Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meeting held on 9^th April 2026, were agreed and signed as a true record.

Briefing Note of the Director of Law, Governance and Safer Communities

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a Briefing Note of the Director of Law, Governance and Safer Communities, appended to which was the Scrutiny Annual Report for 2025-26.

The report detailed highlights from the year, including crosscutting themes considered by the Committee as well as work undertaken by the individual Scrutiny Boards.  The Constitution requires that Scrutiny report annually to inform Council of its work.

The Chair, Councillor R Singh thanked the previous Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee Chair, former Councillor Lloyd for his work last year. 

The Committee discussed the inclusion of additional information in the report detailing urgent decisions made during the 2025/2026 Municipal Year, where the Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee had been asked to agree the need for urgency such that call-in arrangements did not apply, to include those reasons for urgency.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee agreed to accept the content of the draft Annual Report at Appendix 1 subject to the inclusion of the additional information detailing the urgent decisions.

RESOLVED that, the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee recommends that Council considers the Scrutiny Annual Report (as amended) at its meeting on 8^th September, 2026.

Councillor R Singh, Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, attended the meeting of Cabinet on 9 June, 2026 for consideration of an item relating to “ Approval of the Draft Local Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Reform Plan Setting out how Coventry Local Area Partnership will deliver the National SEND Reform”.

Councillor Singh agreed that the decision was urgent and that call in should not apply. In accordance with the Constitution, this matter is reported to inform the Committee of the reason for urgency which is:-

“The Local SEND Reform Plan had to be submitted to the Department for Education by 19 June, 2026”.

In accordance with the Constitution, the Committee were informed that Councillor R Singh, Chair of the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, attended the meeting of Cabinet on 9 June, 2026 for consideration of an item relating to “Approval of the Draft Local Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Reform Plan Setting out how Coventry Local Area Partnership will deliver the National SEND Reform”.

Councillor Singh had agreed that the decision was urgent and that call in should not apply. In accordance with the Constitution, this matter was reported to inform the Committee of the reason for urgency which was “The Local SEND Reform Plan had to be submitted to the Department for Education by 19 June, 2026”.

The Committee asked questions, received answers and made comments in respect of the following:

·  The timeliness of reports and the submission of consultation responses

·  The number of times the Chair had been asked to attend meetings to agree that the decision was urgent such that call-in would not apply during the last municipal year

It was noted that the Chair was only invited only to attend where there was a valid reason for urgency for example, where a response to a consultation was required but the calendar did not allow for consideration at another meeting.  There were only a few times the process had being necessary during the last municipal year and this would now be included in the Scrutiny Annual Report (Minute 3 above refers).

Report of the Director of Law, Governance and Safer Communities

Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director of Law, Governance and Safer Communities that provided information regarding the Committee’s proposed Work Programme and Outstanding Issues for 2026/2027.

The Committee made comments, asked questions and received responses across a number of topics which included:

·  Reviewing items on the previous Work Programmes that had not been allocated a meeting yet

·  Items to add this year, including, enforcement of anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and bus franchising

·  Items for consideration at the next meeting

·  City Centre Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) Consultation response

Councillor McNicholas, Cabinet Member (Community Safety and Cohesion), reassured the Committee that Cabinet welcomed the views of Scrutiny as a ‘critical friend’ and would take on board Scrutiny’s contribution and ensure decisions were right for the people of Coventry.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee:-

1)  Note the draft Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 and agree the additional items listed be added to the Work Programme 2026-27:

a)  Enforcement of Antisocial behaviour on e-bikes and e-scooters

b)  Domestic abuse

c)  Bus franchising

2)  Requests that officers filter and circulate the Chair’s document which reviewed previous items identified for Scrutiny consideration that had not yet been allocated a meeting

3)  Request that an additional informal online meeting be arranged to allow the Committee to participate in the PSPO consultation before 27th July 2026 and report back to the next meeting

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of public business.