Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillors L A Bentley, Mrs L Broadley, B Dave, Mrs S Z Haq, Mrs R Kanabar and R Thakor

Councillor Mrs H E Loydall noted that she was the Chair of the Senior Citizens Group, which would receive a grant were Members to approve the recommendation in Agenda Item 11 (Establishment Independent Community Groups); however, she confirmed that she would not receive any benefit herself.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the last meeting of the Council held on 25 February 2014 be taken as read, confirmed and signed.

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The Leader noted that he had two points that he wished to raise. Firstly, he discussed his attendance at an event organised by the Bank of the Mighty Creative, an organisation that works with young people with creative talents. He noted that he had had the opportunity to witness the work that the organisation had done to support young people with diverse and unique talents and was proud that the Council had provided support and backing to it. The Leader invited all Members to pass with contacts in local community groups to pass on their details to the Bank of Mighty Creative who were looking to work with more young talented individuals in the area.

Secondly, he noted that the Council had recently been re-inspected by the Investors in People assessor and that he was pleased to announce that the Council had been re-accredited. He passed on his thanks to officers for their hard work in retaining the Investors in People status.

The Head of Corporate Resources noted that the report set out the draft schedule of meetings for 2014/15. She outlined the following changes that had been agreed prior to the meeting of the Council:

• The Health and Wellbeing Board was to be moved from 20 may 2014 to 10 June 2014;
• The Service Delivery Committee was to be moved from 1 July 2014 to 8 July 2014, stating that it would commence at 7.00pm;
• The meeting of the Development Control Committee was to be changed from 24 July 2014 to a date to be determined;
• No Youth Council meetings were listed after December 2014 as they work on a cycle and could not be plotted, however, new dates would be confirmed as and when;
• There was no fourth Community Safety Partnership date listed after 19 January 2015;
• The date for the Christmas Carol concert to be included in the calendar was 17 December 2014; and
• The Budget Briefing Session scheduled prior to Council in December would be rescheduled to take place prior to Council in September.

She also noted that there was a suggested caveat affixed to the schedule which would permit discretion to the Chair of all Working Groups to change the start time of those Working Groups.

A Member advised that the dates for the Community Safety Partnership meetings were still being set owing to changes in serious crimes and anti-social behaviour legislation.

Members asked that the Armed Forces Day event be included on the calendar, it being on 23 June 2014 at 10.00am.

Members asked whether an alternative date had been set for the Development Committee which was to be moved from 24 July and it was confirmed that Members would be advised when this date was set and that this would be done in time for the Annual General Meeting.

RESOLVED: That the Schedule of Meetings for 2014/15 attached to this report be adopted.

The Head of Corporate Resources outlined the report and noted that the recommendation was to adopt the Members Allowance Scheme.

A Member asked which Members would be appointed to sit on a Standards Committee should there be any complaints since the Members Adjudication Panel had been disbanded. The Director of Services confirmed that this function will now sit under the Policy, Finance and Development Committee and that as such the Members of the Panel would be selected from that Committee.

The Leader noted that the Constitutional Task Group had been tasked with looking into childcare and other care arrangements for those Members with care issues when attending Committees.

RESOLVED:That Members adopt the Members Allowance Scheme as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Chief Executive noted that a report had been taken to the previous meeting of the Council regarding the Council’s governance structure. This report now specifically dealt with one aspect of that report, namely community groups. He noted that it set out a number of principles for establishing independent groups. The report included financial implications as the groups would need to be able to operate in a sustainable and viable manner.

Members asked about the Pride of the Borough group and whether this should be established as a group in the same way. The Chief Executive noted that he understood that this group was already self sustaining and that the Council did not provide administrative support, but confirmed that the arrangement would be reviewed so as to ensure consistency.

RESOLVED: That:

(1)  The Senior Citizens’ and Multi Cultural Groups are established as independent community groups;

(2)  They are established on the principles as set out in the report; and

(3)  Funding will be assessed annually by the Council and mutually agreed with those groups at such a level so that both groups are able to fully provide the services, events and activities required, with a presumption that funding would be granted on a 3 year cycle.

The Chief Executive noted that the report was produced by the Greening of the Borough working group. He accepted that ordinarily the report wouldn’t be presented at Council, however this was the first available meeting and there was an element of urgency in that there were funding opportunities with deadlines approaching.

A reserve of £180,000 had already been set up for Greening of the Borough and the report recommended that a war chest of £25,000 also be set up to allow applications for funding to be made on short notice, where even a short delay in waiting for committee approval would result in the funding opportunity being lost. The Chief Executive confirmed that there would be appropriate checks and consultation requirements in place. Once money had been spent from this budget, the relevant Committee would then have the option to top this back up to £25,000 should they wish.

Secondly, the report recommended that the process for approving expenditure from the reserve was altered such that it only required approval by Service Delivery Committee, rather than approval by Service Delivery Committee and Policy, Finance and Development Committee.

Finally, the Chief Executive discussed a further recommendation to establish a brand for Brocks Hill. He read the suggested corporate description of Brocks Hill to Members and advised that the site would now be known simply as “Brocks Hill”. He added that he was proud to note that Brocks Hill had received accredited Country Park status and thanked Officers for their work on this.

Members discussed the wording used in the proposed corporate description. One Member felt that the use of the phrase “premier country park” was difficult to justify on the grounds that some other local country parks were perhaps better recognised. Other Members felt that this was something to aspire to but agreed that this wording could be reconsidered. Overall, however, they agreed with the re-branding of Brocks Hill and felt that it was necessary and appropriate.

Members acknowledged that it was unnecessary for expenditure from the Greening of the Borough reserve to be approved by two Committees and that it was therefore sufficient for it to be approved by Service Delivery Committee only.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  The Brocks Hill Manager in consultation with the Chair of the Greening of the Borough Working Group, Director of Services and Chief Financial Officer is able to access a fund of up to £25,000 in order for the Council to take full expedient advantage of external match funding opportunities as they may arise;

(2)  Any delegated spend would then be the subject of a report to the next Service Delivery Committee;

(3)  The formal protocol which will enable the Greening of the Borough Working Group to access the Greening of the Borough Reserve is agreed; and

(4)  The Council agrees a Brocks Hill “Brand and Vision Statement” that will assist the Council when applying for external match funding.

The Director of Services outlined the report, which detailed the ongoing and proposed service reviews for 2014/15. The reviews were intended to ensure that the most cost effective outcomes were being achieved.

The Director of Services went on to summarise the reviews and that the progress with the Customer Services review will be reported through the proposed Customer Services Task Group.  Similarly, the ongoing review of the Refuse and Recycling service would be referred to the proposed Waste Task Group.

The Director of Services highlighted an ambiguity in the second paragraph of the second page of her report and stated that the reference to the 3 month extension to the trial of reduced customer service presence in the libraries also applied to the reduction in the cashier opening hours at the main Council offices to address. 

She noted that Urban Vision had been appointed to undertake a service review of the Planning Control, Planning Policy and Building Control teams and one of the first steps would be to consult with Members.

Members asked for more information about the review of Customer Services and the Director of Services confirmed that the Council was currently undertaking some work with Charnwood Borough Council, who had achieved an outcome similar to that which the Council wished to achieve, in order to determine a way forward. In any event, she confirmed that a report with several options would be presented to Members at a future meeting.

A Member noted that this was now the third review of Customer Services, it having previously been reviewed by former Heads of Service, Daren Nowlan and Andrew Kupusarevic.

There was some discussion as to whether the Policy, Finance and Development Committee had in fact resolved to permit the extension of the trial of reduced presence at the libraries.  The Leader added that it was necessary to allow this further extension of the trial until the next meeting of the Policy, Finance and Development Committee so as not to leave Officers in limbo.

A Member suggested that recommendation 2.2 of the report should be amended to require the Chair of the Service Delivery Committee to be consulted also on any decision to invest money in the service reviews. The Director of Services explained that consultation with two Officers had been recommended in accordance with the Financial Regulations.

Councillors Mrs H E Loydall and J M Gore abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED: That Members:

(1)  Note the current position on the continuing and evolving programme of service reviews; and

(2)  Authorise the Chief Financial Officer in conjunction with the Director of Service to utilise up to £35,000 from the Management of Change Reserve to invest in the services reviews.

Members sought clarification that the Officer/Member protocol in the report would supersede the existing Officer/Member protocol in the Constitution. The Chief Executive confirmed that the Constitutional Task Group would be tasked with amending the Constitution accordingly.

There was some discussion as to the induction and training programme to be given to Members. The Chief Executive confirmed that the programme would be delivered by Corporate Resources in conjunction with the new Officer to be appointed to the Chief Executives Office and that it would be commenced following the Borough Council elections in May 2015. He added that it would be kept as current and up to date as possible and that it would mirror the HR induction processes.

A Member noted his concerns that the disbanding of the ICT Steering Group would result in complex changes to systems and processes that not all Members and residents would understand. He therefore suggested that someone with a lesser understanding of ICT should be placed on the Customer Services Working Group so as to ensure that any ICT changes were presented in the simplest way possible. The Chief Executive confirmed that this was the intention.

Councillor Mrs L Eaton arrived during the debate and therefore could not take part in the vote.

RESOLVED: That the recommendations set out in the report at pages 45-49 of the agenda be approved by Members.

Members pointed out the following errors in the minutes of Committees, Forums and Working Groups:

• In the minutes of the Oadby Residents Forum held on 19 March 2014, “Z Haq” had been noted as a Councillor in attendance and this should instead refer to Councillor L Darr.

• In the minutes of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 20 march 2014, Councillor D M Carter’s apologies had not been noted; and

• In the minutes of the Wigston Residents Forum held on 13 March 2014, Councillor H E Loydall’s attendance had not been noted.

A Member noted his concern that the grit bin locations stated in the minutes of the Wigston Residents Forum on 13 March 2014, were incorrect.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings of the committees, forums and working groups as set out in the report be received.

RESOLVED: That the common seal of the Council be affixed to all contracts, orders, deeds and other documents arising out of the Minutes and Reports in the foregoing items

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