The Role of Overview and Scrutiny

Overview & Scrutiny is a wide-ranging role which includes the following:

Investigating issues relating to the way in which the Council’s services are delivered to the residents of North Wiltshire
Monitoring the Council’s performance to make sure that it is meeting its aims, objectives and targets and that it is providing the community with the services they need
Monitoring the work of the Executive – making sure that its decisions are in accordance with the Council’s policy and budgetary framework and that the decisions are having the intended outcome
Undertaking in-depth investigations of Council policies and services through Task Groups and making recommendations to improve them.

However, the remit of Overview & Scrutiny is not limited to the work and services of the District Council. The Local Government Act 2000 enables the District Council to do anything that it considers “likely to improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area”. Therefore, Overview & Scrutiny can review issues that impact on the lives of local residents, such as telephone masts for mobile phones or train and air transport proposals, even if North Wiltshire District Council is not directly responsible for that particular issue.