Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Coalville

Contact: Democratic Services  01530 454512

Items
No. Item

67.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J Geary, P Purver and A C Saffell.

68.

Declaration of Interests

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'.

Minutes:

Councillor T Eynon declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 10 - Outcomes of the Planning Peer Challenge, as the Leicestershire County Councillor for Coalville North. 

69.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

The Chairman emphasised the need for trust in working together and the ability of power to destroy friendships and relationships.  He reiterated the responsibility of councillors and the authority as public servants.

 

The Chairman thanked all members who were attending his charity dinner on 6 April.

 

The Chairman announced that Dame Vera Lynn had reached 101 years old today.

70.

Leader's and Portfolio Holders' Announcements

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.

Minutes:

No announcements were made.

71.

Question and Answer Session

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.

Minutes:

There were no questions received.

72.

Questions from Councillors pdf icon PDF 36 KB

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.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor J Legrys put the following question to Councillor R D Bayliss:

 

Can I be informed when the Council last counted the number of rough sleepers residing in North West Leicestershire and what were the results please? 

 

Councillor R D Bayliss gave the following response:

 

“All Councils are required to carry out an annual estimate of rough sleeping within their district in keeping with the approved Government methodology.  The most recent count for North West Leicestershire related to the night of 7 November 2017 when a zero estimate was returned.  This return was based on local intelligence and consultation with local partner agencies who work with rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.  Neither the Council nor any of these agencies were aware of anyone sleeping rough in the district on that night.  The estimate was subsequently validated on 5th December 2017 by the national charity Homeless Link, as required by Government guidance”.

 

Councillor J Legrys stated that as a volunteer at Hermitage FM he was very aware of rough sleepers in Coalville who may not necessarily be counted.  As a supplementary question, he asked what advice was given to rough sleeper in the district and where were they accommodated.

 

Councillor R D Bayliss responded temporary bed and breakfast accommodation was arranged for any rough sleepers that were referred to the Council and subsequently the housing team would provide advice and signposting. He encouraged members to refer any rough sleepers to the Council.

 

Councillor T Eynon put the following question to Councillor A V Smith:

 

Boards at the entrance to the Nature Alive wildlife area behind the Aldi supermarket on Thornborough Road suggest that it is managed by this Council in association with the Leicestershire Wildlife Trust.

 

Which organisation is responsible for maintaining the boardwalk around the lake?

 

Which organisation is responsible for responding to and removing litter and fly-tipping on the site?

 

When can residents expect to see the site brought back up to standard?”

 

Councillor A V Smith gave the following response:

 

“The council owns the freehold of the site and is responsible for managing and maintaining the blue hatched area on the attached plan.

 

The boardwalk is the responsibility of the council and officers inspect this visually at least twice weekly and then this is supplemented by a monthly more rigorous assessment. All boardwalks are cleaned annually in the spring and officers have scheduled this work to take place before the end of May.

 

The council is responsible for the removal of litter within the blue hatched area. Litter collections are undertaken at least twice weekly and fly-tipping would be addressed through the normal council procedure. Most of the litter issues occur on the banks adjacent to the railway line to the east of the site on the map. These are difficult to access and are not the responsibility of the council, although officers cannot identify through land registry records who the owner is. The assumption is that the owner may  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

73.

Motions pdf icon PDF 57 KB

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor R Adams:

 

“This Council acknowledges Prime Minister Theresa May’s recognition of a nationalcrisis in housing, in her speech to the Royal Town Planning Institute conference earlier this month. The Council also notes with interest the comments by the (Tory) Chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Gary Porter, in response to the Prime Minister’s speech, saying that nothing will change unless more council houses are built.

 

This Council is intent on playing its part in tackling the national housing crisis to the fullest extent and pledges to do everything possible to close the gap in the amount of suitable social housing available in North West Leicestershire. We will -  

 

Commit our current £16 million borrowing headroom to fund an accelerated programme of new-build council housing

 

Utilize compulsory purchase powers to maximum effect to bring sites or properties that are in disrepair and empty houses back into use

 

Lobby Government to reform the Right to Buy, lift restrictions on the re-investment of the Council's £5 million housing Capital Receipts and relax HM Treasury rules on borrowing to fund new council house schemes so that in the future, Councils will be able to respond in a timely manner to identified local housing needs”.

 

Minutes:

Councillor R Adams moved the following motion: 

 

“This Council acknowledges Prime Minister Theresa May’s recognition of a national crisis in housing, in her speech to the Royal Town Planning Institute conference earlier this month. The Council also notes with interest the comments by the (Tory) Chairman of the Local Government Association, Sir Gary Porter, in response to the Prime Minister’s speech, saying that nothing will change unless more council houses are built.

 

This Council is intent on playing its part in tackling the national housing crisis to the fullest extent and pledges to do everything possible to close the gap in the amount of suitable social housing available in North West Leicestershire. We will -  

 

Commit our current £16 million borrowing headroom to fund an accelerated programme of new-build council housing

 

Utilize compulsory purchase powers to maximum effect to bring sites or properties that are in disrepair and empty houses back into use

 

Lobby Government to reform the Right to Buy, lift restrictions on the re-investment of the Council's £5 million housing Capital Receipts and relax HM Treasury rules on borrowing to fund new council house schemes so that in the future, Councils will be able to respond in a timely manner to identified local housing needs”.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor S Sheahan who stated that what really mattered was the housing crisis and what the Council could do for the 750 people on the waiting list.  It was proposed that the government be lobbied as the Right to Buy scheme was responsible for the net loss.  He added that the Labour group believed the Council could do a lot more. 

 

Councillor M B Wyatt expressed support for the Right to Buy scheme and providing people the opportunity to access the housing market.  He added that the Labour Party had not taken the opportunity to change the Right to Buy scheme.  He expressed his views on the previous condition of the housing stock and felt that the motion was highly hypocritical.  He applauded the Conservative group for retaining the housing stock. 

 

Councillor R D Bayliss moved the following amendment:

 

“This Council acknowledges Prime Minister Theresa May’s recognition of a national crisis in housing, in her speech to the Royal Town Planning Institute conference earlier this month. The Council also notes that the Chairman of the Local Government Association, Lord Porter, is a keen exponent of more council houses being built.

 

This Council is intent on playing its part in tackling the national housing crisis to the fullest extent and pledges to do everything possible to close the gap in the amount of suitable social housing available in North West Leicestershire. We have started building council homes for the first time in three decades and in this very month we will accept the first completions at Linford and Verdon Crescent, Coalville of the 24 homes in the first phase of our programme. A contract to build a further 24 council homes at Ashby Road, Coalville as part of our  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

74.

Petitions

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

Minutes:

No petitions were received.

75.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 132 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 27 February 2018.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2018.

 

Councillor R Adams sought to provide an update on the response to a question he raised at the previous meeting.  The Chairman reminded Councillor R Adams to confine his comments to the accuracy of the minutes only.

 

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

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 February 2018 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

76.

Outcomes of the Planning Peer Challenge pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Report of the Chief Executive.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive presented the report to members, setting out the recommendations and proposed actions following the Peer Challenge which had taken place in February.  She explained that the review had been requested following consultation with the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Labour group as a result of a number of issues that had been brought to her attention.  She stated that the Council was on a journey of continuous improvement, it was healthy to invite independent review, and a peer challenge provided that opportunity.  She added that the peer review team had interviewed a wide cross-section of people and the clear message from all parties was that the status quo was not sustainable. 

 

The Chief Executive highlighted that the peer review had recognised the good performance in achieving the house building target, the innovative work that was being undertaken with other Leicestershire authorities on the strategic growth plan and the fact that the Local Plan was in place. 

 

The Chief Executive outlined the key issues identified by the peer review team, including customer service, engagement and transparency, enhancing pre-application advice and supporting the development of neighbourhood plans.  There were also a number of recommendations regarding the quality of reports and minutes, the call-in procedure, and best practice dictated that the size of the Planning Committee should be reduced.

 

The Chief Executive mentioned how fortunate the Council was to have a Local Plan in place.  It was clear that the Local Plan needed to be better understood and the role of the Local Plan Advisory Committee was key to that and to the upcoming review of the Local Plan.  Members were asked to agree to the reform of the Advisory Committee to enable it to become a formal decision-making body and to increase the membership.  These changes would take effect from the Annual meeting of the Council in May.  

 

The Chief Executive stated that the observations made on behaviours and relationships required urgent attention required urgent attention, and if not addressed, would undermine the Council.  She added that the Planning Committee was the Council’s shop front to the community and the decisions made there affected the quality of life for residents.  She acknowledged that some of the report would make for difficult reading however she hoped that there would be cross-party support to make the required changes. 

 

The Chief Executive highlighted the proposal to develop and implement the action plan through a cross-party working group.  She referred to the recommendation set out in the additional papers along with the rationale for appointing to the working party. 

 

Councillor T J Pendleton moved the recommendations set out in the report and the additional papers. 

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor R Blunt who welcomed the report and urged members to support the recommendations.  He stated that the public would like the planning service to be improved. 

 

Councillor S Sheahan thanked the Chief Executive and all those who participated in the review process.  He asked why the report was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

77.

Council Delivery Plan 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 51 KB

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Leader

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor R Blunt presented the report to members, highlighting the targets under each of the Council’s priorities.

 

Councillor M B Wyatt expressed concerns as a member of the Planning Committee regarding the target of increasing the number of homes in Coalville by 950 in the next 3 years.  He felt that this could put members in a difficult position.

 

Councillor R Blunt clarified that consent had already been granted for the 950 homes referred to. 

 

Councillor D J Stevenson recounted his recent experience with a constituent who had had a replacement solid fuel heating system installed.  He urged members to see the system in action if they had the opportunity to do so. 

 

Councillor R Johnson welcomed the report however he commented that the photographs were all of Ashby de la Zouch rather than Coalville. 

 

It was moved by Councillor R Blunt, seconded by Councillor A V Smith and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

a)    The proposed Council Delivery Plan be approved.

 

The Chief Executive be authorised, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any final technical amendments to the plan prior to publication.

78.

Review of Street Trading Policy pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Report of the Strategic Director of Place

Presented by the Community Services Portfolio Holder

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor A V Smith presented the report to members, highlighting the amendments made to the draft policy following the consultation process which aimed to simplify processes and reduce bureaucracy.  She advised that the most significant change was the removal of the requirement to consult on applications to renew a licence where no complaints had been received.

 

Councillor T Eynon agreed that the proposals had been well discussed at the Licensing Committee and she felt all members were happy with the proposals. 

 

It was moved by Councillor A V Smith, seconded by Councillor N Smith and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

a)    The draft Street Trading Policy be approved

 

Authority be delegated to the Head of Service in consultation with the Portfolio Holder to approve changes to the Street Trading Policy.

79.

Gender Pay Gap Report 2018 pdf icon PDF 119 KB

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Leader

Minutes:

Councillor R Blunt presented the report to members, which was a new statutory requirement.  He explained that the report was based on data from March 2017 in accordance with the requirements.  He emphasised that gender pay was different to equal pay.  The report showed that the mean average pay for females was 5% lower and the median was 11% lower.  He stressed that the Council was not complacent about this issue and policies would be reviewed with the aim of reducing the pay gap in future years. 

 

Councillor J Bridges welcomed the report and urged members to take swift action on this issue.

 

Councillor S Sheahan welcomed the report and the commitment to develop an action plan.

 

Councillor T Eynon welcomed the report and the low gap compared with some neighbouring authorities.  She was particularly pleased that it was accepted that the ideal position was no gender pay gap.  She commented that the problem was undervaluing women in general. 

 

Councillor S McKendrick welcomed the report and the acceptance that the ideal position would be to have no pay gap.  In terms of future development and plans to monitor progress she would welcome a target for closing the gap.

 

It was moved by Councillor R Blunt, seconded by Councillor A V Smith and

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

The report be noted.

80.

Pay Policy Statement 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Leader

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor R Blunt presented the report to members, highlighting the decrease in the pay multiple ratio during the current year. 

 

Councillor N Clarke highlighted a point of accuracy relating to the average and the median.  He welcomed the reduction in the ratio. 

 

Councillor F Fenning welcomed the report however commented on the modern practice of part time contracts and the amount of hours the average family would have to work.  He encouraged a move to the true living wage and felt that the Council should lead the community in setting aspirational conditions for good employment. 

 

Councillor N J Rushton commented that the economy in the district was one of the fastest growing in the country and the Council had adopted the living wage.  He felt that it should be recognised that a 2% pay increase had also been accepted whilst Council Tax remained frozen.

 

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

 

RESOLVED THAT:

 

The Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2018/19 be approved.