Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed all present, including the presenters from Everyone Active and Visiting Members. He also thanked those who had attended the Overview and Scrutiny training session held virtually the previous evening, and requested that a letter of thanks be sent to the trainer. The Chairman went on to express how valuable the training had been and expressed a hope that it be repeated in due course.

To confirm and sign as an accurate record, the Minutes of the Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 7 November 2023.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Tuesday 7 November 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point and may also make them at any point during the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest at this point in the meeting.

Matters arising schedule setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 8 January 2024.

With no comments or questions, the Matters Arising Schedule was DULY NOTED.

Presentation by Chris Duncan, Martin Miles and Peter Smith providing further details from Everyone Active following their presentation to the Committee in November 2023. To include updates on: works undertaken at the Gainsborough Leisure Centre, outreach programmes across the district and ongoing improvement plans.

The Chairman extended a warm welcome to Chris Duncan, Martin Miles and Peter Smith from Everyone Active. The Committee heard that their presentation would follow on from a previous meeting of the Committee in November 2022, when they had attended to provide details of works undertaken at the Gainsborough Leisure Centre, outreach programmes across the district and ongoing improvement plans.

On opening their presentation, it was explained that Members would hear details regarding the facilities in Gainsborough and Market Rasen, ongoing work for local communities and programmes upcoming in 2024. Specific attendance data was shared, with Members hearing that West Lindsey Leisure Centre (Gainsborough site) had a recorded attendance of 301,076 for the full previous year 2022 / 23, and attendances at West Lindsey Leisure Centre after nine months 23/24 (up to Q3) was 242,503 compared to 218,032 to the same period last year (22/23), meaning West Lindsey was on track to end the year with an increase of 8% on the previous year. Market Rasen was at 32,479 compared to 29,937 in the same period last year, and was on track to end the year with an increase of 6% on the previous year. Additionally, West Lindsey Leisure Centre had an independent Quest Plus assessment in July 2023, with an overall result achieving ‘Very Good’. Of note, the centre had received ratings of ‘excellent’ in the areas of ‘Partnership and Collaboration’, ‘Financial Management and Performance’, and ‘Swimming Lessons’.

In relation to facility maintenance at the Gainsborough site, it was explained that 2023 had been a challenging year, with the failure of a heating pump, floor lifting in the squash courts and a lift being out of action as new hydraulics were awaited. Alongside these unexpected repairs, all actions from the Condition Survey had been completed, and a new fire alarm system had been installed.

In relation to the local community impact, Members were handed a copy each of the Everyone Active newsletter, which detailed, among other things, the Cancer Rehab Fighting fit programme, the Healthy Aging Programme, Healthy Workplaces pilot, Kids Dynamo Cricket programme and dementia support and care home visits. Members heard a brief overview of these programmes alongside the other agencies involved, such as the Co-op Community Trust, NHS community services and local mental health charities. Further details of programmes based out of the Market Rasen centre were also provided, including a national lottery funded women and girls group fitness class.

At the conclusion of their presentation, Members were invited to ask questions, with all understanding that detailed answers or specific data sets may need to be shared outside of the meeting, if information was not immediately to hand.

In response to a series of questions regarding the Fit Village scheme, it was explained that whilst several Parish Councils had made contact, there had not been the take up that had been anticipated initially. It was recognised by all that rising costs such as utility bills could be a barrier to opening up some village halls. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by the Change, Programme and Performance Manager, regarding the scrutiny of Progress and Delivery (P&D) reporting through the two policy committees, Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy and Resources Committees.

Members also heard an update on the activity undertaken to review Progress and Delivery measures since the Committee had resolved for a working group to be created at their meeting on 3 October 2023. At that meeting, there was a request for the proposed measures to be circulated to all Members prior to the working group meeting to allow for greater visibility and engagement. As per this request, all Members were emailed the proposed measure set and were asked to give feedback prior to the group meeting.

The Working Group met on 6 November 2023 and reviewed all measures. This led to the creation of a supporting report detailing the proposed measures, was scheduled to be discussed and formally signed off at Corporate Policy and Resources on 17 January 2024. The Change, Programme and Performance Manager extended his thanks to all Members for their engagement during this process.

With regard to the reported presented at this meeting, it was explained that the Progress & Delivery report for Quarter 2 2023/24 had been presented to both the Prosperous Communities Committee on 26 October 2023 and the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee on 9 November 2023. Minutes of both Committees were attached to the report and Members were asked to examine the responses given by those two committees and assure themselves that the appropriate level of challenge was being made to the information contained in the performance report.

The Chairman reiterated the role of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee when addressing the P&D reports, and Members thanked Officers for the quality of the report, including the detail of the Performance Improvement Plans. A Member of the Committee enquired as to whether there had been any discussion at the policy committees regarding enforcement and business rates collection figures.

There was agreement amongst Committee Members that there were common areas of challenge in both policy meetings, and, having been proposed, seconded and voted upon, it was

RESOLVED that the Committee had examined the responses given to the report by the Prosperous Communities and the Corporate Policy and Resources Committees and had assured themselves that the appropriate level of challenge is being made by those committees to the information contained in the report.

The Chairman thanked the Officers involved in the work and reiterated his thanks to the Working Group and those Members who had provided input into the review of the P&D measures.

The Committee gave consideration to the Forward Plan, detailing workstreams of the Council across all Committees. A Member of the Committee enquired as to the progress of the Cultural Strategy, as there was no scheduled date for it to be presented to a Committee. It was requested whether it could be added to the work plan for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members were advised that it would be possible to provide an update presentation to inform the Committee of the background to the strategy and how it had come into being, however it would need to be a decision of the Committee to add it to the work plan.

Members indicated their agreement with this approach, with a further request that such a presentation addressed possible timescales for completion of the strategy, with a Member of the Committee also enquiring whether there were any drawbacks to the strategy not being implemented.

With the Committee in unanimous agreement that the update presentation be arranged, there were no further comments or questions, and the Forward Plan was NOTED.

With no comments or questions, the Workplan was DULY NOTED.