social Value Statement for adoption

Voting: 10 in favour, 2 against

The Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Board is asked to consider and identify work priorities for publication in a Work Plan.

The Chair presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Board was asked to note the work plan and agree

Scrutiny Request - The Board considered its forward work programme and a new scrutiny request relating to the closure of Charminster Library following structural failure. The issue was presented as a significant safety concern, with implications for maintenance practices across the wider estate. The potential for broader lessons to be learned regarding asset management and risk mitigation was emphasised.

A proposal was made to undertake this scrutiny using a rapporteur approach to minimise resource demands.

Members supported inclusion of the item, while emphasising the need to:

• Clearly define scope.
• Focus on lessons learned and preventative measures.
• Avoid duplication with operational or ward-level activity.

RESOLVED:

1. That the Charminster Library item be added to the Board’s work plan.

2. That a small group of members develop key lines of inquiry.

3. A rapporteur approach to be adopted, with findings to be reported back to the Board. Rapporteur members to be agreed by the Board following the development of the KLOE.

The Chair outlined the programme for in-depth scrutiny which had been agreed by the O&S Chairs/ Vice Chairs group as follows. This would be kept under review by the Chair’s group to ensure items progressed in a timely manner.

1. Van Life (E&P topic) 

2. Children’s Wellbeing (Joint Children's and HASC topic)  

3. Budget scrutiny (All O&S joint topic - tbc dependent on early draft budget release)  

4. Resident’s Parking (O&S Board topic)