Agenda and minutes

At the request of the Chairman, Councillor Mrs. C. J. Spencer opened the meeting with a prayer.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs. R. L. Dent, C. B. Taylor and B. Lewis F.CMI.

The Chairman asked that the Council’s condolences be conveyed to Councillor Mrs. Dent on her recent bereavement.

(Members are reminded that they need to keep their register of interest forms up to date)

No declarations of interest were received.

The minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council held on 22nd June 2011 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a correct record.

There were no announcements from the Chairman or the Civic Head.

(a)    Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

         The Leader advised that it had now been agreed that Councillor J. Campion, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council would be the named substitute on this body and not Mr. G. N. Denaro. The Leader indicated that action would be taken in due course to remedy the appointment of non-councillors to other outside bodies.

(b)    Marlbrook Tip

The Leader referred to the excess spoil tipped at the site contrary to planning permission conditions and that the Planning Committee should not have imposed conditions which could not be monitored/measured properly. His update included comments to the effect that:

·        he had heard that residents had complained but he had not received any complaints;

·        the Head of Planning and Regeneration had now put an investigation in place;

·        complaints to the local MP should be routed to local politicians not officers;

·        the situation could have been managed better and he would apologise to residents for mistakes made; and

·        he would like the Overview and Scrutiny Board to undertake a proper scrutiny exercise into what had happened, why and what could be done to ensure that this did not happen again.

(c)         Economic Development Theme Group

The Leader referred to the above Theme Group, set up as part of the Local Strategic Partnership, which included business representatives, a representative of a marketing agency, relevant officers and Members, including himself and Councillor R. J. Laight. The Group intended to take action as quickly as possible to attract new businesses into the District.

(d)    Localism Bill

The Leader advised that he was now on the executive of the District Councils’ Network and they would fight to ensure the Localism Bill became localism in practice and not just in name.

(e)    Overview and Scrutiny / Planning Committee

The Leader expressed objections to politics being brought into the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Planning Committee. This had to stop and politics/political debate was for the Council Chamber. He referred to a political speech made during the Planning Committee that week which appeared to suggest pre-determination. He was now investigating the matter with legal officers and the Section 151 Officer.

Members then raised questions/comments to which the Leader responded, as summarised below.

Councillor P. M. McDonald referred to the Marlbrook Brook Tip site, damage to the site and consequences for the future arising from such. He asked whether an Enforcement Officer had been called in.  The Leader responded that if the Overview and Scrutiny Board investigated the matter, it could pick up issues/consequences for the future. If the Board decided not to investigate, he would set up a separate group to do so. He believed that the residents’ group had asked for the excess spoil to be re-spread over the site and not removed. With regard to enforcement, he believed that the reports received from the firm doing the statistical analysis of the spoil tipped were ‘wrong’ and that the situation may not be as bad as it looked on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

To consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20th July 2011 on the following item (the full Cabinet report is enclosed for information at the back of the Council agenda book)

• Shared Services – Single Business Case

SHARED SERVICES TIMELINE – SINGLE BUSINESS CASE

The recommendation from the Cabinet was moved by Councillor R. Hollingworth and seconded by Councillor Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP

RESOLVED that officers be tasked with producing, for the August meeting of the Shared Services Board, a Single Business Case that will identify the benefits and risks associated with moving the remaining services into a shared environment by the end of the financial year, in so far as this is currently achievable, between Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils.    

The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 22nd June 2011 were received for information.

In response to a query raised by Councillor C. J. Bloore, the Leader confirmed that there were no plans to sell Silverdale Play Area.

To receive the report for information

Members received the Annual Overview and Scrutiny Report for 2010/11.

Councillor S. R. Colella, as past Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board, presented the report to Members.

Having been moved by Councillor S. R. Colella and seconded by Councillor M. A .Bullivant, it was

RESOLVED that the Annual Overview and Scrutiny Report for 2010/11 be noted and endorsed.

To deal with any questions on notice from Members of the Council, in the order in which they have been received.

No questions on notice had been received.

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor P. M. McDonald:-

"That this Council calls upon Worcestershire NHS Acute Trust to immediately review the current car parking charging scheme; its impact on patients and families."

Members considered the following motion submitted by Councillor P. M. McDonald.

"That this Council calls upon Worcestershire NHS Acute Trust to immediately review the current car parking charging scheme; its impact on patients and families."

The motion was moved by Councillor P. M. McDonald and seconded by Councillor C. J. Bloore.

On a requisition under Council Procedure Rule 17.5, the following details of voting were recorded.

For the motion: Councillors Mrs. S. J. Baxter, C. J. Bloore, Dr. D. W. P. Booth JP, J. R. Boulter, J. S. Brogan, M. A. Bullivant, R. A. Clarke, S. R. Colella, Dr. B. T. Cooper, R. J. Deeming, S. J. Dudley, K. A. Grant-Pierce, Miss P. A. Harrison, R. Hollingworth, Mrs. H. J. Jones, R. J. Laight, P. Lammas, L. Mallett, Mrs. C. M. McDonald, P. M. McDonald, E. J. Murray, J. A. Ruck, , Mrs. E. M. Shannon, R. J. Shannon, S. P. Shannon, Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP, Mrs. C. J. Spencer, C. J. Tidmarsh. L. J. Turner, M. J. A. Webb and C. J. K. Wilson (32);

Against the motion: Councillors Mrs. J. M. Boswell, C. R. Scurrell and P. J. Whittaker (3);

Abstentions: 0

Accordingly, the Chairman declared the motion to be CARRIED.

"RESOLVED: that under Section 100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act, as amended, the relevant paragraph of that part, in each case, being as set out below, and that it is in the public interest to do so:-

A motion to exclude the public prior to consideration of agenda item 12 (recommendations from the Cabinet on 20th July 2011 on Shared Service Business Cases for Local Land Charges Services and Building Control Serviced) was moved by Councillor R. Hollingworth and seconded by Councillor Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act as amended, being information in relation to any individual and any ongoing or contemplated negotiations in connection with labour relations matters between the Council and officers. Members needed to consider whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information by debating the matter in public.

Having been put to the vote it was

RESOLVED that under Section 100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act, as amended, the relevant paragraph of that part, in each case, being as set out below, and that it is in the public interest to do so:-

To consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20th July 2011 on the following items (the full Cabinet reports are enclosed on pink paper at the back of the Council agenda book)

·        Local Land Charges Service - Shared Service Business Case

·        Building Control Service - Shared Service Business Case

(i)         LOCAL LAND CHARGES SERVICE – SHARED SERVICE BUSINESS CASE

            The recommendation from the Cabinet was moved by Councillor R. Hollingworth and seconded by Councillor Mrs. M. A. Sherrey JP.

            With regard to the financial implications in relation to the Shared Service Business Case, it was reported that approximately £36,000 savings would be realised for Bromsgrove District Council as a result of the proposed Local Land Charges Shared Service.

            RESOLVED that the delivery of a Shared Local Land Charges Service, provided by a single team hosted by Bromsgrove District Council (Option 4 in the report) be approved.

(ii)        BUILDING CONTROL SERVICE – SHARED SERVICE BUSINESS CASE

            The recommendations from the Cabinet were moved by Councillor R. Hollingworth and seconded by Councillor Dr. D. W. P. Booth JP.

With regard to the financial implications in relation to the Shared Service Business Case, it was reported that approximately £30,000 savings would be realised for Bromsgrove District Council as a result of the proposed Building Control Shared Service.

RESOLVED:           

(a)       that in accordance with the agreed Project Initiation Document dated 9th December 2010, the three partner Councils (Bromsgrove District Council, Redditch Borough Council and Wyre Forest District Council), proceed with creation of the Shared Service in accordance with recommendation 6 as set out in the report, namely the delivery of Shared Building Control Services, provided by a single team, hosted by Bromsgrove District Council;

(b)       that implementation costs be shared on the same basis as the total revised service costs amongst the three Councils to reflect the percentage of the initial budget allocation into the service (as detailed at Appendix 5 to the report); this to be subject to final financial agreements being in place between the partner Authorities; and

(c)        that the new service be known as “North Worcestershire Building Control” and uses a service specific logo and document templates, the design of which is to be formally agreed before the completion of this project.