Issue - items at meetings - Traveller Strategy Scrutiny Review

Report of the Strategic Director; Resources and Report of the Scrutiny Review Panel (copy to be circulated separately).

(1)    That Scrutiny Panel’s report and recommendations as detailed in appendix 2 to the report be noted;

(2)         That the responses and associated actions as detailed in appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(3)         That the Cabinet’s thanks be passed on to the Traveller Scrutiny Panel, those providing evidence and the officers supporting the panel for carrying out such a valuable and comprehensive piece of work to such a tight timescale.

221.1    Councillor Littman introduced the report which detailed the findings and recommendations of the Traveller Scrutiny Panel and the response to those recommendations from the Administration.  He stated that he wished to thank the Chair of the Panel, Aidan McGarry from the University of Brighton, and the other panel members for undertaking such a positive piece of work.  He also commended the support and work of the scrutiny team in servicing the panel and helping to formulate the report.  He welcomed the draft Traveller Commissioning Strategy and the response from the Executive to the Panel’s recommendations.

221.2    Councillor West stated that he wished to thank the panel for their work and the various witnesses that had given evidence and welcomed the report.  He believed it had been a valuable piece of work and stated that it had contributed to the development of the strategy.  It was an excellent example of how the scrutiny process could be utilised to formulate policy and he hoped that it would continue to be used in such a way under the proposed new governance arrangements.

221.3    The Chair noted the comments and stated that he believed it was an excellent piece of work and was pleased to see that scrutiny would continue under the new arrangements.

221.4    Councillor Mitchell stated that she agreed with the precious comments and believed that the report had helped to improve the commissioning strategy that was also on the agenda and hoped that the scrutiny resource would continue to be used in such an effective way.

221.5    Councillor G. Theobald welcomed the review and hoped that it might lead to a joint Sussex-wide protocol being developed for addressing unauthorised encampments in the future.  He also stated that there were a few of recommendations that he did not agree with, in particular recommendation 22.

221.6    Councillor West stated that with regard to the Sussex-wide protocol he would raise it with colleagues from East and West Sussex and in relation to recommendation 22, he felt that councillors had a responsible role to play and should therefore have the opportunity to keep abreast of matters through training.

221.7    The Chair thanked the Panel for the report and put the recommendations to the Cabinet for agreement.

221.8    RESOLVED:

(1)         That Scrutiny Panel’s report and recommendations as detailed in appendix 2 to the report be noted;

(2)         That the responses and associated actions as detailed in appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

(3)         That the Cabinet’s thanks be passed on to the Traveller Scrutiny Panel, those providing evidence and the officers supporting the panel for carrying out such a valuable and comprehensive piece of work to such a tight timescale.