Agenda and minutes

Governance, Audit and Standards Committee - Monday, 27 November 2023 7.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Foster Avenue, Beeston NG9 1AB

Contact: Email: committees@broxtowe.gov.uk 

Media

Items
No. Item

40.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interest and/or other interest in any item on the agenda.

Minutes:

Councillors P Bales, B Bullock, M Brown, G Hills, J Owen and P J Owen declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 due to being a Town/Parish Councillor in an area affected by the boundary change. Minute number 44 refers.

 

Councillors B Bullock, M Brown, S J Carr, G Hills, A Kingdon, J Owen, P J Owen, C Tideswell and S Webb declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 7 due to being a Ward Member in an area affected by the polling places change. Minute number 45 refers.

 

41.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 114 KB

The Committee is asked to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2023.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2023 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

42.

MINUTES FROM THE ADVISORY SHAREHOLDER SUB COMMITTEE pdf icon PDF 108 KB

The Committee is asked to note the minutes of the Advisory Shareholder Sub Committee.

Minutes:

The Committee noted the minutes of the Advisory Shareholder Sub-Committee held on 16 October 2023.

43.

EXTERNAL AUDIT UPDATE 2021/22 AND 2022/23

Mazars, the Council’s external auditors, will provide the Committee with a verbal update on progress with the audit of accounts for both 2021/22 and 2022/23.

Minutes:

The Committee noted the update from the Council’s external auditor, Mazars.

44.

COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW pdf icon PDF 293 KB

To inform the Committee of the proposed arrangements for the Community Governance Review of the north of the borough.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee proposed arrangements for the Community Governance Review of the north of the borough.

 

A previous review carried out in 2020/21 concluded that further work was needed to achieve satisfactory arrangements for Brinsley, Eastwood, Greasley, Kimberley and Nuthall where they border each other and which takes into account the complex relationship between the communities in that part of the Borough.

 

Any changes arising from that review will come into effect for the elections in 2027.  It is recommended that the Review start in December 2023

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1.   The Terms of Reference for the Review attached at Appendix 1 be APPROVED.

2.   The proposed consultation programme set out in Appendix 2.be APPROVED.

3.   The consultation proposals set out in Appendix 3 be APPROVED.

4.   A Task and Finish Group comprising 3 members of this Committee be appointed to consider the responses received during the two consultation stages and to make recommendations on the options in light of those responses.

 

(Having declared a non-pecuniary registrable interest in the item, Councillors P Bales, B Bullock, M Brown, G Hills, J Owen and P J Owen left the meeting before commencement of the discussion).

45.

REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING PLACES pdf icon PDF 4 MB

To ask the Committee to recommend to Council the proposed changes to the polling districts and polling places set out in the appendices to the report.

 

Minutes:

Members noted the proposed changes to the polling districts and polling places set out in the appendices to the report

 

RECOMMENDED to Council that the proposed changes to the polling districts in appendix 2 and the designation of polling places set out in appendix 3 to the report be approved.

46.

REPORT OF THE MONITORING OFFICER pdf icon PDF 111 KB

The Housing Ombudsman has made a finding of maladministration in respect of the Council failing to notify a complainant that their utility meters were locked behind a suited lock.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee note the Housing Ombudsman’s finding of maladministration in respect of the Council failing to notify a complainant that their utility meters were locked behind a suited lock.

 

47.

REVIEW OF STRATEGIC RISK REGISTER pdf icon PDF 559 KB

To approve the amendments to the Strategic Risk Register and the action plans identified to mitigate risks.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the amendments to the Strategic Risk Register and the action plans identified to mitigate risks.

 

RESOLVED that the amendments to the Strategic Risk Register and the actions to mitigate risks as set out be approved.

48.

INTERNAL AUDIT PROGRESS REPORT pdf icon PDF 176 KB

To inform the Committee of the recent work completed by Internal Audit.

 

 

Minutes:

The Committee noted the recent work completed by Internal Audit. Members noted that Internal Audit had also reviewed progress made by management in implementing agreed actions within six months of the completion of the respective audits. 

49.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 114 KB

To consider items for inclusion in the Work Programme for future meetings.

 

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Work Programme.

 

          RESOLVED that the Work Programme be approved.

50.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Committee is asked to RESOLVE that, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that, under Section 100A of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

51.

INTERNAL AUDIT REVIEW APPENDIX 3

Minutes:

The Committee noted the confidential appendix.