Agenda and minutes

No declarations were received.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bradford, Callan and Slack.

5:05 – 5:25pm

The Executive Member for Environment and the Environmental Health Manager presented a progress report on the review of adoption of Dog Control Orders across the borough.

In June 2012 the Council received a petition with over 800 signatures asking that dogs be kept on leads in the borough’s parks and footpaths. The Eastwood Park dog control orders came into force in August 2013 following the re-opening of the park after the heritage improvement works. It was agreed that, following the petition, this would also serve as a pilot for testing the public response, appropriateness and enforceability of dog control orders across the borough. The Environmental Health Manager noted that since the implementation of the orders, penalty notices have been issued for fouling and allowing dogs into excluded areas of the park, but that no penalties relating to dogs not on leads had been issued. At the start of 2015 a survey of visitors to Eastwood Park was carried out and of the twelve responses received only three respondents thought that making dogs off a lead an offence was a good idea. The Environmental Health Manager also noted that a dog off a lead is not necessarily out of control and that a dog on a lead is not always under control.

The Environmental Health Manager advised that now the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 had come into force, dog control orders, and similar provisions relating to litter and alcohol had now been abolished, and that a new provision, the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) had been introduced. The Environmental Health Manager noted that there was a three year transitional period between the old and new regulations, but for the Council to retain current controls a PSPO needed to be implemented. He also noted that the introduction of the new orders, as well as the adoption of the Council’s new Parks and Open Spaces Strategy presented an opportunity for an evaluation of evidence and for consultation on any proposed orders.

Members noted that dog fouling was still a problem in many areas of the borough, but welcomed the recommendations from the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee project group that had recently been approved by Cabinet on this issue. The Environmental Health Manager advised that work had already started in implementing the project group’s recommendations with targeted interventions starting in New Whittington next week and the creation of a social media feed for Environmental Health which will have direct input from officers out and about in the borough.

Members asked that if the new legislation had not been introduced would the Council have introduced more control orders. The Executive Member for Environment explained that it would have been very difficult to create control orders that would have been enforceable, for example many play areas are open plan and not fenced off so it would have been very difficult to prove that a dog had gone into an area where it shouldn’t have. The Executive Member also noted that a dog  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

5:25 – 5:50pm

The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Planning, and Executive Director, Michael Rich presented a progress report on the Council’s new Corporate Plan and its implementation.

The Deputy Leader advised that in recent years the Council had produced a one year Corporate Plan. This had allowed it to reflect the needs and aspirations of the Borough’s communities in the setting of its priorities each year. These priorities were aligned with budgets and ensured that the Council’s key priorities and projects were achievable. Following the Local Government Association’s Peer Challenge a recommendation was made that the Council set out plans on a longer term basis. A four year Corporate Plan was one element of the Council’s response to this which, along with a revised medium term financial plan and strengthened transformation programme, would enable the Council to plan effectively for the financial and policy challenges it faced.

The Deputy Leader also noted that the new Corporate Plan contained targets and objectives that would be achievable.  The new Corporate Plan set one year specific projects as well as providing the outline for longer term strategic four years aims. The plan also contained key measurements and milestones for assessing performance against as well as highlighting key achievements to date.

With the adoption of the new Corporate Plan by Council on 26 February, 2015, Executive Director, Michael Rich outlined the steps that would now be taken to implement it. The Executive Director advised that the new plan would act as a “golden thread” running through and linking the corporate plan with individual and team objectives as well as the new streamlined Employee Personal Development process. There would also be a new approach to performance management which in the past had been IT driven and not always effective.  The Executive Director  also noted that the new plan would encourage more joined up working from Council departments to achieve corporate objectives more effectively, and that this was a further movement away from the strongly demarcated departmental structure that had operated for many years at the Council.

The Executive Director advised members that there would be an increased focus on engaging staff with the new plan and that the internal communications strategy would be used to increase awareness and ownership of the plan by staff. In conclusion the Executive Director noted that to the new plan would be reviewed following the local and national elections in May 2015 and then subsequently each year to reflect shifting policy and local circumstances, allowing the plan to stay relevant to current needs.

Members thanked the Deputy Leader and the Executive Director for outlining the implementation of the plan noting that the new Corporate Plan was a very impressive document and was a great improvement on previous plans which had been unwieldy and hard to deliver on.

Members asked how the plan would work to develop better broadband access in areas of the borough as businesses were being put off from setting up and staying in Chesterfield due to the poor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

5:50 – 6:30pm

The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Planning, and Executive Director, James Drury presented a progress report on the Council’s Great Place, Great Service programme.

The Deputy Leader noted that initially the Great Place, Great Service programme had been a bit too ambitious in its scope and objectives, but that the programme had now been reviewed and modified.

The Executive Director, James Drury advised Members that due to the fast moving and ever changing environment that the Council operated in the orgnisational transformation scheme needed to be flexible and agile enough to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities, and to be able to convert these into successful outcomes for Chesterfield. He also noted that it was essential that the programme operated in a controlled, managed and transparent way.

The Executive Director outlined his position statement on Great Place, Great Service, noting the major achievements including the embedding of the programme with Members and the Senior Leadership Team, that it had delivered positive change, financial savings and had laid strong foundations to develop and grow. The Executive Director also advised that he had been reviewing the scope of the programme, and while the programme had been focusing on the right areas, there had been areas that were important and which had needed to be looked at but which had not been within the Programme. For example customer service provision had been looked at, but not the Council’s website, which was an integral part of the Customer Service experience.

It was acknowledged by the Executive Director that the Governance and reporting of Great Place, Great Service had not been effective and that the programme had not felt like a controlled or coordinated programme. It was also noted that there had been insufficient focus on the process of managing change, including the relationship with PPP delivery partners being unclear in relation to their role in delivering change. It was noted that the Project Managers in post were working effectively on their projects.

The Executive Director outlined planned activity for reshaping the Great Place, Great Service programme up to June, 2015. He advised that in future there would be much more focus on communicating the achievements of the programme and of celebrating success, as significant achievements to date had not been communicated effectively with stakeholders. He also advised that the scope of the programme and its governance would be reviewed. The Executive Director also noted that Great Place, Great Service would be merged with Business Transformation, and that the Business Transformation Manager would lead on both programmes and that by bringing the two programmes together there would be mutual benefits in utilising and sharing skills to maximise positive outcomes for both programmes.

Members asked what impact the creation of the Derby and Derbyshire Combined Authority would have on the ability of Great Place, Great Service to deliver. The Executive Director advised that delivery would not be impacted, but that the Combined Authority and its implications would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

6:30 – 6:40pm

The draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2014/15 was presented to Members for consideration and approval.

RESOLVED –

That the Scrutiny Annual Report 2014/15 be approved and submitted to Full Council.

6:40 – 6:50pm

The Forward Plan was considered.

RESOLVED –

That the Forward Plan be noted.

6:50 – 6:55pm

Consideration was given to the Implementation Monitoring Form for Scrutiny Committee Recommendations.

RESOLVED –

1.    That the Monitoring Report be noted.

2.    That the item on ICT Developments be moved to June, 2015.

6:55 – 7:05pm

Great Place, Great Service Progress Report frequency

The Work Programme for the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum was considered.

RESOLVED –

1.    To approve the Work Programme.

2.    That the Dog Control Measures progress report item be removed from the work programme and replaced with a Public Space Protection Orders progress report due to the changes introduced by the Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

3.    That the Deputy Leader and Executive Director, Michael Rich be invited to the September meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum to provide a progress report on the implementation Council Corporate Plan.

4.    That a progress report on the ICT Strategy and Action Plan be requested for the next meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum.

5.    That the External Communications progress report scheduled for the next meeting of the Overview and Performance Forum be amended to also include an progress report on the Internal Communications Strategy.

6.    That the Deputy Leader and Executive Director, James Drury be invited to the September meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum to update members on the Great Place, Great Service programme and that updates on Great Place, Great Service will then be 6 monthly.

7.    That a progress report on the new Tenant Consultation Survey be requested at the November meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum.

8.    That the on hold Scrutiny project group on Welfare Reform be removed from the Work Programme.

7:05 – 7:10pm

The Chair advised the Committee that she had recently attended a meeting of Joint Scrutiny with Bolsover and North East Derbyshire District Councils but that the meeting had inquorate. The meeting did however continue on an informal basis with members noting progress reports on the Internal Audit Consortium and BCN (Building Control).

The Joint Scrutiny Panel also submitted a request the Joint Board to consider and inform the Panel of the Board's future plans and work programme, as this would directly influence the work and future of the Joint Scrutiny Panel. 

The Committee and Scrutiny Coordinator noted that at the meeting of the Joint Board held on 16 March, 2015 members had resolved that the Joint Scrutiny Panel be involved, and be kept updated on the progress of exploring the option for a Derbyshire wide Building Control service, and that the role of the Joint Scrutiny Panel would be discussed at the next meeting of the Joint Board.

RESOLVED –

That the update be noted.

7:10 – 7:20pm

Members of the Forum asked the Chair if there were any plans to reinstate the Scrutiny Link Officer meetings and the pre scrutiny meeting training sessions that were currently on hold.

The Chair advised that these sessions would be looked at after the corporate review of Scrutiny had been completed.

Members noted that training in scrutiny over and above what is provided to new Members was useful and that potentially having a yearly training programme would be helpful for ongoing development of the skills needed to be an effective scrutiny member.

RESOLVED –

That the potential training opportunities available for scrutiny members be added to the agenda for discussion of the June meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum.

7:20 – 7:25pm

The Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum held on 12 February, 2015 were presented.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chair.