To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 March 2015 (Minute Nos. 564 - 567) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 18 March 2015 (Minute Nos. 564 – 567) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Director of Corporate Services as Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

The Committee is asked to consider the Draft Annual Report to Council (attached)

The Policy and Performance Officer introduced the report which set out the Committee’s 2014/15 draft Annual Report to Council (appendix II of the report), as required by the Committee’s Terms of Reference, (set out at appendix I of the report).

The Chairman invited Members to comment and ask questions on the draft Annual Report.  Members raised the following points: should include reference to the fact that the terms of reference had been changed so that the chairmanship had been taken away from the opposition group; disappointed that the Committee did not have the powers which the Policy Overview Committee had, as the review of the Sittingbourne Town Centre regeneration project had been successful in identifying problems with that particular project; and consider the report to be a fair representation of the Committee’s work in 2014/15.

Resolved: That the draft Annual Report 2014/15 be agreed and submitted to Full Council for consideration.

The Committee is asked to consider the Work Programme 2015/16 (attached).

The Policy and Performance Officer introduced the report, which set out the policies, plans and strategies due to reviewed by the Committee during the course of the year.  The report also set out when those documents should come before the Committee for review.

In response to a concern from a Member, the Chairman advised that any Member could propose amendments to a Committee’s Terms of Reference by putting in a Motion to Full Council. 

There was some discussion about the remit of the Committee in relation to transport issues and the Local Plan.  The Policy and Performance Officer explained that transport was covered within the Corporate Plan and Economic Development Strategy documents, both of which the Policy and Review Committee were able to review, any Member could also raise transport issues via the Swale Joint Transportation Board meeting.  With regard to the Local Plan, the Policy and Performance Officer stated that that document was considered and reviewed by the Local Development Framework Panel but that any Member could attend and speak at their meetings. 

In response to a query from a Member, the Policy and Performance Officer agreed to liaise with the Head of Planning to ensure that the Planning Enforcement Charter and Strategy would be available for review at the meeting scheduled for 22 July 2015.

·         Policy and Performance Officer

Resolved:  That the terms of reference that were agreed by Council on 19 February 2014 be noted.

Resolved:  That the schedule of Policies, plans and strategies due for review in 2015/16 be agreed.