Agenda

To approve as an accurate record, and the Chairman to sign, the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 4^th November 2013.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter.  The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Audit, Pensions and Standards Committee. 

Cabinet will present their revenue budget and council tax proposals to Budget Council on 26 February 2014. As part of the budget process savings targets have been set for departments and transformation programmes.

This report provides an update on how the targets will be met for the services covered by this Select Committee. An update is also provided on budget growth proposals and proposed changes in fees and charges.

This report sets out the work being undertaken to reduce traffic congestion in the Borough.

The Committee’s work programme for the current municipal year is set out at Appendix A to this report. The list of items has been drawn up in consultation with the Chairman, having regard to relevant items within the Forward Plan and actions and suggestions arising from previous meetings.

The Committee is requested to consider the items within the proposed work programme and suggest any amendments or additional topics to be included in the future, whether for report to Committee or as the subject of a Task Group review or single issue ‘spotlight’ meeting. Members might also like to consider whether it would be appropriate to invite residents, service users, partners or other relevant stakeholders to give evidence to the Committee in respect of any of the proposed reports.

Attached as Appendix B to this report is the Key Decisions List showing the decisions to be taken by the Executive at the Cabinet, including Key Decisions within the relevant Cabinet Members portfolio areas which will be open to scrutiny by this Committee should Members wish to include them within the work programme.

The Committee is asked to note the date of its next meeting, which is scheduled to be held on 18 February 2014.

The Committee is invited to resolve, under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they contain the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 3of Schedule 12A of the said Act, and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption currently outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.