Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 27 January 2015

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 27 January 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To consider co-option of persons to the Committee pursuant to Article 6.05 of the Council’s Constitution

RESOLVED:  That pursuant to Article 6.05 of the Council’s Constitution, Mr P Drury and Mr D Still be co-opted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the current municipal year.

The report of the Chief Executive presented for endorsement the final version of the Council’s Corporate Performance Plan (CPP) pending the development of a new Corporate Strategy for 2016/17 in the light of recommendations of the Peer Challenge which took place in 2014.  The CPP, set out as an annex to the report, addressed past performance achieved in 2014/15 which it was noted had been good overall. 

Members were advised that the Cabinet had recently agreed a timetable for consideration of the new Corporate Strategy which would be slimmer in content than the CPP and focus on transformation issues, the Council’s financial position and delivery against a smaller set of key priorities.  A draft of the Strategy would be reported to a future meeting of the Committee for consideration prior to formal adoption.

RECOMMENDED:  That the final version of the Corporate Performance Plan, as set out at Annex 1 to the report, be approved by the Cabinet.

The report of the Chief Executive set out a suggested programme of scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by the Committee together with proposed arrangements for taking forward the initial reviews by means of informal scrutiny panels chaired by the Vice-Chairmen.

Two reviews were suggested for immediate consideration: the mechanisms through which the Council engaged with parish/town councils and community groups in Tonbridge, focusing on the roles of the Parish Partnership Panel and Tonbridge Forum; and a review of the recommendations of the Council’s Peer Challenge.  Topics for the longer term programme included a review of grants to the voluntary sector and a review of charges, both of which would inform the 2016/17 budget cycle.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the suggested programme of scrutiny reviews, as set out in section 1.2 of the report, be approved subject to expansion of the scope of the review of grants to the voluntary sector and other third parties to include parish councils and the Council’s subscriptions to associations and other bodies; and

(2)             informal scrutiny review panels be formed to take forward the reviews of Community Engagement and Peer Challenge Recommendations on the basis set out in the report but chaired respectively by Councillors Mrs Oakley and Miss Shrubsole and with provisional dates for their first meetings of 21 July and 23 July 2015.

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

There were no items considered in private.