Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Terry (Substitute: Councillor Ayling).

The following interests were declared at the meeting:

(a)  Councillors Courtenay, Cox, Flewitt, Moring and Salter (Cabinet Members) – Disqualifying non-pecuniary interests in all the called-in/referred items; attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed at Council on 19th July 2012, under S.33 of the Localism Act 2011;

(b)  Councillor Davidson – Agenda Item No. 6 (Fire Safety Report) – Non-pecuniary interest: Non-executive director of South Essex Homes;

(c)  Councillor Flewitt – Agenda Item No. 6 (Fire Safety Report) – Non-pecuniary interest: Friends and family are tenants of South Essex Homes;

(d)  Councillor J Garston – Agenda Item No. 9 (Centenary Fields) – Disqualifying non-pecuniary interest: Lives opposite the area to be dedicated (withdrew); and

(e)  Councillor McGlone  – Agenda Item No. 6 (Fire Safety Report) – Non-pecuniary interest: Non-executive director of South Essex Homes.

The Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities and Wellbeing and the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure responded to written questions from Mr Webb.

Resolved:-

That the Minutes of the Meeting held on Monday, 9^th July 2018 be received, confirmed as a correct record and signed.

Members are reminded to bring with them the most recent MPR for period end July 2018.

Comments/questions should be made at the appropriate Scrutiny Committee relevant to the subject matter.

The Committee considered the Monthly Performance Report (MPR) covering the period to end July 2018, which had been circulated recently.

Resolved:-

That the report be noted.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Cabinet Member:- As appropriate to the item.

Minute 260 (Cabinet Book 1, Agenda Item No. 4)

Called in by Councillors Dent and Gilbert

The Committee considered Minute 260 of Cabinet held on 18^th September 2018, which had been called in for scrutiny together with the report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) setting out the progress in delivering the Council’s Fire Safety Review, which was established following the Grenfell Tower fire on 14th June 2017.

In response to questions regarding the consultation with tenants and residents, the Cabinet Member for Adults and Housing undertook to circulate the details of the consultation that had been undertaken to Members of the Committee.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:

“1.  That the work undertaken by the Council and South Essex Homes with respect to Fire Safety, be noted and endorsed.

2. That the Council’s initial response to the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, be noted and endorsed.

3. That a further update be submitted to a future meeting of the Cabinet (Spring 2019).”

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Member: Cllrs Courtenay, Cox and Flewitt

Minute 266 (Cabinet Book 1, Agenda Item No. 10)

Called-in by Councillors Wexham, Mulroney, Terry and Woodley

A copy of the full report by Steer, Davies, Gleave has been placed in the Members Area.  A copy can be accessed here.

The Committee considered Minute 266 of Cabinet held on 18th September 2018, which had been called in for scrutiny together with the report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) updating Members on the report recently produced by Steer Davies Gleave entitled the “Borough-wide Parking and Access Strategy” and proposals for a wider “Access, Parking and Transport Strategy for Southend”.

The Cabinet Member for Infrastructure provided the following points for clarification:

i) the report by Steer, Davies, Gleave was an external specialist report;

ii) the recommendations in the Steer Davies Gleave report would be reviewed by the newly formed Working Party as part of the development of the  Access, Parking and Transport Strategy for Southend;

iii) for the avoidance of doubt, the recommendations of the newly formed Working Party would be the subject of consultation, and the final recommendations would then be considered through the Council’s decision making and scrutiny processes. Only then would the Access, Parking and Transport Strategy for Southend become Council Policy;

iv) In the first sentence of Cabinet Resolution 4 below, the Strategy referred to means the Borough-wide Parking and Access Strategy produced by Steer Davies Gleave; and

v) The first 5 words of Cabinet Resolution 6 below lack precision and should be replaced by the following: - “To support the development of the Council’s Access, Parking and Transport Strategy for Southend….”

In response to questions regarding improved accessibility for emergency services and residents, the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure:-

a) gave his assurance that these would be included as part of the review; and

b) confirmed that he was content for the proposed terms of reference of the Working Party to refer throughout to the Borough, rather than referring to Southend.

Resolved:-

That the following recommendations of Cabinet, as amended (see underlined text), be noted:

Minute 271 (Cabinet Book 1 Agenda Item No. 15)

Referred direct to all three Scrutiny Committees

The Committee considered Minute 271 of Cabinet held on 18th September 2018, which had been referred direct by Cabinet to all three Scrutiny Committees for consideration, together with the report of the Chief Executive providing performance information about comments, complaints and compliments received across the Council for 2017-18.

Resolved:-

That the following decision of Cabinet be noted:

“That the Council’s performance in respect of comments, complaints and compliments for 2017-18 be noted and the report at Appendix A to the submitted report be referred to each Scrutiny Committee and the reports at Appendix B and Appendix C be referred to the People Scrutiny Committee.”

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Member: Cllrs Lamb, Cox and Boyd (as appropriate).

Minute 275 (Cabinet Book 2, Agenda Item No. 19)

Called-in by Councillors Terry and Woodley

The Committee considered Minute 275 of Cabinet held on 18th September 2018, which had been called in for scrutiny together with the report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) setting out the potential implications on future maintenance and improvement of Southend Cliffs Gardens that might result as a consequence of dedicating the gardens to Fields in Trust as part of the Centenary Fields Programme.

Resolved:-

That the following decisions of Cabinet be noted:

“1. That the application to dedicate the Southend Cliff Gardens to Fields in Trust, be approved.

2. That, if the application is successful, it be noted that the Council may be restricted from future changes to the gardens.

3. That the responsibility for agreeing the final detailed area of the Southend Cliff Gardens to be dedicated as a Centenary Field be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member.

4.  That the allocation of £10,000 from the contingency for the investment in any procurement memorabilia, be noted.”

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Member: Cllr Salter

Minute 277 (Cabinet Book 2, Agenda Item No. 21)

Called-in by Councillors Wexham, Mulroney, Terry and Woodley

The Committee considered Minute 277 of Cabinet held on 18th September 2018, which had been called in for scrutiny together with the report of the Chief Executive on proposals for the introduction of a fees and charges policy for services to allow for the setting of fees and charges.

Resolved:-

That the following recommendations of Cabinet be noted:

Note: This is a Council Function.

Cabinet Member: Cllr Lamb

Further to Minute 112 of its meeting held on 9th July 2018, the Committee considered the project plan in relation to the agreed joint in-depth scrutiny project, with the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee for 2018/19 entitled “Re-imaging the Town Centre in the context of the vision for Southend 2050”.

The Committee also received an oral update on the progress that had been made with the study to date.

Resolved:-

That, subject to the involvement of the Youth Council and residents’ input into the study, the project plan be agreed.

Note:- This is a Scrutiny Function.