Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Child, Cliff and Lumley.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2024.

To follow.

This item was deferred to the Scrutiny Committee meeting on 23 January 2025.

Members are to review the response tracker.

To be updated following the meeting on 28 November.

There was no response tracker to review.

Members to declare any interest as appropriate in respect of items to be considered at this meeting.

Councillor Thwaites declared an other registerable interest in relation to Minute Number 30, as he is a Member of the Friends of Gretton Court.

To consider the attached Forward Plan and identify any relevant items for inclusion in the Scrutiny Work Programme, or to request further information.

The Chair introduced the Cabinet Forward Plan and invited Members to comment, however no comments were received.

Members are to review and comment upon the attached Scrutiny Work Programme 2024/25.

To be updated following the meeting on 28 November.

The Chair introduced the Scrutiny Work Programme 2024/25 and invited Members to comment, however no comments were received.

The Scrutiny Committee will consider the Cleaner, Greener Melton (Collaboration to support environmental quality) report.

The Director for Housing and Communities and the Waste and Environmental Services Manager introduced the report and delivered a presentation. The Portfolio Holder for Governance, Environment and Regulatory Services added that this is an ongoing piece of work which everyone will benefit from and was thankful for the dedication of the Director for Housing and Communities and the Waste and Environmental Services Manager. The Portfolio Holder also thanked the volunteers who played a role in the area’s Pride of Place.

The comment was made that the list of assets was useful, as once the Council understood what it owned, the amount of time that can be saved knowing is worthwhile. On its own, that is a good piece of work as queries can be reported and triaged and directed to the relevant body quickly.

In response to a query about the importance of volunteers and how the Council recognises them, it was confirmed that an event would be established to recognise and celebrate volunteers.

Following a question on how the work of the team can be measured and benchmarked, the Committee were informed that the Pride of Place group establish the Terms of Reference and so there is a reference for people to refer to, in order to establish whether the group is fulfilling its duties. In terms of the team, the Waste and Environmental Services Manager is looking at implementing performance indicators and establish the quality of work. In terms of Biffa contract, the Waste and Environmental Services Manager is working closely with Biffa and is looking to do similar set up.

A Member queried how ad hoc are handled and how can the Council make it more efficient. In response it was confirmed that they are difficult to deal with, however by using online forms and a single point to coordinate the responses, they are easier to manage.

It was noted that the Council had not received an environmental complaint since the Waste and Environmental Services Manager has been in post.

A discussion ensued regarding dog fouling and the nuisance it causes in Melton Mowbray. Officers were asked whether there could be a dog warden as they could be a deterrent. In response, Members were informed that with the constraints of resource need to work out what is best. It was noted that people can report dog fouling and that this is encouraged because if the Council knows about it, something can be done about it. It was recognised that the Council needs to be clear about its messaging and raising awareness as the information needed from a public health perspective is different to the information needed to prosecute a person for an offence. It was confirmed that the approach needs to be sensible approach, with campaign-based work being effective.

It was recognised that if the Council raises awareness more, then it could make a difference. Members stated that there is a need for the Council to publicise its actions in order to engage the public and as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

To consider any other items that the Chair considers urgent

There was no urgent business.