Agenda and draft minutes

Councillor Steve Battlemuch

Councillor Audrey Dinnall

Councillor Nadia Farhat

Councillor Gul Khan

Councillor Fozia Mubashar

Councillor Nayab Patel

Councillor Ethan Radford

Councillor Sarita-Marie Rehman-Wall

Councillor Audra Wynter

None

Report of the Leader of the Council

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of the Council, proposed the report providing an overview of the Government’s requirement for plans for local government reorganisation to be developed in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire; outlining the work undertaken to respond to those requirements; and asking Council to endorse the submission of an interim plan for the area of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, in line with Government requirements.  The report was seconded by Councillor Linda Woodings. 

Councillor Andrew Rule asked a question for clarification about the cost of work to develop proposals.  Councillor Neghat Khan replied that costs of £3-4m are estimated and there will be further clarification about this as work moves on to the next stage, and the information will be provided to all councillors once it is known.

During discussion councillors raised the following points:

a)  It is positive that local authorities across Nottinghamshire are discussing similar proposals.

b)  Decisions about the future organisation of local government should be based on what is best for communities, and Nottingham citizens need to be put first in those decisions.

c)  This offers an opportunity to ensure all local authorities are resilient and have a fair distribution of resources to support delivery of services that meet need.

d)  Government has put constraints on proposals, but it is important that change is democratic, accountable and transparent.

e)  There would be benefits in having cross-party councillor engagement to feed into development of proposals.

f)  There will be costs associated with developing proposals and implementing new arrangements, but this needs to be balanced against the opportunities it presents.

g)  It is important that the final proposal is based on a sensible geography and economic area.  Many people come into the city for work, leisure and retail and this provides an opportunity for them to have a stake in the city area.  Many people who associate with Nottingham and have civic pride and identity linked to Nottingham do not currently live in the Nottingham City Council area, and the current geographical boundaries do not make sense.

h)  A single unitary authority that provides all local authority services is easier for citizens to understand, and supports efficient cross-service working.

i)  There is a need to actively engage with other areas about the benefits of reorganisation and opportunities presented by a proposal that involves the City.

j)  The timetable for development and submission of proposals is tight but it is still important to make time to listen to, and communicate with citizens.

k)  There is a risk that a larger authority will lose connection to local communities and the new authorities should think about how they will mitigate this, potentially through use of structures similar to the old area committees.

l)  It will be important to ensure that disaggregation of assets is done properly, and this will require resource to do.  The Council needs to prepare for this.

m)  It should be acknowledged that this could be a worrying time for staff.

Resolved to:

(1)  endorse the submission of the Interim Plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Report of the Chair of the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee

Councillor Helen Kalsi, Chair of the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee, proposed the report detailing the activity that had been undertaken by the Committee to recruit a new Strategic Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer, and asking Council to note that Beth Brown had been appointed as Strategic Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer.  The report was seconded by Councillor Neghat Khan.

Resolved to note:

(1)  the Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee’s activity to identify a preferred candidate for the post of Strategic Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer;

(2)  the appointment of Beth Brown as Strategic Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer; and

(3)  that the salary agreed is within the range for the post.