The Communities and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) of Northumberland Council was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 28 January 2026. The meeting's agenda included a review of the implementation of the Regulation and Enforcement Plan, consideration of the committee's work programme for the upcoming year, and an update on the Forward Plan of Cabinet Decisions.

BEST Review of Regulation and Enforcement

The committee was scheduled to review the implementation of the Best Review of Regulation and Enforcement Plan. This plan aims to align the council's regulation and enforcement functions by purpose and activity, supported by a three-tier governance framework: strategic, tactical, and operational. The report indicated that structural moves had been made to integrate various regulatory functions, such as Environmental Health Private Housing Standards moving to Housing Services, and Building Control and Land Charges moving to Housing and Planning. The report also detailed progress in specific areas including Private Housing, Building Control, Environmental Enforcement, Animal Welfare, Community Safety, Licensing, Pollution Control, Food Standards, and Trading Standards. A key aspect of the review was to ensure that a preventative and proactive approach to regulation and enforcement was embedded within the council's culture, with a focus on data and intelligence for 2026. The report suggested that a more formal assurance report on an annual basis would be beneficial.

Communities and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

The committee was due to consider its work programme for the 2025/26 council year. This programme outlines the committee's terms of reference, which cover areas such as public safety, culture, leisure and tourism, roads and highways, environment, rural and farming, housing, and planning. The work programme also details specific items scheduled for discussion throughout the year, including the BEST Review of Regulation and Enforcement and updates on the Library Service Review and the Community Risk Management Plan. The report highlighted that the work programme for January to March 2026 was full, with no scope for additional items.

Forward Plan of Cabinet Decisions

The committee was scheduled to note the schedule of decisions made by Cabinet since its last meeting, along with the latest Forward Plan of key decisions. This forward plan provides an overview of forthcoming key decisions that Cabinet is expected to make, with a timeline extending to April 2026. Notable upcoming Cabinet decisions included those related to the Borderlands Energy Programme, the Budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2026-27, Biodiversity Planning and Reporting, and the Service Redesign of Libraries and Customer Services.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at County Hall, Morpeth. The agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence, confirmation of previous minutes, and the disclosure of members' interests.