Agenda and minutes

Councillor Gul Khan (unwell)

Councillor Zafran Khan (unwell)

Councillor Farzanna Mahmood (unwell)

Councillor AJ Matsiko (unwell)

Councillor Georgia Power (personal)

None

Councillor Conduct

A citizen asked the following question of the Chair of the Standards and Governance Committee:  In circumstances where one councillor is employed by another councillor, what guidance has the Standards and Governance Committee put in place to ensure that undue influence is not exerted on the employed councillors by their employer?

Councillor Kirsty L Jones replied as follows:

In line with legislative requirements, Nottingham City Council has agreed a Councillor Code of Conduct which all councillors are required to comply with whenever they are acting in the capacity of a councillor. The Code outlines arrangements for the management of the registration and declaration of any interests held by councillors. All councillors are required to register their interests, including any employment, office, trade, profession, or vocation they hold, with the Council’s Monitoring Officer. These registers are published on the Council’s website. Any registered interests and any other interests held by a councillor that impact upon Council business in which they are involved must be declared and where such interests would impact their decision-making they must not take part in that business.  The Code of Conduct also requires councillors to impartially exercise their responsibilities in the interests of their local community. Article 4 of the Constitution also refers to the expectation that councillors, when acting in their capacity as a councillor, are expected to act in accordance with the 7 Nolan Principles of Public Life – namely, acting with selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership. Training was provided for all councillors as part of their induction process on the Code of Conduct and the requirement to register and declare interests. All councillors have submitted registers of interest and these are available on the Council’s website. Any breach of the Code of Conduct, including a failure to declare interests or to impartially exercise their responsibilities in the interests of the local community, will be dealt with in accordance with the Councillor Complaints Procedure, which is also available on the Council’s website.

Victoria Market

A citizen asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture:  Does the Council wish to take the National Market Traders Federation up on their offer to act as negotiators, free of charge, compared to the £25,000 wasted on Bruton Knowles, to negotiate a fair compensation package for the Victoria Market traders, to help exit their lease from the Victoria Centre?

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis replied as follows:

Thank you, Lord-Mayor. Can I thank the member of the public for the question.  I would like to reassure the member of the public that Bruton Knowles has extensive background and experience in leading negotiations of this nature. They have been involved in this project for some time and have made a positive contribution to establishing the requirements of traders as part of the Council’s work to seek an agreed exit. The National Market Traders Federation offer is noted, and their support of traders as part of the process is recognised and welcomed. However, the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

None

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 September 2023 were confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

The Chief Executive made the following announcements:

I am pleased to report that Green Rewards, a partnership initiative involving nine local councils including Nottingham City Council, has won a national Association for Public Service Excellence award for Best Collaborative Working. The scheme enables local residents to accumulate points and earn prizes via an app and web platform for everyday activities that help to lower their carbon footprint.

Last week, the Council’s Public Health Team was successful in winning the Local Government Chronicle Workforce Award for Best Retention Strategy.  The judges made specific reference to the tangible difference that the Team is making to reducing health inequalities, together with a real sense of kindness and compassion.

The tragic loss of the Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player Adam Johnson has shocked everyone in the city and our hearts go out to his family, friends and teammates. The Council’s Leader has written to the Club to offer our condolences and support, and the Deputy Leader and other Councillors attended a vigil at the stadium on Saturday evening, laying a wreath on behalf of the Council. Nottingham Panthers holds a special place in the life of our city and we stand with them as our local team at this sad time.

We also remember Pauleen Davies MBE and Leonard Gelblum.  Pauline, who died on 11 October, founded Radford Care Group in 1968 and right up until earlier this year, had always been involved in the charity, dedicating a huge part of her life to enhancing the lives of older people in Nottingham. Her legacy lives on with the work the charity continues to deliver.  Leonard Gelblum died on 27 October. As part of his involvement with Nottingham Rotary Club, Leonard started the Nottingham Dolly Parton Imagination Library with the Council after his involvement in bringing the book-gifting charity to Nottingham in 2009. The scheme has benefited more than 10,900 children and delivered almost half a million free books in the city.

Councillor Adele Williams spoke in tribute to Adam Johnson, Councillor Linda Woodings spoke in tribute to Pauleen Davies and Councillor David Mellen spoke in tribute to Leonard Gelblum.

A minute’s silence was held.

None

Ukraine

Councillor Michael Savage asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:  Would the Leader of the Council outline his continued support for the Ukrainian community in Nottingham today, as the invasion of the country by Russia continues and on what will this month be the 90th anniversary of the terrible famine in Ukraine that led to the death of millions of Ukrainians?

Councillor David Mellen replied as follows:

Thank you, Lord-Mayor. Can I thank Councillor Savage for his question.  The ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues to be a global tragedy. Throughout the conflict, our Council and our City have stood firmly in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and strongly oppose the unprovoked actions from Russia.  As the invasion continues and stretches from weeks to months and now years it is sometimes easy to grow fatigued or even for us to switch off from the suffering that is being inflicted on people. What was once headline news is now less frequently mentioned in the media. So it is right that we take another opportunity today to reaffirm our support for Ukraine and I’m pleased to do that formally within this Chamber. It is important to do this because we must never become desensitised from the suffering of others. We must not turn away from what is happening today, and we must not forget the lessons of history. That is why we stand with Ukraine today, but also join them in remembering this month the 90^th anniversary of the appalling famine that was inflicted on their nation in the 1920s-30s. Millions of Ukrainians starved to death in this imposed famine 90 years ago.

So I would like to thank the members of the Nottingham Branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain – in particular the organisation’s Chief Executive Fedir Kurlak who gave a deeply moving presentation to councillors several weeks ago about the terrible famine inflicted by the former Soviet Union in the 1930s. The presentation included moving video testimonies from people who lived through the hardship as children but carried on with them into old age the memory of the hunger, the desolation and the deaths that resulted from the forced famine.  There are different theories as to why the famine started, whether it was started deliberately or whether it was a result of collectivism under Stalin. But whatever your view, starvation clearly became a weapon that the Soviet Union used against Ukrainians with devastating consequences.  As always, with so many conflicts of this nature, it is everyday families that will suffer and the most: the women, the children, the old, and the vulnerable. It is right that our councillors pay tribute to their suffering, and I would like to offer my thoughts to the descendants of those who endured those terrible acts, in particular those who have made Nottingham their home.

As a Council we are committed to support the people from Ukraine in our city. Since the Russian invasion of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

Report of the Leader of the Council

Councillor David Mellen, Leader of the Council, presented the report informing Council that no decisions had been taken under the Call-in and Urgency provisions of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules since August 2023 and no Key Decisions had been taken under the Special Urgency provisions of the Access to Information Procedure Rules since April 2023.  The report was seconded by Councillor Audra Wynter.

Resolved to note that no decisions had been taken under urgency provisions within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Article 11) and Access to Information Procedure Rules (Article 13) in the Constitution since the last report to Council in September 2023.

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion

Councillor Sajid Mohammed, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion, presented the report seeking approval of the Nottingham Community Safety Partnership Strategy for 2023 to 2026.  The Strategy had been developed to satisfy the statutory duty to co-operate in order to formulate and implement strategies for the reduction of crime and disorder, for combatting the misuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances, for the reduction of re-offending, for preventing people from becoming involved in serious violence and for reducing instances of serious violence in the area.  The Strategy had been approved by the Nottingham Community Safety Partnership on 29 September 2023.  The report was seconded by Councillor Neghat Khan.

Resolved to approve and adopt the Nottingham Community Safety Partnership 2023 – 2026, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report.

Report of the Chair of the Licensing Committee

Councillor Audrey Dinnall, Chair of the Licensing Committee, presented the report seeking approval of a new Statement of Licensing Policy, to inform individuals making applications for licences of the Authority’s standards and values in promoting the licensing objectives within the framework of the Licensing Act 2003 and approved guidance issued by the Home Office.  The consultation draft had been approved by Council on 10 July 2023 and consultation took place between 27 July and 20 September 2023.  Amendments had been made to the Policy as a result of responses received during the consultation.  The report was seconded by Councillor Sajid Mohammed.

Resolved to adopt the Statement of Licensing Policy, as set out at Appendix 1 of the report, with effect from 7 January 2024.

Report of the Chair of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Sam Harris, Chair of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee, presented the report proposing amendment to the Terms of Reference for the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee to reflect changes to the Council’s housing management and maintenance responsibilities as a result of the passing of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.  The report was seconded by Councillor Sarita-Marie Rehman-Wall.

Resolved to add the following words to the ‘Purpose’ section of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee’s Terms of Reference: “regarding housing, contribute towards providing assurance and oversight of the Council’s statutory responsibilities in the context of regulatory compliance and tenant satisfaction.”

Report of the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Leslie Ayoola, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, presented the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2022/23 which provided an overview of the activity undertaken by the Council’s scrutiny committees during municipal year 2022/23 to fulfil their terms of reference, and the outputs and impact of that work.  The report was seconded by Councillor Neghat Khan.

Resolved to accept the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2022/23.

Report of the Chair of the Audit Committee

Councillor Samuel Gardiner, Chair of the Audit Committee, presented the Audit Committee Annual Report 2022/23 which summarised the work undertaken by the Committee during municipal year 2022/23 and explained how the Council had fulfilled its designated role within the Constitution and how that work related to its core responsibilities.  He stated that, in his view, the Committee had carried out its role effectively during 2022/23 and complied with the CIPFA position statement with only slight improvements required, which will be undertaken during 2023/24.  The report was seconded by Councillor Nayab Patel.

Resolved to:

(1)  note the work undertaken by the Audit Committee during 2022/23; and

(2)  accept the Audit Committee Annual Report 2022/23.

Nottingham City Council notes:

·  that there is a crisis in local government funding with many councils facing severe budget problems. The Local Government Association (LGA) has calculated that the funding gap for local authorities in 2023/24 is £2.4 billion;

·  that the main reasons for these problems are cuts in central government grant since 2011 combined with unfunded additional pressures in adult care and children’s services, as well as recent rises in homelessness;

·  that the poorer the area that the council represents, the greater the pressures, the greater the grant loss. The better off the area the fewer pressures, the less an area has lost. Nottingham between 2011 and 2023 has lost £915 per household, more affluent areas in the country, especially in the south, have lost less funding.

. 

Nottingham City Council believes that the Government must move to a local government financing model that meets the demands of basic services, an ageing population and children in need and not, as now, on the basis of political expediency.

Therefore, Nottingham City Council resolves to:

·  agree with other East Midlands Labour Authorities to collectively write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to highlight the severe underfunding that local authorities generally are facing, but in particular the gross unfairness of the distribution of grant between local authorities;

·  work with organisations like the Local Government Association, the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), and unions to campaign for a move towards a revenue funding model based on need and not on politics.

Councillor Audra Wynter moved the following motion, which was seconded by Councillor Ethan Radford:

Nottingham City Council notes:

·  that there is a crisis in local government funding with many councils facing severe budget problems. The Local Government Association (LGA) has calculated that the funding gap for local authorities in 2023/24 is £2.4 billion;

·  that the main reasons for these problems are cuts in central government grant since 2011 combined with unfunded additional pressures in adult care and children’s services, as well as recent rises in homelessness;

·  that the poorer the area that the council represents, the greater the pressures, the greater the grant loss. The better off the area the fewer pressures, the less an area has lost. Nottingham between 2011 and 2023 has lost £915 per household, more affluent areas in the country, especially in the south, have lost less funding.

. 

Nottingham City Council believes that the Government must move to a local government financing model that meets the demands of basic services, an ageing population and children in need and not, as now, on the basis of political expediency.

Therefore, Nottingham City Council resolves to:

·  agree with other East Midlands Labour Authorities to collectively write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to highlight the severe underfunding that local authorities generally are facing, but in particular the gross unfairness of the distribution of grant between local authorities;

·  work with organisations like the Local Government Association, the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), and unions to campaign for a move towards a revenue funding model based on need and not on politics.

Councillors debated the motion.

Resolved to carry the motion.

To note the following changes to Committee membership:

a)  Councillor Neghat Khan replaced Councillor Ethan Radford as a member of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee;

b)  Councillor Zafran Khan stood down as a member of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee;

c)  Councillor Ethan Radford was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee;

d)  Councillor Neghat Khan was appointed as a named substitute for the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee;

e)  Councillor Nadia Farhat stood down as a member of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee and Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Advisory Committee and as a named substitute for the Planning Committee and Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee.

The following changes to committee membership were noted:

(1)  Councillor Neghat Khan had replaced Councillor Ethan Radford as a member of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee;

(2)  Councillor Zafran Khan had stood down as a member of the Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee;

(3)  Councillor Ethan Radford had been appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee;

(4)  Councillor Neghat Khan had been appointed as a named substitute for the Corporate Scrutiny Committee;

(5)  Councillor Nadia Farhat had stood down as a member of the Housing and City Development Scrutiny Committee and Greater Nottingham Light Rapid Transit Advisory Committee and as a named substitute for the Planning Committee and Communities and Environment Scrutiny Committee.

To agree to hold an Extraordinary Council Meeting on 7 December 2023 at 6pm to seek Council’s consent to the draft Combined County Authority Order, thereby proceeding with the next stage of the process to establish the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

Resolved to hold an Extraordinary Council meeting on 7 December 2023 at 6pm to seek Council’s consent to the draft Combined County Authority Order, thereby proceeding with the next stage of the process to establish the East Midlands Combined County Authority.