Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at http://bit.ly/2EqB5Td

Mr Ernie White

The Chairman referred to the sad news of the death of a sitting member of the Council.

County Councillor Ernie White had died on 2 January 2018 aged 76.  Mr White was first elected to the County Council in 1975 and was the longest serving councillor, having been re-elected to the Council 11 times.  He represented the Stoney Stanton and Croft electoral division (formerly Stoney Stanton, Croft and Normanton).

Mr White was Chairman of the County Council during the civic year 1995 – 1996. 

Before the Council moved to a Cabinet and Scrutiny system in 1999, Mr White served mainly on the Education Committee and a number of its subcommittees.  He became a member of the Cabinet in 2003 and had covered various portfolios, including as Lead Member for Community Services.  Latterly he was Cabinet Lead Member for Health, Wellbeing and Sport.  He had been Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board since it was created, a role in which his expertise and commitment was locally and nationally recognised.  He was also the County Council’s mental health champion.

Mr White also served on Blaby District Council for 20 years, including as Leader, a position he held for 12 years. 

He was an Appointed Public Representative of the Hinckley and Bosworth Primary Care Group.  When that body attained Trust Status, he became Chairman of the Hinckley and Bosworth Primary Care Trust.

Those present joined the Chairman in standing in silent tribute to the memory of Mr Ernie White CC.

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 O’Shea and carried:-

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 6 December 2017, 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.

All members who were members of District and Parish Councils declared a personal interest in relation to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2018/19 – 2021/22 (minute 41(a) refers).

Mr B L Pain CC also declared a personal interest in relation to passenger transport issues referred to in the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2018/19 – 2021/22 (minute 41(a) refers).

(A)   Question by MR HUNT

“1.    Now that the Government is looking for new radioactive waste disposal sites (or Geological Disposal Facilities) is it possible that the northern area of the county, the Widmerpool Gulf, will be considered?

2.     What protection does our Minerals and Waste Local Plan offer to those concerned in our county should a site be identified within range?

3.     Given that the Plan states that “as Leicestershire is not a source of low level radioactive nuclear waste and the emphasis for managing this waste is for it to be managed as close to its source as possible” does this also apply to the higher level nuclear waste that will shortly be under consideration?

4.     Will Cabinet be considering the DEIS draft National Policy Statement for Geological Disposal Infrastructure which will govern the burial of nuclear waste and which is out for consultation?”

Reply by MR RUSHTON

“1.    The Government is undertaking consultations on the “National Policy Statement (NPS) for Geological Disposal Infrastructure - Implementing Geological Disposal” and also on “Working with Communities – Implementing Geological Disposal”.

        The first (the NPS) sets out how a specific facility proposal will be assessed for consent once an application is made for a Development Consent Order which is to be dealt with by the Secretary of States under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) process.  In other words, they will not be dealt with by local planning authorities. 

        The second (Working With Communities) sets out a proposed policy on how communities should be involved in siting a geological disposal facility for higher level radioactive waste and how areas would be selected for consideration.  The Government is proposing that before an area for geological disposal would be considered the local community would have to support the facility.  Only then will the geological suitability of the proposed area be investigated.

2.     A proposed geological disposal facility will be required to go through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) process.  This process will be guided by the National Policy Statement (NPS) which you refer to and is being consulted on.  The NSIP process is administered by the Planning Inspectorate and is outside the Local Plan process.  The Minerals and Waste Local Plan policies would be relevant in respect of general policies for environmental and community protection but they could not make specific policy on geological disposal of radioactive waste.  The County Council would be involved as a consultee in the NSIP process for a proposed facility either if it were proposed in Leicestershire or an adjoining area.

3.     No areas will ‘shortly be under consideration’ as you suggest in your question 3.  At this stage nowhere in the country is either ruled in or out as a potential location and the Government is commissioning work to assess which areas may be more or less geologically suitable to host a deep geological disposal facility.

4.     The safe management of radioactive waste is an important and serious matter for the nation as a whole.  The draft NPS is a technical document setting out what the Secretary of State and Planning Inspectorate should take into account when determining development consent applications including impacts and mitigation.  The Working with Communities consultation is about defining communities, their engagement and the role of local authorities.  The two consultations are inextricably linked and both request responses by 19^th April 2018.  The Cabinet will be considering an appropriate response.”

Mr Hunt asked the following supplementary question:

“Thank you very much Chairman.  I refer to answer 3 on the second page which states that “nowhere in the country is either ruled  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

It was moved by Mr Rhodes and seconded by Mr Shepherd:-

“(a)     That subject to the items below, approval be given to the MTFS which incorporates the recommended revenue budget for 2018/19 totalling £361m as set out in Appendices A, B and E of this report and includes the growth and savings for that year as set out in Appendix C;

(b)      That approval be given to the projected provisional revenue budgets for 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22, set out in Appendix B to the report, including the growth and savings for those years as set out in Appendix C, allowing the undertaking of preliminary work, including business case development, consultation and equality impact assessments, as may be necessary towards achieving the savings specified for those years including savings under development, set out in Appendix D;

(c)      That approval is given to the early achievement of savings that are included in the MTFS, as may be necessary, along with associated investment costs, subject to the Director of Finance agreeing to funding being available;

(d)      That the level of earmarked funds as set out in Appendix J be noted and the use of earmarked funds be approved;

(e)      That the amounts of the County Council's Council Tax for each band of dwelling and the precept payable by each billing authority for 2018/19 be as set out in Appendix K (including 3% for the adult social care precept);

(f)       That the Chief Executive be authorised to issue the necessary precepts to billing authorities in accordance with the budget requirement above and the tax base notified by the District Councils, and to take any other action which may be necessary to give effect to the precepts;

(g)      That approval be given to the 2018/19 to 2021/22 capital programme as set out in Appendix F;

(h)      That the Director of Finance following consultation with the Lead Member for Resources be authorised to approve new capital schemes including revenue costs associated with their delivery;

(i)       That it be noted that new capital schemes, referred to in (h), are shown as future developments in the capital programme, to be funded from funding available;  

(j)       That the financial indicators required under the Prudential Code included in Appendix L, Annex 2 be noted and that the following limits be approved:

 (k)     That the Director of Finance be authorised to effect movement within the authorised limit for external debt between borrowing and other long term liabilities;

(l)       That the following borrowing limits be approved for the period 2018/19 to 2021/22:

(i)       Upper limit on fixed interest exposures 100%

(ii)      Upper limit on variable rate exposures 50%

(iii)      Maturity of borrowing:-

(m)     That the Director of Finance be authorised to enter into such loans or undertake such arrangements as necessary to finance capital payments in 2018/19, subject to the prudential limits in Appendix L;

(n)      That the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2018/19, as set out in Appendix L, be approved including:

(i)       The Treasury Management Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41a