Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Conor McGrath and Robin Parker CC.  Councillor Andy McGuinness was in attendance as substitute member for Councillor Parker.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2023.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider the following Part I Decisions of the Executive taken on 12 October 2023.

2.  Minutes – 15 September 2023

3.  Minutes of Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees

4.  Climate Change – Annual Update October 2023

5.  Housing Allocation Policy

6.  Stevenage Borough Council Corporate Plan – Making Stevenage Even Better

7.  Co-operative Commercial and Insourcing Strategy 2023 – 2026

8.  Towns Fund – Programme Delivery Update

9.  Urgent Part I Business

Notice of Decisions to follow

2.       Minutes – 26 September 2023

          Noted.

3.       Minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees

          Noted.

4.       Climate Change – Annual Update October 2023

          The Assistant Director (Planning & Regulation) reprised the slide presentation he had given to the Executive, which had included slides relating to the 9 levels for the Climate Change Strategy; a summary of the work undertaken since last year; an annual update on Greenhouse Gas emissions; the plans for decarbonising the Stevenage Transport Sector and other sectors; and progress on the “Dragon’s Den” local environmental/green improvement projects.

          In reply to a series of Member questions, the Assistant Director (Planning & Regulation) commented:

·         the intention was to include the recycling of soft plastics as part of the Council’s own aspiration of a 0% target for sending waste to landfill or incineration;

·         regarding whether or not the commitment to be net carbon zero by 2030 was still realistic, there was no complete package showing how the Council would achieve this target.  The most representative graph in the report was the one at Paragraph 3.68 showing the 40 SBC sites with the highest carbon emissions.  The Council was looked at schemes/business cases to redevelop and decarbonise some of these sites.  This would be allied to the use of HVO fuel in the Council’s vehicle fleet to reduce emission levels.  The Council had neither the legal powers nor financial resourcing to fully decarbonise everything in the Borough by 2030;

·         lessons had been learnt from the 2020 Climate Change Citizens’ Panel.  The more recent approach had been the Topic Reference Groups, involving those with specialist interests in Climate Change (eg. the ATLEE Group about public transport and non-car methods of travel).  Further work had to be done on how to best engage with those who were not committed to the Climate Change agenda.  However, some education work had been carried out, in conjunction with Council partners and local businesses, including the sharing of best practice;

·         the use of HVO fuel, and its potential roll out to the whole of the SBC vehicle fleet would be the subject of a Business Case.  It was hoped that it would be introduced during 2024.  The makers of all of the Council vehicles had agreed that their vehicles were suitable for conversion to use HVO fuel.  It was planned that the heavier vehicles would be converted first, which would reduce 90% of carbon emissions;

·         the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership was looking at supporting the Council’s aspiration to send 0% waste to landfill by 2030;

·         the Council’s Helston House development was an example of new build with decarbonisation way beyond that which was required by Planning legislation.  As part of the Council’s 5 year review of its Local Plan, one of the two areas for intensifying policy was Climate Change, and officers would push as far as they could in terms of the Government’s planning regulations;

·         engagement with SBC staff regarding decarbonising of travelling to work was ongoing, highlighting season ticket discounts for buses and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To consider any urgent Part I Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

None.

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

None.

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 Paragraphs 1 – 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.

It was RESOLVED:

1.     That, under Section 100A 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.

To approve as a correct record the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2023.

It was RESOLVED that the Part II Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 26 September 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider the following Part II Decisions of the Executive taken on 12 October 2023.

11.  Part II Minutes – Executive – 20 September 2023

12.  Co-operative Commercial and Insourcing Strategy 2023 – 2026: High Level Action Plan, Insourcing Roadmap and Changes to Key Performance Indicators

13.  Towns Fund – Sports and Leisure Hub Progression

14.  Urgent Part II Business

Notice of Decisions to follow

11.     Part II Minutes – Executive – 20 September 2023

          Noted.

12.     Co-operative Commercial and Insourcing Strategy 2023 – 2026: High Level Action Plan, Insourcing Roadmap and Changes to Key Performance Indicators

          The Assistant Director (Finance) advised that this item followed on from the Executive’s approval of the Co-operative Commercial and Insourcing Strategy (see Minute 3 above).

          The Strategic Director (CF) answered a number of Members’ questions regarding the report.

13.     Towns Fund – Sports and Leisure Hub Progression

The Assistant Director (Regeneration) reminded Members that last year the Council had engaged Morgan Sindall as its development partners for progression of the proposed new Sports and Leisure Hub facility, towards which £10M of Towns Fund monies had been earmarked.  The report updated Members on the feasibility study prepared by Morgan Sindall.

          The Assistant Director (Regeneration), assisted by the Strategic Director (CF), answered a number of Members’ questions in respect of the report.

To consider any urgent Part II Decisions authorised by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

None.

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

None.