Agenda and minutes

The Lord Mayor noted that his chaplain Rev’d Canon Alison Adams had not been able to attend this meeting but would be present at the next Council meeting.

The Lord Mayor informed Council that his Civic Service would be held on Sunday 5 July 2015 at 3pm at the Cathedral.  Members would be receiving an invitation in due course.

The Lord Mayor informed Council that a group of young athletes would shortly be travelling from Leicester to Netherlands to take part in the International Children’s Games and joined with the Assistant City Mayor Piara Singh Clair in wishing them well.

The Lord Mayor wished all Muslim Councillors and all those in the City observing the holy month of Ramadan a peaceful and blessed Ramadan.

The Lord Mayor invited the Monitoring Officer to give advice in relation to declarations concerning item 6 on the agenda ‘Revisions to the Constitution’.

The Monitoring Officer advised that within item 6 were a number of proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution, including the Contract Procedure Rules. By and large these changes reflected legislative amendments and changes to thresholds but also comprised other operational changes.

The Monitoring Officer stated that broadly speaking he was of the view that it was unlikely that participation of those Members in chamber would affected by the need to declare interests and that even if a Member or their partner or close associates had contracts or hoped in the near future to have contracts with the Council, nothing that would be decided at the meeting would be specific enough to trigger an interest.  The Monitoring Officer noted that the Members Register of Interests acted as a publically accountable record of business or other connections with the Council and would not need re-declaring at this meeting.  Where it came to specific contracts, section 14 of the Contract Procedure Rules within the Constitution provided guidance on Member duties where they had, or may be perceived to have, an “interest”.

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

No declarations were made.

The minutes of the meetings held on 25th February 2015 are available to view at http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk/documents/g6770/Printed%20minutes%20Wednesday%2025-Feb-2015%2017.01%20Council.pdf?T=1 and 21 May 2015 are available to view at: http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=81&MId=6789&Ver=4

Copies are also available from Democratic Support on (0116) 454 6350 or Committees@leicester.gov.uk.

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

7.         That the minutes of the meetings of Council held on 25 February 2015 and the meeting held on 21 May 2015, copies having been circulated to each Member of the Council, be taken as read and that they be approved as a correct record.

-           Presented by Members of the Public

-           Presented by Councillors

Councillor Bajaj presented a petition with 327 signatures in the following terms:

“We, the undersigned residents of Evington, Leicester request Leicester City Council install a Pedestrian Crossing on Spencefield Lane opposite St Paul’s Catholic School and Krishna Avanti Primary School for the safety of school children and vulnerable adults crossing the road every day especially during the rush hour.  That the Leicester City Council should implement these measures without delay.”

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

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

Lord Mayor:  First of all questions from members of the public.  Ms. Carlym Quantrill.

Ms. Quantrill:  Thank you Lord Mayor.  May I please first explain why I am here asking the questions, I am asking on behalf of people who are members of the gypsy and travelling community but who do not feel confident to come along and engage with this process on a personal level.  May I also make quick reference to the fact that there are three petitions that they have submitted raising their concerns about the usage of CCTV cameras on Meynell’s Gorse, Redhill site and Greengate site, and I may well be asked to come here and read those out to full Council at a later date.  My first question I believe has now been answered by Andy Connelly – just looking… yes, cool.  Can you please tell me the Council’s plans to provide city wide official gypsy and traveller sites in order to meet the needs of members of this community and to enable them to maintain their traditional lifestyle and culture as much as possible please?

Lord Mayor: Councillor Connelly.

Councillor Connelly:  Thank you Lord Mayor.  In response to the question, clearly the Chamber will be aware that we have just opened two new sites, one a Redhill and one at Greengate Lane providing 16 extra new pitches and we are in the process, we have just completed the refurbishment of the Meynell’s Gorse site.  The gypsy and travellers’ needs assessment produced jointly with the districts in 2013 says that we have a 5 year need for a further 30 permanent sites and transit sites.  The local plan examinations are presently ongoing and clearly we will see if we can identify, through the local plan, any opportunity for further sites including a transit site.

Lord Mayor:  Ms. Quantrill have you a supplementary question?

Ms. Quantrill:  There is a question yes.  If I could ask Councillor Connelly if he could please give an assurance that with any new sites that actual members of the gypsy and traveller community themselves are consulted on the layout and functioning of any new sites and not Council officers or other alleged representatives please.

Councillor Connelly:  In respect of Meynell’s Gorse we consulted with residents on the site and as a result we amended our proposals.  In respect of Redhill and Greengate Lane, the difficulty we had in respect of consulting with residents was that at that time we had no residents because they were new sites.  So I am not sure exactly who we were supposed to consult with in respect that we were not aware of who the residents would be until they got allocated their pitches on those two sites.  But clearly if we are in a position to identify new sites and we know who those residents will be, we will clearly consult with them.  I think it is a shame that having built the two new sites at considerable cost both  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

6.1       Revisions to the Constitution

REVISIONS TO THE CONSTITUTION

A report of the Monitoring Officer was considered which gave details of suggested amendments to the Constitution.

Moved by the City Mayor, seconded by the Councillor Westley and carried:-

8.         That Council:

1)                 Agree the new Contract Procedures Rules (CPR) comprising Part 4G of the Constitution and attached as Appendix 1 with the following amendments

Insertion of a new text at 19.2 to read “The Executive will receive bi-annual monitoring reports of all Waiver activity undertaken pursuant to section 24 of these Rules and all Contract Extensions undertaken pursuant to sections 60.5 and 60.6 of these Rules.”

Insertion of a new section 19.1.6 to read “The Bi-annual monitoring reports prepared under section 19.2 below”

2)                 Agree the associated amendments to Part 3 of the Finance Procedure Rules (FPR) at Part 4F of the Constitution and attached as Appendix 2;

3)                 Agree a revision to Article 6 (Part 2, Key Decisions) as follows;

“In the case of one off or capital expenditure, spending of over £1m is to be committed on a scheme except where:

(i)            The scheme has been specifically approved by Council; or

(ii)           The scheme is not a city council sponsored scheme, is not to take place within the City boundary (unless sponsored wholly by another public body)   and constitutes city council expenditure solely by virtue of the council receiving and disbursing external grant (including accountable body arrangements).”

4)                 Agree changes to the Terms of Reference for Employee’s Committee as set out in Appendix 3 of the report;

5)                 Agree the changes to the functions of the Licensing Sub Committees as set out in Appendix 4 of the report;

6)                 Agree a change to the Terms of Reference of the Health & Well Being Board to take account of its responsibilities in relation to the Better Care Fund, as per paragraph 3.15 in the report;

7)                 Agree changes to the Officer Employment Procedure Rules found in Part 4I of the Constitution, as set out in Appendix 5 of the report, such as to ensure compliance with the new statutory dismissal procedures for the Head of Paid Service; Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer

8)                 To agree the changes, set out in Appendix 6 of the report, to the Good Practice Guidance for Member involvement in Planning and Development Control decisions found in Part 5 of the Constitution with the following amendments:

(i) that paragraph 6.8 shall be moved to section 8 of the Guidance and be included as a new paragraph 8.7

(ii) that a new paragraph 8.8 be added to say “Where an Elected Member makes representations or contact on a planning application (whether orally or in writing) which is to be decided either by Committee or by Officers, that Elected Member shall always make it known that they are a Member of the Council. If the purpose of the representation/contact is to articulate a view in a personal capacity they shall identify themselves as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

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

9.              I move that the technical resolution regarding the formation of Scrutiny Committee and Commissions and Regulatory and Council Committees as printed on the Council Script in italics, be approved.

Technical Resolution – Scrutiny Committee, Commissions & Regulatory and Council Committees

(i)    That the Overview Select Committee, Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission, Children, Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission, Economic Development, Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission, Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Commission, Heritage, Culture, Leisure and Sport Scrutiny Commission, Housing Scrutiny Commission, and the Neighbourhood Services and Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission all be established in according with the existing Terms of Reference and the size of each being in accordance with the list attached and circulated to all Members and notes that the remaining places will be filled in consultation with the relevant Members / procedures.

(ii)   That the Audit and Risk Committee, Health and Wellbeing Board, Standards Committee, Planning and Development Control Committee, Licensing Committee and Licensing Sub-Committees all be established in accordance with the existing Terms of Reference and the size of each in accordance with the list attached and circulated to all Members and notes that the remaining places will be filled in consultation with the relevant Members / procedures.

(iii)   That the Chairs of Audit and Risk Committee and Health and Wellbeing Board, and Chair and Vice Chair of the Planning and Development Control Committee, Chair and Vice Chair of the Standards Committee, Chair and Vice Chairs of the Licensing Committee  and Chairs and Vice Chairs of Overview Select Committee, Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission, Children, Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission, Economic Development, Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission, Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Commission, Heritage, Culture, Leisure and Sport Scrutiny Commission, Housing Scrutiny Commission, and the Neighbourhood Services and Community Involvement Scrutiny Commission be in accordance with the list attached and circulated to all Members.

Moved by Councillor Westley, seconded by the City Mayor and carried:-

10.       That the cycle of meetings of the Scrutiny, Regulatory and Council Committees be confirmed as set out in the schedule of meetings attached.

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

The City Mayor noted that Councillor Kirk Master had joined the Executive with responsibility for neighbourhoods.

None received.

None received.

Close of Meeting

The Lord Mayor declared the meeting closed at 6.21pm.