Agenda for St Edmundsbury Council on Tuesday 19 February 2019, 6.00 pm

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

Note: **Please note that this meeting has been moved to the earlier start time of 6.00pm** 

Items
No. Item

419.

Prayers

Minutes:

As the agenda was relatively short for this meeting, the Mayor had not asked her Chaplain to open the meeting with prayers.

420.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 144 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2018 (copy attached).

Minutes:

Councillor Paul Hopfensperger proposed an amendment to the minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2018, as he considered that the minutes did not accurately reflect the events that had taken place when he had asked questions of Councillor Diane Hind during Agenda Item 8, ‘Questions to Committee Chairmen’ and instead wished for the questions, and responses, to be stated in full in the minutes.  Councillor Trevor Beckwith duly seconded the amendment; however, upon being put to the vote, the amendment was defeated.

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2018 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

 

 

421.

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 meeting of Council on 18 December 2018.

422.

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, Paula Fox, Diane Hind, John Griffiths, Jane Midwood, Clive Pollington, Alaric Pugh, Sarah Stamp, Frank Warby and Patsy Warby.

 

Councillors Max Clarke and Andrew Speed apologised for their lateness and would be joining the meeting later.

423.

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.

424.

Leader's Statement (Paper No: COU/SE/19/001) pdf icon PDF 44 KB

Paper No: COU/SE/19/001

 

(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:

In the absence of the Leader, Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Deputy Leader of the Council, presented her Deputy Leader’s Statement as outlined in Paper No: COU/SE/19/001.

 

No questions were asked on this occasion.

425.

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 18 February 2019.. 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 on this occasion.

426.

Referrals Report of Recommendations from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee

(A)    Referrals from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 22 January 2019

 

There are no referrals emanating from the Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee meeting held on 22 January 2019.

 

(B)    Referral from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 5 February 2019

 

1.

Exempt: Investing in our Commercial Asset Portfolio (para 3)

 

 

 

Portfolio Holder: Cllr John Griffiths

 

 

 

(The recommendations emanating from this item are exempt and will therefore be considered in private session under Agenda Item 11 below.)

 

 

Minutes:

Council noted the following:

 

(A)    Referrals from Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee:

          22 January 2019

 

Council noted that there were no referral emanating from the meeting of the Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee meeting held on 22 January 2019.

 

(B)    Referral from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 5 February 2019

 

1.       Exempt: Investing in our Commercial Asset Portfolio (para 3)

 

As this item was exempt, it was considered later in private session under Agenda Item 11.

427.

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 18 December 2018.

 

Committee

Chairman

Dates of meetings

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Diane Hind

9 January 2019

Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Sarah Broughton

31 January 2019

Development Control Committee

Cllr Jim Thorndyke

3 January 2019

7 February 2019

Licensing and Regulatory Committee

Cllr Clive Springett

(Vice-Chairman)

29 January 2019

 2 meetings

(1x meeting informal joint with Forest Heath DC’s L&R Committee)

 

 

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 18 December 2018, as outlined below:

 

Committee

Chairman

Dates of meetings

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Mike Chester

(Vice-Chairman in Cllr Hind’s absence)

9 January 2019

Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Sarah Broughton

31 January 2019

Development Control Committee

Cllr Jim Thorndyke

3 January 2019

7 February 2019

Licensing and Regulatory Committee

Cllr Clive Springett

(Vice-Chairman)

29 January 2019

 

No questions were asked of the above Chairmen / Vice-Chairmen.

 

428.

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.

429.

Exclusion of Press and Public

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:

As the next item on the agenda was exempt, on the motion of Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, seconded by Councillor Joanna Rayner, and duly carried it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the press and public 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 the 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.

430.

Exempt: Referral Report of Recommendations from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 5 February 2019 (Exempt Report No: COU/SE/19/002) (para 3) pdf icon PDF 63 KB

Exempt Report No: COU/SE/19/002

 

(B)    Referral from Extraordinary Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee: 5 February 2019

 

1.

Exempt: Investing in our Commercial Asset Portfolio (para 3)

 

 

 

Portfolio Holder: Cllr John Griffiths

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(Councillor Sarah Broughton declared a local non-pecuniary interest in this item as the businesses in which she is a partner uses the services of a business listed in the exempt report (further details to be provided once exemption (para 3) has been removed.) Councillor Broughton remained in the meeting for the consideration of this item.)

 

Approval was sought in private session for an addition to the Council’s commercial asset portfolio, together with associated funding required.

 

The Council had the opportunity to purchase the freehold interest of property in Bury St Edmunds as a commercial investment. If it were to proceed, the purchase would be made from the Council’s Investing in Growth fund and would help toward achieving the aspiration of a 1% (after borrowing costs) return across the whole fund.

 

In the absence of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Susan Glossop, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, drew relevant issues to the attention of Council, including providing background to the proposal; the details of the Council’s provisional offer; the financial case for making the investment; and the potential wider place-shaping and strategic value.

 

An addendum to the exempt report had been circulated prior to the meeting and an additional addendum was tabled, which provided a revised recommendation following the Joint Executive (Cabinet) Committee’s consideration of the matter. These provided the updated position since the publication of the agenda.

 

The Mayor invited officers to provide further background and details on technical aspects of the proposal.

 

Having considered the proposal in detail, Council considered it to be a positive and beneficial move for the Council.

 

On the motion of Councillor Glossop, seconded by Councillor Carol Bull, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:

 

The resolution will be published in due course following the lifting of the exemption.

 

(Councillor David Nettleton wished it to be recorded that he voted against the motion.)

 

(Councillors Max Clarke, Karen Richardson and Andrew Speed joined the meeting during the consideration of this item.  Councillor Paul Hopfensperger left the meeting during its consideration.)

 

The exemption relating to this item has been removed and therefore the following resolution is published. This is not included in the signed minutes for this meeting:

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:

 

(1)     a capital budget of £3,503,480 be established and made available to facilitate the purchase of Vicon House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, including fees and Stamp Duty Land Tax, to be funded from the Investing in our Growth Agenda Fund; and 

 

(2)     it be noted that should the purchase be made, the Council’s Section 151 Officer will make the necessary changes to the Council’s prudential indicators as a result of Recommendation (1).

 

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