Agenda and minutes

Before the meeting formally commenced the Lord Mayor invited his Spiritual Adviser to say an appropriate prayer.

SAFEGUARDING ADULT TEAM – “ADULT SERVICES TEAM OF THE YEAR” AWARD

The Lord Mayor announced that the Adult Safeguarding Team, had beaten more than 40 finalists to be voted national “Adult Services Team of the Year” at the 2012 Social Worker of the Year Awards on 30 November 2012.  The awards ceremony was hosted by the social work award organisation which is a registered charity that promotes good practice and outstanding service within the field of social work.

The Lord Mayor noted that safeguarding was a huge issue that often didn’t get the coverage it deserved and by winning the Unit had helped highlight the importance of providing help and support to vulnerable people who were in danger of abuse. The Lord Mayor also noted that the team had only been together for just one year.

The Lord Mayor presented team members with the award.

PARKS INNOVATION AWARD - WATERMEAD CONTRY PARK

The Lord Mayor announced that a national “Innovation Award” from Keep Britain Tidy which recognised and rewarded excellence and innovation in improving local environmental had been won by the Parks and City Warden teams.

The Lord Mayor noted that the award had been given for an 8 week campaign that had sought to encourage users to rethink their bird feeding habits and help tackle the excessive number of geese at Watermead Contry Park.  Feedback from park users and local wildlife groups had been that the campaign had a positive impact on the numbers of Canada Geese that come to the park to feed.

The Lord Mayor presented Paul Barker from the Parks team and Barbara Whitcombe from the City Warden team with the award.

The Lord Mayor invited the Monitoring Officer to make a statement in relation to items on the agenda.

The Monitoring Officer stated that in relation to the debate concerning the Call In of the Gypsies and Travellers decision at 6.4 on the agenda the advice he had given was that having a strong view on the matter did not equate to having a declarable interest in the matter for the purposes of the debate.  However he suggested that the issue of having a strong view may be more pertinent to those Members who would be later involved in decision making on the matter, such as those who were members of the Planning & Development Control Committee. 

In relation to the items concerning Council Tax at 6.2 and 6.3 on the agenda the Monitoring Officer offered his advice that being in receipt of Empty Homes Discount or being a Council Tax payer did not equate to having an interest in the items under the Council’s Code of Conduct.

The Lord Mayor invited Members to declare any interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillors declared interests as detailed below:

Moved by the Lord Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor and carried:

34.       That the Minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 22 November 2012 having been printed and a copy sent to each Member of the Council be taken as read and that they be approved as a correct record.

PETITIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

PETITIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

Councillor Bajaj presented a petition with 506 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned, wish the Local Authority and/or Government to review road safety measures outside Whitehall Primary School in Leicester and implement appropriate safety measures.  These may include bollards to prevent parking on grass verges and corners outside the school and surrounding areas.  A number of parents and motorists are using these areas for off-road parking when dropping off and collecting children from school.  This makes it dangerous for child and adult pedestrians.  Also to include ‘Child Bollards’ to assist in reducing traffic speed.”

Councillor Naylor presented a petition with 437 signatures in the following terms:

“In response to the proposed removal of the 302 bus service through Braunstone, we would like to register our disapproval of the plan.”

Councillor Sood presented a petition with 57 signatures in the following terms:

“Anti- social behaviour such as smashing of cars, burning of items and throwing glass bottles, shouting and screaming during most nights, intimidating residents and breaking into property.  This has shaken our livelihoods which has caused uncomfortable sleepless nights.  Residents of Harrison Road and Allington Street are extremely worried not knowing what to do.   We, therefore, request the City Council to provide security in the area such as cameras, gates in Cossington Park, which should be locked after 9.00 pm, barbed wiring around the gates of residents of Harrison Road who face the park and lighting around Harrison Road.”

Councillor Thomas presented a petition with 59 signatures in the following terms:

“The members of Rushey Fields Residence Association & Residents of Belgrave, Rushey Mead and Latimer wards would like to request Leicester City Council to make substantial safety and improvements to Rushey Mead Park.  The proposals are firstly to make this park a walking park for the public, as done in Cossington Park, Leicester.  Secondly to move the children’s play area next to the Belgrave Police Station, make it dog prohibited area, finally there is a great need for flowers and shrubs around the walking area.”

PETITIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

Mr David Holdingpresented a petition with 165 signatures from residents of Leicester and 30 signatures from elsewhere in the following terms:

“This petition is presented to Leicester City Council by the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and elsewhere in protest at the closure of Belgrave Museum, and hereby call upon the said Council to re-instate Belgrave Hall and Gardens as a public, free-to enter museum as it has been since 1936.”

Moved by the Lord Mayor, seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor and carried:

35.       That the aforementioned petitions be referred to the Monitoring Officer for consideration and action as appropriate.

Councillor Singh:   Thank you my Lord Mayor.  Can I request the City Mayor to make a statement on the importance of the Equality Impact Assessments in the decision making process and the provision of services from the Council pre and post budget and outline the structure that has been adopted to ensure a transparent and accountable framework in the light of the 2011 census information.

Councillor Sood:  Thank you Lord Mayor.  I thank Councillor Singh for this question.  My Lord Mayor, unlike the Prime Minister who announced in November that the government was calling time on the production of Equality Impact Assessments, I can assure Council members that the Council will continue to use Equality Impact Assessments to inform its decision making and service provision.  Why are Equality Impact Assessments important?  They help us to do things.  They ensure that our decisions are not made in a vacuum, they help us understand the personal context of people affected by our proposals, they focus on whether there will be negative impacts on those who use our services as a result of our proposals.  If there are negative impacts, the challenge for us is to identify mitigating actions that reduce these negative impacts.  They enable us to demonstrate that we are meeting our Public Sector Equality Duty as set out in the Equality Act 2010.  The City Council believes that these proposals are fair for everyone and help make sure that resources go to those most in need and is able to meet their needs in other ways.  Consideration of equality impacts has been a common strength throughout our budget process for last year and this year.  Equality consideration has featured throughout the discussion.  Our public consultation on budget proposals included summaries of the equality implications.  We have asked for external views on the robustness of our budget and EIA and we hosted a review panel during this year and last year’s budget proposals.  This feedback helps us to improve our Equality Impact Assessments.  My Lord Mayor the 2011 census figures showed Leicester as a fast growing City which increased in size by 17% within the past 10 years and increasingly diverse with increased minority ethnic representations and I am confident that our use of Equality Impact Assessments will help us ensure that we are being fair to everyone in the City and how we look at our resources.

Lord Mayor:  Councillor Singh, do you have a supplementary?

Councillor Singh:  Yes, thank you Lord Mayor.  I am grateful for the reply by Councillor Sood.  I am encouraged by the emphasis in the answer on the duty of equality.  I think that is very good.  Would the Assistant Mayor further agree that it may be useful to consider setting up a working group to examine the strategic impact of service delivery and orientations to a City population with a predominance of BME communities in the coming generations?

Lord Mayor:  Councillor Sood.

Councillor Sood:  Thank you for the supplementary question and for your  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

Reserved to Council

6.1     Treasury Strategy 2013/14 to 2015/16

6.2     Council Tax – Taxbase and Empty Property Discounts

6.3     Council Tax Reduction (Local) Scheme – Scheme Options

Call-In of Executive Decision

6.4     Gypsy & Traveller Sites In and Around Leicester

Treasury Strategy 2013/14 to 2015/16

The City Mayor submitted a report which sought to establish the strategy for the Council’s borrowing and investments during 2013/14.

The meeting also noted the minute extract from the meeting of the Overview Select Committee held on 17 January 2013 which was attached to the meeting papers.

Moved by Councillor Cassidy, seconded by Councillor Joshi and carried:-

36.       That Council approve the Treasury Strategy 2013/14 to 2015/16.

Council Tax – Taxbase and Empty Property Discounts

The City Mayor submitted a report regarding the setting of a ‘taxbase’ by the Council and determination of the level of discounts.

Moved by the City Mayor, seconded by Deputy City Mayor and carried:-

37.       That Council:

1.         Endorse a taxbase for 2013/14 of 62,070 properties expressed as the equivalent number of “Band D” properties;

2.         Approve the level of discounts as recommended in section 3.9 of the report submitted to Council.

            Council Tax Reduction (Local) Scheme – Scheme Options

The City Mayor submitted a report outling details of scheme proposals to enable the Council to adopt a Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

Moved by Councillor Russell, seconded by Deputy City Mayor and carried:

38.       That Council

1.         Approve the adoption of the LocalisationofCouncil TaxReduction Scheme proposals as detailed in Scheme One (details given at paragraph 4.18, page 5) of the report submitted to Council excluding removal of backdating

2.         Approve a £315,000 fund (detailed at paragraph 4.16 page 9 of the report submitted to Council) for the Council Tax discretionary relief fund (also known as Section 13A within the Local Government Finance Act) to financially assist the most vulnerable individuals in the City against the adverse impacts these groups may face following the introduction of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

Objection to Decision

Gypsy and Traveller Sites in and around Leicester

Having declared an ‘Other Disclosable Interest’ in the item as a member of the Planning & Development Control Committee Councillors Kitterick, Choudhury, Moore, Mayat, Joshi, Fonseca, Desai and Shelton left the Chamber for the duration of the debate.

Having declared an ‘Other Disclosable Interest’ in the item as her partner worked for the Council in a team that had been involved with issues relating to the matter Councillor Senior withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the debate.

In accordance with Rule 12 of the City Mayor and Executive Procedure Rules, Councillors Westley (Proposer), Byrne (Seconder), Meghani, Dempster and Bhavsar had objected to the decision of the City Mayor of 7 January 2013.

The submitted grounds for objection were:

“that the residents of Beaumont Leys and Abbey Wards have raised a number of concerns that lead us to believe that the decision should be reconsidered.”

A copy of the report and background  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

7.1       Audit & Risk Annual Report to Council

Councillor Westley, Chair of Audit and Risk Committee updated Council on the work of the Audit and Risk Committee for the financial year 2011-12.

Moved by Councillor Westley, seconded by Councillor Potter and carried:

42.       That Council receive the report.

To note any changes to the Executive.  To vary the composition and fill any vacancies of any committee of the Council.

Moved by Councillor Potter, seconded by Councillor Kitterick and carried:

43.       That Councillor Ross Willmott be appointed as Chair of Children, Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission.

Changes to the Executive

The City Mayor notified Council that Councillor Connelly had joined the Executive with responsibility for housing matters and thanked him for taking up the post.  The City Mayor also formally thanked Councillor Dawood who had moved on from the Executive for personal reasons for the considerable burden he had borne and difficult issues he had faced as a member of the Executive.

No Notices of Motion were received.

There was no other urgent business.

The Lord Mayor declared the meeting closed at 8.25pm.