Agenda for City Council on Monday, 13th October, 2014, 2.00 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - at the Council House. View directions

Contact: Rav Kalsi, Constitutional Services, Tel: 0115 8763759  Email: rav.kalsi@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

51.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Councillor Cat Arnold – non Council business

Councillor Alex Ball – non Council business

Councillor Eunice Campbell – non Council business

Councillor Azad Choudhry – non Council business

Councillor Carole McCulloch – non Council business

Councillor Sue Johnson – non Council business

Councillor Gul Khan – non Council business

 

Councillor Emma Dewinton informed the meeting that she would have to leave the meeting prior to its conclusion owing to other Council business.

52.

Declarations of interests

Minutes:

None.

53.

To receive:

54.

questions from citizens;

Minutes:

No questions from citizens were received.

 

55.

petitions from Councillors on behalf of citizens.

Minutes:

Councillor Glyn Jenkins submitted two petitions:

 

(i)  on behalf of 21 signatories requesting a residents’ parking scheme on Robins Wood Road;

 

(ii)  on behalf of 74 signatories requesting a residents’ parking scheme on Southwold Drive.

56.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting of Council held on 8 September 2014 pdf icon PDF 334 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2014 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

 

57.

To receive official communications and announcements from the Leader of the Council and/or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

City of Football

 

I am pleased to report to Council that on 15 September, Nottingham was named as Sport England’s City of Football, beating both Manchester and Portsmouth. Nottingham will receive £1.6 million to get more people in the city playing football. Nottingham clinched the title by mobilising an impressive group of private, public and voluntary sector partners from both inside and outside the traditional football family, to get more people playing all kinds of football regularly.

 

East Midlands in Bloom Awards

 

The East Midlands in Bloom 2014 Awards were announced on the 17 September at Lark Hill Village in Clifton. Nottingham won the Gold medal in the Best Large City Award, this was the 21st Gold Award the City had achieved in this category. There was a Silver Gilt Award for the Meadows Urban Community Gardens, a Silver Gilt Award for Lark Hill Best Village Award and a Silver Gilt Award for the Business Improvement District area. There were also 41 Community Group winners of “It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards”.

 

Nottingham’s Parks and Open Spaces

 

Nottingham’s Parks and Open Spaces Team scooped the Best Parks Service in the UK award at the APSE Awards night on the 12 September, this was for the third year running, which is an amazing achievement. The team brings in over 50% of the cost of the service and generates almost £10 external capital funding for every £1 of Council funds. In total, over £24 million of investment has been secured and this has been used to transform Parks like the Forest Recreation Ground, Queens Walk Recreation Ground, Vernon Park, Woodthorpe Grange and many other parks and green spaces in the city.  

 

Nottingham City museums and galleries

 

Nottingham City Museums and Galleries is one of two UK museums to have been selected by the Victoria and Albert Museum for their Photographs Curator Training Programme. This two-year pilot programme, with support from the Arts Fund, will train and develop the skills of recipients to become curators of art photography. This award will help to raise awareness of the collection and make it more widely accessible. The partnership between the V&A and Nottingham will run throughout 2015 and lead to on-line resources and a new display at Nottingham Castle.

 

Neil Smith - Lord Mayor’s Sergeant

 

Neil Smith, the Lord Mayor’s Sergeant, will be retiring from his duties in November after 23 years service. Neil joined the Council in July 1992 as the Lord Mayor’s attendant before becoming the Lord Mayor’s Sergeant 7 years later. Neil has always carried out his duties with great pride we wish him well in his retirement.

 

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Georgina Culley and Councillor Brian Grocock all spoke in tribute to Neil Smith.

58.

To consider a report of the Deputy Leader on Welfare Reform one year on pdf icon PDF 212 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Following a vote, Council agreed to vary the order of business under Part 4 of the Constitution, Standing Order 5, to consider the report on Welfare Reform as item 7 on the agenda.

 

The Deputy Leader submitted a report on Welfare Reform – One Year On, as set out on pages 27 to 42 of the agenda.

 

Contributions were made to the debate by:

 

·  Chris Deardon, Advice Nottingham

·  Ferg Slade, Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service

·  Reverend Liam O’Boyle, the Church of England, Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham

·  Nigel Webster, Bulwell and Bestwood food bank

 

RESOLVED to

 

(1)  note the findings and outcomes from the Welfare Reform One Year On, as detailed in appendix 1 to the report;

 

(2)  and to note the impact Welfare Reform is having on the citizens of Nottingham.

 

59.

To receive:

60.

answers from the City Council's lead Councillor on the Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority to questions on the discharge of that authority's functions;

61.

answers from a Councillor from the Executive Board, the Chair of a Committee and the Chair of any other City Council body to questions on any matter within their remit. pdf icon PDF 13 KB

Minutes:

Allegations of abuse of children in Nottingham

 

Councillor Georgina Culley asked the following question of the Leader of the Council:

 

Would the Leader of the Council support and commit this Council to an Independent Inquiry into long standing allegations of abuse of children in care in Nottingham and, with the cooperation of County Council colleagues, Nottinghamshire as well?

 

Councillor Jon Collins replied as follows:

 

Thank you Lord Mayor and can I say that I am a little surprised that Councillor Culley has asked this question. Three weeks ago when I Met Mr Summers to discuss his concerns at Loxley House rather than have him yet again disrupt my advice surgery, Councillor Culley attended and asked me this question and I gave her an answer.


It was the same answer reported by the Nottingham Post in their report of that meeting two days later and it’s the same answer that has for some time been on the Council website. It is the same answer Councillor Culley would have been given had she asked that question at any of the officer briefings she and her Group have repeatedly been offered by the Council’s Head of Children’s Services and Head of Legal Services but as of yet, has failed to take up. So, four weeks ago I agreed with the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Leader of County Council that we should all support an inquiry into historic allegations of abuse in Nottingham’s children’s homes up to the mid 1970s, when they were the City Council’s responsibility in the 80s and 90s when they were run by the County Council and since 1998, when they were again the City Council’s responsibility.

 

Councillor Culley either has an extraordinarily bad memory, has forgotten she asked me that question and, by coincidence, failed to read the article in the Nottingham Post, click on the link on the Council’s website or take up the opportunity to ask officers. Or, she is seeking to make party political capital on what is a most important and sensitive issues and unfortunately, I think it’s the latter.

 

Garden waste collection

 

Councillor Roger Steel asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Community Services:

 

This time last year, as we approached the end of scheduled Garden Waste collections, I asked whether the Portfolio Holder would consider, at the request of many residents, whether or not we could be more flexible with our garden waste collection scheduling to reflect the fluctuating nature of our climate. Well, again we still have leaves on the trees, and again we are likely to see the service removed before autumn leaf fall occurs. Will the Portfolio Holder assure the Council that she is listening to these residents and that there will be an extension of the service or special arrangements made to ensure we cover this peak time for garden waste?

 

Councillor Nicola Heaton replied as follows:

 

Thank you very much Lord Mayor and I would like to thank Councillor Steel for his question and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

62.

To consider a report of the Leader on decisions taken under urgency procedures pdf icon PDF 189 KB

Minutes:

The Leader submitted a report on decisions taken under the urgency procedures, as set out on pages 23 to 26 of the agenda.

 

RESOLVED to note the urgent decisions taken, as follows:

 

(1)  Urgent decisions (exempt from call-in)

 

ref

 

Date of decision

Subject

Value

Reasons for urgency

1637

01/09/14

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Growing Places Fund Loan Approvals

£238,000

To enable the release of funds in a timely manner following approval.

1652

15/09/14

Transfer of Banking Services - Preparation of Financial Systems

£45,500

Urgent approval is sought in order to meet the Council’s deadline.

1653

16/09/14

Approval of costs for a Adults Care Package

Exempt

To allow for a timely implementation of the decision.

1654

16/09/14

Approval of costs for a Adults Care Package

Exempt

To allow for a timely implementation of the decision.

1670

26/09/14

Taking a 15 year lease of 24-32 Carlton Street & 31- 33 Warser Gate, followed by the grant of a 15 year sub-lease to GameCity Ltd

Exempt

To allow for a timely implementation of the decision.

1673

30/09/14

Tender to Oldham Borough Council for Billing and Metering Services

Exempt

To allow for a timely implementation of the decision.

 

(2)  Key decisions (special urgency procedure)

 

Date of decision

Subject

Value of decision

Decision Taker

Reasons for special urgency

30/09/14

Tender to Oldham Borough Council for Billing and Metering Services

Exempt

Portfolio Holder for Energy and Sustainability

To allow for a timely implementation of the decision.

 

63.

To consider a report of the Deputy Leader on the Capital Programme Update 2014/15 to 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 255 KB

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader submitted a report on the Capital Programme Update 2014/15 to 2018/19, circulated separately to the agenda.

 

RESOLVED

 

(1)  to approve the proposed Capital Programme for 2014/15 to 2018/19 of £683.098 million;

 

(2)  that individual schemes be subject to separate approval in accordance with the constitution and scheme of delegation prior to expenditure being incurred;

 

(3)  to apply and adhere to the following Accountability Principles:

 

·  new projects (unable to cover their costs) added to the programme, will result in an existing project being removed or amended;

·  all projects must have a robust and viable full business case, which considers and includes whole life costing and revenue implications;

·  all schemes will be subject to robust and deliverable business plans and models which demonstrate the necessary return on investment required;

·  the decision to progress schemes will be dependent on securing the stated level of external funding or grant as appropriate;

·  new projects will be considered where the Council can make a return on investment;

·  where new sources of external funding/grants become available, the programme will be revisited;

·  all schemes will be subject to an independent internal ‘Gateway review process’.

 

(4)  to note the potential funding required as set out in section 6.5 of the report which includes £222.700 million of additional prudential borrowing and the potential annual return of £20 million required to fund the associated borrowing;

 

(5)  to note the associated risks of the proposed investments as set out in section 7 of the report.

64.

To agree to hold a meeting of Council on 8 December 2014

Minutes:

RESOLVED to hold a meeting of City Council at 2.00 pm on Monday 8 December 2014.

65.

Extraordinary Council meeting

To note the decision to hold to an Extraordinary Council meeting at 6.15 pm on Thursday 16 October 2014 at the Royal Concert Hall to consider the installation of Car Froch as an Honorary Freeman of the City

Minutes:

RESOLVED to note the decision to hold an Extraordinary meeting of Council on 16 October 2014 to consider the installation of Carl Froch as a Honorary Freeman of the City of Nottingham.