Agenda item

Agenda item

Work Programme and Forward Plan

Contact Officer: Pat Jones, Principal Scrutiny Officer, Tel: 01865 252191

Email: phjones@oxford.gov.uk

 

Background Information

 

The Scrutiny Committee operates within a work programme which has been set for the year 2013-2014.

 

The programme will be reviewed at every meeting so that it can be adjusted to reflect the wishes of the Committee.

 

In addition, the Forward Plan is attached so that the Committee can decide if it wishes to pre-scrutinise any item.

 

Why is it on the agenda?

 

This report allows Committee to:

 

·       Hear updates from Lead Members.

·       Consider forward agendas and issues.

 

In particular the Committee is asked to note:

 

·     The consultation outcome for the Community Engagement Strategy was requested by the Committee.  This has been delayed because of an agreed extension to the consultation period in an effort to increase participation.  A renewed timetable was not available at the time of writing.

·     An action plan is being developed to deliver the recommendations made by the Committee on employment of staff from BME communities.

·     The evaluation of the Leadership Programme linked to the City’s investment in educational attainment will be available to the Committee at the April meeting.

·     At the last meeting members asked to see further information on the reasons for the downward trend in targets for recycling and landfill.  A copy of the report to the City Executive Board in September 2013 outlining changes in these targets is attached.  Geoff Corps, the Service Manager, will be available to answer member’s questions.   

   

Who has been invited to comment?

 

Pat Jones, Principal Scrutiny Officer, will present the work programme, answer questions and support the Committee in its decision making.

 

What will happen after the meeting?

 

The work programme will be updated and republished.

 

 

Minutes:

The Principal Scrutiny Officer presented the Work Programme and Forward Plan, and highlighted the following issues:-

 

Work Programme

 

(1)  The Community Engagement Strategy, which was requested by the Committee, has been delayed as the period of consultation has been extended;

(2)  An action plan concerning the employment of Council staff from BME communities is being developed;

(3)  Evaluation of the Leadership Programme (liked to educational attainment) will be presented to the Committee is April;

(4)  The Covered Market Group has asked to continue in order to see its recommendations through to implementation. This would focus purely on the recommendations that had been made,  would not be a roving review, and could continue until the end of the Committee’s work programme. The Committee AGREED to this request;

(5)  The Finance Panel has met and made recommendations on the Budget. It planned to meet again to discuss ethical investment.

 

Councillor Simmons had asked for further information on the downward trend in recycling targets. Geoff Corps (Service Manager) attended the meeting to answer questions on this. A briefing note on the changes (which went to CEB) was also submitted for information.

 

Geoff Corps provided the following information:-

 

·         Oxfordshire Waste Partnership will end on 31st March 2014 because the County Council will not fund it any more. The City Council will continue to work with partners;

·         City Officers have visited a specialist plant in Essex to explore further uses for “sweeper arisings”. These are leaves, grass cuttings, litter, road dressings etc. Because Oxford does a lot of sweeping, it has more “arisings” than other places. A trial of recycling from sweeper detritus is ongoing at Ewelme. It is thought that there are recoverable items arising from sweeping, but it is too early to say at present;

·         The matter of trying to persuade more people to recycle more things is part of a much wider issue. Dry recyclate is at its highest level across the City. A campaign, called “One More Thing”  will begin next year, to encourage recycling;

·         It is possible to map recycling across the City and identify which are the best and worst performing areas. North and central Oxford perform well, south and south east Oxford do less well.

·         The City Council works with Brookes University Street Champions and Brookes Recycling Champions, and is well versed in engaging with students to encourage more recycling from them. There is scope to engage with individual colleges more;

·         Oxfordshire County Council organises gulley emptying – noted that Councillor Abassi would like more information about this;

·         Recycling at flats has begun. Social landlords must demonstrate an ability to recycle at a rate of 50%. There has been some positive engagement with landlords, but it is too early to judge the success of this and the impact on recycling rates;

·         Waste collection crews now have data collectors in their wagons, so that the Council can be made aware of failures to recycle, mis-presentation of wheelie bins, etc. The Council will visit people who do not engage with the Council about recycling to educate, inform and help them.

 

The Committee thanked the waste teams for all their hard work – they are doing a good job.

 

Resolved to:-

 

(1)  Thank the waste teams for their efforts and congratulate them on a job well done;

 

(2)  Seek further information about gulley emptying from Shaun Hatton.

 

 

Forward Plan

 

The Committee would like to see the following:-

 

(1)  Parking on HRA land – to go to the Housing Panel;

 

(2)  Fusion Lifestyle Service Plan – already agreed to look at how Fusion engages with under-represented groups within the City, however Councillor Simmons felt it would be useful to look at the wider plan if possible;

 

(3)  Oxford Strategic Housing Market Assessment – headline numbers will be available soon, so this should be considered for a future work programme.

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: