Agenda item

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that sought views on the draft Work Programme for 2023/24; the identification of potential topics for scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by a Working Group(s) appointed by the Committee or by informal meetings of the Committee; the identification of items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan; sought a potential date for an informal meeting of the Committee to consider a strategic approach for waste containment/disposal across the borough; sought a date for a visit by Members of the Committee to the Recycling Discovery Centre at Gillmoss;  consideration of the views of the Assistant Director Place – (Highways and Public Protection) on the separation of parking offences and environmental offences, currently undertaken in a dual enforcement role by Civil Enforcement Officers; sought approval to cease the submission of update reports on the implementation of recommendations arising from the Housing Support Services to Vulnerable People Working Group; and provided an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

In respect of refuse and recycling, Councillor Dowd suggested:

·       that this year the Committee continue with the arrangement of holding informal meetings to undertake short reviews of services; and that the first review be on the topic of refuse and waste recycling.

·       suggested that a date in August 2023 be selected for the visit to the Gillmoss Recycling Discovery Centre; that the visit take place in the morning and that in the afternoon on the selected date, an informal meeting of the Committee be held to discuss issues associated with refuse and waste recycling. If agreed, then this informal meeting would negate the need to arrange the informal meeting about the strategic approach for waste containment/disposal across the borough as referred to in paragraphs 2.5 to 2.7 of the report. 

In respect of pre-scrutiny Councillor Dowd highlighted the fact that often strategies and plans were included on the Forward Plan but that rarely were they submitted to Overview and Scrutiny for comment prior to their submission to Cabinet/Council; and suggested that Executive Directors and Assistant Directors, whose responsibilities fell within the remit of this Committee, should seek the views of the Committee on all strategies and plans prior to submission to Cabinet and Council; and that if it was not possible, due to time constraints, to submit the final strategy or plan for consideration, then an outline or synopsis be submitted to the Committee to allow an oversight of the proposals to be considered and commented upon.        

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       regarding the comments of the Assistant Director Place – (Highways and Public Protection) on the separation of parking offences and environmental offences, information was sought on a breakdown of the different offences for which the 34,000 penalty charge notices had been issued; and explanation was sought on comments made in the report regarding the reduction in time civil enforcement officers would spend patrolling if the parking and environmental enforcement functions were split

·       pre-scrutiny and best practice employed by other local authorities

·       the potential to hold more informal meetings to consider plans and strategies to meet dates imposed by report submission deadlines to Cabinet or Council       

RESOLVED: That