Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWFpwBLs6MnUzG0WjejrQtQ

 

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

 

“That Mrs Pam Posnett be elected Chairman for the period until the next Annual Meeting of the Council.”

 

Mrs Posnett read out and signed her Declaration of Acceptance of Office which was witnessed and signed by the Chief Executive.

 

Mrs Posnett took the Chair and thanked her proposer and seconder and members of the Council for electing her.

 

The Chairman thanked Mr O’Shea for his services to the County during his period of office as Chairman and Mrs O’Shea for her services as his consort.  Mr Rushton, Mr Galton and Dr Eynon each joined the Chairman in associating their Groups with the thanks to Mr and Mrs O’Shea.  Mr O’Shea thanked members for their generous remarks.

 

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

 

“That Mr David Jennings be appointed Vice-Chairman for the period until the next Annual Meeting of the Council.”

 

Mr Jennings read out and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office which was witnessed and signed by the Chief Executive.

 

Mr Jennings thanked his proposer and seconder for their generous remarks and members of the Council for appointing him as Vice-Chairman.

 

Mr Raymond Flint and Mr John Moore

 

The Chairman reported with sadness the death of former County Councillors Mr Raymond Flint and Mr John Moore.

 

Mr Flint was a member of the County Council from 1981 to 1986 and represented the Leicester (the Abbey) electoral division.  He served mainly on the Police Committee and the Libraries and Museums Committee.

 

Mr Moore was a member of the County Council from 2005 to 2009 representing the Burbage Castle electoral division.  He served on a number of the Council’s scrutiny bodies.

 

Those present joined the Chairman in standing in silent tribute to the memory of Mr Raymond Flint and Mr John Moore.

 

Armed Forces Day

 

On Saturday 22^nd June, the Chairman, together with the Lord-Lieutenant and Lord Mayor of Leicester, would be hosting a special service at Leicester Cathedral to mark Armed Forces Day.  The service would be followed by a parade of Standards, service personnel, veterans, and cadets through the streets of Leicester, behind the pipes and drums of the Seaforth Highlanders.  During the course of the morning there would also be military stands and displays in Humberstone Gate.  All Members were encouraged to attend.

 

On Monday 24^th June the Chairman would be hosting an Armed Forces Day Flag-Raising ceremony at the Stand Easy Memorial, at 10.30 a.m.  The Chairman’s father-in-law, as a World War Two veteran, would be hoisting the flag.  All Members would be invited to attend.

 

Chairman’s Reception – Beaumanor Hall

 

Members were informed that the Chairman would be hosting the Annual Reception at Beaumanor Hall on Thursday 25^th July at 6.30 p.m. All Members of the County Council would be receiving an invitation in due course.

 

County Service

 

Members were asked to note that the County Service this year would be held at St Mary’s Parish Church, Melton Mowbray, on Sunday 13^th October at 10.30 a.m.  All Members would receive an invitation in due course.

 

Visitors

 

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting all visitors and guests of members, including Councillor Pru Chandler who had been Mayor of Melton Borough Council during 2018/19, 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 20 February 2019 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.

 

No questions had been received.

 

There were no position statements.

 

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

 

“That Council meetings in 2019/20 and 2020/21 be held on the following dates:-

 

Wednesday 10 July 2019

Wednesday 25 September 2019

Wednesday 4 December 2019

Wednesday 19 February 2020 (to consider the budget)

Wednesday 13 May 2020 (Annual Meeting)

Wednesday 8 July 2020

Wednesday 30 September 2020 

Wednesday 2 December 2020

Wednesday 17 February 2021 (to consider the budget)

Wednesday 19 May 2021 (Annual Meeting)”

 

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

 

“That Mr N J Rushton be appointed Leader of the Council for the period until the next Annual Meeting of the Council.”

 

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

 

“That it be noted that the Leader proposes to appoint the members named on List ‘1’ attached to the Order Paper as members of the Cabinet.”

 

A copy of List ‘1’ is filed with these minutes.

 

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

 

“That the following members be appointed as Cabinet Support Members until the next Annual Meeting of the County Council, as provided for in Article 7 of the Council’s Constitution:-

 

Mr O O’Shea

Mr T J Pendleton

Mrs C M Radford

Mrs D Taylor.”

 

The motion was put and carried.

 

It was moved by Mr Shepherd, seconded by Mr Charlesworth and carried:-

 

“That the membership of the Scrutiny Commission, Boards and Committees as set out in List ‘2’ attached to the Order Paper be approved.”

 

A copy of List ‘2’ is filed with these minutes.

 

(i)      Spokesmen

 

Commissioners

 

Mr Shepherd named the members shown in the second and third column of list ‘S’, as Conservative Commissioners of the Scrutiny Commission.

 

Mr Charlesworth named the member shown in the fourth column of list ‘S’, as Liberal Democrat Commissioner of the Scrutiny Commission.

 

Mr Hunt named the member shown in the fifth column of list ‘S’, as Labour Commissioner of the Scrutiny Commission.

 

Scrutiny Committees and Development Control and Regulatory Board

 

Mr Shepherd named the members shown in the second and third column of list ‘S’, as Conservative Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Scrutiny Committees and the Development Control and Regulatory Board.

 

Mr Charlesworth named the members shown in the fourth column of list ‘S’, as Liberal Democrat Spokesmen of the Scrutiny Committees and the Development Control and Regulatory Board.

 

Mr Hunt named the members shown in the fifth column of list ‘S’, as Labour Spokespersons  of the Scrutiny Committees and the Development Control and Regulatory Board.

 

Other Regulatory Bodies

 

Mr Shepherd named the members in the second column of list ‘S’, as Conservative Spokesmen of the bodies as shown.

 

Mr Charlesworth named the members in the third column of list ‘S’, as Liberal Democrat Spokesmen of the bodies as shown.

 

Mr Hunt named the members in the fourth column of list ‘S’, as Labour Spokespersons of the bodies as shown.

 

A copy of list ‘S’ is filed with these minutes.

 

(ii)      Substitutes

 

It was moved by Mr Shepherd, seconded by Mr Charlesworth and carried:-

 

“That the Chief Executive be authorised to make and terminate appointments to the Commission, committees, boards and other County Council bodies (not including the Cabinet) in accordance with the wishes of the political groups to whom the seat in question has been allocated, subject in the case of those bodies set out in list ‘2’ to the Group giving one day’s notice to the Chief Executive of its wishes.”

 

(a)  That this Council notes:

 

(i)    The UK has, at international level,  signed into the Paris Accord 2015 and to the commitments agreed in 2018 at the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) which amongst other things recognise the need to limit by 2030 temperature rises to between 1.5° C and 2° C above the internationally recognised pre-industrial baseline;

 

(ii)   The UK has, at a national level, set targets into law under the Climate Change Act 2008 but the UK is not currently on track to meet its statutory carbon targets for mid-2020 and early 2030 (otherwise known as the 4^th and 5^th carbon targets);

 

(iii)  The County Council in July 2018 agreed a revised and dynamic Environment Strategy 2018-2030 which sets out various carbon reduction targets in line with national targets including a significant role to protect and enhance the wider county environment;

 

(iv) The County Council’s progress towards meeting our 2011-21 climate change targets has been highly laudable, particularly those internal to the Council such as the total emissions from County Council Operations (excluding external contractors) and total waste for County Council Sites but not recycling from County Council Sites;

 

(v)  The County Council has also signed up to the UK100 pledge acknowledging our responsibility to secure the future for our communities and for people around the world when faced with the challenge of a changing climate.

 

(b)  That this Council further notes that in October 2018 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published scientific evidence and determined that any rise above 1.5° C would cause much more serious outcomes than Paris Accord envisaged, thereby having a more rapid adverse impact in the north and south polar regions and the Himalayan ‘third pole’ and in doing so recognises that the current efforts and targets towards reducing emissions and limiting temperature rises is clearly not enough.

 

(c)  That this Council therefore resolves to declare a Climate Emergency and in doing so will now seek to:

 

(i)      Update the Environment Strategy 2018-2030 to aspire to zero carbon by 2030;

 

(ii)     Re-evaluate the position with respect to:-

·       reducing emissions from Leicestershire road transport;

·       reducing emissions from waste disposal;

·       fossil fuel extraction including fracking;

·       procurement policies for external contractors;

 

(iii)    Call for the support of all parties to urge Government to:-

·       provide the powers and resources to make the 2030 target possible;

·       work with other governments (both within the UK and internationally) to determine and implement best practice methods to limit global warming to less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels;

 

(iv)   Work with partners and other public bodies across the county and region to deliver this ambitious goal through all relevant technologies, strategies and plans.

 

Mr Hunt, with the consent of the seconder of the motion, sought the approval of the Council to move the following altered motion:-

 

It was moved by Mr Hunt, seconded by Mr Pain and carried unanimously:

 

“(a)     That this Council notes:

 

(i)              the UK has, at international level, signed into the Paris Accord 2015 and to the commitments agreed in 2018 at the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) which amongst other things recognise the need to limit by 2030 temperature rises to between 1.5° C and 2° C above the internationally recognised pre-industrial baseline;

 

(ii)      the UK has at a national level, set targets into law under the Climate Change Act 2008, but the UK is not currently on track to meet its statutory carbon targets set in the 4th and 5th carbon budgets for the period 2023-2027 and 2028-2032 respectively;

 

(ii)             the County Council in July 2018 agreed a revised and dynamic Environment Strategy 2018-2030 which sets out various carbon reduction targets in line with national targets including a significant role to protect and enhance the wider county environment;

 

(iv)     the County Council’s progress towards meeting its 2011-21 climate change targets has been highly laudable, particularly those internal to the Council such as the total emissions from Council Operations (excluding external contractors) and total waste for Council Sites but not recycling from Council Sites;

 

(v)      the County Council has also signed up to the UK100 pledge acknowledging its responsibility to secure the future for its communities and for people around the world when faced with the challenge of a changing climate.

 

(b)      That this Council further notes that in October 2018 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published scientific evidence and determined that any rise above 1.5° C would cause much more serious outcomes than Paris Accord envisaged, thereby having a more rapid adverse impact in the north and south polar regions and the Himalayan ‘third pole’ and in doing so recognises that the current efforts and targets towards reducing emissions and limiting temperature rises is clearly not enough.

 

(c)      That this Council also notes that there are increasing calls for councils to declare a climate emergency and to commit to carbon neutrality by 2030 for their administrative areas.

 

(d)      That this Council notes that:-

 

(i)              it can only operate within its own scope of control and influence;

(ii)             there is a need to balance the competing demands on its decreasing resources and finances;

(iii)            not all the technological solutions nor the required powers and resources are currently in place.

 

(e)      That this Council declares a climate emergency and will aim to achieve carbon neutrality from its own operations by 2030 and accordingly requests officers to undertake a review of the aspects of the Environment Strategy 2018-30 necessary to achieve this aspiration together with an assessment of the cost and technology implications of so doing to enable the Cabinet and Council to take an informed decision on revising the ambitions of the Environment Strategy recognising that this will require the reallocation of resources by the Council.

 

(f)       That this Council, as a key place leader, also commits to work with business and other public bodies across the county and region to deliver this ambitious goal through all relevant technologies, strategies and plans.

 

(g)      That this Council recognises that there is an increasing urgency for action to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and in doing so calls for the support of all parties to urge the Government to:-

 

(i)       provide the powers and resources to local authorities and others  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10a