Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Sargeant and Rob Bennett the Council’s Independent Person.  

 

No interests were declared.

This was the first in person meeting of a committee of the Council since March 2020 afterwhich committee meetings were held virtually under provisions within the Coronavirus Act 2020, which expired on 7 May 2021.  The Vice Chair wished to expressed Councillors gratitude for the work of democratic services to have maintained an on-line service of meetings throughout.

 

The Vice Chair also wanted the Committee’s thanks to be recorded for the work of Andrew Grant, Returning Officer and the electoral service team for running the elections held on 6 May successfully. 

 

The Vice Chair also wanted to thank Andrew Grant for his valued contribution as interim Chief Executive from 1 October 2020 in a challenging period for the city council.

 

 

The minutes of the meetings held on 27 January 2021 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Vice Chair.

 

There were no public questions.

 

The Committee received a report from Ernst and Young attaching their Outline Audit Planning Report 2020/21 which summarised the proposed approach to the 2020/21 external audit, including consideration of the most significant audit risks.

 

Jacob McHugh for EY drew the committee’s attention to the new risks which will feature in the external audit on pages 5 and 6 of the EY report; the work on accounting estimates (page 8) and Materiality (page 8).  There will be a fuller risk assessment for the committee meeting on 14 July.

 

EY has worked with officers of the Council to agree an achievable timeline to enable the Committee at its 22 September meeting  to consider an audited set of accounts.

 

The Committee observed that reference had been made to land re-evaluation, which came up as an issue in last year’s audit work. The Head of Finance stated that as a result of last year’s audit, officers  had reviewed land valuations to ensure that there was internally consistent values.

 

Unanimously resolved to note the contents of the EY Outline Audit Planning Report 2020/21.

 

The Committee considered a paper setting out the proposed Committee allocations by party and the nominations received. The Committee considered the rules on political balance set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in developing the recommendations set out below.

 

The Committee noted the proposed committees and nominations set out in the paper issued on 17 May.  The Democratic Services Manager stated that the Council on 27 May would be considering a Notice of Motion to propose that the four area committees will continue to meet virtually until the end of 2021 and by meeting virtually, they will be non-decision making.  

 

Resolved (unanimously) to:

 

i.               Recommend to Council to agree the number and size of committees and to note the nominations listed below (any updates will be provided in the Information Pack to Council):

 

Ordinary Committee

 

Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee 10 (6 Labour + 3 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

H. Davies, Healy, S.Baigent, Sweeney, O’Reilly, Lab TBC   Payne, Hauk, Page-Croft   Copley   Alternates – Sheil, Gilderdale, Bond, Lib Dem TBC

 

Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee 10 (6 Labour + 3 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

D. Baigent, S.Smith, Scutt, Gawthrope Wood, Pounds, Lab TBC   Bick, Porrer, Bond   S. Davies   Alternates – O’Reilly, Sargeant, Hauk, Lib Dem TBC

 

Housing Scrutiny Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Bird, Sheil, Gawthrope Wood, Robertson, Gilderdale, Pounds   Dalzell, Lee   Bennett   Alternates – Sweeney, Lab TBC, Page-Croft, Lib Dem TBC

 

Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee 6 (4 Labour + 2 Lib Dem)

Robertson, Davies, Healy, S.Smith   Bick, Dalzell   Alternates – O’Reilly, Scutt, Payne, Lib Dem TBC

 

Civic Affairs Committee 6 (4 Labour + 2 Lib Dem)

Sargeant, Davey, O’Reilly, Dryden   Gehring, Flaubert   Alternate – Moore, Dalzell

 

Employment (Senior Officer) Committee 6 (4 Labour +2 Lib Dem)

Herbert, Moore, S. Baigent, Collis   Bick, Porrer   Alternates: A.Smith

 

Licensing Committee 10 (6 Labour + 3 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Bird, McPherson, McQueen, Dryden, Moore, Collis   Page-Croft, Cox, Bond   Bennett   Alternates – Scutt, Flaubert

 

Planning Committee 7 (5 Labour+ 2 Lib Dem)

Smart, D. Baigent, Thornburrow, Gawthrope Wood, Dryden   Porrer, Flaubert   Alternates – Herbert, McQueen, Page-Croft

 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority - 1 seat

Herbert   Alternate - Smart

 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2 Labour

Davey, D. Baigent   Alternates – Moore

 

 

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Audit and Governance Committee 1 Labour + one alternate

Sargeant   Alternate – Moore

 

Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly 3 (2 Labour + 1 Lib Dem)

S.Smith, Moore, Bick

 

Joint Development Control Committee - Cambridge Fringes 6 (4 Labour+ 2 Lib Dem)

Smart, D. Baigent, S.Smith, Thornburrow   Porrer, Page-Croft   Alternates – Scutt, Gawthrope Wood, Flaubert, Bond

 

ii.             Agree the nominations for Chairs and Vice Chairs as below:

 

	Chair	Vice Chair
Environment and Communities Services	H. Davies	Healy
Planning and Transport	D. Baigent	S.Smith
Housing	Bird	Sheil (nb. Tenant/Leaseholder is Chair of Part 1 of the meeting)
Strategy & Resources	Robertson	H. Davies
Civic Affairs	Sargeant	Davey
Licensing	Bird	McPherson
Planning	Smart	D. Baigent
JDCC	Smart as Vice Chair (South Cambridgeshire District Council has the Chair this year)

 

iii.            Noted there were no constitutional updates for the meeting.

The Committee noted that this item would appear at a future committee in keeping with a desire to focus Council meetings on core business whilst the impact of the coronavirus public health guidance is still observed.

 

The decision was noted.