Agenda and minutes

NOTED       that no Member or Officer declared any interest pursuant to any statutory requirement in any matter discussed or voted upon at the meeting.

NOTED       that an audio recording of the meeting was to be made by the Council.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Minutes of the Meeting held on 15 November 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The Committee considered the report of the Returning Officer in relation to changes to two polling places within the district.  The report set out that the proposed changes were to merge two polling places within the Southwell Ward into one polling place and the relocation of a polling place within the Rainworth North & Rufford Ward.  Details of the changes were as follows:

Southwell Ward – Holy Trinity Church and Trebeck Hall – merged into one station at the Holy Trinity Church.

Rainworth North & Rufford Ward – change in the location of the polling station from the Rufford Abbey building to the Rufford Mill building. 

Details of the consultations undertaken were contained within paragraph 4.0 of the report. 

The Electoral Services Manager was in attendance at the meeting and provided Members with a verbal update of two more changes to polling places which had occurred subsequently to the Agenda being published, details of which are as follows:

Laxton & Moorhouse Village Hall was unavailable for use as a polling station due to refurbishment.  Temporary arrangements had been put in place to use the Laxton Visitors’ Centre.

Hockerton Grange Wellbeing Centre was no longer available for use as a polling station.  Voters would be advised accordingly with the polling station being moved to Winkburn School. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)     the change of polling place from Trebeck Hall, Bishops Drive, Southwell to Holy Trinity Church, Westgate, Southwell be noted;

(b)     the change of polling place at Rufford Country Park from the Room at the Abbey Site to the Markham Suite, Rufford Mill, Rufford Lane, Rufford be noted;

(c)     the temporary change of polling place from Laxton & Moorhouse Village Hall to Laxton Visitors’ Centre be noted; and

(d)     the change of polling place from Hockerton Grange Wellbeing Centre to Winkburn School be noted.

The Committee considered the report of the Director – Communities & Environment in relation to applications received for street collection permits throughout the district for 2019.  To date, 9 applications had been received and in accordance with the Council’s policy, these had been reported to the relevant Town Council for comment and/or approval. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)     the applications for Street Collections as listed in Appendix A be granted for the forthcoming year, 2019; and

(b)     the Director – Communities & Environment, following consultation with the Chairman of the General Purposes Committee, be authorised to approve and issue licences for all additional applications received for street collections within the District of Newark & Sherwood during the financial year 2019/2020.

The Committee considered the report of the Director – Communities & Environment in relation to the response of the Government to the recommendations of the Department of Transport Task & Finish Group on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.  The report also sought the Committee’s agreement for the responses to the draft Statutory Guidance on Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles. 

Paragraph 4 of the report detailed extracts of the summary position of the Government and their response to some of the key recommendations.  The Council’s proposed draft response was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)     the response of the Department of Transport be noted; and

(b)     the responses to the consultation on the draft statutory guidance be considered and that any additional responses be forwarded to the Business Manager – Environmental & Licensing no later than 31 March 2019. 

The Committee considered the verbal report of the Business Manager – Environmental Health & Licensing in relation to the latest position on the proposed changes to the Castlegate Taxi Rank.

The Business Manager advised that he had spoken with Nottinghamshire County Council who have confirmed that they are currently undertaking a formal consultation on the proposed changes.  The change being sought was for the taxi rank to become effective 2 hours earlier to the current arrangements.  A discussion had also been held in relation to possible improvement to the physical markings of the rank e.g. road lines, signage. 

Members queried as to when the consultation period was due to end.  The Business Manager confirmed that he would confirm with the County Council and inform the Chairman of the Committee.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the verbal update report be noted.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the General Purposes Forward Plan for 1 March 2019 to 29 February 2020 be noted.

The Committee considered the report of the Director – Communities & Environment in relation to the activity and performance of the Licensing Team which provided members with details of current ongoing enforcement issues.

Information contained in the report related to the number of applications for grants and renewals of licences for Hackney Carriage; Private Hire; and Ambulance Drivers together with those for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles.  A note of ongoing enforcement activity was also listed with information as to what action had been taken to-date.  Also provided within the report was information relating to both street and house to house collections.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the report be noted.

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      (unanimously) 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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Exempt Minute of Decision be noted.