Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Richard Austen-Baker, Darren Clifford, Tim Dant, Merv Evans, Jake Goodwin, Debbie Jenkins, Geoff Knight, Sarah Knight and Malcolm Thomas.

To receive as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the City Council held on 16 March 2022 (previously circulated). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 16 March 2022 were signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

To receive declarations by Councillors of interests in respect of items on this Agenda. 

Councillors are reminded that, in accordance with the Localism Act 2011, they are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which have not already been declared in the Council’s Register of Interests. (It is a criminal offence not to declare a disclosable pecuniary interest either in the Register or at the meeting). 

Whilst not a legal requirement, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 and in the interests of clarity and transparency, Councillors should declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, at this point in the meeting. 

In accordance with Part B Section 2 of the Code Of Conduct, Councillors are required to declare the existence and nature of any other interests as defined in paragraphs 8(1) or 9(2) of the Code of Conduct. 

Councillor Morris declared an interest in relation to his question on notice regarding parking for the Fire Service on Cable Street, as he served on the Fire Authority.   (Minute No. 160 refers.)

The Mayor reported the sad death of Honorary Alderman Geoffrey Bryan who had represented Heysham North ward and been elected Mayor of the City Council in 1982/83.

The Mayor also reported the unexpected passing of former Councillor Sandra Greaves, who was elected to represent Castle (now Marsh) ward in 1999. Sandra was a City Councillor until 2003.

Members stood in a minute’s silence in their memory.

To receive questions in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rules 11.1 and 11.3 which require members of the public to give at least 3 days’ notice in writing of questions to a Member of Cabinet or Committee Chairman. 

The Mayor advised that no questions had been received from members of the public in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 11.

The Mayor informed Members that no petitions or requests to address Council had been received from members of the public.

The Leader presented her report updating Members on various issues since her last report to Council. She apologised for omitting Plan 2030 from the list of Councillor Lewis’s portfolio responsibilities last time that these were reported to Council and asked that this be minuted.

The Leader and the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services then responded to a number of questions from Councillors.

Resolved:

That the report be noted. 

To receive the Annual Report of the Mayor (This report was marked “to follow” and was published on 22 April 2022)

In accordance with the Constitution, the Mayor presented his Annual Report for 2021/22. He thanked the Civic and Ceremonial Democratic Support Officer, Jenny Kay, who had supported him and the Mayoress during his Mayoral year.

The Mayor wished the Mayor Elect, Councillor Pritchard, a very successful and happy Mayoral year to come.

Resolved:

That the report be received.

To receive the Cabinet’s Annual Report containing the Business Progress Reports of the Leader and each Cabinet Member in accordance with Part 2, Section 4 of the Council’s Constitution [paragraphs 3.1 (j) and5.1(m)]. Whilst the Cabinet Annual Report will be published as a separate document in due course, the reports of individual Cabinet Members are included in this agenda and will be presented at the meeting.

In accordance with the Constitution, the Leader and each Member of Cabinet had produced a written progress report for 2021-22. 

The Leader presented her annual report first.

Councillors Brookes, Dowding, Frea, Hamilton-Cox, Heath, Lewis, Matthews, Thornberry and Whitehead then presented their annual reports, responded to Members’ questions and thanked Council officers who had assisted them throughout the year.

Councillor Dowding agreed to provide a written response to Councillor Budden regarding his question about the possibility of changing from ‘pay and display’ to pay on exit car parking and whether that could be phased in to spread the cost of the new equipment that would be needed.

Councillor Cleet asked about 1, Lodge Street and Councillor Hamilton-Cox agreed to brief him on the matter after the Capital Assurance Group meeting on Thursday 28 April. Councillor Hamilton-Cox also agreed to supply a written answer to Councillor Gardiner about fire safety in the units on Gateway, White Lund following a fire which had caused significant damage in January 2022.

Councillor Matthews agreed to provide a written answer to Councillor Gardiner about pods, such as the ones purchased by South Lakeland District Council, for housing the homeless.

Resolved:

That the annual reports of the Leader and Councillors Brookes, Dowding, Frea, Hamilton-Cox, Heath, Lewis, Matthews, Thornberry and Whitehead, be received.

The Mayor called for a ten minute comfort break at 8pm, in accordance with Council Procedure Rules. The meeting reconvened at 8.10pm.

To receive the Annual Report of Overview and Scrutiny (This report was marked “to follow” and was published on 22 April 2022)

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Austen-Baker had given apologies for the meeting, In view of this the Vice-Chair, Councillor Dennison,  presented the Committee’s section of the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2021-22. 

The Chair of the Budget and Performance Panel, Councillor De La Mare, presented the Panel’s section of the report and thanked the Chief Financial Officer, Paul Thompson, for his assistance throughout the year.

Resolved:

That the Overview & Scrutiny Annual Report for 2021-22 be received.

To receive the Annual Report of the Audit Committee

In accordance with paragraph 6.30 in Part 2, Section 5 of the Council’s Constitution, the Chair of Audit Committee, Councillor Stubbins, presented the Committee’s 2021-22 Annual Report.

Councillor Stubbins responded to a number of questions.

Resolved:

That the report be received.  

To consider a motion submitted by Councillor Mandy Bannon, seconded by Councillors Kevin Frea, Jason Wood and Joyce Pritchard.

The motion is set out in the agenda papers, accompanied by an officer briefing note as required by the Constitution.

Councillor Bannon proposed the following motion having given the required notice to the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15:-

“This Council notes there is a real need for Local Authorities to work together in solidarity to promote more peaceful and safer communities at the local and the global level. There remains over 13,000 nuclear weapons which have the explosive content to create 280,000 explosions of the size that destroyed the city of Hiroshima on 6^th August 1945. 

The Council also notes and welcomes the rapid development of the Mayors for Peace organisation, which campaigns for a more peaceful and nuclear weapons free world. It now has over 8000 member towns and cities from 166 countries representing over a billion people worldwide.  102 of those members are in the UK and Republic of Ireland and include cities like Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast.

The main charter of Mayors for Peace calls for “closer cooperation among towns and cities, strives to raise international public awareness regarding the need to abolish nuclear weapons and contributes to the realisation of genuine and lasting world peace by working to eliminate starvation and poverty, assist refugees fleeing local conflict, support human rights, protect the environment, and solve the other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence within the human family.” 

Action

The Council hereby resolves

·        To join the Mayors for Peace organisation and consider the approval of a suggested voluntary donation of £120 for larger Councils to assist development of the UK and Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter and the international campaigning work of Mayors for Peace led by its International Secretariats in Hiroshima and Ypres.  

·       To consider, along with the Mayor, a permanent representative for the Council to attend up to twice yearly meetings of the UK & Ireland Mayors, Provosts and Leaders for Peace Chapter.  

·       To engage with the European Chapter of Mayors for Peace as it develops.  

·       To consider holding on August 6^th or 9^th an annual commemorative peace ceremony to remember all innocent civilians killed in all conflicts over the past 75 years and / or an annual ceremony to commemorate International Peace Day on September 21^st.”  

Councillor Wood seconded the motion.

An officer briefing note accompanied the motion on the agenda.

Councillor Bannon replied to a number of questions raised by Councillors before the motion was debated.

At the conclusion of the debate a recorded vote was requested in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.4.

The votes were recorded as follows:

For the motion:

Councillors Anderton, Askari, Bannon, Black, Blaikie, Brookes, Bryning, Dowding, Frea, Greenwell, Hamilton-Cox, Hanson, Hartley, Hunter, Jackson (Caroline), King, Lenox, Lewis, Matthews, Mills, Parr, Penny, Pritchard, Redfern, Robinson, Sinclair, Stubbins, Taylor, Thornberry, Whitaker, Whitehead, Wood and Young. (33)

Against the motion:

Councillors Budden, De La Mare, Gardiner, Guilding, Jackson (Joan), Wild and Yates. (7)

Abstentions:

Councillors Anderson, Boyd-Power, Cleet, Dennison, Greenall and Heath . (6)

Resolved:-

This Council notes there is a real need for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 157.

Report of the Head of Democratic Services

The Head of Democratic Services had submitted a report seeking Council’s approval to carry out a Community Governance Review (CGR) of Scotforth Parish Council as recent building development close to the M6 had created an anomaly. An addendum to the report detailed a very similar issue with Quernmore Parish Council. Although housing had not actually been built on the land in that case, it was due for development, so it seemed prudent to include this issue in the CGR.  The report asked Council to delegate authority to Council Business Committee to monitor the process for taking the CGR forward.

Councillor Lewis introduced the report, informing Councillors that she would not be proposing the recommendations exactly as written in the report, but would instead be proposing:

(1)           That Council Business Committee be requested to develop and agree terms of reference, determine consultation plans and agree a timetable for a Community Governance Review, in consultation with Councillors and Parish Councils.

(2)           That the Committee and Councillors be consulted throughout the process and make recommendations on the final proposals to Council.

Councillor Lewis then took questions on the report and further issues regarding parish boundaries were raised in the course of questions. The Head of Democratic Services explained that whilst resourcing was available to carry out the two minor reviews of Scotforth and Quernmore boundaries set out in the report and addendum paper, a wider community governance review of the district would need more resourcing. In view of that, it would be more appropriate to bring a report to a future Council meeting costing out a full CGR and when that might be timetabled into the elections team’s work programme.

After confirmation from the Monitoring Officer that this would be a decision for Council, not an executive decision, Councillor Lewis moved:

“That the report be withdrawn to allow Democratic Services to consult with Councillors and Parish Councils and submit a report of all the issues raised to the Council meeting in June 2022.”

The proposition was seconded by Councillor Wood.

The Mayor called for a vote and the proposition was carried.

Resolved:

(1)     That the report be withdrawn to allow Democratic Services to consult with Councillors and Parish Councils and submit a report of all the issues raised to the Council meeting in June 2022. 

Group Administrators to report any changes to Committee Membership.  

No changes were reported since the last meeting of Council.

To receive questions in accordance with the provisions of Council Procedure Rules 12.2 and 12.4 which require a Member to give at least 3 working days’ notice, in writing, of the question to the Chief Executive. 

The Mayor advised that seven questions had been received by the Chief Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rules as follows:

(1)       Councillor Whitaker to Councillor Brookes regarding fly-tipping.

(2)       Councillor Morris to Councillor Dowding regarding charging the Fire Service for parking spaces.

(3)       Councillor Morris to Councillor Dowding regarding free parking for businesses.

(4)       Councillor Hanson to Councillor Heath regarding the former Frontierland site.

(5)       Councillor Hanson to Councillor Dowding regarding the Morecambe Area Action Plan.

(6)       Councillor Whitaker to Councillor Brookes about cleaning of back streets in Morecambe.

(7)       Councillor Whitaker to Councillor Brookes about responsibility for cleaning of back streets in Morecambe.

Details of the questions and answers together with any supplementary questions and responses are appended to the minutes.

To receive the Minutes of Meeting of Cabinet held 1 March 2022. 

Council considered the Cabinet minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 2022. No questions were asked.

Resolved:

That the minutes be noted.