Agenda item

To consider the Committee’s updated work programme for 2025-26.

The Scrutiny Officer went through the work programme and provided the following updates:

Progress on the new housing allocations policy will be provided at the meeting on 13 January 2026, this has been delayed as the policy is being worked on now and it is understood that they are looking at a new low band to be included. In this meeting they will also report on the past year since the policy was implemented in terms of data and how it’s gone in practice.

The item on damp and mould had been delivered, it continues to be an issue that this Committee will have an interest in and would want to look at again in the future.

Equalities and diversity were being looked at in this meeting and would be brought back in a final report to the Committee in due course.

Older people – The relevant portfolio holder for Neighbourhoods and Older People, Councillor Myla Arceno, brought their item to Council regarding age-friendly and dementia-friendly communities, which got a lot of support. Councillor Arceno had confirmed that she is keen to bring this to the Committee so that more detail can be worked on.

It is proposed to have a focus meeting on the provision for older people on 11 December 2025 which may become a bigger piece of work in a future work programme.

Officers have tried on several occasions to move forward on the community centre item; it is understood that a lot of work will need to go into this from officers with a collaborated effort required from multiple teams. This will stay on the work programme, however it will not be possible to fit it in this year.

Members commented that the community centres topic had been ongoing for many years and every community centre has a Council link Councillor.  It was suggested that some of the work around this programme item be given to those Councillors to complete as it would be easier for each of them to do this, rather than someone trying to do the whole project.

The Scrutiny Officer agreed to speak to officers and get an update on when this item will be progressed.

The Scrutiny Officer explained that the Statutory Crime and Disorder committee meeting will take place in March 2026, potentially 25^th. This will allow the Police and SoSafe partnership to have complied all the relevant data and Members will have an opportunity to review it.

A Member referenced that the Police Priorities meeting had not taken place recently. The officer confirmed that the next one is on 26 November 2025.

The Scrutiny Officer explained that that the standing item, Public Health, has not been delivered for a couple of years since the previous Director of Public Health at the County Council left his position within that organisation. Assurance has been provided by Kerry Clifford that we will have a focus meeting on this item, in February 2026, either the 4^th or 26^th and that officers were trying to get the current Director of Public Health to attend.

Members raised that data was brought to the Public Health meeting by the previous director and suggested that Councillor Gordon who is part of the HCC Health Scrutiny Committee could provide some data via a presentation.

A Member referenced that the Council currently have 39 Councillors but only 4 designated champions (Carers, Dementia, Mental Health and Armed Forces). The question was raised as to why we do not have 39 champions to cover other areas such as Young People, Public Health and the Scrutiny Officer was asked to take this away to provide a response.

The Scrutiny Officer recapped that the Committee were looking at bringing an Older People item in December 2025, progress on the Housing Allocations Policy in January 2026, Public Health in February 2026 and statutory Crime and Disorder Committee in March.