Agenda item

a)    To consider the work programme (attached); and

b)    Consider the topics discussed at the informal meeting of the Committee on 15^th June 2023 and to agree which year each topic will be considered in and appoint a Member to lead on each one as part of a scoping exercise (template attached).

The Vice Chair introduced the item and outlined discussions that had been held at the informal meeting, which was held on 15^th June 2023.

He advised that the Members present at that meeting had discussed the two main roles of the Committee, which were focussed on supporting and delivering the financial regulatory functions of the Council together with the external business affairs and their impact upon the Council and its citizens.

From this informal discussion, the Members had developed a list of 10 areas that they would like to focus on, which would equate to a workload of three years for the Committee.

He added that as a starting point, the Members present had informally agreed to explore three areas on the list, which were:

·         Dentistry.

·         Water quality.

·         Future of agriculture in North Devon.

There was some discussion between the Committee Members who were present at the informal meeting as to whether or not those areas were agreed as the first three to be considered and the Members also discussed other areas of interest to them.

The Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive advised that the Chief Executive had circulated information via email regarding the various areas of work that the Council were already involved in at a local level. He added that there was a lot of work ongoing behind the scenes, which related to empty homes.

In response to point’s raised by the Committee, the Vice Chair read out the list that had been compiled and signed up to by the Members that were present at the informal meeting of the Committee, which were:

1.    Recycling: Councillor Clayton.

2.    Dentistry: Councillors Bushell, Hunt and Patrinos.

3.    NDC revenue: Councillor Jones.

4.    Water quality: Councillors Patrinos, Jones, Bishop, Wilson and Spear.

5.    Agriculture: Councillors Bulled, Jones, Bushell and Patrinos.

6.    Inward investment: Councillors Bushell and Jones.

7.    Renewables: Councillor Wilson.

8.    Empty Homes and Housing: Councillors Wilson, Bishop, Bulled and Clayton.

9.    Public transport: Councillor Bishop.

10.Health inequalities in Ilfracombe: Councillors Wilson, Patrinos and Spear.

The Committee agreed that there should be a maximum of four to five Members in each group together with an appointed leader for each group.

The Chair added that she would like to sit on the group for dentistry.

The Committee agreed the following Members be appointed as group leaders:

Dentistry – Councillor Patrinos.

Water quality – Councillor Jones.

Agriculture – Councillors Bulled and Bushell.

The Vice Chair added that the next steps for the groups allocated to the three topics was to develop a scoping paper to ascertain the purpose of the work together with expectations and potential outcomes.

In response to a question, the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive advised that non-Committee members could assist the groups as a consultee in an advisory capacity.

RESOLVED:

(i)            That the work programme and its standing financial reports to the Committee for 2023/24 be noted;

(ii)          That the topics of dentistry, water quality and agriculture be scoped by the appointed groups; 

(iii)         That the other seven topics on the list be kept under regular review; and

(iv)         That the three topics together with those Members already appointed be emailed out to all members of the Committee to allow them to join a group should they wish to.