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Overview and Scrutiny Committees

The Council has three Overview and Scrutiny Committees

What do Overview and Scrutiny Committees do?

• Support the Cabinet and Council in policy development and review work
• Get involved in the Best Value review
• Examine performance management information
• Set their own work programme (details of which are attached to meeting agendas)
• In-depth analysis of policy issues, research, consultations, encourage community participation
• 'Call-in' executive decisions made but not yet implemented to see if they are appropriate; scrutinise decisions and decision making
• Question the Cabinet members, other members and officers on views and proposals
• Investigate matters of local concern and if necessary make recommendations to Cabinet and Full Council.
• Councillors Call for Action items
• Can create Review Groups to look at specific items
• Community Chest - to recommend to Cabinet items under the Community Chest budget submitted by Councillors on behalf of their wards

• Environment, which covers
  
  • Transportation,
  • Environmental health,
  • Environmental services,
  • Building control and
  • Planning (but not individual applications).
• Social, which covers
  
  • Partnership working,
  • Housing,
  • Leisure and
  • Community services.
• Resources, which covers
  
  • Information technology,
  • Audit,
  • Accountancy,
  • Insurance,
  • Council tax,
  • Business rates,
  • Human resources,
  • Health and safety,
  • Equalities,
  • Elections,
  • Legal,
  • Corporate policy and
  • Communication and consultation.

Members of the community are welcome to attend meetings and can ask questions (previously submitted) of the committee. 

Each Overview and Scrutiny Committee has 10 councillors sitting on it, politically proportionate to the overall political balance of the full council. Members of the Cabinet cannot serve on these committees.

The Committees meet regularly over the year and can co-opt non-voting members (representing organisations, groups or members of the public with a special interest) onto the committee for individual items or meetings.