Agenda and minutes

AGREED      that that minutes of the meeting held on the 17 July 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

NOTED       the interests declared as shown in the schedule circulated at the meeting.

Other than the Council recording in accordance with usual practice, there were no declarations of intention to record the meeting.

The Chairman welcomed the new Chief Executive – John Robinson to his first meeting of the Council.  He also thanked all those communities for the work that had been undertaken in hosting the Tour of Britain in the District.

Councillor D Lloyd advised Members of the Parish Conference hosted by North Muskham Parish Council which was to take place on Saturday, 13 October 2018.

Councillor Lloyd also referred to the illegal traveller encampment on the car park at Newark Sports & Fitness Centre.  He thanked all those involved for the swift removal of the encampment and particularly the Police and Active4Today staff for dealing with the aggressive travellers.

In respect of the County Council proposal for a single unitary authority, Councillor Lloyd advised that all District and Borough Councils had been invited for a meeting on 5 November 2018 and it was anticipated that the business case would be reported to the County Council at their meeting to be held on 13 December 2018.

Councillor R B Laughton, as the Chairman of the Homes & Communities Committee, advised Members of the £18m funding announcement for improvements along the A614, including Ollerton roundabout.  He expressed his thanks to Mark Spencer MP for his role in securing this funding.

There were no questions from members of the public.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 10, Councillor Mrs C Brooks presented a petition to the Council on behalf of residents and businesses in Edwinstowe.  This petition called upon the Council to consider the installation of CCTV cameras on Edwinstowe High Street.  The petition, signed by 620 people, was presented to the Chairman.

The Council considered the report of the Business Manager - Financial Services which provided an opportunity for Members to review the Annual Treasury report.  The Council was required to receive regular reports on its treasury management activities including, as a minimum, an annual strategy and plan in advance of the year, a mid year review and an annual report.  The Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2017/18 was approved by Council on 9 March 2017 and the Outturn report was the last report for the financial year. 

AGREED      that the Treasury Outturn position for 2017/18 be noted.

In accordance with Rule No 13.1, Councillor Paul Peacock will move and Councillor Neal Mitchell will second a motion to the following effect:

The Government has put forward proposals via a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) to allow the exploration phase of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to be allowed under Permitted Development (PD). The Government also propose to bring the production phase of fracking under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, allowing applications to be decided centrally by the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State. The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government are currently consulting on these proposals.

If these proposals are enacted there will be no local decision making over applications for the exploration for shale gas and no local control over applications for the production stage of fracking.

Therefore in responding to the Consultations ‘Permitted Development for shale gas exploration’ and ‘Inclusion of shale gas production projects in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime’:

1.         Newark and Sherwood District Council believes that local people have the right to be involved in the decision making of applications for the exploration of shale gas and applications for the production phase of fracking;

2.         Newark and Sherwood District Council endorses local decision making of fracking applications by local Minerals Planning Authorities;

3.         Newark and Sherwood District Council supports the current Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan and the policies within it; and

4.         Newark and Sherwood District Council instructs our officers to respond to the government consultation accordingly, by rejecting the changes proposed for PD and NSIP as inappropriate and with the view that the Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan should have primacy for all planning decisions at all stages of fracking.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 13.1, Councillor P Peacock moved and Councillor N Mitchell seconded a motion to the following effect:

“The Government has put forward proposals via a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) to allow the exploration phase of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to be allowed under Permitted Development (PD). The Government also propose to bring the production phase of fracking under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, allowing applications to be decided centrally by the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State. The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government are currently consulting on these proposals.

If these proposals are enacted there will be no local decision making over applications for the exploration for shale gas and no local control over applications for the production stage of fracking.

Therefore in responding to the Consultations ‘Permitted Development for shale gas exploration’ and ‘Inclusion of shale gas production projects in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime’:

1.       Newark & Sherwood District Council believes that local people have the right to be involved in the decision making of applications for the exploration of shale gas and applications for the production phase of fracking;

2.       Newark & Sherwood District Council endorses local decision making of fracking applications by local Minerals Planning Authorities;

3.       Newark & Sherwood District Council supports the current Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan and the policies within it; and

4.       Newark & Sherwood District Council instructs our officers to respond to the Government consultation accordingly, by rejecting the changes proposed for PD and NSIP as inappropriate and with the view that the Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan should have primacy for all planning decisions at all stages of fracking.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 26.4, Councillor R V Blaney moved and Councillor D J Lloyd seconded an amendment to the motion to change the wording according to the following:

(a)     Insert “non” before hydraulic in the second line;

(b)     Insert “and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy respectively” after the word Government in the final line of the first paragraph; and

(c)     In (2), delete the words ‘Newark & Sherwood District Council endorses’ and replace with “Newark & Sherwood District Council supports the position of Nottinghamshire County Council and agrees that” and delete the word ‘by’ and insert the words “should remain with”.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 25.4 Councillors P Peacock and N Mitchell accepted the amendment which accordingly became the substantive motion, as follows:

“The Government has put forward proposals via a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) to allow the exploration phase of non-hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to be allowed under Permitted Development (PD). The Government also propose to bring the production phase of fracking under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) regime, allowing applications to be decided centrally by the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State. The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy respectively are currently consulting on these proposals.

If these proposals are enacted there will be no local decision making over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

There were no questions from Members of the Council.

(a)        Policy & Finance Committee – 20 September 2018

(b)        Economic Development Committee – 12 September 2018

(c)        Homes & Communities Committee – 10 September 2018

Minute No. 23 – Castle House Update Report

Councillor Laughton informed the Council that following the move to Castle House, the footfall of visitors to Castle House, in comparison to Kelham Hall, had increased by 80%.

(d)        Leisure & Environment Committee – 18 September 2018

(e)        General Purposes Committee – 6 September 2018

(f)        Licensing Committee – 6 September 2018

(g)        Audit & Accounts Committee – 25 July 2018

(h)        Planning Committee – 24 July 2018

Minute No. 46 – Site of Robin Hood Hotel, 1-3 Lombard Street, Newark (18/01020/FULM) (Major) and (18/01021/LBC)

Councillor Payne informed the Council that the applications in respect of the Robin Hood Hotel site had not been ‘called in’ for determination by the Secretary of State.

(i)         Planning Committee – 7 August 2018

(j)         Planning Committee – 4 September 2018

(k)        Planning Committee – 2 October 2018

Minute Nos. 100 & 101 – Kelham Hall Ltd, Kelham Hall, Main Road, Kelham, Nottinghamshire (17/02071/FULM), (17/02075/ADV) and (18/00947/LBC)

Councillor D Payne advised the Council that a resident of Kelham had submitted a complaint to the Ombudsman that the Council had ignored planning representations when approving these applications.  He added that the Ombudsman had now confirmed they would not investigate the complaint.

To consider resolving that, under section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 7 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

AGREED      that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

(a)       Policy & Finance Committee – 20 September 2018

Minute No. 45 - Former Robin Hood Hotel – Prosed Joint Venture Scheme with MF Strawson Limited

The Committee discussed the exempt minute regarding the proposed joint venture scheme with M F Strawson Ltd for the former Robin Hood Hotel.

(Summary provided in accordance with 100C(2) of the Local Government Act 1972).