Issue - meetings

The Chairman submitted a report setting out the future work programme for Community Scrutiny Committee for the civic year 2014/15.  The Scrutiny Officer explained that there was some flexibility within the November and March meetings. The Scrutiny Officer referred to the suggested topic of Markets and the problem of this clashing with the procurement and tender process.

Councillor J Wyllie queried where the Council stood in relation to the market tender process, adding that this was taking a “long time”.  He asked when the process would be finished and what was happening in the meantime. 

The Executive Member for Economic Development stated that the tendering process was being handled by the Procurement Officer and it was anticipated that the tender would go out next month.  Councillor Wyllie expressed concern that Bishop’s Stortford was losing its market and that “Ad hoc” markets were being turned away.  The Executive Member for Economic Development and the Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services said that they had no knowledge of “ad hoc” markets being turned away and that anyone could apply for a licence to run a market. The Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services reassured Councillor Wyllie that no “ad hoc” approaches had been made or turned away and explained the difficulties in terms of resources available for the complex process of procurement.

Councillor Wyllie referred to a lady who had applied for an “exotic market” and who had been turned away and agreed to provide the Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services with the details.  Councillor Wyllie suggested that the outcome of the market procurement process and plans for the future be provisionally booked in for consideration at the November meeting of Community Scrutiny Committee.  This was supported.

The Chairman referred to Essential Reference Paper “A” in terms of the implications of “risk management” and the need to have close regard to this.

RESOLVED – that the work programme as now detailed, be approved.