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Contact: Mrs Lisa Jablonska, Elections and Democratic Services Manager, Tel No. 01480 388004 / e-mail Lisa.Jablonska@huntingdonshire.gov.uk
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Prior to the start of the official business, the Chair began by welcoming Mrs Michelle Sacks the Council’s newly appointed Chief Executive to her first meeting of the Council. She had been in post since 11th September 2023.
The Executive Leader then took the opportunity to extend on behalf of the Council her own welcome to the newly appointed Chief Executive and to publicly thank Mr Oliver Morley for his service as Interim Chief Executive during the intervening period. These sentiments were echoed by Councillor J A Gray on behalf of the Conservative Group.
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Councillors Lara Davenport-Ray to open the meeting with a message written by the young people at Loves Farm Church. Contact: 3 Minutes. Minutes: A ‘Thought for the Day’ was presented by Councillor L Davenport-Ray. |
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To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on Wednesday 19th July 2023. Contact: 2 Minutes. Minutes: Subject to the correction of the title of the Executive Councillor for Waste, Street Scene and Open Spaces to Leisure, Waste and Street Scene, the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 19thJuly 2023 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair. |
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MEMBERS' INTERESTS To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary, other registerable and non - registerable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below. Contact: 2 Minutes. Minutes: No declarations were received.
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CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR'S ENGAGEMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS PDF 97 KB To note the Chair and Vice-Chair’s engagements and announcements since the last Council meeting.
Contact: 5 Minutes. Minutes: The Chair referred to the recent death of former District Councillor David Underwood who had served three years as a District Councillor for the Godmanchester and then the Godmanchester and Hemingford Abbots Ward from 2016 and 2019. During which time he served as a member of the Overview and Scrutiny, Licensing and Protection, Corporate Governance and Development Management Committees. Following a personal tribute from Councillor Conboy, Members then observed a moments silence in memory of the former Councillor.
The Chair then reminded the Council of the Development Management training which had been arranged for 30th October and 6th November 2023 for all town and parish councils. Members were urged to encourage those in their ward areas to attend. It was also reported that the Chair’s Community Carol Concert would be taking place on Monday 18th December 2023 at 6pm to which all Members were welcome to attend.
The Council then noted those engagements attended by the Chair and Vice-Chair since the last meeting (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book).
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QUESTIONS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC To answer any questions submitted by the public in accordance with the Constitution.
The deadline for the receipt of public questions is five days prior to the meeting and questions must be submitted to the Monitoring Officer by 5pm. Minutes: The Chair reported that there had not been any public questions received by the deadline for consideration by the Council. |
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CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY Mr Rob Bridge, Chief Executive of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to present on progress made with the Independent Improvement Board and the Best Value Report. Contact: 45 Minutes Minutes: The Chair welcomed Mr Rob Bridge, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority who had been invited to talk about the Combined Authority Improvement Agenda.
With the assistance of a Power-point Presentation (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) Mr Bridge introduced himself to the Council and outlined the background to his appointment as Chief Executive.
As part of his presentation the Council were reminded that the previous nine months had been a challenge for the Combined Authority. A Best Value Notice had been issued in January 2023 identifying a range of themes for improvement including Governance and Decision Making, Project Plans and Delivery, Procurement, Partnership Working and Culture, Capacity and Confidence. Highlights of the concerns which were raised in these areas were then reported to the Council.
Mr Bridge then went on to report on work which had been undertaken to address these concerns since May 2023. These included the recruitment of a new permanent Corporate Management Team who were seeking to drive change and embed new ways of working. Work was also ongoing to look at the core governance and related activities which needed to be in place as well as looking to the future and the deepening of devolution opportunities. The Authority was also working on the development of behaviours, values and people policies within the organisation which was now beginning to pay dividends. Whilst there was still further engagement to be undertaken, positive change was now being recognised.
Mr Bridge then talked through each of the themes identified within the Improvement Notice in turn. In doing so, he highlighted the outcomes and improvements which had been delivered to date and those which were scheduled for delivery between October and January 2024 when the notice was expected to expire.
Finally, and in talking about the future aspirations for the organisation, Mr Bridge explained that these included a continuing focus on improving partnership working and building an organisational culture. Developing an organisation which was clear on direction, and which was ready for deeper and further devolution opportunities and one in which there was confidence and assurance at both a national and a regional level. It was hoped that the CPCA would come be seen as a trusted partner and ally to constituent councils and partners and thus demonstrate their important role within the complex local government environment within Cambs and Peterborough.
Arising from the presentation, Councillor S L Taylor enquired about the timescale for the commencement of the adult education project in St Neots and it was agreed that an answer would be provided outside of the meeting. In more general terms, reference was made to the Single Assurance Framework and the need to improve project delivery and the communication of timescales.
In response to questions regarding local government reorganisation and specifically whether he considered there to be too many layers of local government in Cambridgeshire, Mr Bridge explained that local government reorganisation was not a straightforward process and came with several challenges. As ... view the full minutes text for item 33. |
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CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY - UPDATE Councillor S J Conboy, Executive Leader to present on the activities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority including a summary of the activities of the Transport and Infrastructure, Skills and Employment, Environment and Sustainable Communities Committees.
Councillors M A Hassall and J Neish to provide an update on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor S J Corney to provide an update on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Audit and Governance Committee.
Decision summaries for recent meetings of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Audit and Governance Committee and Board are attached to the Agenda for information.
In accordance with the Protocol agreed at the February 2017 meeting, this item provides an opportunity for District Council Members to ask questions and comment on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority issues.
If Members wish to raise questions or issues requiring a detailed response, it would be helpful if they can provide prior notice so that the necessary information can be obtained in advance of the meeting.
Decision Summaries – TO FOLLOW.
Contact: 20 Minutes. Minutes: With the assistance of a PowerPoint Presentation (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), the Executive Leader Councilllor S J Conboy presented an update of the activities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
In doing so, Members of the Council were advised to read the monthly highlight report which summarised the activities of the Combined Authority and was available on the CPCA website, alongside their online recordings. Attention was also drawn to the new members of the Board and the new Chair of the Business Board – Mr Al Kingsley.
The CPCA were currently going through the Budget setting process and would for the first time align with the new Corporate Plan and the MTFS.
Councillor Conboy was pleased to report that progress on the Improvement Plan was now green overall and reiterated the need for this to have improved sufficiently to access any new devolution deal.
The Council were advised that the new Single Assurance Framework comprised a set of systems and processes which had been designed to provide confidence that the Combined Authority had the right infrastructure to make sound decisions.
In addition, a review of the Constitution had also included matters such as procurement, access to information, the co-option of members and independent persons which was designed to improve decision making processes and clarity.
The Executive Leader then turned to the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan. Unfortunately, the Plan has not been agreed at Board level, which reflected the difficulties in Leaders agreeing collectively on some of the detail. Members were urged to watch the recording of the live stream to get further information if they required.
Turning to the issue of devolution, the Executive Leader explained that whilst it was known to be coming, all details currently remained speculative. However, having looked at the M10 group of which Cambridgeshire remained part, the Leader remained optimistic that the area might get some good things out of devolution that would be beneficial for delivery. Work needed to continue on meeting the improvements set out within the Improvement Plan and the CPCA remained committed to doing this. Inevitably it would involve politicians working together.
Councillor Conboy went on to report that following a recent allocation of responsibilities to all Leaders on the CPCA, she had been given responsibility for devolution, a role which she was excited to take forward, involving councillors in Huntingdonshire.
Finally, Councillor Conboy drew attention to the current committee and panel structure within the Combined Authority and those Members representing Huntingdonshire. She urged members to address concerns to Combined Authority Committee Members as appropriate.
Arising from the presentation, Councillor R J West expressed his disappointment that the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan had not been approved. In addressing the Council, he urged all leaders on the CPCA Board not to think purely about their individual districts when decision making but to look at the longer-term plan and the county as a whole. In response to which the Executive Leader explained ... view the full minutes text for item 34. |
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QUESTIONS TO MEMBERS OF THE CABINET In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, all questions –
v Must be relevant to an item which the Council has powers or duties; v Must not relate to an item which is included elsewhere on the Agenda v Should be limited to obtaining information or pressing for action; and v Should not exceed two minutes in duration.
Questions should not divulge or require to be divulged, confidential or exempt information.
Contact: 20 Minutes. Minutes: With reference to a report considered at the September meeting of the Corporate Governance Committee on Local Government Ombudsmen complaints, the Executive Councillor for Planning Councillor T D Sanderson was asked to provide clarification as to when the three complaints relating to the planning service had been first raised. In so doing, the Council were informed that these complaints dated back to August and December 2021 and that Planning Services would reflect upon the learning opportunities that these had identified.
With reference to the current County Council’s current policy on kerbside weedkilling, Councillor T D Alban asked about the implications for the workload and routine of the District Council’s Street cleaning operatives and equipment. In response, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene S L Taylor explained that it was proving difficult to sweep amongst the weeds, however she undertook to provide a detailed response and circulate it to all Members. The Council were also reminded that the County Council’s policy on kerbside weedkilling was still only a trial and was due to be considered at their Highways and Transport Committee in December.
Following a request from Councillor N J Hunt, the Executive Councillor for Corporate and Shared Services Councillor M A Hassall updated the Council on the recent engagement with parish councils and local environmental community groups on the implementation of the garden waste subscription service. Members were advised that four sessions had been held to-date, all of which had been well attended. Feedback had for the most part been positive, although there was a certain degree of unhappiness regarding the proposed charge. An online survey had also been put in place and would continue to gather views until 27th October 2023.
In response to a request for an update from Councillor J E Kerr on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Governance and Section 106 monies, the Executive Councillor for Planning Councillor T D Sanderson reported that the Council had now gone out to tender for an external organisation to conduct a review into CIL governance. A timetable for which would be sent out to all Members shortly. Councillor Sanderson was also pleased to report that funding had also become available for several Section 106 projects.
Following a request from Councillor M L Beutell, the Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene, Councillor S L Taylor updated the Council on the status of Civic Parking Enforcement within the District. As part of which the Council were advised that whilst running to budget, the implementation date had been reviewed by the County Council based upon available resources and was expected to be October 2024. The Agency Agreement had not yet been signed.
In response to a request by Councillor S Cawley as to whether Town and Parish Councils could be routinely informed of forthcoming Licensing applications within their wards, the Council were informed that such arrangements had now been put in place. The Executive Councillor for Customer Services, Councillor S Ferguson indicated his support for this suggestion ... view the full minutes text for item 35. |
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OUTCOMES FROM COMMITTEES AND PANELS PDF 279 KB An opportunity for Members to raise any issues or ask questions arising from recent meetings of the Council’s Committees and Panels.
A list of meetings held since the last Council meeting is attached for information and Members are requested to address their questions to Committee and Panel Chairs. Contact: 10 Minutes. Minutes: A copy of the list of meetings held since the last meeting of the Council held on 19th July 2023 is appended in the Minute Book and Members were advised that any issues or questions could be raised in relation to these meetings.
Pursuant to Minute No.35, Councillor T D Alban reported that several issues had been raised as potential agenda items at the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environment, Communities & Partnership) which had received broad support from all political groups. Councillor J E Kerr also confirmed in her role as Chair, that this Panel was always open to look at ideas and that changes had recently been made to the structure of the work programme so that Members could more clearly see the work which was being undertaken and which was coming forward for consideration.
With reference to Corporate Governance Committee’s recent discussions on the Risk Management Strategy, Councillor P Hodgson-Jones outlined several concerns he had with the proposed document. In response to his question as to whether the Leadership would put in place a structure which has a clear focus on risk management, that could be used to support and be consistent across the Council and which focused on key risks, the Executive Leader explained that the administration was keen to undertake this. She was supported by the Executive Councillor for Corporate Services who indicated that this was an area for improvement, and he would be happy to discuss the matter further outsider of the meeting.
At this point of the meeting Councillor S Cawley sought and received clarification on a point of order. The Chair confirmed that this agenda item provided an opportunity for Members of the Council to raise issues and ask questions, they were not restricted to questions only.
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VARIATIONS TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES AND PANELS Group Leaders to report on variations to the Membership of Committees and Panels if necessary. Contact: 5 Minutes. Minutes: There were no changes to report.
The meeting ended at 9.00pm.
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