Agenda item

Members are to review and comment upon the attached Scrutiny Work Programme 2022/23.

The Chairman announced that the Debt Management Report that was due at the meeting taking place in November has been delayed. The Committee will have an additional meeting to look at this topic. After a short discussion, Members agreed that the additional meeting would take place on 11 January 2023.

The Director for Housing and Communities (Deputy Chief Executive) apologised for the delay and explained that the team had prioritised responses to Covid and the cost-of-living crisis. The team had just employed an interim manager who would be working on the report to get it completed for the meeting in January.

Members were given a brief outline of the position in relation to Council Tax and NNDR collection and also rent arrears and collection. A new Income and Sustainment Officer post has been filled and they will be actively working with tenants with debts. Members were informed that a briefing note would be circulated covering the points raised following the meeting.

A Member asked if the Council Tax and NNDR figures could be shown in the report separately. A question was also asked whether any Portfolio Holders had written off any debts in the last 3 years. A member commented that the debt collection does appear to be out of control and needs looking at.  Members would like to know whether the legal section has the resources to manage the court cases, as required. The Committee felt this is an area where historically the Council have been poor.

The strategic collaboration with Harborough District Council was discussed. The plans will be presented to the Scrutiny Committee in November when they will have opportunity to scrutinise them. Members unanimously agreed to add the topic on to the Work Programme.

In response to a query on whether the plan will have been agreed by the time it is presented to Scrutiny, Members were assured that the Scrutiny Committee will have opportunity to look at the plan and make their comments.

The Chairman requested that the business plan papers be hand-delivered on the day they are published. The agenda is due to be published on 11 November 2022, however as work continues there could be alterations after this date, however Members will be advised of changes verbally at the meeting. It was also confirmed that Harborough District Council Scrutiny Committee will receive the plans at the same time, as they would be published on the same date.

A Member raised the question on whether other collaborations the Council have in place will be included within the report. In response, the committee were informed that this is already being considered. Comments were made that some collaborations do not seem to work well particularly in the more rural areas.

Following a request on whether the Leader of Harborough District Council would attend the meeting in November alongside our Leader, it was confirmed that this would be investigated.

The Chairman asked if the committee felt that the meeting on 22/11/22 should concentrate on the business case as The Leader was also due to make his annual report on this date also. Following a short discussion, it was agreed that the Leader’s Annual Report would be deferred from the November meeting to a later date.