Public Document Pack Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wednesday, 23rd March, 2011 7.00 pm Committee Room Two Town Hall Redditch Access to Information - Your Rights The Local Government undertaken in private) for • Access to a list specifying (Access to Information) Act up to six years following a those powers which the 1985 widened the rights of meeting. Council has delegated to its press and public to attend Officers indicating also the • Automatic right to inspect Local Authority meetings lists of background titles of the Officers and to see certain papers used in the concerned. documents. Recently the preparation of public • Access to a summary of the Freedom of Information Act reports. rights of the public to attend 2000, has further broadened meetings of the Council and these rights, and limited • Access, upon request, to its Committees etc. and to exemptions under the 1985 the background papers inspect and copy Act. on which reports are based for a period of up documents. Your main rights are set out to four years from the below:- • In addition, the public now date of the meeting. has a right to be present • Automatic right to attend when the Council • Access to a public all Council and register stating the names determines “Key Decisions” Committee meetings and addresses and unless the business would unless the business electoral areas of all disclose confidential or would disclose Councillors with details of “exempt” information. confidential or “exempt” the membership of all information. • Unless otherwise stated, all Committees etc. items of business before the • Automatic right to inspect • A reasonable number of Executive Committee are agenda and public reports copies of agenda and Key Decisions. at least five days before reports relating to items to the date of the meeting. be considered in public • (Copies of Agenda Lists are • Automatic right to inspect must be made available published in advance of the minutes of the Council to the public attending meetings on the Council’s and its Committees (or meetings of the Council Website: summaries of business and its Committees etc. www.redditchbc.gov.uk If you have any queries on this Agenda or any of the decisions taken or wish to exercise any of the above rights of access to information, please contact Jess Bayley and Michael Craggs Overview and Scrutiny Support Officers Town Hall, Walter Stranz Square, Redditch, B98 8AH Tel: 01527 64252 Extn: 3268 / 3267 (Ext. 3268) Fax: (01527) 65216 e.mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Minicom: 595528 Welcome to today’s meeting. Guidance for the Public Agenda Papers Decisions Fire/ Emergency The Agenda List at the front Decisions at the meeting will instructions of the Agenda summarises be taken by the Councillors the issues to be discussed who are the democratically If the alarm is sounded, and is followed by the elected representatives. please leave the building Officers’ full supporting They are advised by by the nearest available Reports . Officers who are paid exit – these are clearly professionals and do not indicated within all the Chair have a vote. Committee Rooms. The Chair is responsible for Members of the Public If you discover a fire, the proper conduct of the inform a member of staff meeting. Generally to one Members of the public may, or operate the nearest side of the Chair is the by prior arrangement , speak alarm call point (wall Committee Support Officer at meetings of the Council or mounted red rectangular who gives advice on the its Committees. Specific box). In the event of the proper conduct of the procedures exist for Appeals fire alarm sounding, leave meeting and ensures that Hearings or for meetings the building immediately the debate and the involving Licence or following the fire exit decisions are properly Planning Applications. For signs. Officers have been recorded. On the Chair’s further information on this appointed with other side are the relevant point, please speak to the responsibility to ensure Council Officers. The Committee Support Officer. that all visitors are Councillors (“Members”) of escorted from the the Committee occupy the Special Arrangements building. remaining seats around the If you have any particular table. needs, please contact the Do Not stop to collect Committee Support Officer. personal belongings. Running Order Items will normally be taken Infra-red devices for the Do Not use lifts. in the order printed but, in hearing impaired are particular circumstances, the available on request at the Do Not re-enter the Chair may agree to vary the meeting. Other facilities may building until told to do order. require prior arrangement. so. Refreshments : tea, coffee Further Information The emergency and water are normally If you require any further is on available at meetings - Assembly Area information, please contact Walter Stranz Square. please serve yourself. the Committee Support Officer (see foot of page opposite). Declaration of Interests: Guidance for Councillors DO I HAVE A “PERSONAL INTEREST” ? • Where the item relates or is likely to affect your registered interests (what you have declared on the formal Register of Interests) OR • Where a decision in relation to the item might reasonably be regarded as affecting your own well-being or financial position, or that of your family , or your close associates more than most other people affected by the issue, you have a personal interest. WHAT MUST I DO? Declare the existence, and nature , of your interest and stay • The declaration must relate to specific business being decided - a general scattergun approach is not needed • Exception - where interest arises only because of your membership of another public body , there is no need to declare unless you speak on the matter. • You can vote on the matter. IS IT A “PREJUDICIAL INTEREST” ? In general only if:- • It is a personal interest and • The item affects your financial position (or conveys other benefits), or the position of your family, close associates or bodies through which you have a registered interest (or relates to the exercise of regulatory functions in relation to these groups) and • A member of public, with knowledge of the relevant facts, would reasonably believe the interest was likely to prejudice your judgement of the public interest. WHAT MUST I DO? Declare and Withdraw BUT you may make representations to the meeting before withdrawing, if the public have similar rights (such as the right to speak at Planning Committee). Overview and Wednesday, 23rd March, 2011 Scrutiny 7.00 pm Committee Room 2 Town Hall Committee Agenda Membership: Cllrs: Diane Thomas Robin King (Chair) William Norton Anita Clayton (Vice- Brenda Quinney Chair) Mark Shurmer Peter Anderson Bill Hartnett 1. Apologies and named To receive apologies for absence and details of any substitutes Councillor (or co-optee substitute) nominated to attend this meeting in place of a member of this Committee. 2. Declarations of interest To invite Councillors to declare any interest they may have in and of Party Whip items on the Agenda and any Party Whip. 3. Minutes To confirm the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as a correct record. (Pages 1 - 12) (Minutes attached) (No Specific Ward Relevance) 4. Actions List To note the contents of the Overview and Scrutiny Actions List. (Pages 13 - 14) (Report attached) (No Specific Ward Relevance) 5. Call-in and Scrutiny of To consider whether any Key Decisions of the Executive the Forward Plan Committee’s most recent meeting(s) should be subject to call-in and also to consider whether any items on the Forward Plan are suitable for scrutiny. (No separate report). (No Specific Ward Relevance) Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wednesday, 23rd March, 2011 6. Task & Finish Reviews - To consider any scoping documents provided for possible Draft Scoping Overview and Scrutiny review. Documents (No reports attached) (No Specific Ward Relevance) 7. Task and Finish Groups - To consider progress to date on the current reviews against Progress Reports the terms set by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The current reviews in progress are: 1. Gritting Short, Sharp Review (Chair to be confirmed at the date of publication); and 2. Work Experience – Chair, Councillor Peter Anderson. (Oral reports) All Wards 8. Portfolio Holder Annual To receive a presentation from the Portfolio Holder for Report - Leisure and Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Gay Hopkins, based on the Tourism questions proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. (Pages 15 - 18) (Report attached) Councillor Gay Hopkins All Wards 9. Disabled Facilities Grants To consider the Disabled Facilities Grants and Lifetime Grant and Lifetime Grant - for scrutiny of the Countrywide Scheme scrutiny of the Countrywide Scheme (Pages 19 - 22) (Report attached) M Bough, Housing Policy (No Specific Ward Relevance) and Performance Manager 10. Bus Service - To consider information received from residents as part of a Consultation survey regarding proposed changes to bus services that would result from a reduction in subsidy to bus services. (Pages 23 - 30) Also, to propose appropriate content for a Notice of Motion to Council on the subject. (Reports attached and to follow). All Wards Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wednesday, 23rd March, 2011 11. Performance Report for To receive the Performance Report for the services within the services within the the Community Safety and Regulatory Services Portfolio. Community Safety and Regulatory Services Portfolio S Hanley, Deputy Chief Executive and Executive (Report to follow) Director (Leisure, Environmental & All Wards Community Services) 12. Joint Worcestershire To consider information about the meeting of the Joint Chairs and Vice Chairs Worcestershire Chairs and Vice Chairs Network Meeting that Network Meeting took place on Monday 21st March. Councillor Diane Thomas (Oral Report) (No Specific Ward Relevance) 13. Referrals To consider any referrals to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee direct, or arising from: • The Executive Committee or full Council • Other sources.