Agenda and minutes

The Chairman opened the meeting by reflecting on the previous year which had seen mixed blessings, and thanked the Vice Chairman and others for standing in to represent the Council when she had been unable to attend.  On those occasions when she had been able to be present she had attended some wonderful places and civic events and it had been a pleasure to take part.

 

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point and may also make them at any point during the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest at this point of the meeting.

 

for the ensuing year, following which the Chairman elected will take the Chair and make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

 

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Roger Patterson be appointed the Chairman of Council for the civic year 2016/17, there being no further nominations it was:-

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Roger Patterson be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2016/17 civic year.

 

Councillor Patterson made and signed the statutory declaration of acceptance of office and took the Chair.  The former Chairman of the Council then presented the Chain of Office to Councillor Patterson.

 

Councillor Patterson thanked the Council for his appointment, moved a vote of thanks to the outgoing Chairman for her services to the Council and presented her with a Past Chairman’s Badge. 

 

for the ensuing year following which the Vice-Chairman appointed will make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

 

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Jessie Milne be appointed as the Vice-Chairman of the Council. 

 

On being voted upon it was :-

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Jessie Milne be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2016/17 civic year.

 

(a)     to move a vote of thanks to the previous Chairman’s Chaplain for their services during the past year; and

 

(b)      to receive the appointment of Chairman’s Chaplain for the ensuing year.

 

The former Chairman of Council moved a vote of thanks to her Chaplain, Deacon Stephen Boulter for his services and support during the past year.

 

The Chairman of Council advised that his Chaplain for the year was to be the Rev Sue Deacon.

 

The former Chairman then presented the Chairman with the Chaplain’s stole. The stole was then presented to the newly appointed Chairman’s Chaplain.

 

RESOLVED that Rev Sue Deacon be appointed as the Chairman’s Chaplain.

 

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11 April 2016.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 11 April 2016 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

 

  RESOLVED that Councillor Jeff Summers be elected Leader of the Council for the 2016/17 civic year.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Anne Welburn be elected Deputy Leader of the Council for the 2016/17 civic year.

 

To note the number of members to be appointed to serve on each committee etc in accordance with the provisions of Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. 

             RESOLVED that:

 

a)the details of political groups, as set out in Appendix A to Paper B, be noted;

b)the number of Members to be appointed to serve on each committee and sub-committee be noted; and

c)       the allocation to different political groups of seats on committees/sub-committees, as set out in Appendix B to Paper B be noted.

 

In accordance with the provisions of Section 16 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, to appoint members to committees for the civic year, in accordance with the wishes expressed by political groups.

RESOLVED that,

a)        the Rules relating to proportionality be suspended for the Challenge and Improvement Committee.

b)        in accordance with the provisions of section 16 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the wishes expressed by political groups, members be appointed to serve on the Council’s committees for the 2016/17 civic year as follows:

 

Challenge and Improvement Committee (12 members)

 

Councillor David Bond

Councillor Stuart Curtis

Councillor Chris Darcel

Councillor Adam Duguid

Councillor Stuart Kinch

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

Councillor Hugo Marfleet

Councillor Pat Mewis

Councillor Lesley Rollings

Councillor Lewis Strange

Councillor Trevor Young

Councillor Angela White

 

Chief Officer Employment Committee (9 Members)

 

Councillor Jackie Brockway

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Michael Devine

Councillor Stuart Kinch

Councillor Angela Lawrence

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor Judy Rainsforth

Councillor Jeff Summers

Councillor Anne Welburn

 

Corporate Policy and Resources Committee (12 Members)

 

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Matthew Boles

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Michael Devine

Councillor Adam Duguid

Councillor Steve England

Councillor Ian Fleetwood

Councillor John McNeill

Councillor Tom Regis

Councillor Reg Shore

Councillor Jeff Summers

Councillor Anne Welburn

 

Governance and Audit Committee (6 Members)

 

Councillor Sheila Bibb

Councillor David Bond

Councillor Jackie Brockway

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor John McNeill

Councillor Angela White

 

Licensing and Regulatory Committee (12 Members)

 

Councillor Gill Bardsley

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Sheila Bibb

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

Councillor Angela Lawrence

Councillor Pat Mewis

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor Richard Oaks

Councillor Judy Rainsforth

Councillor Mrs Di Rodgers

Councillor Lewis Strange

 

Planning Committee (12 members)

 

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Matthew Boles

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Stuart Curtis

Councillor Michael Devine

Councillor Ian Fleetwood

Councillor Hugo Marfleet

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor Roger Patterson

Councillor Judy Rainsforth

Councillor Thomas Smith

 

Prosperous Communities Committee (12 Members)

 

Councillor Gillian Bardsley

Councillor Sheila Bibb

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Michael Devine

Councillor Steve England

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor Malcolm Parish

Councillor Mrs Di Rodgers

Councillor Lesley Rollings

Councillor Thomas Smith

Councillor Trevor Young

 

RESOLVED that:

a)        the Rules relating to proportionality be suspended for appointment to the Appeals Board;

b)        the Rules relating to proportionality be suspended for appointment to the Standards Sub-Committee; and

c)         the Rules relating to proportionality be suspended for appointment to the Joint Staff Consultative Committee; and

d)        the following appointments be confirmed

 

Joint Staff Consultative Committee

Councillor Jackie Brockway

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Matthew Boles

Councillor Malcolm Parish (reserve)

Councillor Pat Mewis (reserve)

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan (reserve)

Councillor Reg Shore (reserve)

 

Appeals Board

Councillor Stuart Kinch

Councillor Ian Fleetwood

Councillor Malcolm Parish

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

Councillor Reg Shore

Councillor Angela White

 

Standards Sub-Committee

Councillor Gillian Bardsley

Councillor Roger Patterson

Councillor Pat Mewis

Councillor Anne Welburn

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Reg Shore

 

Lincolnshire Show Task and Finish Group

Councillor Pat Mewis

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor Roger Patterson

Councillor Lewis Strange

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Angela White

 

Editorial Advisory Board

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor Angela White

Councillor Mick Devine

Councillor Di Rodgers

 

Trinity Arts Centre

Councillor Gillian Bardsley

Councillor Jessie Milne

 

West Lindsey Community Awards Panel.

Councillor Roger Patterson

Councillor Sheila Bibb

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor Judy Rainsforth

 

Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee.

Councillor Jeff Summers

Councillor Stuart Curtis

Councillor David Cotton

Councillor Ian Fleetwood

 

Democracy Working Group

Councillor Roger Patterson

Councillor Anne Welburn

Councillor Giles McNeill

Councillor Angela Lawrence

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

 

Tourism Working Group

Councillor Gillian Bardsley

Councillor Sheila Bibb

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

Councillor Pat Mewis

Councillor Richard Oaks

Councillor Lesley Rollings

 

Community Grants Panel

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Stuart Curtis

Councillor Jessie Milne

Councillor Judy Rainsforth

Councillor John McNeill   (reserve)

 

Commercial Plan Steering Group

Councillor Owen Bierley

Councillor Adam Duguid

Councillor Stuart Kinch

Councillor Tom Regis

Councillor Jeff Summers

 

 

Gainsborough Growth Fund – Funding Consultative Panel

Councillor Lesley Rollings

Councillor Tom Regis

Councillor Stuart Kinch

Councillor Gillian Bardsley (reserve)

Councillor Sheila Bibb (reserve)

Councillor David Bond (reserve

 

OUTSIDE BODIES

 

Acis Housing Group Local Management Board	Cllr Sheila Bibb (Gainsborough) Cllr Jessie Milne (Rural) Cllr Gill Bardsley (Gainsborough reserve) Cllr Stuart Kinch (Rural reserve)
Age UK Lindsey - East and West Lindsey Divisional Committee	Cllr Owen Bierley
Ancholme Internal Drainage Board	Cllr Jeff Summers
District Councils’ Network	Cllr Jeff Summers
District Health and Wellbeing Network	Cllr Lesley Rollings
East Midlands Council	Cllr Jeff Summers Cllr Anne Welburn
Gainsborough Adventure Playground Association	Cllr Matthew Boles
Gainsborough Community Hotel	Cllr Sheila Bibb
Gainsborough Old Hall Partnership	Cllr Gillian Bardsley
Gainsborough Town Centre Partnership	Cllr Gillian Bardsley
Groundwork Creswell, Ashfield and Mansfield	Cllr Matthew Boles Cllr Ian Fleetwood (reserve)
Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire	Cllr David Bond Cllr Angela White
Healthwatch Provider Network Meeting (West Lincs)	Cllr David Bond
Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire	Cllr Howitt-Cowan
Humberside International Airport Consultative Committee	Cllr Owen Bierley
LGA General Assembly	Cllr Jeff Summers
Lincoln and District Citizens Bureau Finance Sub-Committee	Cllr Angela White
Lincoln Area Dial-a-Ride Management Committee	Cllr Giles McNeill
Lincolnshire Branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

West Lindsey District Council was required under the Localism Act 2011 to have at least one Independent Person to provide support and advice on Code of Conduct related matters.     The West Lindsey News was used to advertise the vacancies and six applications were received.  Copies of the advertisement, letter and person specification were attached to the report.  Shortlisting took place and interviews were held on 27 April 2016. 

 

Note Councillor Cotton declared that he knew both applicants well so would not vote on the appointments.

 

RESOLVED that the following be appointed to serve as Independent Persons from 10 May 2016

 

·         Mr S Beard

·         Ms M Marshall-Brown

 

West Lindsey District Council’s Remuneration Panel was first appointed in 2001 and could comprise between five and seven members.  The period of office of two Members of the Remuneration Panel expired in May 2016.

 

West Lindsey News was used to advertise the vacancies and seven applications were received.  Copies of the advertisement, letter and person specification were attached to the report.  Shortlisting took place and Interviews were held on 14 April 2016.

 

Note Councillor Cotton declared that he knew Mr Lomas well so would not vote on the appointments.  Several other Councillors also noted that they knew Mr Lomas but the Monitoring Officer indicated that there was no prejudicial or pecuniary interest and no-one should be precluded from voting.

 

RESOLVED that the following be appointed to serve on the Remuneration Panel until May 2019

 

·         Mr David Lomas

·         Mr Richard Quirke

·         Dr Chris Riley

 

 

Note  Councillor Fleetwood arrived at 7.33pm

 

The Strategic Lead for Democratic and Business Support and Monitoring Officer introduced the report which set out the process to be followed in reviewing the Constitution annually.  Those changes recommended for approval by Council were set out in Section 2 of the report, and also listed were amendments made in-year and approved by the Governance and Audit Committee, as agreed by Council on 21 May 2015.

 

Further work was proposed by the Governance and Audit Committee both relating to the Planning Committee and future Governance arrangements of the Council.

 

·                The pre-application process and protocol

·                The Committee referral process ie the Scheme of Officer Delegation for this area; and

·                Officer involvement in the Appeals Process

Work on the above items to be submitted for approval by the Governance and Audit Committee.

 

It was further recommended that Council commission the Monitoring Officer, with support from and through the Governance and Audit Committee, to undertake further detailed evaluation work into the implications of a possible move to the leader cabinet model, and submit recommendations to full council during autumn 2016.  However debate ensued on the merits or otherwise of Cabinet models, and the fact that this had been debated and voted upon in the past.  It was acknowledged that some Councils were now moving away from Cabinet systems and returning to Committee led authorities, although it was agreed that the Council’s decision making process could be improved.  Members who had attended the recent workshop acknowledged its usefulness and it was noted that at this stage it was evaluation work to consider the options that was being proposed.

 

It was therefore proposed that recommendation e) be amended to include the words “hybrid or better Committee system” after the “leader cabinet model”.

 

The above amendment was seconded and subsequently voted upon.

 

RESOLVED that

 Recommendation e) be amended to read:-

e)      That Council commission the Monitoring Officer, with support from and through the Governance and Audit Committee, to undertake further detailed evaluation work into the implications of a possible move to the Leader Cabinet model, hybrid or more effective Committee System, with a view to achieving the outcomes set out below ((i) – (vii)) relate and submit recommendations to full Council during autumn 2016.

 

The recommendations, including the above agreed amendment were then moved and seconded en bloc and voted upon.

 

RESOLVED that

a)         that Council note the outcome of the annual review.

 

b)      that the amendments detailed at Section 2 of the appended report be approved for immediate adoption and implementation.

 

c)      that the amendments made to the Financial and Contract Procedure Rules, agreed by the Governance and Audit Committee at its meeting on 19 January 2016, shown at Appendix 1 of the appended report be noted.

 

d)      that the further planned work detailed at Section 4 of the appended report be noted and supported including the addition of the followings areas relating to section 4.1(a): -

 

·           The pre-application process and protocol

·           The Committee referral process ie the Scheme of Officer Delegation for this area;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

The Chairman of the Challenge and Improvement Committee presented the report which summarised the work done by the Committee in the preceding year and its proposed workplan for the future, and thanked all the Committee Members for their support and involvement.

 

RESOLVED that the Challenge and Improvement Committee Annual Report 2015/16 be noted.

 

A request had been received from Councillors Howitt-Cowan and Bardsley for the West Lindsey Dementia Action Alliance and the West Lindsey Churches Festival to be added to the Council’s list of Outside Bodies.

 

RESOLVED that:

a)    the West Lindsey Dementia Action Alliance be added to the Council’s list of Outside Bodies;

b)    the West Lindsey Churches Festival be added to the Council’s list of Outside Bodies;

c)    Councillor Gill Bardsley and Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan be the Council’s representatives on the West Lindsey Dementia Action Alliance;

d)    Councillor Gill Bardsley and Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan be the Council’s representatives on the West Lindsey Churches Festival.

 

The Leader of the Council introduced the report which provided an update on the final stage of the Local Plan consultation and recommended that Members supported a formal consultation response that endorsed the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan.

 

Note Councillors Cotton and Curtis declared an interest in the report as being members of the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee.

 

The Leader noted that the Plan had a vision for sustainable growth for the area and had a presumption in favour of development whilst also giving protection to communities from inappropriate development.  The benefits of Neighbourhood Planning were described which put local people at the forefront of decision making.  Working on a vision for sustainable growth for Lincolnshire the Plan provided a platform for a settlement hierarchy.  53 policies in the Plan provided guidance on all aspects of development.

 

The Leader expressed his thanks to officers and fellow Members for their work over the previous two years’ work, and recommended the report for approval.

 

On being seconded and voted upon it was:-

 

RESOLVED that:

a)     Members welcome the publication of the Proposed Submission Draft Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, recognising the framework for strong economic growth it provides, in that it:

                                            i.        Provides a statutory spatial planning framework for the regeneration, growth and development of Gainsborough in accordance with the corporate aspirations this Council has for the town.

                                           ii.        It assists with the use of major infrastructure assets present in the District to further jobs growth and economic prosperity within the District

                                          iii.        It enables the growth and development of our market towns

                                          iv.        It gives (through the provision of a five year housing land supply) appropriate protection to those areas within the District where further housing growth would damage the identity of communities and put a further strain on existing infrastructure

                                           v.        It gives support to communities who desire to see their areas grow by providing a framework within which Neighbourhood Plans can be prepared.

                                          vi.        It enables some of the smallest settlements in the District to grow at a scale appropriate to their needs.

 

b)      Council endorse the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan and that authority be provided to the Chief Operating Officer and Leader of the Council to submit a formal representation to the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee and Local Plan team giving full WLDC support to the Proposed Submission Draft Local Plan (and therefore for the plan to proceed to Examination in Public and then adoption).