Minutes:
The Committee gave consideration to a report regarding the Scampton Legal Position Update. Members heard from the Chief Executive, Section 151 Officer, Monitoring Officer and Head of Policy and Strategy regarding planning matters. Details of how the approach had been developed were provided, alongside a summary of the work to date, costs to date, estimates for the way forward as well as the clear legal advice received by the Council.
Members of the Committee thanked Officers for their work and the clarity of the report being presented. A Member of the Committee who had been significantly involved in previous work regarding the site provided further background information for those Committee Members who had not been in office at that time. The recommendations, as written in the report, were proposed.
Members of the Committee discussed at length the history of decision making, from national and local perspectives. Officers present clarified information regarding access to information and actions undertaken in relation to the site. The recommendations, having been proposed, were duly seconded, with an additional proposal for a recorded vote.
A Member of the Committee echoed thanks to Officers involved, and for the clarification of decisions taken previously. It was proposed that the wording within the first recommendation be changed from ‘Endorse the decisions…’ to ‘Note the decisions…’. Advice was sought from the Monitoring Officer in relation to this proposal. Following further discussion regarding the history of decision making, the proposal to amend the wording from ‘endorse’ to ‘note’ was seconded, as was the proposal for a recorded vote on the final decision.
There was considerable discussion regarding the wider implications of the report. At the conclusion of the debate, the Chairman confirmed the proposal on the table regarding the amendment to the first written recommendation, and took the vote. With a majority vote it was
RESOLVED that the wording of the first recommendation be amended to read:
NOTE the decision and actions of the Chief Executive and officers in undertaking legal proceedings to challenge the anticipated decision by the Home Office to deliver an Asylum Accommodation Centre at RAF Scampton;
Note: Councillor T. Smith requested for his vote AGAINST the above amendment to be recorded.
With the amendment having been carried, the Chairman enquired of the proposer and seconder of the written recommendations whether they remained content. This was confirmed, as was the requirement for a recorded vote.
On being put to the vote, votes were cast in the following manner:
For: Councillors Bierley, Boles, Bunney, Fleetwood, Rollings, Smith, M. Snee, Swift and Young (9)
Against: Nil (0)
Abstentions: Nil (0)
With a unanimous result of 9 in favour, it was
RESOLVED that the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee:
b) Note the decision of the High Court in respect of Clarke-Holland, West Lindsey District Council & Braintree District Council v Secretary of State for the Home Department, issued on 6 December 2023, including the leave given to appeal that decision; and
c) Authorise the Monitoring Officer to undertake such further legal action as would, in their opinion and in consultation with the Leader [and the leader of the opposition group] of the Council, be in the interests of the Council to pursue.
Note: Councillor L. Rollings left the room at 7.17pm, for the remainder of the meeting.
Councillor P. Swift left the room at 7.17pm and returned at 7.19pm.