City of York Council (Logo)

Meeting:

Full Council

Meeting date:

16 July 2026

Report of:

Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer

Portfolio of:

Councillor Claire Douglas, Leader of the Council


Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26


Subject of Report

 

1.           On 27 March 2025 Council endorsed an action plan to implement recommendations arising from a Scrutiny Impact Review of City of York Council undertaken by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS). This included the following recommendation: ‘To reinstate the process of having an annual scrutiny report but update the format to focus on the impact and difference that scrutiny has made.’

 

2.        The cross-party Scrutiny Review Working Group, established following Council’s endorsement of the action plan, considered examples of best practice from comparable local authorities to inform the development of an annual report. Draft documents were then developed, further considered by the Working Group, revised to take members’ comments into account, with a draft annual referred to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee to note and agree to submit to Council for approval.

 

3.        At its meeting on 6 July 2026, Corporate Scrutiny Committee considered and approved the draft Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26, subject to minor amendments, for submission to full Council. This would meet the requirements of the recommendation previously agreed by Council and represent the first Annual Scrutiny Report at City of York Council since 2019.

 

Financial Strategy Implications

 

4.           None directly arising from this report.

 

Recommendation and Reasons

 

5.        Council is recommended to note the City of York Council Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26, following approval by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee.

 

6.        Reason: To strengthen the scrutiny function and to fulfil the recommendation endorsed by Council in March 2025 in relation to reintroducing an annual report.

 

Organisational Impact and Implications

 

7.           The implications are as follows:

 

·                    Financial - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Human Resources (HR) - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Legal - none directly arising from this report. The Council has a statutory duty to operate a scrutiny function.

·                    Procurement - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Health and Wellbeing - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Environment and Climate action - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Affordability - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Equalities and Human Rights - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Data Protection and Privacy - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Communications - none directly arising from this report.

·                    Economy - none directly arising from this report.

 

Wards Impacted

 

8.           All wards affected.

 

Contact details

 

For further information please contact the author of this report.

 

 

 

Author

 

Name:

Bryn Roberts

Job Title:

Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer

Service Area:

Legal and Democratic Services

Report approved:

Yes

Date:

8 July 2026


Background papers

 

·        Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, Scrutiny Impact Report: City of York Council, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s182228/Annex%20A%20York%20Scrutiny%20Impact%20Report.pdf

 

·        City of York Council Scrutiny Impact Review Action Plan, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s182229/Annex%20B%20Scrutiny%20Impact%20Review%20Action%20Plan.pdf

 

Annexes

·        Annex A – Scrutiny Annual Report 2025/26