Issue - meetings

To agree a protocol for joint scrutiny between the partner councils in the S&ELCP; to agree the scope for a Joint Transport Task and Finish Group; and to agree the appointment of three members to the Joint Task and Finish Group (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed)

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) to agree a protocol for joint scrutiny between the partner councils in the S&ELCP; to agree the scope for a Joint Transport Task and Finish Group; and to agree the appointment of three members to the Joint Task and Finish Group.

The Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) introduced the report which proposed the process by which joint scrutiny, on matters of common strategic importance across the partnership, was undertaken.

Appendix A set out the joint scrutiny proposals. Identical reports had been proposed to S&ELCP authorities: East Lindsey District Council had recently approved the report; Boston Borough Council would consider the proposals in the following week.

Feedback from consultations with scrutiny Chairs, Group Leaders and the Executive, noted in points 2.4 and 2.5 of the report, had been reflected in the proposal.

The proposal included the establishment of partnership Task Groups which would discuss a maximum of four topics per year. Respective councils would appoint three members to each Task and Finish Group.

The first topic proposed for scrutiny was Public Transport, and a high-level scope for the Task and Finish scrutiny panel was outlined in Appendix B. 

The final Task and Finish Group report would go forward to each sovereign council’s parent scrutiny committee.

The Assistant Director – Governance referred to the discussion from agenda item 11 (Economic Development/Inward Investment update) and stated that a joint scrutiny approach to Public Transport, which incorporated rail, should bear greater influence in pressing for change than sovereign councils acting alone.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• The Public Transport scrutiny topic was welcomed and would assist businesses and employment within the three authorities. In addition to rail and buses, it was stated that roads should be included within the review.

• Effective and reliable public transport was particularly warranted in rural areas and merited special attention.

• The location of meetings across the partnership was discussed: virtual, in-person and site visits. The venue of meetings would depend on lines of enquiry and be decided by the Task Group.

AGREED:

a)    That the proposals for joint scrutiny arrangements, as set out in Appendix A, be approved;

b)    That the scope for the proposed Joint Transport Task and Finish Group, as set out in Appendix B, be approved;

c)    That Councillor P A Redgate, Councillor C J T H Brewis and Councillor S C Walsh be appointed to the proposed Joint Transport Task and Finish Group; and

d)    That the Task and Finish Group be authorised to determine the detail of its remit and the required lines of enquiry and witnesses.