Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

The minutes of the meetings held on 21^st and 30th January 2025 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Interim Director of Planning and Performance

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Chief Executive, that would also be considered at the meeting of Cabinet on 18 March 2025 and the meeting of Council on 25^th March 2025, on the Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge 2024 Outcome of Progress Review. The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Progress Report was attached as an Appendix to the report.

The Local Government Association (LGA) was the national voice of local government, working with Councils to support, promote, and improve local government. The LGA’s Corporate Peer Challenge offer was effective and well regarded by the sector and provides robust, strategic and credible challenge and support to Councils.

Overall, the Peer Team were impressed at the level of progress made by Coventry City Council since the Corporate Peer Challenge. Work had been undertaken to respond to the recommendations including actions which were already underway prior to the original Peer Challenge and the Peer Team acknowledged the structured approach for making improvements and changes to achieve the Peer Team’s recommendations.

In summary, during the progress review, the Peer Team:

• Heard more examples of improvement and success, which was gratifying;
• Saw that the Council was showing a confidence to make adjustments to its improvement journey where this was necessary, for example in reconsidering its approach to transformation;
• Also heard again of the strong and visible leadership provided by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive;
• Noted that the Council continued to be financially well managed but was facing similar demand and inflation pressures as other Councils and there was a strong recognition that the Council’s use of reserve to balance the accounts was not sustainable and that it must continue to work to ensure meaningful service and organisational transformation.

More detailed feedback was provided under six key themes which included acknowledgment of the progress made and some suggestions for continued improvement. These areas were described in the ‘Progress Review - Feedback’ section of the LGA’s progress review report and a summary of these findings were set out in sections 1.14 to 1.19 of the Chief Executive’s report.

In considering the report, the Committee asked questions and received responses on matters in the following areas:

• How the transformation board could involve communities more in their ongoing review process and how they are planning to improve communication throughout the process.
• That performance indicators and areas of improvement were part of the One Coventry performance management, and how the new director would focus on better using data and communication.
• Details on improvements in the council’s communication strategy.
• How projects like “the wall of shame” were improving the council’s response to fly-tipping.
• How the committee could access real time performance information and the dashboard being developed.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee:

1)  Supports the recommendations to Cabinet.

2)  Has no further recommendations for Cabinet in relation to the outcome of the Progress Review.

Director for City Services and Commercial and Director for Coventry Municipal Holdings Limited

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a report of the Director for City Services and Commercial and Director for Coventry Municipal Holdings Limited, that would also be considered at the meeting of the Audit and Procurement Committee on 17^th March 2025 and the meeting of the Coventry Shareholders Committee on 25^th March 2025.

Coventry Municipal Holdings Limited (CMH) managed the commercial interests of the wholly owned Council investments in a number of arm’s length company investments. A key legal document called the Group Governance Agreement (GGA) was developed to provide the governance framework for Coventry Municipal Holdings Limited (CMH), the parent for the Council’s wholly owned investments. The GGA stipulated that CMH should produce an Annual Performance Report looking back at the operation of the Group to the year-end. The report was presented to Coventry Shareholder Committee each year with the published accounts being presented to Audit and Procurement Committee.

The report looked at the year ending 31st March 2023 and 31st March 2024 for the CMH group of companies based on their audited accounts which were available at Companies House. Tom White Waste and Coventry Municipal Holdings Group received an extension for filing, granted to 31st March 2025 and as such although they had been approved by the Board of Directors may not yet appear on Companies House. The accounts for all other companies would be available at Companies House.

The accounts for the year ending 31st March 2023 for Tom White Waste Limited Group, Coventry Technical Resources Limited and Coventry Regeneration Limited were previously presented to the Audit and Procurement Committee on 29th January 2024.

In considering the briefing note and a presentation by officers, the Committee asked questions and received responses on matters in the following areas:

• The new governance process to come into place from the next municipal year.
• The guest profile of Coombe Abbey Hotel, which occupies a middle ground between luxury and budget.
• The focus on the casual weekend leisure market as well as the corporate weekday market.
• The detail of the heading “Other” in the accounts.
• Whether a brief summary of the key highlights in non-technical language could be provided for future reports.
• The Auditors had signed off the accounts and were therefore confident that the businesses were on-going concerns.
• The costs of maintenance and refurbishment of a listed historical building, and the current redevelopment programme which was coming back on line following the halt due to Covid.
• The timescales for any likely dividends, as well as the other £1.2million income streams from Coombe Abbey Hotel.

Members requested that information be circulated to them on the following and that this information also be provided to the Audit and Procurement Committee when they consider the report:

• Details of what “other” expenditures, referred to throughout the accounts.
• Clarification of the increase in the costs for 2024 in respect of ‘Management and Administration’ and ‘Directors’ Pension contributions to money purchase schemes.
• A private note detailing the timescales for when a dividend can be expected.

Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80.

Briefing Note of the Director of Digital Services

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a briefing note and presentation of the Director of Digital Services that provided an update on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the implications and possibilities for Coventry City Council. The presentation, attached as an Appendix to the report, covered the Council’s current position; the Council’s developing policy position; the Council’s approach to skills and Artificial Intelligence; and the Council’s next steps.

In considering the briefing note and presentation by officers, the Board asked questions and received responses on matters in the following areas:

• What the policy was on AI being used in job applications to the council and how they worked to identify where this happens.
• That the Council was broadly in line with other local authorities with its policy approach and level of investment/use.
• The importance of cybersecurity in the Council’s approach to AI and why it should be placed at the forefront of any policy.
• The Council policy dictated that AI created content could not be used on social media. The Council continued to limit its use of AI on a large scale as reliability and safety could not be guaranteed.
• The Council chose Children’s Services for its AI pilot scheme as there was an identified need, this had proved useful and effective.

Members requested that the following information be circulated to them:

·  A list of pilot areas being considered for the use of AI.

·  A list of officer posts that have signed up to the Data Skills Apprenticeship Levels 3 and 4.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee:

1)  Notes the details in the presentation attached as an Appendix to the briefing note, regarding the topics covered.

2)  Made the following recommendations to the Cabinet Member for City Services:

a)  That the Council develop a Fair Usage Policy for Artificial Intelligence.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance.

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee received a report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator that detailed the Work Programme and Outstanding Issues for meetings of the Committee for 2024/25.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee notes the Committee’s Work Programme and Outstanding Issues for 2024/25.

The Committee also noted that the last meeting of the Committee for the Municipal Year 2024/25 was scheduled for 10 April 2025 at which the following matters would be considered:

• Health Inequalities and Marmot
• HDRC
• One Coventry Plan Performance Report (24/25 pt 2)

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.