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Issue - meetings

Chairmans Draft Annual Report

Meeting: 15/04/2019 - Scrutiny Committee (Item 170)

170 CHAIRMANS DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT (41.25) pdf icon PDF 311 KB

To receive the Chairman’s draft annual report on the work of the Committee since May 2018, which will be submitted to Council on 24th April 2019

Minutes:

The Committee received and NOTED the Chairman’s draft annual *report on the work of the Committee since May 2018, which was due to be submitted to Council on 24th April 2019.

 

The Chairman gave an overview of his report and thanked the Scrutiny officer for assistance in compiling it. He stated that the Committee had had a busy but productive year.

 

There was a general discussion and Members felt that going forward the Committee should not direct officer time at researching issues to which the District Council had no powers to influence or solve.

 

Members discussed the call in process and generally felt that the Committee had acted in a non-political manner. There were concerns from some Members that the Scrutiny Committee had not been able to change a Cabinet decision on the sale of Crediton Town Hall to a commercial buyer and that the recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee did not carry enough weight. The Chairman responded by reminding the Committee that the call in procedure had worked as it was supposed to and had ensured that the Cabinet had revisited and reinvestigated its original decision. He stated that it would not be appropriate for a Scrutiny Committee to be able to overrule the Cabinet and its role was a critical friend to be able to question and investigate why decisions had been made.

 

The Vice Chairman commented that this was the last meeting that the Chairman would be presiding and on behalf of the Committee he thanked him for his contribution and wished him well in his retirement.

 

 

Note: *Report previously circulated and attached to the minutes.