Agenda and minutes

The Committee noted the apologies of Councillor Keogh, Revd Williams and Mrs Topp.  The Committee also noted that following receipt of the temporary resignation of Councillor Fitzhenry from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, acting under delegated powers, had appointed Councillor White to replace him for the purposes of this meeting.

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2014 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Committee Meeting held on 11 September 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive providing details of Ofsted’s unannounced inspection of Children’s Services and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board in Southampton and requesting that the Committee agree the way forward to strengthen the scrutiny of Children’s Services in Southampton, attached.

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive providing details of Ofsted’s unannounced inspection of Children’s Services and the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board in Southampton and requesting that the Committee agree the way forward to strengthen the scrutiny of Children’s Services in Southampton.

RESOLVED:-

  i.  that a Children and Families Scrutiny Panel be established to provide robust scrutiny of Children and Families Services; and

  ii.  that the Panel meet on a bi-monthly basis over a two year period  and that funding for this additional Panel should not be taken from the Children’s Safeguarding Portfolio.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing items requested for discussion from the current Forward Plan.

Items include:-

·  Response to Scrutiny Panel A Recommendations – “Maintaining Balanced Neighbourhoods through Planning” (Appendix 1 and 2);

·  Planning Enforcement Policy (Appendix 3 and 4); and

·  Residents’ Parking Policy (Appendices 5, 6 and 7).

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing the items requested for discussion from the current Forward Plan.

Ms Hand, Mr Johnson, Mrs Barton, Mrs Swallow, Mrs Dahl and Mr Vinson (Members of the Public) and Councillor Burke (Chair of Scrutiny Panel A), were present and with the consent of the Chair addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED

  i.  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “Response to Scrutiny Panel A Recommendations – Maintaining Balanced Neighbourhoods Through Planning” the Committee recommended:-

a)  the Leader of the Council be requested to consider the inclusion of a timescale for the implementation of the response to recommendation (vi) “Homes in Multiple Occupation SPD – To-Let Signs” on Page 2 of the Appendix of the report;

b)  the Leader of the Council be requested to consider rewording recommendation (i) “Educate, Engage and Enforce” on Page 5 of the Appendix of the report, to reflect a more positive response and clarifying that the Council would continue to support communities in developing neighbourhood plans;

c)  the Leader of the Council be requested to consider incorporating parking implications as part of the proposed review of Houses in Multiple Occupation; and

d)  the Executive reconsidered their position in relation to the development of an Article 4 Direction to remove Permitted Development Rights for Houses in Multiple Occupation.

  ii.  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “Planning Enforcement Policy” the Committee recommended:-

a)  officers be requested to ensure that the Planning Enforcement Policy enabled recurring and cumulative breaches to be taken into consideration when enforcement action was determined; and

b)  the use of letters imposing higher sanctions by way of Section 215 notices be increased and undertaken by Business Support Staff opposed to Specialist Enforcement Officers.

  iii.  that on consideration of the briefing paper relating to “Residents’ Parking Policy” the Committee recommended:-

a)  the Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport reconsidered the proposal to charge for Bar Markings;

b)  mechanisms be developed, including the use of technology, which would enable residents to receive a rapid response to requests for parking enforcement from Enforcement Officers;

c)  priority be given to taking enforcement action against blocked drives;

d)  officers be requested to ensure that consideration be given to include parameters within the policy which would enable owners of properties built post March 2011 to be eligible for a parking permit;

e)  intelligence be utilised to target enforcement against drivers who persistently infringed parking regulations close to Schools; and

f)  the Council work more closely with Schools to encourage the use of CCTV to monitor parking surrounding Schools which would enable offenders to be named and shamed.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing the actions of the Executive and monitoring progress of the recommendations of the Committee, attached.

The Committee received and noted the report of the Assistant Chief Executive detailing the actions of the Executive and monitoring progress of the recommendations of the Committee.