Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Offices, Merrial Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2AG

Contact: Julia Cleary  01782 742227

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Cllr Mancey and Cllr Peers.

2.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of interest from Members on items contained within this agenda.

Minutes:

Cllr Loades declared that he had an interest in the motion regarding the provision of hearing aids as he sat on the Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee where a decision had been made regarding the item.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 165 KB

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting(s)

Minutes:

Resolved:                 That the minutes of the previous meeting be agreed as a correct record.

4.

Mayors Announcements

Minutes:

The Mayor announced that arrangements were now underway for the Charity Spring Ball to be held in The Ballroom at Keele Hall on Friday 8 April 2016.

 

Details of the menu and ticket price would be available later.

 

Discussions were also underway for a number of events to be held to raise money for the Mayor’s Charity Fund and these included a charity car wash at Newcastle Fire Station and concert by Newcastle Male Voice Choir.  Further details would be released as they become available.

5.

Treasury Management Annual Report 2014/2015 pdf icon PDF 32 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was submitted regarding the Treasury Management Annual Report. It was a requirement of the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice and its Prudential Code for Capital Finance that an Annual Report was made to the Council in respect of each year’s Treasury Management activities.

 

Members agreed that it was tremendous news regarding the money that would be reclaimed from the Icelandic Bank.

 

Resolved:

 

(a)       That the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2014/15 be received.

 

(b)       That the actual Prudential Indicators contained within the report be approved

6.

Newcastle under Lyme and Stoke on Trent Statement of Community Involvement pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council were required by Section 18 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004 to have an adopted and up to date Statement of Community Involvement. Cabinet had recommended the adoption of the Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Statement of Community Involvement, 2015, and thenext stage was to formally adopt the document as part of the Local Development Framework for Newcastle. 

 

Members welcomed the document.

 

Resolved:     That the Council adopt the Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent Statement of Community Involvement, 2015, as part of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Local Development Framework.

 

7.

Appointment of Representative on the LGIU Member Assembly pdf icon PDF 26 KB

Minutes:

 

A report was submitted to inform members of the appointment of Cllr Kyle Robinson as the Council’s representative on the Local government Information Unit Member Assembly.

 

Resolved:

 

a)         That Council confirms the appointment of Cllr Robinson as the Council’s representative on the LGIU Member Assembly.

8.

Statement of the Leader of the Council pdf icon PDF 36 KB

To receive a statement by the Leader of the Council on the activities and decisions of Cabinet and items included on the Forward Plan.

Minutes:

A report was submitted to provide an update to Members on the activities and decisions of Cabinet together with the Forward Plan.

 

The Leader stated that unfortunately due to ill health she had been unable to attend the LGA Conference and thanked Members for their support and well wishes.

 

The Leader also stated that improvements were currently being made to the forward plan including the fact that all Members now received a link to the update plan every Friday.

 

A concern was raised regarding lack pf progress with the Kidsgrove Town Centre Partnership and the questions was raised as to whether Cllr John Williams could be reinstated as a Director on the Partnership.

 

The Leader confirmed that a written response would be provided but also that this had been a Cabinet decision which could have been called in if Members had not been satisfied with the decision.

 

Resolved:     That the Report be noted.

9.

Reports of the Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees pdf icon PDF 35 KB

Chairs are requested to submit written reports to the Democratic Services Manager 2 days before the meeting at the very latest.

 

a)         Finance, Resources and Partnerships Scrutiny Committee

b)         Active and Cohesive Communities Scrutiny Committee

c)         Cleaner, Greener and Safer Communities Scrutiny Committee

d)         Economic Development and Enterprise Scrutiny Committee

e)         Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr Stringer requested two more nominations for the High Speed 2 working Group.

 

Cllr Loades thanked Officers for their support on the Audit and Risk Committee and for the clear and concise reports.

 

Members were also reminded that Planning training was taking place and that it was compulsory for members of the Planning Committee to attend at least 2 thirds of the courses.

 

Resolved:

 

That the reports be noted.

10.

Reports of the Chairs of the Regulatory Committees pdf icon PDF 19 KB

Chairs are requested to submit written reports to the Democratic Services Manager 2 days before the meeting at the very latest.

 

a)         Audit and Risk Committee

b)         Planning Committee

c)         Licensing Committee

d)         Public Protection Committee

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:     That the reports be noted.

11.

Questions to the Mayor, Cabinet Members and Committee Chairs.

Minutes:

A question had been submitted by Cllr Sweeney as follows:

 

The Staff Related Savings target in this year’s Budget is £50,000.  Can the leader tell me how near we are to achieving that target?

 

Resolved:     The Leader stated that a written response would be provided.

 

12.

Motions of Members pdf icon PDF 24 KB

A notice of motion other than those listed under procedure rule 10 must reach the Chief Executive ten clear days before the relevant Meeting of the Council.

Minutes:

A motion had been submitted by Cllr Proctor as follows:

 

This Council notes that:

 

·         Cuts to NHS hearing aid services are being introduced by North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group.  This is the first CCG to decommission free NHS hearing aids.

 

·         Staffordshire County Council’s Healthy Staffordshire Select Committee has decided to support the CCG’s introduction of a fee for the issue of hearing aids to patients who suffer from certain forms of hearing loss.

 

Cllr Proctor moved the motion and it was seconded by Cllr Astle.

 

Cllr Eastwood as Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee stated that this had been discussed at a previous meeting of the Committee and questions still remained unanswered such as why this project had been chosen over all others when all professionals in the field had objected. Cllr Eastwood confirmed that the Newcastle under Lyme Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee had been unable to support the recommendations.

 

Cllr Loaded stated that he did not support the motion and that the Policy had changed since the original meeting and that the motion contained inaccuracies in so far as the decision would not affect people with moderate hearing loss, dementia or hearing related illnesses such as tinnitus, the decision was only applicable to people with mild hearing loss. Cllr Loades also stated that where hardship relating to hearing loss was identified then an individual would be referred to an audiologist. Cllr Loades also confirmed that individuals could still visit their GP regarding hearing loss but that there would be no immediate support if the hearing loss was below 44 decibels unless it could be shown that the hearing loss was causing hardship to the individual or that the individual could not afford treatment. All cases would be looked at on an individual basis.

 

Cllr Loades proposed an amendment to the motion:

 

That this Council agree to monitor, in conjunction with the County Council Health Scrutiny Committee, this change to the North Staffs CCG policy and comment further after a review has taken place and that a report be brought back to this Council for further consideration.

 

The Leader stated that she could not support the amendment and that hearing loss did not just happen and that individuals needed support from the start.

 

Cllr Mrs Johnson also raised concerns regarding the impact that hearing loss could have on the mental health of patients. Cllr Loades stated that in cases such as this the case would be taken on by the patients GP.

 

The amendment to the motion was seconded and a named vote requested as follows:

 

Allport

NO

Heesom

YES

Shenton

NO

Astle

NO

Holland

YES

Simpson

NO

Bailey

NO

Huckfield

YES

Stringer

NO

Baker

NO

Johnson (Mrs)

NO

Stubbs

NO

Bates

NO

Johnson

YES

Sweeney

YES

Beech

NO

Kearon

ABSTAIN

Tagg (John)

YES

Braithwaite

YES

Loades

No Vote

Tagg (Simon)

YES

Burgess

NO

Mancey

Absent

Turner

NO

Cooper

ABSTAIN

Matthews

YES

Wallace

NO

Cooper (Miss)

YES

Naylon

Absent

Walklate

NO

Dymond

NO

Northcott

YES  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Receipt of Petitions

To receive from Members any petitions which they wish to present to the Council.

Minutes:

No petitions were received.

14.

Standing Order 18 - Urgent Business

To consider any communications which pursuant to Standing Order No18 are, in the opinion of the Mayor, of an urgent nature and to pass thereon such resolutions as may be  deemed necessary.

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.