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To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 19 March 2024, as a correct record. Minutes: Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 19 March 2024 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
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Declarations of Interest Any declarations not already registered Minutes: There were none. |
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Responses of the Cabinet to reports of the Scrutiny Committee (if any) Minutes: There were none. |
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Actions from the Previous Meeting Minutes: Members noted that a full Waste and Recycling report was due to be presented to the Cleaner and Greener Advisory Committee on the 18 July 2024. Recommendations within the report include that a review is undertaken exploring service opportunities and cost for new waste collection options that include food and glass collections. |
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External Invitee - Sevenoaks District Sports Council Sevenoaks District Sports Council in attendance to provide information on the Sports Council and answer Member’s questions. Minutes: The Chairman welcomed Edward Oatley, Chairman and Secretary of the Sevenoaks District Sports Council (SDSC) to the meeting. He gave a presentation about their role and actions within the District. SDSC used their grant from Sevenoaks District Council to support individuals who displayed outstanding sports ability, to help sports clubs start up, and to facilitate the provision of sports in schools. Clubs nominated individuals to the Sports Council to receive their support. These individuals could be from any sport; the Sports Council had sponsored a 15-year old skeleton athlete for four years, as an example. This was both to support the athletes in their sporting endeavours, and also to help them serve as community role models for other children.
The SDSC supported a wide range of sporting clubs, and encouraged clubs to provide additional community value, such as by offering inclusive training sessions, such as the Parkinsons-friendly boxing sessions at West Kingsdown Boxing Club. The work the Sports Council did relating to schools also involved encouraging support for children with Special Educational Needs. SDSC had helped connect Valence School with Westerham Cricket Club, as an example fo this. They further helped facilitate club engagement in the provision of primary school sports, to help provide access to sport to lower-income children.
In response to questions, the speaker clarified that SDSC did not directly provide funding to many clubs due to limitations in resources. Roughly 10 clubs received direct financial support from SDSC.
The Chairman thanked Sevenoaks District Sports Council for their attendance and their report.
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External Invitee- Sevenoaks District Arts Council Sevenoaks District Arts Council in attendance to provide information on the Arts Council and answer Member’s questions.
Minutes: The Chairman welcomed the representatives for the Sevenoaks District Arts Council (SDAC) to the meeting. They gave a presentation outlining their aims and outcome across the district. Their aims were to support the Council in the promotion of all forms of art across Sevenoaks district (for the benefit of district residents), and to encourage individuals and new groups in providing artistic forms via website, newsletter, social media, and personally.
They explained the structure of SDAC. Membership consisted of representatives from affiliated groups (arts organisations) and parish and town councils. The Council could nominate up to 6 councillors to the SDAC. An executive committee of up to 16 members was elected from this group, with the provision that a majority of the executive were representatives of affiliated groups.
They outlined the groups that were affiliated with the Arts Council, and noted that they offered support across the whole of the district. A majority of the groups supported were performing arts groups, though some individual art groups such as the Sevenoaks Camera Club and the Swanley Arts Community were also affiliated. They set out some of the challenges facing arts groups in the district. One of the largest constraints for performing arts groups was a lack of suitable venues.
They explained that the £2500 grant received annually from the Council was insufficient to allow the Arts Council to provide grants to organisations. Financial support was offered through underwriting performances in case of losses. The Arts Council issued newsletters and promotional material to make groups aware of the organisation and the support it could offer. SDAC also actively sought other funding, and helped organise sponsored events to maximise what could be done with their grant.
Members thanked the SDAC representatives for their report. Members discussed the lack of a district-wide strategy for performing arts. They noted the economic, social, and wellbeing benefits that public art and art groups provided, and identified that the Local Plan created opportunities for public art at certain sites.
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Performance Monitoring Additional documents:
Minutes: The Chairman presented the report which provided an update in respect of performance across the council as at the end of May 2024. Members reviewed the indicators where the performance missed the target level by more than 10%.
Members discussed the report. They noted the lack of available housing and its impact on the performance indicators related to homelessness. Members noted that a detailed review of the Waste & Recycling service would be presented to the Cleaner & Greener Advisory Committee and Cabinet for consideration.
Resolved: that the report be noted.
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Re-Constituting of Member Working Group Minutes: The Chairman introduced the report, which proposed the reconstitution of the In-Depth Scrutiny working group, to allow the group to present their final report. It was noted that Cllr Horwood would not be able to participate in the group following his appointment as Portfolio Holder for Improvement and Innovation.
Members proposed themselves as members of the group.
Resolved: That the Staff Recruitment, Retention, and Wellbeing working group consisting of Cllrs Haslam (Chairman), Penny Cole, Ferrari, and Robinson be re-confirmed.
The Chairman advised that the Council had been approached by Southern Water regarding a cross-council working party that they intended to establish. They had invited a member of the Scrutiny Committee to attend the meeting. Cllr. Haslam would attend and report back to the committee at its next meeting regarding the discussions and Southern Water’s plans for scrutiny in the future.
Action: For Cllr. Haslam to report to the committee regarding Southern Water’s Working Party and Southern Water’s plans for future scrutiny.
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Minutes: The work plan was noted. |