To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008 (including whipping declarations).

None.

To receive for approval the minutes of 15/11/2017.

RESOLVED:                That the Minutes of a meeting of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee dated 15 November 2017, be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Scrutiny Officer submitted a report together with attached Appendices A, B and C on the above.

In relation to the feedback from the Committee’s meeting on 15 November 2017 on the subject of Digital Transformation, Members expressed disappointment over the lack of appetite to collaborate with other local authorities.  The Committee commented that this did not correspond with what the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act was encouraging, in terms of driving forward collaboration, and in their view, there could be other local authorities, who are already ahead of BCBC in terms of services and technology which it could benefit from by engaging with them, instead of starting from scratch.

The Committee also wished to chase-up the report request regarding Waste in relation to the Committee receiving the un-redacted contract for waste.

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny FWP

The Committee agreed to move the Community Safety Partnership item in March in order to receive the Social Services Q1 financial plan.  Members further agreed that for their April meeting they would either receive City Deal, if a second meeting was required on this item, or if not, the item on Community safety Partnership.

Subject Overview and Scrutiny FWPs

In relation to the Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee forward work programmes the Committee agreed the new items put forward by the Subject OVS Committees of the ‘Remodelling Fostering Project’ and ‘School Transport’ with an agreement that both would be fleshed out more at future meetings.

The Committee also agreed the following priority items as provisional for meetings from 19 April 2018 onwards, dates for which to be confirmed at the Annual meeting of Council:

19 April 2018 – SOSC 3 - Emergency Housing

SOSC 1 – Budgetary Impacts of Parc Prison

SOSC 2 – ALN Reform

SOSC 3 – Waste

RESOLVED:                That the report be noted and accepted, subject to the recommendations outlined above.

Invitees:

All Cabinet and CMB Members

The Chairperson welcomed the Invitees into the meeting and the Leader gave an introduction to the report.

The Chairperson following this invited questions to the Invitees from Members.

A Member noted from page 32 of the report, that the Cardiff City Deal would generate around 25,000 extra jobs across the region. He asked how many of these would there be in the Bridgend County Borough.

The Leader advised that this number was not known at this time, but he wished to point out that it would mean that people from Bridgend would have the luxury of trying for more jobs created in other areas covered by the City Deal, such as in Cardiff and Newport, as well as the Bridgend area. It would therefore give people more choice to work out of the area as well as in it, and there would be different types of jobs to suit the different skill set of individuals. He was aware from statistical information available, that presently most of the jobs in Cardiff were occupied by employees who lived outside the city and its surrounding area, rather than within it. The City Deal would therefore encourage a more mobile workforce than that which currently exists.

The Member followed-up by stating that Bridgend required further work carried out on its infrastructure.

The Leader agreed, adding that this was being focused upon, and having met recently with local transport providers, it was established that Bridgend was the fastest growing region outside the city of Cardiff.

A Member referred to page 32 of the report and to the Key Programmes, and the Successful Economy Programme. Though there were key regeneration and local development schemes mentioned in this section of the report, these schemes related more to the past tense, ie the Rhiw Car Park development. He felt this area of the report should include new such initiatives proposed. He also felt that Bridgend did not look that appealing to visitors when they were travelling into the County Borough along routes such as the M4 corridor, and that some work was required to the environment in order to improve this.

The Cabinet Member Education and Regeneration stated that he thought that the County Borough of Bridgend compared well with others to visitors when they travelled into it from various other places. Work was ongoing through various projects and external funding, not only in the shape of the Rhiw Car Park development, but also by converting vacant space over shops to provide much needed Social Housing and Affordable Accommodation including in the heart of town centres. There were also projects in the valleys through the Valleys Taskforce, and to pursue funding for transformative projects such as the redevelopment of Maesteg Town Hall. There were a number of different projects proposed he added.

The Cabinet Member Communities added that the report was looking at both the past and the future in terms of projects, and that the Nolton Street development that was ongoing was building on and connected to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

The Scrutiny Officer presented a report, the purpose of which, was to present the Committee with, a) the final report of the Budget Research and Evaluation Panel (BREP) attached at Appendix A to the report, and b) the responses from each of the Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committees in relation to Cabinet’s draft budget proposals, attached to the report at Appendix B.

The Committee briefly discussed the budget process and the Committees Budget Research and Evaluation Panel (BREP) findings with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Interim Head of Finance Officer where the proposal was made for a brief meeting of BREP to be convened, to both review and decide how to take things forward next year. Discussions were held around whether the BREP process should start earlier in the year to consider early development of the budget proposals with Cabinet and the relevant Corporate Directors. The Leader agreed with the proposals, and offered to invite BREP in on the MTFS proposals, at an early stage next financial year.

RECOMMENDED:           That Committee agreed to present the findings and recommendations of BREP and the Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committees to Cabinet, whilst at the same time, separating out the relevant Budget recommendations.

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in

accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.