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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services - Tel (01792) 636923 

Items
No. Item

121.

Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interest.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

 

Councillor P M Black – personal – Minute Nos. 125 – Governor of Burlais Primary School. 

Councillor C A Holley - personal - Minute Nos. 125 – Chair of Governors at Burlais Primary School.

 

122.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

123.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 135 KB

To approve and sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.  

 

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 11 February 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record.

124.

Public Question Time.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

 

Minutes:

A number of questions were asked relating to Minute 125 “Call-In of Cabinet Decision on 21 February 2019 – Item 9 - 21st Century Schools Programme - New Build for Gorseinon Primary School”.

 

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning Skills responded.

 

125.

Call-In of Cabinet Decision on 21 February 2019 - Item 9 - 21st Century Schools Programme - New Build for Gorseinon Primary School (Report of the Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills). pdf icon PDF 148 KB

Cabinet Resolved as follows:

 

The Capital Project as detailed together with the financial implications set out in Appendix A of the report be approved, subject to entering into a contract with the Welsh Government.

 

a.         Scrutiny Officer to explain the Call-in process to Members.

 

b.         Chair to explain the reasons for calling-in the Cabinet decision.

 

c.         Councillor J A Raynor, Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills, will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement.

 

d.         Louise Herbert-Evans, Head of Capital Planning, to present the response to the reasons for calling in the decision, supported by Nigel Hawkins, Project and Procurement Officer.

 

e.         Questions from Members of the Committee.

 

Way Forward

 

The Scrutiny Programme Committee shall consider the decision and:

 

·           If satisfied with the explanation, it will so indicate to enable the decision to be implemented;

 

·           If ‘no longer concerned’, but not minded to indicate that it is ‘satisfied with the explanation’, it is in order for the Committee to resolved that ‘the explanation be accepted but not endorsed by the Committee’ to enable the decision to be implemented;

 

·           If still concerned about the decision, then it may refer it back to Cabinet or the relevant decision maker/body for reconsideration, setting out in writing the nature of its concerns.  The Cabinet, decision maker/body shall then reconsider its decision before making a final decision.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills, the Head of Capital Planning and Delivery Unit and the Projects and Procurement Manager were present for the Committee’s Consideration of the Call-In of Cabinet Decision on 21 February 2019 – item 9 – 21st Century Schools Programme – New Build for Gorseinon Primary School.

 

The Scrutiny Officer provided an overview to the Committee of the Call-In process.

 

The Committee asked questions of the Cabinet Member who, together with Officers, responded accordingly. Questions and discussions focussed on the following: -

 

·                The biodiversity on that part of Parc y Werin required for the school was negligible

·                The omission of the Corporate Priority ‘Maintaining and enhancing Swansea’s natural resources and biodiveristy’ from the Cabinet Report of 21 February 2019

·                The aim of the Corporate Priority of ‘Maintaining and enhancing Swansea’s natural resources and biodiveristy

·                The importance of the consideration of all Corporate Priorities

·                Concern over the loss of any green space and felling of any trees

·                The planning application for the site had been approved

·                Opportunities from the development, for example, enhancement and increased use of the facilities as seen in similar developments at Gowerton, Bishopston and Burlais

·                Distinction between Building Cost Index and Tender Price Index

 

Resolved that: -

1)    That Committee agreed Paragraph 4.2 i) as set out in the report, which stated “If satisfied with the explanation it will so indicate to enable the decision to be implemented”.

2)    The Vice Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write a letter to the Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills outlining the views of the Committee.

126.

Scrutiny Performance Panel Progress Report. pdf icon PDF 120 KB

Schools (Councillor Mo Sykes, Convener)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In the absence of the Convenor, Councillor Mo Sykes, the Schools Performance Panel Progress Report was noted.

127.

Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Minutes:

The Chair presented a report on the Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups.

 

Resolved that: -

1)        Councillors Joe Hale and Lynda James be added to the Development & Regeneration Scrutiny Performance Panel; and

2)        Councillor Peter Black be removed from the Digital Inclusion Working Group.

128.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2018/19. pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Discussion on:

a)         Committee Work Plan.

b)         Opportunities for Pre-Decision Scrutiny.

c)         Progress with Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair presented the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2018/19.

 

Councillor Peter Jones referred to a paper which he has prepared detailing thoughts about the scrutiny work programme, its focus and future practice / process. He sought approval from the Chair to share this at the Annual Work Planning Conference for wider discussion.

 

It was requested that a copy of the paper be provided to Committee Members in advance for comment.  

 

Resolved that the Annual Work Planning Conference include discussion on the future practice / process as outlined in the above-mentioned paper.  

129.

Scrutiny Letters. pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Letters Report was noted.

130.

Audit Committee Work Plan (For Information). pdf icon PDF 80 KB

Minutes:

The Work Plan for the Audit Committee was provided for information.

131.

Date and Time of Upcoming Panel / Working Group Meetings. pdf icon PDF 52 KB

Minutes:

The dates and times of upcoming Panel / Working Group meetings were provided for information.

Letter to Cabinet Member - Call-in pdf icon PDF 144 KB

Cabinet Member Response - Call-in pdf icon PDF 298 KB