Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary, other registerable and non-registerable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below.

No declarations were received.

At the invitation of the Chair, the Monitoring Officer made short statement.  The Monitoring Officer advised that all Councillors had received guidance on Section 25 of the Localism Act and the principle of open-mindedness. The Monitoring Officer advised the Committee that they were meeting in their capacity as Councillors for Huntingdonshire District Council. 

The Monitoring Officer noted the importance of Members approaching the debate with an open mind, considering the evidence and professional advice presented tonight, irrespective of any prior meetings or decisions on the matter in which you they have been involved. 

The Monitoring Officer invited Cabinet to reflect on whether they are able to participate in the decision-making with an open mind, and to make necessary declarations accordingly. 

Members made the following comments:

Councillor Sanderson declared that he had voted on this matter at Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdon Town Council previously but was still open minded.

Councillor Kerr declared that she had voted on this matter at Cambridgeshire County Council and St Ives Town Council but remained open minded.

Councillor Harvey declared that she was a Member of Huntingdon Town Council but was not at the time they discussed this, so she came in to this meeting fresh and open minded.

Councillor Mickelburgh declared that he was not a Member of any Parish or Town Council and abstained purposefully at the Full Council meeting to bring an open mind to this meeting.

Councillor Howell declared that she was a Member of Woodwalton Parish Council but they had not had a vote on this matter, she abstained at the Full Council meeting abstained last week and approached this meeting with an open mind.

Councillor Davenport-Ray had not voted on this subject at any other Council, abstained at the Full Council meeting and approached this meeting with an open mind.

Councillor Ferguson declared that he was not a Member of any other Council, did vote on this topic at the Full Council meeting but was always open minded and open to being convinced by colleagues.

Councillor Wakeford declared that he did not sit on any other Parish or Town Council, had not been involved in voting on this matter at the Full Council meeting, deliberately abstaining, and came to this discussion fresh and open minded.

Councillor Conboy declared that she was a Member of Godmanchester Town Council, was present when they discussed this matter but did not take part in voting, and she abstained at the Full Council meeting so she could retain an open mind then and for this meeting.

To receive a report which seeks to provide an overview of proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and seeks to enable Members to make an informed decision over what, if any, response the Council wishes to make within the timescales and processes established by Government.

Executive Councillor: S Conboy

The Cabinet has

(a)  noted the various options that have been presented relating to Local Government Reorganisation for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough;

(b)  noted the criteria and process established by Government and that the Secretary of State will be the end decision-maker;

(c)  considered and commented on the various options against the criteria identified, noting that the various options will be incorporated into a single submission made on behalf of all Councils in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough;

(d)  considered the comments provided by the Overview and Scrutiny Joint Group and Full Council in respect of the proposals and the vote by Council to support any or none of the options presented.

(e)  determined that the Council wishes to support Option E (noting that the Council can only support one option);

(f)  delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Leader of the Council, to write to the Secretary of State and other Leaders & Chief Executives within Cambridgeshire & Peterborough to communicate the Council’s decision (rec E);

(g)  delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to complete and finalise a Foreword for the final business case in support of Option E. (rec E);

(h)  based upon the final decision (rec E), delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive Leader of the Council, to liaise with other Leaders and Chief Executives to make any final amendments to the single submission for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough in advance of submission to the Government; and

(i)  delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with all Group Leaders and non-group aligned Members, to formulate and submit a response to any formal consultation on proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

A report by the Chief Executive was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which provided an overview of proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and sought to enable Members to make an informed decision over what, if any, response the Council wished to make within the timescales and processes established by Government.

The Executive Leader – Councillor Conboy set out the report and urged the Cabinet to consider the views of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Panel and the comments made at the Full Council meeting on 19 November. She commented that nobody had been whipped, it was entirely the Cabinet’s decision as it was too important, and it mattered that they weighed all the options and considered the views of others as the discussion developed.

The Executive Councillor for Resident Services and Corporate Performance, Councillor Ferguson commented that he acknowledged the complex task this matter was. There had been optimism in the early days of finding a single solution across all the Council’s, however this may have seemed naïve as different areas had different requirements/biases, so was a complex task and hard to predict. He was proud of the whole Council, particularly noting Conservative colleagues who had spoken with a single voice in opposition to Option D, but also their wish for Huntingdonshire to remain as its own entity. He thanked Councillor Conboy for listening as promised to everybody’s voices. That promise had been held and both the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Panel and the Full Council meeting were excellent opportunities to listen to the voices of colleagues and who they represented. He had voted for Option E at the Full Council meeting as he found the arguments compelling, not because it was the strongest option on paper, but they were looking for a Unitary that would last, possibly 50 years into the future. As a result of the inevitable growth of Huntingdonshire, he supported any solution that had the whole of St Neots and the Tempsford corridor under a single Council. Option E provided the chance to be part of the Cambridge economy but be a different part with its own identity. He was minded to support Option E as it presented a more future proof scenario, robust for tomorrow not just for today. Furthermore, he was of the opinion that Option E reflected the views of the vast majority of Huntingdonshire residents, and it was the choice for the long-term future of the community. At the Full Council meeting, the Council made its preference clear and his heart was with that preference as it envisioned Huntingdonshire standing on its own and thriving.

The Executive Councillor for Parks and Countryside, Waste and Street Scene – Councillor Kerr stated her dismay at comments made by the Member of Parliament for Huntingdon in a recent speech in Parliament regarding LGR. Over recent weeks she had worked closely, cross-party with colleagues from the County Council on the A141 St Ives improvement scheme, working collaboratively  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.