Agenda and minutes

Council agreed to vary the order of Council business, in accordance with Standing Orders, and debate the motion in the name of Councillor Alex Norris prior to the report on the Declaration on Alcohol.

Councillor Liaqat Ali – personal

Councillor Alex Ball – personal

Councillor Nick McDonald – personal

Councillor Pat Ferguson – personal

Councillor Wendy Smith – personal

Councillor Mick Wildgust – personal

Councillor Steve Young – personal

None.

Mr I.L. asked the following question of the Leader:

It seems that the Urgent Decision procedure is used rather a lot for decisions that, on the face of them, are not urgent. Examples from recent months:

1. 'Procurement for a Cafe/Bar & Event Catering Management Concessionaire at The Nottingham Theatre Royal and Concert Hall' 'Urgent decision required in order to maximise the income to the Council.' You could make almost any decision about an income-generating service urgent in that way. It does not mean that the decision is urgent.

2. 'Property Investment Acquisition – Project Highland' 'To allow for a timely purchase.' Similar to (1). This is a tautology - performing something urgently makes it timely almost by definition.

3. 'Approval of procurement of electricity supply for Nottingham City Council' 'To enable an immediate tender to be placed.' This one was £24,000,000 (over several years). I appreciate this is a tender and not money being immediately spent, but how can such a significant deal be undertaken without the opportunity for political input - even on the framework?

4. 'Island Site - consultancy fees to support CPO business case' 'To bring forward development of the site', that is no reason for urgency. There are millions upon millions of council funds being authorised to be spent under this procedure. It seems that there is a serious lack of accountability inherent in the Urgent Decision procedure.

Does the Councillor agree that the procedure is undemocratic and is allowing too much money to be spent without proper oversight? Will the Council please strengthen the requirements for undertaking decisions under the procedure? Will the Council further require the decision taker to submit much more detailed information to Full Council meetings, in order to allow councillors to scrutinise the decisions of portfolio holders? Will the Council finally consider establishing a post-facto review process for Urgent Decisions, including a role for citizens, which provides for the possibility of censuring portfolio holders who sidestep proper expenditure procedures?

Councillor Jon Collins responded as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor. Nottingham City Council, like other major local authorities, has faced unprecedented government funding cuts over the past 5 years, creating significant pressures on budgets and services. In response we’ve taken an increasingly proactive and commercial approach to generating additional income. This does mean, however, that a number of decisions, many of which relate to land and property management, have to be taken quickly and often within externally imposed timescales.

Every decision authorised by the Council is robustly checked to ensure that it is both financially viable and in line with all legal and constitutional requirements.

All non-exempt Executive decisions over £25,000 are published and made available at Loxley House for public inspection. The call-in procedure applies to all Executive Portfolio Holder decisions, and any Executive Officer decision with a value of £50,000.00 and above. The call-in procedure is also applicable to urgent decisions, but can be circumvented where delay is likely to seriously prejudice the Council or the public interests.

Nevertheless, it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

None.

The minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2016 were confirmed and signed as a true record by the Lord Mayor.

The Deputy Chief Executive reported the following:

The GMB Nottingham Panthers Ice Hockey Club made history last night in Italy when they became the first British Team to win the Continental Cup, winning all their games in the ‘round robin’ event against teams from Denmark, Kazakhstan and Italy, and having won through 2 previous ‘round robin’ events in Spain and Denmark to reach the finals. This is a major milestone for British ice hockey with the Panthers, again, leading the way.

In November of last year, The Palmer Court development in Lenton was awarded the title of ‘Best Social or Affordable New Housing Development’ at the grand final of the Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Awards. A panel of industry experts judged a list of the highest quality projects from around England and Wales, rewarding the best in technical, innovation, sustainability and design. 

Carol Norman, Headteacher from Welbeck Primary School in the Meadows and Chris Cook, who has chaired the Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Board since 2015, have both been awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Honours List.

PC Sam Flint, Nottinghamshire Police’s dedicated Children in Care officer who works in partnership with the Council has received a British Empire Medal. PC Flint started as the Children in Care Police officer 12 years ago when a pilot was launched to help prevent young people in care from committing crime. Rosalind Taylor, former Headteacher at Middleton Primary School, has also received a British Empire Medal, having volunteered as an Eco-Schools Green Flag Award Volunteer for over 10 years.

Marcellus Baz has also been awarded a British Empire Medal. In December last year, Marcellus also won the prestigious BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero award at the 2016 Sports Personality of Year recognising the positive impact his Nottingham School of Boxing has had on young people in Nottingham.

Finally, it is with sadness that I report to Council the passing of Mr Inder Lal Batra. Mr Batra was a prominent and well respected Board member on the Nottingham Asian Arts Association and Chair of the Indian Community Centre for many years. Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, he served as Chair of the African Caribbean and Asian Forum, Nottingham and District Race Equality Council and the Indian Community Centre.

Councillor Toby Neal and the Lord Mayor spoke in tribute to Mr Inder Lal Batra and a minute’s silence was held.

Councillor Georgina Culley noted that 16 January marks Martin Luther King Day and requested that it be noted by Council.

Councillor Georgina Culley asked the following question of the Leader:

Does the Leader of the Council believe it is acceptable for a councillor to be suspended during a 6 month investigation for anti-Semitic comments with no action taken and for the councillor to be allowed to keep their allowances for the entire period?

Councillor Jon Collins responded as follows:

Thank you Lord Mayor. The law on such matters is set nationally and is very clear. All councillors elected in May 2015 hold office for a four year term unless they become subject to one of the statutory disqualifications. Legally, the suspension of a councillor from their membership of a political party or political group is irrelevant to their ongoing status as a councillor and therefore, whether or not allowances are paid. Since no city councillor has met the criteria that would lead to disqualification, the law is clear that council allowances remain payable regardless of my views or those of the Council.

Having said that, personally I take the view that there should be a clear minimum expectation for the amount of work undertaken by councillors, and that failure to meet that without good cause should impact on the payment of allowances. Lord Mayor, notwithstanding this, the evidence shows that Nottingham Labour councillors work hard for their local communities and in general work harder than do Conservative councillors. For example, Labour Councillors on average deal with 12 times more cases and have a 10% better meeting attendance record than Conservative councillors.

Indeed, if we’re talking specifics, just a few years ago a member of the very small political group Councillor Culley leads, managed in a full year just 2 meetings out of 6 Health Scrutiny meetings, 6 minutes of 6 Trusts and Charities meetings, and only 1 out of 6 Area Committees. That was a Conservative councillor who during that whole year, remained a Conservative councillor, Conservative party member, Conservative group member, and presumably subject to Conservative group discipline, but apparently Councillor Culley did nothing about it.

Lord Mayor, sadly the law, I’ll re-iterate, is clear on these matters. Regardless of what any of us think, Councillors are elected as individuals, and as such unless they breach the statutory criteria, they are ultimately accountable to the electorate alone for how they do their job.

Councillor Jim Armstrong asked the following question of the Deputy Leader:

Bearing in mind the 63 staff cuts the Council is currently proposing to make, how much funding, if any, has the Council provided to trade unions in the form of facility time over the last three years?

?

Councillor Graham Chapman responded as follows:

The answer is £388,000 in 2013/14, £317,000 in 2014/15 and £324,000 in 2015/16. So, it has actually gone down. It represented 0.2% of the wage bill of £164,000,000 in 2015/16.

When I first received this question, my reaction was one of déjà-vu. The Conservative group roll this out annually, obviously by definition, every year. Every year they get the same response and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Report of the Leader

The Leader presented a report on the Members’ Allowance Scheme – Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel, copies of which had been circulated.

RESOLVED to

(1)  adopt the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) in full;

(2)  adopt the revised Members’ Allowances Scheme, incorporating the amendments recommended by the IRP, with effect from 1 April 2017;

(3)  amend the Constitution, in light of the amendments recommended by the IRP.

Report of the Leader

The Leader submitted a report on decisions taken under urgency procedures, as set out on pages 25 to 30 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to note the urgent decisions taken, as follows:

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

(2)  Key decisions (taken under special urgency procedures).

Report of the Leader

The Leader presented a report on amendments to the Constitution, as set out on pages 31 to 32 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to

(1)  note that Councillor Alex Ball has been replaced as Executive

Assistant for Housing by Councillor Neghat Khan;

(2)  note the new Executive responsibility and delegation, as agreed by the Leader of the Council and outlined in paragraph 5.3 of the report;

(3)  approve the amendments of the Constitution required by the above changes.

Motion in the name of Councillor Alex Norris:

“The Council notes:

·  The impact of harmful drinking in our communities

·  The impact that alcohol has on health inequalities

·  The Full Council Motion in the name of Councillor Ball passed in October 2013

·  That Nottingham has received 7 consecutive Purple Flag Awards for its vibrant and safe Night Time Economy

This Council will:

·  Sign the Nottingham City Declaration on Alcohol

·  Encourage and support public, private and community sectors in the city to sign the Declaration.”

Moved by Councillor Alex Norris, seconded by Councillor Neghat Khan:

“The Council notes:

·  The impact of harmful drinking in our communities

·  The impact that alcohol has on health inequalities

·  The Full Council Motion in the name of Councillor Ball passed in October 2013

·  That Nottingham has received 7 consecutive Purple Flag Awards for its vibrant and safe Night Time Economy

This Council will:

·  Sign the Nottingham City Declaration on Alcohol

·  Encourage and support public, private and community sectors in the city to sign the Declaration.”

RESOLVED to carry the motion.

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Adults and Health

Councillor Alex Norris, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Health, submitted a report on the Declaration of Alcohol, as set out on pages 33 to 38 of the agenda.

RESOLVED to endorse the Nottingham City Council Alcohol Declaration.

Motion in the name of Councillor Corral Jenkins:

“Super Kitchen is a network of social eating spaces that aims to bring communities together to enjoy good food that would otherwise be wasted. There are currently 20 operating in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and they focus on the values of community, social eating and combating food waste.

The City Council recognises that:

·  Eating as part of a group can provide both physical and mental health benefits and improve wellbeing

·  Loneliness and isolation affects many members of our communities and social eating is an effective way to help to combat this

·  Social eating and community events based around meals can improve social cohesion

·  Food waste is extensive across the City and recycling surplus food should be encouraged

The City Council therefore supports the ambition to establish Nottingham as the UK's 1st social eating City, starting with the launch event today. The Council also supports the implementation of three key pledges by the end of the campaign:

·  By year's end, there will be a Super Kitchen in every area of the City

·  Every day of the week, somewhere in the City, there will be a Super Kitchen meal available

·  Each Super Kitchen will offer free meals for those in need via a Super Spoon, ‘pay it forward’ meal campaign.”

Moved by Councillor Corral Jenkins, seconded by Councillor Eunice Campbell:

“Super Kitchen is a network of social eating spaces that aims to bring communities together to enjoy good food that would otherwise be wasted. There are currently 20 operating in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and they focus on the values of community, social eating and combating food waste.

The City Council recognises that;

·  Eating as part of a group can provide both physical and mental health benefits and improve wellbeing

·  Loneliness and isolation affects many members of our communities and social eating is an effective way to help to combat this

·  Social eating and community events based around meals can improve social cohesion

·  Food waste is extensive across the City and recycling surplus food should be encouraged

The City Council therefore supports the ambition to establish Nottingham as the UK's 1st social eating City, starting with the launch event today.  The Council also supports the implementation of three key pledges by the end of the campaign:

·  By year's end, there will be a Super Kitchen in every area of the City

·  Every day of the week, somewhere in the City, there will be a Super Kitchen meal available

·  Each Super Kitchen will offer free meals for those in need via a Super Spoon, ‘pay it forward’ meal campaign.”

RESOLVED to carry the motion.