Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed here.

Armistice Day

Armistice Day was marked on Friday11^th November when many public spaces and workplaces came to a halt to mark the traditional two-minute silence held at 11.00 o’clock.  At County Hall a short, dignified service was held, conducted by the Chairman’s local vicar, Ludger Fremmer.  The Chairman thanked Leanne Plummer for playing the Last Post and Reveille so competently, and those members who attended.  The Chairman was pleased to see that County Hall had been illuminated in red for the duration of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.  He also thanked those Members who were able to attend local services on Remembrance Sunday and lay a County Council wreath.

Anthony Cross

The Chairman reported that Anthony Cross, the Head of Law, retired at the end of last month.  Anthony had been Head of Law since 2018 having joined the Council in 2014 as the Legal Services Environment and Property Team Leader.  At the time, his plan had been just to do a short stint back in local government after a couple of years or so trying his hand in private practice. Prior his private sector sojourn, Anthony had worked in Leicester City Council’s Legal section for over 22 years.  The Chairman said that the County Council had a great deal to thank Anthony for.  The fact that the County Council had a reputation for good governance and high standards of conduct particularly in the area of planning owed a good deal to his hard work and integrity, honed over a legal career in local government which started in 1982.

The Chairman explained that Anthony’s interest in planning law meant that he could not be in the chamber for this meeting as he was in London at the High Court as an interested spectator at the High Court judicial review hearing concerning the County Council’s Lutterworth East planning application.

Members joined the Chairman in placing on record the Council’s appreciation of Anthony’s very special contribution to the operation of the County Council. 

Great British Care Awards

The Inspired to Care Team received the Outstanding Contribution to Social Care Award at the Great British Care Awards which recognised the hard work, achievements, and dedication of social care practitioners across the UK.  The Inspired to Care Team helped social care providers recruit committed frontline care professionals by promoting the rewards of a career in care.  The Team achieved this through liaising with social care employers to provide tailored recruitment and retention resources. The Team also provided support to individuals so that they could start their journey towards a career in social care and help countless vulnerable adults across Leicestershire.

National Social Work Award

The Chairman reported that Ayshea Dalby, Team Manager in the Child Sexual Exploitation Team in the Children and Families Department, had received a silver award for Team Manager of the Year at the National Social Work awards.  This was a massive achievement for Ayshea, receiving national recognition of her Team Manager role in such a key area of practice. 

The work of the Child Criminal Exploitation Team was a key priority and in Leicestershire an effective multiagency response team had been developed to combat all forms of exploitation.

Bradgate Park

Bradgate Park won Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2022 at the Leicestershire Tourism and Hospitality awards and would now go onto the national competition next year.  In addition, Bradgate volunteers won Volunteer Team of the Year at the Green Flag best of the best awards recently.  Given the County Council’s close involvement with Bradgate,

Members joined the Chairman  in congratulating all concerned, as well as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

It was moved by the Chairman, seconded by the Vice-Chairman and carried:-

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 6^th July 2022 and the extraordinary Council meeting held on 13^th September 2022, copies of which have been circulated to members, be taken as read, confirmed and signed.”

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to make declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.  No declarations were made.

(A)        MR HUNT asked the following question of the Leader or his nominee:

“Green House Gases (GHG) and Contracts:

1.             The Council has set a target to reach Net Zero for its own operations.  Why is it then that we don’t know the carbon emitted from our own multi-million pound residual waste contract recently awarded to Biffa?

2.             Why is this contract excluded when calculating GHG emissions from our own operations?

3.             What is stopping the County Council requiring contracts to submit carbon and other GHG emissions figures as part of the procurement process in future?

4.             According to the statutory Climate Change Committee, one of the greatest threats to climate change comes from GHG (notably methane) from ruminant animals, mainly sheep and cattle.  As a predominantly rural county is it time to count the cost of these emissions in Leicestershire?”

MR PAIN replied as follows:

“1.      The County Council did not require Biffa to submit carbon emission figures as part of the procurement process, so a specific carbon saving has not been calculated. However, we are confident that a carbon saving will be realised. The location of the new facility means that the total haulage miles will be reduced leading to a carbon saving. In addition, the Newhurst plant will be one of the most technologically advanced Energy from Waste facilities in the UK. The reported electrical efficiency of the plant means that carbon emissions per tonne of residual waste should be notably better than landfill.

Emissions from the disposal and treatment of household waste are currently outside of the scope of the County Council’s target to achieve net zero for its own operations by 2030.

2.       I would draw Mr Hunt’s attention to the following statement from the Council’s annual greenhouse gas report:

‘The council has excluded greenhouse gas emissions from schools (all scopes) and contracted services such as waste disposal and business travel by public transport (scope 3), due to the cost of data collection and/or its availability. The council has also excluded the emissions resulting from activities undertaken by contractors, due to the limited requirements for contractors to annually monitor energy and fuel usage within existing contracts.’

Despite the exclusions from the 2030 commitment, the Council commissioned consultants to calculate and analyse the Council’s scope 3 emissions during 2021 (an overview of the scope 3 emissions study is provided on pages 10 and 11 in the 2030 Net Zero Council Action Plan (which is at pages 171 to 172 of the Council Agenda pack) and is looking to improve its data availability and quality for scope 3 emissions reporting.

3.       The Council does now ask suppliers, where proportionate, to support us in transitioning to net zero. The Government has a Carbon Reduction Plan template which has been created to collate the required information in one place for ease of use, and to minimise the burden placed upon suppliers. The Council is reviewing this template along with a Sustainable Procurement Policy and ways to measure greenhouse gas emissions from our suppliers in a way that is proportionate.

4.       Agricultural emissions for Leicestershire are included within the baseline emissions in the 2045 Net Zero Leicestershire Strategy alongside actions to begin to address these emissions within the Nature and Land Use section of the Net Zero Leicestershire Action Plan.”

Mr HUNT asked the following supplementary question:

“My first supplementary is concerning emissions from the new residual waste contract which weren’t available within the contract.  Why didn’t we ask for them? 

My second question on this topic is, whilst it is said that we ask contractors to submit details  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

The Leader gave a position statement on the following matters:

·       Medium Term Financial Strategy

·       Midland Mainline and Network Rail

·       Cost of Living

·       Asylum Seekers

·       Ukrainian Guests

·       Foster Carers

·       Winter Preparations

The Lead Member for Communities and Staff Relations gave a position statement on the Communities Annual Report

A copy of the Position Statements is filed with these minutes.

It was moved by Mrs Taylor, seconded by Mrs Richardson and carried:

“That the Community Safety Strategy 2022 – 2026 be approved.”

It was moved by Mr Pain, seconded by Mr O’Shea and carried:

“That the Net Zero Leicester Strategy and Action Plan and the Net Zero Council Action Plan set out as Appendices D, E and F to this report, be approved.”

[Mrs. A. Hack CC, Mr M. Hunt CC and Ms M. E. Newton CC abstained.]

It was moved by Mr Breckon, seconded by Mr Shepherd and carried:

“That the Annual Delivery Report and Performance compendium 2022 be approved.”

It was moved by Mr Rushton, seconded by Mr O’Shea and carried unanimously:

“(a)     That this Council is satisfied that it is expedient for the Council to apply to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to promote an Order under the Transport and Works Act Order 2005 to the Ashby Canal Association for a section of the Ashby Canal line between Snarestone and Measham; and

(b)      That the Director of Environment and Transport in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance be authorised to take all steps as may be necessary or expedient for the purposes of promotion of the Order.”

It was moved by Mr Barkley, seconded by Mr Richardson and carried:

“That the proposed amendments to the Financial Procedure Rules, set out in Appendix A to the report of the corporate Governance Committee, be approved.”

It was moved by Mr Barkley, seconded by Mr Richardson and carried:

“That the revised Members’ Planning Code of Good Practice as set out in Appendix A to the report to the Corporate Governance Committee be approved.”

It was moved by Mr Breckon, seconded by Mr Bedford and carried:

“That the County Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2023/24, as set out in the Appendix to the report of the Employment Committee, be approved.”

It was moved by Mr Rushton, seconded by Mrs Taylor and carried:

“That the proposed changes to the Constitution as set out in Appendix A and the revised terms of reference for the Corporate Governance Committee set out in Appendix B to the report be approved.”