Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th April 2014.

Resolved:     That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 16^th April 2014 be agreed as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Mayor will present a long service award to Cllr Mrs Williams.

The Mayor presented a long service award to Cllr Mrs Williams in recognition of her 21 years’ service to the Borough Council and the people of Newcastle under Lyme.

When the Mayor has declared the result of the election, the Mayor preceded by the Mace Bearers, will retire to the Mayor’s Parlour accompanied by the following:-

• Retiring Mayoress
• Retiring High Constable
• Retiring Chaplain
• Chief Executive
• Mayor Designate
• Consort designate
• High Constable designate
• Chaplain designate

The incoming Mayor will then be robed and invested with the chain of office.  The Mayoral party will then return to the Council Chamber in the following order:-

• Mace Bearers
• Mayor
• Consort designate
• Chief Executive
• High Constable designate
• Chaplain designate
• Retiring Mayor
• Retiring Mayoress
• Retiring High Constable
• Retiring Chaplain

The Mayor will take the chair and make the declaration of acceptance of office.

Cllr Sweeney proposed that Cllr Mrs Hailstones be elected as Mayor for the next municipal year; Cllr Jones seconded the proposal, all members voted in favour.

Resolved:     That Cllr Mrs Hailstones be appointed as Mayor for the next municipal year

Following the appointment of the Deputy Mayor, he/she will make the declaration of acceptance of office.

Cllrs Mrs Hambleton and Cllr Wilkes were both proposed as Deputy Mayor for the next municipal year. The vote was as follows:

Those in favour of Cllr Mrs Hambleton:       32

Those in favour of Cllr Wilkes:                     16

Resolved:     That Cllr Mrs Hambleton be elected as Deputy Mayor for the next municipal year.

The Mayor will announce the appointment of his/her:-

Consort

High Constables

Chaplain

Mace Bearers

The Mayor appointed the following for the next municipal year:

Consort:                     Peter Hailstones

High Constables:      Alex Hailstones and Adam Howard

Chaplain:                    John Palmer

Mace Bearers:          Carl Edworthy and Laurence Tagg

The Mayor thanked her fellow Councillors and paid tribute to the great work carried out by the previous mayor and mayoress.

The Mayor stated that her charities for the next year would be the North Staffordshire Carers Association, The O’Connor Gateway Trust and the Royal British Legion.

In appreciation of their services during the past year, the retiring Mayor and Mayoress will be presented with their badges.

Cllr Stubbs proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Mayoress.

The retiring Mayor thanked members and officers and in particular Mr Peter Whalan, Mr Geoff Durham, Mr Carl Edworthy and Mr Peter Shaw for all their hard work and support throughout the year. There had been over 270 mayoral engagements with a fantastic £8,500 raised for the Mayor’s Charities which this year had been the North Staffs Special Adventure Playground and the Peter Pan Nursery.

The Mayor announced that the Annual Civic Church Service would be held at St Giles’ church on the morning of Sunday 22^nd June.

The mayor also brought to the attention of members that the 3^rd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment, formerly known as the ‘The Staffords’ would be parading through the town centre on Wednesday 25^th June.

The Leader will report the appointment of his/her Cabinet and Deputy Leader for 2014/15.

Cllr Shenton nominated Cllr Stubbs as Leader of the Council, this was seconded by Cllr Turner and agreed by all members.

Cllr Stubbs then appointed Cllr Shenton as Deputy Leader for the next municipal year.

Cllr Stubbs appointed the following to his Cabinet for the next municipal year:

Cllr Mike Stubbs:                   Communications, Policy and Partnerships

Cllr Elizabeth Shenton:         Finance and Resources

Cllr Trevor Hambleton:          Leisure, Culture and Localism

Cllr Ann Beech:                     Environment and Recycling

Cllr Terry Turner:                    Economic Regeneration, Business and Town Centres

Cllr Tony Kearon:                  Safer Communities

Cllr John Williams:                Planning and Assets

Resolved:     (a)       That Cllr Stubbs be appointed as Leader of the Council for the next municipal year.

(b)       That Cllr Shenton be appointed as Deputy Leader for the next municipal year.

(c)        That the Cabinet for the next municipal year be as follows:

Cllr Mike Stubbs:                   Communications, Policy and Partnerships

Cllr Elizabeth Shenton:         Finance and Resources

Cllr Trevor Hambleton:          Leisure, Culture and Localism

Cllr Ann Beech:                     Environment and Recycling

Cllr Terry Turner:                    Economic Regeneration, Business and Town Centres

Cllr Tony Kearon:                  Safer Communities

Cllr John Williams:                Planning and Assets

A vote was taken and recorded in relation to the appointment of the following vice chairs where more than one nomination had been received:

Planning Committee:

Cllr Stringer – 32 votes - APPOINTED

Cllr Mrs Reddish –    14 votes

Public Protection Committee:   

Cllr Proctor - 32 votes – APPOINTED

Cllr Mrs Walklate – 9 votes

Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee:

Cllr Mrs Johnson – 33 votes -APPOINTED

Cllr Becket – 10 votes

The rest of the appointments for the Chairs and Vice Chairs were as listed in the appendix

Resolved:     (a)       That the appointments to committees be as listed in the appendix.

(b)       That Cllr Stringer be appointed as Vice Chair of the Planning Committee

(c)        That Cllr Proctor be appointed as Vice Chair of the Public Protection Committee

(d)       That Cllr Mrs Johnson be appointed as Vice Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

(e)       That the rest of the appointments for the Chairs and Vice Chairs be as listed in the appendix.

The council is requested to review its representation on outside bodies for 2014/15.

In the case of any appointments made by office rather than by name (eg Portfolio Holder, Committee Chair), in the event of any change to the office holder these will automatically transfer to the new incumbent.

The Leader stated that there was a plan to review the current list of outside bodies that the Council appointed representatives to. It was recommended and seconded that the nominations put forward be put on hold pending the outcome of the review and that a report be submitted to a future meeting.

Where an appointment to an outside body was a portfolio holder or Leader/Deputy Leader appointment that would continue to be the case.

Resolved:     (a)       That where an appointment to an outside body was a portfolio holder or Leader/Deputy Leader appointment that this be continued.

(b)       That the remainder of the appointments be put on hold pending the outcome of a review into outside bodies.

A report was submitted to ask the Council to consider whether to adopt the principle of conferring the title of Honorary Alderman on persons who have, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Council as past Members of the Council, but who were no longer serving Members of the Council.

Resolved:     That Council agrees to the principle of conferring of the title of Honorary Alderman on persons who meet the criteria.

Resolved:     That Council agrees to the dates and times of the meetings as listed at the appendix.

The Portfolio Holder for Waste and Recycling introduced the report and thanked Head of Environmental Health for the hard work that had gone into the preparation of the policy.

There was some concern expressed by members that there had been little opportunity for back bench members to discuss the policy and make comments.

It was proposed that the item be deferred to a future meeting, the proposal was seconded and a vote taken with 7 members voting in favour of deferment, the motion fell and debate returned to the substantive motion.

Resolved:       That Council agrees to the proposed Enforcement Policy as set out in Appendix A and that the policy be adopted.

Resolved:

a)         That the Council’s constitution be amended at Part 3, Appendix 1, Annex 2 to read as follows:

Public Protection Committee

To exercise the duties and powers of the Council in relation to licensing and registration functions. To include the revision of existing policies relating to hackney carriage vehicle and hackney carriage driver licences, private hire vehicle, driver and operator licences and the formulation and implementation of all new taxi, private hire and private hire operator policies.

b)         That the Council’s constitution be amended at Appendix 4 under Licensing Functions, paragraph (2) to include the power to impose conditions on hackney carriage licences and hackney carriage driver licences.

c)         That the Council’s constitution be amended at Appendix 4 under Licensing Functions, paragraph (3) to include the power to impose conditions on private hire vehicle licences, private hire driver licences and private hire operator licences.

Resolved:     That the petitioners be advised that the request to include land at Heathcote Road, Miles Green, within the North Staffordshire Green Belt can only be given due consideration through the process of preparing the new joint Local Plan, in accordance with the statutory town planning process.