Agenda item

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

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

 

This item was to formalise the refreshed work plan that would be in place for the remainder of the Council term so the committee would know what was coming up.  The document could be subject to tweaks if required with committee agreement.

 

There were 3 recommendations on the report, 1 was to agree the work plan and 2 were around the responses to Council on items that had been referred to you to committee that would not be taken forward.

 

The first item that was agreed was the lens of Sustainability, which was discussed in work planning but required formal agreement at committee.

 

In work planning the committee had picked out 3 key topics that they wished to spend a longer amount of time on.  Those topics were reflected below as the scope had been drafted into the work plan

 

Christchurch Harbour – the committee agreed to invite Wessex Water and the Environment Agency into the meeting for a discussion, the scope was detailed in the work plan.

 

Van Life – item to committee in September and a working group which was arranged with van dwellers in June.  The September meeting slot would have information from the working group meeting in which van dwellers were spoken to directly about their needs. Briefing notes from departments would form a report and those officers would be brought into the meeting to discuss issues.  This approach was agreed

 

Van Life working group – It was agreed that a small group of councillors would hear directly some insight from Van Dwellers about their experiences and needs, this session would be a pre-arranged briefing session.  The Cllrs agreed were Cllr D’Orton-Gibson, Cllr Moriarty and Cllr Edwards.  It was also agreed to set up a separate session with Kushti Bok.

 

Sustainable energy - committee in November, the scope combined two areas that the committee stated they wanted to combine in the work planning session.  That was agreed, along with inviting the Net Zero hub back to that meeting.

 

There were some Cabinet reports scoped into the work plan as well as spaces for Cabinet reports that might become pre-decision scrutiny.  There was a list of 4 reserve items identified that could be brought into any empty slots that may arise.  The committee agreed to keep the rapporteur items as per the work plan.  There were briefing topics that also needed to be scheduled that were pushed to accommodate van life. Dates would be scheduled for those.

 

There were some items the committee wished to refer elsewhere as follows:

 

Request to look at HMO’s there was a working around the housing strategy, and the committee felt the item would be better placed there.

 

Safe Accommodation Strategy Work – Follows from a working group the committee had.  The strategy is waiting to go through Cabinet, expected to go within a suite of strategies in July which the Overview & Scrutiny Board would be looking at as the wider suite falls withing their remit.  Agreed to pass to Board.

 

Flooding and Infrastructure – recent referral that came from Council.  Within the committee workshop it was discussed that there was a limited impact that the council could have on this and decided not to add it to their work plan.  It was suggested that if a Flood Advisory Group was established that would be the appropriate place to look at that topic.  Agreed on that approach being reported back to Council.

 

Climate and Nature – was a referral from Council, it was agreed not to progress this in line with the Council referral, however the committee was doing other scoped work around this topic.  A report will go to Council on that.

 

Red Hill Paddling Pool – this was referred to the committee to look at what happened and what could be done in the future.  In work planning it was reflected on and sat on the work plan dur to having no resource to progress.  At this stage the committee felt that work in done would not be impactful given that new Town Councils have been established and the potential for them to oversee assets such as paddling pools.  It was agreed to make a referral to Overview & Scrutiny Board, as assets scrutiny sat with them and will be liaising with the Town Councils inn the future.  This was agreed to report back to Council and refer to Overview & Scrutiny Board

 

RESOLVED that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee review, update and confirm the Work Plan with all the above additions.

 

Voting: Unanimous

 

Note: Cllr Jackie Edwards left the meeting during this item at 7.55pm.