Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence and details of any Councillor (or co-optee substitute) nominated to attend this meeting in place of a member of this Committee.

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Thomas.

To invite Councillors to declare any interest they may have in items on the Agenda and any Party Whip.

There were no declarations of interest or of any party whip.

To confirm the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as a correct record.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Wednesday 10th September be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair. 

To note the contents of the Overview and Scrutiny Actions List.

(Report attached)

Officers referred to item eleven on the Actions List regarding the Joint Scrutiny Exercise with Worcestershire County Council on flooding.  Officers explained that they had arranged for Officers from Worcestershire County Council and the Chair of the exercise, Councillor M King, to visit the Committee to present the findings of the report.  Officers had identified Wednesday 5th November as the most suitable date for this presentation.  However, as the Council’s fireworks display was due to take place on that evening, the Chair of the Committee had agreed to move the date of the Overview and Scrutiny meeting to Thursday 6th November and to include the presentation on the findings of the Joint Exercise on flooding at this meeting. 

Members considered item thirteen regarding the Committee’s request for information about the amount of revenue generated through Minor Land Disposals.  Officers informed the Committee that they were still awaiting this information and would make this available as soon as possible. 

RESOLVED that

1)         the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting due to be held on Wednesday 5th November be moved to Thursday 6th November;

2)         the findings of the Joint Scrutiny exercise on Flooding be presented at this meeting; and

3)         the contents of the Actions List be noted

To consider whether any Key Decisions of the Executive Committee’s most recent meeting(s) should be subject to call-in and also to consider whether any items on the Forward Plan require pre-scrutiny.

(No separate report).

There were no call-ins and no proposed items for pre-scrutiny.

To consider any scoping documents provided for possible Overview and Scrutiny review.

• Neighbour Nuisance.

(Report attached)

Members considered a draft Scoping Document in respect of a potential review of “Neighbour Nuisance”, proposed by Councillor Hicks.

Officers explained to the Committee that Anti-Social Behaviour Officers had provided written comments on the document and Legal Services Officers were in attendance at the Committee to answer questions from a legal perspective.  The Committee noted that the scope of the exercise focussed on individual complaints about neighbour nuisance.

Following discussion, the Committee agreed that there were adequate mechanisms in place to address any such complaints and therefore further work on this issue would be unnecessary. 

RESOLVED that

the proposed scrutiny of neighbour nuisance not be pursued.

To consider progress to date on the current reviews against the terms set by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The current reviews in progress are:

1.                  Council Flat Communal Cleaning Task and Finish Group – Chair - Councillor P Mould

2.                  Role of the Mayor Task and Finish Group – Chair – Councillor M Chalk; and

3.                  Third Sector Funding Task and Finish Group – Chair – Councillor D Thomas.

(Oral reports)

The Committee received update reports in relation to current reviews.

a)                 Council Flat Communal Cleaning – Chair, Councillor P Mould

The Chair explained that three other Councillors had been nominated to the Task and Finish Group.  These were Councillors A Clayton, Quinney and Taylor.  The first meeting of the Group was due to take place on Friday 3rd October. 

b)                 The Role of the Mayor – Chair, Councillor M Chalk

Councillor Chalk explained that the Group had conducted its first interview of a past Mayor and that this meeting had gone well.  He informed the Committee that the next meeting was due to take place on Thursday 2nd October. 

c)                  Third Sector – Chair, Councillor D Thomas

Officers reported that the Group had interviewed Officers from Gloucester City Council and had begun to plan a consultation event that was due to take place on 21st November.  The Group were due to attend a meeting to interview Officers from Worcestershire County Council on Monday 29th September. 

RESOLVED that

the Task and Finish Group update reports be noted.

To interview relevant Officers from Worcestershire County Council about bus services in Redditch.

(Oral report).

The Committee welcomed Officers from Worcestershire County Council who had been invited to the Committee to discuss the proposed Bus Provision Scrutiny Exercise.   Officers explained that they had prepared a response to the comments made within the proposed review’s scoping document.

In response to comments made in the document regarding the withdrawal of the service to the Alexandra Hospital, Officers explained that the County Council had negotiated with the bus companies to ensure that a service was provided to the hospital from both the east and west sides of the town, with Diamond Bus operating a 40 minute service to the Hospital on the 57 and 58 route. 

Members commented that they had received complaints that this new service to the hospital was unreliable, with some residents experiencing delays of up to an hour.  Officers explained that, if members of the public were experiencing problems, they should report the issue to the relevant bus operator. 

Members commented on the terms of reference for the proposed scrutiny exercise.  They felt that as this was a complex topic, careful consideration should be given to the focus of the scrutiny.  Several outcomes could be achieved through a review of the subject: including achieving better coverage of routes; and better dialogue between the Council and its partners.  In addition to examining the coverage of bus routes, the Smartcard initiative was also cited as a possible area for scrutiny. 

Officers explained that Worcestershire County Council had been working closely with Diamond Bus to roll out a Smartcard project in the Redditch area by using Urban Bus Challenge funding.  In response to the issue raised within the scrutiny document regarding evening bus services, Officers explained that the company operating the evening Taxibus service, on the 55 and 56 bus route, had introduced a similar service on the 57 and 58 route.  The funding for these services was in place until December 2008.  However, the County Council was committed to working with the service provider to extend this for a further six months with a view to tendering out the service in the future. 

Officers explained that the main vehicle that Members from the Council could use to influence public transport in the town should be the County Council run Joint Officers and Members Transportation Forum.  The Committee was informed that, while Officers had been attending this Forum, the Council had not yet been represented by an elected Member.

Representatives from Diamond Bus Company were invited by the Chair to address the Committee.  The Committee was informed that in addition to operating services to the hospital, the company had been working to extend its service coverage to other key routes in the town such as the 51 and 64 routes.  They also explained that £1.2 million had been spent on introducing new buses in the town.  The Committee was also informed that the company had been focussing on marketing the bus services in the town and gathering the views of users to help improve its services.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 77.

To receive a presentation from the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Health on themes proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(Report attached and oral report to follow).

The Committee received the Annual Report from the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Health.  The report was structured around the themes that had been proposed by Members at the previous meeting of the Committee. 

The Portfolio Holder began by discussing the Choice Based Lettings Scheme.  He explained that demand for Council Housing in the Borough was higher than supply, with approximately 3,000 people on the waiting list and only 500 houses available.  Residents using the system were assessed according to need and allocated to four bands which included priority, gold, silver and bronze bands.  Residents could then bid in order to win the property of their choice.  He explained that this system had yielded many benefits which included a reduction in the number of voids and the lessening of problems created by properties that were difficult to let.  Officers explained that in the previous twelve months only twelve properties had been refused. 

Members questioned whether access to the service had been a problem for vulnerable residents.  Officers explained that this had not been the case but if residents had needed assistance in using the system, Officers were available to help them. 

Councillor Clayton provided an update on the second theme of Homelessness.  He informed the Committee that, following the implementation of many of the recommendations contained within the Overview and Scrutiny Homelessness report, the service had become better equipped at preventing homelessness.   Members questioned whether many people who presented themselves as homeless came from outside the Borough.  Officers explained that the Council had a duty to assess every case of homelessness and that the majority of cases involved local people. 

Members commented on the possibility that the number of homelessness cases would rise as a result of the current economic climate.  They queried whether any contingency plans had been put in place to address this problem.  Officers explained that training had been offered to Officers to deal with potential problems.  The Council was also planning to conduct an advertising campaign to raise awareness of the help that would be available for residents who may be struggling with their housing situation. 

Councillor Clayton provided the Committee with his views on the Mortgage Rescue Scheme, which had recently been suggested by the government as a possible method for responding to the impact of the credit crisis on domestic home owners.  The Committee were informed that the Government had pledged £400 million to help social housing providers bring house building schemes forward to 2009/10.  Central Government had also recommended that social housing providers work with organisations that had a history of providing debt and housing advice to undertake independent eligibility assessments for the scheme.  Councillor Clayton explained that he would not be in favour of the Council entering into arrangements whereby the authority would take responsibility for residents’ mortgages. 

Members commented that they felt it was important that the Council used every opportunity to bid for money from the Government to implement these measures for residents.  Officers clarified that the risk associated with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

To consider scheduled meetings of Parliamentary Select Committees in October 2008 and to identify whether any would be suitable for Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to attend.

(Report attached)

Members discussed the possibility of attending a Parliamentary Select Committee meeting in London in October.  Officers presented the Committee with several options and Members agreed to attend the Business Enterprise Select Committee meeting due to take place on Tuesday 7th October.

RESOLVED that

1)     Members attend a Parliamentary Select Committee meeting on Tuesday 7th October; and

2)     Members be requested to inform Officers of their availability to attend this meeting.

To consider a report on the impact of fly tipping in Redditch.

(Report attached and oral report to follow).

Members received a report from Officers regarding fly-tipping in Redditch.  Officers explained that the levels of fly tipping in Redditch appeared to be comparatively high for the size of the population, and that the types of waste tended to be domestic rather than commercial.  An accurate measure of fly-tipping in the Borough was available through the Fly Capture Database which was used nationally and was used to collect data for National Performance Indicator 196. 

Officers explained that the Council had a high level of enforcement action in relation to fly-tippping and had achieved a level two grade for its enforcement action.  Further work on fly tipping was planned by the Council including undertaking further analysis of fly tipping trends, targeted publicity, and enforcement action. 

Members complimented the service for taking quick action once fly tipping had been reported.  Members commented on the scheme that had been piloted the previous year whereby once a fly-tip had been cleaned up, a card advertising the action was distributed to local residents and Ward Councillors to raise awareness of this work.  Members questioned whether this scheme was still in operation.   Officers were asked to provide further information on the current status of this scheme. 

Members queried if there had been a rise in the number of fly-tips when charges for bulky waste collections were introduced.  Officers explained that this had not been the case and that in fact, the overall level of fly tipping had decreased.  This was mainly attributed to the level of enforcement action that the Council had taken.  Members questioned the number of people across the Borough who acted as volunteer litter pickers.   Officers explained that incidents of street littering had also decreased and that the Council was one of the top performing Councils on this issue.  Officers offered to provide further information about the numbers of volunteer litter pickers, and where these volunteers tended to perform this voluntary role within the Borough, for Members’ consideration. 

Members discussed the possibility of utilising the internet to report fly-tipping incidents.  Some Members had used a third party system available through the internet that, once a fly-tip had been logged by users, would register the fly-tip with the local authority.  Members were interested to see if this system was recognised by the Council in performance records.  Officers explained that most electronic reports of fly-tips came through the Worcestershire Hub.  Officers offered to provide further information regarding the use of electronic systems used by the Council to register fly-tipping. 

Finally, Officers informed the Committee that they were planning to reintroduce the ‘Worth It’ advertising campaign that had been run in previous years.  Members requested that Officers report on the progress of this campaign and on the developments in reducing fly tipping at a following meeting.

RESOLVED that

1)                 clarification of the status of the scheme designed to promote fly-tipping clean up operations be provided by Officers;

2)                 a report on the number of people across the Borough who acted as volunteer litter pickers be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.

To identify themes for consideration during the Annual Report from the Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Planning and Transport on Wednesday the 15th October.

(No report attached).

Members proposed themes for discussion with the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Planning and Transport during his Annual Report, as detailed in Appendix A to the report. 

RESOLVED that

the themes be noted. 

There were no referrals for consideration at this meeting.

The Committee considered the Committee’s Work Programme.  Officers explained that consideration of the Civil Parking Enforcement item had been postponed until the 26th November. 

Officers informed the Committee that the Chair had agreed the Committee should consider the proposed review of ditches at a meeting in 2009.

RESOLVED that

Subject to the above, the Work Programme be noted.