Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Kane.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests, and any Party Whip.

There were no declarations of interest nor of party whip.

The minutes of the meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 10 March 2025 will be considered at this meeting.

The minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10^th March 2025 were submitted for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED that

the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 10^th March 2025 be approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chair

To invite members of the public who have registered in advance of the meeting to speak to the Committee.

There were no public speakers who had registered to speak at this meeting.

The report will follow in a supplementary pack for this meeting after it has been published for the meeting of Executive Committee (due for publication on Friday 2 May).

The report on Redditch Local Plan Issues and Options Consultation was presented. It was remarked that the Issues and Options Consultation would be the first stage in the development of the new Redditch Local Plan and, if endorsed by full Council, would be released for a six-week public consultation period. The Issues and Options Consultation followed the Local Development Scheme (LDS) which had set out the timeline for Local Plan development.

The purpose of the Issues and Options consultation was to consult the public, statutory consultees and a range of stakeholders on what the new Local Plan should contain. This consultation was less detailed than future consultations to be held through the plan-making process (such as a ‘Preferred Option’ consultation) and as such the Council had some discretion over the format of this consultation. It was commented that the consultation document at Appendix A was designed by officers so that it was concise and clear to understand but contained all the necessary information.

The Strategic Planning and Conservation Manager provided an overview of the sections contained within the Issues and Options consultation document. Sections 1-3 provided background information on the Borough and the Local Plan process, section 4 detailed the reasons why the Local Plan review was required and what the process would be for its development. Section 6 contained the details of the ‘call for sites’ exercise which enabled developers and landowners to submit potential development sites which they wished to be considered for inclusion in the Local Plan review.

Sections 7 and 9-15 contained consultation questions. Section 7 covered the design coding which defined requirements for the physical development of the area. The detailed design code would be produced later in the Local Plan period and would be informed by the responses from this Issues and Options consultation. Section 9 looked at the key issues identified for Redditch Borough based on evidence base documents such as the Sustainability Appraisal scoping report, the Housing and Economic Development Needs Assessment (HEDNA) and conversations held with elected members including through Planning Advisory Panel (PAP) meetings.

Section 10 covered the possible growth options, looking at possible broad locations for development based on the characteristics of Redditch Borough. It was noted that the growth strategy would be informed by what sites were available for development, the suitability of potential sites submitted through the Call for Sites exercise and on what the evidence suggested were the locations most sustainable for new development. The government-set house building target would also need to be considered which for Redditch Borough was now 485 new houses per year.

It was highlighted that among the changes in the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was the introduction of ‘grey belt’, defined as ‘land in the Green Belt comprising previously developed land and/or any other land.” This had potential implications in that some land in Redditch, which was currently protected by the Green Belt or in countryside, could be considered for development.

The Strategic Planning and Conservation Manager reported that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.

The following items from the latest Executive Work Programme (1^st June to 30^th September 2025) were added to the Overview and Scrutiny work programme (as pre-scrutiny items):

·       Disposal of Housing Revenue Account Assets – 53 Parsons Road, Southcrest, Redditch. 53 Crabbs Cross Lane, Crabbs Cross, Redditch (9^th June)

·       Disposal of Housing Revenue Account Assets – Four garages at Ashorne Close, Matchborough, Redditch (9^th June)

·       Regulator of Social Housing Inspection Report and Housing Improvement Plan (1^st September)

The above reports would be added to the items already selected for pre-scrutiny at the 9^th June and 1^st September meetings, as detailed in the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme.

The Executive Director confirmed that the Regulator of Social Housing would release the inspection report on 20^th July, and thus the Housing Improvement Plan and the Regulator’s Inspection report would be considered at September Committee meetings.

RESOLVED that

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme be updated with items from the Executive Committee’s Work Programme as per the pre-amble above.

The Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme was presented for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED that

the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme be updated with items from the latest Executive Work Programme, as agreed (at Minute No. 97).

a)    Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

b)    Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

c)     Fly Tipping and Bulky Waste Task Group – Chair, Councillor Dormer

d)    Post-16 Education Task Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

Updates on the ongoing Task Groups and Working Groups were provided as follows:

a)    Budget Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

There were no further meetings of Budget Scrutiny since the last meeting of Overview and Scrutiny on 10^th March.

b)    Performance Scrutiny Working Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

There were no further meetings of Performance Scrutiny since the last meeting of Overview and Scrutiny on 10^th March.

c)     Fly Tipping and Bulky Waste Task Group – Chair, Councillor Dormer

It was confirmed that this Task Group had now been concluded and the final report would be submitted to the next meeting of Overview and Scrutiny.

d)    Post-16 Education Task Group – Chair, Councillor Warhurst

Councillor Warhurst reported that a further meeting of the Task Group was necessary before recommendations could be made and the Task Group finalised.

RESOLVED that

the Task Groups, Short Sharp Reviews and Working Groups Update Reports be noted.

a)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Council representative, Councillor Kane;

b)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Council representative, Councillor Munro; and

c)     Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) – Council representative, Councillor Munro.

Update on the meetings of External Scrutiny Bodies were provided by the representatives as follows:

a)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Council Representative, Councillor Kane

There was no update provided as Councillor Kane had submitted apologies.

b)    West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny – Council Representative, Councillor Munro

Councillor Munro reported that the last meeting of WMCA Transport Delivery Overview and Scrutiny was held on 10^th March 2025. At the meeting, Midland Rail Hub update was discussed, which had some details of relevance concerning the long-term delivery of rail services in Redditch.

Councillor Munro reported that redevelopment of the Birmingham Snow Hill station to add extra platforms would be a significant problem as the station was built below ground level. The Kings Norton to Barnt Green line would become 4-track, with electrification of fast lines and additional Kings Norton platforms. There were also plans to increase the volume of rail services going to and from Redditch station to Birmingham, however, it was highlighted that the business case for these Midland Rail Hub proposals would only be submitted in 2028.

With reference to the Redditch railway station, it was noted that before the covid pandemic there were three trains per hour operating from the station which had dropped to two services per hour following the covid pandemic.

c)     Worcestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) – Council Representative, Council Munro

Councillor Munro reported that the last meeting of HOSC took place on 17^th March 2025. At this meeting, the main item of relevance was the options for redesign of adult mental health rehabilitation services. All three options discussed at the meeting involved conversion of the now closed Hill Crest mental health unit to a level two rehabilitation unit, to provide local mental health rehabilitation services. Councillor Munro expressed hope that the unit would be truly local to Redditch residents, rather than a regional (i.e. all Worcestershire/Hertfordshire) centre for mental health rehabilitation services.

RESOLVED that

the External Scrutiny Bodies updates be noted.

“That, under S.100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter(s) on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs (to be specified) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act”.

These paragraphs are as follows:

Subject to the “public interest” test, information relating to:

·         Para 1 – any individual;

·         Para 2 – the identity of any individual;

·         Para 3 – financial or business affairs;

·         Para 4 – labour relations matters;

·         Para 5 – legal professional privilege;

·         Para 6 –  a notice, order or direction;

·         Para 7 – the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime;

                     and may need to be considered as ‘exempt’.

It was agreed that exclusion of the public and press was not necessary in relation to Minute Item 102. DMIC (Digital Manufacturing and Innovation Centre) Additional Design Costs (AHR Architects Contract Variation) – Pre-Scrutiny, as the contents of the exempt appendix to the report would not be discussed in the meeting. The meeting remained in public session for its entire duration.

The report will follow in a supplementary pack for this meeting after it has been published for the meeting of Executive Committee (due for publication on Friday 2 May).

Please note that this item contains exempt information and may need to be considered in an exempt session.

The Regeneration Manager presented the report and provided background information to the report proposals. It was recapped that following a change in administration in 2024, decision had been taken by the Council to cancel the redevelopment of Redditch Library site, which initially left an underspend on the Town Investment Plan of £4.2 million.

In Autumn 2024, the Council’s newly appointed regeneration team reviewed the business model for the Digital Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (DMIC) – one of the projects comprising the Town Investment Plan – and identified potential to expand the development and increase the project’s financial viability by utilising the underspend from the cancelled library project.

A decision was subsequently taken by the Town Deal Board to expand the development and increase the amount of net lettable floorspace in the DMIC. A Project Adjustment Request (PAR) was submitted and signed off by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to utilise the £4.2 million library underspend of which £3.937 million could be allocated to the DMIC project. It was noted that the Council’s request for extended timescales for spending the Government’s Town Deal funding had also been agreed by the MHCLG, which allowed the Council until the end of March 2027 to spend this funding.

It was explained that this report recommended the sign off of the additional design and project management costs associated with the expanded development, which would increase the amount of net lettable space and make the DCIM more sustainable with expanded benefits. The report asked for approval of allocating additional design cost up to a maximum of £1.45 million. It was clarified that this figure would include any contingency sums built into areas such as construction estimates. The report also asked for allocation of additional project management services costs up to a maximum of £250,000, including contingency costs.

It was explained that a further report would be brought forward for Members’ consideration once designs were costed out and prior to appointment of a construction contractor. It was highlighted that all the funding utilised within the DMIC development was external funding, with no input from the Council’s revenue or reserves.

Following officer presentation, a Member asked for detail regarding the increase in floor and net lettable space resulting from expanding the project. In response, it was stated that the expanded DMIC would be designed to have a gross floor area of 2600m² as opposed to 1900m² in the original project proposal. The net lettable space of the DCIM would also increase significantly as a result of expanding the development, to 17,000 ft².

In response to a question, it was explained that the maximum £1.45 million design team costs factored in possible contingency costs that could arise. 

The Committee was reassured that the Towns Deal programme was on track to have all the MHCLG funding fully utilised by the deadline of March 2027. In It was stated that there was no comparable deadline for the Council to spend the funding that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.