Meeting documents

CHILTERN DISTRICT COUNCIL

MINUTES of the Meeting of the SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

held on 22 JUNE 2001

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were received from Councillors D J Lacey, D G Meacock and G E Sussum.

IN ATTENDANCE Councillors J A Banham, T Dodd, I T Gomm, P M Jones and D W Phillips

10.     MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 13 June 2001, copies of which had been previously circulated, were signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to a correction in Minute No.8, Resolution 2, delete the word "Chichester" and substitute the word "other".  

11.     DECLARATION OF INTERESTS

None were declared.

12.     OFFICE ACCOMMODATION

Minute Number 9 of the Executive meeting held on 6 June 2001 had been called in.  This meeting of Scrutiny Committee had been called to discuss the issue.

The procedure for the meeting was outlined by the Chief Executive and copies of the report that had been received by the Executive had been circulated with the papers for this meting.

The decision made by the Executive did not alter the policy or decision making framework and was not a key decision, but the decision had not been implemented and was therefore within the purview of the Committee.

The stages to follow were for the Committee to decide if the matter should go further, if not then the matter would end at this stage.

Should the Committee decide that the proceedings should continue then Members of the Executive were in attendance and would answer questions.

Having heard evidence and taken advice the Committee would need to consider a response and submit a report to Council.

Councillor Ms Bramwell explained the steps taken that led up to the call-in of the Executive decision on office accommodation.  

In February 2001 a letter was sent to all Councillors in dispatch explaining the proposed extension and a floor plan was attached.  At the Policy and Finance meeting of 6 March 2001 where the Repairs and Renewal Fund (Minute 156 refers) was discussed, Councillor Ms Bramwell considered that the Members had indicated their view not to go ahead with the proposed extension to the Members' Room.

Councillor Ms Bramwell had spoken to Councillor Campbell at the last Scrutiny Committee meeting and subsequently to Councillor Phillips to ask for more information on why the decision to extend the Members Room was taken at the Executive meeting.

Councillor Ms Bramwell had attended the Executive meeting on 6 June and recalled no discussion on the costs of the changes and considered that the reasons given for the move to go ahead were insufficient. Should the decision to go ahead be taken then Councillor Ms Bramwell opined that the budget needed consideration and, as the move was made up of different parts, it should be considered in its elements.

Councillor Campbell referred to an extract from the Council's Constitution that had been circulated earlier concerning the principles of decision making.  Unless it could be demonstrated that the Executive had not applied these principles or that some benefit to the community or the Council would result from recommending an amendment to an Executive decision, the Scrutiny Committee should not intervene in the decision making process. Councillor Ford stated that there had been insufficient consultation with stakeholders and that the public perception of the Council would fall if the Council was not careful about the money spent on itself.

In answer to a question Councillor Mrs Head was informed that it was not a statutory requirement to provide more space for Members under the new system.  Councillor Mrs Head reminded the Committee that there would be fewer Members in two years time.

Councillor Rose said that he was bewildered by the Call In.  He had examined the report to the Executive including the floor plan and estimated cost and found them to be reasonable.

Councillor Reed said that he accepted that this Committee scrutinised the decision making process and not the decisions made by the Executive, but the decision not to go ahead with the changes had been taken by Members at an earlier meeting.  The decision to go ahead would result in a burden on the tax payer and was taken without due consideration.

Councillor Ms Bramwell informed the meeting that she had asked the Executive Leader to delay  implementation of the decision until the Council Meeting.  When the Executive Leader informed her that he had no authority to delay the implementation of an Executive decision collectively arrived at, she had no alternative but to call-in the decision.

The meeting was reminded by Councillor Campbell that the process by which members of the Executive were required to attend the next meeting of the Scrutiny Committee was for the Scrutiny Committee to pass a resolution to that effect.

Councillor Priestley had also attended the Executive meeting and recalled the discussion and reasons for the decision taken by the Executive and he found no reason to take issue with the decision.

The Committee's attention was drawn by Councillor Young to the extra money in the Repairs and Renewals budget this year. The Chief Executive explained that this was set and approved under the old system.  

Councillor Bramwell suggested that the procedures for call-in were flawed if the Executive could only be requested to attend a meeting of the Scrutiny Committee by a resolution being passed by Scrutiny Committee.  Some Members of the Executive were in attendance and Councillor Bramwell requested that questions be put to them now.

Councillor Campbell informed the meeting that he considered that no case had been made for this Committee to take the matter any further. Unless the Committee disagreed, no questions would be put to the Executive Members present. As Chairman, he proposed a resolution that the Committee accepts and approves the decision taken by the Executive meeting on 6 June 2001 regarding Office Accommodation.

     RESOLVED -

That this Committee accepted and approved the decision taken at the Executive meeting on 6 June 2001 regarding Office Accommodation.

Councillor Appleby informed the Chairman that she considered that by not allowing Members of this Committee the opportunity to put questions to Members of the Executive who were in attendance, discussion on the merits of the decision had been unnecessarily inhibited.

Note: Councillors Ms J E Bramwell, J E Ford, Mrs V Head and C H Spruytenburg left the meeting at 7.10pm.

The meeting ended at 7.16pm.