Part A
1
Welcome and Announcements
The Chairman will welcome members of the public and Councillors and remind everyone to use microphones at all times when they are speaking. The Chairman will also explain action in the event of an emergency, mobile phones switched to silent, audio-recording of the meeting. Councillors who are members of the committee will introduce themselves.
2
Substitutions
Councillors will be asked to say if they are attending on behalf of a Committee member who is absent.
3
Urgent Items
The Chair will announce if there is any item not on the published agenda which will be considered because it is urgent and will explain the reason for the urgency.
4
Declarations of Interest
Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the agenda about which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the item or participating in any vote upon the item, or any other registerable interest or non-registerable interest.
5
Minutes of Previous Meeting
The Councillors will be invited to confirm that the minutes of the meetings held on the following dates are a correct record:
- 15 May 2025
- 21 May 2025
- 3 June 2025
- 19 June 2025
- 8 July 2025
Scrutiny Panel Confidential Minutes 15 May 2025
- This report is not for publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (financial / business affairs of a particular person, including the authority holding information).
Scrutiny Panel Confidential Minutes 19 June 2025
- This report is not for publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (financial / business affairs of a particular person, including the authority holding information).
6
Have Your Say!
Members of the public may make representations to Panel meetings on any item on the agenda or any other matter relating to the business of Council. This must be made either in person at the meeting. Each representation may be no more than three minutes. Members of the public wishing to address the Panel must register their wish to address the meeting by e-mailing democratic.services@colchester.gov.uk by 12.00 noon on the working day before the meeting. In addition, a written copy of the representation must be supplied by that deadline.
For more information on having your say, please consult the advice on our website:
Have Your Say!
7
Decisions taken under special urgency provisions
The Councillors will consider any decisions by the Cabinet or a Portfolio Holder which have been taken under Special Urgency provisions.
8
Cabinet or Portfolio Holder Decisions called in for Review
The Councillors will consider any Cabinet or Portfolio Holder decisions called in for review. A report will be presented dealing with a call-in which was resolved by informal mediation.
This report provides a summary of the recent call-in request, led by Councillor Dennis Willetts, regarding Portfolio Holder decision ECO-001-25. It details the actions taken to address members’ concerns (relating to the need to show compliance with the Council’s policies on guarding against cyber security threats), and this call-in being resolved and withdrawn at the informal mediation stage. The resolution involved the decision being republished for a new call-in period, accompanied by an improved and expanded decision report with confidential appendices which laid out the appropriate explanation and consideration of cyber and data security implications.
9
Items requested by members of the Panel and other Members
(a) To evaluate requests by members of the Panel for an item relevant to the Panel’s functions to be considered.
(b) To evaluate requests by other members of the Council for an item relevant to the Panel’s functions to be considered.
Members of the panel may use agenda item 'a' (all other members will use agenda item 'b') as the appropriate route for referring a ‘local government matter’ in the context of the Councillor Call for Action to the panel. Please refer to the panel’s terms of reference for further procedural arrangements.
This report gives details of the review of the partnership arrangements with Community 360. The organisation has undergone a change of leadership in recent months and has recently launched a new strategic plan. Community 360 are currently in receipt of our Voluntary Welfare Grant scheme as well as contributions from CCC members Locality Budgets.
Councillor Goss, Portfolio Holder Briefing [Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure], will brief the Panel on work being done within his portfolio.
This report invites the panel to consider both the current Work Programme for 2025-2026 for the Scrutiny Panel and any changes or additions to that programme.
13
Exclusion of the Public (Scrutiny)
In accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and in accordance with The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000 (as amended) to exclude the public, including the press, from the meeting so that any items containing exempt information (for example confidential personal, financial or legal advice), in Part B of this agenda (printed on yellow paper) can be decided. (Exempt information is defined in Section 100I and Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).