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, William Norton and Debbie Taylor.

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 23rd May 2011.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 1- 2011/12 – To follow)

RESOLVED that

subject to it being noted that the Mayor’s Award for Outstanding Service to the Community had been awarded to Mrs Lorna White, with the three additional recipients being awarded unconnected commendations (Minute 4 b.), the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 23rd May 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 Robert Griffith

The Mayor advised that a very brief and informal visit had been made to the Town Hall recently by former Chairman of the Redditch Urban District Council, Mr Robert Griffith who had served in that capacity in 1954-55. Mr Griffith had sent his regards to the present Council.

b)         Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor advised that since the previous meeting of the Council she had taken part in a very enjoyable visit to the twin town of Auxerre. The Mayor also advised that she and the Deputy Leader had attended the funeral of Mr Andy Teepe, the Council’s Senior Solicitor the previous week.

c)         Forthcoming events

The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included: a brief visit from our other French twin – Gruchet Le Valasse over the forthcoming weekend, including a Barn Dance on the Saturday night, the Civic Service at Wychavon, the Opening of Grounds Project at Vaynor First School, a Girlguiding Celebration of Achievement, the Bridge Church Fete, the Civic Service at Worcester Cathedral, the Armed Forces Day Fly a Flag celebration and the Primrose Hospice Choir Charity Concert.

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

(No separate report / oral update)

There were none.

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 Standing Order 9.2 at the time of publication of the agenda.

No questions had been received.

To consider an urgent Motion submitted by Councillor Carole Gandy further to the very recent report of the Care Quality Commission on the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and, amongst others, the Alexandra Hospital.

(Motion attached)

(This Motion was received at less than the required 9 clear days’ notice. However, in view of the likely broad public interest in the matter, the Mayor has agreed its addition to the agenda in accordance with the powers vested in her by virtue of Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.)

The Council considered an urgent Motion further to the very recent report of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and, amongst others, the Alexandra Hospital. The Motion had been submitted by Councillor Carole Gandy and seconded by Councillors Juliet Brunner and Bill Hartnett.

The Motion had been received at less than the required nine clear days notice. However, in view of the likely broad public interest in the matter, the Mayor agreed to its inclusion on the agenda in accordance with the powers vested in her.

Councillor Gandy reported that the report of the CQC, which had been critical of the care provided at the Alexandra Hospital in a number of areas, had been a huge disappointment to her and many local residents. Whilst it was clear that much of the care provided at the Hospital was excellent, these were serious matters that had been raised and the Council had a moral obligation to raise its concerns with the PCT. It was reported that the Leader of the Council, along with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Local Environment and Health and the Leader of the Opposition were to be invited to a meeting with the Chairman of the PCT, the Head of Nursing and the Chief Executive of the PCT, should a replacement for Mr John Rostill have been appointed by that stage.

Councillors Brunner and Hartnett supported the Motion and expressed their sadness at this turn of events and their desire for the proposed scrutiny into the apparent shortcomings to be suitably rapid and meaningful. The hope was expressed that the exercise might in part be held within Redditch to provide for the involvement of local Councillors and residents in the process.

A number of Members expressed complementary views and it was consequently

RESOLVED that

the Motion be agreed in the following terms:

“Redditch Borough Council wishes to express its deep concern regarding the recent Care Quality Commission report on the Worcestershire Acute Health Trust.

The Trust has failed to meet legal standards for nutrition, hydration and dignity.

Public confidence in the Trust has deteriorated and this Council is concerned about the health and welfare of patients in the AlexandraHospital.

This Council requests that:

1)                 Worcestershire PCT undertake a scrutiny into the management systems that enabled this failure to occur;

2)                 Worcestershire Health Overview & Scrutiny Panel undertake an urgent scrutiny into the standards of care given to patients; and

3)                 Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust undertake scrutiny on their failures and report back the measures they have put in place to reassure the public.”

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

12th April 2011

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include:

·        Worcestershire Housing Strategy 2011-2016;

·        Worcestershire Local investment Plan and Affordable Homes Programme Framework; and

·        Member Development Steering Group, 31st March 2011 - Referrals

(Reports and decisions attached)

31st May 2011

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·        Council Plan 2011-2014;

·        Disposal of Site of FormerPark House

(Reports and decisions to follow)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 1 – 2011/12 – To Follow)

Members received the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 12th April and 23rd May 2011.

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 12th April 2011 be received and all recommendations approved, subject to:

in respect of Minute 214 (Member Development Steering Group, 31st March 2011 – Referrals) it being noted that compulsory training was a requirement only for members sitting on quasi-judicial bodies (Member Development Programme 2011/12) and that implementation of the amended policy on the forwarding of Council e-mails to personal e-mail accounts be delayed to July 2011 (Members’ ICT Facilities – Policy).

2)         the minutes of the meting of the Executive Committee held on 31st May 2011 be received and all recommendations approved.

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

Audit and Governance Committee -           18th April 2011

Planning Committee -                                   29th March 2011

                                                                        27th April 2011

Standards Committee -                                20th April 2011

(Reports and decisions from the Audit and Governance Committee attached)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 1 – 2011/12 – To Follow)

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

RESOLVED that

1)         the minutes of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 18th April 2011 be received and all recommendations approved;

2)         the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 29th March and 27th April 2011 be received and adopted; and

3)         the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 20th April 2011 be received and adopted.

To consider any administrative matters arising out of the Annual Meeting, including appointments to various bodies and minor Constitutional matters.

(No separate report – none to date)

The Council considered a brief report detailing a number of administrative matters arising since the Council’s Annual Meeting.

RESOLVED that

1)         the appointment of a second Council representative to Where Next? Association (Councillor Wanda King) be noted;

2)         the expansion of the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 9 to 11 and the appointment of Councillor Brenda Quinney and an additional Member of the Minority Labour Group be approved;

3)         the permissibility of substitutes on the Parent Overview and Scrutiny be approved and the Council’s Constitutional documents be amended, as appropriate; and

4)         the appointment of Councillors Anita Clayton, Malcolm Hall and a Member of the Minority Labour Group to the Town Centre Partnership be approved, in accordance with the changed requirements of that body.

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 the Council’s urgency procedures 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 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.)

With the exception of the Urgent Notice of Motion which had been considered earlier in the evening, there were no separate items of Urgent Business for consideration at this meeting.