Place Scrutiny Committee – Work Programme

Current Scrutiny Reviews

Title of Review

Detail

Proposed Completion Date

Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management

A scrutiny review of Pothole Management which will focus on the Council’s approach to repairing potholes and other highway defects which may affect vulnerable road users. The aim of the review is to examine what more can be done to tackle the issue of potholes in roads, which has been a focus of concerns expressed by residents.

The Review Board will be comprised of Councillors Matthew Beaver, Julia Hilton, Ian Hollidge (Chair), Eleanor Kirby-Green and Philip Lunn.

 

November 2023

Initial Scoping Reviews

Subject area for initial scoping

Detail

 Proposed Dates

To be agreed.

 

 

 

List of Suggested Potential Future Scrutiny Review or Reference Group Topics

Suggested Topic

Detail


 

Climate Change

The Committee has agreed to consider a scoping a review to examine the Council’s countywide work on climate change, which could look at countywide actions and how the Council works with other organisations (e.g. District and Borough councils) on this issue.

 

 

Scrutiny Reference and Working Groups

Reference Group Title

Subject Area

Meetings Dates

Local Transport Plan (LTP4) – Reference Group

The Committee has formed a Reference Group to work alongside officers on the development of the revised Local Transport Plan (LTP 4) focussing on sustainable transport issues. It is taking part in a series of workshops on the development of the LTP4.

Further dates to be agreed as required.

 

East Sussex Economic Growth Strategy

The Committee has agreed to form a reference group to provide scrutiny input into the development of the Strategy in response to the Committee’s request to have scrutiny involvement in the development process for economic development projects, which will be guided by the Strategy. The membership of the reference group and terms of reference is to be agreed.

 

 

Initially 10 November 2023 and then during 2023 and early 2024.

Reports for Information

Subject

Detail

Proposed Date

To be agreed.

 

 

 

 

Training and Development

Title of Training/Briefing

Detail

                                             

Proposed Date

To be agreed.

 

 

 

 

 

Future Committee Agenda

Items

Author/Witnesses

23 November 2023

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

The Committee will examine any additional information requested at the September meeting and consider any updated RPPR information for 2024/25.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Southern Water, combined sewer discharges and spills

An update report on Southern Water’s work to reduce the use of storm water discharges and spills, including:

  • an update on the timescales for any East Sussex trials;
  • an update on the progress of investment to tackle the use of storm overflows and improve infrastructure with details of location, costs and timescales, including the Local Area Regional Plan; and
  • details of any improvements Southern Water have made in communications with the public on the issues involved, as the Committee agreed that this was not currently good enough.

Representatives from Southern Water, the Environment Agency and Ofwat

Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management

To consider and agree the report of the Review Board on the Scrutiny Review of Pothole Management

 

Chair of the Review Board / Senior Scrutiny Advisor

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

12 March 2024

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

The Committee will review its input into the RPPR budget setting process, and the impact of any recommendations or comments made by the Committee.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

SPACES Programme and Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy

To receive an update report on the work of the SPACES programme, including its successes and future focus, and a report back on the updated Community Asset Transfer (CAT) policy.

Assistant Director Property / Chief Operating Officer

Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local

To receive an update report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local and an update on the implications of the Procurement Act.

Chief Operating Officer / Director of Procurement / Head of Policy and Modernisation, Orbis Procurement

Environment Act, Food Waste

To receive an update report on the implications of the Environment Act for ESCC of the requirement to put in place a food waste collection service.

Assistant Director Operations/Waste Team Manager

Scrutiny Review of Road Markings

To receive an update report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of Road Markings, including details of the work undertaken with additional expenditure in this area of work.

 

Assistant Director, Operations

 

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

12 July 2024

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

To commence the Committee’s involvement with the RPPR process for 2025/26 by reviewing the information in the Quarter 4, end of financial year (2023/24) Council Monitoring report and the State of the County report.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

23 September 2024

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

To continue the Committee’s work on the RPPR process for 2025/26, by reviewing Portfolio Plans and service based information.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local

To receive the second update report on the implementation of the recommendations from the Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local.

Chief Operating Officer / Director of Procurement / Head of Policy & Modernisation, Orbis

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

28 November 2024

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

The Committee will examine any additional information requested at the September meeting and consider any updated RPPR information for 2025/26.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

20 March 2025

 

 

Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR)

The Committee will review its input into the RPPR budget setting process, and the impact of any recommendations or comments made by the Committee.

Chief Executive / Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Work Programme

To consider items for inclusion in the Committee’s work programme:

·         Reports for future meetings

·         Scrutiny reviews and potential scrutiny reviews

·         Items from the Forward Plan

Senior Scrutiny Adviser

Future Items – to be scheduled

Witnesses

Electricity Grid Capacity

A report on the capacity and constraints of the electricity grid in East Sussex to accommodate Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure and other developments such as solar farms and new housing developments. Timescale to be agreed, dependent on agreement with potential witnesses UK Power Networks/electricity distributors.

UK Power Networks

Queensway Gateway Project

A report on the Queensway Gateway project, covering the current position regarding delivery of this project.

Director of Communities Economy and Transport / Assistant Director Economy / Head of Economic Development, Skills and Infrastructure.

Water Supply Issues and Future Demand Planning

To receive a report from South East Water on the actions they are taking to resolve the recent water supply issues in the north of the County and to hear from South East Water and Southern Water about their longer terms plans for supplying water to East Sussex residents and businesses.

Representatives from South East Water and Southern Water.

Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Flexi-Bus Service

The Committee requested a report on the new Flexi-Bus service, including an evaluation of the use and success of the service.

Director of Communities Economy and Transport / Assistant Director Operations

Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) Road Collisions

The Committee requested an update report on the effectiveness of the interventions that have been put in place to try and reduce the number of KSI collisions on the County’s roads, and have an outline of the measures that other local authorities have put in place to tackle this issue.

Director of Communities Economy and Transport / Assistant Director Communities