Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members will be invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

The Chair invited Members to declare any interests they might have in the business of the meeting.  No declarations of interest were made.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 16 June 2007.

The minutes of the last meeting held on 18 June 2007 were agreed and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is Friday 20 June 2007 at 5 pm.

The Chair reported that no registrations to speak had been received under the Council’s public participation scheme.

Members are asked to consider a feasibility report in relation to a scrutiny topic on the sale of the Barbican and swimming facilities in York.

Members considered a feasibility report on the sale of the Barbican and swimming facilities in York.

Members agreed that the scale of the suggested topic was potentially too wideranging for review as drafted.  They were, however, sympathetic to a review tailored to achieve improvements in handling future developments of a similar scale and nature. It was therefore requested that Councillor Joe Watt be invited to attend the next meeting of SMC to discuss what he was hoping to achieve through reviewing this topic in more detail.

It was also noted that an audit of the process and decisions taken in regard to the sale of the Barbican was due to be reported by the District Auditor in September 2007 and that its findings could inform any scrutiny review of this topic.

RESOLVED:       That a review of this topic be agreed in principle and that Cllr Watt be invited to attend the next meeting of SMC to discuss and agree an amendment to his topic registration in an effort to clarify the scope and agree a remit for the review

REASON:            To ensure any review remains focused and timely.

This report of the Area Asset Management Plan (Tanghall) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee presents their final recommendations.

Members considered a final draft report from the Area Asset Management Plan (Tanghall) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee.

The report highlighted the need to adopt a range of relevant research and consultation which would be appropriate to the particular area of any future asset management plan.  Also that residents, key stakeholders and ward committees be included as standard in all instances.

The Head of Property & Asset Management informed members that the first draft of the Tanghall Asset Management Plan was now ready and explained the next stages in the process to be followed i.e.

·              Priority circulation to the consultees involved in the scrutiny review. 

·              The wider circulation of the plan for consultation to ensure all other interest parties have an opportunity to comment. 

·              All comments received would then be used to inform a final draft of the plan to be presented to the Executive or relevant EMAP.

Members agreed not to view and comment on the plan at this stage, but rather to wait until the priority consultees responses were received so that both could be viewed together.

Members also agreed that their comments on the final draft report from the Area Asset Management Plan (Tanghall) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee and their comments on the Tanghall Asset Management Plan should be presented to the Executive at the same time as the Executive consider the final draft of the Plan.

RESOLVED:    That the final draft report from the Area Asset Management Plan (Tanghall) Ad-hoc Scrutiny Committee be referred to the Executive when it considers the draft of the plan and priority consultees comments.

REASON:         To ensure Members are fully informed concurrently on the plan and scrutiny review.

This report provides Members with update information on the implementation of all outstanding recommendations made as a result of all completed scrutiny reviews since 2004.

Members considered a report that detailed the progress made to date in implementing the recommendations made as a result of the reviews completed since 2004.

Members agreed to sign off the following reviews as the recommendations had been fully implemented:

Having considered the updates received for the following reviews, Members agreed to sign off all of the individual recommendations that had been fully implemented and requested a further update via email for the following outstanding recommendations:

In regard to the review of Confidentiality & Transparency, Members recognised that for a majority of the recommendations, the decision to implement was in the hands of the political parties.  Members therefore  requested that the relevant officers provide a comprehensive update to  the political groups for their consideration.

For the remaining completed reviews listed below where officers had yet to provide an update on the implementation of the recommendations, Members requested that these be looked at one by one at future SMC meetings:

Members agreed to start with the review on Take-Aways; Powers of Enforcement and requested that the Assistant Director of Planning & Sustainable Development attend the next meeting of SMC to provide an update on the implementation completed to date.

SMC also agreed to receive the annual update on the Floods Scrutiny Review which is scheduled to be presented to Neighbourhood Services EMAP around October 2007.

RESOLVED:  That the contents of the report be noted, and that those reviews where no previous updates had been received, be considered in detail at future meetings of SMC.

REASON:         To raise awareness of those recommendations which have still to be implemented.