The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to review the 2026 budget scrutiny process and discuss feedback to improve future sessions. The committee also considered additions to its scrutiny work programme for 2026-2027, including issues related to secondary school admissions and highways performance.

Budget Scrutiny Process Feedback

The committee received feedback on the 2026 budget scrutiny process, highlighting several key themes. While many participants found the sessions well-chaired and the extended one-hour session lengths beneficial, some suggested earlier confirmation of group membership and chairs to allow for better preparation. The shift to virtual meetings was generally well-received, with participants finding them efficient.

A recurring point was the timing of the budget scrutiny process, with some members advocating for a year-round approach rather than concentrating efforts in January and February. There was also discussion about the structure, with differing views on whether Cabinet Panel meetings should precede or follow evidence-gathering sessions. Some members felt that the current process did not lead to significant changes in the budget itself, suggesting a need for more substantive recommendations.

Suggestions for improvement included:

• Earlier Confirmation: Finalising group membership and chairs earlier in the process.
• Year-Round Scrutiny: Integrating budget scrutiny throughout the year.
• Structure of Sessions: Debating the optimal timing of Cabinet Panel meetings relative to evidence-gathering sessions to avoid repetition.
• Key Lines of Inquiry (LOIs): Ensuring LOIs are well-defined and that supplementary questions are not pre-prepared. Some suggested formalising the process for written questions to allow for more in-depth debate on supplementary questions.
• Training and Briefing: Providing more comprehensive training for new members and chairs, and ensuring clear expectations for the output of different scrutiny activities.
• Consistency: Ensuring consistency in virtual meeting experiences and the format of LOIs.
• Scope of Scrutiny: Considering whether scrutiny should be conducted by portfolio or by directorate, with potential benefits for both approaches.
• Officer Support: Acknowledging the crucial role of officers and democratic services in supporting the scrutiny process.

The committee also discussed the timing of budget scrutiny meetings within the council's calendar, with concerns raised about the intensity of scheduling and the need for advance notice.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2026-2027

The committee reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year and considered two new items for inclusion.

Secondary School Transfers: A proposal was received from a resident regarding the clarity, fairness, and consistency of Hertfordshire County Council's secondary transfer admissions process, particularly in areas with mixed two-tier and three-tier systems and the use of middle schools. After discussion, there was a consensus that this issue would be better handled by the Education Panel in the first instance. The committee agreed to refer the matter to the Education Panel, with a request for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be kept informed of the outcome.

Highways Performance: A proposal from Councillor Matt Cowley highlighted concerns about the performance of the highways department, including issues with pothole repairs, funding, utility company works, and the cancellation of highways panel meetings. Following extensive debate, the committee agreed to a scrutiny review focusing on utility companies, with the scope to be clearly defined. There was also agreement to have a further conversation with Councillor Cowley to refine the wording of his proposal and to consider a separate scrutiny review on broader highways issues, with a tightly defined scope. The committee acknowledged the frustration caused by the cancellation of highways panel meetings and the need for greater transparency and accountability in this area. The process for cancelling and rescheduling meetings was also flagged for review.

The committee also discussed the importance of a clear work programme for cabinet panels and the need for better communication regarding meeting cancellations. The potential for a joint scrutiny review focusing on both external utility company works and internal highways performance was discussed, with an emphasis on defining a clear scope to ensure effectiveness.

The committee approved the scrutiny work programme for 2026-2027, with the agreed amendments and additions.