Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Broadcast from the Civic Suite, Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1BY

Contact: Nigel Hill Tel: 01636 655243 Email:  Nigel.hill@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk 

Media

Items
No. Item

77.

Minutes from the meeting held on 9 March 2020 pdf icon PDF 263 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The meeting was held remotely, in accordance with the Local Authorities and Police & Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police & Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that that minutes of the meeting held on 9 March 2020 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.  

78.

Declarations of Interest by Members and Officers and as to the Party Whip

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest and the Council noted the interests previously declared by Members in Agenda Item No. 19 - Minutes for Noting.

79.

Declarations of any Intentions to Record the Meeting

Minutes:

Other than the Council recording in accordance with usual practice, there were no declarations of intention to record the meeting and Chairman advised that the meeting was being streamed live.  

80.

Communications which the Chairman or the Chief Executive may wish to lay before the Council

Minutes:

The Chairman advised the Council that he had attended socially distanced events commemorating the Battle of Britain, Warsaw Airbridge with Newark Town Council and VE Day with Nottinghamshire County Council.

81.

Communications which the Leader of the Council and Committee Chairmen may wish to lay before the Council

Minutes:

Councillor D. Lloyd, as Leader of the Council, advised Members that the Secretary of State had invited unitary authority proposals from North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Somerset. Therefore, it was unlikely that Nottinghamshire would not be included in the initial tranche of those authorities subject to possible local government reform.

 

In addition, Councillor D. Lloyd advised Members that Nottinghamshire had been placed on the Government’s High Alert level (Tier 2) in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In respect of providing guidance he asked all Members to give consistent messages to residents which mirrored those which were being published by the Council.

 

Councillor K. Girling, as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, informed Members that the Council had received £95,000 from the Heritage Recovery Fund for the National Civil War Centre.

82.

Newark & Sherwood District Council - Covid-19 Update pdf icon PDF 774 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Assistant Director - Transformation & Communications which provided a comprehensive overview of the impact of Covid-19 on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s services to date, including a summary of how the Council had responded to the challenge of Covid-19 by working differently to continue to deliver for its residents, businesses and communities. The report also provided an outline of how the Council may adapt as a result of Covid-19.

 

The report included details of the impact of the pandemic on services, the additional work that the Council had undertaken during the period, the support which had been made available for staff, and a high level summary of the plan for transitioning out of Covid-19.

 

Members expressed their heartfelt thanks to all staff for their hard work in meeting the demands of maintaining services throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the report be noted as a summary of the pandemic response and recovery since June 2020.

83.

Community Plan 2020 - 2023 pdf icon PDF 369 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Assistant Director - Transformation & Communications which presented a refreshed Community Plan for 2020 – 2023 for approval. The Plan had been updated to reflect our community and Council priorities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The refreshed document incorporated numerous examples of community spirit and communities coming together to support one another during the pandemic and included proposals for the continuation of the Council’s Humanitarian Assistance Response Team.

 

The Council noted the following objectives which were included in the refreshed Plan:

 

      Create vibrant and self-sufficient local communities where residents look out for each other and actively contribute to their local area;

      Deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth;

      Create more and better quality homes throughout roles as landlord, developer and planning authority;

      Continue to maintain the high standard of cleanliness and appearance of the local environment;

      Enhance and protect the districts natural environment;

      Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and increase feelings of safety in our communities; and

      Improve the health and well-being of residents.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

a)             the refresh of the Community Plan 2020-2023 be approved; and

 

b)             in addition to an annual report on progress, performance on the Plan was to be reported into relevant committees. Should any further ‘refresh’ be required, all Members would be given the opportunity to contribute to any proposed revisions.

 

84.

Medium Term Financial Plan - 2020/21 to 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 292 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive/Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which provided an update and sought approval for the Council’s revised Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2020/21 to 2023/24.

 

The MTFP provided Members and officers with a clear financial framework for delivering the Council’s Community Plan objectives over the next four financial years. The Council approved the MTFP for the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2024 on the 9 March 2020. Since that point in time, the Covid-19 pandemic had affected all Councils in relation to additional costs and shortfalls in budgeted income. Due to this, it was appropriate to revise the MTFP for that period and update Members with the anticipated position.

 

The position on 9 March 2020 anticipated utilising the MTFP reserve in order to smooth out the impact of shortfalls in budgets in future years. At that time it was anticipated that the reserve would retain a balance of £0.630m in order to contribute to future shortfalls. However, a number of additional pressures, which were set out in the report and included the erosion of the fees and charges base and additional Covid-19 costs, had now affected that position. There were now potential shortfalls in each of the financial years to 2023/24 which must be funded by the MTFP Reserve. It was reported that by the end of the 2022/23 financial year, currently the reserve would be exhausted and funding would need to be sourced via other means.

 

However, it was emphasised that the revised position for 2020/21 did assume an overall unfavourable variance of £0.600m with a zero return from the Nottinghamshire Business Rates Pool for the 2020/21 financial year. Should this variance reduce, then there would be a positive impact on the MTFP.

 

The Council referred to Government financial support resulting from the pandemic and how this support was also required to filter down to town and parish councils.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the revised Medium Term Financial Plan for 2020/21 to 2023/24 be approved.

85.

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which provided an update on the Council’s Treasury Management activity. The Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2019/20 was approved by the Council on 7 March 2019, and the Outturn report was the last report for the financial year, as required by the CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management. The report had been considered by the Audit and Accounts Committee at their meeting held on 30 September 2020.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Treasury Outturn position for 2019/20 be noted.

 

(Councillor M. Brown left the meeting after the consideration of this item).

 

86.

Audit & Accounts Committee Annual Report pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which informed Members of the activity undertaken by the Audit and Accounts Committee during the 2019/20 financial year. The report concluded that the Committee had discharged its responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution and had added value through requiring officers to attend Committee where internal audit reports were limited or low.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the activity undertaken by the Audit & Accounts Committee during financial year 2019/20 be noted.

 

87.

Changes in Committee Membership pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which proposed changes to the membership of the Planning Committee.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that Councillors Mrs S. Saddington and Robert Crowe replace Councillors M. Brown and J. Lee on the Planning Committee.

88.

Proposed Changes to Committee Remits and Delegation to Affix the Council's Seal to Documents pdf icon PDF 342 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which set out proposed changes to Committee remits, and delegation to Chief Officers to affix the Council’s seal to documents.

 

The proposed changes to committee remits were for policy development and operational decision-making in respect of ICT to be moved from Homes & Communities into the remit of the Policy & Finance Committee given its strategic importance, and to add to the remit of the Audit & Accounts Committee responsibility for ensuring overview of the Council’s collaboration with its external partnerships. In addition, it was proposed that the Shareholder Committee remit be extended to include to receive and review Arkwood Developments’ risk management strategy.

 

In respect of the delegated authority to affix the Council’s seal to any document, this was currently delegated to the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Deputy Monitoring Officer and Section 151 Officer. Given the impact of the pandemic and officers being required to work from home, it was proposed to extend this delegation to any Chief Officer as prescribed in the Constitution.

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

 

(a)           the remits of the Homes & Communities and Policy & Finance Committees be revised as set out in the report;

 

(b)          the remit of the Audit & Accounts Committee be amended as set out in the report;

 

(c)           the remit of the Shareholder Committee be amended as set out in the report; and

 

(d)          the general scheme of delegation to Chief Officers within the Council’s Constitution be amended, to give specific delegated power to all Chief Officers  (as defined by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and as described in the Constitution - i.e. Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, Directors and Assistant Director) to affix the Council’s seal to any document.

 

89.

Planning White Paper: Planning for the Future pdf icon PDF 344 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the report of the Director - Planning & Growth which gave Members the opportunity to comment on the Government’s Planning White Paper reforms. The Government published two sets of consultations in relation to the planning system on 6 August 2020. These consultations were considered by the Economic Development Committee at their meeting held on 9 September 2020. The proposed District Council response was attached as Appendix A to the report. 

 

AGREED (unanimously) that:

 

(a)      the proposed consultation response attached at Appendix A to the report be approved for submission to the Government in response to the White Paper consultation; and

 

(b)     a letter be written to the Secretary of State for Homes, Communities and Local Government, and copied to the Select Committee, setting out the Council’s views on the White Paper.

 

90.

Urgency Items taken during the Covid - 19 Pandemic pdf icon PDF 424 KB

i)                    Council Decision Making

ii)                  Remote meetings- Procedure Rules & Protocol

iii)                Review of June Committee Cycle Suspension

Minutes:

The Council noted three urgency item decisions, relevant to the Full Council, which had been taken to date during the Covid 19 Pandemic. The urgency decision provision under paragraph 7.2.1 of the Council’s Constitution had been widened while Committee meetings were suspended, to include the Leaders of all the political groups of the Council.

The urgency items reported were in relation to:

 

i)            Council Decision Making

ii)           Remote meetings - Procedure Rules & Protocol

iii)         Review of June Committee Cycle Suspension

 

AGREED      (unanimously) that the urgency items be noted.

91.

Minutes for Noting

91a

Policy and Finance Committee - 2 April 2020 pdf icon PDF 257 KB

Additional documents:

91b

Policy & Finance Committee - 25 June 2020 pdf icon PDF 279 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Minute No. 118 - National Civil War Centre Admission Policy Post Covid Lockdown.

 

Councillor P. Harris requested details of the anticipated loss of income in respect of the National Civil War Centre in 2020/21 and 2021/22.

 

Councillor D. Lloyd advised that the Economic Development Committee would continue to monitor the position but he would give a written reply giving the details of anticipated loss of income in 2020/21 and 2021/22 as far possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

91c

Economic Development Committee - 9 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 389 KB

91d

Homes and Communities Committee - 14 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 284 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Minute No. 51 – Chairman’s Report

 

Councillor B. Laughton referred to an objection made to the strike-off of Newark & Sherwood Homes from the Companies House Register, which effectively meant that the former Directors were still detailed and liable.

 

Councillor T. Wendels agreed to follow this up with relevant officers.

 

91e

Leisure and Environment Committee - 22 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 280 KB

Minutes:

Minute No. 58 – Active4Today Covid-19 Update

 

Councillor P. Harris asked why furloughed staff at Active4Today appeared to have been given 100% of their salary and not 80%, the cost of which would need to be met by the Council.

 

Councillor R. Jackson agreed to provide Councillor P. Harris with a written reply. 

 

91f

General Purposes Committee - 3 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 253 KB

91g

Licensing Committee - 3 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 259 KB

Minutes:

Minute No. 27 – Review of Controls for Drinking in Public Spaces

 

Councillor P. Harris referred to the policy of having demarcated seating areas marked on plans with licences, for the purposes of reducing public disorder. He suggested that these areas no longer appeared to be highlighted.

 

Councillor Mrs R. Crowe agreed that this was an important requirement and confirmed she would raise with the appropriate officers.

91h

Planning Committee - 3 March 2020 pdf icon PDF 227 KB

91i

Planning Committee - 31 March 2020 pdf icon PDF 255 KB

91j

Planning Committee - 28 April 2020 pdf icon PDF 357 KB

91k

Planning Committee - 2 June 2020 pdf icon PDF 365 KB

91l

Planning Committee - 30 June 2020 pdf icon PDF 262 KB

91m

Planning Committee - 4 August 2020 pdf icon PDF 333 KB

91n

Planning Committee - 8 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 377 KB

91o

Shareholder Committee - 10 March 2020 pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Additional documents:

91p

Shareholder Committee - 16 July 2020 pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Additional documents:

91q

Shareholder Committee - 15 September 2020 pdf icon PDF 214 KB

Additional documents:

91r

Councillors Commission - 8 July 2020 pdf icon PDF 249 KB