Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Cllr Howells, Cllr Cairns, Cllr Mrs Heames, Cllr Cooper and Cllr Miss Rout.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 27^th November 2013.

Resolved:     That the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 27^th November be agreed as a correct record.

The Mayor invited all Members of the Council to join him at the Annual Civic Mass that was to be held on Sunday 2^nd March 2013 from 9.30am.

Tickets for the Spring Ball were also now available and could be purchased from Peter Whalan.

The Newcastle Male Voice Choir would be performing a concert in aid of the Mayor’s Charity Fund at Newcastle Methodist Church on Saturday 12^th April 2014 from 7.30pm.

Resolved:     That Council confirm the recommendations of the Public Protection Committee made at the meeting held on 3rd February 2014.

Resolved:     (a)       That the Audit Manager (Elizabeth Dodd) be appointed as the Council’s Monitoring Officer with immediate effect.

(b)       That Cllr Sandra Hambleton be appointed to the Staffordshire County Council Corporate Parenting Panel as the Borough Council Representative.

(c)        That Cllr Paul Waring be appointed as the Chair of the Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(d)       That Council note the changes in committee membership.        

Members received a report setting out the recommendations of Cabinet for the Revenue and Capital Budgets for 2014/15 and set out the recommendations for setting the 2014/15 Council Tax.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources introduced the report and moved the recommendations listed in Appendix A (a to n).

An amendment was submitted by Cllr Sweeney and was seconded by Cllr Loades. A copy of the amendment was circulated to members.

The amendment was as follows:

‘After the words’’…..set out in appendix a’’ add

To raise £13,500 by capping car mileage rates paid to council staff to the HM Revenue and Customs rate of 45p per mile (over nine months further to statutory consultation period of 90 days) in 2014/2015 which will rise to £18,000 over a full year.

To raise £10,000 by the abolition of the 7^th cabinet member and a return to daytime cabinet meetings along with our withdrawl from the cooperative innovation network.

To raise £30,000 by withdrawing our financial support to the Town Centre Partnership.

To raise £50,000 by reducing our revenue investment fund to £50,000.

To support our local community centres and their management committees by increasing their repairs and maintenance budget to the sun of £103,500 funded by the savings identified above.

Cllr M Taylor declared an interest in the amendment due to his employment as the Town Centre Manager. Cllr Taylor left the meeting whilst discussions on the amendment were held.

A named vote was taken on the amendment as follows:

Against: 32

For: 12

Abstain: 9

The amendment was rejected and debate returned to the substantive motion.

Members thanked all officers who had been involved in the preparation of the budget and complimented them on a job very well done under difficult circumstances.

The substantive motion had already been moved by the portfolio holder it was seconded and a named vote requested. The results of the vote were as follows:

A report was submitted requesting approval of the Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/15, including the Prudential Indicators, Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy contained within it.  

Resolved:

(a)       That the Treasury Management Strategy Report for 2014/15 be approved.

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

(c)        That the Investment Strategy contained within the report be approved.

(d)       That the Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy contained within the report be approved.

A report was submitted for members to consider and approve the Capital Strategy 2014 to 2017.

Resolved:     That the Capital Strategy be approved.

Members received a report in relation to The Localism Act 2011 which required local authorities to prepare and publish a pay policy statement for each financial year.  The statement set out the authority’s policies relating to the remuneration of its chief officers, the remuneration of its lowest paid employees and the relationship between the remuneration of its chief officers and the remuneration of its employees who are not chief officers.

Resolved:     That the Pay Policy Statement attached at Appendix A to the report be approved and published on the council’s website by 31 March 2014.

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

This report will be sent to follow.

Members received a report from the Leader of the Council on the activities and decisions of Cabinet and items included on the forward plan.

Resolved:     That the report be received

Chairs are requested to submit written reports (where possible) to the Democratic Services Manager by Monday 25^th February 2014.

a)         Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee

b)         Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee

c)         Active and Cohesive Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee

d)         Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee

e)         Economic Development and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee

f)          Health Scrutiny Committee

Written and verbal reports were provided by the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Members wished to send their best regards to Cllr George Cairns who was currently unwell.

Resolved:     That the reports be received.

a)         Planning Committee

b)         Licensing Committee

c)         Public Protection Committee

d)         Audit and Risk Committee

e)         Standards Committee (minutes attached)

Written and verbal reports were provided by the chairs of the Statutory Committees.

The Chair of the Planning Committee thanked officers for their dedicated work and time spent in relation to the Baldwins Gate application. Other members also thanked the Chair of the Committee for his work In relation to the application which had included a site visit and a decision made under difficult circumstances.

Resolved:     That the reports be received.

In accordance with Procedure Rule 11, questions must be submitted at least 24 hours in advance of 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 Becket:

Taking into account of the Environment Agency objection to building on a Level 3a Flood Zone, the officer recommendation to defer in order to explore a solution acceptable to all parties, and the events in Somerset and the Thames/Severn valleys why did the leading group not show leadership and accept officer recommendations to defer the Aldi application. The effect of the vote is to take the decision concerning Newcastle Flood Plains out of local hands to be decided at Westminster.

The Leader responded that there was no whip in relation to the Planning Committee and that reasons for the decision would need to be sought from individual members.

The following question had been submitted by Cllr Holland:

I asked the Leader at the last meeting of Council (Minutes, item 5), why his administration had dithered and vacillated in dealing with the Ryecroft site, which the Council owns in partnership with the County Council. He responded at that meeting that it was the County Council that was responsible for the lack of movement, and promised to publish minutes of a meeting between him and SCC representatives that prove he is right.  Will the Leader please produce those minutes?

The Leader confirmed that the information would be produced by the following Friday.