Agenda item

To provide Overview and Scrutiny the opportunity to challenge and scrutinise the Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Youth Participation and Climate Change

 

Minutes:

The Service Director Democratic Services and Communications presented the report to Members to allow them the opportunity to scrutinise the decisions undertaken by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Youth Participation and Climate Change within the period set out in the report and to ensure the appropriate mechanisms are in place to effectively scrutinise the Executive.

 

A Member referred to the Council Tax Premiums report and welcomed the decision to increase the premiums on long term empty properties. He asked the Cabinet Member if she anticipated progress in bringing back into use longer term empty properties, those empty for over five years. He also asked how many properties she anticipated being brought back into use through the Compulsory Purchase Order Scheme.

 

The Cabinet Member Corporate Services, Youth Participation and Climate Change advised that evidence and data does show that the previous decision to introduce a Council Tax premium made a positive contribution to reducing the number of empty properties albeit slower than the Council would like, and was due to a number of factors that included communications issues with absent landlords.  She advised Members that Compulsory Purchase Orders were the last resort for the Council and was not something that would be done lightly.

 

A Member referred to a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee where the Youth Participation team and representatives attended to give their views.  She asked the Cabinet Member what improvements could we glean from any new survey and how are the Council addressing some of the issues that were raised from the survey last year. The Member was also interested to hear how the Council will be engaging young people in the democratic process.

 

The Cabinet Member stated that the YEPS team have been brilliant in reaching out to young people and have taken a Mobile Youth Van around the communities including youth clubs, community drop-ins and street based sessions as the Council recognise that not all young people engage in the same way – by attending traditional meetings, forums, completing surveys, the Council has applied an approach to go to the young people to hear their views. In engaging young people in the democratic process, the Cabinet Member stated that we have to make the voting process interesting and engaging to them.  She advised that the YEPS team visited schools and colleges to talk about the voting process and undertook a vote on issues that mattered to them such as mental health.  The young people were very engaged and interested in the process and now the team are having further discussions as to how this can be transferred into the political voting process, which they recognise is not an easy task.

 

A Member asked about the rollout of the EV Charging across the County Borough. The Cabinet Member replied that significant progress has been made on the rollout of publically accessible EV chargers with chargers available at 56 different sites across the Borough.  She advised that the Council is also reviewing which charging sites are utilised more than others to ensure the public demand is taken account of.

 

A Member referred to a recent presentation Members received from the Deputy Chief Executive and Group Director Finance, Digital and Frontline Services on Medium Term Financial Planning to support Members in understanding the use of the Council’s budget and reserves.  The Member asked if there will be a focus on sharing this information with the public to support their understanding so they are able to contribute to the Budget Consultation. 

 

The Cabinet Member replied that we will ensure residents are provided with comprehensive budget information so they can share their thoughts and priorities.  She added that a priority for the consultation is breaking down the language to ensure it is presented in plain English and is easy to understand.  She encouraged all Members to complete the consultation as well as promoting it with their residents and encouraging them to also complete it.   The Chair asked if there was opportunity to engage young people in the process.  The Cabinet Member agreed and stated that they are always looking at new ways to engage young people in the process including a recent visit to the Council offices and Chamber. 

 

RESOLVED to:

 

1.  Scrutinise the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Youth Participation and Climate Change in respect of matters considered and agreed by Cabinet, and key decisions taken during the period 1st May 2024– 30th September 2024

 

2. 

Identify any areas arising from those matters determined within this period which Committee wish to further scrutinise, as part of revisions to the Committee’s published work programme

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