Agenda and minutes

Minutes of meeting held on 8 September, 2016 (previously circulated).

The minutes of the meeting of 8 September 2016 (previously circulated) were approved by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no items of urgent business.

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

Members 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, Members 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, Members 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. 

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee considered a report of the Democratic Services Manager to consider the responses received to the second stage of the consultation process for the proposal to create Aldcliffe-with-Stodday Parish Council and to agree the Order for submission to Council. It was noted that once agreed, the draft Order will be submitted to Council for 9 November 2016 instead of 14 December 2016 as originally intended.

It was proposed by Council Joan Jackson and seconded by Councillor John Reynolds:

“That the draft Order for the creation of Aldcliffe-with-Stodday Parish Council be submitted to Council for approval on 9 November 2016.”

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

Resolved:

(1)  That the draft Order for the creation of Aldcliffe-with-Stodday Parish Council be submitted to Council for approval on 9 November 2016.

The Committee considered a report of the Democratic Services Manager to enable the Committee to make a response to the Boundary Commission for England’s consultation on proposals for changing the Parliamentary Constituencies.

The Democratic Services Manager explained in detail the proposed changes of the Parliamentary Constituencies and used geographical maps to highlight which areas would be affected as a result.

Councillors asked many questions about the implications of the proposed changes. Concern was raised for the negative impact that the proposed changes may have on residents as well as the challenging administrative issues for Elections staff.

It was proposed by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor Terrie Metcalfe:

“That the draft response to the consultation set out in the report on the proposed Parliamentary Constituency boundaries be submitted to the Boundary Commission for England, subject to the penultimate sentence being amended to ‘The Council would prefer to see the Constituencies made up of wards in no more than two local authority areas.’

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

Resolved:

(1)  That the draft response to the consultation set out in the report on the proposed Parliamentary Constituency boundaries be submitted to the Boundary Commission for England, subject to the penultimate sentence being amended to ‘The Council would prefer to see the Constituencies made up of wards in no more than two local authority areas.’

The Committee considered a report of the Democratic Services Manager to enable the Committee to consider a change to the current arrangements for presenting Proportional Representation (PR) calculations to Council and to approve some necessary changes to the wording in Part 6, Section 3 of the Councils Constitution relating to PR. The report had been submitted as the result of a request at the September Council meeting when a recalculation report had been submitted because a Councillor had resigned. Members had asked whether a recalculation could wait until after the by-election.

The Democratic Services Manager explained the current arrangements for triggering a recalculation, which were before and after a by-election, and how the Constitution could be amended to make it clear that a recalculation would only be undertaken after a by-election, not at the point of a vacancy occurring.  Members then asked questions which the Democratic Services Manager responded to.

It was proposed by Councillor John Reynolds and seconded by Councillor Terrie Metcalfe:

“That the Constitution be amended as suggested in paragraph 3.3 of the report, with effect from 14 December 2016”

Upon being put to the vote, 6 Members voted in favour of the proposition, with 1 abstention, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

It was then proposed by Councillor Joan Jackson and seconded by Councillor John Reynolds:

“That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the necessary amendments to Part 6, Section 3 of the Council’s Constitution as a result of the first recommendation above, and to make the other amendments noted in Paragraph 4 of the report.”

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Constitution be amended as suggested in paragraph 3.3 of the report, with effect from 14 December 2016.

(2)  That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the necessary amendments to Part 6, Section 3 of the Council’s Constitution as a result of the first recommendation above, and to make the other amendments noted in Paragraph 4 of the report.

The Committee was informed of an urgent business decision which had been taken between meetings by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chairman of Council Business Committee. The reason for urgency was that the request for a change of date was received too late to be considered by Council in September and the date of this committee meeting would have been too late for the decision to be taken.

Resolved:

(1)  That the decision taken by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chairman of Council Business Committee, in relation to the following matter, be noted.

That the date of the November 2016 Cabinet meeting be changed from 1 November 2016 to 2 November 2016.

Resolved:

That the following appointments to committees be approved:

1.    Councillor Joan Jackson to replace Councillor Charlie Edwards on the Licensing Regulatory Committee. 

2.    Councillor Charlie Edwards to become a substitute on the Licensing Regulatory Committee.

3.    Councillor James Leyshon to be removed as a named substitute on the Planning and Highways Regulatory Committee.

4.    Councillor Ian Clift to replace Councillor Matt Mann on Audit Committee.

5.    Councillor Ian Clift to replace Councillor Eileen Blamire on Council Business Committee.