The Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday 12 September 2024 included the review of the committee's draft work programme for the 2024/25 municipal year, and a report on fly-tipping in the Borough. The committee's proposed Terms of Reference for 2024/25 were also on the agenda for review.

Building Safer & Stronger Communities through tackling fly-tipping

A report was scheduled to be received that provided an update on fly-tipping in the Borough. This update follows a presentation given to the committee on June 28 2023 about the Council’s efforts on tackling fly-tipping in the Borough. The report describes how since the last meeting, the work of the team had been focused on data led intelligence to identify instances of fly-tipping across the Borough. One of the ways this data was being gathered was through the 'Telford and Wrekin Watch' communications campaign. This campaign uses a variety of communication methods, such as social media, for members of the public to inform the Council on instances of fly tipping. The report describes how this, along with evidence obtained from CCTV cameras, is supporting the efforts of the Council’s Enforcement Team to tackle fly tipping across the Borough.

The report concludes by describing how further work was underway on the draft information leaflet and the draft action plan following comments received from Members, and that a further update would be presented to the Committee at a later date.

Communities Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to review and agree its draft work programme for 2024/25. The work programme is described in the report as a two year work programme that allows for more in-depth work to be undertaken. It notes that some items would follow onto the next municipal year, including an update on fly tipping and domestic violence funding and support.

The report lists all of the topics that are scheduled to be discussed by the committee over the coming year, starting with the meeting on 12 September 2024. The report describes how a period of consultation had taken place in the months running up to a new municipal year in which the public, key stakeholders, and Council officers are asked to put forward scrutiny suggestions for inclusion on the coming year’s work programme.

Communities Scrutiny Committee - Terms of Reference

The Committee was scheduled to review its Terms of Reference for 2024/25. The report that accompanies the Terms of Reference describes how at the Annual Meeting of the Council on 23 May 2024, Full Council delegated authority to each Committee to review its own Terms of Reference. It also explains that:

The Terms of Reference forms part of the Consitution and approved by Full Council in that context on 3 March 2022.

The document that contains the draft Terms of Reference lists the membership, functions and meeting administration and proceedings of the Communities Scrutiny Committee. It explains that the Committee:

will be the main mechanism by which Scrutiny members will scrutinise and monitor issues relating to the following key areas:

It then lists a number of those areas. These include:

• Customer Experience
• Voluntary sector and community groups
• Community engagement and development
• Library services and archives
• Heritage Services
• Preventing and reducing crime
• Tackling domestic abuse
• Public Protection
• Road safety
• Benefits and welfare reform
• Sport, leisure, entertainment and culture facilities
• Housing – including affordable housing, HMOs, homelessness and housing needs