The Scrutiny Committee met on 07 April 2026 to consider the following items. Report and recommendations, including those from its working groups, will be published as a late supplement.

-        Watercourses and Ditches

-        Review of Ward Member Budget and Community Infrastructure Levy Councillor Applications

-        Urgent Key Decisions End of Year Update 2025-2026

-        Integrated Performance for Q3 2025/26

-        Housing Performance 2025/26

-        Selective Licensing Year 3 update

-        Social Housing EPCC update

-        Local Area Energy Planning update

The Scrutiny Committee met on 07 April 2026 to consider the following items.

-       Watercourses and Ditches

-       Review of Ward Member Budget and Community Infrastructure Levy             Councillor Applications

-       Urgent Key Decisions End of Year Update 2025-2026

The Finance and Performance Working Group met on 26 March 2026 to consider the following items.

-       Integrated Performance for Q3 2025/26

The Housing and Homelessness Working Group met on 31 March 2026 to consider the following items.

-       Housing Performance 2025/26

-    Selective Licensing Year 3 update

The Climate and Environment Working Group met on 01 April 2026 to consider the following items.

-       Social Housing EPCC update

-       Local Area Energy Planning update

Councillor Alex Powell, the Chair of Scrutiny, presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Watercourses and Ditches report.

• Recommendation 1: That there is greater urgency in drawing up local flood risk action plans for the identified areas, specifically but not limited to Lobelia Road and Campbell Road, as well as other high flood risk areas.
• Recommendation 2: That there is clear framework setting out:

•       the undertaking of routine clearances and ad hoc collection

•       relevant timelines and circumstances, including when litter can safely be removed from watercourses

•       a list of current equipment available to complete the clearance, together with any additional equipment that would be required to enable greater levels of removal.

• Recommendation 3: That Council work with ODS to start keeping records of the number of reactive repairs being undertaken to better inform any needs for maintenance plans.

Councillor Railton responded to the recommendations from Scrutiny. She said that there was confusion regarding flood action plans because of flood reports and funding coming from different organisations. She said that they did not have the remit in the Council to undertake a flood action plan and were thus not agreeing the first recommendation. She said that Cabinet agreed the second and third recommendation.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Review of Ward Member Budget and Community Infrastructure Levy Councillor Applications

report.

• That the annual pricing list of regular work also itemises the permissions required for each work in order to provide members with all, if not most, information needed to submit a complete application.

Councillor Brown responded to the recommendations from Scrutiny. She said that it would not be possible to do the work in the recommendation, but that the process they’re undergoing will clarify some of the issues raised and will make it easier for members going forward.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Scrutiny Committee’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Urgent Key Decisions End of Year Update 2025-2026 report. He noted that no recommendations arose from their consideration of the report.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Finance and Performance Working Group’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Integrated Performance for Q3 2025/26 report.

• Recommendation 1: That Cabinet, in the light of experience, reviews whether the current optimism bias remains appropriate, including whether a higher starting point (such as 50%) should be considered, with scope to reduce this (back to 45% or 40%) where delivery performance improves.
• Recommendation 2: That Cabinet considers whether recruitment and retention should be recognised and managed as a single corporate risk, rather than being reflected separately across individual service risk registers.
• Recommendation 3: That Cabinet reviews whether current and future budget assumptions for damp, mould and retrofit works are sufficient, in light of emerging experience, including whether higher baseline provision should be built into the MTFP.

Councillor Turner responded to the recommendations from the working group. He said that they accepted the first recommendation and that the second was covered in work already planned. He noted that there was an increase in the budget to address the third recommendation and that they would keep this under review.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Housing and Homelessness Working Group’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Housing Performance 2025/26 report.

• Officers to provide the Working Group with data relating to the number of homeless people being housed in hotel accommodation and the length of time those people have occupied hotel accommodation.

Councillor Linda Smith responded and said that the recommendation was accepted.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Housing and Homelessness Working Group’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Selective Licensing Year 3 update report. He noted that no recommendations arose from their consideration of the report.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Climate and Environment Working Group’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Social Housing EPCC update report.

• That Cabinet adopts a policy that makes air source heat pumps as the default heating system for all social housing properties going forward. In recognition that in emergency situations a gas boiler may still be required, installation of gas boilers should only be permitted in those circumstances.

Councillor Alex Powell presented the Climate and Environment Working Group’s discussions about and recommendations regarding the Local Area Energy Planning update report.

• That Cabinet assess whether action areas identified through LAEP that are not currently in the draft Local Plan 2045, could be incorporated, including a gap analyses to identify where the Local Plan does not yet reflect LAEP priorities, as well as a feasibility check on whether they can be integrated at this stage.

Councillor Railton responded to the recommendations from the working group. She said that they agreed with the principle of the first recommendation and that they did want the same end result. Regarding the LAEP, she said that this was more flexible than the Local Plan, and that the dependency should go the other way between the two.

Councillor Brown thanked Scrutiny Committee and the officers that support the committee for their work over the past year.