Agenda and minutes

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Brandon Clayton.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Annual meeting of the Council held on 20th May 2013.

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 1 - 2013/14)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20^th May 2013 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

a)            Mayor

The Mayor’s communications and announcements were as follows:

i)          Mayoral functions

            The Mayor advised that since the previous meeting of the Council she had attended several engagements, including the latest Tour Series Bike Race, a charity fund-raising quiz for Redditch One World Link, and Bewdley Town Council Civic Service.

ii)         Forthcoming engagements

            The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included the reception of visitors from the twin town of Mtwara in Tanzania, a charity meal with the Mayor of Evesham, the Wyre Forest District Council Civic Service, the Primrose Hospice Charity Royal Race Day, the Primrose Choir Summertime Concert, the Worcester City Civic Service, Droitwich Spa Town Council Civic Service, the Fly the Flag Day at Redditch Town Hall, the Worcestershire Summer Schools Games, a Steamboat Trip with the Mayor of Stourport on Severn and Astwood Bank Carnival.

iii)        Libby Smith Charity Fund-raising

            The Mayor advised the Council of an event the following weekend which had been arranged to raise funds to help send a local BMX rider, Libby Smith, to the forthcoming World Championships in New Zealand and encouraged her fellow Councillors to attend if possible.

iv)        Friends of Gruchet-le-Valasse

            The Mayor advised that she had met with the delegation from the twin town of Gruchet-le-Valasse during their recent visit to Redditch. The Mayor of Gruchet, M. Didier Peralta, had presented the Borough with a stone crest in celebration of 20 years of friendship between the towns.

b)         Leader

The Leader’s announcements were as follows:

i)          Tour Series Bike Race

            The Leader commented on the success of the Tour Series Bike Race and advised that, since next year was the final year in which Choose How You Move funds would be available to finance the event, the Council would need to consider the options for maintaining the event into the future.

ii)         Bandstand Festival

            The Leader advised the Council that the latest Bandstand event the previous weekend featuring a number of local choirs had been very successful.

iii)        Visitors from Mtwara

The Leader was pleased to report that following the intervention of the Council, the local press and the local MP, the recent visa difficulties had largely been overcome and it was hoped that the visitors from Mtwara would be arriving in Redditch later in the current week.

c)         Chief Executive

The Chief Executive had no announcements.

No questions had been submitted.

No motions had been submitted.

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

9th April 2013

There are no matters requiring the Council's consideration.

(Minutes of the meetings on 9th April 2013 circulated in Minute Book 1 – 2013/14)

Members received the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 9^th April 2013.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 9^th April 2013 be received and adopted.

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

Audit & Governance Committee -18th March 2013

                                                            25th April 2013

Licensing Committee -                    11th March 2013

Planning Committee -                     3rd April 2013

                                                            8th May 2013

Standards Committee -                   8th April 2013

(There are no outstanding matters requiring the Council's consideration)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 1 – 2013/14)

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

RESOLVED that

1)        the minutes of the meetings of the Audit and Governance Committee held on 18^th March and 25^th April 2013 be received and adopted;

2)        the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 11^th March 2013 be received and adopted;

3)        the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 3^rd April and 8^th May 2013 be received and adopted; and

4)        the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 8^th April 2013 be received and adopted.

To confirm the Council's Constitutional arrangements.

(Constitution documents available in the Group Rooms for Members and on the Council's website)

The Council considered an updated version of the authority’s constitutional arrangements.

RESOLVED that

the Council’s Constitutional arrangements be re-affirmed, as appended to the Council Agenda under separate cover.

To agree appointments to various outside bodies.

Members considered a report which set out proposed appointments to various outside bodies. It was noted that nominations/ appointments had not been made to Redditch Play Council pending further information on Members’ liability.

RESOLVED that

1)        the list of organisations set out in the appendix to these minutes , to which the Council makes appointments and/or nominations, be agreed; and

2)        appointments and nominations be made to each body as detailed in the attached appendix.

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:

Matchborough East Community Centre Transfer

(Chief Executive / Executive Director, Finance and Resources)

Consideration was given to a proposed change to the lease arrangement that was originally agreed by the Executive Committee in December 2012. The reason for urgency was that a delay in the revision  to the decision would prevent the services being able to move quickly into their new premises.

RESOLVED that

1)        Property Services be instructed to assist Leisure and Cultural Services to transfer the MECC to Your Ideas on a Full Repairing basis, excluding the roof which will be subject to a non refundable £1,500 per annum sinking fund payment for a period of seven years; and

2)        Property Services be instructed to work with Redditch Community Boxing Club to explore a lease option for the shop unit vacated as a result of 1), above, on a Full Repairing Lease basis for a minimum period of seven years.

(Executive Decision)

The Council considered the decision that had been taken under its urgency procedures in respect of the Matchborough East Community Centre property transfer.

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.)

There were no separate items of urgent business for consideration at this meeting.