Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor N Rushton.

Under the Code of Conduct members are reminded that in declaring interests you should make clear the nature of that interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest, registerable interest or other interest.

There were no interests declared.

There were no questions received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024 were considered.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 26 November 2024 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings.

The report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Infrastructure Portfolio Holder

The Infrastructure Portfolio Holder presented the report.

The Chair commended the Chief Executive for requesting the Peer Review and welcomed its positive findings.

The Chief Executive welcomed the positive stakeholder feedback, and said the authority would demonstrate to the Peer Review Team in Spring 2025 the progress made against the post-review action plan.

It was moved by Councillor K Merrie, seconded by Councillor R Blunt, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The LGA Peer Review Team’s feedback and key recommendations to the Council following its Corporate Peer Challenge in June 2024 be noted and accepted.

2.    The action plan prepared in response to the peer review feedback be approved.

Reason for decision: For Cabinet to consider the report from the Local Government Association’s Peer Review Team on its Corporate Peer Challenge and Action Plan that has been prepared to address the recommendations made.

The report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Infrastructure Portfolio Holder

The Infrastructure Portfolio Holder presented the report.

The Chair thanked the Corporate Scrutiny Committee for their recommendation, and he shared that Committee’s support for remote attendance and aversion to proxy voting.

The Monitoring Officer clarified that Cabinet needed to make a decision on recommendation 1 separately from the other recommendations.

It was moved by Councillor K Merrie, seconded by Councillor R Blunt, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1. The response to consultation suggested by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 5 December 2024, to answer “no” to question 10 of the consultation, be agreed.
2. The suggested response to the Government’s consultation on “enabling remote meetings and proxy voting at local authority meetings” be agreed and the Chief Executive be authorised to submit the response on the Council’s behalf.
3. That the consultation is open to the public and Councillors until 19 December 2024 be noted.

Reason for decision: to enable the Council to submit a response to the Government’s consultation on enabling remote meetings and proxy voting at local authority meetings.

The report of the Strategic Director of Place

Presented by the Planning Portfolio Holder

The Planning Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor T Saffell, seconded by Councillor K Merrie, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The draft Local Nature Recovery Strategy, referred to in paragraph 3.7 of the report, be approved to go out to public consultation.

Reason for decision: Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a new statutory duty placed on local government in England, as part of the Environment Act 2021. It requires local authorities to work together to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies across 48 areas in England.

Under the Environment Act 2021, Leicestershire County Council was appointed the ‘responsible authority’ for the development of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Leicestershire County Council requires each of the seven local authorities in Leicestershire to seek authority to go out to public consultation.

The report of the Strategic Director of Place

Presented by the Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder

The Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder presented the report.

The Chair supported the scheme as a contribution to regenerating Coalville.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor T Saffell, and

RESOLVED THAT:

1. The draft Coalville Conservation Area Local Development Order, at appendix 1, be endorsed for a 28-day period of public consultation.
2. The draft Coalville Frontage Improvement Scheme Design Guide, at appendix 2, be endorsed for a 28-day period of consultation.
3. Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business and Regeneration, for the consideration of any responses to consultation.
4. Authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Place, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Business and Regeneration, (subject to consideration of the consultation responses) to adopt the extension of the Coalville Conservation Area Local Development order for a period of one year expiring on 31 January 2026.

Reason for decision: To support the conclusion of the Coalville Frontage Improvement Scheme, by making it easier for property owners to undertake specified improvements the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 provides for the local planning authority

RESOLVED THAT:

By reason of special circumstance in that an additional item of business needs to be considered before the next meeting of the Local Plan Committee, the item entitled “Appointment of East Midlands Freeport Company Representative” be considered at this meeting as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B(4)(B) of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Infrastructure Portfolio Holder presented the report.

It was moved by Councillor K Merrie, seconded by Councillor R Blunt, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The function to make decisions on behalf of the Council as member of the East Midlands Freeport Company be delegated to the Chief Executive, once the Council has joined the company.

Reason for decision: Under the constitution it is a function of Cabinet to make decisions on behalf the Council as a ‘member’ of the company. The East Midlands Freeport Company requires a named individual to take part in those decisions and attend meetings as required.  Cabinet is, therefore, being asked to delegate that function to the Chief Executive.

The officers consider that the press and public should be excluded during consideration of the following items in accordance with Section 100(a) of the Local Government Act 1972 as publicity would be likely to result in disclosure of exempt or confidential information.  Members are reminded that they must have regard to the public interest test and must consider, for each item, whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption from disclosure outweighs the public interest in making the item available.

It was moved by Councillor R Blunt, seconded by Councillor T Gillard, and

RESOLVED THAT:

In pursuance of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the business to be transacted involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Reason for decision: To enable the consideration of exempt information.

The report of the Strategic Director of Place

Presented by the Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report.

A discussion was had.

It was moved by Councillor A Woodman, seconded by Councillor K Merrie, and

RESOLVED THAT:

The recommendation contained within the report be approved.

Reason for decision: Ownership of the land will allow it to be used to support the delivery of Council projects and services particularly those outlined in the District Wide Regeneration Framework. The decision to purchase land is a function of Cabinet.