Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor D Tebbutt.

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 C Benfield declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 10.2 – Motions, as the Vice Chairman of the campaign to re-open the Ivanhoe Line.

Councillor D Bigby declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 10.2 – Motions, as a supporting member of the campaign to re-open the Ivanhoe Line.

Councillor T Eynon declared non-pecuniary interests in item 10.2 – Motions, as a supporting member of the campaign to re-open the Ivanhoe Line and item 14 - Appointment of Representatives on Community Bodies, as an LCC appointed member to the Bardon Quarry Liaison Committee.

Councillor J Geary declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 10.1 – Motions, as a qualified pyro-technician with experience in fireworks and firework displays.

Councillor S Sheahan declared non-pecuniary interests in item 10.2 – Motions, as a member of Leicestershire County Council, and item 14 – Appointment of Representatives on Community Bodies, as an LCC appointed member to the Redbank Liaison Committee and the New Albion Liaison Committee.

To appoint the Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

Councillor J Bridges said a few words regarding his year as Chairman, noting that it had been a very strange year, especially the past few months. He took the opportunity to thank all staff for their support, with a special mention to the Democratic Services Team who had guided him through his term of office. He offered a special thank you to Councillor V Richichi for all his support and due to the Chairman’s work commitments, stepping in at the last minute to cover many engagements. He noted that Councillor V Richichi had gone above and beyond the call of duty. Councillor J Bridges then took the opportunity to thank all the residents of North West Leicestershire who had come together as a community during the unprecedented situation and added that if the district continued to pull together everyone would get through the times ahead.

Nominations were sought for the Chairman for the ensuing municipal year.

It was moved by Councillor R Bluntthat Councillor V Richichi be appointed as Chairman of the Council for 2020/21.

The motion was seconded by Councillor R Ashman.

Upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED THAT:

Councillor V Richichi be appointed Chairman of the Council for 2020/21.

Councillor VRichichi then took the Chair.

To appoint the Deputy Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

It was moved by Councillor R Blunt that Councillor J Houltbe appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Council for 2020/21.

The motion was seconded by Councillor R Ashman and

Upon being put to the vote it was subsequently

RESOLVED THAT:

Councillor J Hoult be appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Council for 2020/21.

Councillor J Hoult stated that he was very proud to be elected Deputy Chairman and he would carry out the role as best he could.

To appoint the Leader of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard that Councillor R Bluntbe appointed as Leader of the Council for 2020/21.

The motion was seconded by Councillor K Merrie and

Upon being put to the vote it was subsequently

RESOLVED THAT:

Councillor R Blunt be appointed as the Leader of the Council for 2020/21.

Councillor R Blunt thanked Members for electing him to the role, which he took incredibly seriously and stated that there was a huge amount of work to be done. He pledged that he would do his very best for the people of North West Leicestershire.

The Chairman took the opportunity to thank Councillor J Bridges for his kind words and stated that he had enjoyed every minute when supporting him. He thanked Members for appointing him as Chairman for the second time, which was a great pleasure. He noted that he would no longer be chairing the Audit & Governance Committee, which he was disappointed to be stepping away from. He highlighted the dedication of the Finance Team and all of the extra work that they had carried out over the past months to keep the Council going.

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 of the Council, Councillor R Blunt announced the appointments and delegations of executive functions for the forthcoming municipal year as follows:

Leader – Councillor Richard Blunt

Deputy Leader and Planning and Infrastructure Portfolio – Councillor Robert Ashman

Community Services Portfolio – Councillor Andrew Woodman

Corporate Portfolio – Councillor Nick Rushton

Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio – Councillor Roger Bayliss

Business and Regeneration Portfolio holder – Councillor Tony Gillard

As in previous years, the Executive responsibilities were to be delegated to the Cabinet to take decisions collectively.

He advised that in March he had taken the decision to delegate powers to Portfolio Holders to make individual urgent decisions during the COVID-19 period that allowed the Council to function and that, now the Council was in the recovery phase, the powers would be revoked with immediate effect.

He stated that the past twelve weeks had been unprecedented and he was extremely proud of the way the Council had responded to the situation. He highlighted that a number of services had been delivered remotely, critical help provided where needed and new services, such as the community hubs had been introduced. He noted that the Council had worked with volunteers to help provide support to the most vulnerable and those actions had helped many people to deal with self-isolation. He recognised further help the Council had provided such as support to individuals from entering financial hardship, insuring homes for those in need and working in partnership with colleagues across the County.

He informed Members that the community support network had help co-ordinate more than 500 volunteers and many amazing acts of kindness had been shown. He acknowledged the real community spirit that had not been seen in this lifetime and that many had risen to the challenge across the district, and plans were being put in place to recognise many of those local heroes.

He thanked staff and councillors for their dedication and hard work. He advised that 95% of the Government business grant had been delivered so far and that 250 applications had been received in relation to the discretionary grant scheme. He noted that there was still lots more to be done in relation to economic uncertainty but the Council was determined to play a key role in revitalising the local economy.

Councillor R Blunt acknowledged the loss of members of the community, with many families mourning their lost ones, and that it would take time for communities to recover. He advised that the Council would be there to support were it could.

Looking forward, he stated that the Council would need to focus on support to the economy and communities as they recovered from the past three months and that it would be a difficult road ahead. He advised the authority’s regeneration plans remained key in supporting the high streets to grow again and it would work closer with businesses. He informed Members that the business case for the Future High Streets Fund bid had been submitted the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

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.

Two questions had been received.

The Chairman invited Councillor R Johnson to ask his question addressed to Councillor R Ashman.

“Could the Portfolio holder for Planning and Infrastructure please tell me how many housing developments in my ward of Hugglescote St. Johns and Donington le Heath, have wheel washing facilities on their sites that are being used to clean HGV'S wheel before leaving their sites onto the highway.

As this is a recognised condition on all planning permissions.”

The Chairman invited Councillor R Ashman to respond.

“The following development sites either under construction or with planning permission are subject to conditions requiring the provision of wheel washing facilities:

South East Coalville Consortium site (Bloor Homes, Davidsons Group, Harworth Estates and SECP Ltd)

Wainwright Road (Davidsons / David Wilson Homes)

Lower Bardon site (Davidsons)

Land South of Grange Road (Taylor Wimpey)

115 Station Road (Lychgate Homes)

The Green, Donington Le Heath (Williams Builders)

I can confirm that not all planning permissions are subject to a condition requiring the provision of wheel washing facilities. These conditions will only generally be attached where the County Highway Authority has requested them and they only tend to do so on the larger development schemes.

If wheel washing facilities have not been provided on any of the sites I have mentioned, this could be the subject of an investigation by the Council’s Planning Enforcement scheme.”

The Chairman invited Councillor R Johnson to ask a supplementary question.

He thanked Councillor Ashman for his response and asked:

“The list you have supplied may have this condition in their planning permissions but are they used or never been used.

Davidsons on the former Louella farm site with some encouragement from me have a bowser on site.

The Harworth Estates civil engineers, Newline openly admitted in not having any facilities on site but with encouragement from me through their agent have complied.

Wainwright Road Davidsons have none on site.

Taylor Wimpey have never had wheel washing facilities on site.

115 Station Road is on a call in, so nothing happening there.

The Green have no wheel washing facilities on site.

And finally, the important one you missed out was the Barratts/DWH Grange Road who have no wheel facilities.

When this planning authority gives permissions for development, We expect a duty of care from these house builders to do their part in having wheel washing facilities at hand within the working site hours to stop mud and stones going onto our roads and blocking gullies.

There have been numerous times I have had to call both LCC Highways and our own planning enforcement team to intercede, to encourage developers to comply with their duty of care

What can be done Councillor Ashman, as you see, it in protecting the Council tax payer in my community from uncaring developers.”

Councillor R Ashman noted that not all sites were covered in the response and that if sites were not following conditions then the issues needed to be raised to the relevant department  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

1)  To consider the following motion received from Councillor M B Wyatt:

REDUCING ACOUSTIC STRESS FROM FIREWORKS

This Council notes:

·         That firework displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations.

·         The rising number of complaints about all year round noise nuisance from fireworks.

·         The impact loud bangs have on some people with mental ill health, some people who are anxious about loud noises, some people with a disability for whom loud noises can be extremely disturbing and those people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

·         The distress suffered by many household pets and wild animals because of the use of fireworks.

·         Increasing public health concerns surrounding the use of fireworks.

This Council believes that everyone has a right to enjoy firework displays. This Council also believes that this should not be at the expense of the amenity of others and notes the work done by the people of Collecchio in the province of Parma in Italy to introduce legislation to reduce acoustic stress.

This Council believes that with the increasing availability of quieter fireworks which can create “quieter” or “low noise” or “silent” displays which reduce the noise nuisance and impact on others, it is time for the Council to investigate the creation of more peaceful firework displays that can be enjoyed by all.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1.    To require all public firework displays within the local authority boundaries on council owned land to be advertised in advance of the event, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals and vulnerable people.

2.    To actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare and vulnerable people – including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks.

3.    To investigate whether quieter or low noise fireworks could be used at council events as an alternative to the existing fireworks provision.        

2)  To consider the following motion received from Councillor S Sheahan:

“In the wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic and stark predictions of an economic downturn in the District the likes of which have not been seen since the 1980's, this Council resolves to - 

Recognise the importance of the Ivanhoe Line in the Council's regeneration strategy, and the key role it could play in attracting sustained investment into our District,

Closely align proposals for the restoration of the Ivanhoe Line with the wider environmental agenda, including climate change, air quality and road congestion,

Form a working partnership with the County Council and other interested parties, including CRIL, with a clear remit to take all practical steps available, including supporting necessary feasibility studies, to move the project forward,

Ensure that the Council's commitment to the Ivanhoe Line is reflected in all relevant strategic plans, including the local plan.”

Councillor M B Wyatt moved the motion as set out in the agenda and presented it to Members. He advised that he had brought the motion forward due to the number of residents that had expressed both their anger and annoyance at the noise level from the firework displays, which affected both residents with disabilities and animals. He noted that many enjoyed firework displays, but due to the adverse effect that it they had, the loud noises should no longer be part of them. He urged Members to support the motion.

Councillor A Woodman seconded the motion. He thanked Councillor M B Wyatt for putting forward the motion and remembered when fireworks were restricted to Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve, which would allow pet owners to prepare for the disruption. He noted that it had become the norm for fireworks to be set off at random times of the year. He highlighted the numbers of cats and dogs that showed distress on hearing fireworks and the significant proportion of the residents of the United Kingdom that were diagnosed with autism. He stated, that with the facts in mind, it was sensible for the Council to look at ways it could mitigate the stress caused by the noise whilst maintaining the spectacle to be enjoyed. He believed that the Council could use its social media channels to promote the outcome of the motion and was happy to work with officers to set an example moving forward.

Councillor S Sheahan stated that there was nothing really to disagree with and that the Labour Group would be supporting the motion.

Councillor M Hay stated that, as someone who used to work as a pyro-technic, when a debate on the subject took place there were those that were affected in a negative way and as a former pet owner, whose cats were affected he empathised with the problem. He noted that one of the common themes when the subject came up was who the fireworks where in the hands of and that organised events were always deemed far safer and where held at appropriate times. He highlighted that the calls for restrictions on fireworks were more aimed at members of the public setting them off at random times. He expressed concerns at  the direction the motion was aimed, more at professional displays, than the nub of the matter, which was the general sale of the devices. He advised that there was no reason not to support the motion and asked that any public awareness campaign was well researched and fact based.

Councillor M B Wyatt thanked Members for their contribution and looked forward to future reports on the issue.

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

RESOLVED THAT:

This Council notes:

·         That firework displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations.

·         The rising number of complaints about all year round noise nuisance from fireworks

·         The impact loud bangs have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

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 25 February 2020

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2020.

The Chairman advised that he was aware that Councillor S Sheahan had been liaising with Democratic Services in relation to some minor amendments to the minutes and that both parties were happy with the revised wording.

It was moved by Councillor V Richichi, seconded by Councillor J Hoult and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

Subject to the amendments agreed by Councillor S Sheahan, the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2020 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Legal and Commercial Services

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor T Gillard presented the report to Members

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor N Smith and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

a)    The appointments to the Committees and Groups as set out in the additional papers be agreed.

b)    The Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Committees and Groups as set out in the additional papers be agreed.

Report of the Head of Legal and Commercial Services

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor T Gillard presented the report to Members

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor N Smith and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

Representatives be appointed to serve on the community bodies as set out in the additional papers.

Report of the Head of Legal and Commercial Services

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor T Gillard presented the report to Members

It was moved by Councillor T Gillard, seconded by Councillor J Hoult and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

The schedule of meetings for 2020/21 be approved.

Report of the Head of Legal and Commercial Services

Presented by the Deputy Leader

Councillor N J Rushton presented the report to Members

It was moved by Councillor N J Rushton, seconded by Councillor R Blunt and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

The term of office of the Independent Persons be extended to the end of the 2020-2021 Municipal year.

Report of the Chief Executive

Presented by the Leader

Councillor R Blunt presented the report to Members

He highlighted the special urgency procedure as set out in the Constitution and the decision that was made to delegate the powers to individual portfolio holders. He reminded Members that the power to make individual decisions had now been revoked.

It was moved by Councillor R Blunt, seconded by Councillor S Sheahan and by affirmation of the meeting it was

RESOLVED THAT:

The report be noted.