Meeting documents

Members are reminded of the need to consider whether they have a

disclosable pecuniary, prejudicial or other (personal) interest to declare in

any items on this agenda. Details of any interest must be declared at the

start of the meeting or as soon as any interest becomes apparent during the

meeting. The attached form must also be completed. Any advice required

should ideally be sought before the day of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record, and sign, the minutes of the Places and

Futures Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 21st April, 2021, attached.

RESOLVED: that the minutes of the meetings held on 21 April, 2021 be approved as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

Public questions of which due notice has been given and which are relevant to the business of the committee.

The Chairman reported that no public questions had been received.

To receive a presentation at the meeting from the Director (LD) on the

"Places and Futures" aspects of the Corporate Plan and on monitoring

progress relating thereto.

The Policy and Governance Manager and the Policy and Governance Officer attended the meeting and provided the Committee with a detailed power point presentation on the monitoring of the Corporate Plan.

As a background to the presentation, the Committee was reminded that the Council’s Corporate Plan "Better Borough, Brighter Futures" had been approved in September, 2020 following a wide scale consultation exercise.  The plan included a wide range of actions and projects, including "what success looks like?"

Reference was made to the "Golden Thread" principles within the organisation, which was woven into the Performance Management Framework of the Council and aligned to the aspirations contained in the Corporate Plan

An important role of both this Committee and the Lives and Homes Overview and Scrutiny Committee was to monitor and scrutinise those aspects of the Corporate Plan that fell under their respective remits.

The presentation highlighted the following key points, with particular focus on the "Lives and Homes" aspects:-

·         four strands (Better Lives; Better Homes; Better Places; Brighter Futures); Better Council; an efficient, effective and financially sustainable Council;

·         the Council’s performance management framework;

·         what was measured, and why?;

·         reporting cycle;

·         how it all linked together with examples?

·         Lives and Homes focus;

·         Better Lives – service areas

·         Better Lives – happy, healthy active people;

·         Better Lives – thriving and engaged communities;

·         Better Lives – a Borough where we all feel safe;

·         Examples of measures – better lives;

·         Policies and Strategies;

·         Projects and Initiatives;

·         Better Homes – service areas;

·         Role of Overview and Scrutiny.

Following the presentation, the Policy and Governance Manager and the Policy and Governance Officer invited and responded to the Committee’s questions and comments thereon.

One Member asked where upgrades to the A64 would fit into the Plan. Officers indicated that it related to connectivity and lobbying however its direct provision was within the purview of North Yorkshire County Council. Other Members added that connectivity should also focus within and between the towns and villages and consider all forms of transport. The Chair enquired further and asked to what extent Scarborough Borough Council had liaised with North Yorkshire County Council on transport links. The Economic Development Project Manager responded that the working relationship had grown through Town Deal work and other grant schemes. He cited ongoing examples of their involvement and alluded to exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

Another Member enquired into how changeable the Corporate Plan (CP) was in responding to community values, and how community satisfaction of the CP would be fed back and implemented into the way the plan functions. In response, the Officer explained the objectives of the CP were informed by public consultation and that going forward, performance and public opinion would be reviewed via regular surveys. In addition, officers had studied local area surveys that go back to the year 2000 and concluded that the top 5 priorities of the public have shuffled in rank but remained the same. An Annual Improvement Plan i.e. the Annual Report would also review the actions the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider the final report of the Climate Change Task and Finish Group (to

be presented by the Chair of the Task Group, Cllr Phil Trumper) (reference

21/104) attached.

The Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive (reference 21/104), which contained the final report of findings of the Climate Change Task and Finish group.

Cllr Phil Trumper, the Chair of the Climate Change Task and Finish group, emphasised the importance of the group’s report and its instrumental role in meeting the Council’s target of net zero by 2030. After paying tribute to the work undertaken by the review group members, he introduced the Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Officer, Mr Baross, who highlighted the key findings as detailed within the strategy document.

Following Mr Baross’s summation, the Economic Development Project Manager highlighted the occurrence of an evidence day done in partnership with organisations across the region that produced further opportunities for cooperation.

A Member commented on numerous points including the Council’s previous record on solar panels, the current reasons that inhibit their introduction, and the overall feasibility of the target; the proposed reduce, reuse repair strategy and how the Council would follow up on its recycling contributions, and how the Council could enforce the process so that rubbish does not end up in landfills; the legality of retrofitting lease agreements on properties that the Council owns but were occupied by tenants; enquired into more details on transitioning taxi driver vehicles to electric vehicles; and argued the Council could and should do more to increase biodiversity, such as the Miyawaki Method of planting trees.

The Chair of the Climate Change Task and Finish Group explained that discussions on biodiversity and tree planting had taken place with partners such as the North York Moors National Park and the National Farmers Union as it was recognised tackling climate change would encompass these efforts.

Mr Baross responded to Members questions in turn, he explained that solar panels would receive an updated feasibility study; that preventing landfill waste was the objective of the planned circular economy whereby recycling was done only after something could not be reused; that the focus was on newer leases wherein discussions with residents would consider what could and should be done in each property on an individual basis; that conversations with taxi drivers would determine the level of support needed from the Council; that the priority of climate change over biodiversity was a result of the terms of reference of the Task and Finish Group, but that there were areas in the report that would benefit biodiversity; and that although there was support for planting more trees, it should follow the principle of ‘right place, right tree, right reasons’.

The Chair thanked Officers for the reports and the Committee endorsed the work of the Task and Finish group.

RESOLVED: that:-

(1)  That the Members of the Climate Change Task and Finish Group be thanked for their efforts and hard work in producing the Scarborough Borough Council Climate Change Strategy document;

(2)  The Places and Futures Overview and Scrutiny endorses the Climate Change Strategy document as now submitted; and

(3) That the Climate Change Strategy document be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider, agree and/or amend the current Places and Futures Overview

and Scrutiny Committee’s programme of work (reference 21/107), along with

a copy of the latest published version of the Cabinet’s Forward Plan for

consideration.

The Democratic Services Officer presented the Places and Futures Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s work programme (reference 21/107) for Members’ consideration, along with the most recent copy of the Cabinet’s Forward Plan

The Committee reviewed and discussed the work programme.

The Democratic Services Officer first raised the request of the Committee for a report on the Covid-19 recovery strategy.  He sought clarity from the Committee whether it wanted a retrospective type report on how the Council had performed against the objectives set in the Covid recovery strategy over the past 12 months; or a current report on how the Council was and intended to support the local economy and population moving forward post lockdown; or both aspects? The Chair responded that he would like to see the Committee concentrate on scrutinising the Covid-19 Recovery Strategy moving forward. He referred to the Covid-19 recovery strategy document agreed by Cabinet in July, 2020 which included eight appendices, covering aspects such as the humanitarian response through to the vision for an environmentally sustainable recovery.  It was also noted that the Covid-19 recovery strategy had not been updated since it was approved by Cabinet in July, 2020 and would like Officers to provide some commentary against anticipated outcomes detailed in the plan since July, 2020 and whether the plan would now be refreshed and updated moving forward?. This approach for the report was endorsed by the Committee.          

The Democratic Services Officer then informed the Committee of a response received from the Chair of the Yorkshire Coast Business Improvement District (YCBID) company in response to the Committee’s invitation for YCBID to meet with them following YCBID’s attendance at the 11^th November, 2020 meeting of the former Overview and Scrutiny Board. Mr Rowe-Evans, Chair of the YCBID had offered to meet with the Committee in late September/October, 2021 and in the interim meet with the Committee’s Chair.  A number of Committee Members expressed the view that they would like to meet with the YCBID earlier in full Committee and that if any meeting outside Committee was to take place in the interim, it should involve both the Chair and Vice Chair.

The Democratic Services Officer also provided an update regarding Transpennine Express (TPE) and that it was anticipated an update would be provided to all Council Members on this matter within a couple of weeks post this meeting.

A Member wished to undertake pre-decision scrutiny on the Scarborough Coastal Defence Strategy Refresh which was on the Cabinet Forward plan for consideration at the Cabinet meeting to be held on 21^st July, 2021. The Democratic Services Officer undertook to contact the Principal Coastal Officer to inform him of the Member’s concerns on this matter and how he could address them, such as through a Member Briefing or a special meeting of the Committee.  It was also noted that all Members of the Committee also had the ability to use the call-In process if they were dissatisfied with the outcome of any Cabinet decision on this matter.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.