Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor’s Chaplain, Canon David Rogers, 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 on behalf of Councillors Quinney and Smith.

To pay tribute to the late Councillor Jack Field in recognition of his contribution to the Borough and its residents.

The Mayor introduced a tribute to a former colleague, Councillor Jack Field, whose death had come as a shock to all at the Council earlier in the month.

The Mayor welcomed Councillor Field’s daughter, Jane and other members of the family to the meeting and expressed the Council’s deepest condolences to them. Members of the Council were invited to offer up words they might wish to offer in memory of Councillor Field and of his services to the Borough.

The Leader of the Council commenced the tributes to Councillor Field, noting that he had been justifiably proud to become Mayor of the Borough, having been born and brought up in the town. Councillor Field’s wish to see the Mercian Regiment honoured through being conferred with the Freedom of the Borough was also highlighted. The Leader of the Minority Group then led other Members in expressing their thoughts on the character and achievements of Councillor Field.

Dr Jane Yeomans thanked the Council on behalf of the family for the tributes that had been paid to her late father, commenting that the liberal democracy for which his generation had fought was an important legacy for the current generation to uphold.

RESOLVED that

the Council formally record its gratitude to Councillor Field for his service to the Council and to the community.

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

Councillors Banks, Chance, B Clayton, Taylor and Thomas declared personal and prejudicial interests in Items 7 (Executive Committee) and 8 (Regulatory Committees) as detailed separately at Minutes 123 and 124 below. Previous declarations of interest on these Items were detailed separately within the papers for the Council meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on the 1st and 22nd February 2010.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 8 - 2009/10 – To follow)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 1st February and 22nd February 2010 be confirmed as correct records 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 Neil Bromley

The Mayor paid tribute to Mr Neil Bromley, Principal of NEW College, reading out the contents of a letter to be forwarded to Mr Bromley on the occasion of his retirement at the end of the month. The Leader of the Council led other Members in adding their tributes to Mr Bromley and thanking him for his considerable achievements during his period as Principal.

RESOLVED that

the Council place on record its gratitude to Mr Bromley for his achievements while Principal of NEW College.

b)         Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor advised that, since the last meeting of the Council, he had attended various functions, including: the Mayor’s own Cabaret Evening and Charity Auction, Girl-Guiding Worcestershire’s Centenary Thinking Day Service, the Mayor’s Charities Street Collection Day, the Inner Wheel Club of Redditch Fellowship Lunch, a Bank launch at Tenacres First School, the Young Fire Fighters’ Association passing-out Parade, the funeral of local artist Norman Neasom, the annual Fellows Lecture at Worcester University given by HRH Duke of Gloucester, the West Midlands Ambulance Services Awards Ceremony, the Sea Cadet of the Year Awards, the visit of HRH the Countess of Wessex and the Mercian Regiment Return Home and Freedom of the Borough Parade, followed by the Mayor’s own Civic Dinner.

The Mayor thanked a number of individuals and organisations who had contributed to the tremendous success of the Mercian Regiment Return Home and Freedom of the Borough Parade.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Banks for stepping in to take on engagements he had been unable to attend.

c)         Forthcoming events

The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included his hosting of a play list session with Kingfisher FM and the Mayor’s own Variety Spectacular evening on 10th April at the Palace Theatre.

d)         Urgent Business

The Mayor advised that he had not accepted any items of Urgent Business.

A.        To formally receive the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 27th January 2010.

(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 8 – 2009/10 – To follow)

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

3rd February 2010

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include:

·                    Local Development Framework – Office Needs Assessment;

·                    Water Quality Report; and

·                    Private Sector Housing Strategy and Action Plan;

17th February 2010

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include:

·                    Planning Services – Scheme of Delegation to Officers – Amendments relating to Tree Protection; and

·                    Planning Services – Increase in Charging for Pre-Application Discussions

(Matters arising report attached)

22nd February 2010

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 8 – 2009/10 – To follow)

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

10th March 2010

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·                    Home Improvement Agency;

·                    Redditch Housing Advice and Homelessness Review and Enhanced Housing Options Strategy and Action Plan;

·                    Prudential Indicators 2010/11 to 2012/13 and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy;

·                    Treasury Management Policy Statement; and

·                    REDI Centre – Procurement of Alternative Service Provider - Update

(Decision Notice attached)

Members received the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 27th January, 3rd February, 17th February and 22nd February 2010 and the decision notice of the meeting held on 10th March 2010.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 27th January 2010 be received and adopted;

2)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 3rd February 2010 be received and all recommendations approved;

3)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 17th February 2010 be received and all recommendations approved;

4)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 22nd February 2010 be received and adopted; and

5)         the decision notice of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 10th March 2010 be received and all recommendations approved, subject to:

in respect of Minute 265 (Home Improvement Agency) it being recorded, in accordance with Standing Order 16, that Labour Group Members abstained from voting on the printed recommendations during the voting on these matters.

(Prior to consideration of this item, and in accordance with the requirements of Section 81 of the Local Government Act 2000, Councillors B Clayton and Thomas declared personal and prejudicial interests in view of their positions on the management board of the Redditch Citizens’ Advice Bureau (Councillor B Clayton) and as a staff member of Redditch Carers’ Careline (Councillor Thomas) – (Minute 269 – Voluntary Sector Grant Applications 2010/11).)

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

Licensing                               - 14th December 2010

Planning Committee - 10th February 2010

                                                - 2nd March 2010

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 8 – 2009/10 – To follow)

The Council received the minutes of recent meetings of the Licensing and Planning Committees.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 25th January 2010 be received and adopted; and

2)         the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 2nd February and 2nd March 2010 be received and adopted.

(Prior to consideration of this item, and in accordance with the requirements of Section 81 of the Local Government Act 2000, Councillors Banks, Chance, and Taylor declared personal and prejudicial interests in view of their membership of the Management Board of Redditch Co-operative Homes (Banks and Chance) and personal relationship to staff members of Redditch Co-operative Homes (Taylor) (Planning Committee Minute 104 – application for a residential development on the former Marlfield Farm First School Site, Redstone Close, Church Hill).)

To seek approval for two actions required to facilitate officers from Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council, appointed to the Single Management Structure under Shared Services arrangements, to work in each authority.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

1)         the existing Officer Employment Procedure Rules be replaced by the Model Officer Employment Procedure Rules as set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and

2)         amendment be made to the Redditch Borough Council Scheme of Delegation to Officers by the addition of the following words under Section A “General Delegations”:

“To exercise the various delegations defined hereunder–

(All employees of Bromsgrove District Council seconded to Redditch Borough Council under Shared Service arrangements)”.

To consider the Terms of Reference of and to appoint a representative to the Joint Appointment Committee, in relation to the Head of Service for the Worcestershire Enhanced Two Tier (WETT) Regulatory Services.

(Report attached)

RESOLVED that

1)         the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Management be appointed to represent Redditch Borough Council on the Joint Appointments Committee; and

2)         the Terms of Reference for the Joint Appointments Committee as set out in paragraph 5.3 of the report be approved.

(On Labour Members’ requisition and in accordance with Standing Order 16, it was recorded that Labour Group Members voted against the printed recommendations during the voting on these matters.)

To consider any Committee / Sub-Committee / Panel positions which have been left vacant on the death of Councillor Field. The positions to which nominations are required are as follows:

Licensing Committee;

Planning Committee;

Standards Committee; and

Complaints Appeals Panel.

(No separate report)

The Leader of the Council announced that the identities of those Members who were to fill the various vacancies that had arisen on the death of Councillor Field would be reported to Officers following the meeting, where required.

RESOLVED that

the oral report be noted.

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.