Meeting Details

The Chair will welcome members of the public and Councillors and remind everyone to use microphones at all times when they are speaking. The Chair 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.

Councillors will be asked to say if they are attending on behalf of a Committee member who is absent.

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.

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.

The Panel will be invited to confirm that the minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2025 and 22 January 2026 are a correct record.

Up to eight members of the public may make representations to the Panel  on any item on the agenda or any other matter relating to the business of the Panel. 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 should be supplied.

To consider any Cabinet decisions taken under the special urgency provisions.

The Panel will consider any Cabinet or Portfolio Holder decisions called in for review.

(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.

The Panel will review the performance and programming of the organisations receiving a Strategic Arts Partner Grant: The Mercury Theatre, Colchester Arts Centre and Firstsite  and consider how effectively this supports the Council’s strategic priorities and provides value for money for the funding provided

The Scrutiny Panel will undertake its annual review of the Town Deal Programme,

This report invites the panel to consider the current Work Programme for 2025-2026 for the Scrutiny Panel and any changes or additions to that programme.

To confirm the not for publication extract from the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2026 as a correct record.