Agenda and minutes

None.

Questions from citizens

Mr S H asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Growth and Transport, to receive a written response:

Can you please explain the process of consultation as it does not appear as democratic as first seen. I refer for example to the proposal to make Station Street pedestrian only. It would appear from press reports that the funding was signed off before the consultation even began. How can you sign off a project when the residents have not had a chance to give their approval, and, given that you do not know what amendments to the proposal would be, what he budget required is anyway? Exactly how does the council view the consultation process, is it part of an approval process? Can it be used to stop ideas being taken forward? Can I also request that in examples such as the above, it is made perfectly clear when requesting opinions that "funding has already been signed off, it is going ahead"?

Councillor Nick McDonald responded, in writing, as follows:

The Station Street project was included in the City Council’s refreshed capital programme approved at the February 2015 Executive Board meeting. Following further development of the proposals to confirm funding and likely costs a delegated Leader decision was approved on the 12th May 2015. This agreed to commence transport infrastructure improvement works for a new high quality public space on Station Street adjacent to the Station and re-arrange traffic management, to approve funding from:

·  Creative Quarter Public Realm schemes funded by the City Deal

·  European Regional Development Fund grant

·  Contributions from the Nottingham Station Hub scheme highway improvement allocation

·  Local Growth Fund Turning Point South / Broadmarsh allocation (subject to D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership confirmation)

·  Approval to use the Councils in house contractors to undertake works

The approval therefore fulfils the City Councils approval procedures for implementing Capital funded schemes.

The detail design of the scheme and traffic orders are subject to consultation which is currently being undertaken in accordance with statutory procedures for the Traffic Regulation Orders proposed and will continue with the development of the detail design / layout for the works.

It would be unusual to undertake consultation, detailed design and make changes to traffic regulation orders in advance of approvals for the project to commence and for the necessary funding required. I hope this clarifies the process and confirms the current status of the consultation process for the Station Street proposals.

Petitions from councillors on behalf of citizens

Three petitions were presented to Council. Councillor Steve Battlemuch presented a petition from the residents of Chalcote Drive in Wollaton, requesting effective resurfacing of road and pavements to ensure safety to all, and a petition from the residents of Ringwood Crescent in Wollaton, requesting a residents parking scheme for the street. Councillor Jon Collins presented a petition from residents of the Victoria Centre flats, requesting increased security, such as fob entry, at the entrance to the Victoria Centre flats from Clinton Street.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Subject to the inclusion of Conservative Councillors objections to the reduction in the number of Council meetings to be held this municipal year, the minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2015 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

The Deputy Chief Executive reported the recent death of Brian Loughbrough, who passed away on 13 May 2015, after a long illness. Brian worked for the City Council from 1972 to 1992 when he retired as the City Council’s Arts Director. Before his appointment with Nottingham, notable achievements included his establishment of the Museum of Lincolnshire Life and initiating the refurbishment of Papplewick Pumping Station. He carried these interests, and achievements, into his new role by improving the City Council’s museums’ service, gaining it recognition at regional and national level, whilst also developing a vibrant arts programme for the City. Following his retirement, and until his illness, he remained involved with museums at a national level, in an advisory capacity, but still found time for engagement in local activities with the Thoroton Society and Beeston and District Civic Society.

A minute’s silence was held.

Student Maintenance Grants

Councillor Josh Cook asked the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Schools:

As a ward councillor representing a large campus of Nottingham Trent university I was extremely disappointed to see the chancellor scrap grants for those students from poorer families in favour of a loan based system. It also seems that the chancellor gave the green light for further tuition fee rises in years to come. Does the portfolio holder agree with me that this step will not promote aspiration and in fact places a further debt burden on people who attend universities; for most of their working life?

Councillor Sam Webster replied as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor, and can I thank Councillor Cook for his question, and welcome his first contribution in this chamber since his deserved Labour gain in Clifton North, Wilford and Silverdale. Who can blame voters in Clifton North for the choice they made, with Tory policies like this one? A policy that will hit hard our young people in Nottingham from families without the financial means to be able to fund a university education. A policy that targets young people with lower paid parents. A policy that discriminates on the grounds of wealth.

So what do the changes to student finance announced by the Chancellor in the so-called Summer Budget last week actually mean? Well, from September 2016, the student maintenance grant that did not need to be paid back will be scrapped. A young person from a lower earning family living at home was entitled to a grant of around £4,500 per year. However, this will no longer be available, there will be no additional financial support for students from lower earning families, other than additional loans, loans that need to be paid back.

To set the context further, graduates are currently leaving University with an average of £44,000 worth of debt. The debt is accrued to pay tuition fees of £9,000 per year, and to support living costs for the duration of the degree course. This was just one of many measures in the Chancellor’s budget that targets lower earning families. It is part of a con-trick that fails to tackle inequality, in fact it embeds inequality. The scrapping of student maintenance grants is a bad policy. It creates a perverse disincentive to young people from poorer backgrounds.

It doesn’t equalise student funding, it says to young people “if you’re from a low earning family, you’ll have to borrow more money to fund your education. You’ll have a bigger debt than other students when you graduate, and you’ll pay what is effectively a 9% graduate tax for the first 30 years of your working life. You’ll therefore have less money in your pocket during your working life than a graduate with the same income who was in part subsidised by their parents”. A clear message to young people then, from George Osborne, if you start out poor and you want a University education, you’ll be punished financially.

Although  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The Leader submitted a report on general amendments to the Constitution, as set out on pages 41 to 146 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to:

1)  agree the amendments to the terms of reference for the committees listed in Appendix 1 of the report, to reflect the agreed membership of these committees for this municipal year;

2)  delegate authority to the City Council members of the Joint City and County Health Scrutiny Committee to make health scrutiny referrals to the Secretary of State in urgent circumstances as outlined in paragraph5.3 of the report;

3)  note that in the light of ongoing significant restructuring processes, a full report on the revised Employment Procedure Rules will be presented to September Council for its agreement;

4)  agree to amendments to the Employment Procedure Rules (Part 4) to reflect changes to the political balance of the Council to clarify current appointment processes pending the full revision to the Rules, as per paragraph 5.6 of the report;

5)  note the new / revised executive delegations as agreed by the Leader of the Council, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report;

6)  note the scheme of executive delegation to officers, to which the delegations referred to in these recommendations will be added as set out in Appendix 3 of the report;

7)  note the terms of reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board Commissioning Sub-Committee, as set out in Appendix 4 of the report;

8)  note an addition to the call-in procedure to ensure compliance with the law relating to political balance, as set out in paragraph 5.11 of the report;

9)  note that Part 3 of the Constitution (management structure chart) will also be updated to reflect the latest revisions to the Council’s officer management structure, as agreed by the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee.

The Chair of the Licensing Committee submitted a report on the review of statement of gambling policy, as set out on pages 153 to 196 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to:

1)  approve the attached Draft Statement of Gambling Policy 2016-2019 for release for consultation purposes.

2)  retain the ‘no casino’ resolution and have this matter form part of the consultation.

Councillor Parbutt submitted a report on the Overview and Scrutiny annual report 2014-15, as set out on pages 197 to 210 of the agenda.

Councillor Andrew Rule, Councillor Georgina Culley, and Councillor Jim Armstrong voted against the recommendations, and asked that their votes be recorded.

RESOLVED to accept the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report for 2014-15

RESOLVED to change the date of the March 2016 meeting from Monday 14 March 2016 to Monday 7 March 2016

To note the following in-year changes to Committee memberships:

·  Joint Committee on Strategic Planning and Transport – Councillor Nick McDonald to replace Councillor Toby Neal. Councillor Toby Neal to be added to the list of substitutes.

·  Overview and Scrutiny Call-In Panel – Councillor Andrew Rule to be appointed to a vacant position on the Panel.

·  Health Scrutiny – Councillor Merlita Bryan to replace Councillor Brian Parbutt.

·  Joint Health Scrutiny – Councillor Ilyas Aziz to replace Councillor Brian Parbutt.

·  City Centre Forum – Councillor Dave Liversidge to replace Councillor Cat Arnold. Councillor Cat Arnold to be added to the list of substitutes. Councillor Merlita Bryan to be appointed to a vacant position on the Forum.

RESOLVED to note the committee membership changes, as below:

1)  Joint Committee on Strategic Planning and Transport – Councillor Nick McDonald to replace Councillor Toby Neal. Councillor Toby Neal to be added to the list of substitutes.

2)  Overview and Scrutiny Call-In Panel – Councillor Andrew Rule to be appointed to a vacant position on the Panel.

3)  Health Scrutiny – Councillor Merlita Bryan to replace Councillor Brian Parbutt.

4)  Joint Health Scrutiny – Councillor Ilyas Aziz to replace Councillor Brian Parbutt.

5)  City Centre Forum – Councillor Dave Liversidge to replace Councillor Cat Arnold. Councillor Cat Arnold to be added to the list of substitutes. Councillor Merlita Bryan to be appointed to a vacant position on the Forum.