Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the Meeting.

Apologies were received from Cllr Alan Amos, Mark Hughes (Parent Governor Representative0 and Tim Reid (Church Representative).

The Chairman advised that the Agenda would be re-ordered as follows:

Item 5 – Refresh of the Scrutiny Work Plan would be deferred to the next meeting

Item 6 – Public Transport Update

Item 7 – Adoption of the Mineral Local Plan

Item 8 – Member Update and Cabinet Forward Plan.

None.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case Tuesday 24 May 2022).  Further details are available on the Council's website.  Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed in this agenda and on the website.

There were three public participants: John Rudge, Sam Ammar and Andrew Cross. The public participants made comments and asked questions relating to Item 7 Public Transport.

The Chairman thanked the members of the public for their participation and advised that they would receive a written response.

(previously circulated)

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 26 April were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Deferred to the next meeting.

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility (CMR) for Highways and Transport introduced the Report and in doing so thanked the members of the public for sharing their views.  The CMR acknowledged the difficulties of getting to County Hall via public transport at the current time and the desire for an excellent bus service in Worcestershire.

The CMR explained that Worcestershire County Council (the Council)  had submitted its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to the Department for Transport (DfT).  The bid was for £86 million to improve the Worcestershire Passenger Transport network and to fulfil Worcestershire’s vision to develop a long term, sustainable and enhanced public transport network. Unfortunately, on 4 April 2022, the Council received confirmation from the DfT that it was unsuccessful in its BSIP bid.  The CMR explained that he was disappointed about Worcestershire not receiving the funding (along with some other shire authorities) but reminded the Board that the BSIP still existed alongside the 2019 Passenger Transport Strategy and that he was very committed to providing excellent bus services in Worcestershire via an enhanced partnership.

The Assistant Director for Highways and Transport Operations added that the Council had requested and was awaiting urgent feedback on the bid from the DfT. 

Bus operators were currently reviewing services and either reducing frequency or ceasing services.  This was based on current patronage levels which were around 70% of pre-covid levels.  This had had an adverse effect on the commerciality of services. The Council was able to provide mitigation for some of the key, well used services, that were scheduled to cease.  This arrangement was temporary to enable the review of the network. The Council had been asked to undertake a full review of the commercial network within Worcestershire and submit the findings to the DfT by the deadline of 1 July 2022.

During the opportunity for questions, the following main points were made:

·         In response to the suggestion that the Worcestershire BSIP bid submitted was unambitious, the Assistant Director believed the BSIP was ambitious and included a growth target of between 10-25% with a number of elements that were achievable.

·         A Member expressed concern that the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG) funding would cease in October 2022 and suggested that the situation was already desperate and would get a lot worse as a result of this. In response the Assistant Director explained that bus patronage had reduced and had not returned to pre-Covid levels and that the bus operators needed to operate commercially viable services.  The Council wanted to grow demand and would work in partnership with bus operators.

·         In response to a question about whether there would be a second opportunity to bid for BSIP funding, the CMR and Assistant Director confirmed that at this point there was no clarity around further opportunities to bid for funding. However, it was important to understand the differences between the Local Authorities that were successful in securing funding in comparison to the Worcestershire bid: an area which Scrutiny maybe interested in exploring.

·         The CMR  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1256.

The Cabinet Member for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills introduced the Council’s new Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan which was due to be considered by Cabinet and Council for adoption. The governance process required Overview and Scrutiny to consider the proposals prior to the Council meeting.  This Plan would replace the “saved” policies which remained in the last County of Hereford and Worcester Minerals Local (1997). 

A new Minerals Local Plan for Worcestershire for the period 2018-2036 had been developed under the provisions set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

Once adopted, the new Worcestershire Minerals Local Plan would sit alongside the district Local Plans and the Waste Core Strategy and must be used to determine any minerals-related planning matters in the county. The Minerals Local Plan would be used by Worcestershire County Council’s planning officers and Planning and Regulatory Committee to make decisions about planning applications for mineral extraction, processing and restoration. It would also be used by the City, Borough and District Councils to ensure other types of development avoid sterilising mineral resources or negatively impacting on the operation of mineral sites or supporting infrastructure.

During the opportunity for questions, the following main points were made:

·         It was confirmed that the final version of the Plan would be a tidy version (free from amendments).

·         The Policy included an energy minerals section which covered coal extraction.

·         A Member queried the text which was shown in Main Modification MM d5 for deletion, and in particular the text highlighted and was advised that a reply would be given outside of the meeting.

·         The Head of Planning and Transport Planning confirmed that there were no major issues highlighted by the Inspectors concerning this Plan.  The changes requested were routine and were around interpretation.  Some changes were made to safeguarding policies to make them wider which had a knock-on effect for the district councils in terms of their local plan. It was also noted that Air Quality was pulled out as separate policy.

·         It was confirmed that the Plan would enable the development of the Brine Baths in Droitwich safely.

·         There would be 5 yearly updates of the Plan.

Member Update

Corporate and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Emma Stokes)

At its May meeting, the Panel had looked at Council Compliance with Freedom of Information and Data Protection Legislation, the Council’s Implementation of Microsoft Intune (mobile device management) and the Council’s Policy on Support for Refugees.

Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Steve Mackay)

Cllr Mackay provided the Board with an update on the recent Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel which had looked at Get Safe and Get There and the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report 2020-2021.

Economy and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Cllr Alastair Adams)

The Panel had recently looked at an Update on Walking and Cycling In Worcestershire.

In response to the suggestion that 20mph speed limits should be added to the Work Programme, Cllr Adams explained the Council’s stance with regard to 20mph speed limits and confirmed that it was an issue already on the Work Programme.

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Cllr Brandon Clayton)

Cllr Clayton advised that due to the heavy workload of HOSC, for the foreseeable future it would be meeting monthly (rather than bi-monthly).

At its May meeting, the Committee looked at a Progress Update against Recommendations from the Scrutiny Task Group Report on Ambulance Hospital Handover Delays, Patient Flow, Maternity Services and Dementia Services in Worcestershire.  The Committee’s next meeting was 9 June.

Task Groups

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)

At its meeting on 19 May, Council approved some constitutional changes which affected Scrutiny.  Cllr Daisley who was the Lead Member of the CAMHS and EHCP Task Groups was appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Council. The Constitution stated that the Vice-Chairman should not also Chair another body, and it was agreed that Cllr Steve Mackay (the new Chairman of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel) would become the Lead Member for both Task Groups and Cllr Daisley would remain as member of the Task Groups to provide continuity.

Developer-funded Highways Infrastructure & Section 278 Technical Approval

Cllr Adams provided the Board with an update on the progress of this Task Group.