The Place Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee of Havering Council met on Tuesday 15 September 2026 to endorse a draft scrutiny working protocol and consider recommendations for effective scrutiny in 2026/27. The committee also agreed items for its work programme, including a task and finish group focused on homelessness and rough sleeping.

Endorsement of the Draft Scrutiny Working Protocol

The committee endorsed the draft Scrutiny Working Protocol, which establishes a framework for the working relationship between the Cabinet and Scrutiny. The protocol aims to support constructive challenge, transparent decision-making, and effective governance. It outlines expectations for early engagement, information sharing, work programming, member and officer conduct, pre-decision scrutiny, call-in procedures, and the tracking of recommendations.

During the discussion, Councillor Matthew Stanton raised a point about incorporating an annual discussion with the Cabinet about how scrutiny has functioned during the year, including potential amendments to the protocol. This was supported, with the understanding that such discussions would be public and go through the Overview and Scrutiny Board. Councillor Christopher Wilkins expressed concern about the wording in paragraphs 9.1 to 9.4 regarding call-ins, suggesting it could be interpreted as scrutiny not having been done properly. The committee agreed to circulate suggested wording changes for review. The protocol was ultimately endorsed subject to these proposed considerations being taken into account.

Consideration of Recommendations to Achieve Effective Scrutiny for 2026/27

The committee considered recommendations aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of scrutiny for the upcoming year. A key discussion point was Recommendation 1, concerning the length of tenure for scrutiny members, with a proposal to refer to Cabinet a discussion on whether a tenure longer than one year would be beneficial. Recommendations 1 and 2, relating to the Scrutiny Working Protocol and the length of tenure, were agreed to be referred to Cabinet.

The committee then voted to endorse recommendations 3 to 15 for local implementation, rather than referral to Cabinet. These recommendations cover various aspects of effective scrutiny, including timely training, focused work planning, pre-meetings, tracking of recommendations, joint scrutinies, access to information, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring the impact of policies and decisions. A significant debate occurred regarding the measurement of the impact of scrutiny recommendations, with acknowledgement that this is a complex challenge across the sector. The committee agreed to focus on how to measure impact locally, with Councillor Matthew Stanton suggesting that the committee could develop its own scrutiny topic on measuring impact.

Agreeing Items for the Place Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee's Work Programme for 2026/27

The committee discussed and agreed on several topics for its work programme for the 2026/27 period. A significant decision was to establish a task and finish group to investigate homelessness and rough sleeping. Councillor Henry Williams agreed to lead this group. The group will aim to identify practical solutions to reduce homelessness in Havering, focusing on housing supply, affordability, prevention, partnership working, and support for vulnerable residents. The task and finish group is expected to report back to the committee by March 2027.

Other proposed topics for the work programme included:

• Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for Parking Enforcement: A process review of parking enforcement.
• Park Security: An examination of security measures in local parks.
• Waste and Recycling Services (FCC Contract): A review of the performance and monitoring of the contract with FCC, particularly in light of resident complaints. This topic was also noted as potentially being a case study for the commissioning strategy.
• Town Centre Maintenance and Development: Looking at the maintenance and development of town centres, including Collier Road, and the gap between planting and maintenance budgets.
• Emergency Plan Preparedness: Assessing the preparedness of emergency services and residents for potential emergencies such as gas supply cuts or cyber-attacks.
• Lessons Learned from Regeneration Projects: Examining placemaking and infrastructure sequencing in regeneration projects, drawing on past experiences.
• Housing Allocation Scheme: A thorough review of the new housing allocation scheme, focusing on resident understanding of the points system and potential improvements to its intelligibility.
• Housing Stock and Resident Stability: A broader look at housing stock in Havering and its impact on resident stability and socio-economic conditions.

The committee agreed to add these items to the work programme and prioritise them accordingly. A revised draft work programme will be circulated to members for comment.

Additionally, the committee agreed to establish pre-meetings for its sessions, with a proposal to hold them approximately five days before the main meeting. The format of these pre-meetings (virtual or in-person) will be determined by member preference, with a preference for in-person meetings expressed by some members to facilitate better conversation flow.