Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs J Brockway, Mrs A M Newton and Mrs A Reynolds and Added Members Mr C V Miller, Mrs E J Olivier-Townrow and Mr P Thompson.

It was noted that the Chief Executive, having received a notice under Regulation 13 of the Local Government (Committee's and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, had appointed Councillor W J Aron as a replacement member of the Committee in place of Councillor Mrs A M Newton, for this meeting only.

Councillor Mrs C A Talbot declared an interest as Chairman of the Lincoln Cathedral Fabric Fund Council. 

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 July 2014 be agreed and signed by the Chairman.

(To consider any Call-Ins, should any be received)

No Call-Ins had been received.

(To consider any proposals for Scrutiny Reviews, should any be received)

No proposals for Scrutiny Reviews had been received.

(To receive a report by Andy Gutherson (County Commissioner for Economy and Place), which provides the Committee with the opportunity to review a first draft of the Central Lincolnshire Preliminary Draft Local Plan and receive information about a six week consultation process which is due to be launched on 1 October 2014)

The County Commissioner for Economy and Place presented a report to the Committee which provided Members with the opportunity to review a first draft of the Central Lincolnshire Preliminary Draft Local Plan and to receive information in relation to the six week consultation process, which was due to be launched on 1 October 2014.

Members were advised that Lincolnshire County Council was a partner in the statutory partnership which had been established through the Central Lincolnshire Strategic Joint Planning Unit with West Lindsey District Council, City of Lincoln Council and North Kesteven District Council.  The partnership was moving towards the production of a single Local Plan for the Central Lincolnshire area.  The project plan for delivery of the Plan was for it to be adopted by the end of 2016.  A first draft of the Local Plan was attached at Appendix A to the report.

It was noted that the detail of the implications of the Local Plan would be reported to the Environmental Scrutiny Committee on 31 October 2014.  However, the Plan was also being reported to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee as the content of the Local Plan had extended beyond the remit of the Environmental Scrutiny Committee given the spatial implications on economic, transportation, infrastructure, environmental and social considerations.  The Plan would also have direct implications for councillors in respect of detailed matters within their own electoral divisions.

The County Commissioner for Economy and Place went through some of the headline points, which were detailed on pages 15 and 16 of the Committee's report.

Members were provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted: -

·        Significant concerns were raised regarding the accuracy of the information contained within Appendix B to the report 'Preliminary Central Lincolnshire Settlement Hierarchy Study'; for example, some of the information regarding the amenities within some of Lincolnshire's villages was factually incorrect.  It was therefore suggested that this information was brought up to date by the district councils;

·        A number of concerns were raised regarding Lincolnshire's road infrastructure and whether it could cope with an increase in housing developments;

·        It was essential that local planning documents were brought up to date and therefore it was necessary for the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee to produce this Local Plan to ensure that there was a robust position statement in place;

·        It was hoped that all Neighbourhood Plans would link into Local Plans;

·        Members were advised that the relevant Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Groups would form part of the consultation process;

·        It was hoped that the remaining district councils would also produce Local Plans;

·        Members were advised that the comments made at this meeting would be presented to the Environmental Scrutiny Committee, for information, as part of its forthcoming update report; and

·        It was suggested that the issues raised at this meeting should be discussed at the next scheduled informal meeting of the scrutiny chairmen and vice-chairmen.

RESOLVED

(1)  That the report and comments made be noted.

(2)  That the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

(To receive a report by David Hair (Team Leader Scrutiny and Member Support), which provides the Committee with an opportunity to consider its work programme and the work programme for the Council's Scrutiny Committees)

Consideration was given to a report from the Team Leader (Scrutiny and Member Support), which provided the Committee with an opportunity to consider its work programme and the work programmes of the Scrutiny Committees.  Copies of the individual work programmes were appended to the report and the following updates were received:-

i)          Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

The Chairman reminded Members that the Committee would be receiving an update from the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner at its meeting scheduled to be held on 30 October 2014.  As with usual practice, Members were requested to email any questions for either the Chief Constable or the Police and Crime Commissioner to the Team Leader (Scrutiny and Member Support).  The deadline for questions would be 8 October 2014, as this would allow time to collate the questions, submit them and receive responses back prior to the meeting.

It was noted that the final Constitutional Update would be presented to the Committee at its meeting scheduled to be held on 27 November 2014, prior to the proposed amendments being presented to County Council for approval on 19 December 2014. An update on Superfast Broadband would also be presented at this meeting of the Committee.

It was agreed that following the meeting of the Committee on 27 November 2014, an informal meeting of the Scrutiny Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen would be held.  Members were advised that an electronic appointment would be sent to those councillors concerned.

Councillors were informed that a development session had been arranged for the morning of 21 November 2014 to help increase understanding of financial information and how to scrutinise it.  It was recognised that this would be particularly timely ahead of the next budget round in January 2015.  An electronic appointment for this session would be sent to all councillors shortly after the meeting.

ii)         Adults Scrutiny Committee

The Scrutiny Officer advised Members that the two items on the 'Option Approval for Commissioning the Dementia Family Support Service' and 'Option Recommendation for Commissioning the Dementia Support Network' would now not be proceeding to the Committee on 1 October 2014, as the Executive Councillor would now not be making decisions on those two items on 13 October 2014.  It was understood that both decisions would be considered later on in the year.

iii)        Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee

The Vice-Chairman advised that there were no amendments to the work programme.

However, at the Committee's meeting scheduled to be held on 24 October 2014, Members would consider the Executive Response to the scrutiny review on Frontline Social Workers and Safeguarding and a report on the current situation with regards to child sexual exploitation in Lincolnshire.

The Committee would also be considering a proposal for a scrutiny review on School Improvement, which if supported by the Committee, would need to be presented to Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 27 November 2014, for approval.

In response to a question, Members were advised that a Councillor Development Session on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.