* O&S
91
The Chairman advised the meeting that a formal
Scrutiny Proposal Form had recently been received from Cllr Parker
(with the support of Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Evans, Jory, Moody,
Oxborough and Sellis).
Whilst using the recent proposal to construct
a Hotel on the Abbey Rise Car Park, Tavistock as a learning
example, the request had sought to establish a Task and Finish
Group to review the procedures for proposing Development funded by
the Borough Council.
In line with the adopted procedure, it was a
requirement for such proposals to be determined within 7 days by a
‘Panel’ comprising of the Head of Paid Service; the
Group Manager Support Services and Customer First (in his capacity
as the Scrutiny Lead Officer); and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman
of the Panel.
In this instance, the ‘Panel’ had
decided that this proposal should not be allowed for reasons that
included:
-
the Devon Audit Partnership (DAP) having
already been commissioned to undertake a review. As part of this review, it was intended that each
of those Members who had supported the Proposal Form would be given
the opportunity to be interviewed;
-
reference to the design and impact on
the Heritage Status of the Abbey Rise Car Park
proposals. If funding had been approved
for these proposals, then matters including design and impact on
the Heritage Status would then have been dealt with in detail as
part of the planning process;
-
the future use of Unstarred Minutes. As a
governance matter, it had been concluded that the Political
Structures Working Group would be a more appropriate forum to
consider this matter (as opposed to a Member Task and Finish
Group);
-
the importance of the review being
concluded before the May 2019 elections. To ensure that this was achieved, it was intended
that the review would be considered at the following formal
meetings:-
o
the Hub Committee meeting on 19 March 2019;
o
a single agenda item Special Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting at
9.00am on 26 March 2019; and
o
the full Council meeting at 4.00pm on 26
March 2019.
In reaching this
decision, the Chairman stated that the strength of feeling that had
been provoked by the recent proposals at the Abbey Rise Car Park
and Okehampton Retail Hospitality Pod was very much
appreciated. However, in the interests
of transparency and fairness (and the overriding wish for the
review to be completed before the elections), the proposed way
forward had been concluded by the ‘Panel’ to be the
most appropriate means of conducting a review.
Whilst she was not
willing to invite questions (or debate) on this matter at this
time, the Chairman did advise that she had received some questions
prior to this meeting for which the Head of Paid Service would
provide a reply. In so doing, the Head
of Paid Service informed that:
-
immediately after the Council decision had been taken on 12
February 2019 (Minute CM 54 a iv refers), the lead Hub
...
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