Agenda

The Committee are asked to note the following membership and terms of reference for the Communities and Place OSC which were agreed by Council on 17 May 2023.

10 Members (5:3:1 Ind Gp, 1 LD) (I Con place to GP)

Quorum – 3

Chair: N. Oliver

Vice Chair: M. Mather

Terms of Reference

a)         To maintain an overview of the Management Agreements in place between the County Council and Active Northumberland, Woodhorn Museum Charitable Trust and Northumberland Tourism.

b)         To monitor, review and make recommendations about:

·        Development planning

·        Neighbourhood Planning

·        Conservation

·        Housing

·        Climate Change

·        Countryside, Biodiversity and landscape quality

·        Waste Management and Energy Use

·        Public and community transport network and travel to school

·        Highway maintenance, Streetscape, and the local environment

·        Local and Neighbourhood services

·        Crime, Community Safety, and fear of crime, including CONTEST, Prevent and Channel (NB see note below)

·        Antisocial behaviour and domestic violence

·        Fire and rescue

·        Emergency services and Emergency planning

·        Customer Services

·        Provision of cultural and leisure facilities

·        Improving quality of life through access to culture and leisure

·        Supporting economic growth in the arts, culture, and leisure sectors

NB CONTEST refers to the National Counter Terrorism Strategy which is split into four workstreams known as the 4Ps.  This includes "Prevent" which is intended to stop individuals being drawn into, or supporting, terrorism and includes countering terrorist Northumberland County Council DRAFT Constitution – Part 05 V1 April 2023 Page 140 of 567 ideology and challenging those who promote it.  A key element is "Channel" which is intended to protect the vulnerable being drawn into terrorism.  The Council has the statutory responsibility to lead the Channel Panel, a multi-agency approach to protecting the vulnerable, by identifying those at risk, assessing the nature and extent of the risk and developing support plans for individuals.  The Committee will also be responsible for scrutinising any similar policy initiatives.

Minutes of the following meetings of the Communities and Place OSC, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chair:

a)      5 April 2023

b)      26 April 2023

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 latest Forward Plan of key decisions.  Any further changes made to the Forward Plan will be reported to the Committee.

The Cabinet Member requested to attend for the following item is Councillor Gordon Stewart, Portfolio Holder for Looking After Our Communities.

To receive a presentation from James McNeil, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, to consider the measures that can be put in place to reduce the risk of contamination for firefighters.

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

To receive a presentation from Colin Curtis and / or David Groves, Commercial and Contracts Managers and Hannah Davidson, Assistant Project Manager, to consider the outcome of the pilot scheme and next steps.

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.