Venue: Sparkenhoe Committee Room, County Hall, Glenfield
Contact: Mr. M.I. Seedat (Tel: 0116 265 6037) Email: mseedat@leics.gov.uk
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By Invitation. Mr. E.F. White CC – Cabinet Lead Member for Community Services. |
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Minutes. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting held on |
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Question Time. Minutes: The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been asked under Standing Order 35. |
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Questions asked by members under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5). Minutes: The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5). |
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Urgent Item. Minutes: The Chairman reported that he had agreed to take one item of urgent business and he proposed to take it as the next item of business. |
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Officer Attendance at Scrutiny Meetings. Minutes: The Commission considered this matter, the Chairman having decided that it was of an urgent nature in view of the concerns expressed to him and to avoid a similar situation in the future. The Chairman reported concerns by some members concerning officer attendance at the meeting of the Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee. Those concerns related to the Director leaving a public meeting part way through to attend a private meeting with the Leader and Chief Executive. The Chairman was of the view that priority should have been given to the public scrutiny meeting. |
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Declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda. Minutes: There were no declarations made by members. |
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Declarations of the Party Whip in accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 16. Minutes: There were no declarations made under Overview and Scrutiny
Procedure Rule 16. |
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Presentation of Petitions under Standing Order 36. Minutes: The Chief Executive reported that no petitions had been
received under Standing Order 36. |
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Environment Strategy. Minutes: The Commission considered a report of the Director of Community Services
concerning the County Council’s current and planned response to the Environment
agenda. A copy of the report marked ‘A’ is filed with these minutes. The Committee was advised that since the report had been written
additional funding had been agreed in the County Council’s budget which would
contribute further to improving the environment. This funding provide for:- Ø
a feasibility study to develop a Community Wood in
Enderby; Ø
matched funding to support working with
LeicesterShire Economic Partnership to develop an anaerobic digestion plant; Ø
Capital and Revenue resources to implement the
findings of the Energy Review Panel. In the ensuing discussion the following points were made:- i)
climate change could not be addressed under the
normal economic rules and it was necessary to recognise that in seeking to
address climate change the Authority might be faced with additional costs e.g.
paying a premium for green energy; ii)
the aim to become carbon neutral was laudable but
should be accompanied by a clear time frame for its achievement; iii)
in considering the County Council’s own activities
there should be a corporate commitment to environmental cost and benefit considerations
being embedded in the service planning process; iv)
consideration should be given to reviewing, if
possible, the current arrangements for travelling expenses which did not
encourage the use of vehicles with a smaller engine size or those deemed to be
more environmentally friendly; v)
given the influence and spending power of the
Authority there was a clear leadership role to be exercised not only in
promoting good practice but also in terms of encouraging, through direct
support and purchasing/contracting strategies, the development of green
technologies and processes. RESOLVED a) That
it be noted:- i)
that a number of strategies are currently in place
which seek, within their overall broad objectives, to address environmental
issues; ii)
that the next review of the County Council’s
Environment Strategy to be undertaken in the coming year will focus on three
key areas related to energy, waste and procurement, with the view to developing
a core plan; iii)
that the recently agreed energy and water strategy
provides a key set of actions and investment for the authority for coming
years; iv)
that ENABLE has been commissioned by the
Leicestershire Together Board (which is chaired by the Leader of the County
Council) to prepare a Climate Change
Action Plan to which the Board partners will be asked to sign up to. b) That the Cabinet be
advised that it is the view of the Scrutiny Commission that:- i)
within the Environment Strategy and other relevant
strategies greater emphasis needs to be given to the County Council’s
leadership and advocacy role in respect of the wider community; ii)
whilst the proposed production of a food and drink
directory was a welcome development aimed at reducing food miles, the actions
of Leicester City Council in enforcing the ancient market charter and thereby
preventing neighbouring District Councils from setting up local markets
adversely impacts on the ability of local farmers to sell their products; iii)
in order to further embed environmental
considerations within the policies of the Council and to allow elected members
and the public to assess the Council’s resolve,
for a period of one year, all reports to County Council bodies should
include a section ‘Environmental Implications’; iv) in order to progress this important issue those members who served on the Scrutiny Panel on Energy and Water Management be asked to convene as a Panel to consider the Council’s current and planned response to the Environment Agenda with ... view the full minutes text for item 107. |
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Scrutiny of the Local Area Agreement. Minutes: The Commission considered a report of the Chief Executive
asking it to reconsider its previous decision regarding the arrangements for
scrutiny of the Local Area Agreement (LAA) in the light of the establishment of
the Community Engagement Scrutiny Committee. A copy of the report marked ‘B’ is
filed with these minutes. RESOLVED:- That the Community Engagement Scrutiny Committee be asked to
scrutinise of the ‘Stronger Communities’ block of the LAA. |
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Date of next meeting. The next meeting will be held on Minutes: RESOLVED: That the next meeting be held on |