Agenda and minutes

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and approve them as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

Resolved:-

That the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board held on 20 December 2019 be approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

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

There were no declarations of interest from Members of the Board.  

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda 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 on the agenda which would require the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting.

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Housing

Strategic Directorate:           Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report which was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 19^th January 2020 in respect of a public consultation on proposed designation of Selective Licensing Areas.

On 10^th June 2019, Cabinet agreed that public consultation be undertaken on the proposed designation of parts of Maltby, Dinnington, Eastwood/Town centre and Masbrough, for mandatory Selective Licensing of private rented housing. At the same meeting in June 2019, Cabinet agreed to the proposed designation of parts of Parkgate and Thurcroft, subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The current report provides detail of the feedback from the consultation. The majority (62%) of respondents expressed support for a mandatory selective licensing scheme. Consequently, the report recommends that these areas are designated as Selective Licensing areas.

Members were interested in knowing more about the reasoning behind the selection of the areas proposed for licensing and proposed boundaries of the selected areas, especially with respect to Addison Square, Dinnington, and Little London. In response, Members were assured that these areas were chosen on the basis of their relative deprivation compared to other parts of the Borough.

Members asked for clarification around the consultation process and asked to have the contact points at schools, supermarkets, and other frequented areas within the Borough. Members showed especial interest in performing a role in the consultation process within their respective Wards.

Members asked specifically about a case in the report that mentioned the landlord response to the proposed change had influenced a revision to the original plan. Further, Members mentioned that the strategies for documentation of drawing boundaries may not be consistent and asked for assurances that the figures are good and reasonably accurate given the data available. Members asked that maps and data visualisations be represented in a clear, reader-friendly format in future.

Resolved:-

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

2.    That consideration be given to the presentation of data in a user friendly format when summarising findings from public consultation or other complex numerical or statistical information, with the preferred approach being the style used to present data in Council Plan Performance reports.

3.    That arrangements be made to ensure that local Ward Members are briefed by officers ahead of any future consultations conducted by the Council that affect specific wards and councillors be provided with information to circulate to residents through ward surgeries and ward bulletins.

4.    That, in the event of Cabinet approving the recommendation in respect of alternative arrangements for Little London in Maltby, the findings of the review be submitted to Overview and Scrutiny Management Board prior to any final decision to proceed with designation or continue with such alternative arrangements. 

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Corporate Services and Finance

Strategic Directorate:           Finance and Customer Services

Consideration was given to a report submitted for pre-decision scrutiny in advance of the Cabinet meeting on 20 January 2020 that underscores centrality of ethical behaviour at the core of the Council’s procurement activity. The Council expects the suppliers it does business with to share similar values and ethical ethos in the way they deliver their services.  This Policy sets out a range of measures and policy decisions / commitments that have been taken by the Council over the years (including the recent Social Value Policy) to achieve this and drive ethical practice, with the aim to encompass this into one comprehensive policy.

Members lauded the organization and clarity of the document, and were interested to know what kinds of training and monitoring efforts would be conducted by officers in the implementation of this policy. Members expressed concerns about the impact of this policy on local and small businesses, and they wished to know by what evaluative measures prospective suppliers would be assessed, and if these expectations—as well as feedback on any refused applications—would be made available to prospective suppliers. Members were interested in seeing a tally of distributions over time so that we might all see development at the ward level.

In response, Members were informed that a specific officer is responsible to oversee training and monitoring Ethical Procurement Policy implementation, and that this individual will be able to provide a more fulsome information as needed. Further, Members were assured that this policy is part of a full Social Value offering, a contract that balances the priorities of Social Value and Local Spend so that the implementation will be in no way discriminatory towards local businesses. It was affirmed that the Council’s desire is to award more local contracts to more local businesses. Members were assured that it would be useful to continue to review the policy in total, as it has here been consolidated into one document.

Resolved:-

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

2.    That when engaging with external contractors, arrangements be made to ensure that ethical outcomes are effectively captured and presented in an annual report to be published on the Council’s website.

3.    That, with regard to corporate policy review mechanisms within the authority, consideration be given to reviewing Council policies on at least a three yearly cycle, unless a statutory or previously agreed local framework has already been prescribed.

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

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

The next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board will be held on Wednesday 29 January 2020 at 11.00 a.m. at Rotherham Town Hall.

Resolved:-

1.    That the next ordinary meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be held on Wednesday 29 January 2020 commencing at 11.00 a.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.

2.    That an extraordinary meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board be held on Tuesday 28 January 2020 commencing at 5.30 p.m. in Rotherham Town Hall.