Agenda and minutes

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

Dr David Pollard and Mr Roland Durrance

The Chairman reported with great sadness the death of the former Chairman of the County Council, Dr David Pollard and former County Councillor Mr Roland Durrance.

Dr Pollard served on the County Council from 1985 to 2005, representing the Blaby Electoral Division.  He was Chairman of the County Council during the 2001- 2002 municipal year.

He served the Education Committee, Environment Committee, Economic Development and Employment Committee and the Race Relations Subcommittee.

Mr Durrance served on the County Council from 1973 to 1981, representing the Narborough Electoral Division.

He served on the Policy and Resources Committee, Education Committee and Agricultural Committee.

Members joined the Chairman in silent tribute to Dr Pollard and Mr Durrance.

Armistice Day

Armistice Day was marked on Thursday 11^th November when many public spaces and workplaces came to a halt to mark the traditional two-minute silence held at 11.00am.  At County Hall a short, dignified service was held, conducted by the Chairman’s local priest Father Peter Wade. The Chairman thanked Susan Williamson from the Council’s Corporate Resources Department for playing the Last Post and Reveille so competently.  The Chairman was pleased to see that County Hall was 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 and lay a County Council wreath on Remembrance Sunday.

Activism against Gender-Based Violence

County Hall was currently being lit up in Orange to support of Activism against Gender Based Violence, an annual international campaign.  The global theme for the current year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence was “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”

Upcoming Events

In the Spring the Chairman hoped to host an event for volunteers at Beaumanor Hall to acknowledge and recognise the good work they had done in Leicestershire communities. He would be hosting his County Service in Ashby De La Zouch in March and Members would receive an invite in due course.

It was moved by the Chairman, seconded by Dr Feltham and carried:

“That the minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Council held on 29 September 2021, copies of which have been circulated to members, be taken as read, confirmed and signed.”

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

“I move that the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 29 September 2021, copies of which have been circulated to members, be taken as read, confirmed and signed, subject to it being noted in the Chairman’s Announcements that Mr Bill’s 40 years of continuous service began in 1981 (minute 23 refers).”

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to make declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

Mr L Phillimore declared a personal interest in the Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium as his wife worked with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and the report made numerous references to SEND (minute 37(a) refers).

Mrs A J Hack also declared a personal interest in the Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium as she worked for a Housing Association which supported people with SEND in Leicestershire.

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

“1.    The latest population estimate for the Leicester Urban area, as defined by the Office for National Statistics, is approximately 552,000 people.  How many of the Leicestershire County population live in the Leicester Urban Area (also referred to as the Leicester Builtup area) and what proportion of the county population do they represent?

2.     The Department for Transport (DfT) bidding Guidance for new Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) says that Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) may join produce a single Improvement Plan – particularly where local economies and travel patterns overlap significantly, as they do in our county.  To be successful the DfT expects LTAs to collaborate to resolve any cross-boundary issues.  So, where the vast majority of [bus] services in one area run across the border into another area, the DfT say they would expect a single BSIP [for two or more LTAs] to be produced .How many county bus services, from each of the members of the proposed Enhanced Partnership, start, terminate or pass through the city of Leicester?  And what proportion of each company’s services do these represent?

3.     The Guidance also says that there can be real advantages in developing a multi-LTA BSIP and where two or more LTAs form a Partnership:

•      LTA resources and funding can be pooled to improve efficiency and cut costs.

•      A joint scheme properly joins up cross boundary bus services.

•      Local bus operators can share resources to develop the BSIP in a joined-up way.

So, given that the Cabinet has resolved that the County Council will be expecting the Government to provide  “consistent and sustained revenue funding for the resources that it currently does not have” and “the levels of capital funding required to deliver our ambitions”, why are we compromising the success of the Plan by not sharing resources with the City?

4.     In November 2020 the Cabinet approved the Leicester and Leicestershire Strategic Transport Priorities document (2020-2050), within which the Leicestershire LTA and City LTA pledged to work together to support the efficient movement of both people and goods around and through the county. So how can two separate Enhanced Partnership Plans from each of the highly connected LTAs help us meet that aspiration?

5.     What consultations between local authorities took place before deciding not to form a joint Enhanced Partnership with the City LTA; and who made the final decision?

6.     Does existing legislation permit the formation of a single joint Local Transport Board to act for two local authorities which are as intimately connected as our City and County?”

Mr O’Shea replied as follows:

“1.    The Leicester Built Up Area (BUA) population estimates from the official ‘Office for National Statistics’ for 2020 is 544,800. However, it should be noted that the BUA boundary does not totally capture the whole of the City with some development in Hamilton and north of Beaumont Leys not covered. The figure below shows the City boundary in red with the BUA shaded grey.

The City population (within the red boundary) is 354,000. Deducting this from the 544,800 BUA population gives an approximate Leicestershire BUA population of 190,800 (noting the above BUA exclusions). This is 26.8% of the total 713,100 Leicestershire population.  

2.     The number of county services for each operator which start, terminate or pass through Leicester City together with the proportion (%) of each operator’s services which operate in Leicester and/or Leicestershire are detailed below. Please note, for services which have variations (e.g. Arriva 5, 5A and X5), each variation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

The Leader gave a position statement on the following matters:

·       A County Deal for Leicestershire;

·       Fair Funding;

·       Integrated Rail Plan;

·       Tree Strategy;

·       Joint meeting with Jane Hunt MP and Ed Argar MP;

·       Meeting with the City Mayor.

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

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

“That the Annual Delivery Report and Performance Compendium 2021 be approved.”

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

“That the County Council accepts Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to opt into the sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors for five financial years from 1 April 2023.”

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

“(a)   That the revised Code of Conduct for Members as set out in Appendix A to this report be approved and adopted;

(b)    That the revised Protocol on Member/Officer Relations as set out in Appendix B to this report, be approved and adopted.”

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

“Motion 1

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

“That the County Council’s Pay Policy Statement 2022/2023, as set out in the Appendix to the report of the Employment Committee, be approved.”