Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report on proposed changes to the Constitution, Part 3 “Responsibility for Functions” Appendix 1 relating to the terms of reference of the Special Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Joint Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, provided a brief introduction to the report.

The Special Scrutiny Committee had been established by the Council in 2022/23 with a very specific remit, as detailed below:

In connection with the following:

• Bids to the Levelling Up Fund;
• The County Deal;
• Devolution issues; and
• Accrington Town Centre

o    to review and scrutinise decisions made by the Cabinet falling within the Committee’s terms of reference; and

o    to make recommendations to the Cabinet and/or committees and/or the Council arising from the outcome of the scrutiny process; and

o    to consider mechanisms to encourage and enhance community participation in the development of  policy options; and

o    to question and gather evidence from any person with their consent; and

o    to exercise the right to call in, for reconsideration, decisions made but not yet implemented by the Cabinet (and/or area councils where these relate to executive functions) subject to the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

Since its inception, the Committee had received reports and carried out short reviews on a number of topics relating to the above.

At its meeting on 24^th July 2023, a proposal had been made by the Committee to establish a Task and Finish Scrutiny Panel to conduct a review of potential investment opportunities in other townships outside of Accrington Town Centre which could be considered by the Council for future investment plans, similar to the Accrington Town Centre Investment Plan.

The above proposal did not currently fall within the terms of reference of the Special Scrutiny Committee.  Changing the Constitution was a Council decision, therefore, in order for the Special Scrutiny Committee to establish a task and finish group as described, the Council would first need to approve the proposed changes to the terms of reference.

In 2022/23, during discussions at the Special Scrutiny Committee regarding the Levelling Up bid, it had been proposed by the then Leader of the Council that the bid should be considered as just one part of the Levelling Up agenda, and that the Committee might wish to consider Scrutiny of other items which supported plans to level up the area including the Local Plan and Leisure Transformation.  The Committee therefore added these items to its Scrutiny Work Programme for this year, however, formal approval to add these items to the Committee’s terms of reference would also need to be granted by Council prior to their consideration by the Committee.

Councillor Noordad Aziz, Acting Joint Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, spoke in favour of the changes.  He added that he would like to see the creation of a vehicle to drive planning and investment in the outer townships.  Councillor Judith Addison supported any commitment to invest in the townships and remarked that less than 50% of the Borough’s residents lived in Accrington.

Councillor Britcliffe gave an assurance that the townships would never be forgotten under the current political administration.  He also cited examples of projects being provided across the Borough, including work in Memorial Park and at the Clock Tower in Great Harwood; Rishton War Memorial and Oswaldtwistle War Memorial.

Resolved                                    -    That Council agrees to replace the existing terms of reference of the Special Scrutiny Committee set out in Appendix A of the report with the proposed new terms of reference as set out in Appendix B.