Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Jo Morrison  01225 394358

Items
No. Item

44.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The Chairman will draw attention to the emergency evacuation procedure as set out under Note 7.

Minutes:

The Chairman drew attention to the emergency evacuation procedure, as set out on the agenda.

45.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillor Morgan-Brinkhurst MBE.

46.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

At this point in the meeting declarations of interest are received from Members in any of the agenda items under consideration at the meeting. Members are asked to complete the green interest forms circulated to groups in their pre-meetings (which will be announced at the Council Meeting) to indicate:

(a) The agenda item number in which they have an interest to declare.

(b) The nature of their interest.

(c) Whether their interest is personal and prejudicial or personal.

Any Member who needs to clarify any matters relating to the declaration of interests is recommended to seek advice from the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer before the meeting to expedite dealing with the item during the meeting.

 

Minutes:

Councillor Jackson declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in agenda item12, as a member of Radstock Action Group who are opposed to longer lorries (and their effect on Radstock).

47.

MINUTES - 15TH SEPTEMBER 2011 pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Minutes:

On a motion from Councillor Crossley, seconded by Councillor Haeberling, it was

 

RESOLVED that the minutes of 15th September be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

48.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OR FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

These are matters of information for Members of the Council. No decisions will be required arising from the announcements.

Minutes:

The Chairman;

 

1.  Announced that Item 9 (Health and Wellbeing Board) would be deferred to a future meeting, following Councillors ratification of this proposal.

 

2.  Indicated that he proposed to waive Council Rule 37 so as not to permit Councillors seconding motions or amendments being able to reserve their right to speak until later in the debate, but to require all seconders, if they wished so speak, to do so when they seconded the motion or amendment.  The Council indicated its agreement.

 

3.  Informed Council that he proposed to announce a 10 minute comfort break at an appropriate point if the meeting continued beyond 8.00pm.

49.

TO ANNOUNCE ANY URGENT BUSINESS AGREED BY THE CHAIRMAN

If there is any urgent business arising since the formal agenda was published, the Chairman will announce this and give reasons why she has agreed to consider it at this meeting. In making her decision, the Chairman will, where practicable, have consulted with the Leaders of the Political Groups. Any documentation on urgent business will be circulated at the meeting, if not made available previously.

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

50.

QUESTIONS, STATEMENTS, PETITIONS AND DEPUTATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

The Democratic Services Manager will announce any submissions received under the arrangements set out in note 5 above. The Council will be invited to decide what action it wishes to take, if any, on the matters raised in these submissions. As the questions received and the answers given will be circulated in written form there is no requirement for them to be read out at the meeting. The questions and answers will be published with the draft minutes.

 

Minutes:

A petition was submitted by Stephanie Dodge, who also spoke in support of the petition calling for a bin on the Bathwick Estate.  The petition was referred for consideration to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods.

 

A question had been received from Ian Barclay regarding Firs field/Recreation Ground Trust.  The Chairman drew attention to the question and response which had been circulated to Councillors and at the meeting.  [A copy of which is available on the Council’s Minute book and on the website.]

Additional documents:

51.

GYPSIES, TRAVELLERS AND TRAVELLING SHOWPEOPLE SITE ALLOCATIONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN DOCUMENT (DPD): ISSUES AND OPTIONS CONSULTATION PAPER AND 'CALL FOR SITES' pdf icon PDF 186 KB

The Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) is a formal planning document prepared by the Council which allocates land for the development of authorised Gypsy and Traveller pitches across the District. The Issues and Options paper, which is due to be agreed by Cabinet on 9th November 2011, seeks public comment on how sites should be allocated for development as Gypsy and Traveller pitches or Travelling Showpeople yards.  The Call for Sites seeks information on potential land for allocation.

 

The purpose of this report is to inform the Council of the Issues and Options Paper and request its views as part of the consultation process.

Minutes:

The Council considered a report regarding the Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople Site Allocations Development Plan document (DPD)  which is a planning document prepared by the Council which allocates land for the development of authorised Gypsy and Traveller pitches across the district.  The call for sites seeks information on potential land for allocation.

 

The Chairman explained that the purpose of this item was to seek the views of Council as part of the consultation process. Comments that needed to be considered by the Cabinet are recorded below and will be referred to Cabinet.

 

Councillor Tim Ball, Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning introduced the item. He outlined the four levels of consultation on this and set out the legal background. He informed Council that the consultation period will run from 21st November 2011 to 16th January 2012.

 

Councillors made the following comments:

 

·  Councillor Martin Veal referred to the criteria set out for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople's accommodation as set out in Appendix 1 (page 25) to the report. He expressed his concern that some residents do not have the same level of facilities as those listed.

·  Councillor Dave Laming explained his concern on the yard space to be provided for Travelling Showpeople in that residents would have to pay business rates if they had similar space for winter storage. He added that business rates should also be paid on the flatbed lorries that some Travellers use for collecting scrap. Councillor Laming also referred to the 2200 Travellers on the waterways who had to move on constantly and asked for them to be considered.

·  Councillor Crossley agreed that the level of legislation on pitch requirements was burdensome. He stated that the Council had not addressed this issue before and now must take the opportunity that the Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning was providing. He further added that Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople had a low life expectancy and were not always well thought of and urged Councillors to take this opportunity to address the gap in policy on this issue.

·  Councillor Ian Gilchrist informed Councillors of the costs of £18-22 million involved in the recent Dale Farm enforcement action. He congratulated the Cabinet Member on the positive steps taken to avoid this type of cost for this authority.

·  Councillor John Bull stated that his Group welcomed the proposal and supported the consultation which he felt was overdue. He explained that the Development Control Committee had been in a difficult position many times due to the lack of Council policy on the issue and he welcomed a positive outcome.

·  Councillor Alan Hale referred to paragraph 4.1 in the report regarding discrimination and stated that if land was found for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople, in his opinion, residents on the waiting list for social housing were being discriminated against. He called for a solution for residents of Bath and North East Somerset from the stable community before making land available for Travellers.

·  Councillor Vic Pritchard called for issues to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

52.

HEALTH & WELLBEING BOARD GOVERNANCE pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) is part of the early implementer network of Shadow Health and Wellbeing Boards. This means that we are expected to transition from the current arrangement (Partnership Board) to the Shadow Board by April 2012.

 

To enable this transition the Council is being consulted on the draft Terms of Reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board (shadow until April 2013).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

This item was withdrawn from this agenda and is deferred to a future meeting of Council.

53.

POLICY DEVELOPMENT & SCRUTINY PANELS - ROLE OF VICE-CHAIRS pdf icon PDF 37 KB

This report puts forward proposals concerning the role of Vice-Chairs of Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels.

Minutes:

This report puts forward proposals concerning the role of Vice-Chairs of Policy Development & Scrutiny Panels, following an instruction from Council at its May 2011 meeting.

 

On a motion from Councillor Crossley, seconded by Councillor Bull, it was

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  To approve the principles of the role of Vice-Chair of a Policy Development & Scrutiny Panel, as set out in paragraph 5.3 of the report; and

 

2.  To authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with Group Leaders, to make consequential amendments to the Constitution.

 

(Note; the above resolution was agreed with 1 abstention)

54.

TREASURY MANAGEMENT MONITORING REPORT TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2011 pdf icon PDF 280 KB

In February 2010, the Council adopted the 2009 edition of the CIPFA Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice, which requires the Council to approve a Treasury Management Strategy before the start of each financial year, review performance during the year, and approve an annual report after the end of each financial year.

 

This report gives details of performance against the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Plan 2011/12 for the first six months of 2011/12.

Minutes:

In February 2010, the Council adopted the 2009 edition of the CIPFA Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice, which requires the Council to approve a Treasury Management Strategy before the start of each financial year, review performance during the year, and approve an annual report after the end of each financial year.

 

This report gives details of performance against the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy and Annual Investment Plan 2011/12 for the first six months of 2011/12.

 

On a motion from Councillor Bellotti, seconded by Councillor Crossley, it was

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  To note the Treasury Management report to 30th September 2011, prepared in accordance with the CIPFA Treasury Code of Practice; and

 

2.  To note the Treasury Management Indicators to 30th September 2011.

 

(Note; the above resolution was agreed with 1 abstention)

55.

COUNCILLOR AGENDA MOTION - MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR NIGEL ROBERTS pdf icon PDF 13 KB

The motion set out on the attached paper will be moved by Councillor Nigel Roberts.  It asks the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Transport expressing this Council’s concerns regarding a ten-year trial of longer lorries and asks officers to investigate the effect and any mitigation measures.

Minutes:

Councillor Nigel Roberts submitted a motion expressing concern that the Department for Transport was pressing ahead with a ten-year trial of longer lorries, despite acknowledging the potential danger to vulnerable road users and the impact on road infrastructure, in heritage cities such as Bath.

 

On a motion from Councillor Nigel Roberts, seconded by Councillor Roger Symonds, it was

 

RESOLVED (nem con)

 

1.  That the Council Leader be asked to write to the Secretary of State for Transport expressing this Council's concerns; and

 

2.  The Council's officers be asked to look at the effect of these lorries on the roads through Bath and North East Somerset, with a view to mitigating any risks, such as lorries getting stranded and damage to Bath's vaults.

56.

QUESTIONS, STATEMENTS, PETITIONS AND DEPUTATIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

The Democratic Services Manager will announce any submissions received. The Council will be invited to decide what action it wishes to take, if any, on the matters raised in these submissions. As the questions received and the answers given will be circulated in written form there is no requirement for them to be read out at the meeting. The questions and answers will be published with the draft minutes.

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor Will Sandry made a statement to the meeting – ‘Housing – the inconvenient truth’.  The statement was referred to the Cabinet Member for Homes and Planning. [A copy of which is available on the Council's Minute book and on the website].

 

One Councillor question had been received from Councillor Liz Hardman.  The Chair drew attention to the question and response which had been circulated to Councillors and at the meeting.  [A copy of which is available on the Council’s Minute book and on the website.]

Additional documents: