Agenda item

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

(Report attached)

The Committee considered its agreed list of actions and specific mention was made of the following matters:

a)           Fly tipping

Members were informed, under action two on the Actions List that relevant Officers were in the process of developing a three year action plan to tackle fly tipping within the Borough.  This action plan was due to be finalised by March 2010.  Officers were therefore proposing to report before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee early in 2010 to provide Members with an opportunity to scrutinise the contents of this document prior to consideration at a meeting of the Executive Committee.

b)           Emergency Planning Briefing Session

Officers reported that, in relation to action five on the Actions List, Worcestershire County Council was proposing to deliver a basic presentation on the subject of emergency planning for the consideration of the Committee.  This presentation could be delivered in April 2009.

c)            Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade

Members were informed that, as requested at the previous meeting of the Committee, Councillor Brunner had contacted Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade to enquire about the organisation’s rationale for reducing the number of fire fighters and the potential impact that this might have on community safety.  She had been informed that this was being treated as a Freedom of Information request.  A response to her request was due to be delivered by 2 April 2009.  Therefore Members were advised that they should expect to receive further details in relation to this matter in April.

d)           Corporate Plan Part II

Officers reported that consideration of the Corporate Plan Part II by the Executive Committee, as well as of the recommendations in relation to this matter that had been agreed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at their previous meeting, had been postponed until 1 April 2009.

e)           Children’s Centres

Members referred to action twelve on the Actions List, relating to the request for clarification as to the reasons for references to Bromsgrove when discussing Children’s Centres Services in the Corporate Plan Part II.  Officers explained that in Bromsgrove three new Children’s Centres would be established and organisations would be invited to submit tenders to deliver the Children’s Centre service in each of those venues on behalf of Bromsgrove District Council.  The Executive Committee was due to consider whether to approve the submission of a bid by Redditch Borough Council to deliver this service.  The contract for delivering this service was likely to come into effect from March 2010.

f)              Performance Indicator WM05

Members were informed that, as requested at the previous meeting of the Committee, further clarification about Performance Indicator WM05, “percentage of calls answered within twenty seconds”, had been requested.  Officers explained that the response referred to in this performance indicator related to calls answered by an individual rather than by an automated response machine.

RESOLVED that

1)     an Emergency Planning Briefing item be scheduled onto the Committee’s Work Programme for consideration at a meeting of the Committee on 30 April;

2)     all Members be invited to attend the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 30 April to consider the Emergency Planning presentation; and

3)     subject to the comments above, the contents of the Actions List be noted.