Scrutiny Committee will meet on 5 September 2023, the Finance & Performance Panel will meet on 6 September 2023, and the Climate & Environment Panel will meet on 12 September 2023.  The following reports are expected, together with any other recommendations from those meetings:

·       Out of Hospital Care Team Provision

·       Delivery of a New Burial Space

·       The Leys Pool and Leisure Centre – Youth Hub

·       Integrated Performance Report for Q1 2023/24

·       Treasury Management Annual Report 2022/23

·       City Wide Smoke Control Area Declaration

·       HRA Energy Efficiency Projects 2023/24

The Scrutiny Committee had met on 5 September 2023, the Finance & Performance Panel had met on 6 September 2023, and the Climate & Environment Panel had met on 12 September 2023. Councillor Mike Rowley, Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Committee, presented the recommendations from those meetings relating to:

(i)         Delivery of a New Burial Space

(ii)        The Leys Pool and Leisure Centre – Youth Hub

(iii)       City Wide Smoke Control Area Declaration

(iv)      HRA Energy Efficiency Projects 2023/24

In relation to the Leys Pool and Leisure Centre, all scrutiny members had welcomed the proposal.  However, due to the short-term nature of funding from government, a recommendation had been made to add a risk to the risk register relating to the continuity of the youth hub.  This recommendation had been accepted.

The Scrutiny Committee had also welcomed the proposal for the delivery of new burial space.  There had been some concern about different community requirements and different burial practices, and how these would be accommodated.  A recommendation had therefore been made that the Council should continue to facilitate open dialogue and communication with stakeholders, in order to help ensure the success of the proposed project.  This recommendation had been accepted.

The Climate and Environment Panel had been supportive of the proposal for a city-wide smoke control area declaration.  Two recommendations had been made, relating to ensuring that (i) the Council ensures clear messaging in its publicity campaign that moored vessels are exempt from the Smoke Control Area and the rationale for the exemption; and (ii) the Council commits to working with the various boating communities to identify and address the barriers to these communities adopting cleaner fuel types and explores grant funding opportunities to support the work to address these issues.  Both recommendations had been accepted.

The Climate and Environment Panel had also considered the energy efficiency HRA projects for 2023/24.  The Panel had discussed the air source heat pump trial undertaken in 2022/23; the types of property which would benefit from projects; and value for money.  Scrutiny had made two recommendations, relating to (i) exploration of the full range of procurement options for the delivery of the project including alternative suppliers and the possibility of establishing medium-to-long term relationships with suppliers, contractors, and sub-contractors; and (ii) setting a timetable for achieving a full set of EPCs for its HRA properties.  Both recommendations had been accepted.