Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the following Members:

Councillor Gibson;

Councillor Fenner;

Councillor Poole;

Councillor Driver, substituted by Councillor King;

Councillor M. Tomlinson, substituted by Councillor S. Tomlinson;

Councillor Hornus, substituted by Councillor M. Saunders.

To approve the Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting held on 13 January 2015, copy attached.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor D. Saunders seconded and Members agreed the minutes of the Panel meeting held on 13 January 2015.

Paul Cook, Director of Corporate Resources introduced the report. He said that officers redrafted the External Funding and Grants Protocol to take into account the comments from the Overview & Scrutiny Panel that the protocol ought to have a commentary on community grants, including those grants which were not ring-fenced.

Member requested that further clarification be included in the Protocol document regarding Members involvement in the award granting process. They suggested that the definition for ‘appropriate Member involvement’ be set out in the document. A clear definition for the term ‘sustainable organisations’ should be provided in the Protocol as well as notes on who would set out the measurement for what could be viewed as constituting sustainability. Paul Cook agreed to review the document in the context of the suggestions made by Members and make the changes. Officers will also develop a matrix to be used to adjudicate on competing demands to determine the projects that would in the end be awarded the grants.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor Dwyer-King seconded and Members agreed that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel recommends to the Governance and Audit Committee the adoption of the revised External Funding and Grants Protocol; subject to the proposed amendments that have been highlighted above.

Martyn Cassell, Community and Leisure Manager led discussion on the subject. He said that the draft Community Safety Partnership Plan 2015/16 had been developed by partner agencies along with contributions made by residents gathered through an online survey and open residents meetings. The draft Plan had been reviewed by the Community Safety Partnership Working Party. The Chairman of the working party thanked Mr Cassell and Members of the sub-group for the work done throughout the year.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor D. Saunders seconded and Members agreed that, taking into consideration the recommendations from the Community Safety Partnership Working Party from 3rd March 2015; the Overview & Scrutiny Panel recommends to Cabinet that the priorities and emerging issues in the Thanet Community Safety Plan 2015/16 as set out in Annex 1 be approved by Full Council.

There being no debate on the issue, Members noted the report.

The Chairman of the Member Planning Protocol Review Task & Finish Group (TFG) expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in drafting the required one-off officer report for the sub-group to consider and recommend to the Planning Committee through the Panel. Larissa Reed, Director of Community Services assured Members that officers were going to arrange a meeting of the sub-group that would take place within two weeks of the Panel meeting.

Members were concerned that if the sub-group met they would not be able to make recommendations to the Panel before Annual Council as there were no scheduled meetings of the Panel arranged until after Annual Council. The Chairman of the Panel suggested that the Overview & Scrutiny Panel delegated the authority to the Members Planning Protocol Review TFG so that the sub-group could make recommendations directly to the Planning Committee.

Councillor Gideon proposed, Councillor Campbell seconded and Members agreed the suggested changes and wording to the Planning Committee Chairman’s opening remarks before commencement of business at each Planning Committee meeting; subject to ratification by the Members Planning Protocol Review TFG and it being constitutionally appropriate.

Members who sit on the TDC Artefacts Management Review TFG were concerned that officers submitted a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) which encompassed more than the TFG had requested assistance for. The sub-group had requested Cabinet to provide £25,000 for the hiring of a professional Archivist to speed up the cataloguing of the artefacts in the Margate Museum. However officers submitted a HLF bid for the capital works on the Margate Museum, which was a long term capital project and outside the remit of the task and finish group.

The Panel said that a sub-group report should have been drafted for consideration by the Overview & Scrutiny Panel requesting that the Panel recommends to Cabinet that £25,000 be set aside for the hiring of the professional Archivist to lead on the cataloguing of artefacts in the Margate Museum project.

Members noted the report.

The Chairman expressed disappointment at the lack of support by external agencies that were approached by the QEQM Hospital A&E Review TFG to investigate issues arising from a petition that was submitted to Full Council. The Chairman of the TDC Artefacts Management Review TFG was concerned at the lack of progress of reviewing the artefacts management by the Council. Members were disappointed that Council has not to date set aside the required funding for the hiring of an Archivist to support the on-going work of the volunteers at the Margate Museum. The Panel Chairman said whilst acknowledging that sub-groups faced a number of challenges in undertaking their review work; the sub-groups should have come back to report these difficulties to the main Panel during the course of the year.

Councillor Gideon proposed, Councillor Campbell seconded and Members unanimously agreed that in future the Overview & Scrutiny Panel Chairman conducts quarterly meetings with working parties/TFGs Chairmen and lead officers, to check on progress of review projects on the Panel’s work programme.

Councillor Campbell proposed, Councillor D. Saunders seconded and the Panel agreed the following:

1.  To maintain a watching brief on the issue regarding the Royal Sands negotiation between Council and Cardy;

2.  To recommend to the incoming Overview and Scrutiny Panel in 2015/16; the reconstitution of the following sub-groups;

a.  Community Safety Partnership Working Party;

b.  Corporate Performance Review Working Party;

c.  Electoral Registration Process Review Task & Finish Group;

d.  Members Planning Protocol Review Task & Finish Group;

e.  TDC Artefacts Management Review Task & Finish Group;

3.  To report back to Full Council the difficulties faced by the Panel in getting cooperation from the relevant external agencies in carrying forward the request of the petition and seek the consent of Full Council to refer the key questions of the petition to Kent County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee;

4.  That the Chairman presents the Annual Report to the next scheduled Full Council meeting.

There being no debate on the item, Members noted the report.