Agenda and minutes

Before the meeting formally commenced the Lord Mayor asked his Chaplain to say an appropriate prayer.

FORMER COUNCILLOR ALLAN GRATRIX

With sorrow the Lord Mayor announced the loss of former Councillor Allan Arthur Gratrix who represented the Humberstone Ward during the 1970’s and passed away earlier in the month. Also referred to as ‘Mr Thurnby Lodge’, Allan Gratrix had been known to many as a dedicated volunteer at Thurnby Lodge Community Centre and organiser of numerous community events who devoted his life to decades of work and support for the Thurncourt Ward.

TYLER THOMPSON MEMORIAL

The Lord Mayor informed Council of an event held on the same evening as Council as part of the memorial for Tyler Thompson a 16 year old boy who died on 24 November 2015 as a result of knife crime. The event attended by a number of Councillors, was to begin at the City of Leicester College where Tyler was a student and include a candle-lit procession and the laying of a granite memorial stone as a tribute.

Members observed a one minute silence to remember Allan Gratrix and Tyler Thompson.

FIRE & EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE

The Lord Mayor asked all present to note the evacuation procedures detailed on the Agenda for the meeting and asked anyone with any queries to speak to one of the Town Hall staff who would be able to assist.

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

No declarations were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 October 2016 are available to view at:

http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/documents/g7619/Printed%20minutes%20Thursday%2006-Oct-2016%2017.00%20Council.pdf?T=1

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:

21.       That the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 6th October 2016, a copy having been circulated to each Member of the Council, be taken as read and that they be approved as a correct record.

None.

-           Presented by Members of the Public

-           Presented by Councillors

-           Petitions to be debated

            5.1       Belgrave Library

            5.2       Adventure Playgrounds

PETITIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The Lord Mayor stated that no petitions from members of the public had been received for presentation at the meeting.

PETITIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

Councillor Singh presented a petition with 71 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned residents of the City of Leicester request the City Council to assist in starting a bus service along Barkbythorpe Road to help alleviate the daily travel needs of young school children, elderly residents and families living in the local area who currently have no access to public transport”.

Councillor Sandhu presented a petition with 108 signatures in the following terms:

“We the undersigned are residents of Hamilton that would like to urge Arriva Bus to consider an additional bus route which can be used for residents to access Belgrave en-route to the City Centre.  Arriva Bus already has the 58 and 58A bus routes that run to/from Hamilton.  We are requesting that a 58B route be created to the City Centre via Belgrave.”

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

PETITIONS TO BE DEBATED

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

5.1       A petition was presented by Mr Praful Mashru which had been verified as having the required number of verified signatures to trigger a debate and had been submitted in the following terms:

“We the undersigned firmly oppose Leicester City Council’s plan to:

1)         Close down the Belgrave Library with the intention of moving it to the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre. There is no room for books, computers, tables and other resources inside the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre and this will mean downscaling of the services.  Both buildings are regularly and heavily used. Belgrave Library is an invaluable resource for the pupils and families of local schools. Access to high quality literature is particularly essential during this period of economic hardship.  Losing Belgrave Library will have a massively damaging impact on the education and future life chances of young people in the area.

2)         Alter the provision of meals for the lunch club members.  The kitchen at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre is adequate to provide freshly cooked and culturally appropriate vegetarian meals for the elderly; disabled and diabetic members of the lunch club. Members are paying £4.20 per plate for this per day. This lunch club is vitally important for the vulnerable and lonely elderly people who come and socialise at the centre.

3)         We strongly oppose Leicester City Council's plan to close the Belgrave Library and to relocate it to the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre”.

Moved by Councillor Master, seconded by Councillor Clarke and carried that:-

22.       That the petition be noted.

5.2       A petition  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

Lord Mayor:  Can I request that where Members have questions for tonight’s meeting they bear in mind the requirements of the Constitution that questions should be asked and answered without discussion and that supplementary questions must be a question for the purpose of clarifying a reply and not a statement.  Please note we have got a very full agenda tonight and if Members continue I will curtail any Member that does not comply with these requirements.  Thank you.  Councillor Cutkelvin please.

Councillor Cutkelvin:   Thank you my Lord Mayor.  “Can I ask the City Mayor who has oversight of the Using Buildings Better Project where we are at with the Council owned units next to the St. Andrews Estate which have been left empty for over 4 years?”   

Lord Mayor:  Thank you Councillor Cutkelvin,City Mayor please.    

City Mayor:  My Lord Mayor.  Some time ago I, with some of my colleagues including Councillor Connelly, visited the properties that Councillor Cutkelvin refers to which she rightly says have been vacant for some time.  It was our conclusion, very firm conclusion, that the buildings in their current form have no future.  They have failed as retail units and the direction of travel towards demolition and reuse of the site is to my mind absolutely inevitable.  We, I think, had hoped that the move towards demolition would have been completed by now.  In fact I understand there was some discussion about whether, as part of the demolition of those properties, we could look at a wider site with surrounding owners.  While those considerations have been taking place the actual demolition of these particular properties has been somewhat put on one side.  I think it has now got to the point where it is no longer likely that a wider solution can be achieved, and therefore does seem very sensible that we actually proceed with the demolition as we originally intended.  I did ask officers about the timescale because obviously we will talk to Ward Councillors about it, but it is our hope that in the New Year we can have some clear proposals with the progress towards the demolition taking place sometime in the early spring.   

Lord Mayor:  Thank you City Mayor.  Councillor Cutkelvin do you have a supplementary please?

Councillor Cutkelvin:  Yes thank you Lord Mayor.  Can I just thank the City Mayor for his comprehensive answer there and whilst I recognise the fact that there was a wider site that has been under discussion, I  believe by asking this question here tonight we have sort of tackled some of the apparent inertia of officers in respect of demolishing the units.  Can I ask the City Mayor, I understand that the site is too tight for housing, can I ask the City Mayor to seriously consider residents’ calls for the site to be used for public car parking when the demolition is complete.    

Lord Mayor:  Thank you. City Mayor.

City Mayor:  Yes my Lord Mayor. I think it is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

7.1      Procurement of the Council’s External Audit Contract by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA)

7.2       Council Tax Reduction Scheme

7.3       Leicester Youth Justice Plan 2016-2017

Procurement of the Council’s External Audit Contract by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA)

Moved by Councillor Rita Patel, seconded by Councillor Westley and carried:-

24.       That Council approves the procurement of the external audit contract by Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd (PSAA) following a sector led procurement option.

Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Moved by the City Mayor seconded by Councillor Waddington and carried:-

25.       That Council:

1.            notes the content and approves the recommendation to Council set out in Section 5 of the City Mayor’s decision notice published on 22 November 2016 and attached at Appendix C to the script and available at the meeting and;

2.            is minded to approve the appropriate level of funding for discretionary relief when it considers the budget.

Leicester Youth Justice Plan 2016-2017

Moved by Councillor Russell, seconded by Councillor Moore and carried:-

26.       That Council note and agree the Leicester City Youth Justice Plan for 2016/17.

8.1       Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/16

Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/16

Moved by Councillor Singh, seconded by Councillor Westley and carried:-

27.       That the Scrutiny Annual Report 2015/16 be withdrawn.

9.1       Annual Report of the Audit and Risk Committee to Council Covering the Municipal Year 2015-16

Annual report of the Audit and Risk Committee to Council covering the Municipal Year 2015-16

Moved by Councillor Patel, seconded by Councillor Westley and carried:-

28.       That Council receive and note the report. 

-        To note any changes to the Executive

-        To vary the composition and fill any vacancies of any Committee of the Council

No items identified.

None received.

The Lord Mayor noted that no urgent business has been identified.

As this was the last scheduled meeting before Christmas the Lord Mayor wished everyone present a Merry Christmas and declare the meeting closed at 7.50pm.