Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Juliet Brunner, Pattie Hill, Alan Mason and Derek Taylor.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 24^th February and 10^th March 2014.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 24^th February and 10^th March 2014 be confirmed as correct records and signed by the Mayor.

(a)       The Mayor’s communications and announcements were as follows:

i)          Mayoral Functions

The Mayor advised that since the last meeting of the Council she and the Deputy Mayor had attended a number of engagements including a Special Olympics Swimming Gala, a celebration of 40 years of Pitcheroak School, a Charity Quiz Night at Stourport on Severn Town Council, a Variety Show at Tenbury Wells Town Council, the Fly the Flag for the Commonwealth Event at the Town Hall, a production of The Merry Widow at the Palace Theatre, the opening of a new housing development at Enfield Gardens, the opening of a Medical Practice at Maple View, the Mayor’s Charity Dinner at Kidderminster and a Charity Bag Pack at Sainsbury’s the previous weekend.

ii)         Forthcoming Events

The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included the re-opening of the Cancer Research Shop, the Staff Awards at the Palace Theatre, the Mayor’s Charity Climb up Ben Nevis with Councillor Joe Baker, Bromsgrove District Council Charity Dinner Dance, Droitwich Spa Town Council Charity Dinner and the Mayor of Worcester’s Charity Dinner.

iii)        Richard Fellows

The Mayor advised that she had written on behalf of the Council expressing its sympathy to the family of Richard Fellows who had tragically died after getting into difficulties in the River Arrow earlier this month.

(b)       The Leader’s Announcements were as follows:

i)          Lifeline Funding through Supporting People

The Leader provided the Council with an update on the County Council’s position on the funding of hardwired Lifeline equipment. The County Council had confirmed that they would not be funding alarms beyond the end of March 2014.

The Borough Council was to write to each individual service user informing them of the changes and of the implications for them, including the levying of a charge. A further announcement regarding the funding of dispersed equipment was expected later in the year.

A copy of the letter which was to be sent to affected residents was to be forwarded to all Councillors for their information later in the week.

ii)         Early Years Programme

The Leader advised that he had visited recent exhibitions at both the Town Hall and Church Hill demonstrating the work of the Early Years Programme. The Leader added that he had been impressed by the work which was being undertaken and had arranged for a Member Development Session at 6.30pm on Monday 28^th April in order that other Members might experience the work of the Team.

iii)        Special Olympics Swimming Gala

The Leader advised that he had attended the Special Olympics Swimming Gala alongside the Deputy Mayor and had very much enjoyed the competition.

iv)        Holocaust Memorial Day

The Leader advised that he had arranged for a Holocaust Survivor to attend the next Holocaust Memorial Day event in 2015.

(c)        Other Announcements were as follows:

i)          Councillor Michael Chalk

With the permission of the Mayor, Councillor Michael Chalk addressed the Chamber as this was the final Council meeting he would attend as a Borough Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

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

(Other than in exceptional circumstances, no questions on Notice are permitted for meetings which fall within a formal election period)

No questions had been submitted.

No Motions have been submitted under Procedure Rule 11.

(Other than in exceptional circumstances, no Motions on Notice are permitted for meetings which fall within a formal election period)

No Motions had been submitted.

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

24^th February 2014

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

11^th March 2014

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·         Pay Policy 2014/15

(Report / decision attached)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 7 – 2013/14)

Members received the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 24^th February and 11^th March 2014.

RESOLVED that

1)        the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 24^th February 2014 be received and adopted; and

2)        the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 11^th March 2014 be received and all recommendations be adopted.

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

Audit & Governance Committee -16^th January 2014

Planning Committee -                     15^th January 2014

                                                            12^th February 2014

(There are no matters requiring the Council’s consideration)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 7 – 2013/14)

Members received the minutes of recent meetings of the Audit and Governance and Planning Committees.

RESOLVED that

1)        the minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 16^th January 2014 be received and adopted; and

2)        the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 15^th January and 12^th February 2014 be received and adopted.

To consider the Annual Report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2013/14.

(Annual Report attached)

Councillor David Bush, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, presented the Annual Report of his Committee for the Council’s consideration. In so doing he thanked Members of the Committee, those Members who had participated in Task and Finish Reviews during the course of the year and Officers who had supported the process, in particular Jess Bayley, Overview and Scrutiny Support Officer.

Councillor Bush noted that he had attempted to rationalise the work of and the agendas for both the Committee and Task and Finish Groups and was particularly pleased at innovations such as the recommendation tracker.

The Leader welcomed the Annual Report, thanked the non-Executive Members for their hard work over the past year and drew attention to the new style of recommendations which provided great clarity for the Executive in what they were being asked to consider or approve.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.

There were no Urgent Decisions to note.

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.)

There were no separate items of urgent business to consider at this meeting.