Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received on behalf of Councillor Joe Baker.

The Mayor advised that she had that afternoon spoken with Councillor Baker who was making a good recovery following his recent ill-health.  Councillor Baker had been advised by his doctor to refrain from undertaking Council duties for a further 2 weeks, and the Mayor passed on Councillor Baker’s thanks to both Councillors and Officers for their good wishes.

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.

Councillor David Bush declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Item 8 (Executive Committee) as detailed separately at Minute 31 below.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 14^th July 2014.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 14th July 2014 be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

a)            Mayor

            The Mayor’s announcements were as follows:

i)             Michael Collins

The Mayor led the Council in thanking Michael Collins for his service as the Independent Observer on the former Standards Committee.  Mr Collins had taken on this role when the Council was required to change the way in which the Standards Committee worked, some two years previously.  Mr Collins had previously been an Independent Member on the Committee and his advice and support had been appreciated by all those involved with the Committee and the Group Leaders. 

The Leader of the Council and a number of other Councillors echoed their appreciation to Mr Collins for his hard work and support under the standards regime, as well as his presence at other meetings of the Council in observing the proceedings.

Mr Collins stated that it had been an honour to work with the Council, especially as he had been chair of licensing at the Magistrates’ Court at the point when the liquor licensing function had transferred to local authorities.

A small gift was presented to Mr Collins as a token of the Council’s appreciation for his services. 

ii)            Janet Little – Alzheimer’s Society & Redditch Friends Together

The Mayor reminded the Council that Redditch Friends Together, a support group for those with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, was one of the Mayoral charities. 

Linked to this she welcomed to the meeting Janet Little from the Alzheimer’s Society, together with Sue, a volunteer, and Elaine and Sandy, two service users, of Redditch Friends Together.

The Council heard from the representatives present of the work being undertaken locally by the Alzheimer’s Society and Redditch Friends Together, and of their plans to make Redditch a Dementia Friendly Town.  Redditch Friends Together was currently the only group under the Alzheimer’s Society which was working to change society in order to make the town a better place to live in for those with the condition.  Numerous activities were being undertaken by the group, which met on a weekly basis.  The group was currently working on a book of poetry which it hoped to publish in the future.  The group had also recently spoken at an event at Woodfield Academy in Redditch, at which 600 pupils had become champions on dementia. 

iii)          Mayor’s announcements

The Mayor advised that, since the previous meeting of the Council, she had attended a number of engagements, including the Dementia Assembly at Woodfield Middle School, YMCA Bike Project, a Family Art Trail at Arrow Valley Country Park, the Three Choirs Festival at Worcester Cathedral, the Batchley Summer Fete, Redditch in Bloom, a World War One exhibition at St Philips Church, Where Next Association’s 30th birthday celebrations and the Redditch Bandstand Festival; the last Bandstand event of the year.  The Mayor thanked everyone who had supported her Civic Service on 7th September and her comedy evening in aid of her charities on 9th September.   

iv)          Forthcoming engagements

The Mayor advised that forthcoming engagements included Ride for Rory at the Alexandra Hospital, Bromsgrove District Council’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

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:

29^th July 2014

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration include:

·         Consolidated Revenue and Capital Outturn;

·         Changes in Funding for Extra Care Scheme;

·         Response to Stratford on Avon’s Proposed Submission Draft Core Strategy; and

·         Worcestershire Shared Services Joint Committee.

8^th September 2014

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

·         Consolidated Revenue and Capital Monitoring Report Quarter 1, 2014-15

·         Voluntary and Community Sector Grants Programme 2015-16

(Reports attached – Minutes of the meeting on 29^th July 2014 circulated in Minute Book 2 – 2014/15. Minutes of the meeting held on 8^th September 2014 to follow)

The Council considered the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 29th July and 8th September 2014. 

In relation to Minute 20 (Consolidated Revenue and Capital Outturn, Executive Committee meeting, 29th July 2014), there was some discussion regarding the delay in selling Threadneedle House and it was queried how proactively this had been/was being marketed.   The Leader set out his understanding that there had been an expression of interest in the building and a bid on this made.  Officers confirmed that Property Services had marketed the building on the Council’s behalf and that a written update would be issued to all Members detailing the current position.  A further query was raised in relation to the balance of the grant for Town Centre developments, to which the Leader responded that the relevant Officer could provide any required update on monies which had been earmarked for improvements.

In relation to Minute 22 (Response to Stratford Upon Avon’s Proposed Submission Core Strategy), it was commented that there appeared to be inconsistencies in the Council’s approach to the exercise of its green belt policy between Stratford Upon Avon and Redditch and Bromsgrove.   The Leader stated that the response had been considered by the Planning Advisory Panel within a very short timescale, and that this represented a continuation of the Borough Council’s existing policy.  A further issue was raised in relation to the large number of empty commercial units in the Moons Moat area and what was deemed to be an unnecessary need to develop the Winyates Green Triangle.  The Leader referred to his earlier response in this regard.      

RESOLVED that

1)        the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 29th July 2014 be received and all recommendations adopted; and

2)        the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 8th September 2014 be received and all recommendations adopted.

(Prior to consideration of this item Councillor David Bush, declared a disclosable pecuniary interest, in view of the nature of his employment, and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of the item on the Response to Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Proposed Submission Core Strategy.)

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

Audit, Governance & Standards Committee       3^rd July 2014

Licensing Committee                                              28^th July 2014

Planning Committee                                               9^th July 2014

                                                                                    6^th August 2014

(There is a recommendation arising from the meeting of the Licensing Committee on 28^th July 2014 for the Council’s consideration – report and decision attached)

(Minutes circulated in Minute Book 2 – 2014/15)

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

In relation to Minute 15 (Portfolio Holder Update – 2013/14 Outturn, Audit, Governance and Standards Committee meeting, 3rd July 2014), it was noted that the final sentence should have read that a large number of staff had moved into the Town Hall and not Threadneedle House.  Officers confirmed that the amendment would be reported at the next meeting of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee, at which the minutes were due to be received for approval as a correct record.  It was further agreed that the amended minutes would be referred back to the next meeting of Full Council for adoption.

RESOLVED that

1)        subject to an amendment to the final sentence of Minute 15 (Portfolio Holder Update – 2013/14 Outturn) to read the Town Hall and not Threadneedle House, the minutes of the meeting of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee held on 3rd July 2014 be received, and that these be referred back to the next meeting of Full Council for formal adoption following their referral to the next meeting of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee;

2)        the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 28th July 2014 be received and the recommendation adopted; and

3)        the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 9th July and 6th August 2014 be received and adopted.

To consider the political balance of the Council following the recent by-election to fill the vacant seat in the Church Hill Ward.

(Report attached)

Following the by-election for the Church Hill ward on 17th July 2014, which was won by Nina Wood-Ford, a member of the Labour Group on the Council, Members considered the revised political balance of the Council’s Committees.

The only change proposed related to Planning Committee, where Labour took an additional place and the place previously allocated to the non-aligned Member was removed.

RESOLVED that

1)            the political balance of the Committees of the Council be agreed as follows:

and

2)            Councillor Nina Wood-Ford be appointed to the extra Labour place on the Planning Committee.

In the light of the recent appointment of Councillor Yvonne Smith as Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, to consider nominating Councillor Smith to the following bodies:

West Mercia Police and Crime Panel; and

Corporate Parenting Steering Group.

In both cases, the previous appointee was Councillor Rebecca Blake and so each nomination would represent a like for like change.

Further to the appointment of Councillor Smith, as noted above, and the recent election of Councillor Wood-Ford, to note the following change to the membership of the Health and Safety Committee:

Councillor Nina Wood-Ford appointed to the Health and Safety Committee in place of Councillor Yvonne Smith.

(No supporting report – previous report on Outside Bodies representation was submitted to the Annual Meeting of the Council on 9^th June 2014.)

In light of the recent appointment of Councillor Yvonne Smith as Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, Members considered changes in nominations to certain outside bodies and a change of membership to the Council’s Joint Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Committee.

RESOLVED that

1)        Councillor Yvonne Smith be nominated as the Council’s representative on the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel and the Corporate Parenting Steering Group; and 

2)        it be noted that Councillor Nina Wood-Ford had been appointed to the Council’s Joint Corporate Health, Safety and Welfare Committee in place of Councillor Yvonne Smith.

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.