Full Council – 15 December 2016

Present

THE MAYOR – Councillor T Foster

Councillors Ali, Allcock, Armiger, Armitage, Bainbridge, Briggs, Clark, A Davison, J Davison, Ellerby, England, Evison, L Foster, Glover, Godfrey, Gosling, Grant, Hannigan, Kataria, Kirk, Longcake, Marper, Mumby-Croft, Ogg, Oldfield, O’Sullivan, Perry, Poole, Baroness Mrs Redfern, Reed, Robinson, Rose, Rowson, C Sherwood,  N Sherwood, K Vickers, P Vickers,  Waltham, Wells, and Wilson.

The council met at the Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe.

2472   MAYOR’S REMARKS – The Mayor welcomed fellow councillors, officers and members of the public to the meeting. The Mayor then referred to the recent sad death of former councillor William Eckhardt who had been a member of North Lincolnshire Council from 2003-2015.  He had also served as Mayor in 2005/2006.  The Mayor paid tribute to Councillor Eckhardt’s years of dedicated public service and then invited the Leaders of both political groups Councillor Baroness Redfern and Councillor L Foster to say a few words. Both echoed the tribute paid by the Mayor and expressed their thoughts for former Councillor Eckhardt’s family at this sad time.

The council then observed a minute’s silence in memory of the former Mayor and Councillor William Eckhardt.

2473   DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS AND PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – Declarations of personal interests were indicated as follows – 

Member Subject/Minute
Councillor M Ali Hackney Carriage Driver/Licence Holder, with schools transport contract. Crosby Community Association – Trustee
Councillor R Allcock

 

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board – Member Member of Haxey Parish Council
Councillor J Briggs Fire Authority – Member
Councillor J England

 

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board – Member Member of Messingham Parish Council
Councillor T Ellerby Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board – Member
Councillor L Foster Member of Bottesford Town Council
Concillor T Foster Member of Messingham Parish Council
Councillor I Glover Member of Broughton Town Council
Councillor T Gosling Blue Door, Scunthorpe
Councillor H Mumby-Croft Member of Broughton Town Council
Councillor D Oldfield Personal Licence Holder
Councillor C O’Sullivan

 

Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS – Foundation Trust – Member Member of Rape Crisis Blue Door, Scunthorpe
Councillor B Perry Communities Advice Centre – Member
Councillor N Poole Member of Messingham Parish Council
Councillor J Reed Member of Crowle and Ealand Town Council
Councillor D Robinson Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board – Member Member of Epworth Town Council
Councillor H Rowson Ancholme Internal Drainage Board – Member
Councillor C Sherwood Member of Brigg Town Council
Councillor N Sherwood

 

Fire Authority – Member

Member of Brigg Town Council

Councillor K Vickers Member of Barton Town Council
Councillor P Vickers Member of Barton Town Council
Councillor R Waltham

 

Member of Brigg Town Council Humber Bridge Board – Chairman Fire Authority – Member

 

2474   MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held 29 September 2016 and the Special Meeting held on 10 October 2016, having been printed and circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the Mayor.

2475   (10)    CALCULATING THE COUNCIL TAX BASE 2017/18 CALCULATING THE COUNCIL TAX BASE FOR 2016/2017 – The Director of Policy and Resources submitted a report requesting the council to consider and approve the council tax base to be used for each part of the council’s area for formula grant and tax setting purposes.  The key points in the report were to note the council tax base, for grant purposes, at 14 October 2016, as submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG), to consider applying a cap at Band B for support offered through the Local Council Tax Support Scheme, to consider removing the council tax discount currently applied to empty properties to set a tax base for setting council tax for the council, local parishes and major precepting authorities, and to decide whether to make a payment of grant to parish councils to compensate for the reduction in council tax base, due to the council tax support scheme and on what terms.

The Director in his report specifically explained that for 2017/18 the council had consulted on a proposal to change the Council Tax Support Scheme by setting a cap on the amount of support offered at the level of a band B property. The consultation feedback was considered within the report.

The report contained further detailed information about the tax base for grant purposes, the tax base for setting council tax and the support to town and parish councils with additional, associated information set out in appendices A, B and C.

Resolved – (a) That for 2017/18 the maximum level of support under the local Council Tax Support Scheme be set at band B, with all other elements of the scheme as for 2016/17; (b) that from 2017/18 empty property relief (class C) be no longer granted; (c) that the council tax base for the council, parishes and major precepting bodies in 2017/2018, as set out in Appendix B to the report be approved, and (d) that the grant support for parishes be provided on the basis set out in paragraph 3.10 of the report.

2476   (11)    APPOINTMENT OF EXTERNAL AUDITORS – The Director of Policy and Resources submitted a report seeking approval of arrangements and a suggested preferred option for the appointment of the council’s external auditors from 1 April 2018.

The Director explained that arrangements for the appointment of external auditors from April 2018 were laid down in the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015.  The appointment from April 2018 must take place by 31 December 2017. The Act provided for two principal routes:

  • The council leads the appointment process, either independently or in collaboration with other authorities. For this they needed to appoint an independent auditor panel to advise on the process. The final decision would be made by full Council; or
  • Appointment via the approved sector-led body acting as “appointing person”. Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA) had been appointed to this role. PSAA, which was owned by the Local Government Association, was the company managing the current external audit contracts since the Audit Commission closed.

The PSAA option was likely to be the best for the council, based on the effectiveness of current arrangements, savings made to date and likely further savings from procurement ‘at scale’.       Furthermore the PSAA had given a commitment to appoint the same external auditors where collaboration or joint working exists. In addition the PSAA had developed arrangements to ensure that providers maintained appropriate quality standards.

Resolved – That the Director of Policy and Resources be authorised to sign up to the scheme by which the External Auditor appointment is made on the Council’s behalf by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd.

2477   (12)    APPOINTMENT OF LEADER OF THE COUNCIL – The Assistant Director: Legal and Democratic referred to Article 7 of the council’s Constitution and submitted a report informing council that he had been notified by Councillor Baroness Redfern of her intention to resign her position as Leader of the Council and as a member of the Executive on 15 January 2017. Consequently, it was necessary for the council to receive nominations for and elect a new councillor to the office of Leader of the Council to take effect from 16 January 2017. The period of office of the new Leader would end on the day the council holds its Annual Meeting to complete the original four year term of the outgoing Leader (May 2015 to May 2019).

The Assistant Director explained that the Council would be aware that having previously adopted the (strong) Leader and Cabinet model of executive arrangements under the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended by the Local Government and Public Health Act 2007), the Leader was responsible for appointing the Executive (cabinet) which, including the Leader, must comprise of at least two but no more than ten councillors.

Also, having regard to the above, it was considered appropriate to authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any consequential amendments to the council’s Constitution arising from the election of a new Leader including the appointment by the new Leader of a Deputy and the Council’s outside bodies schedule.

Councillor Briggs and Councillor N Sherwood (as mover and seconder respectively of the motion below), the Mayor and other councillors throughout the meeting paid tribute to Councillor Baroness Redfern as Leader of Council over the years, and now as an ambassador for North Lincolnshire as a Baroness within the House of Lords.

Moved by Councillor Briggs and seconded by Councillor N Sherwood –

(a) That the resignation of Councillor Baroness Liz Redfern as Leader of the Council to take effect on 15 January 2017 be noted, and that council acknowledges with thanks her tremendous efforts on behalf of the whole of North Lincolnshire during her period in office; (b) that Councillor Rob Waltham be nominated for and be elected as the new Leader of the Council, to take up office on 16 January 2017, and (c) that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any consequential amendments to the council’s Constitution arising from the election of a new Leader, including the appointment by the new Leader of a Deputy, and the Council’s ‘outside bodies schedule’.

At the request of members and in accordance with Procedure Rule 1.22(d) the names of members voting for, against and abstaining from the motion are as follows –

FOR:   Councillors Allcock, Armiger, Briggs, Clark, J Davison, England, Evison, T Foster, Glover, Hannigan, Longcake, Marper, Mumby-Croft, Ogg, Poole, Mrs Redfern, Reed, Robinson, Rose, Rowson, C Sherwood, N Sherwood, K Vickers, P Vickers, Waltham and Wells.

AGAINST:              CouncillorsBainbridge, Grant, Kataria and Kirk

ABSTAINING:        Councillors Ali, A Davison, Ellerby, L Foster, Godfrey, O’Sullivan, Oldfield, Perry and Wilson.

Motion Carried

2478  PLANNING COMMITTEEResolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 21 September, 19 October, and 16 November 2016, be received with the exception of minute 1774 (xvi).

2479   APPLICATION PA/2016/1532 – With regard to excepted portion (a) it was –

Moved by Councillor N Sherwood and seconded by Councillor Allcock –

That the minute be received.

Moved by Councillor Bainbridge and seconded by Councillor Grant as an amendment-

That the minute be received with regret at the decision arrived at by the committee.

Amendment Lost Motion Carried

2480   LICENSING COMMITTEE – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Committee held on the 22 and 28 September, 6 October and 24 November 2016 be received, approved and adopted.

2481   AUDIT COMMITTEE – Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee held on 27 September 2016 be received.

2482   STANDARDS COMMITTEE – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Standards Committee held on 8 and 14 September, and 23 November 2016 be received.

2483   PEOPLE SCRUTINY PANEL – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the People Scrutiny Panel held on 20 September, 11 October, 2 and 22 November 2016 be received with the exception of minute 387.

2484   LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD (LSCB) ANNUAL REPORT 2015/16 – With regard to excepted portion (a) it was –

Moved by Councillor Marper and seconded by Councillor Bainbridge –

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

2485  HEALTH SCRUTINY PANEL – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Health Scrutiny Panel held on 5 September, 17 and 28 October 2016 be received.

2486   GOVERNANCE SCRUTINY PANEL – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Governance Scrutiny Panel held on 8, 20 and 27 September, 20 October and 10 November 2016 be received with the exception of minutes 29, 32 and 46.

2487   CALL-IN, USE OF DISCRETIONARY HOUSING FUND – With regard to excepted portion (a) it was –

Moved by Councillor Marper and seconded by Councillor Bainbridge –

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

2488   CALL-IN, COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT SCHEME CONSULTATION – With regard to excepted portion (b) it was –

Moved by Councillor Marper and seconded by Councillor Bainbridge –

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

2489   COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW – With regard to excepted portion (c) it was –

Moved by Councillor Marper and seconded by Councillor Bainbridge –

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

2490   JOINT COMMITTEE ON SHARED SERVICES – Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Joint Committee on Shared Services held on 23 September 2016 be received.

2491   APPOINTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEEResolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Appointment and Employment Committee held on 30 September, 10 October and 14 November 2016 be received.

2492   NOTICE OF MOTION – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Moved by Councillor Baroness Redfern and seconded by Councillor L Foster –

The council unites to wholeheartedly condemn domestic violence in all its forms across North Lincolnshire and further afield and in doing so, commends the important work being done jointly with various partners, including the police, public health and various charitable and voluntary organisations to provide valuable services and support those in need.

This council notes that:-

  • it was awarded ‘White Ribbon Council Award’ status in May 2016. The White Ribbon Campaign is the UK branch of an international campaign by men to rid society of violence and abuse against women in all its forms;
  • a new commissioned service, ‘the Blue Door’ is to provide support services including outreach and advocacy services, legal  advice, family support and professional counselling;
  • our ‘Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) for high risk victims of domestic abuse has been identified nationally as best practice;
  • Humberside Police, one of our key partners, was the first force nationally to gain a victimless conviction for the new offence of Coercive Control which came into law in December 2015,

and in noting the above, this council commits to work tirelessly, and cross-party to help and protect those who have been victims of domestic abuse and develop strategies and services to meet their differing need.

Motion Carried Unanimously