Agenda and minutes

Notification of substitute members were recorded as set out below:

·         Councillor L Athwal substituted for Councillor S Pilgrim

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules 17.5 to 17.9 this councillor had the same rights as the ordinary member of the committee for whom they were substituting.

Members are reminded of their obligation under the Council’s Code of Conduct to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests in any matter(s) to be considered or being considered at the meeting. These are explained in the Code of Conduct on the Council’s website at Code of conduct for members – Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (tmbc.gov.uk).

Membersin anydoubt aboutsuch declarationsare advisedto contactLegal or Democratic Services in advance of the meeting.

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 Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee held on 16 July 2025.

RESOLVED:  That the notes of the meeting of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee held on 16 July 2025 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To provide an update on recent activities of the organisation

On behalf of the Council’s Member representative on the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Joint Adjudication Committee, the Leader (Councillor M Boughton) provided an overview of the organisation, explaining its role in civil enforcement and policy setting for parking across councils with parking powers, including recent activities and the frequency of meetings.

This report provides Members with an overview of the Cabinet Member presentation on Environmental Health and Health services.

On behalf of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Environment and Economy, the Leader (Councillor M Boughton) provided a comprehensive update in respect of the Council’s Environmental Health and Health services, outlining the functions and staffing of the teams within the services, links to the Council’s Corporate Strategy and the Annual Service Delivery Plan, service performances, key achievements, challenges and future plans.

As explained in the presentation, the Environmental Protection Team was responsible for handling nuisance complaints, contaminated land enquiries, air quality monitoring and commenting on planning and licensing applications; the Food and Safety Team was responsible for conducting inspections of food premises to ensure compliance with food hygiene legislations, including food sampling and health and safety investigation of complaints; and the One You Team focused on healthy lifestyle advice, including running health walks and Weight Management Programmes, delivered for and through funding from the Public Health function of the Kent County Council.

Whilst welcoming the significant achievements of the Council’s Environmental Health and Health Services, Members also recognised the key challenges faced by them, such as managing public expectations, increasing numbers of new food businesses, complex casework, national difficulties in recruiting and retaining regulatory services officers and funding dependency for the One You Team which led to uncertainty in long-term planning.  The Council continued to commit to embed environmental health and health priorities into the Council’s Corporate Strategy going forward.

In response to questions raised by Members regarding the Council’s role in promoting healthy living and influence on public health, it was clarified that, given the statutory public health duties resting with the County Council, the Borough Council sought to influence health through wider determinants such as housing, income, leisure and close partnership with public health authorities to support community initiatives.  Particular reference was made to the healthy living programmes delivered by the One You Team, which were well received within the community despite challenges arising from the funding constraint.

This report provides Members with a health report for Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council.  It also updates Members on the Council’s One You team and the work of the Health Action Team.

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health presented a health report for the Borough Council [Annex 1] and updated Members on the Council’s One You Team and the work of the Health Action Team.

Members acknowledged that, although the Borough Council was not responsible for health services nor had the public health statutory duty, the health services provided by the Borough Council could still play an integral role in improving the health of residents within the borough.

The Council’s One You Team, working in partnership with the Kent County Council through grant funding, continued to deliver healthy lifestyle services across the borough, including supporting other organisations and events.  Tonbridge & Malling’s Health Action Team provided a forum for the Council and local partners to come together to share knowledge and expertise and plan actions to help improve delivery of health and wellbeing services for all across the borough.  Members also noted that a Health Action Plan for the Borough Council was underway.

Members welcomed the positive achievements of the One You Team and the Health Action Team, in particular their contribution to the Council’s aim of promoting wellbeing and healthy lifestyles.  It was suggested that the potential to include mental health, neurological support and welfare in future planning for the borough, identified as one of the three priorities of the Health Action Team, be explored.

Additionally, Members discussed the importance of engaging schools and families in health promotion, although resource constraints, reliance on volunteer and community goodwill and the need for coordinated and sustainable interventions were identified as key challenges.

The Work Programme setting out matters to be scrutinised during 2025/26 is attached for information.  Members can suggest future items by liaising with the Chair of the Committee.

The Work Programme setting out matters to be scrutinised during 2025/26 was attached for information.  Members were invited to suggest future matters by liaising with the Chair of the Committee.

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 matters considered in private.