Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor’s Celebrant, Ms June Saville, will lead the Council in a moment’s reflection.

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present. The Mayor’s celebrant, June Saville, led the Council in a moment’s reflection.

To receive any apologies for absence on behalf of Council members.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors David Bush, Simon Chalk and Adam Griffin.

To invite Councillors to declare any interests they may have in items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 6th June 2011.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 2 - 2011/12)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 6^th June 2011 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To receive a report from the Mayor on civic matters which have arisen since the last meeting or events which may be occurring in the near future.

To give notice of any variation to the items listed in the Forward Plan and/or items accepted as “Urgent Business”.

(No separate report / oral update)

The Mayor’s communications and announcements were considered under the following headings:

a)         Mr Ian Davies

It was with regret that the Mayor advised the Council of the death the previous Friday of Mr Ian Davies, husband of former Mayor and Councillor Anne Davies and a caretaker at the Town Hall for a number of years. A letter of condolence was to be sent on behalf of the Council to former Councillor Anne Davies.

b)         Mr Richard Murphy

The Mayor led the Council in congratulating Mr Richard Murphy and presented him with a certificate in recognition of his achievements at the recent Special Olympics World Games. The Council was advised that Richard had won Gold Medals in the 100 metres and 200 metres and a silver medal in the 4x400 metres relay.

c)         Mayor’s Cadets

The Mayor presented her Cadets for the municipal year, Cadet Sergeant Arran Cook and Cadet Barclay Hodge with their Cadet’s Badges.

d)         Mayor’s Announcements and forthcoming events

The Mayor advised that since the previous meeting of the Council she had undertaken numerous engagements in her civic capacity.

e)         Urgent Business

The Mayor advised that she had accepted one late report, Item 9, the report and decision pertaining to the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee on 29^th June 2011.

To receive a report from the Leader on matters considered to be of significance to the Council.

(No separate report / oral update)

The Leader’s Announcements were considered under the following headings:

a)         Green Apple Award

The Leader advised that the Council had been presented with a Green Apple Award 2011 for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage for its Crematorium Energy Recovery Project at a ceremony at the University of Westminster on 20^th June. It was noted that the Council might be eligible for further awards in respect of this scheme, including on a European stage.

b)         Bus Shelter Scheme

The Leader announced that there was to be the unveiling of a new bus shelter at Ibstock House on 11^th August.

c)         Winter Gritting Task and Finish Review

The Leader advised that she and the Chief Executive had met that morning with the Leader, relevant Portfolio Holder and Officers from Worcestershire County Council. Members were informed that a further report back on possible options for improving the service would be forthcoming in due course.

No questions had been submitted to the Mayor, a member of the Executive Committee or the Chair of any committee or sub-committee in accordance with Procedure Rule 9.2 at the time of publication of the agenda.

No questions had been received.

There are no Motions on Notice in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.

No Motions had been received.

To receive the minutes and consider the recommendations and/or referrals from the following meeting of the Executive Committee:

21st June 2011

There are no outstanding matters requiring the Council’s consideration.

12th July 2011

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·                    Consolidated Revenue Outturn – Financial Year 2010/11;

·                    Shared Services Business case – Land Charges;

·                    Shared Services Business Case – Building Control;

·                    Shared Services Board – Progress Report

(Reports and decisions attached)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 2 – 2011/12)

Members received the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 21^st June and 12^th July 2011.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 21^st June 2011 be received and adopted; and

2)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 12^th July 2011 be received and all recommendations adopted, subject to:

in respect of Minute 36 (Shared Services Board – Progress Report) it being noted that Members reiterated a request made at the meeting of the Board that a report be produced by Officers detailing the financial impact of Shared Services on the participating Councils in respect of matters including savings to date, set-up costs and redundancy costs.

To formally receive the minutes of the following meetings of the Council’s Regulatory Committees:

Audit and Governance Committee -           29th June 2011

Planning Committee -                                   25th May 2011

                                                                        15th June 2011

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 2 – 2011/12)

The Council received the minutes of recent meetings of the Audit and Governance Committee and Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 29^th June 2011 be received and all recommendations adopted; and

2)         the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 25^th May and 15^th June 2011 be received and adopted.

To note the following decision taken in accordance with the Council urgency procedures since the last ordinary meeting of the Council:

Church Hill Redevelopment Scheme – Acquisition Of The Leasehold Interest In The Public House (Ref. 491)

(Executive Director – Finance and Corporate Resources)

In order that the Council can deliver the land to the developer, and avoid an unnecessary conditionality on the main legal contract it was necessary for the Council to acquire the leasehold interest. Admiral Taverns, via their solicitors, advised that the agreed deal should proceed immediately, or they might withdraw.  They consequently forwarded the contract to the Council with an understanding that the contract should be exchanged on Friday 27^th May 2011. The developer will still be under a contractual obligation to reimburse the Council this full amount when the residential phase two land sale contract is signed which will not be unconditional until the planning permission has been obtained The Pub is an integral part of the delivery of the land for redevelopment that is best secured as soon as possible.

It was therefore RESOLVED that

1)        a sum of £150,000 be allocated in the 2011/12 the capital programme for the acquisition of the leasehold interest in the Book & Candle Public House from Admiral Taverns; and

(Council decision)

2)        authority be given for the acquisition of the Book and Candle Public House as soon as possible by entering into a contract to purchase this property for up to the sum detailed in 1), above, for the reasons summarised on the [Urgent Business] form.

(Executive decision)

(No separate report)

CONTAMINATED LAND -  Determination of a number of addresses as ContaminatedLand under Part 2A Environmental Protection Act 1990 and approval of urgent remediation works (Ref. 492)

(Deputy Chief Executive)

The report contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of S.100 of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, as it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons or organisations (including the authority holding that information) and that the authority proposed to make a direction under an enactment.  In view of this it is anticipated that discussion of this matter will take place after the exclusion of the public.]

(In view of the fact that the report contains exempt information, the report has been circulated to Members and relevant Officers only)

The Council noted two Urgent Business decisions which had been approved in accordance with the Council’s urgency procedures, namely:

Church Hill Redevelopment Scheme – Acquisition of the Leasehold Interest in the Public House

(UB Reference 491); and

Contaminated Land – Determination of a number of addresses as Contaminated Land under Part 2A Environmental Protection Act 1990 and approval of urgent remediation works

(UB Reference 492)

RESOLVED that

the matters be noted.

To consider any additional items exceptionally agreed by the Mayor as Urgent Business in accordance with the powers vested in her by virtue of Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

(This power should be exercised only in cases where there are genuinely special circumstances which require consideration of an item which has not previously been published on the Order of Business for the meeting and/or on the Leader’s Forward Plan.)

There were no separate items of Urgent Business for consideration at this meeting.