Agenda item
TO CONSIDER MOTIONS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
The motions submitted by Councillors for debate at this meeting are set out in agenda item 12 attached.
Note: London Local Authorities (Travel Concessions) Bill:
Members are aware that the Council meeting on 15th September adjourned, until the current meeting, consideration of a report on the above matter.
Since then the authority has been advised by London Councils that the Mayor of London and Transport for London have withdrawn their support for the proposed Bill. Without this support, the Bill cannot be deposited in parliament and it is not necessary for the Council to consider the matter further. The item has therefore not been included on the agenda for this meeting.
Decision:
12.1 Motion proposed by Stephanie Eaton regarding Child Poverty in Tower Hamlets
Councillor David Edgar moved, and Councillor Rachael Saunders seconded, a tabled amendment to the motion. This was agreed and the substantive motion as amended was then agreed as follows:
DECISION
This Council notes:
1. Tower Hamlets has the highest levels of child poverty in the country.
2. Using the National Indicator 116 measure (the proportion of children who live in families in receipt of out of work means-tested benefits and those families in receipt of tax credits where their reported income is less than 60% of the median income) 48% of children in the borough live in poverty.
3. Alongside this 66% of children live in low income households – the Child Poverty Act 2010 makes a commitment to reduce this to 10% nationally.
4. 50% of children are in benefit dependent families.
5. 33% of families live on less than £20,000 per year.
6. Tower Hamlets has the highest free school meals entitlement in the UK (52% of children)
This Council further notes that:
1. This Council’s previous commitment to tackling child poverty was
recognised through a Beacon award and Corporate Commitment to
Tackling London Child Poverty Award.
2. Data on child poverty in the borough from 2008 (the most recent
available) shows a 6.6% reduction in the proportion of children living in
poverty in Tower Hamlets from 2007. This reduction of 6.6% was the
largest reduction of all local authorities in the country.
This Council welcomes:
The £7bn package for supporting children announced by the government which includes measures to ensure:
1. All disadvantaged two-year-olds will have an entitlement to 15 hours a week of pre-school education, in addition to the 15 hours already available to those aged three and four. The cash will go to the poorest 20% of children nationally of whom many will be in Tower Hamlets.
2. Schools will receive additional funds to offer targeted help to every pupil eligible for free school meals.
3. The vast bulk of the £7bn fairness premium – roughly £5bn – will be devoted to the pupil premium.
4. Schools will be entitled to spend the money as they see fit, for instance on catch-up classes for struggling pupils.
This Council is concerned
· That the Institute of Fiscal Studies has said that the Government’s spending review is regressive and that “Across every income group, families with children are the biggest losers.” and
· That the Child Poverty Action Group has said that the Spending Review ‘will almost certainly add to, rather than reduce, child poverty’
· By the discontinuation by the Government of the Child Development Grant (CDG) pilot and the reduction by 50% of revenue allocated to Tower Hamlets for Play Pathfinder.
· That without the pupil premium the schools budget will in fact reduce in real terms to 2015
· By the proposal by the Department for Education to remove the additional funding currently received by schools for addressing the learning needs of Bangladeshi children
This Council notes:
These measures will make a substantial and verifiable difference to the lives of the youngest and poorest people in our Borough.
This Council further notes:
· That overall the impact of these changes is as yet unknown but could result in a reduction rather than increase in funding.
This Council will:
· Work with Ministers and officials to ensure that correct information is supplied quickly and accurately to the Department of Education so that the children of Tower Hamlets can benefit from these proposals as soon as possible and the Borough can start to alleviate the unacceptable levels of child poverty.
· Continue to work to reduce child poverty in Tower Hamlets, including by lobbying ministers to increase funding for children in the borough overall.
(Action by: Isobel Cattermole, Acting Corporate Director, Children, Schools & Families)
12.2 Motion proposed by Councillor David Snowdon regarding publication of licensed hours and conditions imposed
DECISION
This council notes:
- The significant resident interest in the licensing function of Tower Hamlets Council amongst residents of the Borough.
- The large number of licensing reviews and refused applications which result from breaches in licensed hours.
- The difficulty faced by local residents in finding out the details of the licensed hours of pubs, clubs and venues offering late night refreshment in Tower Hamlets.
- That there is no single repository on the Tower Hamlets website giving the details of the licensed hours in force, and that to find the licensed hours residents must either note them down from the official notice in the premises or locate the decision note from a licensing committee meeting.
- Other authorities offer online databases of the licensed hours in force, including Elmbridge, Southampton, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Woking.
This council believes:
- That residents have a right to easily accessible information on licensed hours.
- That it is not appropriate that residents should be asked to enter a licensed premises in order to note down their licensed hours, given that residents may already feel intimidated by the premises.
- That increased transparency in hours will lead to increased resident involvement in the licensing process, and help to limit the harm caused by breaches of the law.
This council resolves:
- To provide an online “one-stop-shop” which will provide details of all licenses granted by the licensing committee or officers acting under delegated power for licensable activities within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
- This online service will include a list of licensed establishments, searchable by name of establishment, type of establishment, ward and street. When an establishment is selected, the full licensed hours, together with any conditions imposed will then be displayed.
- This online service will have an accompanying map, upon which will be plotted licensed premises in the Borough. The map used will have suitable resolution to see individual streets within the Borough. When an establishment is selected on the map, the full licensed hours, together with any conditions imposed will then be displayed.
- This service will be available by January 1 2011.
(Action by: Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture)
12.3 Motion proposed by Councillor Peter Golds regarding Island Homes
DECISION
This council notes:
1. The ongoing concerns of Island Homes residents in the management structure of their Housing Association
2. The fact that the board of Island Homes, while having a majority of residents, does not have representatives elected by the residents of the Island Homes estates
3. That the Barkantine Management Team (BMT) has been deprived of its office by Island Homes since the board was suspended in 2008.
4. The motion approved by Full Council on 9 December 2009 calling for the Lead Member for Housing to press Island Homes for further reforms to bring governance standards in line with those expected by Island Homes residents
This council believes:
1. That the London Borough of Tower Hamlets has an ongoing responsibility towards the residents of the Island Homes estates due to the mistakes made in the transfer process, which resulted in the Transfer Document not fully reflecting the promises made in the Offer Document
This council resolves that:
1. The Lead Member for Housing should take renewed and additional steps to seek a resolution to the dispute over board membership between Island Homes Residents and Island Homes
2. The Lead Member for Housing should report back on progress made at the next meeting of Full Council.
(Action by: Aman Dalvi, Corporate Director, Development and Renewal)
12.4 Motion proposed by Councillor Dr. Emma Jones regarding location of meetings
Councillor Joshua Peck moved, and Councillor Helal Abbas seconded a tabled amendment which Councillor Dr. Emma Jones accepted as a friendly amendment. This was agreed and the substantive motion as amended was then agreed as follows:
DECISION
This Council notes that:
- Recent Cabinet Meetings have been held in venues across the Borough.
- That the agendas for some committees contain items which cover several LAP’s and are organised by officer deadlines.
- That some committees, such as Licensing Sub Committee take place more frequently than others.
This Council believes that:
- Increasing the amount of meetings that take place outside of the Town Hall gives residents greater opportunities to take part in the decision making processes and should be encouraged.
- That there may be practical, financial or procedural reasons why some committees cannot be moved outside of the Town Hall.
This Council resolves that:
- To call on the Executive Mayor to continue to hold his Cabinet meetings around the Borough
- To commit to holding future Council meetings around the Borough with the Council responsible for agreeing venues.
- To ask officers to investigate the financial, practical and procedural implications of holding Development, Strategic Development, Licensing and Overview and Scrutiny meetings at venues across the Borough in future.
- To ask for a report to be presented at the next Council meeting.
(Action by: John S. Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services)
12.5 Additional Motion proposed by Councillor Ohid Ahmed regarding the Bancroft History Library and Archive
Councillor Ohid Ahmed moved and Councillor Alibor Choudhury seconded the suspension of Procedural Rule 13.1 to enable the above motion to be considered without the notice required in the Constitution. The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
Councillor Ohid Ahmed moved and Councillor Alibor Choudhury seconded the motion regarding Bancroft History Library and Archive.
Councillor David Edgar moved and Councillor Joshua Peck seconded an amendment to the motion. The amendment was put to the vote and was defeated. A recorded vote was held on the original motion, which was agreed as follows:
DECISION
This Council notes that:
· In October 2008, the Cabinet decided not to proceed with the disposal of the Bancroft Local History & Archive, but to invest in its refurbishment as a focal point for the heritage of the East End, with an additional sum of £250,000 provided to make the building safe;
· In 2009, the Cabinet was faced with a difficult choice between using Accelerated Delivery Funding for Bancroft Library and kick starting the project to renovate Poplar Baths, and agreed to commit to the latter, while asking officers to identify other potential sources of funding for the former;
· In the spring, council officers identified a potential sum of up to £350,000 as being available for Bancroft from the £2.093 million contribution towards “cultural, social and community products and for the provision of workspace off site” in the Section 106 agreement for 32-42 Bethnal Green Road;
· A sum of £500,000 was agreed in Section 106 contributions from the former Peugeot site (438-490 Mile End Road) towards the Bancroft Library or other library facilities.
This Council believes that:
· The East End has a rich heritage that should be safeguarded and celebrated;
· The Bancroft Local History Library and Archive should be the focal point of that heritage;
· The fabric of its building needs further repairs and access to the library should be enhanced;
· The former Lead Member for Culture should not have requested the withdrawal of £350,000 funding from Bancroft in favour of the Rich Mix Centre;
· The decision on this request should have been made in Cabinet, not SDC.
This Council therefore resolves:
· To support the Mayor in his proposal that all £500,000 of the Section 106 from the Peugeot site development should be earmarked to the Bancroft Local History Library and Archive;
· To urge the Mayor to work with the Strategic Development Committee and review the allocation of Section 106 resources and secure the future of Bancroft Library and archives;
· That a report should be brought to the next full Council meeting for debate and consideration to help inform the Mayor’s decisions on this matter.
(Action by: Stephen Halsey, Corporate Director, Communities, Localities and Culture and John S. Williams, Service Head, Democratic Services)
Minutes:
Change to order of business
At this point, Councillor Ohid Ahmed MOVED and Councillor Alibor Choudhury SECONDED – “That under Rule 27.1, Rule 13.1 be suspended to allow an urgent motion on Bancroft History Library and Archive to be considered.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was carried.
A further procedural motion was then MOVED by Councillor Ohid Ahmed and SECONDED by Councillor Oliur Rahman – “That under Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied so that the motion on Bancroft History Library and Archive be considered as the next item of business.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was carried.
12.5 Additional Motion proposed by Councillor Ohid Ahmed regarding Bancroft History Library and Archive
Councillor Ohid Ahmed MOVED and Councillor Rabina Khan SECONDED the following tabled motion –
“This Council notes that:
· In October 2008, the Cabinet decided not to proceed with the disposal of the Bancroft Local History & Archive, but to invest in its refurbishment as a focal point for the heritage of the East End, with an additional sum of £250,000 provided to make the building safe;
· In 2009, the Cabinet was faced with a difficult choice between using Accelerated Delivery Funding for Bancroft Library and kick starting the project to renovate Poplar Baths, and agreed to commit to the latter, while asking officers to identify other potential sources of funding for the former;
· In the spring, council officers identified a potential sum of up to £350,000 as being available for Bancroft from the £2.093 million contribution towards “cultural, social and community products and for the provision of workspace off site” in the Section 106 agreement for 32-42 Bethnal Green Road;
· A sum of £500,000 was agreed in Section 106 contributions from the former Peugeot site (438-490 Mile End Road) towards the Bancroft Library or other library facilities.
This Council believes that:
· The East End has a rich heritage that should be safeguarded and celebrated;
· The Bancroft Local History Library and Archive should be the focal point of that heritage;
· The fabric of its building needs further repairs and access to the library should be enhanced;
· The former Lead Member for Culture should not have requested the withdrawal of £350,000 funding from Bancroft in favour of the Rich Mix Centre;
· The decision on this request should have been made in Cabinet, not SDC.
This Council therefore resolves:
· To support the Mayor in his proposal that all £500,000 of the Section 106 from the Peugeot site development should be earmarked to the Bancroft Local History Library and Archive;
· To urge the Mayor to work with the Strategic Development Committee and review the allocation of Section 106 resources and secure the future of Bancroft Library and archives;
· That a report should be brought to the next full Council meeting for debate and consideration to help inform the Mayor’s decisions on this matter.”
Councillor David Edgar MOVED and Councillor Joshua Peck SECONDED an amendment to the motion – “To delete that the fourth and fifth bullet points under “this Council believes”; and under “this Council therefore resolves”, to delete the reference to the Strategic Development Committee.”
After discussion, the amendment was put to the vote and was defeated.
Councillor Shahed Ali sought advice on whether the Mayor had powers to instruct the Strategic Development Committee. In response Ms. Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services) stated that the Mayor did not have powers to do so.”
Following further debate, Councillor Oliur Rahman MOVED and Councillor Alibor Choudhury SECONDED – “That under Rule 14.1.10 the question be now put.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and agreed.
Councillor Denise Jones rose to give a point of personal explanation under Rule 15.14. She had declared a personal interest as a Board Member of Rich Mix. Councillor Jones stated that it was never the case that the Bancroft History Library and Archives would be sold; and that she had not asked for £330k to be moved.
At this point, ten or more Members rose from their seats to request a recorded vote. A recorded vote was therefore held on the original motion as follows:
For the motion: (28)
Councillor Peter Golds
Councillor Ohid Ahmed
Councillor Rofique Uddin Ahmed
Councillor Shelina Aktar
Councillor Tim Archer
Councillor Abdul Asad
Councillor Craig Aston
Councillor Lutfa Begum
Councillor Mizanur Chaudhury
Councillor Alibor Choudhury
Councillor Zara Davis
Councillor Stephanie Eaton
Councillor Marc Francis
Councillor Carlo Gibbs
Councillor Shafiqul Haque
Councillor Sirajul Islam
Councillor Dr. Emma Jones
Councillor Aminur Khan
Councillor Rabina Khan
Councillor Rania Khan
Councillor Mohammed Abdul Mukit
Councillor Ahmed Omer
Councillor Oliur Rahman
Councillor David Snowdon
Councillor Gloria Thienel
Councillor Helal Uddin
Councillor Abdal Ullah
Councillor Amy Whitelock
Against the motion: (0)
Abstained: (16)
Councillor Helal Abbas
Councillor Kabir Ahmed
Councillor Khales Uddin Ahmed
Councillor Rajib Ahmed
Councillor Shahed Ali
Councillor David Edgar
Councillor Judith Gardiner
Councillor Ann Jackson
Councillor Denise Jones
Councillor Anwar Khan
Councillor Anna Lynch
Councillor Joshua Peck
Councillor Zenith Rahman
Councillor Rachael Saunders
Councillor Bill Turner
Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman
The motion was therefore carried. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes that:
· In October 2008, the Cabinet decided not to proceed with the disposal of the Bancroft Local History & Archive, but to invest in its refurbishment as a focal point for the heritage of the East End, with an additional sum of £250,000 provided to make the building safe;
· In 2009, the Cabinet was faced with a difficult choice between using Accelerated Delivery Funding for Bancroft Library and kick starting the project to renovate Poplar Baths, and agreed to commit to the latter, while asking officers to identify other potential sources of funding for the former;
· In the spring, council officers identified a potential sum of up to £350,000 as being available for Bancroft from the £2.093 million contribution towards “cultural, social and community products and for the provision of workspace off site” in the Section 106 agreement for 32-42 Bethnal Green Road;
· A sum of £500,000 was agreed in Section 106 contributions from the former Peugeot site (438-490 Mile End Road) towards the Bancroft Library or other library facilities.
This Council believes that:
· The East End has a rich heritage that should be safeguarded and celebrated;
· The Bancroft Local History Library and Archive should be the focal point of that heritage;
· The fabric of its building needs further repairs and access to the library should be enhanced;
· The former Lead Member for Culture should not have requested the withdrawal of £350,000 funding from Bancroft in favour of the Rich Mix Centre;
· The decision on this request should have been made in Cabinet, not SDC.
This Council therefore resolves:
· To support the Mayor in his proposal that all £500,000 of the Section 106 from the Peugeot site development should be earmarked to the Bancroft Local History Library and Archive;
· To urge the Mayor to work with the Strategic Development Committee and review the allocation of Section 106 resources and secure the future of Bancroft Library and archives;
· That a report should be brought to the next full Council meeting for debate and consideration to help inform the Mayor’s decisions on this matter.
Proposal to change the order of business
At this point, Councillor Peter Golds MOVED and Councillor Tim Archer SECONDED – “That under Rule 14.1.3 the order of business be varied so that Motion 12.2 be taken as the next item of business.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was defeated.
12.1 Motion proposed by Stephanie Eaton regarding Child Poverty in Tower Hamlets
The motion as printed in the agenda was MOVED by Councillor Stephanie Eaton and SECONDED by Councillor Peter Golds.
Councillor David Edgar MOVED and Councillor Rachael Saunders SECONDED, a tabled AMENDMENT to the motion as follows:-
“Replace ‘This Council notes with sadness that:’ with ‘This Council notes’
Add:
This Council further notes that:
1. This Council’s previous commitment to tackling child poverty was recognised through a Beacon award and Corporate Commitment to Tackling London Child Poverty Award.
2. Data on child poverty in the borough from 2008 (the most recent available) shows a 6.6% reduction in the proportion of children living in poverty in Tower Hamlets from 2007. This reduction of 6.6% was the largest reduction of all local authorities in the country.
After ‘This Council welcomes’ add
This Council is concerned
· That the Institute of Fiscal Studies has said that the Government’s spending review is regressive and that “Across every income group, families with children are the biggest losers.” and
· That the Child Poverty Action Group has said that the Spending Review ‘will almost certainly add to, rather than reduce, child poverty’
· By the discontinuation by the Government of the Child Development Grant (CDG) pilot and the reduction by 50% of revenue allocated to Tower Hamlets for Play Pathfinder.
· That without the pupil premium the schools budget will in fact reduce in real terms to 2015
· By the proposal by the Department for Education to remove the additional funding currently received by schools for addressing the learning needs of Bangladeshi children
This Council further notes:
· That overall the impact of these changes is as yet unknown but could result in a reduction rather than increase in funding.
Under ‘This Council will’ add:
· Continue to work to reduce child poverty in Tower Hamlets, including by lobbying ministers to increase funding for children in the borough overall.”
Following debate, the amendment moved by Councillor David Edgar was put to the vote and was agreed.
At this point, Councillor Alibor Choudhury MOVED and Councillor Oliur Rahman SECONDED – That under Rule 14.1.10 the question be now put.”
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was agreed.
The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was agreed, with no Member voting against. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes:
1. Tower Hamlets has the highest levels of child poverty in the country.
2. Using the National Indicator 116 measure (the proportion of children who live in families in receipt of out of work means-tested benefits and those families in receipt of tax credits where their reported income is less than 60% of the median income) 48% of children in the borough live in poverty.
3. Alongside this 66% of children live in low income households – the Child Poverty Act 2010 makes a commitment to reduce this to 10% nationally.
4. 50% of children are in benefit dependent families.
5. 33% of families live on less than £20,000 per year.
6. Tower Hamlets has the highest free school meals entitlement in the UK (52% of children)
This Council further notes that:
1. This Council’s previous commitment to tackling child poverty was
recognised through a Beacon award and Corporate Commitment to
Tackling London Child Poverty Award.
2. Data on child poverty in the borough from 2008 (the most recent
available) shows a 6.6% reduction in the proportion of children living in
poverty in Tower Hamlets from 2007. This reduction of 6.6% was the
largest reduction of all local authorities in the country.
This Council welcomes:
The £7bn package for supporting children announced by the government which includes measures to ensure:
1. All disadvantaged two-year-olds will have an entitlement to 15 hours a week of pre-school education, in addition to the 15 hours already available to those aged three and four. The cash will go to the poorest 20% of children nationally of whom many will be in Tower Hamlets.
2. Schools will receive additional funds to offer targeted help to every pupil eligible for free school meals.
3. The vast bulk of the £7bn fairness premium – roughly £5bn – will be devoted to the pupil premium.
4. Schools will be entitled to spend the money as they see fit, for instance on catch-up classes for struggling pupils.
This Council is concerned
· That the Institute of Fiscal Studies has said that the Government’s spending review is regressive and that “Across every income group, families with children are the biggest losers.” and
· That the Child Poverty Action Group has said that the Spending Review ‘will almost certainly add to, rather than reduce, child poverty’
· By the discontinuation by the Government of the Child Development Grant (CDG) pilot and the reduction by 50% of revenue allocated to Tower Hamlets for Play Pathfinder.
· That without the pupil premium the schools budget will in fact reduce in real terms to 2015
· By the proposal by the Department for Education to remove the additional funding currently received by schools for addressing the learning needs of Bangladeshi children
This Council notes:
These measures will make a substantial and verifiable difference to the lives of the youngest and poorest people in our Borough.
This Council further notes:
· That overall the impact of these changes is as yet unknown but could result in a reduction rather than increase in funding.
This Council will:
· Work with Ministers and officials to ensure that correct information is supplied quickly and accurately to the Department of Education so that the children of Tower Hamlets can benefit from these proposals as soon as possible and the Borough can start to alleviate the unacceptable levels of child poverty.
· Continue to work to reduce child poverty in Tower Hamlets, including by lobbying ministers to increase funding for children in the borough overall.
Proposed additional motion
At this point Councillor Alibor Choudhury MOVED and Councillor Rania Khan SECONDED a procedural motion – “That under Rule 27.1, Rule 13.1 be suspended to enable an urgent motion on a £100 Council Tax Rebate for Pensioners to be considered.”
The Chair of Council, Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman informed the Council that the proposed motion gave rise to financial implications. Therefore in the event that the Council agreed to debate the motion and should the Council be minded to agree the motion, it would be necessary for the Council’s recommendations on the matter to be the subject of a report to the Cabinet.
The procedural motion was put to the vote and was defeated.
12.2 Motion proposed by Councillor David Snowdon regarding publication of licensed hours and conditions imposed
The motion as printed in the agenda was MOVED by Councillor David Snowdon and SECONDED by Councillor Zara Davis.
The motion was put to the vote and it was agreed, with no Member voting against. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This council notes:
- The significant resident interest in the licensing function of Tower Hamlets Council amongst residents of the Borough.
- The large number of licensing reviews and refused applications which result from breaches in licensed hours.
- The difficulty faced by local residents in finding out the details of the licensed hours of pubs, clubs and venues offering late night refreshment in Tower Hamlets.
- That there is no single repository on the Tower Hamlets website giving the details of the licensed hours in force, and that to find the licensed hours residents must either note them down from the official notice in the premises or locate the decision note from a licensing committee meeting.
- Other authorities offer online databases of the licensed hours in force, including Elmbridge, Southampton, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Woking.
This council believes:
- That residents have a right to easily accessible information on licensed hours.
- That it is not appropriate that residents should be asked to enter a licensed premises in order to note down their licensed hours, given that residents may already feel intimidated by the premises.
- That increased transparency in hours will lead to increased resident involvement in the licensing process, and help to limit the harm caused by breaches of the law.
This council resolves:
- To provide an online “one-stop-shop” which will provide details of all licenses granted by the licensing committee or officers acting under delegated power for licensable activities within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
- This online service will include a list of licensed establishments, searchable by name of establishment, type of establishment, ward and street. When an establishment is selected, the full licensed hours, together with any conditions imposed will then be displayed.
- This online service will have an accompanying map, upon which will be plotted licensed premises in the Borough. The map used will have suitable resolution to see individual streets within the Borough. When an establishment is selected on the map, the full licensed hours, together with any conditions imposed will then be displayed.
- This service will be available by January 1 2011.
12.4Motion proposed by Councillor Dr. Emma Jones regarding
location of meetings
The motion as printed in the agenda was MOVED by Councillor Dr. Emma Jones and SECONDED by Councillor David Snowdon.
Councillor Joshua Peck MOVED, and Councillor Helal Abbas SECONDED a tabled AMENDMENT as follows:-
“Delete all and replace with:
- Recent Cabinet Meetings have been held in venues across the Borough.
- That the agendas for some committees contain items which cover several LAP’s and are organised by officer deadlines.
- That some committees, such as Licensing Sub Committee take place more frequently than others.
This Council believes that:
- Increasing the amount of meetings that take place outside of the Town Hall gives residents greater opportunities to take part in the decision making processes and should be encouraged.
- That there may be practical, financial or procedural reasons why some committees cannot be moved outside of the Town Hall.
This Council resolves that:
- To call on the Executive Mayor to continue to hold his Cabinet meetings around the Borough
- To commit to holding future Council meetings around the Borough with the Council responsible for agreeing venues.
- To ask officers to investigate the financial, practical and procedural implications of holding Development, Strategic Development, Licensing and Overview and Scrutiny meetings at venues across the Borough in future.
- To ask for a report to be presented at the next Council meeting.”
Councillor Dr. Emma Jones and Councillor David Snowdon indicated that they accepted the amendment and varied their motion accordingly.
The motion as varied was put to the vote and was agreed. Accordingly it was:-
RESOLVED
This Council notes that:
- Recent Cabinet Meetings have been held in venues across the Borough.
- That the agendas for some committees contain items which cover several LAP’s and are organised by officer deadlines.
- That some committees, such as Licensing Sub Committee take place more frequently than others.
This Council believes that:
- Increasing the amount of meetings that take place outside of the Town Hall gives residents greater opportunities to take part in the decision making processes and should be encouraged.
- That there may be practical, financial or procedural reasons why some committees cannot be moved outside of the Town Hall.
This Council resolves that:
- To call on the Executive Mayor to continue to hold his Cabinet meetings around the Borough
- To commit to holding future Council meetings around the Borough with the Council responsible for agreeing venues.
- To ask officers to investigate the financial, practical and procedural implications of holding Development, Strategic Development, Licensing and Overview and Scrutiny meetings at venues across the Borough in future.
- To ask for a report to be presented at the next Council meeting.
Supporting documents: