Actions from the previous Overview Committee Meeting.

Members noted that the following Actions were now complete.

Actions from the Meeting held on 23 January 2024.

Action Nos. 71 (a), 72 (b), 81 (Numbers 5, 7, 11 and 17) – completed.

Actions from the Meeting held on 28 November 2023.

Action Nos. 57 (b), 58 (a) and 59 (c) – completed.

The Chairman informed Members that an update to actions 72 (a) and 72 (b) had been tabled for today’s meeting and marked as completed.  The updated actions are attached to the Minutes at Appendix A.

Comments were received as follows:

• A Member requested that the full names of Officers were included on the Action Sheet to ensure it was clear who was responsible for providing a response.  The Chairman confirmed this would occur in future.

ActionNo. 72 (b)– ‘To schedule a future Agenda item to look at money saving opportunities with (Artificial Intelligence (AI) and invite the Chief Delivery Officer to provide a report’fromthe meetingheld on23 January2024, page55 ofthe Agenda refers.

• A Member commented that ELDC should not follow the transformation work carried out by PS2 as it was necessary to look at what suited this Council in order to make savings.

In response, the Assistant Director (Corporate) advised that Artificial Intelligence (AI) relied on technology and that the Council needed to look across the sector to find suitable solutions and PSPS being a technology provider was able to implement those solutions.  The Assistant Director (Corporate) further advised Members that the Chief Delivery Officer (PSPS) was present at today’s meeting to provide an update on the work the Council was already undertaking with AI across the Partnership in order to drive efficiency and support the deployment of AI where it was more cost effective and affordable because of high volume services.

Councillor Graham Marsh, the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture, and Carbon Reduction assured Members that he met fortnightly with the Chief Delivery Officer (PSPS) to oversee technology that was brought into the Council and that a wide remit was considered to determine what was achievable and if there were better ways of moving forward to save money.

ActionNo. 57 (b)– ‘Further updates to be provided to the Committee in relation to progress for Market Towns, including arranging a walkaround for Louth’from themeeting heldon 28November 2023, page56 ofthe Agenda refers.

• A Member informed the Committee that a walkaround of Louth had been postponed due to the unfortunate loss of the Town’s Planning Committee Chair and that additional time was being given for the new Chair to become established before arranging the walkaround.

The Chairman informed Members that during the Overview Committee Pre-Meeting it was agreed that items in the Overview and Scrutiny Recommendation Tracker would no longer show in the Action Sheet to avoid duplication and the need to cross reference between the two updates.

In reference to Appendix A1 Briefing Note – Heritage Updatefrom themeeting heldon 28November 2023, pages 59 to 62 of the Agenda refer.

• A Member expressed concerns that no progress had been made since Louth was added to the ‘At Risk Register’ in 2022.  Further concerns were raised that the names of the towns of the enforcement cases were not listed in the report and that there was a failure to recognise Louth in conservation area appraisals.

• A Member further commented that in the absence of a key member of staff, such as the Heritage Manager, more than one person was necessary to be in post if they were responsible for both East Lindsey and Boston.

The Chairman advised that the Heritage Champion had previously kept the Committee up to date.  Further to a discussion it was agreed that the current Heritage Champion, Councillor Wendy Bowkett and Place Manager – Economic Growth, Jeffrey Kenyon be invited to the next meeting of the Overview Committee to provide an update on conservation appraisals.

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Leisure and Culture, and Carbon Reduction confirmed to Members that the Heritage Manager’s work was overseen by the Enforcement Service Manager.

ActionNo. 59 (b)– ‘An update to be provided to the Committee for the January 2024 Meeting in relation to waste bins on new housing estates’ fromthe meetingheld on28 November 2023,page 57of theAgenda refers.

• A Member raised concerns of roads being too tight and narrow on new housing developments which did not allow refuse lorries to get through easily and further stated that planning applications for larger housing sites needed to ensure there was enough space for one car and a refuse lorry to pass.  

In response, the Chairman advised that the Planning Policy Committee were best placed to examine the issues.

• A Member spoke in support of the concerns on streets that were too narrow for refuse lorries and other large vehicles to navigate.

Further to a discussion it was agreed to refer the issue raised to the Planning Policy Committee.