Agenda item

The Committee considered update reports in relation to current and pending

reviews.

The following oral reports were given:

a)         Communications Task and Finish Group (Stage One)– Chair Councillor J.   Brunner.

Members were informed that the Group had completed its consultation process and had begun to collate information obtained during that period. 

The Chair explained that the Group had started to consider final recommendations and had started to produce a presentation for the first stage of the exercise.

b)         District Centres Task and Finish Group
– Chair Councillor A. Fry

The Chair of the District Centres Task and Finish Group explained that the Group had met on the 22nd of November. 

Members were informed that a number of items had been discussed and the Group had started to consider possible recommendations.

The Chair explained that the completion date for the exercise had also been discussed at the last meeting of the Group.  Members were informed that the Group hoped to complete the exercise by March 2008.

c)         Fees and Charges Task and Finish Group
– Chair Councillor C. MacMillan

Officers provided an update on the progress of the exercise on behalf of the Chair of the Group. 

Members were informed that at the last meeting of the Fees and Charges Task and Finish Group Members had interviewed the Head of Financial, Revenues and Benefits Services to clarify relevant terminology and to discuss financial arrangements at Redditch Borough Council.  Officers explained that Members had invited the Head of Leisure and the Arts to the next meeting of the Group to discuss fees and charges in that service area.  Members were also informed that the Group was scheduled to review local authority powers to trade.

d)         Housing Priority Task and Finish Group
– Chair Councillor B. Passingham

Members were informed that the Council’s visioning event was addressing issues of relevance to the Task and Finish Group exercise.  Officers suggested that Members should postpone a decision about the progress of this exercise until Officers had reported the initial findings from the visioning exercise to the Executive Committee.    This suggestion was approved.

e)         Gypsies and Travellers Task and Finish Group
– Chair Councillor P. Hill

Members discussed the date for the first meeting of this exercise.  The Chair explained that due to personal circumstances and concerns about Officer and Member capacity she would prefer to postpone the first meeting of the Group until 2008. 

Members agreed to discuss the date for the first meeting of this Group in 2008.

f)                    Joint Scrutiny on Flooding

Officers reported to Members that the first meeting for this review had taken place on Monday the 26th of November at 6pm at County Hall.  Members were informed that Councillor Chalk had attended the meeting to represent the interests of Redditch Borough Council. 

Officers explained to Members that the next meeting was not scheduled to take place until January 2008, to enable Officers to gather information about current actions in response to the floods.  Members were informed that this information would inform the framework of the Joint Scrutiny exercise.

Members discussed the exercise and requested that Councillor Chalk attend the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to discuss proceedings at the Joint Scrutiny on Flooding meeting on the 22nd November.

RESOLVED that

                     the Committee note the reports and agree the proposed action, all as detailed in the preamble above.