Agenda and minutes

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

Councillor Keenan declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 (Cultural Strategy 2019 – 2025) on the grounds that she was a board member of a local arts charity.

To receive questions from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public or press.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

The Chair advised that there were no items of business that would require the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Cleaner, Greener Communities

Strategic Directorate:           Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report submitted for pre-decision scrutiny prior to determination at the Cabinet meeting to be held on 20 May 2019 which requested consideration and endorsement of the new Cultural Strategy 2019 – 2026. Rotherham’s new Cultural Strategy had been produced in collaboration with members of the public and partners from across the cultural, leisure, green spaces and tourism sectors. This would be the first Strategy produced by the local Cultural Partnership Board since it was established in 2018.

Having commended the extensive consultation on the proposed strategy, Members sought assurances in respect of the accountability arrangements for the Cultural Partnership Board and wished to understand how this body linked to the Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP). In response, the Cabinet Member for Cleaner Greener Communities advised that she was the Chair of the Cultural Partnership Board, which met every couple of months, and had attended meetings of the RTP as requested.

Reference was made to the need to link the strategy to public health priorities to reduce obesity levels in children and young people and Members sought to understand how the strategy would complement this approach and how the Health Select Commission could be involved in this work.

Members expressed pleasure at the positive responses received to the consultation on the strategy and queried whether there was a need to leverage what was at the borough’s disposal so that the public would have clarity on what was available and to also provide clarity to arts organisations. Furthermore, Members were pleased to see that  the Sheffield City Region were preparing to bid for the UK City of Culture and sought to understand who was organising the bid and what involvement there would be from the borough.  In response, it was explained that the Culture, Sport and Tourism service was working closely with the Neighbourhoods Service to develop a much deeper understanding of what was available locally, as it was appreciated that not all cultural activities took place in a theatre, museum or arts centre. The bid for the UK Capital of Culture had been a manifesto commitment for the Mayor of the Sheffield City Region and Rotherham MBC had been the first local authority in the region to indicate its support for the bid.

Members sought to understand how the Cultural Strategy would link to the work that had been undertaken in respect of the Child Friendly Borough. In response, it was explained that the Children’s Capital of Culture was a key action and the service had been working closely with colleagues in Children and Young People’s Services to apprise them of progress made in obtaining funding.

Clarification was sought as to how the strategy would fit into the broader skills agenda. In response, the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment indicated that this was seen as a key component of the growth agenda for the borough. Businesses and their employees want to live and have exciting things to do in nice places and this was a key  ...  view the full minutes text for item 228.

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Cleaner, Greener Communities

Strategic Directorate:           Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report which had been presented for pre-decision scrutiny by the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment prior to its determination by the Cabinet at its meeting on 20 May 2019.

The report set out proposals to undertake consultation on a new library strategy for the period 2020 – 2025 and a future service delivery model for the Libraries and Neighbourhood Hubs Service.  It was noted that this would ensure that the Service continued to meet the needs of Rotherham residents and also that the Council met the statutory service requirement. It was noted that the current strategy was due to end in 2019 and therefore a new strategy would be required for the period to 2025. In introducing the report, the Cabinet Member for Cleaner Greener Communities indicated that the service was doing very well with increased usage for the first time in years and satisfaction with the service had reached 99%.

Members sought assurances in respect of how the consultation would capture the views and opinions of children and young people across the borough. In response, officers explained that specific focus groups were planned, as well as engagement with the Youth Cabinet. It was recognised that there were differing needs across the age groups amongst children and young people and the consultation would be a valuable source of information in respect of refining the future service offer. In response to a supplementary question, it was confirmed that the service would go into schools to reach a broader number of children and young people.

Clarification was sought in respect of how the service ensured that knowledge of good practice and successes were shared. In response, it was confirmed that managers and supervisors met regularly to bring together examples of good practice which would then inform the annual events programme. It was recognised that the service tried to have an offer that met the needs of local communities, but was also generally consistent across the borough.

Resolved:-

1.     That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported.

2.     That a sub-group of Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be established to scrutinise the outcomes of Phase 1 of the consultation prior to the start of work on the final service offer.

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Jobs and the Local Economy

Strategic Directorate:           Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report presented for pre-decision scrutiny by the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment ahead of its determination at the Cabinet meeting on 20 May 2019. It was reported that the requirement to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement was set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The Statement of Community Involvement set out how the Council involves local communities in planning for the future of the Borough through the preparation of the Local Plan and other planning policy documents, and the determination of planning applications. The report recommended the authority go out to consultation on the draft document for a four week period, before returning to Cabinet for approval and adoption.

Members considered the paper to be a good report, with a well argued document for consultation. By way of comment, it was suggested it would be beneficial to highlight to the public that if they had concerns about a planning application, it would be advisable to look to deal with issues via conditions, rather than seeking outright refusal. It was felt that this could be clearly conveyed and may result in a more constructive engagement in the planning process.

Resolved:-

1.     That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported.

2.     That further work be undertaken to ensure that the consultation document outlines the specific power of planning conditions in addressing concerns raised in respect of individual applications.

To receive a verbal report from the Chair of the Improving Lives Select Commission in respect of recommendations concerning the proposals for Cabinet regarding Special Educational Needs and Disability, Sufficiency and Increase in Educational Provision – Phase 2.

The Chair of the Improving Lives Select Commission presented recommendations arising from that commission’s scrutiny of the SEND Sufficiency proposals. She reported that there had been a thorough discussion in respect of the sustainability of the strategy and the commission had been very supportive of the recommendations. Members had highlighted the need for a further piece of work on autism in Rotherham, as the borough was an outlier in respect of statistical data.

Resolved:-

1.     That Cabinet be advised that the recommendations be supported.

To determine any item which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair advised that there were no urgent items of business requiring the consideration of the Board.

Furthermore, as this was the final meeting of the 2018/19 municipal year, the Chair took the opportunity to pay tribute to Councillors Evans, Brookes and Sansome who would cease to be members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board in the new municipal year.

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held on Wednesday 5 June 2019 commencing at 11.00 a.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.

Resolved:-

That the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be held on Wednesday 5 June 2019 commencing at 11.00 a.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.