Agenda and minutes

Council - Wednesday 22nd January 2025 6.00 p.m.

Venue: Parkside Suite - Parkside

Contact: Jess Bayley-Hill 

Media

Items
No. Item

74\24

To receive apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A. Dale, J. Elledge, B. McEldowney and S. Robinson.

75\24

Declarations of Interest

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

Minutes:

Councillor R. Lambert declared a pecuniary interest in respect of Minute Item No. 87/24 concerning the second Motion due to be considered at the meeting in that she was employed by the Planning Department at Worcester City Council.  She left the room during consideration of the item took no part in the debate nor vote thereon.

 

Councillor C. Hotham declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Quarter 2 Financial and Performance Report 2024/25 and Medium-Term Financial Plan 2025/26 To 2027/28 – Tranche 1 in his capacity as a Trustee for The Artrix.

 

Councillors K. May and S. T. Nock declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in their capacity as Ward Members for Belbroughton and Romsley which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

Councillor A. Bailes declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in his capacity as Ward Member for Alvechurch South which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

Councillor R. Bailes declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 83/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in her capacity as Ward Member for Alvechurch Village which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

Councillor K. Taylor declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in his capacity as Ward Member for Dodford which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

Councillor S. Webb declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in her capacity as Worcestershire County Councillor for Dodford and Grafton which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

Councillor C. Hotham declared an Other Disclosable Interest in respect of Minute Item No. 84/24 Bromsgrove Local Heritage List in his capacity as Ward Member for Hopwood which appeared in the Bromsgrove Heritage List.

 

76\24

To confirm the accuracy of the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 9th October and 4th December 2024 pdf icon PDF 436 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes from the Council meetings held on 9th October 2024 and 4th December 2024 were submitted for Members’ consideration.

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meetings held on 9th October 2024 and 4th December 2024 be approved as a true and accurate record.

 

77\24

To receive any announcements from the Chairman and/or Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

Chairman

 

During consideration of this item the Chairman made some personal comments and was challenged by members before moving on to the next item.

 

 

Head of Paid Service

 

The Head of Paid Service requested that any Members who had not yet completed their conflict-of-interest form required by the Council’s new external auditors, do so by the end of the meeting. The completed forms needed to be handed directly to either the Head of Paid Service or the Deputy Chief Executive following the meeting in order for the completed forms to be returned to the external auditors.

 

Members were also reminded that any remaining Ward Member funds should be allocated and spent prior to the end of the financial year 2024/2025.

 

 

78\24

To receive any announcements from the Leader

Minutes:

There were no announcements from the Leader.

79\24

To receive comments, questions or petitions from members of the public

A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed for members of the public to make a comment, ask questions or present petitions.  Each member of the public has up to 3 minutes to do this.  A councillor may also present a petition on behalf of a member of the public.

 

Minutes:

There were no comments, questions or petitions from members of the public.

 

 

80\24

Urgent Decisions

Minutes:

The Chairman advised that there had been no urgent decisions since the last meeting of the Council.

 

 

81\24

To receive and consider a report from the Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration (Report to Follow) pdf icon PDF 555 KB

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item; no longer than 10 minutes for  presentation of the report and then up to 3 minutes for each question to be put and answered.

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor S. Baxter presented the report for her Portfolio, Economic Development and Regeneration. Council was advised that it was very pleasing that the service area of Economic Development and Regeneration had been brought back in house. This would help to consolidate this work in one place. Councillor Baxter took the opportunity to welcome the Assistant Director for Regeneration and Property Services and her team to the Council.

 

In presenting the report, Members were advised that work had begun at the Former Market Hall site in Bromsgrove Town Centre. Any key milestones would be monitored closely during the project to ensure that it was completed by March 2026 as planned. Areas that were currently being investigated were the management model for the pavilion and uses for the office sites. It was noted that discussions were still underway in respect of the £2.45 million in residue funding from the now dissolved Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).

 

Levelling Up Funding needed to be spent by September 2025. However, it was reported that the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had recognised that nationally, some projects that had been awarded Levelling Up funding were falling behind schedule and therefore some plans might have to be put in place to provide extensions to these projects, as necessary.

 

Members were informed that the Windsor Street site had now been fully demolished and remediation works were underway.

 

[At this point in the meeting there was a brief adjournment to the proceedings from 18:10 – 18:11].

 

Councillor Baxter explained that there would be huge opportunities at the Windsor Street site once the works were completed in March 2026 and it would be important to keep residents informed of the plans in respect of this site for the future.

 

It was hoped that Bromsgrove Town Centre would become a ‘destination’ site. Recent food events would help to develop this even further. Members were informed that the UK Shared Prosperity Funding allocated to organisations had been considered and outcomes reported to Members at a Cabinet Advisory Group meeting (CAG). The funding allocations were also available in the Portfolio Holder’s report.

 

Other areas of note during the presentation of the Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration’s report were the Strategic Parking Review report due to be considered by Cabinet in February 2025. In addition, the Town Centres across the District would be considered in the revised Town Centres Strategy. Given the proposed changes to Local Government, it was noted that it was important for the Council to leave a lasting legacy within the District and in the best possible places moving forward.

 

The report was welcomed by Members and following the presentation some areas were queried in more detail. Members asked whether The Artrix was included in the strategic framework for the Town Centres Strategy. It was confirmed that this was not the case at present, however this might be something that was considered in the future. Members asked when the revised strategy would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 81\24

82\24

Recommendations from the Joint Appointments Committee pdf icon PDF 238 KB

Minutes:

Councillor K. May presented the recommendations from the Joint Appointments Committee report for Members’ consideration. In doing so it was outlined that the recruitment process to appoint a new Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service and new Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer had been undertaken.

 

Following a tender exercise, GatenbySanderson were commissioned as the external recruitment agency to assist with a national search and the recruitment process for both positions.

 

The introduction of a Joint Appointments Committee was approved by Bromsgrove District Council’s Full Council and subsequently the Committee agreed to appoint Members from both authorities to serve on a Joint Appointments Sub-Committee. The role of the Joint Appointments Sub-Committee was to act as the recruitment panel for both positions.

 

The Joint Appointments Sub-Committee undertook the final interviews for the positions of Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service and Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer on 16th and 18th December 2024 respectively. The Joint Appointments Sub-Committee received professional support from the current Chief Executive, the Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager and an external Recruitment Advisor from GatenbySanderson.

 

A further meeting of the Joint Appointments Committee took place on Wednesday 8th January 2025. During this meeting, Members considered recommendations made by the Joint Appointments Sub-Committee concerning their nominations for the positions of Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service and Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer respectively.

 

The respective appointments to both the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service and Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer roles were conditional, and subject to the approval at both Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council Full Council meetings and following successful completion of all necessary employment checks. These checks were a standard part of the Councils’ recruitment processes and conducted to ensure compliance with Council policies and legal requirements.

 

The required checks included:

 

  1. Right to Work Verification
  2. Satisfactory References
  3. DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service)
  4. Medical clearance

 

Only if all these checks were successfully completed and met Council standards would a formal, unconditional offer be made.

 

During the presentation of the report, Councillor K. May took the opportunity to thank the current Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive for their commitment to the Council over the previous months.

 

Some Members expressed their concerns in respect of the financial implications of recruiting to two senior positions given the current proposals regarding the change in structure for Local Government. These concerns were raised in particular as it was likely that Bromsgrove District Council would cease to exist in just over two years’ time. Members reported that they had not been given the opportunity, despite requesting the information, to look at the financial cost to the Council for recruiting to these positions for the next two years. The Chief Executive explained, that after having sought legal advice on this matter, it was not appropriate to provide Members with this kind of financial information as it would require divulging personal information of candidates that had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82\24

83\24

Independent Remuneration Panel Recommendations 2025/26 pdf icon PDF 214 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor K. May presented the Independent Remuneration Panel Recommendations 2025/26 report for Council’s consideration. The report detailed the recommendations made by the Worcestershire Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) regarding Members’ allowances for 2025/26.

 

Members were informed that the IRP had met during 2024 to review both the basic allowance paid to all Councillors as well as the Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) paid to some Councillors who had been appointed to particular positions of responsibility. The panel comprised of independent representatives of the community and reviewed the allowances paid to all Councillors serving District Councils in Worcestershire apart from Wyre Forest District Council.

 

Members were asked to note that in considering the report from the IRP, the Council was not obliged to approve their recommendations. However the proposals did need to be considered.

 

It was noted that prior to the Council meeting, the appendix to the report was reissued in a Supplementary Papers 2 pack. This was because the multipliers provided by the IRP in their report were old versions, although the figures payable were correct.

 

Clarification was provided that, as agreed earlier in the municipal year, it was anticipated that the Chairman’s allowance would be increased to a multiplier of one times the basic allowance.  However, this was not something that the IRP would have considered.

 

Following the presentation Members discussed the recommendations as shown in the report. There was a detailed discussion in respect of the multiplier for the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee. It was suggested that this should be increased due to the complex work undertaken by the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee. This had been more apparent in recent years particularly as the Chairman was now also expected to attend Finance and Budget Working Group meetings, which increased the number of meetings attended over the municipal year. Furthermore, the Committee undertook more detailed work since the Council had received the Section 24 Notice in 2023. It was proposed that the multiplier be increased to 0.3, which was in line with the multiplier for the Chairman of the Licensing Committee. Some Members expressed concerns that this was contrary to the recommendations made by the IRP. There were also Members who commented that this was not good practice, as the IRP were an independent panel and their advice should be considered. However, it was noted that this had not always been the case and that in previous years Members had amended the IRP recommendations.

 

As a result of the discussions as outlined in the preamble above, an amendment to the recommendations was proposed by Councillor J. Robinson and seconded by Councillor R. Hunter as follows:

 

‘That the multiplier for the allowance of the Chairman of Audit, Standards and Governance Committee be increased to 0.03, in line with the chairman of the Licensing Committee.’

 

On being put to the vote this amendment was lost.

 

[It was noted that Councillor H. Rone-Clarke did not take part in the vote on the above amendment in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83\24

84\24

Recommendations from the Cabinet meetings held on 10th December 2024 and 7th January 2025 pdf icon PDF 209 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman explained that there were recommendations from the Cabinet meetings held on 10th December 2024 and 7th January 2025 for the Council’s consideration.

 

Recommendations from the Cabinet meeting held on 10th December 2024

 

Bromsgrove Local Heritage List

 

The Portfolio Holder for Planning, Licensing and Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Councillor K. Taylor presented the Bromsgrove Heritage List report for Members’ consideration. It was noted that this had been a long piece of work and that the Officers had worked incredibly hard in putting the information together.

 

It was reported that four parishes were involved in this part of the work and thanks were extended to the parishes for their involvement. In addition to this, Councillor Taylor thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Board for the scrutiny that had been carried out in respect of this matter. Several responses had been received that outlined some reluctance to appear on the list and as a result there had been some appeals from local residents.

 

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor K. Taylor and seconded by Councillor S. Webb.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)    The Local Heritage List for the following parishes be adopted: Alvechurch, Beoley, Belbroughton and Fairfield Dodford with Grafton

 

2)    The wording of the Officer Scheme of Delegations for the Local Heritage List be updated ; and

 

3)    The amended Local Heritage List Strategy be approved.

 

Low-Cost Housing Capital Receipts

 

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing and Strategic Housing presented the Low-Cost Housing Capital Receipts report for Council’s consideration. During the presentation, Members were informed that the report set out the pressures on the Council’s statutory housing service including homelessness service and those in temporary accommodation.

 

It was reported that twenty-seven years previously, the Council had entered into an arrangement with a housing developer to establish a local housing scheme. This had resulted in properties being offered to those families who were eligible to buy one of the houses within the scheme at a thirty per cent discount. However, over time the housing had ceased to be suitable for low-cost housing needs.

 

A report was considered by Cabinet in February 2017 which sought approval for the housing within the scheme to be sold at one hundred percent value when the developer chose to sell the properties. The Council would then recoup their thirty per cent and invest in affordable housing. The capital receipts as a result of this decision were £577,912.26, At the date of the meeting none of this capital money had been spent.

 

Officers had carried out some research and a model had been developed in respect of the increasing costs of temporary accommodation and upward trend of homelessness. It was hoped that the plans in respect of the low-cost housing capital receipts would help increase the supply of temporary accommodation, thus resulting in a decrease in the use of Bed and Breakfast (B&B) accommodation. There were several options for use of the receipts, which included the purchase of any low-cost housing or the flipping of new build shared ownership  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84\24

85\24

To note the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 10th December 2024 and 7th January 2025 pdf icon PDF 368 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet held on 10th December 2024 and 7th January 2025 were noted.

86\24

Questions on Notice pdf icon PDF 364 KB

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

 

A period of up to 15 minutes is allocated for the asking and answering of questions.  This may be extended at the discretion of the Chairman with the agreement of the majority of those present.

 

Each elected member due to ask a question, may ask up to one supplementary question which must be based on the origial question or the answer provided to that question.

Minutes:

The Chairman advised that there had been five Questions on Notice received for this meeting.

 

Question submitted by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke

 

“We have previously passed a motion at Full-Council encouraging multi-agency meetings to resolve land disputes, how can we also ensure that residents get resolutions to local issues when County Council functions fail? - A key example being the shocking state that the trees at Shepherds Walk have been left in and the problems this is causing residents on Avon Close and Fairoak Drive.”

 

The Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services and Community Safety responded that the Council adopted a very positive multi-agency approach to the management of land disputes and that it was understood that Councillor H. Rone-Clarke was now working with Officers to resolve this issue.

 

Question submitted by Councillor P. McDonald

 

“The Overview and Scrutiny Board are concerned about the extensive use of consultants in recent months to support the work of the Cabinet and the services of external professionals in the day-to-day delivery of Council business. We would ask the Leader to ensure that the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny is advised in circumstances where the use of a consultant is being proposed to formulate strategic items so that consideration can be given to the value for money in these circumstances. 

 

Whilst we understand that there is a need to procure the services of external professionals in the day-to-day delivery of Council business and services, a quarterly report of these services are presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Board.”

 

The Leader responded that in line with best practice, there was a procurement pipeline published on the Council’s website which detailed spend in excess of £25,000 and that other spend details were included in the quarterly monitoring reports. It was agreed that the Section 151 Officer would make these available to Members and colleagues on the Overview and Scrutiny Board moving forward. In addition, the Leader explained that she would be happy to liaise with Councillor P. McDonald directly when the Cabinet considered the use of consultants in support of the formulation of Council Policy so that he could be made aware.

 

Question submitted by Councillor D. Nicholl

 

“Given the recent problems where the 145a bus service was to be cut and the 145 bus was due to have significant route changes in Stoke Prior. This only became apparent via residents Facebook posts. Can the Leader please contact Worcestershire County Council to get assurance that Bromsgrove District Council is informed of the consultation process on route changes through their wards in the future by notifying Assistant Director Community and Housing Services?”

 

The Leader responded that Officers had raised this with responsible Officers at Worcestershire County Council, and they had advised that as part of the Worcestershire Enhanced Bus Partnership, which was the mechanism for delivering the Bus Service Improvement Plan, they were in the process of considering how best to inform and consult on work with stakeholders including District Councils on the improvements and changes to bus services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86\24

87\24

Motions on Notice (To Follow) pdf icon PDF 273 KB

Please note that the Motions on Notice will be published in a Supplementary Papers Pack to this agenda.

 

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider the Motions on Notice.  This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman confirmed that there were three Motions on Notice submitted for consideration at this Council meeting. However, Members were informed that prior to the meeting, the first Motion had been withdrawn and would not be debated.

 

As detailed in Minute No 75/24 – Declarations of Interest, Councillor R. Lambert left the Council Chamber prior to the consideration of this Motion on Notice.

 

English Devolution White Paper

 

The following Motion on Notice was submitted by Councillor D. Nicholl for Council’s consideration:

 

“Given the recent English Devolution White Paper:

 

Bromsgrove District Council calls on officers to prepare a business case for the cabinet on the merits of a North Worcestershire unitary authority versus that of a Worcestershire wide unitary authority or any other model to set out the best way forward to represent the residents of Bromsgrove and the villages.”

 

The Motion was proposed by Councillor D. Nicholl and seconded by Councillor S. Evans.

 

In proposing the Motion, Councillor Nicholl referred to the recent White Paper that had been released regarding the Government’s devolution proposals. In doing so, it was outlined that the Government proposed to make Leaders at local level more accountable and for power to return to those who had ‘more skin in the game.’ It was noted that each decision on how power would be devolved would be made on a case-by-case basis. It was suggested that the decision to devolve power must have an outcome that was best for the residents of Bromsgrove, and it was important that all potential structures be explored. A North Worcestershire unitary authority might not be the best model to deliver services to the residents. Although there had been communications released regarding a Worcestershire County wide unitary authority, this had not been debated or voted on and therefore it was not known if this was the most suitable structure for the future. Councillor Nicholl expressed the view that it was vital that this Motion be passed in order to start the process and provide urgent answers to central Government.

 

Following the proposal of the Motion, an amendment was proposed by Councillor P. McDonald and seconded by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke. The amendment was as follows:

 

Given the recent English Devolution White Paper:

 

Bromsgrove District Council call on Officers to prepare a business case, for discussion at a future extraordinary meeting of the Council, on the merits of a North Worcestershire unitary authority versus that of a Worcestershire wide unitary authority or any other model to set out the best way forward to represent the residents of Bromsgrove and the villages.”

 

In proposing the amendment to the substantive Motion, Councillor McDonald explained that devolution would be a good outcome for residents, as it would empower local communities and target their needs and aspirations. However, it was right to wait until further information had been provided by the Government before making any decisions. This way all the facts would be available, and an informed decision could be made.

 

Councillor Rone-Clarke, in seconding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87\24

Recorded Vote
TitleTypeRecorded Vote textResult
Cancellation of Worcestershire County Council Elections Motion

“Bromsgrove District Council believes that the County Council elections should go ahead as planned in May and any suggestion of them being cancelled is premature”.

 

 

Rejected
  • View Recorded Vote for this item
  • 88\24

    To consider any urgent business, details of which have been notified to the Head of Legal, Democratic and Property Services prior to the commencement of the meeting and which the Chairman, by reason of special circumstances, considers to be of so urgent a nature that it cannot wait until the next meeting

    Minutes:

    There was no Urgent Business on this occasion.