Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor C Benfield.

Members are reminded that any declaration of interest should be made having regard to the code of conduct.  In particular, members must make clear the nature of the interest and whether it is 'pecuniary' or ‘non pecuniary'.

Councillor J Geary declared a non-pecuniary interest as a trustee of the newly formed Snibston Heritage Trust.

Councillor J Legrys declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 11 – Budget and Council Tax 2020/21, as a Director and Volunteer at Hermitage FM.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

He advised Members that following discussions with officers, he had decided to cancel the Civic Dinner. The decision had come following the loss of the main sponsor and he felt that due to other pressures on the budget it was not the right time to press ahead with such a big event. He hoped that a charity event may be held in the coming months if not it would roll over to the next civic year.

Members are reminded that under paragraph 11.1 of part 4 of the Constitution, questions can be asked of the Leader and Cabinet Members without notice about any matter contained in any address.  Questions shall be limited to five minutes in total for each announcement.

The Chairman invited the Leader and Portfolio Holders to make any announcements.

Councillor R Blunt made the following announcements.

He began by supporting the Chairman’s decision to cancel the Civic dinner and agreed that it was not right for the event to be subsidised by the ratepayer.

“Storm Dennis

Last weekend, our staff were once again out assisting people in our district as the country was hit by another storm.

Our housing, parks, waste staff were joined by many other on call staff to check on people and vulnerable areas and respond to reports of incidents.

We received 65 calls about the storm including flooding and wind damage. We provided sandbags across the district, concentrating on particularly badly affected areas including Measham where there was significant flooding from the River Mease.

Our sheltered accommodation at Hood Court was flooded, with the water affecting mainly communal corridors and a handful of flats. Six residents, whose flats had flood damage, were evacuated. Repairs to the flooded areas have already begun and evacuated residents will be able to return to their homes as soon as possible.

With the help of the Local Resilience Forum, we also arranged for overnight accommodation for one family from Appleby Magna, whose home had been flooded. Thank you to those staff who worked very hard over the weekend to help those who were affected by the storm, and also to members who I know were very active in their communities.

Development corporation

Last week Cabinet agreed to support the work of the Midlands Engine exploring the establishment of a Development Corporation, which would provide an opportunity to boost development, jobs and infrastructure across the East Midlands - in particular in the north of our district and across the border into Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

If it is established, one of the three sites that the development corporation would look at is East Midlands Airport, the rail freight interchange and the Segro site, which is hugely important for our district in terms of jobs and connectivity. The development corporation would attract significant investment and raise the profile of the East Midlands, addressing some of the historic under-funding this region has experienced.

It is important that this council is involved in the work from the very start to make sure we have a place at the table and we are able to advocate for our district. We will be establishing a cross member-working group to make sure you are kept informed and involved as this important project progresses.

Snibston

Whilst it is not a North West Leicestershire project, I would like to mention the start of work at the Snibston Colliery site. This county council project ties in keenly with our own regeneration work in Coalville, and it’s been great to see the community pull together to support the plans for a new country park, café, heritage trail and green infrastructure.

The plans also include reopening the original colliery gates for access. It gives me an enormous amount of pride  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

To receive questions from members of the public under procedure rule no.10.  The procedure rule provides that members of the public may ask members of the Cabinet any question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District, provided that three clear days’ notice in writing has been given to the Head of Legal and Commercial Services.

There were no questions received.

To receive members’ questions under procedure rule no.11.  The procedure rule provides that any member may ask the Chairman of a board or group any question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the District, provided that three clear days’ notice in writing has been given to the Head of Legal and Commercial Services.

One question had been received.

The Chairman invited Councillor J Legrys to ask his question addressed to Councillor R D Bayliss.

“Following announcements that the current Coalville Market site will close; as will its public toilet facilities. This also follows the announcement that the current private toilet facilities within the Coop Supermarket will also be closed.

I have been contacted by Ward residents seeking clarification of future NWLDC Public Toilet facilities within Coalville Town Centre. The lack of clarity has caused distress for elderly, disabled and people with responsibilities for children and adult care.

Can I please be informed of what public toilet facilities will NWLDC provide on closure of the current market site?”

The Chairman invited Councillor R D Bayliss to respond.

“We are currently considering the range of options available for the Market Hall building once the market has relocated to its new home on Marlborough Square, and this process will include evaluating all of the options available regarding public toilets.  As part of this process one of the constraints on future use will be the extensive repairs required to the existing market hall roof to make it fully watertight again, which have been estimated to exceed £240,000 to complete.  Prior to any final decision being made we will consult on the options and a report will be brought before the Corporate Scrutiny Committee prior to consideration at Cabinet, to allow members to input into this process.”

The Chairman invited Councillor J Legrys to ask a supplementary question.

Councillor J Legrys supplementary question was that a press release was made to keep the residents informed of the future of the toilets and could the Portfolio provide an amount of how much had been spent in the past on relocating the toilets.

Councillor R Bayliss advised that a press release would be issued and that the figure will be provided outside of the meeting.

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor A Woodman:

That the Council adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism which is as follows:-

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Councillor A Woodman moved the motion as set out on the agenda and presented it to Members.

He noted that the motion had been adopted by hundreds of Local Authorities and by all major political parties. He stated that it was depressing that after seventy five years it was still an issue and that reports of Anti-sematic incidents in the first six months of 2019 were up 10% on the same period in 2018 which was very worrying that the trend. He informed Members that the Council needed to take stand against all discrimination and signal that it would not tolerate any hatred and reflect it by including in the Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy.

Councillor R D Bayliss seconded the motion and reserved his right to comment.

The Chairman welcomed comments from the floor.

Councillor T Eynon thanked Councillor A Woodman for bringing forward the motion and noted that it had been accepted by LCC. She stated that as chair of the Equality and Access Group she was pleased that there was cross party support and was glad that Councillor A Woodman mentioned that the strategy would be updated. She advised that the statement was consistent with the strategy and made clear that all discrimination was the perception of the person being discriminated against. She advised all Members to read strategy, and once updated it would hopefully be brought to Full Council to look at the action plan.

Councillor M Wyatt stated that the Liberal Democrat group was 100% in support of the motion, which was appreciated not just by Jewish community but also supported by the non-members of the Jewish community.

Councillor R Blunt stated that he was pleased that other parties supported the motion. He noted that all present in the room were good fair decent people and that the world that they lived in was a good fair decent world and it was frightening how quickly it changed. It was timely to bring forward and hoped it was unanimous

Councillor N Smith urged Members to visit the museum in Nottinghamshire, as it would bring home the reality of the Holocaust better than talking about it.

Councillor R D Bayliss stated that he found it depressing that after liberation the Council had to consider motion before them. He found the resurgence a peculiar mind-set, which was morally dangerous and therefore the motion must be supported

Councillor A Woodman thanked all Members for the support and that he was happy to discuss bringing the strategy to Full Council with officers.

The Chairman then put the following motion to the vote. It was

RESOLVED:

‘That the Council adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism which is as follows:-

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”’

To receive petitions in accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme. 

No petitions were received.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 19 November 2019

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2019.

It was moved by Councillor J Bridges, seconded by Councillor V Richichi and

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2020 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor R Ashman presented the report to Members.

He advised Members that following on from comments of Councillors to the LGA peer review, it was recommended that a review of the allowances be carried out. He highlighted that the panel had met twice to consider requests to look at both the basic and SRAs, and that the panel had given consideration to detailed benchmarking information in making their decisions. The panel thanked those members who expressed interest to attend the meetings but to eliminate any sense of bias it was felt that the panel meetings should remain independent. He stated that the authority had a legal duty to publish a press notice of the findings and recommendations, and that it was proposed that the changes to the scheme would take effect from Tuesday, 12 May 2020.

Councillor D Harrison stated that he supported the recommendations was happy to second them. He acknowledged that the backbench work had been reduced but was not aware of any issues that had been raised by colleagues. He thanked the panel for their work, as it was not an easy role to fulfil.

It was moved by Councillor R Ashman, seconded by Councillor D Harrison and

RESOLVED THAT

The Members’ Allowance Scheme be amended to take effect from Annual Council on 12 May 2020 (when the appointments to committees are agreed) as follows:

1.    The basic allowance to be increased for all Members to £5,027.10 per annum;

2.    The special responsibility allowance in respect of the Planning Chairman to be increased from  a multiple of 1.3 to 1.5;

3.    The special responsibility allowances in respect of the Chairmen of Audit & Governance, Licensing, Local Plan & the Scrutiny Committees to be reduced from a multiple of 1.3 to 0.5; on the understanding that Scrutiny would be revisited once any changes following the recommendations of the peer review had been embedded.

Report of the Head of Finance

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to Members.

He advised that recommendation 17 was no longer required approval following the approval of the last item and due to the Local Government Finance Settlement being decided. He informed Members of the changes to the budget consultation that had been introduced for 2020 which included early engagement with the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and enhanced public consultation.

In relation to the General Fund, he highlighted that the budget would deliver a surplus for of £630k and that it was proposed to freeze District Council Tax for the 11^th consecutive year. He noted that the budget for business rates income had seen a significant increase as a result of business growth and that additional Council Tax had been budgeted for due to an increase of 2.5% in the council tax base as a result of forecast growth in the district.

Councillor N J Rushton stated that there was a specific recommendation included around increasing special expenses for the first time in 10 years, to cover the cost of managing services in these areas and outlined capital projects that would benefit from £23m that had been budgeted for.

In relation to the HRA budget, he noted that it was proposed to increase Council House Rents by 2.7% in line with the Government’s national rent increase formula and that the budget summary showed a surplus of £2.8m. 

Councillor N J Rushton moved the recommendations as set out in the report with the exception of number 17, which had been removed. The motion was seconded by Councillor R Blunt who reserved his comments.

The Chairman referred to the amendments to the motion, which had been circulated in the additional papers. He invited Councillor S Sheahan to put forward his amendment.

Councillor S Sheahan moved the amendment to the budget. He stated that the Labour group wanted to give the creative industries a boost and support aspiring artists to get new workshop spaces by researching empty units that were available and could be utilised for that purpose. It was also proposed to support public art festivals through grants. In relation to Customer Service standards, he acknowledged that they had improved but felt that there was still a long way to go. Therefore, it was proposed to earmark £200k to invest in technology and staff. He stated that provision had been made for a Social Needs Support Worker, which would support the Council’s commitment to supporting victims of domestic abuse. He informed Members that it was proposed to put forward £20k towards improving air quality and a 1.7% increase in Council Tax, which would help to pay for many of the projects that had been detailed. The increase would also help to balance out the deficit in future years.

In relation to HRA he felt that switching Council properties over to a ‘Not for Profit’ supplier for energy was an excellent idea and it would not cost the authority a lot to do so. He put forward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.

Report of the Head of Finance

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to Members.

He advised that it was a strategy requirement introduced for Councils in 2019 and that it set out how the Council would support local public services by lending to them or buying shares in them. He highlighted that approved limits had been set to limit the amount that the Council could lend and that the limits had been designed with reference to potential investment areas in 2019/20.

He added that the strategy also set out the Council’s commercial property investments, its current portfolio and reliance on the income stream.

It was moved by Councillor N J Rushton, seconded by Councillor R Ashman and

RESOLVED THAT:

The Investment Strategy – Service and Commercial 2020/21 be approved.

Report of the Head of Finance

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to Members.

He advised that the report asked Council to approve the statement for 2020/2, which complied with all the statutory, regulatory and professional requirements. He noted that the strategy was concerned with how the Council invested it surplus cash and set out how the Council could choose to invest.

He informed Members that the investments would be one of the ways that the savings would be delivered under the Journey to Self Sufficiency Programme. He highlighted the table that projected the Council’s treasury position to 2025 aligned with the Council’s budgets and medium term financial plan and that the Council had a borrowing need identified in 2022/23 of £5.5m, which would be monitored by the Head of Finance.

Councillor J Legrys stated the he had every faith in the team but sought clarification that due diligence was being given to the loans provided to other partners and what would the authority do if they could not be repaid. 

The Head of Finance advised when lending to other local authority partners the loan is underwritten by Council Tax and NNDR in that area so there is risk in the timing of the recovery of the loan but not in the redemption of it.

Councillor N J Rushton took the opportunity to thank the Head of Finance and the Finance team for the all the hard work that they put in, adding that the Head of Finance was an asset to the Council.

It was moved by Councillor N J Rushton, seconded by Councillor R Ashman and

RESOLVED THAT:

The Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2020/21, Treasury Management Prudential Indicators – revised 2019/20 and 2020/21 to 2022/23 and the Annual Minimum Revenue Provision Statement be approved.

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor R Ashman presented the report to Members.

He advised that it was a statutory requirement to calculate, report and publish the percentage differences in pay between male and female employees in the Councils workforce, otherwise known as the “Gender Pay Gap”.

He informed Members that the report was based on data from March 2019 in accordance with the requirements and that it was important to note that Gender pay was different to Equal Pay. He noted that all of the jobs were graded according to job evaluation and whatever job people do the pay band was the same, regardless of the gender of the employee.

He highlighted that the Gender pay measures the difference between men and women’s’ average earnings across the organisation and the Council’s gender pay gap shows that the females mean hourly rate was 1.45% lower than males, and the median hourly rate is 3.2% lower than males. He added that the gap had reduced from the previous year when the respective rates were 1.91% and 4.44%.

He was pleased to report a narrowing of the gender pay gap again that year and that a review of all Human resources policies and the support that was provided to encourage females at all levels to develop their careers with authority was being reviewed to help move to a position where there was no pay gap.

Councillor C Sewell advised that the Labour group fully supported the report and were committed to reduce the gender pay gap. She noted that there was a lot of lower paid females and felt that it required more work and support.

Councillor R Ashman welcomed the support and advised that there was a lot of important challenges in the gender gap and a great deal of work still to do. He felt that cross Council support would help to get to zero.

It was moved by Councillor R Ashman, seconded by Councillor G Hoult and

RESOLVED THAT:

The report be noted.

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor R Ashman presented the report to Members.

He advised Members that it was a statutory requirement to advise Council annually of the pay and benefit arrangements for the Senior Officers of the Council and highlighted the following changes that applied to the report:-

• There have been two changes to the senior management team during the year with the appointment of a new Strategic Director, and a Joint Strategic Planning Manager.

·         The Council adopted the “voluntary” Living Wage some years ago in April 2014, which raised the minimum pay rates for the Council’s lowest paid employees. The Council adopted the revised rate of £9.30 per hour when the rate was revised in November 2019.

·         The cost of living settlement which would normally apply from April 1^st had not yet been agreed. The settlement was agreed at national level in negotiations between the trade unions and national employers. An offer of 2% made by the Local Government employers was rejected by the trade unions, so the negotiations were continuing.

·         The ratio between the highest paid officer and the median average pay decreased slightly, from a factor of 5.16 to 5.05.

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

RESOLVED THAT:

The Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2020/21, as attached at appendix 1 of the report be approved.

Councillor D Tebbutt entered the meeting at 18.42pm