Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor’s Chaplain, the Reverend Mike Herbert, will lead the Council in prayer.

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present.

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

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Smith.

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

Councillors Anderson, Brunner, Chalk, B Clayton, Cookson, Gandy and Hall declared a personal but not a prejudicial interest in Item 6 (Executive Committee – Notice of Decisions of the meeting of 7 January 2009) as detailed separately at Minute 100 below.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 8 December 2008.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 6 - 2008/09 – TO FOLLOW)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 8 December 2008 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:

b)         Mayor’s announcements

The Mayor advised that since the previous meeting of the Council he had attended various functions, including: the Pakistani Community Forum AGM, the Pantomime at the Palace Theatre, Cinderella, the Town Carol Service in Worcester Square, a Rotary Club lunch, a visit to the Alexandra Hospital on Christmas Day and a New Year Celebration at Wychavon.

c)         Forthcoming events

The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included the Sports Partnership Awards, the Holocaust Memorial Day event and the Special Olympics Presentation evening at the Town Hall.

d)         Urgent Business

The Mayor advised that he had accepted one additional item of “Urgent Business”:

Item 8 - Decision Notice of the Executive Committee on 13 January 2009.

The Mayor had also accepted a late report:

Item 8 – Decision Notice of the Executive Committee, 7 January 2009.

A.                 To formally receive the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 29 October 2008, 19 November 2008  and  3 December 2008.

(All decisions here have previously been fully resolved.
There are no outstanding recommendations or referrals which require the Council’s consideration.)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 6 – 2008/09 – TO FOLLOW)

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

17 December 2008

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include

·        Medium Term Financial Strategy and Plan.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 6 – 2008/09 – TO FOLLOW)

C.                To receive the Decision Notice and consider the recommendations and / or referrals from the following meeting of the Executive Committee:

7 January 2009

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·        Economic Priorities 2008 – 2018;

·        Worcestershire Homelessness Strategy;

·        Waste Services;

·        Grant Applications 2009 – 2010;

·        Disabled Facilities Grant;

·        Arrow Vale Sports Centre;

·        Free Swimming Initiative;

·        Council Magazine;

·        Electronic Agendas;

·        Housing Revenue Account 2008/09 and 2009/10; and

·        Shared Service Business Cases – Electoral Services and Community Safety Services.

(Decision Notice TO FOLLOW)

(Any matters arising, not covered elsewhere in the agenda, will be considered under this heading.)

Confidential matters may be taken after the Exclusion of the Public, subject to notification at this point in the meeting.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 29 October, 19 November and 3 December 2008 be received and adopted;

2)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 17 December 2008 be received and adopted and all recommendations approved:

3)         the decision notice of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 7 January 2009 be received and all recommendations approved, subject to:

in respect of Minute 176 (Housing Revenue Account 2009/10)

it being further RESOLVED that

a letter be sent to the Government requesting that the authority be allowed to keep a greater proportion of its income in order that the Council might reduce or remove its negative subsidy position;

in respect of Minute 177 (Fees and Charges 2009/10) it being further RESOLVED that

a decision on the proposed Fees and Charges 2009/10 be deferred in order that further consideration be given to a number of the proposed Fees and Charges in the area of Leisure and Arts prior to a one-off consultation with the three Group Leaders and the Chair of the Fees and Charges Sub-Committee that was to precede re-submission to a future meeting of the Executive Committee;

in respect of Minute 187 (Council Magazine Re-introduction) it being further RESOLVED that

Councillors A Clayton, Farooqui and Hartnett be appointed to the Editorial Panel; and

in respect of Minute 189 (Electronic Agendas – Modern.Gov) it being further RESOLVED that

any Member requiring paper copies of agendas, reports and minutes will receive them upon request.

4)         the decision notice of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 13 January 2009 be received and all recommendations approved.

(Members hoped that the press might impart to local residents the benefits of contacting the Council at the earliest opportunity should they be experiencing difficulties in paying their Council Tax or Council House rent.

The Portfolio Holder for Local Environment, Planning and Transport undertook to provide Councillor Hartnett with further information and clarification on whether the information in Appendix 1, Page 43 of the report on Future Development of Waste Services (Minute 181 refers) applied to both owner-occupied and local authority rented households and clarification of the Council’s proposed course of action in relation to the collection of waste from churches, charities etc. detailed within the same report.

Officers undertook to provide Councillor Hartnett with further information following the meeting on Section 106 monies (Minute 184 refers) that were apparently in the possession of the Council.)

(Prior to consideration of this item, and in accordance with the requirements of Section 81 of the Local Government Act 2000, Councillors Anderson, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, Cookson and Gandy declared personal interests in view of the fact that Councillors Brunner and A Clayton were associated with the Arts in Matchborough organisation, Councillors Anderson and Gandy were respectively a Governor and a clerk to the Governors of the Vaynor First School, Councillor Chalk was employed by Arrow Vale School and Councillor Cookson was a member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

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

Planning Committee                         -           7 October 2008

                                                                        -           4 November 2008

                                                                        -           2 December 2008

Standards Committee                                  -           9 December 2008

(Matters arising report in respect of the Minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee is attached to the agenda – a copy of the response to the consultation, for which the deadline was 24 December 2008)

(All decisions here have been fully resolved. There are no recommendations or referrals which require the Council’s determination)

(Report attached - Minutes circulated in Minute Book 6  - 2008/09 – TO FOLLOW)

The Council received the minutes of recent meetings of the planning and Standards Committees.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 7 October, 4 November and 2 December 2008 be received and adopted; and

2)         the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 9 December 2008 be received and adopted .

To consider a formal response to the Primary Care Trust’s consultation on their new five year strategy, “Investing in Health for Worcestershire – Draft Strategy 2008-13”.

Consultation document is available through the Council website and has previously been circulated to Members.

(Consultation letter attached)

Members considered and discussed a five year draft health strategy for Worcestershire developed by the Worcestershire PCT.

The Council welcomed the strategy and it was agreed that both a Corporate response be prepared and that Members be encouraged to respond individually to the PCT.

The Council was somewhat concerned at the lack of reference to both District Councils in general and to the Borough of Redditch in particular. It was recognised that the new Strategy would shape the provision of healthcare within the County for years to come and the Council was able to support broadly the strategic priorities.

The Council was pleased to note that the Strategy had recognised that there were challenges to be addressed alongside the positive messages that it contained. The financial turnaround to a surplus position was acknowledged and the Council also welcomed progress that had been made in, for instance, ophthalmology, obstetrics and midwifery at the Alexandra Hospital.

The renewed focus on Mental Health provision was considered a positive move; similarly it was hoped the current levels for assessment of dementia across the County could be improved. End of life care was identified as an area where further work might be undertaken and the lack of emphasis given to the prevention of teenage pregnancies was also noted. Finally, it was hoped that further thought might be given to the Choose and Book system and the means by which appointments could be made with General Practitioners.

RESOLVED that

a Corporate response be agreed by the Group Leaders and forwarded to the PCT.

To consider a minor amendment to the Scheme of Delegation to Officers as set out below:

Amendments shown as strikethrough for deletions and bold italics for additions:

To vary fees and charges in accordance with market conditions as set out in Appendix 1 of the “Fees and Charges” report presented to Amenities Committee on 6th November 2001.  (DLCBS DHLCS  - Director of Housing, Leisure and Customer Services)(C ).

            To approve and implement short-term and one-off promotions at all permanent and temporary Sports and Leisure facilities (HLD&P / MLeis,  MSS).

(The purpose is to clarify the extent of the authority delegated to officers).

The Council considered a minor amendment to the Scheme of Delegation to Officers in order that the extent of the authority delegated to Officers in a certain area of the Council’s activities might be clarified.

RESOLVED that

the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be amended as set out below:

Amendments shown as strikethrough for deletions and bold italics for additions:

To vary fees and charges in accordance with market conditions as set out in Appendix 1 of the “Fees and Charges” report presented to Amenities Committee on 6th November 2001.  (DLCBS DHLCS  - Director of Housing, Leisure and Customer Services)(C ).

To approve and implement short-term and one-off promotions at all permanent and temporary Sports and Leisure facilities (HLD&P / MLeis,  MSS).

To note any decisions taken in accordance with Standing Order 36 and/or the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Constitution), as specified.

(None to date).

There were no Urgent Business decisions under Standing Order 36 for consideration at this meeting.

To consider any additional items exceptionally agreed by the Mayor as Urgent Business in accordance with the powers vested in him 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.

It may be necessary, in the opinion of the Chief Executive, to consider excluding the public from the meeting in relation to the following items of business on the grounds that exempt information is likely to be divulged. It may be necessary, therefore, to move the following resolution:

“that, under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter(s) on the rounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraphs (to be specified) of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended.”

RESOLVED that

under S.100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matter on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) of the said Act, as amended.

Shared Services Business Cases  (Executive Committee Notice of Decisions, 7 January 2009, Minute 191) (as detailed at Minute 100 above).