(a) Items placed on the agenda by a Member of the Committee or any individual Non-Executive Member
Any individual Councillor may request that a matter is placed on the agenda of one of the Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committees by providing Democratic Support with notice of the matter prior to the agenda being published.
(1) SCAFFOLDING – TOWER HAMLETS, DOVER
The Committee at its meeting held on 15 November 2016 agreed to include at the request of Councillor B J Glayzer an item within its work programme relating to concerns over the licensing and safety of scaffolding previously erected in the Tower Hamlets Ward.
An officer from Kent County Council will be attending to answer questions from the members of the Committee.
(2) EAST KENT COUNCILS MERGER
Councillors B J Glayzer and G Rapley have asked that the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee consider the following matter:
“I would like to put forward an item requesting a full public consultation at DDC prior to full council on the 22nd of March. This is reference the document & plans for the merger. Our residents have expressed many concerns related to this scheme and therefore we feel this would be the right thing to do by our residents.”
The report on the proposed East Kent Councils Merger is contained later within the agenda and Members may wish to consider this request as part of that item.
(b) Items the subject of Call-In
Executive Decisions may be called-in by the Chairman or Spokesperson of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee or any three non-executive members.
There are no items for consideration.
(c) Public Petition
There are no items for consideration.
Minutes:
(1) Scaffolding – Tower Hamlets, Dover
Councillor B J Glayzer informed Members that he had asked for this matter to come to scrutiny due to concerns over scaffolding erected in Tower Hamlets Street in Dover. In particular his concerns related to a lack of signage, general site safety and personal protection equipment (PPE) used by the builders.
The Road Works Co-Ordinator Dover District (Kent County Council) and the Head of Assets and Building Control (Dover District Council) were in attendance to answer questions from Members in respect of the matter.
Members were advised that the role of Dover District Council’s building control department was to inspect the ‘product’ (i.e. repairs to the roof, etc.) and that they had no role in respect of PPE and site safety as this was a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Despite this, when contacted by a member of the public about concerns over the work being carried out in Tower Hamlets Street the Council did contact the builders to remind them of HSE requirements.
The role of Kent County Council was to issue the licence for the scaffolding with basic conditions. However, as the concerns raised were not related to the erection of the scaffolding itself but rather site safety it would be a matter for the HSE.
Members were advised that if anyone had concerns over health and safety they could report them directly to the health and safety executive.
There was concern expressed by Members that despite four inspections of the site by Kent County Council there was no action taken in respect of potential breaches of the scaffolding licence in respect of signage, walkway access and safety lighting.
Members emphasised the importance of ensuring that this situation did not reoccur again and the need for officers to refer concerns to the HSE if the matters related to areas outside of their responsibility.
Councillor S C Manion offered to take up this matter directly with the appropriate Kent County Council Cabinet Member.
RESOLVED: (a) That it be noted that the Head of Assets and Building Control had agreed to place the contact details for the Health and Safety Executive on the Building Control website pages.
(b) That the photographic evidence in relation to the scaffolding in Tower Hamlets, Dover be forwarded to the Health and Safety Executive by the Head of Assets and Building Control.
(c) That the Team Leader - Democratic Support be requested to circulate the link to the scaffold licence to members of the Scrutiny (Policy and Performance) Committee.
(d) That the matter be included within the work programme for consideration at a future date and that representatives from the Health and Safety Executive be invited to attend.
(e) That Kent County Council be requested to investigate including the builders details on the scaffolding licence.
(2) East Kent Councils Merger
It was agreed that Councillor B J Glayzer’s proposals for a public meeting as part of the decision route for the proposed Single East Kent Council would be considered as part of the discussions for Minute No. 169 (Business Case – Single East Kent Council).