To consider suggestions from members of the public on issues the Committee could scrutinise in the future.

Mr P McKay - List of Streets and Definitive Map

The Chairman referred to e-mail correspondence dated 2nd June 2009, from Mr P McKay concerning the correctness of the List of Streets and Highways Definitive Map and whether the Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) would be requesting a report on the matter.   The Chairman referred to a letter sent to Mr McKay by the Assistant Director Environment and Culture dated 17 April 2009, setting out the scrutiny position, following similar questions raised by Mr McKay at the April Committee.  Mr McKay clarified his intention to directe the current question to the Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) under agenda item 5 – Presentation by Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation).

The Committee re-affirmed its intention to consider issues concerning the highways Definitive Map at a future meeting following the transfer of the service to Amey.

Mr R Coates – Climate Change

The Chairman referred to e-mail correspondence dated 1 May 2009, from Mr R Coates, copies of which had been issued to Committee members prior to the meeting, providing background to the issue and posing the questions:

 1 Can the Scrutiny Committee recognise the nature of this three pronged crisis (Climate Change, Peak Oil and the need for a new approach to our economy) and start a new kind of response.

2 Could the Scrutiny Committee initiate an Action Enquiry into what it is about the Council’s Culture that needs to shift so that it can respond to these three core priorities rather than supporting Business as Usual and frustrating the many Member and Officers who can see the need for change. (This could be used as a way of building readiness and commitment progressively and rapidly creating the sort of Transitional approach that is now needed).

The Chairman acknowledged that locally and nationally there was still a lot to do in relation to tackling climate change and commented that locally progress was being made.

The Committee agreed that the following response be made to Mr Coates:

Environment Scrutiny is proud of the active role they have taken in keeping the Council’s overall environmental performance under active review. They have taken reports twice a year on ISO 14001, the corporate council environmental management system, for several years. Within the last year the Committee has taken 3 reports on climate change and carbon emissions, particularly those from council operations, and are again looking at emissions, this time from Street lighting, at their June meeting.

Environment Scrutiny is able to undertake enquiries and has in the past tackled subjects such as ‘How best to reduce household waste to meet the government’s stringent targets.’ However, it is the function of Scrutiny to be a critical friend to the Executive, not to set policy or targets. Currently the council’s target is to meet a 1.25% annual carbon reduction and Scrutiny have kept performance against this regularly under review.

In order to set a more robust and wide ranging response to the challenges of climate change and peak oil it would be more appropriate to challenge Cabinet to raise the Council's current targets and widen its approach. The planned showings of The Age of Stupid, under the auspices of the Cabinet Member for the Environment, may provide a useful vehicle to enable such a discussion.

Mr Gething – Co-option from Local Access Committee

The Chairman reported correspondence from Mr Gething, Chairman, Local Access Forum, requesting that the Committee consider co-opting a member from the Forum onto the Committee.

The Committee decided that the policy of inviting members of interest groups to attend the Committee when specific issues arise be re-affirmed.

Mr RM Wilson – Standards of Highway Maintenance

Mr RM Wilson suggested that scrutiny should look at the standards of highway maintenance carried out in the County and cited an example at the Radway Bridge where the road surface had been ‘tar and chippinged’ without first filling potholes in the carriageway which were now masked from view and in his view dangerous.

The Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) responded that while highways in the County needed major levels of investment unfortunately only limited resources were available.  Maintenance was being concentrated on the principal and non-principal roads unfortunately to the detriment of the non-classified roads.

RESOLVED: That the specific highway maintenance example raised be investigated by officers and the strategic issue of road maintenance standards be included in the Committee work programme for consideration in approximately 6 months time.