Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R Boam, J Bridges and A C Saffell.

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'.

Councillors T Eynon and S Sheahan declared a non pecuniary interest in item 12, High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council, as the proposed route went through land purchased by Leicestershire County Council.

Councillor J G Coxon declared a pecuniary interest in item 12, High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council, as the proposed route went through his land and close to his house.

Councillor R Ashman declared a non pecuniary interest in item 12, High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council, as an employee of a political party for which HS2 was party policy.

Councillor M B Wyatt declared a non pecuniary interest in item 10, Budget and Council Tax 2017/18, as an owner of two businesses in Coalville.

Councillor R Blunt declared a pecuniary interest in item 12, High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council, as the proposed route went through land owned by his family in Coleorton.

Councillor T J Pendleton declared a pecuniary interest in item 12, High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council, as his daughter owned a house in Measham which fell within the compensation zone.

Councillor S McKendrick declared a non pecuniary interest in item 10, Budget and Council Tax 2017/18, as a trustee of Moira Furnace.

The Chairman referred to the numerous events he had attended since the previous meeting of the Council and thanked the Deputy Chairman for his assistance.

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 Leader made reference to the Syrian refugee resettlement programme and informed the Council that in November 2016, 2 families had been welcomed to Castle Donington.  He praised the local community who had given the families a warm welcome.  He felt that this said a great deal about the fairness and kindness of this country.  He added that he had met the families personally and they had explained how grateful they were to the people of North West Leicestershire for making them so welcome.   He reported that the Council had agreed to receive a further two families a year as part of the wider scheme.  He wished the two families all the best for the future. 

The Leader provided an update on the progress of the appointment of the Chief Executive.  He reported that following the closing date a total of 31 applications had been received from a very strong field of candidates from a wide range of organisations.  He explained that 10 candidates would now progress to the next stage and following this a shortlist of candidates would be produced, all of whom would be appointable.  He advised that the Appointments Committee would interview the candidates and would make a recommendation to Council on 21 March.  He emphasised that the final decision on the appointment would be made by all members.

The Leader informed members of a recent incident which demonstrated the dedication and care of the housing management and central control teams.  A concerned neighbour had contacted central control about a tenant who had not been seen that day.  As the tenant had no next of kin, the central control operative contacted the housing officer who immediately visited the property.  After no one answered the door, the officers entered using the key safe to find the tenant collapsed on the floor in a distressed state.  The officers immediately contacted the emergency services and checked and cleared the tenant’s airways.  Without their selfless actions the tenant would not have made it to hospital.  The Leader stated that he would be formally writing to the central control operative to thank her for her contribution and he commended the housing officers for their actions.  He presented the housing officers with a staff award.

Councillor N Smith welcomed the announcement in respect of the Syrian refugees and felt that the programme was a real attribute for the Council.  He commented that it would be tremendously difficult to replace the Chief Executive.

Councillor T Gillard extended his congratulations and those of his Whitwick colleagues to the housing officers.  He commented that they cared passionately about their work and their actions did not surprise him.  He wished the 10 candidates in the recruitment campaign good look as they had a hard act to follow.

Councillor D Harrison expressed his pride for the people of Castle Donington who had opened their arms and hearts to people in need of help and support.

Councillor R Canny commented on the positive progress of the Syrian refugee children  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

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 Support 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 Support Services.

Councillor D Everitt put the following question to Councillor R Blunt:

“Since last year’s Cabinet meeting held on February 19^th 2016 there have been 11 Cabinet meetings.  At these meetings decisions are announced by the six Cabinet members. No meaningful debate takes place. 

During the same period of time there have only been 7 full Council meetings in which Councillors of all parties have the right to question and discuss councillor business on behalf of the electorate.

Does the Leader recognise the importance of constructive criticism or support when making decisions, and is he aware of how lack of meetings is perceived by interested observers, and how does this serve democracy?”

Councillor R Blunt gave the following response:

“The Local Government Act 1972 gives the Council discretion as to how many Council meetings it holds in any year. The number of Cabinet meetings is entirely at my discretion. In the interests of effective  administration  the dates of the Cabinet and Council meetings are set in advance to ensure that they are timed to fit in with the regular business of the Council e.g. the performance monitoring, the budget etc.  Other reports for decision are then added to these dates thus ensuring that meetings are not being held for meetings’ sake as I appreciate how busy members are and I know they would not thank me for arranging additional Cabinet meetings to discuss individual matters. Hence why we have an Executive Decision Notice which gives elected members and the public advance notice of all forthcoming reports for decision. These have been carefully timed to fit into the meetings timetable, thus ensuring effective and timely decision making. The Executive Decision Notice is included in the agenda papers for every meeting of the Policy Development Group and allows members to see the decisions which are planned over the forthcoming months. Members also have the ability to call in decisions made by Cabinet where they have evidence which suggests that the Cabinet did not take the decision in accordance with the decision making principles laid down in the Constitution. 

In terms of serving democracy, each Council meeting has provision to enable debate and every Cabinet and Council meeting provides for questions by members and the public. Advance notice is given of the deadlines for submitting motions and questions.  I do not see how spreading the business of the Council over more meetings, diluting the content of each meeting and calling on the services of elected members and officers more frequently would make the decision making process more efficient. I am therefore satisfied that in North West Leicestershire we serve democracy well and the number of Council and Cabinet meetings held each year is appropriate to the needs of the business of the Council.”

Councillor D Everitt stated that he was not happy with the answer to his question and felt it was not a good situation when scrutiny was limited.  He sought to make a speech.

The Chairman reminded Councillor D Everitt to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

To consider any motions on notice under procedure rule no. 12.

No motions were received.

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 8 November 2016

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2016.

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

RESOLVED THAT:

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 2016 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Report of the Interim Director of Resources

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to members, drawing their attention to the amended report in the additional papers.  He highlighted the changes to the underlined amounts in recommendations 20(1) to 20(3) of the report and the tables.  He emphasised that there was no overall impact upon the final Council Tax calculation. 

Councillor N J Rushton referred members to the draft General Fund and Special Expenses budget proposals at Appendix 1 which were considered by Cabinet on 7 February and were recommended to Council for approval.  He highlighted the summary of the proposed budget set out on page 33 of the agenda.  He stated that with discussions ongoing about the future of Business Rates and the pending reductions in New Homes Bonus and Revenue Support Grant, this was a prudent budget which held a necessarily high level of reserves due to the risks involved. 

Councillor N J Rushton was pleased to recommend a freeze in Council Tax for the eighth year running which equated to a saving over the 8 year period of £27 for a Band D property.  He added that North West Leicestershire was the only district council in Leicestershire which had frozen its Council Tax for 8 years. He announced that for 2017/18 town and parish councils would be given the same amount of Local Council Tax Support as the previous year, however this would be reduced in future years due to the phasing out of the Revenue Support Grant from central government.

Councillor N J Rushton referred members to section 3 of the report which provided details of the projected outturn for 2016/17 and explained the forecast under spend of £1.3 million which was mainly due to additional business rates and planning income arising from the unprecedented growth taking place in North West Leicestershire.  He advised that it was recommended to transfer the under spend to a special projects reserve.  He highlighted that both the end of year position and the projected budget for 2017/18 relied heavily upon business rates income and therefore in order to be prudent it was recommended to wait until the business rates were finalised in May before making any commitments as to how the under spend should be utilised.

Councillor N J Rushton highlighted the General Fund, Special Expenses and HRA Capital Programmes set out at Appendix 3, the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2017/18 and Prudential Indicators set out at Appendix 4, and the recommendations for setting the Council Tax at section 4 of the report.

Councillor N J Rushton noted the amendments submitted by the Labour Group.  He commented that the Activ8 scheme already provided for free swimming and he felt that the proposals to employ additional resource for the Policy Development Group and planning enforcement were a waste as the Council already employed a sufficient number of highly qualified people.  He added that the proposal to fund this from under spend was not the right thing to do before the end of the financial year.  He stated that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

Report of the Head of Legal and Support Services

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor T Gillard presented the report to members.

Councillor J Legrys proposed that in addition to the recommendations, Councillor S Sheahan replace Councillor F Fenning as a substitute on the Planning Committee.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor J Legrys and

RESOLVED THAT:

a)         The changes to the political    proportionality of the Council be noted;

b)         Councillor R Adams be appointed to the Labour seat left vacant on the             Appointments Committee with Councillor J Legrys being the substitute;

c)         Councillor S McKendrick be appointed to the seat currently allocated to       Councillor R Adams on the Audit & Governance Committee;

d)         Councillor D Everitt be appointed as   replacement Labour Group substitute             member on the Investigatory committee and Local Plan Advisory     Committee;

e)         Councillor S Sheahan be appointed as replacement Labour Group   substitute member on the Policy Development Group;

f)          No changes be made to the membership of the Electoral Review Working   Party, with the exception of Councillor F Fenning no longer being a Labour       group substitute;

g)         Councillor S Sheahan replace Councillor F Fenning as substitute member   on the Planning Committee.

Report of the Director of Services

Presented by the Regeneration and Planning Portfolio Holder

Having declared a pecuniary interest, Councillors R Blunt, J G Coxon and T J Pendleton left the meeting prior to consideration of the subsequent item and took no part in the discussion or voting thereon.

Councillor A V Smith presented the report to members on behalf of Councillor T J Pendleton.  She made reference to the current consultation on the proposed changes to the HS2 route in the district.  She reminded members that the Council had previously resolved the object to the route in 2014 on the basis that the district would be negatively impacted without any real gain.  She advised that it was now suggested that the Council should no longer object outright to the project, but instead offer qualified support recognising the significant economical potential generated by the HS2 project.  She outlined the potential benefits including better journey times allowing for much improved business and employment links between towns and cities, increased capacity on the existing network leading to improved train services, opportunities for more economic development, particularly around East Midlands Airport and opportunities to develop improved transport networks linked to HS2 hubs.  She emphasised however that concerns remained, which were set out clearly in the documents appended to the report.  She summarised the concerns as follows:

The logic of no longer proposing a tunnel under East Midlands Airport was acknowledged, however Kegworth would need to be compensated for the lack of recreation space and the delivery of the Kegworth bypass should not be put at risk.

The lack of a station in the district was disappointing and an opportunity had been missed to link closer to East Midlands Airport or the Parkway station.

The proposed route change to run the line to the east of Measham would have a severe detrimental impact upon the villages of Appleby, Measham and Packington and a route should be sought which protected important jobs within the district but avoided the negative impacts of the eastern route around Measham.

Councillor A V Smith commented that whatever route was eventually decided upon, HS2 was coming to the district and the Council had an important role to play in supporting communities and businesses affected by the proposals.  She reiterated the importance of making the most of the benefits that HS2 would bring to the district, but also ensuring that HS2 heard the voice of our communities.

Councillor S Sheahan proposed an amendment to the motion which was circulated at the meeting.  He stated that since the Council published its report a lot of people had written in and some of them were present at the meeting.  He added that much of what they had written was informative and well written.  He stated that the amendment sought to ensure the Council could give the strongest possible response to HS2.  He made reference to a piece of work which had been undertaken in respect of employment which he felt should be included and some figures released by Leicestershire County Council in respect of the number of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 52.

Report of the Interim Director of Resources

Presented by the Corporate Portfolio Holder

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to members.

It was moved by Councillor N J Rushton, seconded by Councillor M Specht and

RESOLVED THAT:

Council approves the opting in to the PSAA Framework for appointing external auditors in accordance with the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations.

Councillor D J Stevenson left the meeting at 8.32pm during the discussion on item 12 - High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council.  He returned to the meeting at 8.34pm. 

Councillor F Fenning left the meeting at 8.35pm during the debate on item 12 - High Speed Rail (HS2) Phase 2: Consultation in respect of proposed route from West Midlands to Leeds - response of North West Leicestershire District Council. He returned to the meeting at 8.37pm.