BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEETING
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL OFFICES, CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH ON TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2011
Quick Links
- 47 - Minutes,
- 48 - Declaration of Interests,
- 49 - Chairman's Announcements,
- 50 - Petitions,
- 51 - Recommendations and Reports from Committees,
- 52 - Questions from the Public,
- 53 - Questions from Members,
- 54 - Refreshed Business Case, Inter Authority Agreement and Revised Officer Delegations,
- 55 - Review of Parliamentary Constituencies,
- 56 - Delegation of Powers to Appoint Freemen,
- 57 - Exclusion of the Public (Which Term Includes the Press),
- 58 - Appointment of Strategic Directors (Exempt information by virtue of Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1),
PRESENT: Mr D L Wood – Chairman
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Mr C W Arthey
Dr M F M Bamford
Mr S R Barrett
Mr P K Beer
Mr N A Bennett
Mr P D Burgoyne
Mr D M Busby
Mr J R B Cave
Mr M J Deacon
Mrs K S Grandon
Mr D G Grutchfield
Mr A J Hinton
Mr P J Holbrook
Mr B D Hurren
Ms J A Jenkins
Mr D H Keane
Mr R E Kemp
Mr F R Lawrenson |
Mr J A B Long
Mr N MacMaster
Mrs M O Munson
Mrs A M Norman
Mr J M Nunn
Mr A F D W Osborne
Mr J M Owen
Mrs A K Pollard
Mr N A Ridley
Mr B Riley
Mr D C Rose
Mr J R A Sayers
Mr R C Smith
Mr R W Thake
Mr A J Ward
Mrs S M Wigglesworth
Mr L H Young |
The following Members were unable to be present:- Mrs J Antill, Mr A C Bavington, Mrs S Carpendale, Mr P Jones, Miss D L Kendall, Mr M Newman and Mr C A Roberts.
The proceedings were opened with a short Prayer for those Members who had chosen to participate.
RESOLVED
That the Minutes of the meeting held on 27 September 2011 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
Mr P D Burgoyne declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Minute No. 55 below (Review of Parliamentary Constituencies) by virtue of being the Election Agent for the South Suffolk Conservative Association, and indicated that he would not be present in the Chamber during consideration of this item.
Mr N A Bennett, Mr A F D W Osborne, Mr J M Owen and Mr J R A Sayers all declared personal interests in the item referred to in Minute No. 56 below (Delegation of Powers to Appoint Freemen) by virtue of being Members of Sudbury Town Council, but indicated that their interests were such that they were able to speak and vote on the matter concerned.
Events attended
The Chairman referred to Paper L86 outlining recent events attended by him and the Vice-Chairman of the Council. In addition he had also attended the AGM of the Suffolk Historic Churches Trust on 17 October 2011.
Poppy Badges
The Chairman reminded Members that metal Poppy Badges were on sale from the PA’s to the Corporate Team.
Chairman’s Charities
The Chairman advised that he had presented a cheque for £1,000 to each of his nominated charities, The British Legion and Sue Ryder Care (The Chantry).
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 13, it was noted that the following petition had been received.
B/11/00825/FUL – Construction of two, three and four bedroom apartments, bungalows and houses with associated roads, paths, driveways, car parking, garages and landscaping, new access from Friends Field and Tawneys Ride, plus public open space (including an equipped play area), land south of Friends Field, Bures St Mary
Petition signed by approximately 88 residents of Babergh expressing concerns about the above proposed development at Friends Field/Cuckoo Hill, Bures St Mary.
The petition will be taken into account when the planning application is determined at a future meeting of the Development Committee.
Proposals for a Joint Housing Board (Strategy Committee Minute No. 49(b))
Ms J A Jenkins, Chairman of Strategy Committee, introduced Paper L78 seeking approval for the establishment of a Joint Housing Board comprising both Members and Tenants to run the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) element of the housing services of Babergh District Council and Mid Suffolk District Council.
RESOLVED
(1) That a Joint Housing Board be established by 1 April 2012.
(2) That the Constitutional Details for the operation of the Board, as set out in Section 9 of Paper L78, be approved.
(3) That the Schemes of Delegation at BDC and MSDC be amended (and any consequential amendments be made to the respective Constitutions of the two Councils) to reflect the details in Section 9.2 of Paper L78.
(4) That three Babergh Councillors be appointed to serve on the Board for the remainder of the current term of office. Further, that the Babergh Councillors to be appointed to serve on the Board be as follows:-
Ms J A Jenkins (Conservative)
Mrs M O Munson (Liberal Democrat)
Mrs S M Wigglesworth (Independent)
None received.
None received.
The Chief Executive presented a report (Paper L87) by the Joint Member Integration Board which outlines:
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A refreshed business case with the emphasis on the integration and transformation of services
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An Agreement that will govern the legal relationship between the two councils as they progress with the integration of staff and services (the Inter Authority Agreement)
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Options on how costs and savings could be dealt with between the two councils
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Revised Officer Delegations.
It was noted that JMIB accepted the business case and endorsed the proposal for integration and transformation set out therein. The proposal is set out in the BMI Programme which JMIB will continue to steer and monitor progress.
RESOLVED
(1) That the revised business case is noted and the proposal for integration and transformation be endorsed.
(2) That JMIB continue to steer and monitor the BMI Programme on behalf of both Councils.
(3) That the Inter Authority Agreement be approved.
(4) That the revised Officer Delegations be approved.
Notes: 1. Mr D G Grutchfield voted against the decision referred to above and requested that this be recorded in the Minutes.
2. Mr P J Holbrook abstained from voting in the decision referred to above and requested that this be recorded in the Minutes.
The Director of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper L88) advising the Council of the Boundary Commission for England’s initial proposals for the reconfiguration of parliamentary constituency boundaries and the consultation arrangements that the Commission has put in place.
The recommendation contained in Paper L88 was proposed and seconded, subject to the following words being added:-
“but the Council would not oppose any counter-proposal that retained Newmarket within a predominantly Suffolk Constituency and which had only a marginal impact on the South Suffolk Constituency”.
An amendment to that proposal was proposed and seconded, carried and put forward as the substantive motion. This is contained in the resolutions below.
RESOLVED
(1) That it be indicated to the Boundary Commission for England that the Council supports the Commission’s methodology and its initial proposals insofar as the South Suffolk Constituency is concerned.
(2) That this Council would support the retention of Newmarket within the Suffolk Parliamentary Boundaries.
The Director of Corporate Services submitted a report (Paper L89) outlining a request from Sudbury Town Council to be delegated to it the exercise of powers to install/create Freemen of the Borough of Sudbury.
RESOLVED
That Sudbury Town Council be delegated those powers under Section 248 of the Local Government Act 1972 relating to the admission of Freemen of Sudbury and the maintenance of the associated records.
RESOLVED
That pursuant to Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the business specified below on the grounds that if the public were present during this item it is likely that there would be the disclosure to them of exempt information as indicated against the item.
The Committee was also satisfied that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.
The Chief Executive presented JMIB’s report (Paper L90) on the Senior Management structure, to report the recommendations of the Joint Appointments Panel following the conduct of interviews held for the Strategic Director posts and to ratify the appointment of the persons recommended to the Strategic Director posts.
It was noted that the new structure, including the Chief Executive, will result in a reduction of Senior Manager posts from twenty to twelve initially, and then a further reduction to ten when interim posts are removed.
RESOLVED
(1) That the Chief Executive’s proposals for the senior management structure in terms of numbers and grades of staff as contained in Paper L90 be approved.
(2) That the recommendation that the following posts be offered to the persons named in resolution (4) below be ratified.
(3) That the named officers in resolution (4) below be appointed as officers of both Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils.
(4) That the following officers continue in the employment of the named council and issued with a variation to their existing contract of employment on the Joint strategic Director grade and the Chief Executive be authorised to agree the precise starting salary following consultation with the Joint Appointments Panel.
Strategic Director (Corporate) – Andrew Hunkin (Babergh)
Interim Strategic Director (Transformation) – Mike Hammond (Babergh)
The business of the meeting was concluded at 11.15 a.m.
Chairman
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