Report to:	Place Scrutiny Committee
Date of meeting:	22 September 2021
By:	Assistant Chief Executive
Title:	Place Scrutiny Committee future work programme
Purpose:	To review and agree items for the Place Scrutiny Committee’s future work programme and receive updates on previous work.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The Place Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

1) Agree the membership of the Highway Services Re-Procurement Project (HSRP) Scrutiny Member Reference Group which will work on the next stages of the Project;

2) Review and agree agenda items for the future Committee meetings, including items listed in the work programme in appendix 1;

3) Review and agree topics for Scrutiny Reviews to be included in the Committee’s future work programme; and

4) Review upcoming items on East Sussex County Council’s (ESCC) Forward Plan in appendix 2 to identify any issues that may require more detailed scrutiny.

1. Background

1.1 The work programme is an important tool in ensuring the correct focus and best use of the Committee’s time in scrutinising topics that are of importance to the residents of East Sussex, and the efficient and effective working of the Council. It also provides clarity for those who may be requested to give evidence to the Committee on the issues under review, and the questions the Committee requires answers to.

1.2. Discussion of the work programme provides the Committee with the opportunity to examine topics that it may be of value to scrutinise, and to decide whether further scoping work is required. This provides a basis for deciding the best way of scrutinising a topic, the timescale, and who from the Committee will be involved in carrying out the review work. If there are a number of topics for review, the Committee can determine the priority of the work within the resources available to the Committee.

2. Highway Service Re-Procurement Project (HSRP) – Reference Group

2.1 At the Place Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 23 June, the Committee agreed to re-establish the Reference Group to work with Officers on the next stages of the Highway Services Re-Procurement Project (HSRP). This will include delivery the Procurement Strategy culminating in a report going to Cabinet to approve the award of contract, and the implementation and monitoring of the new contract.

2.2 The following committee members have indicated that they would like to take part in the Reference Group: Councillor Matthew Beaver, Councillor Chris Collier, Councillor Ian Hollidge and Councillor Eleanor Kirby-Green. It has also been suggested that the Committee ask Councillor Godfrey Daniel, who sat on the previous Reference Group, to be part of the re-established Reference Group for the initial meetings to help provide continuity.

2.3 The Committee is recommended to agree the membership of the HSRP Reference Group as outlined in a paragraph 2.2 above.

3. Work programme and future scrutiny reviews

3.1 The Committee is asked to review the items in the current work programme contained in appendix 1 of the report and agree the future agenda items and other scrutiny work of the Committee.

3.2 Members of the Committee met on 13 September to review the current work programme and discuss potential scrutiny topics as part of a work planning ‘Away Day’ session. The aim of the session was to refresh the work programme and explore topics for potential scrutiny reviews which could be take forward to the scoping stage of the scrutiny review process.

3.3 The outcomes of the work planning session will be presented at the meeting for discussion and agreement by the Committee.

4. Forward Plan

4.1 A copy of the Council’s Forward Plan of executive decisions for the period 1 September 2021 to 31 December 2021 is included in appendix 2. The Committee is requested to review the forthcoming items on the Forward Plan to identify any issues that may require scrutiny work. The Forward Plan is revised and published on a monthly basis, and Committee members should regularly review the Forward Plan.

5. Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

5.1 The Place Scrutiny Committee is recommended to agree the agenda items and topics for scrutiny reviews to be included in the future work programme. The Committee is also recommended to review the Council’s Forward Plan of decisions to identify any issues that may require more detailed scrutiny.

PHILIP BAKER
Assistant Chief Executive

Contact Officer: Martin Jenks, Senior Democratic Service Adviser
Tel. No. 01273 481327
Email: martin.jenks@eastsussex.gov.uk

BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

None.