Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Corporate Director of Resources (Interim) that provided Members with an updated work programme for 2020/21 (for copy of report, see file of minutes).

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer was in attendance to present the report and indicated that the process of refreshing the committee’s work programme started this time of year. The report highlighted that the refresh reflected the objectives and associated outcomes and actions identified within the Council Plan and was set in the context of the County Durham Vision 2035 and other key strategic documents and government legislation. In addition to using these documents to refresh the work programme they would also meet and discuss areas with colleagues in the service grouping and the climate change and environment partnership and members for their suggestions too.

The 2021 work programme had been delivered differently due to COVID-19, with a reduced number of meetings and prioritised items coming to virtual committee meetings and the remainder of the work programme items circulated electronically as briefing reports to members outside of the meeting.

The report outlined the committee’s activity that had taken place this municipal year including cross-cutting areas where items across the remit of one or more committee’s and where members of other overview and scrutiny committees were invited to attend this committee or vice versa. The number of items considered both virtually or as a briefing report had been identified by members of the committee to receive further updates, these items would go forward into the refreshed work programme.

The committee had previously identified an area for focused review back in February 2020 and this was Durham County Councils Refuse and Recycling Collection Policy, however this review was put on hold as a result of the pandemic.

Members were asked to decide if they wanted to identify this area as a topic for a future review activity or whether members wanted to suggest another topic for inclusion in the proposed work programme 2021/22.

Councillor Crute referred to the refuse and recycling collection policy review that was a priority as one of the main services of the council. He would support a review of this and previously indicated that members may wish to consider the impact of the street lighting and energy reduction programme, specifically on routes between settlements in rural areas and some location in urban areas, the programme itself brought huge dividends in terms of energy reductions and emission reductions but they might need to be assured as a council that this had not been done at the detriment of safety on streets during the hours of darkness. They needed to consider if there had been any unintended consequences of the programme and if so look at ways of addressing them.

The Chair indicated that officers would take note of his proposal and consider for next year’s work programme.

Councillor Avery commented that he had concerns about safety on the streets in particular housing estates.

The Chair indicated that it had been four years since this street lighting programme came in and was something that members needed to consider.

Resolved: That the work programme for 2020/21 be noted.