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 |
379. |
Prayers
Minutes:
The Mayor’s Chaplain, The Reverend
Canon, Ian Finn, Rector of St Mary’s Church, Haverhill opened
the meeting with prayers.
|
380. |
Minutes PDF 118 KB
To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on
17 July 2018 (copy attached).
Minutes:
The minutes of the meeting held on 17 July
2018 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the
Mayor.
|
381. |
Mayor's announcements
Minutes:
The Mayor reported on the civic engagements
and charity activities which she, and the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress
had attended since the last orindary meeting of Council on 17 July
2018.
|
382. |
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 Jason Crooks, Mary Evans, Jane Midwood, Alaric Pugh,
Karen Richardson, Clive Pollington, Barry Robbins and Frank
Warby.
Councillor Anthony Williams was also unable to
attend the meeting.
|
383. |
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 interests are
recorded under the item to which the declaration relates.
|
384. |
Leader's Statement PDF 53 KB
Paper No: COU/SE/18/017
(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 Leader’s Statement as contained in
Paper No: COU/SE/18/017.
In addition to his written statement,
Councillor Griffiths drew attention to the following:
(a) That he had written to the Parks
Service and Waste Management Service thanking them for their
sterling work in keeping the Borough’s parks attractive and
tidy, particularly during difficult seasonal periods, such as
during the so-called ‘Beast from the East’ and the
summer 2018 drought.
(b) Councillor Griffiths then paid
tribute to Councillor Alaric Pugh, former Portfolio Holder for
Planning and Growth, who had recently and reluctantly taken the
decision to resign from SEBC’s Cabinet for personal reasons.
Reiterating that Councillor Pugh was not resigning as a councillor,
Councillor Griffiths took the opportunity to acknowledge Councillor
Pugh’s many achievements and dedicated service to St
Edmundsbury Borough Council and West Suffolk, and particularly for
his sterling contribution towards driving the Councils’
considerable growth agenda.
Councillor
Griffiths then formally welcomed Councillor Susan Glossop to her
first meeting of Council as a Cabinet Member, following her recent
appointment to SEBC’s Cabinet, thus replacing Councillor
Alaric Pugh.
In response to questions from Councillor Terry
Clements regarding car parking issues in Bury St Edmunds,
Councillor Griffiths, supported by Councillor Peter Stevens,
Portfolio Holder for Operations, stated his commitment to
continuing to review the parking situation, but that a written
reply would be provided on the specific matters raised. This
response would also be circulated to other Members for their
perusal.
In response to a question from Councillor Paul
Hopfensperger regarding a planning application for a hot food
takeaway on the St Olaves’ Precinct in Bury St Edmunds, that
was due to be considered by the Council’s Development Control
Committee on 4 October 2018, Councillor Griffiths stated that
whilst he encouraged healthy living in general, he did not have
sufficient information on the application at the time to support
opposition to the addition of another food outlet in this
location.
(Councillor Simon
Brown joined the meeting during the consideration of this
item.)
|
385. |
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 24 September 2018. 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:
No members of the public in attendance had
registered to speak.
|
386. |
Referrals report of recommendations from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee (Report No: COU/SE/18/018) PDF 71 KB
Report No: COU/SE/18/018
(A) Referral
from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 24 July 2018
|
There are no referrals emanating from the Joint Executive
(Cabinet) Committee meeting held on 24
July 2018.
|
|
|
|
(B) Referral
from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 4 September
2018
|
1.
|
Annual Treasury
Management Report 2017/2018 and
Investment Activity 1 April to 30 June 2018
|
|
Portfolio
Holder: Cllr Ian Houlder
|
|
|
(C) Referral
from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee:18 September
2018
|
1.
|
Barley
Homes: Interim Business Plan and Changes in Governance
|
|
Portfolio
Holder: Cllr Sara
Mildmay-White
|
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Council considered the Referrals Report of
Recommendations from the Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee
contained within Report No: COU/SE/18/018.
(A) Referrals from Joint
Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 24 July 2018
There were no referrals emanating from the
Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee meeting held on 24 July
2018.
(B) Referrals from Joint
Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 4 September 2018
1. Annual Treasury
Management Report 2017/2018 and Investment Activity 1 April to 30
June 2018
Approval was sought for the Annual Treasury
Management Report for 2017/2018.
Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for
Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of
Council.
On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded
by Councillor John Griffiths, and duly carried, it was
RESOLVED:
That the Annual Treasury Management Report for
2017-2018, attached as Appendix 1 to Report No: TMS/SE/18/003, be
approved.
(C) Referrals from
Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 18 September 2018
1. Barley Homes;
Interim Business Plan and Changes in Governance
(Councillors Beccy
Hopfensperger and Richard Rout declared local non-pecuniary
interests as Cabinet Members for Suffolk County
Council. Councillors Trevor Beckwith,
Robert Everitt, Paula Fox and David Roach declared local
non-pecuniary interests as Members of Suffolk County
Council. Councillors Robert Everitt and
Clive Springett declared local non-pecuniary interests as Board
Members for Havebury Housing Partnership. All of the aforementioned
councillors remained in the meeting for the consideration of this
item.)
Approval was sought for a
proposed way forward to support Barley Homes in delivering its
objectives following Suffolk County Council’s decision to
withdraw from this joint venture and transfer its interest to the
West Suffolk councils.
Barley Homes was established by
Suffolk County Council (SCC), Forest Heath District Council (FHDC)
and St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) and incorporated in March
2016. Report No: CAB/JT/18/032, which
was attached to the Council referral report as Appendix 1, provided
background since the establishment of the company, including that
each of the two West Suffolk councils owned 25% of the company,
whilst Suffolk County Council was a 50% shareholder. A five year business plan had been agreed in
December 2016, identifying four potential sites for the company to
develop; however since that time, SCC had decided to undertake an
open market sale of one of the sites (Wamil Way, Mildenhall), with
the consequence being that only three sites remained in the Barley
Homes plan, namely:
·
Haverhill Town Hall Car Park (owned by
SEBC)
·
Westfield School Site, Haverhill (owned by
SCC)
·
Castle Hill School Site, Haverhill (owned by
SCC)
Councillor Sara Mildmay-White,
Portfolio Holder for Housing, drew relevant issues to the attention
of Council, including that the complexity of operating between the
Councils had been recognised and, in particular, meeting the policy
and financial objectives of all parties had proved
difficult. Therefore all parties had
agreed that it would be more effective and efficient for the County
Council to focus on its wider strategic role in the delivery of
housing in West Suffolk, whilst the West Suffolk councils would
lead on local scheme delivery. SCC had therefore taken the decision
to withdraw ...
view the full minutes text for item 386.
|
387. |
Delegation to Babergh District Council for the Determination of a Planning Application (Report No: COU/SE/18/019) PDF 106 KB
Minutes:
Council considered Report No: COU/SE/18/019,
which sought approval for delegating authority to Babergh District Council to determine a planning
application which spanned the border between Babergh and St Edmundsbury.
The Council had received a planning
application, DC/18/0818/FUL, for Glasshouse Barn (adjacent to
Willow Tree Farmhouse), Mill Road, Brockley. Whilst the postal address was located in St
Edmundsbury, the majority of the
application site was located over the boundary in Babergh district. Officers had considered that the
most appropriate way to determine this planning application that
crossed the district boundaries was to propose to Council that it
delegated its decision making powers on this application to
Babergh District Council, so that only
one local planning authority was making the decision on whether to
grant or refuse planning permission.
Councillor Susan Glossop, Portfolio Holder for
Planning and Growth, drew relevant issues to the attention of
Council.
Councillor Peter Stevens, Ward Member for the
ward in which the application was located (Cavendish) supported the
proposed approach, acknowledging that Babergh District Council’s development
management policies were similar to St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s and therefore
was satisfied that the application would be considered within that
context.
On the motion of Councillor Susan Glossop,
seconded by Councillor David Nettleton, and duly carried, it
was:
RESOLVED:
That, Babergh
District Council be given delegated
authority to determine Planning Application DC/18/0818/FUL, as set
out in Section 1.1 of Report No: COU/SE/18/019.
(Councillor
Beccy Hopfensperger left the meeting
during the consideration of this item.)
|
388. |
Appointment of Vice-Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee PDF 56 KB
Minutes:
(With the agreement
of the Mayor, this item was considered as a matter of urgency, in
accordance with S100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, in order
that this matter could be resolved within the necessary
timescale.)
Council considered a late additional narrative
item, which sought the appointment of a Vice-Chairman to the
Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
As stated in his Leader’s
Statement, the Leader of the Council had recently appointed
Councillor Susan Glossop to the Cabinet following the resignation
of Councillor Alaric Pugh.
Article 6 of the Constitution
stated that ‘…The Leader and Portfolio
Holders may not be members of any scrutiny
committee…’.
Therefore, as a consequence of Councillor Glossop being appointed
to the Cabinet, she could no longer be a full member of the
Overview and Scrutiny Committee nor be a substitute member on the
Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee.
In accordance with the
Constitution, appointments to committees could be made under
delegated authority by the Service Manager (Democratic Services) on
the nominations of Group Leaders; however, whilst being a full
member, Councillor Glossop was also the Vice-Chairman of the
Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Appointments of the Chairmen and
Vice-Chairmen to the scrutiny committees could only be made by
Council.
Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the
Council nominated Councillor Mike Chester to be appointed as
Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which was
duly seconded by Councillor Diane Hind, Chairman of the Overview
and Scrutiny Committee.
No other nominations were proposed.
On the motion of Councillor Griffiths,
seconded by Councillor Hind, and duly carried, it was:
RESOLVED:
That, Councillor Mike Chester be appointed
Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the
remainder of the 2018/2019 municipal year.
|
389. |
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 17 July 2018.
Committee
|
Chairman
|
Dates
of meetings
|
Overview and Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Diane
Hind
|
12 September
2018
|
Performance and Audit
Scrutiny Committee
|
Cllr Sarah
Broughton
|
25 July
2018
|
Development Control
Committee
|
Cllr Jim
Thorndyke
|
6 September
2018
|
|
Minutes:
Council considered a narrative item, which
sought questions of Committee Chairmen on business transacted by
their committees since the last ordinary meeting of Council on 17
July 2018, as outlined below:
Committee
|
Chairman
|
Dates
of meetings
|
Overview and Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Diane Hind
|
12 September 2018
|
Performance and Audit Scrutiny
Committee
|
Cllr Sarah Broughton
|
25 July 2018
|
Development Control
Committee
|
Cllr Jim Thorndyke
|
6 September 2018
|
|
No questions were asked of the above
Chairmen.
|
390. |
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 had been received.
|
391. |
Exclusion of Public and Press
To consider whether the press and public should be
excluded during the consideration of the following item because it
is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted
or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public
were present during this item, there would be disclosure to them of
exempt categories of information as prescribed in Part 1 of
Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and indicated
against the item and, in all circumstances of the case, the public
interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest
in disclosing the information.
Minutes:
|
392. |
Exempt Appendix: Referrals report of recommendations from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee (para 3)
Exempt Appendix 2 to Report No: COU/SE/18/018
(C) Referral
from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee:18 September
2018
|
1.
|
Exempt
Attachment A: Barley Homes: Interim Business Plan and Changes in
Governance
|
|
Portfolio
Holder: Cllr Sara
Mildmay-White
|
Minutes:
Council considered Exempt Appendix 2 to Report No: COU/SE/18/018
under Agenda Item 9, however no reference was made to specific
detail and therefore this item was not held in private
session.
|
|
In this section
|