Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 21 January 2016.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 21 January 2016 be confirmed as a correct record, subject to the insertion of the word “Labour” before the word “members” in the last line of paragraph (h) of Minute 90 (Executive Reports) on page 9.

To receive any declarations of pecuniary or significant other interest from any Councillor on any item on this Agenda.

All Members are asked to submit any declarations in writing by 9.30 am on Wednesday 2 March 2016, if possible.

1)    The Chief Executive reminded Members that on 6 September 2012 the Council had passed a resolution granting a dispensation under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 enabling all Councillors to speak and vote on issues relating to the setting of the Council Tax (unless any Member was disqualified from voting under the provisions of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 because a Council Tax payment had become payable and had remained unpaid for at least two months).  Councillors did not therefore need to individually declare an interest in agenda item 9 just because they were Council Tax payers.

2)    The Corporate Director of People and Places declared a pecuniary interest in agenda item 11 (Revised Senior Management Structure and Scheme of Delegation) because recommendation 3.2 related directly to his position.  He said he would leave the meeting prior to the consideration of that item.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, Members of the Cabinet, a Chairman of a Committee or the Chief Executive.

The Mayor reminded members about the Spring Dinner at the Garstang Country Hotel and Golf Centre, planned for Friday 29 April 2016 and the Mayor’s Charity Golf Day at Knott End Golf Club planned for Friday 8 April 2016.

The Mayor also thanked Councillor Lees for organising a concert held on 22 January 2016 which had raised £510 for the Mayor’s Charities.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public under Procedure Rule 9.

Any questions or statements received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 26 February 2016 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

To receive any questions from Members of the Council to the Mayor, a member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee under Council Procedure Rule 11.1

Any questions received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 26 February 2016 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr P Gibson) and the Corporate Director of Resources

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Corporate Director of Resources submitted a report on the Council’s Pay Policy Statement for the 2016/17 financial year.

Councillor Reeves referred to paragraph 9.2 of the report which reflected the current minimum wage (at spinal column point 6) stating that this was due to increase with effect from 1 April 2016.  It was stated, in response that preparations were in hand, to deal with the new legislation, recognising that there was a strong likelihood that there would not be a finalised pay agreement in place for Council’s to be legally compliant with the National Living Wage to increase the pay rates for spinal column points 6, 7 and 8 to £7.20 per hour with effect from 1 April 2016.

RESOLVED

That the Pay Policy Statement for 2016/17, attached as Appendix 1 of the report, be approved.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr P Gibson) and the Chief Executive

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson and the Chief Executive submitted a report on a refreshed Business Plan for 2015-2019 (2016 update), which had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee previously.

RESOLVED that the Business Plan for 2015-2019 (2016 update), as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr P Gibson).

Please note: The report of the Corporate Director of Resources (S.151 Officer) on the Council’s Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme which was considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 17 February 2016 forms part of the background to the attached report of the Leader of the Council with paragraph 3.1 seeking Council agreement to the recommendations of the Cabinet.  However, the detailed information from the Director’s report is not repeated in this agenda.  The report can be viewed via the Cabinet agenda on the Council’s website at:

Cabinet – 17 February 2016

(A copy can also be obtained on request from the Democratic Services Team, tel: 01253 887481.)

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) submitted a report on the setting of Council Tax for 2016/17.  His report included reference to the report of the Corporate Director of Resources (S. 151 Officer) on the Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme, which had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 17 February 2016.  The full minute of that Cabinet meeting was included as an Appendix to his report.

The Mayor said that, in accordance with the usual convention, Procedure Rule 16.4 would be suspended so that the Leader when proposing the Budget and the Leader of the Opposition when proposing any amendments to it, would not be time limited.  However, all other speakers in the debate would, as usual, be limited to a maximum of five minutes each. 

The Mayor also proposed that Procedure Rule 16.6(b) be suspended to allow a single debate to be held on any amendments proposed, the budget as a whole and the setting of the Council Tax.  The Council indicated its consent.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) referred to the Budget proposals approved by the Cabinet on 17 February 2016 and formally proposed the recommendations on the budget and the setting of the Council Tax for 2016/17, as set out in his report (on pages 28 and 29 of the agenda).

Councillor Gibson, when making his speech on the budget proposals thanked Philippa Davies (Corporate Director of Resources) and Howard Rawding (Head of Finance) for their excellent work on the preparation of the budget.  He said that for both of them this would be their last budget before leaving the Council.   He praised them for their dedication, professionalism and expertise.  His complimentary comments about Ms Davies and Mr Rawding were endorsed by the Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A. Vincent) and the Leader of the Opposition (Councillor R. Duffy).

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A. Vincent) formally seconded the recommendations proposed by Councillor Gibson. 

The Leader of the Opposition (Councillor R Duffy) commented on the budget proposed by Councillor Gibson.  She said that the Labour Group would not be proposing any specific amendments.

Following a debate, a vote was taken on the Cabinet’s recommendations on the budget for 2016/17 and on the level of the Council Tax for 2016/17, as set out in paragraphs 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 of the Leader’s report.

The Mayor reminded Members that the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 required that a recorded vote be taken on the decision to approve the Council’s budget and to set the level of the Council Tax.

The following Members voted in support of the proposals:

Councillors I Amos, R Amos, Lady Atkins, Ballard, Balmain, Berry, B Birch, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Catterall, Collinson, Gibson, Greenhough, Henderson, Hodgkinson, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Moon, Murphy, Orme, Ormrod, Pimbley, Robinson, V Taylor, A Turner, S Turner, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, Walmsley.

The following Members voted against the proposals:

Councillors E Anderton, M Anderton, Barrowclough, I  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106.

Report of the Chairman of the Planning Committee (Cllr R Greenhough) and the Corporate Director, People and Places

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Corporate Director of Resources submitted a report on changes to the Local Code of Good Practice for Councillors and Officers Involved in the Planning Process and the procedures for public speaking at Planning Committee meetings.

Councillor Gibson, when introducing the report, sought the consent of Council under Procedure Rule 16.7, to alter a number of the proposals relating to the arrangements for public speaking at Planning Committee meetings set out in section 6 of the report, including:

-        the removal of the requirement for Councillors to register to speak;

-     the insertion of a requirement for the applicant and/or agent to register in advance if they wish to speak;

-     the deletion of line 8 from the proposed procedure on page 44 of the agenda (removing the invitation to the Vice Chairman to comment at that stage in the proceedings);

-     the insertion of an additional recommendation that the proposed changes initially be implemented for a 6 month trial period, prior to being reconsidered by the Planning Committee.

Members of the Council indicated their consent to the alterations to the report proposed by Councillor Gibson for consideration during the ensuing debate.

During the debate some Members asked questions and expressed concerns about the impact of the proposed changes, which they felt would unnecessarily reduce the opportunity of concerned local residents to be involved in the democratic process.  Other members supported the proposed changes, stating that there would still be sufficient opportunities for members of the public and Councillors who were not members of the Planning Committee to speak, either to object or support an application and, that the quality of the meetings and the decisions made would improve as a consequence.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the revised procedures for public speaking at Planning Committee meetings described in section 6 of the report be approved, subject to the alterations proposed by Councillor Gibson, when introducing the report, as follows:

-       the removal of the requirement for Councillors to register to speak;

-       that, in Wyre wards with more than one member, each of those ward members will be able to speak on an application if they wished;

-       the insertion of a requirement for the applicant and/or agent (as well as objectors and supporters) to register in advance if they wish to speak;

-       the deletion of line 8 from the proposed procedure on page 44 of the agenda (removing the invitation to the Vice Chairman to comment at that stage in the proceedings);

-       the insertion of an additional recommendation that the proposed changes initially be implemented for a 6 month trial period and then be reviewed by the Planning Committee.

2)    That the revised Local Code of Good Practice for Councillors and Officers Involved in the Planning Process, attached as Appendix 1, and including the changes to section 9 – ‘Public Speaking at Planning Committee Meetings’, as amended in accordance with resolution (1) above, be approved and included in Part 5.07  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr P Gibson) and the Chief Executive

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Chief Executive submitted a report seeking approval for certain elements of the previously agreed new senior management structure being introduced from an earlier date than originally planned.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the new senior management structure be implemented from 1 April 2016 with the Chief Executive and the three new Service Director posts (People and Places, Health and Wellbeing and Performance and Innovation) being paid their new salary rates from the 1 April 2016.

2)    That the post of Corporate Director of People and Places be deleted from the establishment with effect from 1 April 2016.

3)    That the Corporate Director of Resources (Section 151 Officer) continues in post, as originally agreed until 30 June 2016, prior to the post being deleted from the establishment.

4)    That the Head of Business Support be appointed to the role of Monitoring Officer from 1 April 2016.

5)    That the Officer Delegations (attached at Appendix 1) be agreed with an effective date of 1 July 2016, except where indicated in relation to the role of the Monitoring Officer, which will be effective from 1 April 2016.