Agenda and minutes
Venue: Conference Chamber, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU
Contact: Claire Skoyles
Email: claire.skoyles@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Items
No. |
Item |
278. |
Prayers
Minutes:
The Mayor’s Chaplain, the Venerable Dr
David Jenkins, Archdeacon of Sudbury, opened the meeting with
prayers.
|
279. |
Remembrance
Minutes:
A minute’s silence was held in
remembrance of Sophie Claydon, West Suffolk’s HR Business
Support colleague, who had sadly died in August 2017.
|
280. |
Minutes PDF 213 KB
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on
13 June 2017 (copy attached).
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting held on 13 June
2017 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Deputy
Mayor.
|
281. |
Mayor's announcements
Minutes:
The Deputy Mayor referred to the number of
civic engagements and charity activities which the Mayor and
Mayoress had attended since the last
ordinary meeting of Council on 13 June 2017.
She explained that the Mayor would report on
any engagements and activities that he had attended and would
specifically like to draw attention to at the next ordinary meeting
of Council on 19 December 2017.
|
282. |
Apologies for Absence
To receive announcements (if any) from the
officer advising the Mayor (including apologies for absence)
Minutes:
Apologies for absence were received from
Councillors Sarah Broughton, Terry Clements (Mayor), Bob Cockle,
Paul Hopfensperger, Clive Pollington, Frank Warby and Patsy
Warby.
|
283. |
Declarations of Interests
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.
Minutes:
Members’ declarations of interest are
recorded under the item to which the declaration relates.
|
284. |
Leader's Statement PDF 183 KB
Paper No: COU/SE/17/012
(Council Procedure Rules 8.1
– 8.3) Members may ask the
Leader questions on the content of both his introductory remarks
and the written statement itself.
A total of 30 minutes will be allowed for
questions and responses. There will be a limit of five minutes for
each question to be asked and answered. A supplementary question
arising from the reply may be asked so long as the five minute
limit is not exceeded.
Minutes:
Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the
Council, presented his statement as contained in Report No:
COU/SE/17/012.
Councillor Griffiths particularly drew
attention to the opening of the Eastern Relief Road on Monday 25
September 2017, which in partnership with Suffolk County Council
and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership would help support
the delivery of homes, jobs, leisure and education facilities. He
paid tribute to Councillors and staff for the work undertaken to
make this happen.
In addition, Councillor Griffiths
encouraged Members to attend the West
Suffolk Business Festival, which, now
in its seventh year, commenced from week beginning 2 October
2017. The Festival was the largest in
the eastern region and encompassed a vast range of businesses and
organisations from across West Suffolk.
No questions were asked; however, Councillor
Julia Wakelam wished to draw Members’ attention to the first
Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival which was being held between 25
and 29 October 2017. Some Members had
supported it’s organisation with funding from their locality
budgets and all were welcome to attend.
|
285. |
Public Participation
(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.
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 (Democratic Services) no
later than 10.00 am on Monday 25 September 2017. 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.
Minutes:
There were no members of the public in
attendance.
|
286. |
Referrals report of recommendations from Cabinet
Due to the expected extensive length of time
required to consider Item 8 on this Council agenda, the following
referrals from Cabinet, as recommended at its meetings on 27 June
and 19 September 2017, will be considered
by Council at its extraordinary meeting arranged for 17 October
2017:
(A) Referrals from
Cabinet: 27 June 2017
|
1.
|
West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy
Statement 2017/2018
|
|
Portfolio
Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder
|
(B) Referrals from
Cabinet: 19 September 2017
|
1.
|
Annual Treasury Management
Report 2016/2017 and Investment Activity: 1 April to 30 June
2017
|
|
Portfolio
Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder
|
Council is requested to NOTE
this position.
Minutes:
Council received and noted a narrative item,
which explained that the referrals emanating from the Cabinet
meetings on 27 June and 19 September 2017 would be considered at
its extraordinary meeting on 17 October 2017.
|
287. |
A Single Council for West Suffolk: Business Case PDF 217 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Council considered Report No: COU/SE/17/013,
which sought approval for the business case for establishing a new
single district-level council for West Suffolk.
On 13 June 2017, Council considered
draft proposals to form a single Council for West
Suffolk. Following agreement of the
draft proposals, a period of public engagement had been undertaken
which had begun with the announcement of the proposals in May 2017
and ended on 31 August 2017. This had concluded strong support from
residents and stakeholders towards the proposals.
The final business case was now
presented to Council in Report No: COU/SE/17/013, which had been
amended in response to public engagement and the work of the Future
Governance Steering Group. This Group
had been tasked with considering detailed, technical aspects
related to the single council proposal, as set out in paragraphs
2.7 and 2.8 of the report.
The report summarised progress
made since approval of the draft business case in June 2017; the
work undertaken by the Future Governance Steering Group over the
summer 2017; the development of the business case; the outcomes of
the public engagement exercise and the proposed next
steps. In addition, the following
Appendices were attached to the report:
Appendix 1: Summary of the
proposal
Appendix 2: Final Business Case
for a single council for West Suffolk, incorporating separate
Appendices A to F, as follows:
Appendix A: Future form of local government in West Suffolk
– options appraisal
Appendix B: Council Tax harmonisation options
Appendix C: Risk management appraisal
Appendix D: Stakeholder engagement
Appendix E: Responses to online feedback
Appendix F: Equalities Impact Assessment – screening
assessment
Appendix 3: Summary of outcome
of opinion poll
Appendix 4: Summary data tables
from opinion poll (ComRes (independent
polling company))
Appendix 5: ComRes opinion polling – frequently asked
questions
Appendix 6: Letters
received
Councillor John Griffiths,
Leader of the Council, drew relevant issues to the attention of
Council, including that both St Edmundsbury Borough (SEBC) and Forest Heath
District Councils (FHDC) had been at the forefront of transforming
local government to ensure the delivery of high quality services,
providing support and working with communities; and also the
management of growth and investment to help encourage jobs, skills
and prosperity.
Councillor Griffiths added that whilst the
Councils had been sharing services, staff and policies for several
years which had produced savings of £4 million every year; in
order to continue to meet the challenges ahead, work more closely
with communities and deliver services, then becoming a single
council was the next step.
Councillor Griffiths highlighted how the
business case clearly demonstrated how a new single council for
West Suffolk would put both SEBC and FHDC in a more financially
robust position to meet future challenges and deliver services,
whilst creating a stronger position to attract investment.
Members noted the support shown from
stakeholders and the outcome of the public engagement exercise in
the form of the independent, robust
ComRes Poll. This had indicated 70% of adults across West
Suffolk supported a single council, as opposed to ...
view the full minutes text for item 287.
|
288. |
Review of Political Balance and Appointment to Politically Balanced Bodies PDF 233 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Council considered Report No: COU/SE/17/014,
which presented a review of the political balance and proposed
appointments to the politically balanced bodies.
The review had been triggered
following the resignation of Councillor Tony Brown as leader, and
as a member of, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) Group. Councillor
Brown was now therefore an Independent non-grouped member of the
Borough Council.
In carrying out the review, the
Council was obliged to adopt the principles set out in paragraph
1.1.4 of the report and give effect to them ‘so far as is
reasonably practicable’.
With these principles in mind,
Council however, noted that
by-elections for the two vacancies on the Borough Council would be
held on Thursday 28 September 2017, which would necessitate another
review being undertaken should a change in Group composition
occur.
Councillor Griffiths, Leader of
the Council, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council,
including that the potential subsequent review would be presented
to Council at its extraordinary meeting arranged for 17 October
2017. With this in mind, no changes to
the existing seat allocations on committees set out in Appendix 1,
nor to the West Suffolk Joint Standards Committee and Democratic
Renewal Working Party, were presently proposed.
Council agreed this was a
sensible approach.
On the motion of Councillor
John Griffiths, seconded by Councillor David Nettleton, and duly
carried it was
RESOLVED:
That:
(1)
the formula for the allocation of seats to the
political groups on those Committees which are required by law to
be politically balanced, as set out in paragraph 1.1.1, be
approved;
(2) the allocation
of seats on the Committees which are required by law to be
politically balanced, as indicated in Appendix 1 to Report
No: COU/SE/17/014, be approved;
(3) the allocation
of seats on the West Suffolk Joint Standards Committee, as
indicated in Section 1.2.2, be
approved. This Committee is not required to
be politically balanced;
(4) whilst the
Democratic Renewal Working Party is not required to be politically
balanced, the allocation of seats is by
custom and practice, undertaken on this basis. Therefore, the allocation of seats
to this Working Party, as indicated in Section
1.2.3, be approved;
and
(5) the Service Manager (Democratic
Services) be requested to exercise their existing delegated
authority to re-appoint or appoint as applicable, Members and
substitute Members to those bodies set out in recommendations (2),
(3) and (4) above on the basis of nominations from the relevant
Group Leaders.
|
289. |
Questions to Committee Chairmen
Members are invited to ask questions of
committee Chairmen on business transacted by their committees since
the last ordinary meeting of Council on 13 June 2017.
Committee
|
Chairman
|
Dates
of meetings
|
Overview and Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Diane Hind
|
19 July 2017
13 September 2017
|
Performance and Audit Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Sarah Broughton
|
27 July 2017
20 September 2017
|
Development Control
Committee
|
Cllr Jim Thorndyke
|
6 July 2017
19 July 2017 (special
meeting)
3 August 2017
7 September 2017
21 September 2017 (special
meeting)
|
Licensing and Regulatory
Committee
|
Cllr Frank Warby
|
20 June 2017
|
Minutes:
Council considered a narrative item, which
sought questions of Committee Chairmen on business transacted since
the last ordinary meeting of Council on 13 June 2017, as outlined
below:
Committee
|
Chairman
|
Dates
of meetings
|
Overview and Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Diane Hind
|
19 July 2017
13 September 2017
|
Performance and Audit Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Sarah Broughton
|
27 July 2017
20 September 2017
|
Development Control
Committee
|
Cllr Jim Thorndyke
|
6 July 2017
19 July 2017 (special
meeting)
3 August 2017
7 September 2017
21 September 2017 (special
meeting)
|
Licensing and Regulatory
Committee
|
Cllr Frank Warby
|
20 June 2017
|
No questions were asked of the above Chairmen
or their representatives in their absence.
|
290. |
Urgent Questions on Notice
The Council will consider any urgent questions
on notice that were notified to the Service Manager (Democratic
Services) by 11am on the day of the meeting.
Minutes:
No urgent questions on notice had been
received.
|
291. |
Reporting of a Cabinet Decision Exempt from Call-in: Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme Following Revaluation - Development of a Local Scheme 2017/2018
Part 4, Overview and Scrutiny
Committee Procedural Rules, of the Constitution (paragraph
14.4) requires decisions taken by the Cabinet as a matter of
urgency and have not been subject to call-in, to be reported to the
next available meeting of the Council, together with the reasons
for urgency.
Under these provisions of the Constitution, it
states that:
‘A decision will be urgent if any delay
likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously
prejudice the Council’s or the public’s
interest’.
Subject
Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme Following Revaluation –
Development of a Local Scheme 2017/2018
Decision
Taken by Cabinet on 27 June 2017
(Report
No: CAB/SE/17/037):
RESOLVED:
That:
(1)
the principles of the proposed Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme
2017/2018 (following revaluation) and the guidelines as set out in
Report No: CAB/SE/17/037 and its appendices, be approved;
and
(2)
delegated authority be given to the Assistant Director (Resources
and Performance), in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for
Planning and Growth, and for Resources and Performance to agree the
scheme guidance for 2018/2019 onwards, in line with the funding
available and any feedback from businesses from the 2017/2018
scheme.
Reason why decision could not reasonably be subject to
call-in
In accordance with the Access to Information
Procedure Rules of the Constitution, the matter had previously been
published on the Decisions Plan for consideration by Cabinet on 27
June 2017 and the corresponding report (Report No: CAB/SE/17/037)
had been published on the Council’s website for public
inspection prior to the meeting.
However, in order to provide certainty to
businesses following the April 2017 business rate revaluation, the
Cabinet considered it was in the public interest (business in
particular) to take this decision as a matter of urgency and
therefore make it exempt from the call-in process.
As provided for
under Part 4 of the Constitution under the Overview and Scrutiny
Rules paragraph 14.4, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny
Committee had agreed that:
• the decision
taken was reasonable in all the circumstances; and
• given the
reasons regarding providing certainty for businesses that have been
most affected by the business rate revaluation and may therefore be
eligible for the Local Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme
2017/2018, the decision was warranted
to be treated as a matter of urgency and not reasonably be subject
to call-in.
Council is requested to NOTE
the taking of the above executivedecision under the exemption from call-in provisions of the
Constitution.
Minutes:
Council received and noted a narrative item,
which presented the reporting of an executive decision under the
exempt from call-in provisions of the Constitution.
The matter related to a decision taken by
Cabinet on 27 June 2017 in respect of ‘Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme Following Revaluation
– Development of a Local Scheme 2017/2018’ (Report
No: CAB/SE/17/037 refers).
Paragraph 14.4 of Part 4, Overview and
Scrutiny Committee Procedural Rules, of the Constitution required
decisions taken by Cabinet as a matter of urgency and not subject
to call-in, to be reported to the next available meeting of
Council, together with the reasons for the urgency.
The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny
Committee had previously agreed that the decision taken was
reasonable and warranted being treated as a matter of urgency for
the reasons explained in the narrative item, and therefore was not
subject to call-in.
|
292. |
Report on Special Urgency
Part 4, Access to Information
Procedural Rules, of the Constitution (paragraph 18.3) requires
the Leader of the Council to submit quarterly reports to the
Council on the Executive decisions taken (if any) in the
circumstances set out in Rule 17, Special Urgency in the preceding
three months (the reporting of matters under these
Rules, differs from the reporting of the matter detailed under
Agenda Item 12. above.)
Accordingly, the Leader of the Council reports
that no executive decisions have been taken under the
aforementioned Special Urgency provisions of the Constitution.
Minutes:
The Leader reported that no executive
decisions had been taken under the Special Urgency provisions of
the Constitution.
(The reporting of
matters under these Rules differed from the reporting of the matter
detailed under minute 291 above.)
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In this section
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