Agenda and minutes

Rev John Whittaker offered Prayer.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Lynch and Sutton.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2014.

It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor Witherford and

RESOLVED – the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Mayor.

The Chief Executive confirmed that members did not need to declare an interest in the HRA Investment Plan (council tenants) and the Members’ Allowances (all members) reports.

Councillors Camamile and Bray declared personal interests in the items on Leicestershire County Council Savings Targets and Green Waste Collection Arrangements.

The Mayor reported on recent events including his Carol Service.

The Leader presented his position statement to Council, including updates on the Crescent development, Leisure Centre, Squash Club and work to secure major investment to improve the A5. He also provided the latest figure from the Government that the authority currently has a housing land supply of 5.25 years. The Leader, echoed by all members, congratulated Jill Stidever from Markfield who had received the Unsung Hero award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards and asked that she be invited to a future meeting. The Leader also informed members of the announcement that afternoon of a £1.9m new homes bonus to the Council.

In response to the statement, discussion ensued regarding the City Deals and the recent statistics that more than 30% of schools leavers in Warwickshire had no formal qualifications. In response it was noted that work was being undertaken across the Midlands to address such issues.

To receive for information only the minutes of the Scrutiny Commission meeting held on 13 November 2014.

The minutes of the Scrutiny Commission were received for information.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Community Direction).

Council gave consideration to a report which proposed purchasing four new affordable houses in Newbold Verdon and requested delegated authority for future purchases under the HRA Investment Programme. It was moved by Councillor Mullaney, seconded by Councillor Bray and

RESOLVED –

(i)            The purchase of four dwellings on the site at Dragons Lane, Newbold Verdon for a total purchase price of £409,000 be approved;

(ii)           Authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction), the Deputy Chief Executive (Community Direction), the Executive Member for Finance, ICT & Asset Management and the Executive Member for Housing to purchase land for residential property to be utilised for the provision of council housing in accordance with the HRA Investment Programme.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Community Direction).

Council was advised on the impact of Leicestershire County Council’s savings targets and commissioning targets on locality based services within Hinckley and Bosworth. Concern was expressed regarding the impact particularly on recycling and children’s services. It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor Bill and

RESOLVED –

(i)            The implications for HBBC arising from Leicestershire County Council’s savings and commissioning changes, which will be built into the 2015/16 budget, be noted;

(ii)           Leicestershire County Council be advised that this Council wishes to work closely with LCC officers and partners to ensure the impact of the cuts is minimised for residents of Hinckley & Bosworth;

(iii)          Leicestershire County Council be requested to positively engage the borough council in future commissioning arrangements for the locality;

(iv)         The County Council be requested to provide early clarification of further planned cuts and changes in service arrangements impacting on the borough.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Community Direction).

Council was updated on actions following the decision of the previous meeting to consult on the options for the future provision of green waste collection. It was reported that an increase in planning income had meant that the financial gap as a result of the County Council’s withdrawal of recycling credits could be met from balances.

Some members ask if the planning income may be required to support enforcement and appeals, and in response it was noted that this was continually under review. It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor Bill and unanimously

RESOLVED –

(i)            The removal of the need for consultation on charging for green waste due to having identified additional income be agreed;

(ii)           A transfer of £350,000 from General Fund balances to the Waste Management Reserve in 2014/15 be approved;

(iii)          A transfer of £350,000 from the Waste Management Reserve in 2015/16 to fund the forecast budget pressure arising from the withdrawal of green waste recycling credits be approved;

(iv)          It be noted that the transfer can only occur because of one-off savings arising in year as a result of large planning applications and savings in the production of the Area Action Plan and a longer term solution must be sought to fund this budget gap from 2016/17.

Report of the Chief Executive.

Attached are amended recommendations, an amended structure and a document which outlines management’s response to Unison’s comments.

A report was presented to members, which introduced a restructure of the operational management within Corporate Services. Members generally supported the principle of the proposals, but raised minor concerns regarding the extra burden upon other officers due to the loss of expertise following the departure of the Chief Officer (Corporate Governance & Customer Engagement) and the need for the new post to be subject to a three month probation period. It was moved by Councillor Witherford, seconded by Councillor Bray and unanimously

RESOLVED –

(i)            The principles and objectives of the restructure be supported;

(ii)           The continuation of the existing arrangement of two Chief Officers being accountable to the Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction) be noted;

(iii)          The decisions on the final details of the structure, job descriptions and gradings be delegated to the Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Direction);

(iv)         The appointment be made to the vacant post in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution.

Report of the Monitoring Officer.

Proposed changes to the Finance and Contract Procedure Rules in order to bring them up to date were highlighted to Council. It was moved by Councillor Witherford, seconded by Councillor Bray and unanimously

RESOLVED – the changes to the Finance and Contract Procedure Rules as outlined in the appendix to the report be approved.

Report of the Chief Executive.

Council was presented with the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances and the comments of the Scrutiny Commission. Members acknowledged that the allowances for this authority were low in comparison with others and in respect of the hours worked, but felt that this was not a good time to increase allowances, particularly as staff had only received low pay increases. It was moved by Councillor Witherford and seconded by Councillor Bray that the matter be deferred until the Annual Council meeting in May 2015. Upon being put to the vote the motion was CARRIED. A counter-motion proposed by Councillor Bessant and seconded by Councillor Allen that the recommendations within the report be supported and future increases be linked to staff increases was not put to the vote. It was

RESOLVED – consideration of the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel be deferred to Annual Council in May 2015.

To agree the replacement of Councillor Sutton with Councillor Batty.

Councillor Batty, seconded by Councillor Allen, proposed that he replace Councillor Sutton as a member of the Planning Committee. Councillor Mayne and seven other councillors proposed that voting on the motion be recorded. The vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Batty, Bessant, Boothby, Ladkin, Morrell, O’Shea, Richards and Smith voted FOR the motion (9);

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, Crooks, Mrs Hall, Mr Hall, Hodgkins, Hulbert, Inman, Mayne, Moore, Mullaney, Taylor, Ward and Witherford voted AGAINST the motion (15);

Councillors Bannister, Camamile, Chastney, Cope, Gould, Lay, Nichols and Sprason abstained from voting.

The motion was therefore declared LOST and it was

RESOLVED – there be no change to membership of the Planning Committee.

Councillor Ward left the meeting at 8.20pm.

To appoint a trustee following the resignation of Mrs R Wright as a representative of the authority.

Following the resignation of one of the authority’s representatives from Hinckley JCC School Foundation’s board of trustees, it was proposed by Councillor Bray and seconded by Councillor Bill that Mrs P Bannister be put forward as trustee. Upon being put to the vote the motion was CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED – Mrs P Bannister be appointed as a representative of this authority on the Hinckley JCC School Foundation.

Motion received from Cllr Crooks and seconded by Cllr Mullaney:

“That this council deplores the modernisation of the Post Office where it sees Village Post Offices closed and the service moved into small village shops, with particular reference to the proposal at Newbold Verdon, to move the current Post Office business to the NISA shop which is already overcrowded and does not have room for customers to transact business with any degree of privacy.”

Attention was draw to the motion printed on the agenda regarding the closure of village Post Offices in light of the current proposal to move the Post Office in Newbold Verdon into a local shop.

Discussion ensued on the positive and negative outcomes of the modernisation agenda and members urged residents to submit their comments to the consultation. It was moved by Councillor Crooks, seconded by Councillor Mullaney and

RESOLVED - this council deplores the modernisation of the Post Office where it sees Village Post Offices closed and the service moved into small village shops, with particular reference to the proposal at Newbold Verdon, to move the current Post Office business to the NISA shop which is already overcrowded and does not have room for customers to transact business with any degree of privacy.