Councillor Sally Longford – sickness

Councillor Glyn Jenkins – non-Council business

Councillor Thulani Molife – sickness

Councillor Timothy Spencer – non-Council Business

Councillor Jane Urquhart – sickness

Councillor Sue Johnson - sickness

None

None

Councillor Grocock submitted a petition on behalf of 668 signatories supporting the use of the former Deerstalker site to provide a hot food takeaway and a hairdresser for the community of Bestwood.

Councillor Liversidge submitted a petition on behalf of 67 signatories, requesting that Nottingham City Council review the recently announced decision to refuse funding to the Salvation Army’s “Sneinton Lifehouse” hostel.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2013, copies of which had been circulated, be confirmed and signed by the Lord Mayor.

Chief Fire Officer – Frank Swann

Nottinghamshire and the City of Nottingham’s Chief Fire Officer, Frank Swann, was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal in the New Year’s Honours List. This recognition comes at the end of a long and distinguished career in the fire and rescue service for Frank Swann, who will retire from his role as Chief Fire Officer at the end of March this year.

John Desmond Rose

I John Desmond Rose passed away on 30 December 2013 aged 87 years. Des joined the City Council in 1950 and was a clerk at the Water Board before a long and successful career with the City Treasury, retiring as one of the Council’s Assistant City Treasurers in 1986.  One of his many retirement interests was acting as umpire to the City Treasury and, latterly, the City Secretary’s cricket teams.

Honorary Alderman Noreen Baker

Honorary Alderman Noreen Baker passed away on 5 January aged 84 years. First elected to Bulwell East ward in 1991 as a Labour councillor, she became an Honorary Alderman in May 1997 and was appointed Lady Mayoress in 1998.

Councillor Gibson spoke in tribute to John Desmond Rose and Honorary Alderman Noreen Baker.

Councillor Culley spoke in tribute to Honorary Noreen Baker. The Council stood in silent tribute to  John Desmond Rose and Honorary Alderman Noreen Baker.

Top Valley School

Councillor Campbell asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services:

Pupils who left Westglade School for Top Valley School in 2009 heard on 5^th July 2010 that the planned rebuild of the school was to be delayed. As they take their GCSEs next term and leave the school, what benefit have they had from the Conservatives promise in this Chamber on 11^th October 2010 that the money would be found?

Councillor Mellen replied as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor and can I thank Councillor Campbell for her question. I’m grateful for the question, because it does highlight what has been a particularly damaging result of the current Government’s ideological pursuit of a market driven approach to education. As a consequence of this approach the losers have been the many thousands of children in England and several thousands here in Nottingham, who have had to endure a significant period of their education in substandard school buildings, or worse, have had to accept unacceptable delays in securing any school place. Council will recall that one of the first actions taken by the Coalition Government when it assumed power in 2010 was the suspension of the Building Schools for the Future Programme and the Primary Capital Programme. Nottingham had benefited hugely from these programmes and we have seen rebuilds and major refurbishments of many of the city’s secondary and special schools and a programme of major refurbishment of some primaries.

However, the abrupt suspension of the programme by the Secretary of State for Education left a number of city schools that were scheduled to be rebuilt and had begun the exciting process of planning and designing their vision for 21^st century educational environment in a real state of despondency and frustration. Pupils, governors and teachers, who had every expectation of enjoying an inspirational learning environment, were left not knowing what the future held and as Councillor Campbell reminds us, in the case of pupils and teachers at Top Valley Academy and indeed Trinity School, Westbury School and Fernwood School, that remains the case today.

I believe the major reason for the suspension of the programme was to ensure that the Secretary of State was in a position to immediately and directly fund his free school programme, which has generated a lot of publicity, most frequently negative, but very few additional school places in areas of need and, to date, not a single mainstream school place in Nottingham. Alongside the free school programme, the Government did, however, say it would also review the overall allocation of schools capital and its review was launched in July 2010. It reported its findings and announced the replacement for Building Schools for the Future, a new programme called the ‘Priority Schools Building Programme’ in October 2011 and announced the eligible schools in May 2012. We have three of those schools in Nottingham, one of which is Top Valley.

Now, the Priority Schools Programme has not really lived up to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

The Leader submitted a report, as set out on pages 239 to 240 of the agenda.

RESOLVED on the motion of Councillor Collins, seconded by Councillor Chapman, to note the circumstances described in the report and to declare a vacancy in the office of one Councillor for Clifton North ward.

The Leader submitted a report, as set out on pages 241 to 242 of the agenda.

RESOLVED:

(1)  adopt the recommendation of the Independent Remuneration Panel;

(2)  to thank the Independent Remuneration Panel for their work on the scheme;

(2)  to continue the indexation of allowances, with indexation linked to the level of annual increase in local government employees’ pay for a four year period commencing on 1 April 2013 save for no indexation being applied to the Leaders’ basic and special responsibility allowances for year 2013/14 nor, in the future, if any equivalent SLMG salary has not actually received a pay award;

(4)  to amend the current scheme in accordance with the above recommendation.

The Leader submitted a report, as set out on pages 243 to 286 of the agenda.

RESOLVED:

(1)  to confirm that Council is satisfied that alcohol related nuisance or annoyance has been caused to members of the public, and/or disorder has arisen, which has been associated with the consumption of alcohol in the proposed area covered by the Order;

(2)  to authorise the Corporate Director for Communities and the Director of Legal and Democratic Services to make and advertise the Order in accordance with the relevant statutory processes;

(3)  that the Order to take effect from 27 March 2014.

The Leader submitted a report, as set out on pages 287 to 290 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to note the urgent decisions taken, as follows:

(1)  URGENT DECISIONS (EXEMPT FROM CALL-IN)

(2)  KEY DECISIONS – SPECIAL URGENCY PROCEDURE

The Deputy Leader submitted a report, as set out on pages 291 to 316 of the agenda.

RESOLVED:

(1)  to note the findings and outcomes from the Council Tax Support Scheme consultation carried out with residents and other stakeholders as set out in Section 5.9 – 5.11 of the report and in Appendix 2 to the report;

(2)  to note the findings on equalities and other impacts arising  from the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme in Appendix 1 to the report, having regard to the Council’s Public Sector Equality Duty;

(3)  having regard to the recommendation of the Executive Board on 17 December 2013, to adopt the Council Tax Support Scheme to take effect from 1 April 2014;

(4)  to have the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme for the City of Nottingham for 2014/15 available on the Council’s website.

“The City Council is greatly concerned by the effect the cuts in welfare and local government spending are having on many of our citizens and on the economy of Nottingham. This Council believes that these cuts are targeted disproportionately at the poorest in society and at the urban areas of the Midlands and the North.

In particular, it calls upon the government to reverse the spare room subsidy, commonly known as the bedroom tax and the iniquitous and arbitrary reduction in Council Tax Support which hurts the poorest of our citizens, the majority of whom are either working in low paid jobs, disabled or carers.”

Moved by Councillor Chapman, seconded by Councillor Piper:

“The City Council is greatly concerned by the effect the cuts in welfare and local government spending are having on many of our citizens and on the economy of Nottingham. This Council believes that these cuts are targeted disproportionately at the poorest in society and at the urban areas of the Midlands and the North.

In particular, it calls upon the government to reverse the spare room subsidy, commonly known as the bedroom tax and the iniquitous and arbitrary reduction in Council Tax Support which hurts the poorest of our citizens, the majority of whom are either working in low paid jobs, disabled or carers.”

RESOLVED to carry the motion.

Councillor Rosemary Healy appointed Executive Assistant for Strategic Regeneration and Community Safety;

Councillor Sam Webster appointed Executive Assistant for Children’s Services.

RESOLVED to note the following changes to Executive Assistant remits:

(1)  Councillor Rosemary Healy appointed Executive Assistant for Strategic Regeneration and Community Safety;

(2)  Councillor Sam Webster appointed Executive Assistant for Children’s Services.

RESOLVED to note the addition of Councillor Anne Peach to membership of Health Scrutiny Panel for the municipal year 2013/14.