Agenda for Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, 14 July 2020, 6.00pm

Agenda and decisions

Venue: Virtual (via Zoom)

Contact: Fungai Nyamukapa  Email: fungai.nyamukapa@stevenage.gov.uk Tel: 01438 242707

Note: You can view this meeting via the live stream from the Council’s YouTube channel by following this link - https://www.youtube.com/user/SBCComms 

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Decision:

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Sarah-Jane McDonough.

 

There were no declarations of interest.

2.

MINUTES - OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - 17 JUNE 2020 pdf icon PDF 101 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2020.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2020 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

3.

PART I DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE pdf icon PDF 107 KB

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on Wednesday, 8 July 2020.

 

Executive                                                                                      Page No.

Agenda Item No.

 

2        Minutes of the Executive – 10 June 2020                                      5

3        Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee                                     13          and Select Committees                                                             

4                  Coronavirus (Covid-19) Incident Update Report and                    21          Recovery Plan                                                                           

5        Housing First Approach at Stevenage Borough Council             3SA*         in Response to the Rough Sleeping Crisis

6        A Co-operative Inclusive Economy Charter                               105

7        2019/20 Annual Report And Performance Overview          117 & 17SA*

8        4th Quarter Revenue Monitoring Report 2019/20 -                    147

General Fund and Housing Revenue Account                                    

9        Capital Expenditure Outturn 2019/20                                        167     

         

          *SA – Supplementary Agenda

                                       

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE MEETING HELD ON 8 JULY 2020

 

 

 

Decision:

The Committee considered the decisions on the following matters arising from the Executive meeting held on 8 July 2020.

 

Minutes of the Executive – 10 June 2020

 

Noted.         

                           

Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees        

Noted.

                                                       

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Incident Update Report and Recovery Plan     

 

a.       Covid-19 Data Sharing      

In response to a request that Ward level Covid-19 data be provided to Ward Members, Strategic Director (RP) informed the Committee that the Council would share as much data as was permitted under Public Health England’s data sharing agreement with local authorities.  PHE shared some data in confidence with Category One responders such as SBC.  Officers would also provide ONS data and Ward level response data from Stevenage Helps and other sources.

 

Strategic Director (RP) reported that there was a lag in the supply of ONS data to local authorities.  The Council would publish some unrestricted Covid-19 data on the website.

 

b.       Primett Road Car Park

Members raised questions relating to the additional Executive recommendation to offer 3 hours free car parking in the former Waitrose Car Park (Primett Road) for the next six months, and reviewed thereafter.  Strategic Director (TP) highlighted the Council’s discussions with HCC relating to movement plans for Old Town High Street as part of the incident management arrangements.  The Council (SBC) had anticipated displacement of parking provision in the Old Town High Street as a result of social distancing, appropriate queuing and the recommendations for outdoor seating.  It had been deemed appropriate to offer free parking at the under-utilised Primett Road (Old Waitrose) car park to those displaced from the High Street.

 

c.       Outdoor Seating Licensing

Strategic Director (TP) informed Members that he was not aware of any concerns surrounding the issuing of licences for outdoor seating facilities in Stevenage.

                                                                  

Housing First Approach at Stevenage Borough Council in Response to the Rough Sleeping Crisis

 

Noted.

 

A Co-operative Inclusive Economy Charter  

 

Members welcomed the Charter and commented that it was important to link the Charter to community and neighbourhood management work and the promotion of local purchasing.  A Member sought clarification on plans to use the Charter to engage those who were not affiliated to formal organisations within the community.  Assistant Director (Communities and Neighbourhoods) assured Members that the Charter would be captured in the resumption of the Neighbourhood Management Programme and it would be used in the engagement with existing community groups or new collectives of residents.  

 

The Assistant Director also indicated that the adoption of the Charter would lead to a review of the Council’s procurement strategy to make explicit reference to community wealth building.  It was noted that the Charter would be key in efforts to revive the local economy post-Covid-19.

 

2019/20 Annual Report and Performance Overview

 

A Member sought clarification on the possibility of a review of the Council’s Climate Emergency Strategy in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.  In acknowledging the impact of Covid-19 on the Strategy, Strategic Director (TP) highlighted reduced car journeys to work as a result remote  ...  view the full decision text for item 3.

4.

URGENT PART I DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIR OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

None.

Decision:

None.

5.

URGENT PART I BUSINESS

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.

6.

EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

To consider the following motions –

 

1.  That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

 

2.  That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED:

1.       That, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in paragraphs 1 to 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by SI 2006 No. 88.

2.       That having considered the reasons for the following item being in Part II, it be determined that maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

 

7.

PART II MINUTES - OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE - 17 JUNE 2020

To approve as a correct record the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2020.

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 17 June 2020 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

 

8.

PART II DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE

To consider the Part II Decisions of the Executive taken on Wednesday, 8 July 2020.

 

Executive                                                                                      Page No.

Agenda Item

 

12      Part II Minutes – Executive – 10 June 2020                               193

 

Notice of Decisions to follow

 

PLEASE BRING YOUR AGENDA AND REPORTS FOR THE EXECUTIVE MEETING HELD ON 8 JULY 2020

 

 

 

Decision:

It was RESOLVED that the Part II decisions of the Executive meeting held on 8 July 2020 be noted.

 

9.

URGENT PART II DECISIONS AUTHORISED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

None.

Decision:

None.

10.

URGENT PART II BUSINESS

To consider any Part II business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

Decision:

None.