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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3UY
Contact: Democratic Services on 01424 451484 email: democraticservices@hastings.gov.uk
Note: You can watch a recording of the meeting here: https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/cm/?video=370314570 (Part 1) https://www.hastings.gov.uk/my-council/cm/?video=370316073 (Part 2)
Items No. Item Apologies for Absence
Minutes:
Apologies for absence were noted for Councillors Forward and Patmore.
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 24th July 2019 PDF 311 KB
Minutes:
RESOLVEDthat the minutes of the Full Council meeting held on 24th July 2019 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record of the proceedings.
Declarations of Interest
Minutes:
The following Councillors declared an interest in the minutes:
Councillors
Committee
Minutes
Interest
Bacon
Full Council – 23rd October
87 – Motion (Rule 14)
Personal – works in a school
All Labour Councillors
Full Council – 23rd October
87 – Motion (Rule 14)
Personal – member of a trade union
Rankin, Marlow-Eastwood and Foster
Full Council – 23rd October
87 – Motion (Rule 14)
Personal - member of a trade union
Announcements from the Mayor and Leader
Minutes:
The Mayor led a minute silence in honour of Andrew Cartwright, a former member of the Council who passed away in August.
The Leader of the Council paid tribute to the 39 people who tragically died in a shipping container in Essex. The thoughts of the Council are with their families.
Questions (if any) from:
a) Members of the public under Rule 11
b) Councillors under Rule 12
Minutes:
86(a). MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDER RULE 11
A written question was received from Julia Hilton regarding the Council’s carbon reduction pathway. Councillor Evans provided a written response. Copies of the question and response were circulated to Councillors and members of the public.
Ms Hilton asked a supplementary question. Too often the process of developing strategies and plans can be used as a way of delaying action. What immediate actions will the Council be taking?
Councillor Evans replied the Council declared a climate emergency in February and despite financial difficulties the Council is taking tackling climate change extremely seriously. The Council has seconded a senior officer to work on the climate change programme and last week appointed an energy officer to look at increasing energy efficiency.
A written question was received from Nick Perry regarding the latest Indices of Multiple Deprivation and the Council’s plans to tackle deprivation in the town. Councillor Chowney provided a written response. Copies of the question and response were circulated to Councillors and members of the public.
Nick Perry did not ask a supplementary question.
A written question was received from Pete Welch regarding the Government’s consultation on planning regulations relating to 5G installations. Councillor Chowney provided a written response. Copies of the question and response were circulated to Councillors and members of the public.
Mr Welch asked a supplementary question. In his response Councillor Chowney said he expects a letter from the Minister for Digital and Broadband constraining planning objections to 5G. In light of peer reviewed research and considerable public concern, how will the Council reconcile this diktat with its duty of care for residents?
Councillor Chowney replied that the Council will have to comply with Government regulations. The Council will make a response to the consultation and will raise concerns that more research needs to be done.
86(b). COUNCILLORS UNDER RULE 12Questions to the Leader, Deputy Leader and portfolio holders were asked and answered in accordance with Rule 12.1 as follows:
Questioner
Subject
Reply given by
Councillor Lee
Street Cleaning DSO – Can you tell us the revenue costs for running the DSO for the next year and in five years’ time?
Councillor Chowney replied that he would get back to Councillor Lee with the exact figures. The DSO was market tested and the cost of bringing the service in-house was no more expensive than an external contractor.
Councillor Chowney
Councillor Barnett
Summer activities - Thrilled to see the quality and quantity of activities in Hollington this summer. There was a great response from residents. How did Active Hastings manage across the town this summer?
Councillor Batsford replied that Active Hastings is an incredible resource making sure children remain active, healthy and engaged in positive activity.
Councillor Batsford
Councillor K Beaney
West Marina development – It is over 12 months since Cabinet agreed a preferred developer for the West Marina site. Can you provide a progress update?
Councillor Chowney replied that Heads of Terms were signed in the summer. The full ... view the full minutes text for item 86.
Motion (Rule 14)
Councillor Rogers to propose:
“This council notes:
• Government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50% since 2010.
• Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government.
• The 2019 LGA survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23. This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later.
• The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.
• Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10.
• At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.
• There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three quarters of the local government work force.
This council believes:
• Our workers are public service heroes. They keep our communities clean, care for those in need, and keep our towns and cities running.
• Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.
• Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could result in a reduction in local government services.
• The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding been cut to the bone.
This council resolves to:
• Support the pay claim submitted by Unite, GMB and UNISON on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour minimum wage and a 10% uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21.
• Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim.
• Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government.
• Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay claim.
• Communicate with all local government workers encouraging them to join a trade union.”
Minutes:
Councillor Rogers proposed a motion, as set out in the agenda, which was seconded by Councillor Webb.
Councillors debated the motion.
RESOLVED (by 22 for, 7 against with 1 abstention) that the Council do accept the motion as set out below:
This council notes:
• Government has endured central government funding cuts of nearly 50% since 2010.
• Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government.
• The 2019 LGA survey of council finances found that 1 in 3 councils fear they will run out of funding to provide even their statutory, legal duties by 2022/23. This number rises to almost two thirds of councils by 2024/2025 or later.
• The LGA estimates councils will face a funding gap of £8 billion by
2025.
• Faced with these cuts from central government, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing 22 per cent of their value since 2009/10.
• At the same time as seeing their pay go down in real terms, workers experience ever increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, an estimated 876,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector.
• There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three quarters of the local government work force.
This council believes:
• Our workers are public service heroes. They keep our communities clean, care for those in need, and keep our towns and cities running.
• Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable.
• Government funding has been cut to the extent that a proper pay rise could result in a reduction in local government services.
• The government needs to take responsibility and fully fund increases in pay; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding been cut to the bone.
This council resolves to:
• Support the pay claim submitted by Unite, GMB and UNISON on behalf of council and school workers for a £10 per hour minimum wage and a 10% uplift across all other pay points in 2020/21.
• Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the National Joint
Council (NJC) pay claim.
• Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government.
• Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay claim.
• Communicate with all local government workers encouraging them to join a trade union.
Motion (Rule 14)
Councillor Chowney to propose:
“Hastings Borough Council agree to:
Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply. We also call on East Sussex County Council to adopt the same protocols…
1. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
2. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
3. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
4. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
5. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
7. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
8. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
9. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.”
Minutes:
Councillor Chowney proposed a motion, as set out in the agenda, which was seconded by Councillor Levane.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Council do accept the motion as set out below:
Hastings Borough Council agree to:
Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply. We also call on East Sussex County Council to adopt the same protocols.
1. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.
2. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.
3. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.
4. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
5. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.
6. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.
7. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.
8. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.
9. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually.
Membership of Committees
To give effect to any request received from a political group for a change in their representation on committee(s).
Minutes:
Councillor Chowney proposed a motion regarding the membership of committees, as set out in the resolution below.
RESOLVED that the council adopt the following arrangements for the membership of committees:
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Councillor Roberts be appointed to the Overview
and Scrutiny Committee, in place of Councillor Charman.
- Councillor Barnett be appointed to the East Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board, in place of Councillor Cox.
Reports of Committees PDF 75 KB
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.
Minute No.
Subject
Cabinet Member / Chair
AUDIT COMMITTEE – 30 JULY 2019
63.
Audit Committee Report to Full Council
Rankin
CABINET – 2 SEPTEMBER 2019
195.
Medium Term Financial Strategy and 2019/20 Mid-Year Financial
Review
Chowney
196.
Management Response to Overview & Scrutiny Review of
Regeneration Funding
Forward
197.
Central St Leonards Renewal Area Exit Review
Batsford
198.1
12/13 York Buildings (Part 1)
Chowney
198.2 (E)
12/13 York Buildings (Part 2)
Chowney
CABINET – 7 OCTOBER 2019
202.
Update on the Social Lettings Agency
Batsford
203. (C)
Polling Places Review 2019
Rogers
204.
Land at Whitworth Road
Chowney
205.
Acquisition of land in Ore Valley
Chowney
206.
Churchfield Business Centre
Chowney
207.
Old Town Hall
Chowney
208.
Cornwallis Street Car Park - Potential Development
Chowney
209. (C)
Constitutional Amendments
Rogers
210.
Museum Committee Recommendations
Forward
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 9a) above. Any such discussion shall be deferred to item 11 on the agenda.
Additional documents:
- Council Audit Committee Report to Council 2019 , item 90. PDF 134 KB
- Minutes Public Pack, 02/09/2019 Cabinet , item 90. PDF 82 KB
- Minutes Public Pack, 07/10/2019 Cabinet , item 90. PDF 100 KB
- Polling Places Review 2019, 07/10/2019 Cabinet , item 90. PDF 137 KB
- CAP Report 23rd Sept 2019 , item 90. PDF 116 KB
- There are a further 6 documents.View the full list of documents for item 90.
Minutes:
The Mayor having called over the minutes set out in the agenda, the following minutes were reserved for discussion.
RESOLVED that under rule 13.3 the reports and minutes of committees set out in the agenda, including those items on which a council decision was required, be received and agreed. Only those items which were reserved were discussed, as follows:
Meeting
Minute
Councillor
Audit Committee, 30 July 2019
63 – Audit Committee Report to Full Council
Rankin
Cabinet, 2 September 2019
198.1 – 12/13 York Buildings (Part 1)
Lee
Cabinet, 2 September 2019
198.2 – 12/13 York Buildings (Part 2)
Lee
Cabinet, 7 October 2019
202 – Update on Social Lettings Agency
Davies
Cabinet, 7 October 2019
205 – Acquisition of Land in Ore Valley
Turner
Cabinet, 7 October 2019
207 – Old Town Hall
Lee
Cabinet, 7 October 2019
208 – Cornwallis Street Car Park – Potential Development
Levane
Minute 203 of Cabinet on 7th October 2019, Polling Places Review 2019, was a matter on which the Council was required to make a decision. Under rule 13.3, the minutes were approved without being called for discussion.Minute 209 of Cabinet on 7th October 2019, Constitutional Amendments, was a matter on which the Council was required to make a decision. Under rule 13.3, the minutes were approved without being called for discussion.
Councillors debated minute 63 of Audit Committee on 30th July 2019, minutes 198.1 and 198.2 of Cabinet on 2nd September 2019, and minutes 202, 205, 207 and 208 of Cabinet on 7th October 2019. These matters did not require approval of Full Council.
To consider the recommendations and decisions of committees (if any) which the Council has resolved should be discussed after the exclusion of the public from the meeting.
Minutes:
Minute number 198.2 of Cabinet on 2nd September 2019, 12/13 York Buildings (Part 2), was an exempt item. When this item was reached, Councillor Fitzgerald proposed a motion for the exclusion of the public from the meeting, seconded by Councillor Rogers.
RESOLVED that the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of minute number 198.2 of the Cabinet meeting held on 2nd September 2019, 12/13 York Buildings (Part 2), 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 paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 referred to in the relevant report.
No motions for reference to Overview and Scrutiny Committee or reference back to Cabinet were approved in respect of the items reserved for discussion and they were therefore received.
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Councillor Roberts be appointed to the Overview
and Scrutiny Committee, in place of Councillor Charman.
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