REPORT TO:Environment & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee

AGENDA ITEM NO: 4

REPORT OF:Head of Corporate & Customer Services

REPORT NO:HCCS/66/11S

DATE:28 September2011

CONTACT OFFICER:Suzanne Chaloner (Telephone 292179)

SUBJECT:Work Programme

1.PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.1To advise Members of the Environment & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee of proposed changes to the Work Programme and to enable them to consider forthcoming items for Scrutiny.

2. SUMMARY

The proposed work programme has been updated with items as agreed at the previous meeting and is attached at Appendix1.

RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1That the Committee consider the draft Work Programme attached at Appendix 1.

3.2That the Committee consider whether to receive a report on the cost/benefit of the Mersey Dee Alliance, prior to the Executive Board, in March 2012.

4. INFORMATION

4.1The draft Work Programme is attached at Appendix1and has been updated to incorporate the following changes which were agreed at the last meeting:-

Changes agreed by Committee

September

‘Wrexham’s Economic Prosperity Strategy’– To consider the proposed strategy and action plan for achieving economic growth with our partners in Wrexham – deferred until October
Findings of the Welsh Government funded contaminated land site investigation works at the Monsanto Chemical Waste Tip and the Cable Tip, Llwyneinion (Information Report)

October

Pennington Report - Recommendations Update (Information Report) -To report back to the Committee on its request that the Head of Housing & Public Protection make representations to the Welsh Government and the Food Standards Agency on public liability insurance for food outlets and mandatory display of food hygiene ratings.

November 2011

High Street -To consider proposals to address the issues affecting access to and operation of High Street (following consultation with Bus Operators and Traders)

Communities First - To consider proposals for the implementation of the revised Communities First programme in Wrexham prior to submission to the Welsh Government

July 2012

Streetscene - Annual performance monitoring

Changes requested by Officers

4.2The Committee had been scheduled to receive at the September meeting, a report of the Head of Community Wellbeing and Development regarding proposals for Community Centres’ budget savings. Officers have advised Co-Chairs that as a wider piece of work looking at community assets in general is currently underway, it would not be appropriate or a complete picture if the Committee was to look at Community Centres in isolation. The work is scheduled to be completed by December. It is suggested that this report is listed on the work programme as an ‘Item to Be Scheduled’. Officers will however report to Committee in December regarding the 2012/12 Community Centres budget.

4.3The Public Protection Service Manager has requested that the two Information reports on Kronospan (Proposed Biomass cogeneration facility) and the Public Protection Enforcement report due to be considered at today’s meeting be deferred until the October meeting.

4.4At the July meeting, Members requested an update on when further information about Flexys (listed on the work programme as an’ Item to be Scheduled’) might be available. A response has been requested and will be reported verbally at the meeting.

Mersey Dee Alliance

4.5At its meeting of 6 September, the Executive Board considered Member representation on the Mersey Dee Alliance (MDA). Councillor R J Dutton was appointed to represent the Council along with the Leader and the Deputy Leader. During discussion, an Executive Board Member requested that a report on the costs and benefits of the Council’s membership of the MDA be considered by the Board at its March 2012 meeting. It was suggested that the Environment & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee should be offered consideration of the report prior to the Executive Board.

This Committee last considered issues surrounding the Authority’s membership of the MDA in February 2009, when the Chief Economic Development Officer brought a report on the origins of the MDA, the Council’s agreed position in terms of membership and financial commitment and information on its current strategy and business plan 2008-2011. At this time, the Committee agreed to continue to support the Council’s membership of the MDA.

5.EQUALITIES IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Not applicable or required.

6.RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

None

7. LEAD MEMBER COMMENT

Not applicable

BACKGROUND PAPERS / LOCATION / WEBSITE INFO.

Appendix 1

ENVIRONMENT & REGENERATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
Work Programme from September 2011
Please note that the forward work programme is a ‘live’ document and subject to change at short notice.
The information in this work programme is subject to agreement at the meeting on 28 September 2011
The order in which items are listed at this stage may not reflect the order they subsequently appear on the agenda / are dealt with at the scrutiny meeting.Please note that for items marked as ‘part 2’ it is recommended that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during its consideration in accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
For general enquiries relating to the Council’s scrutiny function, including this committee’s work programme, please contact
Suzanne Chaloner, Scrutiny Facilitator, Scrutiny Team on 292179.
For administrative arrangements such as enquiries relating to report dispatch dates, venue layouts, setting up of presentations, etc., please contact Helen Coomber, Committee Administrator, Committee and Member Services on 292237.
All Meetings start at 2.00pm in the Guildhall, Wrexham, unless otherwise stated.
Date of meeting / Subject / Purpose of Report / Reason for Consideration / Responsible Officer / Contact Officer
26 October 2011 / Owain Glyndwr Scheme / Consideration of areas for nomination for the scheme which protects land for recreational use. / Pre-decision Scrutiny / Head of Environment
Wrexham’s Economic Prosperity Strategy / For Members to consider the proposed strategy and plan for achieving economic growth with our partners in Wrexham / Pre decision scrutiny / Head of Assets and Economic Development
Pennington Report Recommendations - Update / To report back to the Committee on its request that the Head of Housing & Public Protection make representations to the Welsh Government and the Food Standards Agency on public liability insurance for food outlets and mandatory display of food hygiene ratings. / Information Report – Not for Discussion / Head of Housing & Public Protection
Kronospan – Proposed Biomass cogeneration facility and implications for WCBC / Information on outline proposals to develop a new biomass cogeneration facility at the site and how the site will be regulated in the future (deferred from July) / Information Report – Not for Discussion / Head of Housing & Public Protection
Public Protection Enforcement / Performance report / Information Report – Not for Discussion / Head of Housing & Public Protection
23 November 2011 / Budget (provisional) / To consider possible issues arising from scrutiny of the Budget / Pre-decision Scrutiny / Appropriate Officers
Local Transport Delivery Strategy / To receive a 6 month report on progress (following consideration of the report in May) / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Environment
High Street / To consider progress with proposals to address the issues affecting access to and operation of High Street (following consultation with Bus Operators and Traders) / Pre decision scrutiny / Head of Environment
Communities First - / To consider progress with proposals for the implementation of the revised Communities First programme in Wrexham prior to submission to the Welsh Government / Pre decision scrutiny / Head Of Assets and Economic Development
Transforming Transportation Review / Following the decision of the Executive Board on 21 June, to receive the results of the consultation and draft policy for Subsidised Public Transport and the development of Community Transport. / Pre decision scrutiny / Head of Environment
21 December 2011 / Budget (provisional) / To consider possible issues arising from scrutiny of the Budget / Pre-decision Scrutiny / Appropriate Officers
25 January 2012 / None yet scheduled
22 February 2012 / None yet scheduled
28 March 2012 / None yet scheduled
25 April 2012 /

Local Transport Delivery Plan

To consider the progress on the Local Transport Delivery Plan for the previous year and the programme for the year ahead, as agreed at the meeting held on 17 March 2010.

Post decision scrutiny

/ Head of Environment
Food Service Plan / To consider the Food Service Plan for the forthcoming financial year. The Plan sets out how the authority will go about promoting and enforcing safe standards of hygiene and food safety in all aspects of the preparation, manufacture and supply of food. / Pre decision scrutiny / Head of Housing & Public Protection
May 2012 / (No meetings scheduled in May due to the Local Elections)
27 June 2012 / Public Library Standards Wales / To consider a report on the performance of the Library and Information Service against the Public Library Standards for Wales, prior to submission to CyMAL (Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales) / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Community Well-being & Development
Community Regeneration Strategy (including Caia Park Partnership) / To consider an annual evaluation report on the performance of the Council’s Community Regeneration Strategy as agreed at the meeting held on 27 January 2010. To include the performance of the Caia Park Partnership in relation to the Council’s Funding Agreement with the Partnership. / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Assets & Economic Development
25 July 2012 / Streetscene Service / To consider the performance of the Streetscene Service against the agreed standards, to include street lighting performance and energy costs, as agreed at the meeting held on 28 July 2010. / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Environment
Highway Maintenance Contract / To consider an annual update on the performance of the Term Maintenance Contractor, as agreed at the meeting held on 28 July 2010. / Post decision scrutiny

ITEMS TO BE SCHEDULED

ITEM / AS AGREED at meeting of: / PURPOSE OF REPORT / REASON FOR CONSIDERATION / RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER
Transformation Agenda / 15 April 2010 (Co-Chairs) / To consider major individual proposals to come out of the Transformation agenda, in accordance with the protocol agreed at the meeting of the Scrutiny Co-Chairs Co-ordinating Group on 15 April 2010. / Pre-Decision Scrutiny / Appropriate Officers
Flexsys Site / 22 September 2010 / Progress report on the outcome of the investigative work undertaken by Flexsys. / External Scrutiny / Head of Housing & Public Protection
Llwyneinion / 23 March 2011 / To consider future options for the remediation of the site. / Pre-decision Scrutiny
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) – Urban Traffic Management Control Strategy / 28 April 2010 / To consider the development of a policy relating to the use of ITS (eg, traffic lights, real time parking, etc) / Pre decision scrutiny / Head of Environment
Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity (ETP) / 28 April 2010 / To consider a proposed framework strategy for the delivery of Road Safety ETP in Wrexham / Pre decision scrutiny

REGULAR ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION

FREQUENCY / ITEM / PURPOSE OF REPORT / REASON FOR CONSIDERATION / RESPONSIBLE OFFICER/ CONTACT OFFICER
As and when issues arise / Local Development Plan / Agreed by the Scrutiny Co-Chairs Co-ordinating Group that Scrutiny of specific issues if and when they arise from the Local Development Plan should be considered by this Committee. / Pre / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Community Well-being & Development
Annual
(September) / Local Authority Partnership Agreement / To consider annual progress reports on the delivery of the Local Authority Partnership Agreement with the Sports Council for Wales. / Post decision scrutiny
Annual
(June) / Public Library Standards Wales / To consider a report on the performance of the c Library and Information Service against the Public Library Standards for Wales, prior to submission to CyMAL (Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales) / Performance Monitoring
As and when issues arise / Asset Management / Issue raised at the meeting between the Co-Chairs and Paul Roberts, former Strategic Director, on 3 September 2008. Agreed at the meeting held on 25 November 2009 to consider specific issues as they are identified (Note - only applies to specific issues which fall within the remit of this Committee – Asset Management lies with the Corporate Governance Overview & Scrutiny Committee). / Pre / Post decision scrutiny / Head of Assets & Economic Development
Annual
(June) / Community Regeneration Strategy (including Caia Park Partnership) / To consider an annual evaluation report on the performance of the Council’s Community Regeneration Strategy as agreed at the meeting held on 27 January 2010. To include the performance of the Caia Park Partnership in relation to the Council’s Funding Agreement with the Partnership. / Post decision scrutiny
Annual
(April) /

Local Transport Delivery Plan

To consider the progress on the Local Transport Delivery Plan for the previous year and future progress for the year ahead, as requested at the meeting held on 17 March 2010.

Progress Monitoring/Pre-decision Scrutiny

/ Head of Environment
Annual (October) / Owain Glyndwr Scheme / Consideration of areas for nomination for the scheme which protects land for recreational use. / Pre-decision Scrutiny
Annual
(July) / Streetscene Service / To consider the performance of the Streetscene Service against the agreed standards, to include street lighting performance and energy costs, as agreed at the meeting held on 28 July 2010. / Post decision scrutiny
Annual
(July) / Highway Maintenance Contract / To consider an annual update on the performance of the Term Maintenance Contractor, as agreed at the meeting held on 28 July 2010. / Post decision scrutiny
Annual
(May) / Food Service Plan / To consider the Food Service Plan for the forthcoming financial year. The Plan sets out how the authority will go about promoting and enforcing safe standards of hygiene and food safety in all aspects of the preparation, manufacture and supply of food. / Pre-decision Scrutiny / Head of Housing & Public Protection
Annual
(Nov/Dec) / Budget / To consider possible issues arising from scrutiny of the Budget / Pre-decision Scrutiny / Appropriate Officers