Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 7 February 2013 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Joanna Tambourides, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, and Martin Cowie, the Assistant Director of Regeneration and Strategy Planning introduced a report that outlined the Town Centre Strategies for Edgware and Chipping Barnet.

Edgware Town Centre Strategy:

The Committee considered the Edgware Town Centre Strategy report, which gave an update on the development of the Town Centre Strategies in advance of formal approval by Cabinet in June 2013.  Mr. Cowie advised the Committee that the Strategy aimed to enable infrastructure improvement through development of the town centre and the Broadwalk Shopping Centre.   The Committee were advised that the owners of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Scottish Widows, were keen to consider expansion of the centre, including ways to improve the Station Road interchange outside of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre.

The Committee were informed that Town Centre Strategy had been revised following consultation with traders.  The Committee noted that the information gathered had included discussions with Transport for London in relation to the Edgware Underground Station and Bus Station, as well as the owners of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre. 

The Chairman questioned how many responses had been received from residents following consultation on the scheme.  Mr. Cowie advised that he would provide this information outside of the Committee.

Members commented on the importance of rent and parking on the success of town centres. A Member noted that these issues had not been referred to in the report. 

The Chairman advised the Committee that he had received a comment from Cllr. Helena Hart, a Ward Member for Edgware, regarding the Edgware Town Strategy.  She had emphasised the importance of maintaining and increasing the quality and number of shops in the town centre.

A Member noted that there was no longer a cinema in Edgware and advised that it was important to embrace the evening retail experience together with eating out to ensure the success of the town centre.  The Committee stressed the importance of good quality shops to ensure the success of the high street.

Members voiced concern regarding the number of derelict buildings in the area, such as the Railway Hotel, and advised that action should be taken to bring these back into use.

Responding to questions from Members, Mr. Cowie advised that Officers had been in contact with Transport for London regarding operational and environmental issues relating to the town centre. 

The Chairman outlined three factors that were important in attracting people to a town centre:

1)    Security

2)    A no-drinking area

3)    Parking

Chipping Barnet Town Centre Strategy:

Mr.Cowie introduced the draft Chipping Barnet Town Centre Strategy, which went beyond the adopted Planning Framework in focusing on the wider issues facing the town centre including:

·         Improving the mix of land uses, primarily for shops (at ground floor level) but also residential, leisure, employment and community uses;

·         Improving public transport and pedestrian and cycle connections;

·         Improving quality of buildings and public spaces;

·         Promoting a safer and more secure environment;

·         Creating a clear role for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Councillor Brian Salinger, the Chairman of the Review of Effectiveness of Task and Finish Groups, introduced the Group’s Final Report.

Councillor Salinger emphasised to the Committee that the Group had taken too long to complete its work and report its findings.  He added that it was frequently difficult to co-ordinate Member’s diaries in order to schedule a meeting.  The Committee were advised that the work of Task and Finish Groups / Overview and Scrutiny Panels tended to be undertaken by a small minority of Members.  Councillor Salinger advised the Committee that Task and Finish Groups have the potential to do good, but that they needed to be well supported corporately.

Councillor Salinger noted the importance of following up on recommendations made by Task and Finish Groups.  Andrew Charlwood, the Overview and Scrutiny Manager advised the Committee that the Overview and Scrutiny Office provide the Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee with updates at meetings, adding that it was a responsibility of Members to challenge to that information. 

Anita Vukomanovic from the Overview and Scrutiny Office provided the Committee with an update on Recommendation Three of the Final Report, which provided that:

The Scrutiny Office be requested to deliver by the end of December 2012 the following initiatives to develop Scrutiny Member’s skills and increase public awareness and participation in the Task and Finish Group Reviews:

·           Scrutiny Media Engagement Strategy; and

·           Scrutiny Member Development Programme

Media Engagement Project:

Ms. Vukomanovic advised the Committee that objective of the project was to improve corporate and public understanding of the work of Scrutiny and the Governance Service, and encourage participation in the democratic decision making process.  The Committee were advised of the following:

• New website pages outlining the work of Overview and Scrutiny went live on the Barnet website in December 2012. 

• Descriptions of the purpose of each of Barnet’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees added to the website, in order to increase the awareness of the work of each Committee, and help to increase public engagement.

• A social media drive had taken place to promote committees and scrutiny working groups via Twitter and Facebook. 

• Work had been undertaken to strengthen the relationship between corporate communications and scrutiny, and to increase awareness of the work of both Governance and Overview and Scrutiny for future publicity.

• Work had taken place with the Business Governance Team to increase the detail on the website of the work of other committees.

Scrutiny Member Development:

Ms. Vukomanovic advised that the following Member Development opportunities had taken place:

Centre for Public Scrutiny London Scrutiny Member Development Seminar: 17 October 2012

This was a London-wide Member Development event.  In addition to other discussions, Members attended a choice of workshops including:

1.    Engaging the local community in scrutiny.

2.    Scrutiny of shared / cross-borough services.

3.    Scrutiny of the commissioning process.

Barnet Members and officers assisted in facilitating the session on scrutiny of the commissioning process.

Implications of the Health and Social Care Act 2012:

The Scrutiny Office commissioned and held a session  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the Forward Work Programme

At the invitation of the Chairman, the Overview and Scrutiny Manager outlined the status of the three current Task and Finish Groups / Overview and Scrutiny Panels.

Road Safety Task and Finish Group:

The Committee were advised that the Overview and Scrutiny Office had found it difficult to find a date when all Members were available.  The Chairman advised that he would contact the Chairman of the Task and Finish Group to ensure that the work of the Group progressed.

Education Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Panel:

The Committee were informed that the Panel had collated its relevant evidence and would be formalising the recommendations shortly.  The Overview and Scrutiny Manager informed the Committee that it was intended that the work of the Group would feed into an overarching Education Strategy for Barnet.   

Children’s Centres Task and Finish Group:

The Committee noted their previous decision to defer the start of the Children’s Centres Task and Finish Group, in order to allow an external review to be completed in order to allow Members to utilise the information obtained from the review.

A Member commented that after the Education Strategy Task and Finish Group had completed its work, that there was an urgent need for a review of Early Years Provision.

RESOLVED that the Committee request that the Overview and Scrutiny Office add a review of Early Years Provision in the Borough to the list of potential Task and Finish Group review topics .