Agenda and minutes

SERVICES NOMINATED FOR AWARDS

The Lord Mayor was delighted to announce that two City Council projects had been shortlisted in a national competition that recognised excellence in local government.

The Council’s Integrated Crisis Response Service – a multi-agency service that provided emergency support to older people in their own homes – and a project set up to tackle insurance fraud had been selected from more than 600 entries to earn a place on the Local Government Chronicle Awards 2014 shortlist.

Representatives of both projects would be presenting more details to the judging panel on 24 January with the winners announced in London on Wednesday 12 March at the Local Government Chronicle Awards ceremony.

Making it on to the shortlist for these national awards was a great achievement and the Lord Mayor congratulated everyone involved and, along with Council sent best wishes for the upcoming presentations. 

VARIATION OF ORDER OF BUSINESS

The Lord Mayor announced that he would be taking the Notices of Motion item immediately after the Petitions item and welcomed the representatives of local mental health organisations who had attended the meeting to hear the debate.

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

The Lord Mayor noted that the Monitoring Officer would give specific advice in relation to item 4.3 on the agenda prior to consideration of the item.

Councillor Clarke declared an other disclosable interest in item 9 on the agenda as his wife was an officer of the Council working in the mental health field.

Councillor Senior declared an other disclosable interest in item 4.3 on the agenda as her partner was a team leader for the Council advising on transport implications of planning applications.  Councillor Senior stated that she would leave the Chamber for the duration of this item.

Councillor Joshi declared an other disclosable interest in item 9 on the agenda as he worked for a voluntary sector mental health services provider.

Councillor Cole declared an other disclosable interest in item 9 on the agenda as he was in receipt of benefits in relation to his mental health.

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

30.       That the minutes of the Special and Ordinary meetings of the Council, held on 21 November 2013, 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.

-           Presented by Councillors

-           Presented by Members of the Public

-               Petitions for Debate

4.1 Keep Clarendon Park Local – Stop Tesco!

PETITIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

Mr Jethwa presented a petition with 169 signatures in the following terms:

“We want petition in stopping of demolition of the Belgrave Flyover.”

Mr. Benjamin Mintah, (accompanied by New College Humanities Club and teachers)presented a petition with 337 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned, petition for the mortal remains of England’s last Plantagenet King, Richard III, the last king to die in battle, recently discovered under a car park in Leicester, to be re-interred with due dignity and respect in Leicester, where he was originally buried.”

PETITIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

None

The Lord Mayor stated that under Council Procedure Rule 13h the aforementioned petitions would be referred tothe Monitoring Officer for consideration and action as appropriate.

PETITIONS TO BE DEBATED

Having declared an Interest Councillor Senior left the Chamber for the duration of this item.

The Monitoring Officer noted that under the terms of the Council’s Petitions Scheme two petitioners have been invited to speak on their petition for a maximum of five minutes each.  This would be followed by a debate on the issues raised by the petition for a maximum of 15 minutes.

The Monitoring Officer advised that following the debate, Council could decide how to respond to the petition and may decide to:

·         take the action the petition requested in so far as it has the power to do so,

·         recommend a decision maker to not take the action requested for reasons put forward in the debate,

·         recommend that further investigation into the matter be commissioned,

·         note the petition.

Further advice was given in relation to potential areas for declarations of interest for members of the Council Planning and Licensing Committees.

The Lord Mayor noted that he had agreed to allow two people to present the case in relation to this petition. Ms Margaret Lewis would speak for up to 5 minutes followed by Mr Sean Kelly-Walsh for up to 5 minutes.

Ms Lewis and Mr Kelly Walsh presented the petition with 2,264 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned petition the Council to value our independent local shops, oppose proposals for a Tesco Express in the former Barclays Bank, and petition the Council to do everything in their power to prevent this.

We are a group of Leicester residents who have started a local campaign in Clarendon Park.

We are trying to prevent Tesco from opening an Express store in the ex-Barclays Bank branch in our area.

Until very recently, they denied explicitly that they were planning to do this.

This is one of the few remaining neighbourhoods where most of the businesses on our main street are small, local and independent, giving it a unique and friendly character.  We want to keep it that way.

Clarendon Park is a close knit community, more akin to a village than a city suburb.  We encourage as many people as possible who live, work or study in the area to join our campaign and help  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

Please note that it is anticipated that this matter will be considered as the first substantive item of business.

Proposed by Councillor Palmer, Seconded by Councillor Cooke:

 Local authorities’ Mental Health Challenge

This council notes:

§ 1 in 6 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.

§ Leicester’s joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy identifies improving mental health and emotional resilience as a key priority.

§ The World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common health condition worldwide by 2020.

§ Mental ill health costs some £105 billion each year in England alone.

§ People with a severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK.

§ There is often a circular relationship between mental health and issues such as housing, employment, family problems or debt.

This council believes:

§ As a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our community and tackling some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health.

§ Mental health should be a priority across all the local authority’s functions, from public health, adult social care and children’s services to housing, planning and public realm.

§ All councillors, whether members of the Executive or Scrutiny and in our community and casework roles, can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis and in challenging stigma.

This council resolves:

§ To sign the Local Authorities Mental Health Challenge run by Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Young Minds. We commit to:

1. Appoint an elected member as “mental health champion” across the council.

2. Identify a “lead officer” for mental health to link in with colleagues across the council.

3. Follow the implementation framework for the mental health strategy where it is relevant to the council’s work and local needs.

4. Work to reduce inequalities in mental health in our community.

5. Work with the NHS to integrate health and social care support.

6. Promote wellbeing and initiate and support action on public mental health.

7. Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health in our community and to tackle stigma.

8. Encourage positive mental health in our schools, colleges and workplaces.

9. Proactively engage and listen to people of all ages and backgrounds about what they need for better mental health.

10. Sign up to the Time to Change pledge.

Proposed by Councillor Palmer, Seconded by Councillor Cooke and carried:

32.       That Council:

Notes that:

§ 1 in 6 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year.

§ Leicester’s joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy identifies improving mental health and emotional resilience as a key priority.

§ The World Health Organisation predicts that depression will be the second most common health condition worldwide by 2020.

§ Mental ill health costs some £105 billion each year in England alone.

§ People with a severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK.

§ There is often a circular relationship between mental health and issues such as housing, employment, family problems or debt.

Believes that:

§ As a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our community and tackling some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health.

§ Mental health should be a priority across all the local authority’s functions, from public health, adult social care and children’s services to housing, planning and public realm.

§ All councillors, whether members of the Executive or Scrutiny and in our community and casework roles, can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis and in challenging stigma.

Resolves to:

§ Sign the Local Authorities Mental Health Challenge run by the Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health Foundation, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Young Minds. We commit to:

1. Appoint Councillor Cooke as “mental health champion” across the council.

2. Identify a “lead officer” for mental health to link in with colleagues across the council.

3. Follow the implementation framework for the mental health strategy where it is relevant to the council’s work and local needs.

4. Work to reduce inequalities in mental health in our community.

5. Work with the NHS to integrate health and social care support.

6. Promote wellbeing and initiate and support action on public mental health.

7. Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health in our community and to tackle stigma.

8. Encourage positive mental health in our schools, colleges and workplaces.

9. Proactively engage and listen to people of all ages and backgrounds about what they need for better mental health.

10. Sign up to the Time to Change pledge.

Question 1 – Councillor Barton:  Thank you my Lord Mayor.  I am very pleased to be able to speak after such a very excellent debate and welcome back my colleague, Councillor Glover, it was good to hear her contributions.  The new residents parking scheme in Westcotes Ward is very popular with those that are benefiting from it who live in Westcotes, but at the other end of the same streets, which are in Western Park Ward, there have been knock on effects which have been causing problems to residents there.  Vehicles are parked on the pavements, which is altering the character of the West End Conservation Area, and at the Western Park end the streets are not one way as they are in Westcotes, there is two way traffic and because there are no spaces at the side of the road there are no longer any passing places which is causing safety issues on those roads.  People making deliveries have to park in the centre of the road blocking the streets, and a comment I have received is it is like there is a football match on every day now.  We do have considerable problems we have to plan our lives around traffic when there are football matches and we can’t go out.  Could the Mayor reassure the residents in Western Park that have been detrimentally affected by the residents’ parking scheme in Westcotes that something will be done to consider the problems that have been caused for them and a way of perhaps ameliorating those problems”.

City Mayor:  Thank you my Lord Mayor, and can I thank Councillor Barton for this question because it certainly is the case that the initial feedback from the residents in Westcotes who have had this scheme introduced has generally been very positive indeed.  But she is also absolutely right, and she has represented her piece very effectively over recent weeks, that residents in the neighbouring Western Park area, particularly in the area immediately adjacent to the residents’ parking scheme, have undoubtedly received a very significant impact in their area of car parking displaced from Westcotes to the area.  So, I have discussed this with Council officers and they will be carrying out some before and after surveys to establish just what has been happening, and to look at the effective displacement as a result of the experimental scheme. I have asked them as part of that process to consult with residents in the immediate adjacent part of Western Park Ward to get evidence of which area has been most impacted, whether they would welcome the introduction of a residents’ parking scheme in their streets as well, and I recognise that it may well be that as part of that we also need to look at some alteration of the two way into one way and some alignment of the streets that actually cross the boundary there.  I have also stressed to the officers that while, of course, we are in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

Reserved to Council

6.1       Treasury Strategy 2014/15 to 2016/17

6.2       Licensing Act 2003 – Statement of Licensing Policy

Call-In of Executive Decision

6.3       Report on the Consultation on the Closure of Evesham House Housing    Project for People with Substance Misuse Issues

Treasury Strategy 2014/15 to 2016/17

Moved by Councillor Palmer, seconded by the City Mayor and carried:

33.       The Council is recommended to approve this Treasury Strategy, and the authorised borrowing limit as outlined in paragraph 6.3 of the report.

Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy

In presenting the report it was noted that recommendation 2.1 in the report attached to the Council agenda referred to the extension of the policy until 6 February 2015.  This was incorrect and should have read 2016.

Moved by Councillor Russell, seconded by Councillor Thomas and carried:

34        The Council is recommended to approve the extension of the Licensing Policy for a further two years to 6 February 2016 as provided to the Licensing Act 2003.

Call-In of Executive Decision - Report on consultation on the closure of Evesham House Housing Project for People with Substance Misuse Issues

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

35.       That the report be withdrawn following the statement from the Executive as follows:

‘The decision to close Evesham House is suspended but until a final decision is made on its future there will be no further admissions.

Furthermore, Evesham House will be seriously considered, as part of the ten proposed accommodation units with support for individuals with substance misuse problems by, if necessary, transferring the property at a nominal fee to a RSL so the residents may not be affected by the Benefit Income cap.

In the event of Evesham House not being chosen as a location for accommodation based treatment, no full closure shall take place until the 10 alternative accommodation units have begun to operate.

Finally, any alternative use of Evesham House will be subject to a further report to the ASC and/ or to the Housing Scrutiny Commissions.’

To note any changes to the Executive and fill any vacancies of any Committee of the Council.

None.

None.

The Lord Mayor declared the meeting closed at 7.59pm.