Agenda

Minutes of the meeting of the Communities and Place OSC held on 26 July 2023, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting;

a)    Which directly relates toDisclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room.  Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

b)    Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion?or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

c)     Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

d)    Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

e)    Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk.  Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full.  Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

To note the schedule of decisions made by Cabinet since the last meeting together with latest Forward Plan of key decisions.  Any further changes made to the Forward Plan will be reported to the Committee.

The Cabinet Members requested to attend for the following items are Councillor Jeff Watson, Promoting Healthy Lives and Councillor Gordon Stewart, Portfolio Holder for Looking After Our Communities.

To receive an overview from the Portfolio Holders for Promoting Healthy Lives, and Looking After Our Communities on forthcoming issues within their remits and to discuss with the Committee how they can collaborate to achieve the Council’s priorities as set out in the Corporate Plan, including opportunities for pre-decision scrutiny where the OSC can be consulted at an early stage of policy development, and monitoring the performance of services.

The Cabinet Member requested to attend for the following item is Councillor Colin Horncastle Portfolio Holder for Looking After Our Environment.

A Public Interest Report has been issued by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) in relation to a complaint raised by a neighbour of residential property that was granted planning permission for a rear extension.

In accordance with Section 31(2) of the Local Government Act 1974, “The report shall be laid before the authority concerned and it shall be the duty of that authority to consider the report and, within the period of three months beginning with the date on which they received the report, or such longer period as the Local Commissioner may agree in writing, to notify the Local Commissioner of the action which the authority have taken or propose to take.”  Members are asked to consider recommendations made to rectify the situation in response to the Ombudsman’s findings.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee operates within a work programme which is agreed at the start of the Council year.  The programme is reviewed at each meeting so that it can be adjusted to reflect the wishes of the Committee and take account of any changes to the latest Forward Plan (which outlines decisions to be taken by the Cabinet).  The Committee is asked to review and note its work programme for the 2023/24 council year.

To consider such other business as, in the opinion of the Chair, should, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.