Agenda item

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

(Report attached)

The Committee considered the latest version of the Actions List.  Specific mention was made of the following matters:

a)           Scrutiny of the Countryside Centre

Members were informed, in relation to Action One, that Councillor Anderson was due to attend a presentation in June on the usage of the Countryside Centre.  He had advised that once he had seen this presentation he would be able to provide the Committee with further information on the possible progression of this proposed scrutiny exercise.

b)           National Angling Museum Domain Names

Officers informed the Committee, in relation to Action Three, that the four domain names requested by the Committee had been bought by the Council.

c)            Budget Strategy and Deficit Information

Officers informed the Committee, under Action Twelve,  that they had not received any requests for further information for this item which was due to be considered at a meeting of the Committee on Wednesday 8 July.  The Chair urged Members to forward any requests for information relating to this item to Officers as soon as possible.

d)           Public Transport in Redditch

The Committee was informed that, as a response to Action Ten, Officers had contacted the Chief Executive of Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (PCT) to invite a representative from that organisation to attend a future meeting of the Committee to discuss public transport access to the Alexandra Hospital.  The PCT had confirmed that they would be willing to attend a meeting but that responsibility for many of the concerns highlighted by the Committee regarding public transport access to the hospital lay with Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.  They would however, endeavour to provide a response to the Committee’s query regarding community transport access to the hospital.  Officers confirmed that they had contacted the Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and were awaiting a response from him. 

On a related issue, Officers explained that they had received further information regarding the installation of a bus stop close to the Arrow Valley Park which had been discussed at the previous meeting.  Councillor Pearce had attended a meeting with Officers at Worcestershire County Council where she had been informed that it was feasible to install a bus stop close to the Arrow Valley Park.  One bus stop could be installed which would service people both leaving and entering the park in a circular route and would utilise the existing number 60 bus route.  In order to progress this proposal, the County Council had to submit a bid for funding by the end of the month.  Councillor Pearce had sought advice from Officers about how this proposal could be endorsed by the Committee.  Officers had advised that as the timeframes involved in making a recommendation regarding this proposal were limited Councillor Pearce should progress this using a different route.  Councillor Pearce had subsequently contacted the Council’s Leader, Councillor Gandy, regarding this issue. 

The Committee agreed that it wanted to make a recommendation in support of Worcestershire County Council pursuing this proposal and asked if it would be possible to make a recommendation straight to Council.  Officers agreed to explore options that would enable the Committee to have this recommendation considered at the forthcoming full Council meeting.

RESOLVED that

1)           Officers investigate the means by which the Committee could recommend at full Council that the Council endorse Worcestershire County Council’s plans to install a bus stop close to the Arrow Valley Park;

2)           the Actions List be noted.