Scrutiny

What is a Scrutiny Committee?

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee is part of the Council's political management arrangements. The committee is intended to ensure the accountability and transparency of the Council's decision making process. It examines Council policies and delivery of services; both by the Council and external organisations.

Principal roles

• Helping to develop Council policy
• Investigating and testing options and asking questions before and after decisions are taken
• Looking in detail at areas of concern and reviewing policies
• Reviewing performance of the Council to improve service delivery
• "Calling-in" decisions - this is a statutory power which gives the Committee the right to formally stop a decision being implemented and to investigate it further

What scrutiny doesn't do

The Committee do not deal with individual queries, complaints, planning or licensing applications. If you are not satisfied with a service you have received from the Council then please use the complaints procedure.

Herefordshire Council's Scrutiny Committee

The Council has one Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

• Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Membership of the Scrutiny Committee

Membership consists mainly of councillors although committees have the power to co-opt non-councillors.

Places on the Committee are allocated to councillors in proportion to the Council's political composition.

Details of committee membership is available by using the link above.

Meetings

Meetings of the Committee are held in public and open to anyone to attend. There is no automatic right to speak although the chairman can invite public participation. 

Meeting dates for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee can be found by using the link above. 

To find meeting dates for other Council committees see the Decision Making area of the website.

Agenda Papers and Reports

Agenda papers and reports for the meetings are available one week in advance of the meeting at council offices and via the link above.

You can suggest items for the committees to consider by emailing us at scrutiny@herefordshire.gov.uk. Please provide your name, address, telephone number and the details of the proposed item for scrutiny.

If you require any further information about the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or any of the current reviews, please get in touch with us using the contact details listed above.