Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr Proctor, Cllr Bates, Cllr Snell, Cllr Cooper and Cllr Wemyss.

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

There were no declarations of interest following clarification from officers that Members need not declare that they lived in the Borough as this was already stated on their declaration of interest forms.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting(s)

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

The Mayor reminded Members that her Spring Ball would be held in The Ballroom of Keele Hall on 8 April.  Reception from 7pm - for dinner at 8pm. Tickets were now available from Peter Whalan.

On the following evening Newcastle Male Voice Choir would be performing a concert at Newcastle Methodist Church in aid of the Mayor’s Charity Fund. 

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

Members received a presentation from Mr Ken Glover. The petition objected to the planned demolition of St Giles and St Georges school to make way for the new Council building. The petition proposed that the school be restored or at least that the Queen’s Gardens façade and tower be incorporated into the new building.

Council considered the petition.

A petition was also handed in by Cllr Margaret Astle in relation to Chinky Park

Resolved:    (a)      That the petition relating to St Giles and St Georges and an accompanying report be considered at the next meeting of the Cabinet on 10^th February 2016.

(b)      That the petition in relation to Chinky Park be received.

A report was introduced by the Chief Executive who had been Chair of the Asset Policy Committee. The Committee had been set up by Full Council at it’s meeting held on 25^th November 2015. Mr Sellgren outlined the terms of reference that had been adopted by the Committee and the Mayor invited Members to comment on and discuss the report.

Members thanked Mr Sellgren, his staff and Cushman Wakefield and the Independent Members for their hard work regarding the quick establishment and progress of the Committee given the very tight timescales.

The recommendations were moved by Cllr Sweeney and Seconded by Cllr Loades.

Cllr Tagg had sat on the Asset Policy Committee and he stated that the Committee had done what needed to be done. It was recommended as per the consultants’ advice that three large sites be disposed of in the first instance. Cllr Tagg also stated that the recommendations allowed for some flexibility and for community interest elements through the use of section 106 agreements.

Some Members expressed concerns regarding land that currently had village green stats which it was thought would not be saleable until this classification had been lifted.

Some Members also queried how the sites put forward by Cllr Huckfield at the Asset Policy Committee and listed in the report had been decided and there was some concern that a detailed matrix had not been used. It was confirmed that a draft matrix had been distributed to Members before Christmas but no comments had been received and the matrix had not been used during the meeting due to the fact that it contained no weightings.

Members were in agreement that assets needed to be sold to fund the Council’s capital programme but the question remained as to how this was to be done.

The Mayor moved Members to the vote and stated that an individual vote would be taken on each recommendation listed in the report.

Resolved:

(a)            The Council reaffirmed the decision of Cabinet taken in October 2014 “that the Council as a first resort, will seek to fund its known capital programme needs through the annual asset management planning process by the identification of land or property in its ownership that is capable of, and appropriate for, disposal”.

(b)            The Council recommends to Cabinet that provision is made in future revenue budgets for prudential borrowing.

A named vote was requested for recommendation (c):

Questions must be submitted at least 24 hours before the meeting. Any questions considered urgent will only be accepted with the agreement of the Mayor prior to the meeting.

The following question had been submitted by Cllr Sweeney:

Can the leader explain why leaflets are going out from TESLA Exploration International Ltd On behalf of GT Energy who have been appointed by Stoke on Trent City Council dealing with the Deep Geothermal District Heating Network Project. There is no mention of Newcastle Borough Council on the leaflet at all.

What is the Borough Councils Involvement in this project?

The Leader confirmed that this was a Stoke on Trent City Council project and not a Borough Council initiative. Briefing sessions had been held for Borough Council Members but there had been a very poor attendance and emails had been circulated regarding consultation events.

A notice of motion other than those listed in Paragraph 10, Appendix 7 of the Council’s Constitution must reach the Chief Executive ten clear days before the relevant Meeting of the Council.

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