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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Remote - This meeting will be taking place remotely via MS Teams
Contact: Democratic Services on 01424 451484 email: democraticservices@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item Apologies for Absence
Minutes:
Apologies for absence received from Councillors Roberts, S Beaney, Roark and Foster.
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting PDF 537 KB
Minutes:
RESOLVED (unanimously) that the minutes of the Full Council meeting held on 13th October 2021 be signed by the Mayor as a correct record of the proceedings.
Declarations of Interest
Minutes:
Councillor
Meeting
Minute
Interest
Forward
Cabinet - 1st November 2021
375
Personal – Member of Town Deal Board
Hilton
Cabinet - 1st November 2021
375
Personal – Part of the Garden Town Team
Rankin
Cabinet - 1st November 2021
380
Personal – Operates a company in the private rented sector
Pragnell
Cabinet - 1st November 2021
380
Personal – Employed by Department for Work and Pensions
Announcements from the Mayor and Leader
Minutes:
The Mayor invited the Managing Director to update the Council on Covid-19 cases in Hastings, and the use of emergency powers to formalise Full Council decisions.
The Managing Director informed Councillors that as the meeting is taking place virtually the Full Council is unable to make any formal decisions. Therefore, following the debate the formal decisions which are necessary will be made using the emergency powers granted to the Managing Director by Full Council for these precise circumstances.
In terms of the Covid-19 situation in Hastings the Managing Director explained that the infection rate in Hastings is now at 1165 cases per 100,000, which is a similar level to twelve months ago when there was a national lockdown.
Colleagues in public health and environmental health have advised that these numbers are likely to be artificially low because of a reduction in testing over Christmas and New Year.
The significant challenge facing the Council now is the impact of staff being ill or isolating. This is also an acute problem for local partners. The local hospital is struggling with staff absences and has put in place restrictions on visitors.
Officers and local colleagues are working with NHS partners to increase the booster uptake in the town. There have been challenges with supplies of Lateral Flow Tests but these are expected to improve over the next week or so.
Business continuity plans have been reviewed and the Council is ready to re-deploy staff as necessary to support priority services, or to provide mutual aid to local partners. Resilience is stretched and working at this heightened level for almost two years is taking its toll. The Managing Director said she was incredibly proud of the work of officers and the dedication they have shown in going the extra step to assist the local community.
The Mayor extended his thanks to officers and local partners working as part of the pandemic response.
Membership of Committees
To give effect to any request received from a political group for a change in their representation on committee(s).
Minutes:
The Mayor welcomed Councillor Hilton as the new Leader of the Green Party Group and explained that the allocation of committee seats following the formation of the Green Party Group is still under discussion and will come forward at the next Full Council meeting.
Councillor Forward requested changes in membership to the Standards Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as set out below.
RESOLVEDthat the council notes the following arrangements for the membership of committees:
1. Councillor Webb is appointed to the vacant seat on the Standards Committee.
2. Councillor Sinden replaces Councillor S Beaney on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.Update please note: It has subsequently become apparent that under Article 9 of the Council’s Constitution the appointment of Councillor Webb to the Standards Committee could not proceed as no more than one member of Cabinet may sit on the Standards Committee. The vacant seat will be appointed at the next Full Council meeting.
Supplementary questions (if any) from members of the public under Rule 11 PDF 6 KB
Minutes:
A written supplementary question was received and a written response was provided and published on the Council website.
Reports of Committees
a) To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of any items considered while the public were excluded by the relevant committee because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in the respective paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 referred to in the minutes of the relevant committee.
b) To receive and consider the recommendations and any decisions of the following committees.
Subject
Cabinet Member / Chair
CABINET – 1 NOVEMBER 2021
375.
Hastings Town Deal Programme Update
Barnett
376.
Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) Update
Chowney
377.
Agreeing the way forward for the future of the Grounds Maintenance Service
Evans
378.
Solar for Business
Evans
379
Contain Outbreak Management Fund – Remaining Allocation Proposals
Forward
380
500 Affordable Homes Programme
Batsford
381
Commission of Housing Stock Condition Survey and Report
Batsford
CABINET – 11 NOVEMBER 2021
(MANAGING DIRECTOR DECISION)
383.
Household Support Fund
Chowney
AUDIT COMMITTEE – 18 NOVEMBER 2021
131. (C)
External Auditor Appointment
Rankin
CABINET – 19 NOVEMBER 2021
386.
Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 – 2025/26
Chowney
Notes:1. The Mayor will call over the minutes and members will rise and indicate those items which they wish to have discussed.
2. No discussion shall take place at this stage upon part II minutes covered by the resolution 7a) above. Any such discussion shall be deferred to item 8 on the agenda.
Minutes:
Only those items which were reserved were discussed as follows:
Meeting
Minute
Councillor
Cabinet – 1st November 2021
375 - Hastings Town Deal Programme Update
Rogers
Cabinet – 1st November 2021
377 - Agreeing the way forward for the future of the Grounds Maintenance Service
Battley
Cabinet – 1st November 2021
378 - Solar for Business
Sinden
Cabinet – 1st November 2021
380 - 500 Affordable Homes Programme
Cox
Cabinet – 1st November 2021
381 - Commission of Housing Stock Condition Survey and Report
Turner
Cabinet (Emergency Decision) – 11th November 2021
383 - Household Support Fund
Arthur
Audit Committee – 18th November 2021
131 - External Auditor Appointment
Cooke
Cabinet – 19th November 2021
386 - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 – 2025/26
Patmore
Minute 131 of Audit Committee on 18th November 2021, External Auditor Appointment, was a matter requiring Full Council approval. The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Rankin, seconded by Councillor Cooke, and agreed unanimously.
Councillors debated minutes 375, 377, 378, 380, 381 and 383 of Cabinet on 1st November 2021; minute 383 of Cabinet on 11th November 2021; and minute 386 of Cabinet on 19th November 2021. These matters did not require Full Council approval.RESOLVED (unanimously):
That the Council accepts Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to opt into the sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors for five financial years from 1 April 2023.
Reasons:
An external auditor for the audit of the accounts for 2023/24 must be appointed before the end of 2022. The council needs to let Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) know if it wants to opt into the sector-wide procurement conducted by PSAA by 11 March 2022. The decision of Full Council is required.
In his closing remarks the Mayor expressed his hope that in 2022 Hastings will return to normality and see an end to the pandemic. The Mayor called on everyone in the Borough to get vaccinated and boosted and thanked those who have protected themselves and others so far.The Mayor passed on his condolences to all who lost loved ones to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic and thanked Council officers and key workers for their dedication.
(The Mayor declared the meeting closed at 8.12pm) -
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