First action out of the block by the new Scrutiny Committee for the Combined Authority for Cambridge and Peterborough: “calling in” a decision by the Mayor and the CA to delay urgent transport plans. See more detail here:

http://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/south-cambridgeshire/scrutiny-committee-calls-in-mayor-s-transport-plan-1-5559442

Scrutiny and Oversight is important when the Mayor has such a large budget and a habit of taking seemingly unilateral decisions over huge infrastructure projects that will affect our communities. The power base of the CA is growing because, recently, the Combined Authority has taken over authority and budget for bus transport for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough,  and seems to be attempting to take over/subsume the Greater Cambridge Partnership authority and budget, too. This is being called out by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Bridget Smith, who is now also a member of the Board of the Combined Authority.

The Scrutiny and Oversight Committe has been running for a year and has had little teeth so far – so this is really testing the ground with its new members after local elections. Pippa Heylings is a Substitute on the Committee so she has just completed training and will be following the Committee’s actions with interest and will also be standing in when necessary.