Agenda and minutes

To receive any declarations of interest of a pecuniary or non-pecuniary nature from Members in respect of the items on this agenda.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1^st December, 2016.

To consider any communications to be submitted by the Mayor or the Chief Executive.

To consider any questions which may have been received from Elected Members and which are asked pursuant to Standing Order No. 11.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

(i)            That the options available for the procurement of external audit services from 2018/19 onwards be noted; and

(ii)          That the Council opt in to the sector led scheme for appointing auditors as outlined in Option 3 within the report now submitted.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(i)        that approval be given to the revocation of Planning Advice Note 30: Sustainable Location of Housing Sites; and

(ii)       that approval be given to the use of a simplified and updated planning tool that will assist in the consideration of relevant planning applications.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

(i)        that the Housing Revenue Account Draft Budget for 2017/18, as detailed in the report now submitted, be approved, with any final amendments/additions being delegated to the Cabinet Spokespersons for Place and the Executive Director for Place;

(ii)       that the Service Charge Proposals for 2017/18, as set out at Appendix D and Sections 3.15 to 3.17, be approved;

(iii)      that the 2017/18 Berneslai Homes Management Fee at Section 3.26 be approved with any final amendments/additions being delegated to the Service Director Culture, Housing and Regulation and the Executive Director Place in consultation with the Cabinet Spokesperson for Place;

(iv)      that the use of Berneslai Homes Ltd retained surplus, as outlined in Section 3.27, be approved;

(v)       that the investment of the 2017/18 surplus as outlined in Sections 3.7 and 3.23 be approved;

(vi)      that the Council Housing Capital Investment programme for 2021-22, as detailed in the report, be approved;

(vii)     that the Housing Reserves Fund proposed spend as outlined at Section 3.22 of the report be approved;

(viii)    that a rent reduction in line with Government’s rent policy be approved; and

(ix)      that the Board of Berneslai Homes be authorised to vary any of the approved core capital schemes subject to a maximum variation on existing budgets of £250,000, with variations above this amount to be carried out in agreement with the Executive Director Place in consultation with the Cabinet Spokesperson for Place.

Moved by Councillor Stowe – Seconded by Councillor Clarke

‘This Council is disappointed by the Home Secretary’s rejection on the 31^st October, 2016 of an Inquiry into the policing of events at Orgreave.

The Council observes that the Independent Police Commission said in their redacted report released in June 2015 “that there was evidence of excessive violence by police officers, and a false narrative from police exaggerating violence by miners, perjury by officers giving evidence to prosecute the arrested men, and an apparent cover-up of that perjury by senior officers”.

The Council believes in the light of such statements that the Home Secretary needs to review her decision that there should be no enquiry into such events.

The Council notes that 95 miners were arrested and charged with riot offences, but were all later acquitted amid claims that police at the time had fabricated evidence.

The Council will write to the Home Secretary and ask that she takes into account the opinion of this Council and accepts that there is widespread public concern about events at Orgreave and calls for her to order an inquiry into them’.

To receive the minute of the meeting held on the 14^th December, 2016 and to consider the following recommendation:

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that the salary for the post of Executive Director (Core Services) be set as the same level as the posts of Executive Director of Communities and Executive Director of Place at £114,679 per annum.