Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors N R Gregory and P W Whittle, JP.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Scrutiny Board meeting held on 4 July 2013.

It was AGREED that the minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Board held on 4 July 2013 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

There were no declarations of interest or disclosures of advice or directions made at this meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Medium Term Finance Strategy 2013/14.

The Board considered a report by the Director of Finance and Resources on the Medium Term Finance Strategy 2013/14. Members were invited to consider the review of the Finance Strategy and to note that any comments would be reported to the Executive when the strategy document was submitted for approval at the Executive meeting on 7 October 2013.

It was AGREED that:-

(a)       the Executive be advised that the Board had requested that the table in paragraph 40 on page 7 of the Draft Strategy be amended to clarify references to member approval by indicating whether the decisions would be made by Council, the Executive or non-executive committees;

(b)       the Executive be advised that the Board had requested that paragraph 70 on page 11 of the Draft Strategy be deleted; 

(c)       it be recommended to the Executive that it looks at ways of identifying possible funding from the European Union and other organisations, in partnership with other local authorities in the area;

(d)       the Executive be advised that the Board has requested that paragraph 99 on page 15 of the Draft Strategy be amended to clarify that the reference to costs associated with “Welborne planning and supporting delivery” refer to potential expenditure in addition to those incurred in the preparation of the Welborne Local Plan and supporting strategic masterplan;

(e)       the Executive be advised that the Board noted the significance and uncertainties surrounding the areas identified, and suggested that further work should be undertaken to broadly quantify the financial risk to support the Finance Strategy; and

(f)        the Executive be advised that the Board suggested that the following wording in paragraph 99 on page 15 of the Draft Strategy, “but have yet to be costed”, be replaced with “but because of the high level of uncertainty, these costs have yet to be included in the financial projections” to more accurately reflect the position.  

To consider a report by the Director of Finance and Resources, which invites members to review the Board’s work programme for 2013/14.

The Board considered a report by the Director of Finance and Resources, which invited members to review the Board’s work programme for 2013/14.

It was AGREED that:-

(a)       the programme of items as set out in Appendix A to the report be noted; and

(b)       the progress on actions since the last meeting, as set out in Appendix B to the report, be noted.

As part of the review of Project Integra, the Policy Review and Scrutiny Committee was disbanded and the scrutiny function delegated to the partner authorities. It was decided that the minutes of the meetings of the Project Integra Strategic Board would be circulated to the Chairman of each partner authority's Scrutiny Committee for review.

Members are therefore invited to consider the minutes of the meeting of the Project Integra Strategic Board held on 4 July 2013.

It was reported that, as part of the review of Project Integra, the Policy Review and Scrutiny Committee was disbanded and the scrutiny function delegated to the partner authorities. It was decided that the minutes of the meetings of the Project Integra Strategic Board would be circulated to the Chairman of each partner authority's Scrutiny Committee for review.

Members were therefore invited to consider the minutes of the meeting of the Project Integra Strategic Board held on 4 July 2013.  

It was AGREED that:-

(a)       the Director of Streetscene be requested to convey members’ views on the excessive use of acronyms in the minutes, particularly as the minutes were now being more widely circulated; and

(b)       the Director of Streetscene be requested to convey members’ members’ comments on the need for additional information about confidential items in the minutes.

If requested by a member, to consider any item of business dealt with by the Executive, since the last meeting of the Board. The relevant Executive meetings are 8 July 2013 and 2 September 2013. (This will also include any decisions taken by individual Executive members during the same time period.)

The Chairman invited members to indicate if they wished to consider any other item of business dealt with by the Executive, since the last meeting of the Board. There were no other items of Executive business considered.