Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present. Prior to the commencement of the meeting, Rauf and Hussain Shah entertained the Council with a performance on sitar and mutka.

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

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Michael Chalk and Brenda Quinney.

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 3rd September 2012.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 5 - 2012/13)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5^th September 2012 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To consider Announcements under Procedure Rule 10:

a)         Mayor’s Announcements

b)         Leader’s Announcements

c)         Chief Executive’s Announcements.

(Oral report)

a)                             Mayor

The Mayor’s communications and announcements were as follows:

i)          Mayoral Functions

The Mayor advised that, since the last meeting of the Council, he had attended a number of engagements, including the Mayor of Evesham’s Monks’ Supper, the Bandstand musical event, the Mayor of Bewdley’s Charity Dinner, the NEW College Graduation Ceremony, a Murder Mystery evening at Forge Mill, a musical spectacular at Redditch Arts Centre, a visit to a resident of Terryspring Court on the occasion of their 100^th birthday and visits to most of the Council’s Sure Start Children’s Centres.

ii)         Forthcoming Engagements

The Mayor advised that forthcoming engagements included a Rotary Club meal at the Foxlydiate Hotel, the Mayor of Worcester’s charity dinner, the annual Firework Display at Arrow Valley Park, the University of Worcester Awards Ceremony, 12^th Anniversary celebrations at Terryspring Court, the League of Friends of the Alex Hospital AGM, Redditch Operatic Society’s production of Summer Holiday and the Remembrance Day Parade.

b)         Leader’s Announcements

The Leader’s announcements were as follows:

i)          Keralan Indian Association

The Leader introduced to the Council three representatives of the Keralan Indian Association, a new local body established by members of that community, who were in attendance at the meeting.

ii)         Olympics / Paralympics 2012

The Leader of the Council was delighted to introduce three individuals with local connections who had played a part in the London Olympics and Paralympics 2012.

Katrina Harte shared with the meeting her experiences of competing at the London Paralympics and showed off the Bronze Medal that she had won as part of the Women’s 4x100 Metres Relay team. Katrina had not quite achieved the success that she had hoped for in the individual sprint events but was justifiably delighted at her performance in the Relay.

Glenn Scott, a former student of Kingsley College, was unfortunate to not get the chance to compete in the London Paralympics but was able to speak about the wonderful experience of being an Olympic Torch bearer in the run up to the Games and of his hopes to be a part of the squad for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

A local resident, Mumtaz Shah, told the meeting about his experience as a Games Maker and having the opportunity to be present at the Olympics Volleyball tournament. He commented that the experience had been two of the best weeks of his life.

iii)        Helen Gregory

The Leader was very sad to have to report the death following a short illness of Helen, the wife of Ian Gregory, the Council’s Bereavement Services Manager. The Leader led the Council in expressing his sincere condolences to Ian at this difficult time.

iv)        Bandstand Festival

The Leader spoke of the success of the Bandstand Festival held several weeks earlier on Church Green and his desire that the event should be repeated in years to come.

v)         Alexandra Hospital

Following the sending of a letter to the Minister for Health, the recent Ministerial changes had altered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

No questions have been submitted to date under Procedure Rule 9.2.

No questions had been received.

No Motions have been submitted under 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:

18th September 2012

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include:

• Fly-Posting Enforcement Strategy;
• Roundabout Sponsorship Policy;
• Disposal of Property - Salop Road Community Centre and 132 Oakly Road; and
• Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Programme 2013/14

(Reports and decisions attached)

(Minutes of the meeting on 18th September 2012 circulated in Minute Book 5 – 2012/13)

Members received the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 18^th September 2012.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 18^th September 2012 be received and all recommendations adopted.

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

Planning Committee -                     5th September 2012

There are no outstanding recommendation for the Council to consider:

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 5 – 2012/13)

The Council received the minutes of a recent meeting of the Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on 5^th September 2012 be received and adopted.

To consider establishing a Council Commission in order to respond to the Joint Services Review proposals.

(Report attached)

The Leader of the Council informed the meeting of the intention to create a Council Commission to allow local residents, NHS staff, local groups, organisations and businesses the opportunity to give their feedback on the latest proposals. The Commission was to be cross-party and comprise all members of the Executive Committee. It was intended to use the views of local people to inform the Council’s response to the Joint Services Review.

The Leader took the opportunity to clarify a number of points contained within the covering reporting in addition to tabling amended recommendations in the light of an announcement from NHS Worcestershire on 11^th October 2012.

Members were united in their disappointment at the failure of the NHS to come forward with a short-list of healthcare options which clearly affected the ability of the Council and local residents to put forward their views. There was also a concern that uncertainty at the possible outcomes of the Review was affecting morale amongst staff at the Alexandra Hospital. This was not helped by a feeling amongst staff that they were unable to comment in public on any proposals.

The Council was pleased at the amount of media coverage, both local and national, that the threat to the Alexandra Hospital had received, singling out the local newspapers for praise for their part in raising this issue.

RESOLVED that

1)         the Executive Committee be set up as a Commission to examine the Joint Service Review, in particular the proposals affecting the Alexandra Hospital and the fact that that Alexandra Hospital has been highlighted as one of the sites that is most likely to be adversely affected by the Review; and

2)         the evidence gathered by the Commission be used to inform the Council’s response to the consultation as well as form the basis of a report to Worcestershire NHS for consideration as part of their consultation.

To note the following decision taken in accordance with Paragraph 5 of Part 6 of the Constitution since the last ordinary meeting of the Council:

Local Transport Bodies.

(Executive Director, Planning & Regeneration, Regulatory and Housing Services)

Agreement was sought on a response to a request from the Department for Transport (DfT) for local partners to confirm their Local Transport Body (LTB) boundaries. The grounds for urgency were that, should there have been no local agreement by 28^th September, then the Department for Transport would have reserved the right to determine the LTB boundary itself or to reduce the funding allocation available to any area that took longer than this to establish its geography.

It was therefore RESOLVED that

1)         it be stated to the Department for Transport that, despite the Guidance and for the reasons contained in the report, Redditch Borough Council be allowed to sit within two Local Transport Bodies with their respective geography based upon the existing LEP boundaries and with funding to be divided equally between the two LTBs; and

2)         following receipt of the response to the Council’s view from the Department for Transport, authority be delegated to the Executive Director Planning & Regeneration, Regulatory and Housing Services in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder, to make the final arrangements relating to the Local Transport Body.

(Council decision)

The Council considered an Urgent Business decision which had been approved in accordance with the Council’s urgency procedures, namely:

Local Transport Bodies

The decision was in respect of a response to the Department for Transport on the establishment of Local Transport Bodies.

RESOLVED that

the decision 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.