Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

The following declarations of interest were made by Councillors in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 5 September 2011.

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 September 2011 are approved as a correct record subject to the following amendment:

(The Democratic Support Officer informed the panel that minute 29 (e) ‘Subsidised Bus Services Briefing’ should include the figure £120,000 at the end of the sentence after the word ‘approximately’.)

The minute should therefore read:

(e)   community transport, subsidised bus services, aspects of the park and ride service and the taxi bus service all came out of the public transport budget which was approximately £120,000.

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

The panel will monitor the progress of previous resolutions and receive any relevant feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board.

The Chair informed the panel that previous tracking resolutions had been completed and were therefore greyed out on the document ready to be removed.

With regards to feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board the Chair informed the panel that he was unable to attend the 21 September 2011 meeting however had been informed that the issue of Article 4 HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupation) had been placed on the Growth and Prosperity OSP work programme for scrutiny.

The panel will be provided with an update on Government Policy Changes.

Please go to this link to access the Government response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s Report: Localism.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/1993667.pdf

The panel was provided with an update on Government policy changes with regards to Localism.

Members considered that the issue of Localism was discussed at several different scrutiny panel meetings but a more concise update was required to bring all the different wide ranging aspects together.

The Chair informed the panel that an all-member briefing was due to take place on Localism however considered it would be beneficial for Localism to be included in the panel’s work programme again for more information.

Agreed that aspects of Localism linking to the Growth and Prosperity panel’s terms of reference would be scheduled into the panel’s work programme.

The panel will be provided with a briefing paper on the Government Office for the South West (GOSW) and the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) exit strategy.

The panel noted the exit strategy report for the GOSW and SWRDA however questioned the possible liabilities involved with the transfer of South West Regional Development Agency land to Council ownership.

Agreed that a written response would be provided to panel members on the possible liabilities linked with the transfer of South West Regional Development Agency land to council ownership.

(Councillor Penberthy declared a personal interest in this item)

This item has been added to the agenda at the request of the panel at 5 September 2011 Growth and Prosperity OSP meeting; the report was circulated with the previous agenda.

The Chair introduced this item and reminded panel members that this update was discussed at the previous panel meeting on 5 September 2011 however due to the size of the report and the scale of the issues involved it was agreed that further discussions would take place at this panel meeting.

Under this item the Chair put forward the proposal to form a task and finish group to scrutinise apprenticeships focused towards young people between the ages of 16-24. The intention of this review was to focus on the effects of the current economic climate on opportunities for young people and the resulting high figures of unemployment

The panel was advised that the Children and Young People OSP were currently setting up a task and finish group on apprenticeships. It was considered that they would focus on a different age range and this panel intended to focus on the role of the Council as an employer.

Agreed that the Chair and Vice Chair will nominate two Councillors each, resulting in a total of four members. The task and finish group review would be held over a three month period.

Recommended to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board that approval is given to the Growth and Prosperity OSP to set up a three month review task and finish group of four members to scrutinise apprenticeships available to young people between the age of 16-24, specifically focusing on the Council as an employer and the effects of the current economic climate on opportunities for young people. The panel requested that representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Working Links and Job Centre Plus would be involved in the task and finish group.

The panel will be provided with a briefing report on the Waterfront BID.

David Draffan, Assistant Director for Economic Development, and Patrick Knight, Business Improvement District Manager, provided the panel with an update on the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership.

The panel was informed that –

In response to questions raised it was reported that –

The Chair thanked David Draffan and Patrick Knight for their attendance.

The panel will be provided with a briefing report on the Visitor Plan.

David Draffan, Assistant Director for Economic Development, and Patrick Knight, Business Improvement District Manager, provided the panel with an update on the Visitor Plan.

The panel was informed that –

In response to questions raised it was reported that –

The Chair thanked David Draffan and Patrick Knight for their attendance and encouraged Members to support the Visitor Plan.

(Councillors Mrs Bragg and Penberthy declared personal interests in this item)

The panel will be provided with a briefing report on the Highways Maintenance Review specifically the regime for gulley maintenance and the invest to save BID for maintenance works. This update was requested at the 5 September 2011 Growth and Prosperity OSP meeting.

The panel noted the Highways Maintenance Review Update.

The panel will be provided with a copy of the Winter Maintenance Review Update report for information.

The panel noted the Winter Maintenance Review Update.

The panel will be provided with a briefing report on the Community Events and Road Closure Policy.

The panel noted the update on the Community Events and Road Closure Policy and highlighted their concern for the policy to be progressed in order to inform local residents of the timings and costs involved in the process for requesting a road closure.

Under this item the panel also discussed the Invest to Save Bid for Footway Maintenance. It was considered that this was a very important issue and needed to be monitored; panel members agreed a further update was required in January 2012.

Agreed that –

The panel will be provided with a presentation on the On Street Parking Review.

Clive Perkin, Assistant Director for Transport, provided the panel with an update on the On Street Parking Review.

The panel was informed that –

The panel thanked Clive Perkin for his attendance and welcomed the update on the On Street Parking Review.

To review the panels work programme 11/12.

The panel discussed their work programme for 2011/12.

Agreed that the following items, as recommended by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, are included onto the panel’s work programme:

·         Monitor implementation of the Article 4 Direction for Houses in Multiple Occupation

·         Tamar Bridge 5-week programme of works Task and Finish Group

With regards to the Tamar Bridge 5-week programme of works Task and Finish Group the panel considered a briefing report on this issue (to be submitted to the next panel meeting on 14 November 2011) would be more appropriate as the works on the Tamar Bridge had already been completed and were done so ahead of schedule.

Agreed to include an update on Joint Finance and Performance Monitoring and ‘direct rail links from/to Plymouth’ to the November 2011 agenda.

(Councillor Martin Leaves declared a personal interest under this item)

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

There were no items of exempt business.