Agenda item

(i)                 Presentation - Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – the Year Ahead 2011-2012 – Councillor G. Smith  (copy attached)

 

(ii)               Presentation - Cabinet Member for Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods – Councillor R. McNeely (copy attached)

 

(iii)             Draft Work Programme – Scrutiny Adviser

The following items were reported:-

 

(i)                   Welcome by the Chair

 

The Chair, Councillor Whysall, welcomed everyone to this first meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission and acknowledged the experience and expertise which they brought with them.

 

Reference was made to a new way of working for scrutiny and for the Commission.

 

The context and background to developing the work programme was explained to the Commission.  The Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, consisting of the Chairs & Vice Chairs of the Commissions, would work together to prioritise items for the scrutiny work programme. The programme was flexible in that Commission Members would also recommend areas that they wished to examine during the course of the year.

 

The aims of the Commission would be more focussed and aim to provide best value for money.  This would be achieved by targeting items for in- depth reviews, spotlight reviews and having specific themes on the agendas for Commission meetings. The work programme would involve bringing in officers and outside bodies to present information to the commission in addition to conducting interviews both within and outside of the Council.

 

Reference was made to substantial in-year cuts to Council Services and the need for all services to work differently by focussing on priority areas.  The role of the Commission would be to act as a “watch dog” to ensure that users of service were not disadvantaged, as well as challenging poor service performance.

 

The Commission would work closely with the Council’s Senior Management Team, Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.  Also steps would be taken to ensure that Elected Member Training and Development kept pace with the skills needed to undertake the role of scrutiny effectively.

 

(ii)                 Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – Priorities for the Year Ahead 2011-2012

 

Councillor Smith, spoke to a PowerPoint presentation outlining the priorities for services within his portfolio for the year ahead 2011-2012.

 

Items highlighted included:-

 

-          Town Centre:  Town Centre Strategy:  Town Centre Heritage Initiative

-          Business Investment

-          establishment and work of the Economy Board

-          Projects:-  Rail Station;  Minster Yard and Gardens;  Pithouse West

-          Planning:-  LDF consultation;  implication of the Localism Bill

-          Transportation and Highways Projects:-  reduced LTP Integrated Transport Programme;  A57;  Waverley Link Road

-          Asset Management:  shared services

-          Network Management:-  highway condition and new highway delivery arrangements; permit scheme for utilities;  street lighting;  winter maintenance

-          Parking Services

-          Drainage

 

A questions and answers session ensued covering the following issues:-

 

·        Car parking, including:-

Cashless parking: parking meters decommissioned or not working: payment by mobile phone.  Parking arrangements at Clifton Park -adjacent to the museum.

 

·        Town Centre:-

Emphasis on Rotherham town centre. Members noted the needs of other town centres within the Borough

 

Resolved:-  That appropriate Elected Members be invited on the Cabinet Member’s visits to local town centres.

 

(iii)                Cabinet Member for Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods

 

Councillor McNeely spoke to a PowerPoint presentation in respect of her portfolio and highlighted the following:-

 

·        Expected outcomes:- That Neighbourhoods are clean, safe and free from crime;  Communities to help shape local services;  Citizens have choice and quality of access;  Our Neighbourhoods are places to be proud of.

 

·        Key areas of responsibility:-

-          Achievements during the last 12 months

-          Challenges ahead

-          Relationship to the Corporate Plan

 

·        Key Objectives, including:-

-          Improving the perception of anti-social behaviour

-          Development at Bellows Road, Rawmarsh

-          Development of a new 10, 20 and 30 year Housing Investment Plan

-          Construction of new Council homes and affordable homes

-          Better use of funding for Adaptations

-          Repairs and maintenance;  improving heating and insulation in homes

-          Tackling homelessness; void properties; eradicating sleeping rough; bringing empty stock back into use; improving housing allocation;  improving access to choice based lettings scheme

-          Grounds maintenance

 

A questions and answers session ensued covering the following issues:-

 

• domestic violence

 

• development sites at Chesterhill and at Braithwell Road, Maltby

 

• energy efficiencies including:-. 

-          development of longer term plan to look at existing properties to improve installation of solar panels on Council properties - development of a pilot project 

-          use of green energy and micro-energy generation technology

-          inclusion in the new build council housing

-          Eco-homes development at Henley Rise;  micro renewables at Harthill;  Zero carbon at Brampton Bierlow

 

• general housing issues including:-

-          unoccupied properties

-          number of people in private tenancies

-          private sector housing and landlords

-          pre-1919 properties

 

• Grounds maintenance and grass cutting regime 

 

The Commission thanked both Cabinet Members for their presentations.

 

(iv)                Proposed Work Programme for the Improving Places Select Commission

 

The Scrutiny Adviser presented a draft of the proposed work programme for the Commission for 2011-2012.

 

Reference was made to the following:-

 

-          Olympic Games

-          Councillors’ surgeries

-          Lettings Policy

-          Neighbourhood working

-          Grounds maintenance

-          Area Housing Panels

-          Housing Service – (following the service being brought back in-house)

-          Sleeping rough

-          Parking arrangements

 

The Scrutiny and Policy Manager explained the context in which this draft programme had been compiled, and that these had been identified by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as key areas to look at in depth. 

 

The following topics were also highlighted:-

 

-          Town centre

-          Local Economic Partnership

-          Green and sustainability issues

-          Fuel poverty

-          Consultation with the Local Strategic Partnership

 

Members of the Commission were invited to submit topics for consideration in planning the work programme.  These would be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for discussion around priorities for the scrutiny work programme.

 

Members present specifically supported the following:-

 

-          Review of Area Housing Panels

-          Review of the Lettings Policy

-          Town centre

 

Resolved:-  That the draft work programme be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.