Agenda item

To receive updates from the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees on the recent activities of those Committees.

Councillor Jim Brown, Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, provided updates for Council from the meetings of the Council which had been held since the Council meeting in December.  He advised that the Committee had received a presentation from Officers on the Council Workforce and had raised the following issues:

·         Members asked HR officers to look into the percentage of senior staff living in SG1 & SG2 post codes;

·         Potential for recruitment biases relating to the academic institutions candidates had attended;

·         There needed to be an improvement on the 43% staff survey return rate in future years;

·         Workforce disability data was under reported and an improvement on the way the information was collected was requested;

·         Did the statistics on observations of harassment and bullying incidents in the workplace relate to staff on staff or incidents perpetrated by the public;

·         A number of questions regarding the impact of LGR on staff were raised and it was acknowledged that work was underway to support staff through a time of change.

Members considered the decisions of the Cabinet held on Wednesday 14 January and provided challenge and questioning on a number of reports including:

• (i) Housing Revenue Account Final Budget and Rent Setting 2026/27, (ii) Draft General Fund and Council Tax Setting 2026/27, and (iii) Draft General Fund Capital Strategy 2025/26 To 2029/30
• 2025 Residents Survey Findings
• Response to MHCLG letter re Postponement of Local Elections

Members were particularly interested in making sure that there would be budget available within the general fund and capital reserves for any future lighting scheme in Fairlands Vally Park once the studies had been completed.

Members welcomed the provisional settlement from Government for Stevenage under the fair funding review.  In response to the Residents Survey, a better response from younger respondents was welcomed alongside a request for future surveys to provide a better breakdown of responses from younger respondents, particularly those aged 18 to 25.

In the absence of the Chair of the Community Select Committee Councillor Ellie Plater, Councillor Leanne Brady advised that the Committee had not met since the last Council meeting on 17 December 2025.  However, Officers and Members had been preparing for an upcoming meeting on 4 February where the Committee would be talking to the Hertfordshire County Council Director of Public Health about aspects of public health that were of concern to residents, specifically on the detail of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment document. Members would also be receiving an update on the Stevenage Healthy Hub and joint working initiatives with partners and the County Council.

Councillor Leanne Brady, Chair of the Environment & Economy Select Committee then advised that the Committee had not met since the last Council meeting on 17 December 2025.  Members and officers had been preparing for the meeting on 28 January on cycling and would consider progress of the 2018 Cycle Strategy and would address two actions from the Action Plan to Create an implementation plan for cycle network improvements and maintenance and also to increase the provision of secure and accessible cycle parking across the town, including e-bike charging points.  The Committee would be holding a future meeting on cycling, inviting input from various cycling user groups in the town.

The Committee would also be receiving the final report and recommendations on its review of recycling in flat blocks.