Agenda item

To consider the work plans for the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Health Scrutiny Committee. 

The Chair reported that the licensing of premises particularly that of Takeaways had been referred by the Active and Cohesive Scrutiny Committee. 

A Member stated that the abundance of takeaways in certain areas of the Borough was also a health issue, which was helping to contribute to obesity.  It was agreed to set up a Member working group to look at the issue of the licensing of takeaways.   The six Members would be, Cllr Eastwood, Cllr Gill Williams, Cllr Loades, Cllr Stringer, Cllr Studd and Cllr Reddish.  It was hoped the group could conclude within three months.

The Chair asked Cllr Stringer, the Chair of the Economic Development and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee whether there was anything he wished to report on the work plan for the Committee.  In response Cllr Stringer stated that he was hoping to call a meeting of the HS2 Working Group in July.  He wanted to hold a second meeting with stakeholders to obtain their views which could then be reported to Cabinet.  The membership, since it had been agreed to extend the working group to seven members, was still being finalised.  The work plan was going to be updated shortly to remove some of the historical items and to better reflect the items the Committee intended to scrutinise moving forward. 

The Chair asked Cllr Shenton, the Chair of the Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee to give an update on the work plan for the Committee.  She reported that an extra meeting of the Committee had been arranged for the 22 July 2013 at 7pm.  The key items on the agenda presently included the budget, Gatedale Cinema and the financial status of Keele Golf Course.   She reported the other items that remained on the work plan as contained within the document circulated with the agenda. 

The Chair asked Cllr Cairns, the Chair of the Active and Cohesive Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide an update on the work plan for the Committee.  Cllr Cairns stated that the Committee had recently met and had agreed to arrange a meeting between Kidsgrove Sports Centre, the County Council, the local school and the Borough regarding its future.  He was pleased to report that the Allotments Review Working Group was progressing well with two meetings held to date.  At the last meeting of the Scrutiny Committee he had requested that a report on how young people could be encouraged to take up regular sport and physical exercise.  It was agreed that Community Centres could be taken off the work plan for the Committee. 

A Member asked about where the risk lay for Kidsgrove Sport Centre.  He asked if the Borough Council’s Audit Committee was receiving copies of the inspection reports. 

The Chair asked Cllr Eastwood, the Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee to provide an update on the work plan.  Cllr Eastwood stated that he wished to add Cardiac rehabilitation to the work plan.  Whilst the Committee had considered the Health and Wellbeing strategy at the last meeting, it remained on the work plan as the Committee wanted to scrutinise the action plans.  Infant mortality would be considered at every Health Scrutiny Committee rather than the Health and Wellbeing Board.  He would be meeting with County Health Officers shortly to help clarify the roles of the Borough and County Council in regards to Health Scrutiny.  There was a discussion about the role and remit of the Health Scrutiny Committee.  Some comments were made regarding the fact that the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Communities Scrutiny Committee were considering items which linked with health such as the alcohol strategy.  Cllr Eastwood stated that the Borough Council had a key role to play in prevention activities and that the Council should not be dependent on the County Council in this area.  District Councils had an increasingly important role to play in health. It was agreed that a review needed to take place to ensure the remits for the Committees were up to date and appropriate. 

Cllr Williams talked through the work programme for the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  There was a discussion about the definition of anti social behaviour and how it could be measured.  It was agreed that the increase in homelessness should be added to the work programme.

There was a general discussion about the LGA Peer Review and the feedback that had been received at the Committees to date.