Agenda item

Report No. COU/SE/15/021

 

(A)	Referrals from Cabinet: 24 March 2015
	1.	West Suffolk Safeguarding Policy – Guidelines for Working with Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Sara Mildmay-White
(B)	Referrals from Cabinet: 28 May 2015
	1.	West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement 2015/2016
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Ian Houlder
(C)	Referrals from Cabinet: 23 June 2015
	1.	West Suffolk Operational Hub
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Peter Stevens
	2.	Culford Park Management Plan
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Alaric Pugh
	3.	Station Hill Development Area, Bury St Edmunds: Masterplan
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Alaric Pugh
	4.	West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds: Masterplan
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Alaric Pugh
	5.	West Suffolk Facilities Management
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Peter Stevens
	6.	Provision of Temporary Accommodation in Bury St Edmunds (See Exempt Appendix A at agenda item 17)
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Sara Mildmay-White
(D)	Referrals from Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee: 10 June 2015
	1.	ARP Trading Company Restructure
		Cabinet Member: Cllr Ian Houlder
(E)	Referrals from Democratic Renewal Working Party: 17 June 2015
	1.	Community Governance Review – Terms of Reference
		Chairman of the Working Party: Cllr Patsy Warby
	2.	Members’ Allowance Scheme and Independent Remuneration Panel
		Chairman of the Working Party: Cllr Patsy Warby

 

The Council considered the Referrals report of Recommendations contained within Report No: COU/SE/15/021 (previously circulated)

 

(A)                Referrals from Cabinet: 24 March 2015

 

1. West Suffolk Safeguarding Policy - Guidelines for Working with Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults

 

Councillor Mildmay-White, Portfolio Holder for Housing introduced this report which was about updating and aligning policies across West Suffolk.

 

On the motion of Councillor Mildmay-White, seconded by Councillor Everitt and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the revised Safeguarding Policy and Guidelines for working with Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults, as set out in Appendix A to Report No: CAB/SE/15/026, be adopted.

 

(B)               Referrals from Cabinet: 28 May 2015

 

 

1. West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement 2015/2016

 

Councillor Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance explained that the Council were required to report on salary structures annually in order to comply with the Localism Act 2011. The median salary ratio for West Suffolk was 4.8:1 which was within the guidelines of 8:1. At the lowest levels, the Council paid the living wage (rather than the minimum wage) after probation.

 

A written answer would be provided to Councillor Cockle who wanted to know if any officer had needed to have a pay cut in order to be equal to their counterpart in the other authority.

 

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor Springett and duly carried it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the West Suffolk Joint Pay Policy Statement for 2015/2016 contained in Appendix 1 to Report No. CAB/SE/15/033 be approved.

 

(C)               Referrals from Cabinet: 23 June 2015

 

1. West Suffolk Operational Hub

 

Councillor Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Operations introduced this report which sought funding of £82,000 in order for the project to progress. He explained the background to the proposal, and rationale for the project and indicated that elements of the feasibility work were transferable to other sites should they be found to be more advantageous. He further referred members to the second resolution made by Cabinet on page 25 of Report No. COU/SE/14/024 which was that ‘further pre-application consultation should include the site selection’. 

 

Members debated this item at length and raised the following issues:

 

·         level of debate by all councillors;

·         fit with planning policy;

·         traffic implications; and

·         consideration of other sites.

 

Councillor Stevens proposed the motion which was seconded by Councillor Pugh. Councillor Nettleton requested that the vote be recorded and this was supported by seven members. The votes recorded were 14 votes for the motion, 17 against and 10 abstentions.

 

The names of those Members voting for, against and abstaining being recorded as follows:-

 

For the motion:

Councillors Chung, Everitt, Griffiths, Houlder, Mildmay-White, Pugh, Rayner, Richardson, Rout, Speed, Springett, Stamp, Stevens and Thompson

 

Against the motion:

Councillors Broughton, Tony Brown, Burns, Cockle, Crooks, Fox, Hind, Beccy Hopfensperger, Tim Marks, Midwood, Nettleton, Pollington, Robbins, Wade, Wakelam, Frank Warby and Patsy Warby

 

Abstentions:

Councillors Buckle, Bull, Clements, Farthing, Glossop, Hailstone, Paul Hopfensperger, Margaret Marks, Roach and Thorndyke.

 

Therefore the motion was defeated.

 

2. Culford Park Management Plan

 

On the motion of Councillor Pugh, seconded by Councillor Burns and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Culford Park Management Plan, as contained in Appendices 1 and 2 to Report No. SDW/SE/15/004, be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document.

 

3. Station Hill Development Area, Bury St Edmunds: Masterplan

 

Councillor Pugh, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth introduced this item which was the result of two years’ work and had been considered in depth by the Sustainable Development Working Party (SDWP) and by Cabinet. It was an essential document to enable the council to consider future planning applications.

 

Councillor Pugh proposed the motion which was seconded by Councillor Frank Warby.

 

Concerns were raised by members regarding the viability of developing the whole site and the provision of affordable housing. Councillor Nettleton proposed an amendment to the original motion to delete the first part of the recommendation which was to adopt the Masterplan but instead to make the changes as detailed at (i), (ii) and (iii) of the recommendation. This was seconded by Councillor Cockle and the amendment was debated.

 

Following a vote, four members were in favour of the amended motion, and the majority were against therefore the amendment was defeated.

 

Members were then given the opportunity to speak on the substantive motion or to propose another amendment.  Councillor Clements moved that the question be put which was seconded by Councillor Springett.

 

The Mayor considered that as the item had been sufficiently discussed the closure motion would be put to the vote. With the majority in favour and four against, the closure motion was carried.

 

As proposer of the original motion, Councillor Pugh had nothing further to say and a vote was taken. With the majority in favour and four against, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Masterplan for the Station Hill Development Area, Bury St Edmunds land allocation, as contained in Appendix A to Report No. SDW/SE/15/005, be adopted as non-statutory planning guidance, subject to amendments being made to the document to:

 

(i)      provide greater clarity about the intended illustrative nature of the plans contained therein;

 

(ii)     include relevant references to the Joint Development Management Policies document adopted in February 2015; and

 

(iii)    delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning and Growth, in consultation with the Chairman of the Sustainable Development Working Party and the Ward Members for the Station Hill Development Area, to satisfactorily resolve the issues raised by Pigeon Investment Management Ltd in their letter of objection received immediately prior to the meeting of the Working Party held on 18 June 2015.

 

(Councillor Cockle left the meeting at the end of the consideration of this item.)

 

5. West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds: Masterplan

 

Councillor Pugh, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth introduced this report seeking to adopt the Masterplan for the West Suffolk Hospital as non-statutory planning guidance.

 

Members debated the recommendation with a particular focus on parking issues.

 

On the motion of Councillor Pugh, seconded by Councillor Farthing and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Masterplan for the West Suffolk Hospital, as contained in Appendix A to Report No: SDW/SE/15/006, be adopted as non-statutory planning guidance.

 

6. West Suffolk Facilities Management

 

Councillor Stevens, Portfolio Holder for Operations introduced this report seeking to establish a Joint Venture Company for the delivery of Facilities Management Services at Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

 

In response to a question, Councillor Stevens noted concerns from some members that all staff of the new Joint Venture (JV) Company should receive the living wage. He confirmed that any existing staff who transferred over to the JV would be covered by TUPE provisions.

 

On the motion of Councillor Stevens, seconded by Councillor Buckle, and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)     the contents of Report No: CAB/SE/15/029 be noted;

 

(2)     approval is given to establish a Joint Venture Company with Eastern Facilities Management Services (EFMS) Ltd for the delivery of Facilities Management services at Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council; and

 

(3)    delegated authority be given to the Head of Operations, in consultation with the Head of Resources and Performance, the Service Manager (Legal) and respective Portfolio Holders for Operations to finalise and confirm the outstanding legal and governance matters outlined herein at 3.11 to 3.15 and 3.21 of Report No: CAB/SE/15/029, before signing contracts to establish the new Joint Venture company with EFMS.

 

7. Provision of Temporary Accommodation in Bury St Edmunds

 

Under Council Procedure Rule 2.3 (a), the Mayor changed the order of the agenda and informed the Council that as this item was exempt, it would be deferred until the end of the agenda when the public would be excluded.

 

(D)               Referral from Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership (ARP) Joint Committee: 10 June 2015

 

1. ARP Trading Company Restructure

 

Councillor Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance introduced this report and, in response to a question, confirmed that a representative from each council would ensure proper scrutiny and would report back to their relevant council.

 

On the motion of Councillor Houlder, seconded by Councillor Everitt and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)        St Edmundsbury Borough Council buys shares valued at £1 each in the new ARP Trading Company Limited in accordance with Section 1.5 of the report on the ARP Trading Company Restructure submitted to the Anglia Revenues and Benefits Partnership Joint Committee on 10 June 2015, alongside an identical purchase by Waveney DC, Suffolk Coastal DC, and Fenland DC;

 

(2)        Should East Cambs DC wish to buy shares in the new ARP Trading Company Limited, and should it inform the JC partner councils prior to the next JC meeting (in September), this request is approved;

 

(3)        The number of shares each authority holds in the reconstituted ARP to be confirmed once East Cambs DC position is known, but to add up to a total number of shares of 1,750.

 

(4)        A loan of £10,000 from St Edmundsbury and each of the other partner authorities involved with establishing the trading company be approved, to cover initial working capital requirements (with approval to amend the Council’s Treasury Management policies if required); this loan to be funded from underspend in ARP’s 14/15 budget;

 

(5)        agreement of the revised company constitution and shareholder agreement be delegated to the Operational Improvement Board to complete; and

 

(6)        a person or persons be nominated from each of the six partner authorities involved to represent the respective authority’s interests at shareholder meetings.

 

(E)               Referrals from Democratic Renewal Working Party: 17 June 2015

 

1.         Community Governance Review – Terms of Reference

 

Councillor Patsy Warby, Chairman of the Democratic Renewal Working Party introduced this report which included a revised list at Appendix B to Report No. COU/SE/15/021 of the areas under review and the matters on which the Community Governance Review would focus.

 

Councillor Hind asked if Northgate Ward could be regarded as being directly affected by Issue 1 in the draft Terms of Reference even though the Vision 2031 growth site was not directly adjacent to its current boundary. It was explained that, as clarified in Issue 27, since Borough and Town Council wards in Bury St Edmunds may need to be re-examined as part of the review, Councillor Hind would be consulted on Issue 1 and any other potential consequential impacts of changes to the external boundary of Bury St Edmunds.

 

On the motion of Councillor Patsy Warby, seconded by Councillor Nettleton and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That in accordance with the process agreed by full Council in December 2014, the terms of reference for the Community Governance Review as set out in Appendix B to Report No. COU/SE/15/021 be approved and published.

 

2. Review of Members’ Allowance Scheme and Appointment of Independent Remuneration Panel

 

Councillor Patsy Warby, Chairman of the Democratic Renewal Working Party introduced this report and noted a members request that the advertisement for the appointment of Panel members be included in Haverhill News.

 

On the motion of Councillor Patsy Warby, seconded by Councillor Nettleton and duly carried, it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

That

 

(1)     the Council undertake a recruitment process as outlined in Section 2 of Report DEM/SE/15/002

 

(2)     the Council appoint a Selection Panel of three Members, plus a substitute Member, to advise the Service Manager (Legal Services) on the appointment of Members of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and the terms and conditions of appointment.

 

(3)     the Service Manager (Legal Services) be authorised to seek candidates for an Independent Remuneration Panel to determine its terms and conditions.

 

(N.B. In reaching this decision, Members noted that if Forest Heath District Council, at their meeting on 15 July 2015, agreed to end their Members’ Allowance Scheme on 30 November 2015, the Selection Panel in Recommendation (2) and the Independent Remuneration Panel in Recommendation (3) would both be joint and the number of members to be appointed to the Selection Panel would be two members plus a substitute member.)