Manor Road Nursery Task Group - progress report
To consider a verbal report by the Chair of
the Task Group.
Suggested time allocation: 4.25 –
4.30pm
Minutes:
The Committee received
a verbal report by the Chair of the Task Group, Councillor Mrs
Janet Jefferson. Councillor Jefferson
referred Members to page 11 of the agenda which highlighted the
proposed objectives of the review and potential work which the
review could address. Councillor
Jefferson advised that she had been appointed Chair of the Group at
the first meeting in June. A further
meeting had since been held in July. The Group was being supported by the
Strategic Director, David Archer, Head of Legal and Support
Services, Lisa Dixon, the Scrutiny Officer/Committee Administrator,
Lynn Mellor and assistance had also been received from the Scrutiny
Manager, St. John Harris.
The Group had received
a lot of papers; however, some of this information was
confidential. The Group had held
extensive discussions on the draft scope for the review which
covered a number of areas. The draft
scope had since been agreed and this aimed to address the two main
concerns of the Group (i) that
suppliers could not deliver and the Council no longer had an
in-house service to fall back on and (ii) we would lose valuable
community work and social capital generated through Manor Road
Nursery.
Councillor Mrs
Jefferson advised that the Group had also considered the comments
of Mrs Russell (Chairman of the Friends of Manor Road Nursery) and
those of Mr Ron Womack. Councillor Mrs
Jefferson further advised that the Group had agreed that it was not
appropriate to co-opt any individuals onto the Task
Group. Questions would however be asked
and views sought during public meetings and it was hoped that these
would take place in the autumn. The
Group had considered a draft Action Plan and would first review
evidence and information already held prior to undertaking
interviews and consultation with Officers, other Local Authorities
and other interested parties.
Councillor Mrs Jefferson stressed that the Group was keen to make
the review inclusive throughout the whole of the Borough and all
Members of the Group were keeping an open mind. There was a great deal of work to do and
Councillor Mrs Jefferson commented that the Group did not
anticipate that the review would be completed until at least
February 2013.
The Chairman thanked
Councillor Jefferson for her report and commented that the Group
had been tasked by Council to set up a Group to review and
challenge the Cabinet recommendation to Council to approve in
principle the disposal of the Manor Road Nursery site and
reiterated that the Group were obliged to look at this in a
balanced way.
Would this miss the
budget if it was not presented until February? Councillor Mrs Jefferson responded that the Head
of Legal and Support Services had advised that the review needed to
be wide ranging. Public meetings would
be held once information had been received.
With the permission of
the Chairman, Mrs Dorothy Russell addressed the Committee and
commented that she was very happy at the open and thorough way in
which the Task Group was being conducted.
RESOLVED that the verbal report be received.
