Agenda item

Report No: OAS/SE/18/025

[Councillor Robin Pilley arrived at 4.08pm]

The Committee was reminded that on 8 November 2017, it had received a presentation from the Cabinet Member for Operations, setting out responsibilities covered under his portfolio.

At this meeting, the Cabinet Member had been invited back to provide his annual update, and Report No: OAS/SE/18/025 set out the focus of the update.

The Cabinet Member was also provided in advance of the meeting with some key questions identified by scrutiny members on areas they wished to be appraised on during the annual update, which were included in the report along with responses.

The Cabinet Member, Councillor Peter Stevens thanked the Committee for the questions submitted, as set out in the report.

The Committee asked a number of follow-up questions relating to EU Regulations on waste; the Haverhill Waste Transfer Station; play areas and procurement; cemeteries (including headstone topple testing; closed churchyards; grave ownership/transfers and the 1977 Cemeteries Order); bring-sites, and RingGo payments for car parking, to which comprehensive responses were provided.

In particular a detailed discussion was held on Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE).  The Chairman asked whether the Council had questioned the Department for Transport on why it would not be processing the application to transfer CPE responsibilities to Local Authorities in Suffolk in 2018.

In response the Cabinet Member shared his disappointment that progress was not being made quicker, and suggested a letter from the Committee to local Members of Parliament might help in sharing the Councils  and the Committee’s frustration.  The Service Manager (Property) explained that our local Members of Parliament were meeting with Jesse Norman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport on Wednesday 13 September to discuss CPE.  Also the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Group were meeting on Friday 14 September who would also be discussing this issue further. 

The Chairman agreed to write to the Department for Transport and our local Members of Parliament setting out the Committees concerns including emphasising the lack of CPE to our residents. 

Detailed discussions were also held on play areas.  In particular when new play areas were installed that litter bins should automatically be included.  In response, officers advised that at most of the refurbished play areas, litter bins were already in place outside of the play area.  Councillor Hopfensperger suggested that there should be a policy when installing new play grounds, that litter bins should be included as part of the specification to be located outside the play area.  The Chairman concurred with the suggestion and asked the Service Manager (Operations, Leisure and Culture) whether he could look into this further.

In response to a questioned raised relating to deaths recorded each year and how many were buried; cremated, members were informed that the current ratio was 70% cremation and 30% burial using predicted death rates.

The Cabinet Member thanked the Committee for the opportunity to answer questions, and reminded members that officers were always available outside of meetings to answer any questions.

The Chairman on behalf of the Committee thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for their attendance.

The Committee noted the update.  Councillor Andrew Speed then moved the recommendation, this was duly seconded by Councillor Margaret Marks, and with the vote being unanimous, it was:

          RESOLVED:

That the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee writes to Jesse Norman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport, and to local Members of Parliament, setting out its concerns in the delay in processing the application to transfer Civil Parking Enforcement responsibilities to Local Authorities in Suffolk.