Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Crooks, Hall, Hollick, Lynch, Nichols, Rooney, Surtees, Wallace, Ward and Wright.

Best wishes were sent to Councillors Crooks & Surtees who had recently had operations and were recovering.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2015.

It was moved by Councillor Sutton, seconded by Councillor Williams and

RESOLVED – the minutes of the meeting held on 15 September be confirmed and signed by the Mayor.

No interests were declared at this stage.

The Mayor reported that, in response to her letter congratulating her Majesty the Queen on being the longest reigning British monarch, she had received a response thanking the Council. She also reminded members of the Remembrance Service on 8 November and reported on a letter from David Tredinnick, MP, regarding the consultation by the Fire & Rescue Service regarding proposed cuts.

Councillor Bessant arrived at 6.36pm.

To receive for information only the minutes of the Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 17 September 2015.

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Commission presented the minutes of the last meeting for information.

This item is included at the request of a number of members. The Deputy Chief Fire Officer will be in attendance.

Following a request for this item by Councillor Bray and signed by five further councillors, Mr Lunn, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, attended the meeting to present information on the consultation being undertaken by the Fire & Rescue Service in relation to proposed cuts. During discussion following the presentation, the following points were raised:

·         The high attendance at the consultation event held at Hinckley Fire Station

·         Concern for Fire & Rescue Service staff at risk of redundancy

·         The difficulties of providing a service with fewer staff

·         The continued reduction in emergencies over the last ten years and the risk that there would come a time when numbers could reduce no further

·         The importance of the public responding to the consultation

·         The advances in technology having gone some way to improve services and offset cuts

·         The importance of education, particularly in schools, in improving fire safety.

Mr Lunn was thanked for his presentation and for providing an exceptional service with frontline staff over many years.

In response to questions raised and points made, Mr Lunn provided the following responses:

·         A co-ordination centre had been established following the 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre to enable mobilisation of resources from across the country

·         The potential loss of 80 part time staff and eight full time would be in addition to the 80 jobs cut as part of last year’s consultation and reorganisation

·         Where possible, staff would be redeployed rather than made redundant

·         Service standards of a vehicle (and in most cases more than one) would be in attendance at an emergency in under ten minutes.

Members felt it important to note that, whilst some stations were losing one of their two fire engines which was being replaced with a fast response vehicle, Hinckley was losing one which would not be replaced. Concern was expressed and Mr Lunn agreed to feed it back as part of the consultation.

Councillor Bray suggested that, in addition to encourage the public to respond and councillors responding as individuals, the Council should provide a response to the consultation. Seconded by Councillor Bill, Councillor Bray proposed the following MOTION:

“(a)      This Council expresses serious concern about the severe cuts to funding of our emergency services;

(b)        This Council resolves to respond to the Combined Fire Authority’s consultation by expressing serious concerns over planning reductions in emergency cover including closure of two stations and removal of 11 fire engines including on call engines at Hinckley and Coalville.”

Councillor Bray along with six further members stood to request that voting be recorded on this motion.

Councillor Morrell requested a five-minute adjournment at this juncture. The meeting therefore adjourned at 8.00pm.

The meeting reconvened at 8.07pm.

Councillor Morrell, seconded by Councillor Bessant, proposed an AMENDMENT to the motion that matter be referred to the Scrutiny Commission to agree the exact wording of the Council’s response to the consultation. The amendment was supported and the motion, as amended, was put to the vote.

Councillors Allen, Bessant, Bill, Boothby, Bray, Camamile, Cartwright,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 204.

Report of the Chief Executive attached, with associated appendices.

Council received a report which recommended membership of a West Midlands Combined Authority on a ‘non-constituent’ basis. The reasons for recommending membership, along with the positive potential benefits, were set out in sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the report. In addition, it was explained that, following concern expressed by the Council, the position had now been negotiated by the Leader and Chief Executive for the authority (and other non-constituent member councils) to have voting rights in relation to growth plans. This significant positive change had been confirmed in writing from the WMCA earlier in the day. It was confirmed also that there would be no cost to becoming a non-constituent member of the Combined Authority, although some time would need to be invested in the immediate term, which the Chief Executive committed to input, as the aim of membership was to ‘get the best’ for businesses, the economy and residents of Hinckley and Bosworth. It was moved by Councillor Bill, seconded by Councillor Bray and supported by Councillor Lay that the recommendations within the report be approved and that the authority confirms its acceptance to become a non-constituent member of the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority.

Councillor Morrell requested that the meeting be adjourned for five minutes at this juncture. The meeting adjourned at 8.34pm.

The meeting reconvened at 8.41pm.

Councillor Bray, along with six further members, stood to request that voting on this motion be recorded.

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, DS Cope, GAW Cope, Hodgkins, Lay and Witherford voted FOR the motion (8);

Councillor Allen, Bessant, Boothby, Camamile, Cook, Kirby, Ladkin, Morrell, Nickerson, O’Shea, Richards, Roberts, Smith, Sutton and Williams voted AGAINST the motion (15).

There were no abstentions.

The motion was therefore declared LOST and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            Non-Constituent membership of the proposed West Midlands Combined Authority be not pursued;

(ii)           A review / enforcement of the Coventry Joint Committee / Economic Prosperity Board arrangement in which it participates with Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council and the five Warwickshire district councils be not sought;

(iii)          The request to be a member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership be not reaffirmed;

(iv)         Commitment to membership of the Leicester and Leicestershire Combined Authority be not confirmed;

(v)          Continued commitment to membership of the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), in particular its continued membership of the Leicester and Leicestershire Business Rates Pool, be not confirmed.