Agenda and minutes

The Chairman drew Members’ attention to the tremendous community response to the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War. Most towns and villages had done something to mark the occasion by tree plantings, exhibitions, publications, concerts, services, parades, war memorial restoration and much more.

 

The commemoration had first been marked with a service at Leicester Cathedral on 3^rd August, and followed by the ‘Lights Out across Europe Initiative’.  The Chairman reported that he had hosted a balloon launch at Stand Easy and that many people had taken the opportunity to leave personal messages at the memorial. From 10.00 p.m. County Hall’s lights had been extinguished and just a solitary light had burned in the Members Lounge whilst Stand Easy had been illuminated, with striking effect.

 

Responses had been heart-warming and humbling, and demonstrated the depth of respect which existed for the past generation who had lost their lives in the war that had been supposed to end all wars.

 

The Chairman also report that the County Council was working with a range of partners to ensure that this anniversary was marked now and throughout the coming four years.

 

Visitors

 

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting all visitors and guests of members and anyone who was viewing the meeting via the webcast.

 

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

 

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 2^nd July 2014, 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 such declarations were made.

 

 

(A)   Dr Eynon asked the following question of the Leader or his nominee:-

 

“Could the Leader please advise me:-

 

(a)    How many requests received during the last 5 years for adaptations to the homes of frail, elderly, disabled and other medically unwell people were agreed by the County Council’s occupational therapists and forwarded to North West Leicestershire District Council for action?

 

(b)    How long did the service users and carers concerned have to wait for the recommended work to be done?”

 

Mr Houseman replied as follows:-

 

“(a)   The number of service users living in North West Leicestershire with a major adaptation start date recorded by adult social care in each year is as follows:-

 

          2009/10        122

          2010/11        118

          2011/12        134

          2012/13        180

          2013/14 *      168

 

(b)    Information from North West Leicestershire District Council shows that the average time (in weeks) taken from referral from adult social care for all Disabled Facilities Grants to completion by the local authority in each year is as follows:-

 

          2010             62.7

2011   54.5

2012             26.7

          2013             28.2

2014*

 

*Due to the introduction of a new computer system figures* in the answer to question (a) are up to February 2014 only: time for answer (b) not yet finalised.”

 

 

(B)   Mr Hunt asked the following question of the Leader or his nominee:-

 

“The Council agreed last February to spend £1,045,000 this financial year on upgrading the Leicester and Leicestershire Integrated Traffic Modelling System (LLITM) and another £306,000 is programmed from next April.

 

Would the Leader please advise:-

 

(a)    Whether this project is expected to meet its budget and when the work was begun?

 

(b)    What data and assumptions have been updated since December 2012?

 

(c)    What further data, assumptions or systems are planned to be updated over the period of the capital project?”

 

Mr Osborne replied as follows:-

 

“(a)   The project is in progress, within budget and expected to be delivered within its allocated budget during Spring 2016.

 

        The project was started in Autumn 2013, and is already providing the County with a more robust tool to support the appraisal of the transportation impacts of new development and to support the strategic appraisal of future travel demands and traffic growth pressures.

 

(b)    The updated data since 2012 includes:-

 

·       167,000 driver origin-destination records;

 

·       10,000,000 bus travel records from Electronic Ticket Machine (ETM) from bus operators in the County supplied free;

 

·       12,000 bus passenger interview records from bus stop origin-destination surveys;

 

·       50,000,000 UK-wide rail passenger records from around 2,500 stations in the UK;

 

·       Traffic counts from 700 sites within the County;

 

·       Extension of LLITM network beyond County boundary to include Toton and substantial parts of the Strategic Road Network;

 

·       Signal data updates;

 

·       Expansion of zones from 930 to 1320;

 

·       Planning data.

 

          The assumptions that have been updated since 2012 include:-

 

·       New economic parameters, for example, values of time, vehicle operating costs, fuel prices, fares, GDP, etc to accord with current national values and guidance;

 

·       New national assumption constraints in terms of population, household growth, employment and other constraints to be taken into account for context whilst allowing LLITM the flexibility for local forecast;

 

·       LLITM 2014 is being built to a new and more exacting Department for Transport standard specified in WebTAG2 published in January 2014.

 

(c)    The further data, assumptions or systems that are planned for update over the period of the capital project include:

 

·       Future networks to be defined, checked and signed off;

 

·       5,500 junction coding, geometric layouts and data to be reviewed; 4,500 already reviewed out of a total of 10,000 as part of the short term maintenance;

 

·       New planning data that is being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The Leader presented a position statement on the following matters:-

 

·       Leicester City Football Club;

·       The UK Constitution Boundary Review;

·       East Leicestershire LEADER Bid;

·       Re-interment of King Richard III;

·       Green Plaque Awards;

·       Environment and Transport Customer Service Centre;

·       Lead Member for Children and Family Services.

 

The Lead Member for Children and Family Services presented a position statement on the following matters:-

 

·       Safeguarding;

·       Examination Results;

·       School Funding;

·       Achievements of the Children and Families Service.

 

The Cabinet Lead Member for Health presented a position statement on the new NHS review of Congenital Heart Services.

 

A copy of the position statements is filed with these minutes.

 

It was moved by Mr Rhodes, seconded by Mr Rushton:-

 

“(a)   That the significant financial challenge faced by the County Council and the impact on services, which is unfolding and becomes acute in 2016/17 and thereafter, be noted;

 

(b)    That the approach outlined in the report to updating the Medium Term Financial Strategy be agreed;

 

(c)    That local MPs be informed of the Council’s financial position and asked for their views given the impact on their constituents;

 

(d)    That the response to the technical consultation on the 2015/16 Local Government Finance Settlement, as set out in Appendix C (pages 34-36 of the Council booklet), be approved;

 

(e)    That the position on the Business Rate Pool, as set out in paragraph 28 in Appendix 1 to the report, be noted.”

 

An amendment was moved by Mr Sharp and seconded by Mr Hunt:-

 

“That the motion be amended to read as follows:-

 

‘That this Council:-

 

(a)        Notes the significant financial challenge faced by the County Council and the impact on services which is unfolding and becomes acute in 2016/17 and thereafter;

 

(b)        Deplores the approach adopted by the Conservative Administration which has failed to effectively engage opposition parties, the public or key stakeholders in decision making, such that many proposed cuts are viewed as politically motivated and simply ignore the social consequences;

 

(c)        Calls upon the Administration to enter into early and meaningful discussions with the main Opposition Groups and the third sector in particular to ensure that the challenges now facing the Council can be addressed in a considered way and have proper regard to the consequences of decisions taken;

 

(d)        Informs local MPs of the Council’s financial position and asks for their views given the impact on their constituents;

 

(e)        Calls upon the Administration to commence a comprehensive public awareness campaign, on the financial challenge facing this authority using existing media channels;

 

(f)         Approves the response to the technical consultation on the 2015/16 Local Government Finance Settlement as set out in Appendix C to this report;

 

(g)        Notes the position on the Business Rate Pool as set out in paragraph 28.’”

 

The amendment was put and not carried, 22 members voting for the amendment and 29 against.

 

The original motion was put and carried, 30 members voting for the motion and 21 against.

 

It was moved by Mr Rushton, seconded by Mr Rhodes, and carried:-

 

Motion 1

 

“(a)   That the proposed changes to the Constitution, as set out in Appendices A and B to this report, other than those which relate to Standing Orders (the Meeting Procedure Rules), be approved;

 

(b)    That the list of meetings determined for the purposes of Standing Order 34(2) be amended to read as follows:-

 

“Adoption Panel;

Appointment Committee (Chief Officer);

Approval of Premises Panel (Civil Marriages);

Children’s Social Care Panel;

Children in Care Panel;

Child Protection Panel;

Complaints Panel (School Curriculum and Religious Education);

Disputes Panel;

Fostering Panel;

Guardianship Panel;

Member Conduct Panel;

Member Reference Panel on Quality and Safeguarding in Registered Care;

Representations Panel (Independent providers of adult social care);

Secure Accommodation Review Panel.”

 

Motion 2 – Procedural Motion in accordance with Standing Order 37

 

“That the changes to Standing Orders (the Meeting Procedure Rules), as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Constitution Committee, be approved.”

 

(NOTE  Standing Order 37 requires that this procedural motion, having been moved and seconded, stands adjourned until the next ordinary meeting of the Council.)

 

 

“That this Council:-

 

(a)          Congratulates the Rt. Hon.Nicky Morgan MP on her appointment as Secretary of State for Education and looks forward to working together in partnership to ensure that Leicestershire children receive the highest standards in education;

(b)          Believes that local authorities can contribute further to this partnership, particularly in areas such as school place planning and school improvement, were their powers extended in the relevant areas.

(c)          Therefore calls on the Government to:-

i)             give local authorities oversight of age range and catchment area changes, enabling them to ensure such changes to local schools are made in consideration of impacts to the wider area;

ii)            reduce restrictions on local authorities when establishing new schools in their area, providing them with the freedom to make decisions that are right for their area;

iii)           allow local authorities to challenge the establishment of free schools in areas with surplus places, so that resources can be focused in areas of need;

iv)           provide local authorities with guidance on school improvement, to set out what the role should involve and confirm what is expected from them, in order to meet expectations set out in Ofsted framework;

v)            abolish the unelected regional school commissioners and hand all middle tier responsibilities to local authorities that are democratically accountable to their residents;

(d)          Further calls upon all parties drawing up manifestos for the General Election to give these points consideration.”

 

Mr Galton, with the consent of the seconder of the motion, sought and obtained the consent of the Council to move the following altered motion:-

 

It was moved by Mr Galton, seconded by Mr Ould, and carried:-

 

“That this Council:-

 

(a)            Congratulates Nicky Morgan MP for her appointment as Secretary of State for Education and looks forward to working together in partnership to ensure that Leicestershire children receive the highest standards in education;

(b)            Believes that Local Authorities can contribute further to this partnership, particularly in areas such as School Place Planning and School Improvement, were their powers extended in the relevant areas.

(c)            Therefore calls on all parties drawing up manifestos for the May General Election to give the following points consideration:-

(i)              Give Local Authorities oversight of Age Range and Catchment Area changes, enabling them to ensure such changes to local schools are made in consideration of impacts to the wider area including home to school transport;

(ii)             Reduce restrictions on Local Authorities when establishing new schools in their area, providing them with the freedom to make decisions that are right for their area;

(iii)            Allow Local Authorities to challenge the establishment of free schools in areas where there are good schools with surplus places, so that resources can be focused in areas of need;

 

(iv)           Abolish the unelected regional school commissioners and hand all middle tier responsibilities to Local Authorities that are democratically accountable to their residents.”

 

 

"a)  That this Council notes that:

 

                     i)        the Localism Act 2011 permits councils to change from one form of governance to another, including a return to a non-cabinet committee system;

 

                    ii)        committees are the most democratic form of decision making and enable all councillors to be involved; and

 

                   iii)        other councils have reverted to a committee system which has ensured both democracy and accountability for all councillors and therefore all electors.

 

b)    That this Council believes that:

 

                     i)        due to the leader/cabinet system too many elected members of all parties have been insufficiently involved in the decision making process; and

 

                    ii)        due to the current Cabinet system ordinary councillors of all parties have been denied the right to a public vote on many important decision, and that this is fundamentally undemocratic.

 

c)    This Council therefore urges the Council to change to a committee system at the earliest opportunity and request the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to submit a report to the Constitution Committee explaining, in detail, how the committee system could be re-introduced at Leicestershire County Council with a view to a recommendation being made to the County Council by the Constitution Committee at the earliest opportunity.”

 

It was moved by Mr Yates, and seconded by Mr Sprason:-

 

“(a)     That this Council notes that:

 

i)      the Localism Act 2011 permits councils to change from one form of governance to another, including a return to a non-cabinet committee system;

 

ii)      committees are the most democratic form of decision making and enable all councillors to be involved; and

 

iii)     other councils have reverted to a committee system which has ensured both democracy and accountability for all councillors and therefore all electors.

 

(b)      This Council believes that:

 

i)      due to the leader/cabinet system too many elected members of all parties have been insufficiently involved in the decision making process; and

 

ii)      due to the current cabinet system ordinary councillors of all parties have been denied the right to a public vote on many important decisions, and that this is fundamentally undemocratic.

 

(c)    This Council therefore urges the Council to change to a committee system at the earliest opportunity and requests the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer to submit a report to the Constitution Committee explaining, in detail, how the committee system could be re-introduced at Leicestershire County Council with a view to a recommendation being made to Full Council by the Constitution Committee at the earliest opportunity.”

 

The motion was not carried, 2 members voting for the motion and 44 members against.