Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPXYi0sOcwg

HM Lord-Lieutenant, Mike Kapur OBE

The Chairman, on behalf of Members and Officers of the County Council, placed on record his heartfelt good wishes to Mike Kapur on his appointment as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire.  Mike was a leading Leicestershire businessman who took a keen and active role in developing and promoting the City and County he made his home 28 years ago.

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 the Vice-Chairman and carried:-

“That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 16^th May 2018, 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)   Mr Boulter asked the following question of the Leader or his nominee:-

“1.    Can the Leader explain why the contract for grass cutting was taken from Blaby District Council when the work was satisfactory?

2.     Why is the quality of cutting this year so poor?

3.     What is the Leader going to do to rectify the situation?”

Mr Pain replied as follows:-

“1.    The agreement for Blaby District Council to carry out the work expired on 28^th February 2018.  There was no requirement for the agreement to continue when the County Council can carry out the service, the County Council’s service having seen evidence of significant improvements in 2017.

2.     Unfortunately, no mapping or route information was provided by Blaby District Council to the County Council and it was therefore necessary in advance of this year’s grass cutting season for the County Council to undertake digital mapping.  I am afraid this absence of information has inevitably meant some grassed areas being excluded.  It has also become apparent that Blaby District Council had been cutting grassed areas which are not part of the public highway and should not be being cut out of County Council funds.  This is likely to have been a reason for some complaints.

3.     Pending a proper digital database being created using knowledge accumulated this year, an instruction has been given to cut areas which are ‘in dispute’ for the remainder of the 2018 grass cutting season.”

Mr Boulter asked the following supplementary question:-

“I thank Mr Pain for his answers. However, he didn’t answer the question I asked. The question I asked was question number two: “why is the quality of grass cutting this year so poor”?  He chose not to answer that question. Now, unless he’s been to the district I represent he won't have seen it.  It’s absolutely disastrous, we've got haystacks in parts of the area where the grass has been piled up by the mowers, it could well catch fire if something doesn't happen soon and so I’d like the answer to the question please.”

Mr Pain replied as follows:-

“I believe we have answered the question, especially in point two.  We have explained that, in the Blaby area, we have bought this back in-house.  That's good for the Leicestershire taxpayer because of the economies of scale.  As all members know, we now do our own grass cutting rather than subcontract it out.  I have had some very positive comments about grass cutting this year in other areas.  With reference to Blaby and the Blaby area and the Oadby and Wigston area, that has now been brought back in-house but, as you know, we have a great service where people can find out what areas are being cut in their area online. We don't have that digital information for Blaby and the Oadby area. We have answered the question directly; because we don’t have the digital database at the moment we are suffering some issues in that particular area but, generally speaking, we have a good quality service in Leicestershire and I do believe that we have answered the question in point two.”

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

“1.      Is the County Council still paying any recycling credits to Districts?

2.       If so, which Districts are still being paid and how much is paid and for how long will the payments continue to be made?

3.       What advice did County Council take on its proposal to withdraw recycling credits and who from?

4.       In the report on dry recycling credits that went  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

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

·       Leicestershire-China Strategy to boost trade;

·       Strategic Growth Plan;

·       Trading Standards – Scams Intervention Team;

·       Health Scrutiny;

·       Loughborough University – Lawn Tennis Association National Academy;

·       Influential Women in Government Technology.

The Lead Member for Environment and Transport gave a position statement on the following matters:-

·       Highway Performance;

·       Recycling and Households Waste Sites Satisfaction Survey;

·       Melton Mowbray Distributor Road;

·       Awards.

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

It was moved by Mr Galton, seconded by Mrs Page and carried unanimously:-

“That the information contained in the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2017/18, attached as Appendix 1 to this report, on its activities, be noted.”

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

“Motion 1

(a)      That the recommendation of the Constitution Committee to dispense with the meeting of the County Council in March and to allow ordinary business to be transacted at the February meeting of the Council be approved;

Motion 2 - Procedural Motion in accordance with Standing Order 37

(b)      That the changes to Standing Order 1 (The Meeting Procedure Rules), to give effect to the recommendation 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.)