Agenda and minutes

A minute’s silence was held in remembrance for the late former Councillors and Past Mayors of St Edmundsbury, Brian Bagnall, Robert Clifton-Brown and Honorary Freeman James Ronald Hartley.

The Mayor paid tribute to former Councillor and Past Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Terry Buckle, who had recently felt it was the right time to resign from the Council following ongoing health issues.

The Mayor then welcomed Councillor Andrew Smith to his first meeting of Council following his recent uncontested election to the Bardwell Ward.

(Councillor Andrew Speed joined the meeting during the consideration of this item.)

To receive announcements (if any) from the officer advising the Mayor (including apologies for absence)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Jeremy Farthing, Wayne Hailstone and Clive Springett.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary or local non pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when that item is reached and, when appropriate, to leave the meeting prior to discussion and voting on the item.

Declarations of interest are recorded under the item to which the declaration relates.

(Council Procedure Rules Section 6) Members of the public who live or work in the Borough are invited to put one question of not more than five minutes duration and the question must be limited to the business to be transacted at this meeting. A person who wishes to speak must register at least fifteen minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start.*

(Note: The maximum time to be set aside for this item is 30 minutes, but if all questions are dealt with sooner, or if there are no questions, the Council will proceed to the next business.

Each person may ask one question only. A total of five minutes will be allowed for the question to be put and answered. One further question will be allowed arising directly from the reply, provided that the original time limit of five minutes is not exceeded.

Written questions may be submitted by members of the public to the Service Manager (Legal) no later than 10.00 am on Friday 18 November 2016. The written notification should detail the full question to be asked at the meeting of the Council.)*

*For further information, see Public Information Sheet attached to this agenda.

No members of the public were in attendance.

Report No: COU/SE/16/019

The report contains an attachment “Contents of draft Norfolk and Suffolk Combined Authority Order”. This is not the Statutory Instrument but explains the content of the Statutory Instrument.

The actual Statutory Instrument which will be laid before Parliament by the Secretary of State, which creates the Combined Authority and sets out the legal functions, in legal terms, that will be devolved is still being finalised by Government lawyers.  It is anticipated that this will be available to circulate to Members on Tuesday 15 November 2016.

(Councillors Tony Brown, John Burns, Terry Clements, Beccy Hopfensperger, David Nettleton and Sarah Stamp declared local non-pecuniary interests as Members of Suffolk County Council and remained in the meeting for the consideration of this item.)

Council considered Report No: COU/SE/16/019, which presented the next steps required to establish a Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk. 

The Mayor advised Members that tabled before them were revised recommendations for consideration, the reasons for which would be explained by the Leader of the Council. 

The Leader explained that as a result of the decision by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council not to consent to being included in a draft Order to be laid before Parliament to create a Mayoral Combined Authority for Norfolk and Suffolk to implement the Norfolk and Suffolk Devolution Deal, it was strongly anticipated that the Government would take the Norfolk and Suffolk Devolution Deal ‘off the table’.  Consideration of the proposals set out in Report No: COU/SE/16/019 and its appendices, therefore no longer applied.

Accordingly, the tabled revised recommendations sought authorisation for the Leader and Chief Executive to seek a meeting with the Secretary of State to establish the Government’s intentions with regard to devolution and to seek an alternative devolution deal as soon as possible.

The Leader expressed his regret and disappointment that the deal that had been negotiated was now not going to happen, particularly as the challenges that faced local authorities still existed, as did the array of opportunities that could be delivered in West Suffolk. He believed that devolution and future deals were still in the Council’s strong interests and urged Members to support the set of revised recommendations, as tabled. 

During their debate and questions on the revised recommendations, Members formally acknowledged the work previously undertaken by the Leader and officers in negotiating the Norfolk and Suffolk Devolution Agreement.  However, it was recognised that subject to approval of the revised recommendations and the position of Central Government and the Secretary of State, a better deal for Suffolk (and West Suffolk in particular) could now potentially be achieved in any future negotiations.

On the motion of Councillor John Griffiths, seconded by Councillor Alaric Pugh, and duly carried it was,

RESOLVED:

That the Council agrees:

(1)     to reiterate the commitment, given at its June meeting, to Devolution as a means of delivering accelerated growth in the local and national economy and helping local people and places fulfil their potential;

(2)     to authorise the Leader and Chief Executive to:

(a)     seek an urgent meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss the Government’s intentions around devolution; and

(b)     work with the Government and local partners to agree an alternative devolution deal as soon as possible.

(3)     For further reports to be presented to the Authority, as appropriate, as the Devolution process progresses.