Agenda item

To receive and note the report of the Director of Resources, (copy enclosed).

The Committee received the report of the Director of Resources confirming the Committee’s Work Programme for 2017 / 18, attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

Members were provided with the following updates and commented on the scrutiny items detailed on the 2017 / 18 programme of work:

·                 Provision of Healthcare Services – It was noted that the Chief Executive had attended the recent Health Hub Partnership Board meeting and progress appeared to be slow.  Mid Essex Health Trust had requested that the Health Hub offers full maternity services and an outline business case was expected in mid-October.  The business case for the Heybridge Primary Care unit was due to be finalised in November with completion of the building within three years.

Councillor N R Pudney provided a brief update in relation to the Maldon Health Hub.  Councillor Pudney made specific reference to the following updates / newsletters, advising he would circulate them to Members:

·                 West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group consultation;

·                 Gluten free prescribing service restriction policy;

·                 Scrutiny Committee proposals for future scrutiny of the Suffolk and North East Essex Sustainability and Transformation Plan and extension of the children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health contract;

·                 Broomfield / Southend / Basildon hospitals current situation;

Councillor Pudney referred to a meeting he attended with John Ryland and highlighted some concerns raised in relation to the conditions of GP surgeries with the growing population and new housing growth.  Members were advised of a meeting Councillor Pudney and the Director of Resources were attending with the Clinical Commissioning Group the following week.

Councillor Mrs P A Channer declared that she sat on the Maldon Health Hub.

In response to a question regarding the rate of progress, the Director of Resources informed the Committee that this had been raised at a meeting with the Homes and Community Agency to identify if there was anything strategic that the Council could do to move the process forward.

·                 Section 106 / Elections – These topics were the subject of separate reports on this meeting’s agenda.

·                 Planning Enforcement – Councillor M W Helm was due to meet with the Group Manager - Planning Services.

Councillor Mrs Channer provided Members with an update following a discussion at the recent Committee Chairmen’s meeting regarding the receipt of planning enforcement reports.  At this point she reiterated her earlier declaration being a member of the South Eastern Area Planning Committee.

Councillor S J Savage declared a non-pecuniary interest as a Member of the Central Area Planning Committee and provided an update on how the Committee dealt with the quarterly planning enforcement reports.

·                 Primary School education in the District – A report on this topic would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.  It was noted that Councillor Mrs M E Thompson was the Member sponsor and not Councillor P G L Elliott.

·                 Procurement and Delivery of the 2016 / 17 Capital Programme – An update report was scheduled for the October meeting of the Committee.

In response to a question regarding the removal of Staff Sickness from the Work Programme, the Director of Resources advised that it was agreed Councillors Mrs Channer and N R Pudney would continue to receive staff sickness statistics.  Following a comment regarding stress training, the Director of Resources advised she would speak to the Group Manager - People, Performance and Policy regarding organising a training session on this for Councillors Mrs Channer, Pudney and Mrs Thompson. 

The Chairman suggested that the Committee could receive an update on Staff Sickness in six months’ time, to allow embedding of the new system.  This was agreed.  Councillor Mrs Channer requested that her vote against this be recorded as she felt staff sickness should have remained on the Work Programme to enable the Committee to monitor it.

RESOLVED

(i)              that the contents of the report be noted;

(ii)            that a report on Staff Sickness statistics be brought back to this Committee in six months’ time (February 2017).