Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Resources (Interim) – presented by Overview and Scrutiny Officer, Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Corporate Director of Resources (Interim) which provided an updated draft work programme for 2021/22 (for copies see file of minutes).

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer asked Members to consider and discuss the draft work programme which had been informed by key documents including: the County Durham Vision; the Council Plan; Cabinet’s Notice of Key Decisions; performance and budgetary control data; various partnership plans and strategies and local priorities.  In addition, it included areas prioritised in the previous work programme for 2020/21. 

The work programme was flexible to accommodate any additional items that would arise and it identified items prioritised by the Chair and Vice-chair for consideration.

The Committee had been allocated five meeting dates to run from September 2021 to May 2022 and the draft work programme identified agenda items to be considered at formal meetings of the committee and those that would be delivered via briefing reports throughout the life cycle of the work programme.  

Councillor Manchestersuggested that Housing, in particular empty homes should be considered as part of the work programme.  The work of the empty homes team had been impacted by the pandemic and there had been an increase in enquiries to the homelessness service.  The Chair advised that he had received an email from Councillor Marshall about the inclusion of housing in the working programme and he noted that a lot of time had been spent on the issue the previous year, however he would consider the requests.

Mrs Morris queried whether strategic job creation would include training strategies and skills development and the Chair replied that the Committee would be considering the Strategic Employment Sites in particular but he would ask that training be included.

Councillor Deinali referred to the increase in electric vehicles and asked whetherthere were any plans to increase hard shoulder provision on A19 as electric vehicles could not be towed or pushed and must be removed by a recovery vehicle.  The Chair advised that this point would be passed on to appropriate colleagues.

Councillor Townsend requested that museums and tourism be included in the work programme as well as the plans and progression for Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentennial Celebrations as there was a need for this Committee and also overlapping Committees to be involved.  The Chair agreed and advised that Chairs and Vice Chairs would meet and discuss overlapping items.

Resolved

That members of the Economy and Enterprise OSC received and commented on the proposed draft work programme for 2021/22.