Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned; and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

Councillors Galley, Elmes and Mrs Wright declared personal interests in agenda item 6 ‘Blackpool Tramway Extension to Blackpool North Station (Second Report)’ as non-Executive Directors of Blackpool Transport Services Ltd.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 21 September 2016 as a true and correct record.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 21 September 2016, be signed by the Mayor as a correct record

The Mayor welcomed Councillor David Collett to his first meeting of the Council. 

Councillor Blackburn expressed his condolences, on behalf of the Council, to the Mayor following the recent sad loss of her husband.  The Mayor expressed her appreciation for the support she had received from the Council and others.

Councillors will be asked to observe a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to

Councillor Tony Brown who sadly died on 16 October 2016.

Group Leaders and/ or representatives will be invited to pay tribute to Councillor

Brown and to pass a resolution of condolence.

Members observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect, following the sad loss of Councillor Tony Brown on 16 October 2016.  The Council was invited to pay tribute to his life and work and consider a resolution of condolence.  

Motion:  Councillor Williams proposed (and Councillor Clapham seconded):

‘This Council and the people of Blackpool were deeply saddened to learn of the death on 16 October 2016 of Councillor Tony Brown, former Deputy Mayor of the Borough in 2015/ 2016 and member for Warbreck Ward.

Councillor Tony Brown was born in a mining town in Nottinghamshire before moving to Blackpool in 1948.  After leaving Tyldesley Secondary school he eventually joined the Royal Artillery serving in Germany and Hong Kong. 

Tony worked for the Atomic Energy Authority at Salwick and was self-employed for many years. His last business venture before retiring was to buy a bankrupt hotel with his wife Angela which they quickly turned into a successful business. 

Tony was elected to represent Greenlands and Warbreck wards on Lancashire County Council in 1989 and was on the Lancashire Valuations Tribunal for several years.  Tony has represented Warbreck ward on Blackpool Council since 2000 and during this time held the position of Chairman of the Employment and Appeals Committee and was a long standing member of both the Licensing and Planning Committees.

He was greatly honoured to have been asked to deputise for Councillor Peter Callow during his mayoral year.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to Angela and family in their great loss’.

Councillor Peter Callow and Councillor Blackburn also paid tribute to Councillor Brown.

Motion carried: The motion on being submitted to the Council was carried unanimously.

To consider the attached reports to Council from the Leader of the Council, the Deputy Leader of the Council (Tourism, Economic Growth and Jobs) and the Cabinet Secretary (Resilient Communities).

Members are reminded that:

·         Each Senior Executive Member has up to three minutes to present their report, after which there will be a period of no longer than 15 minutes per report for questions/comments (a green card will give a one minute warning, red for the end of the debate).

·         There will be three minutes per question/ comment from any Councillor on anything within the portfolio and no limit to the number of times a Councillor can ask a question.

·         There will be a period of up to ten minutes for a response from the Senior Executive Member (or relevant Cabinet Member) at the end of the questions/ comments for each report.

The Leader of the Council, the Deputy Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Secretary presented reports to the Council on work undertaken in their own portfolio area and those portfolios under their responsibility.  The reports covered corporate, strategic and policy issues, together with work being undertaken in transforming services and with partners.

Notes:

(1)          The Leader of the Council agreed to provide for Councillor Clapham the monetary value of the increase (70.64% to 88%) in sundry debt collection.

(2)          The Deputy Leader agreed to provide a written response in relation to the following:

·           the total number of offence reports for litter enforcement that had been issued by 3GS and had referred to Legal Services, as requested by Councillor T Williams

·           clarification as to whether there was a fixed weighting for local companies as part of the procurement scoring model and if so what that was and how it was applied, as requested by Councillor Clapham

·           details of how the £400,000 contribution from United Utilities towards the surface water drainage arrangements for the Foxhall site would be used and what course of action would be taken if the contribution had not been received by end of the financial year, as requested by Councillor Galley

·           the revenue generated to date from the Illuminations, as requested by Councillor T Williams.

(3)          During discussion on the report from the Deputy Leader, Councillor I Taylor declared a personal interest in relation to the question raised on the Palm Beach Hotel, as Chairman and non-executive director of Blackpool Housing Company Ltd.

(4)          During debate on the report from the Deputy Leader of the Council, the Council agreed to extend the time limit for speeches by an additional five minutes.

(5)          Following consideration of the report from the Deputy Leader, Councillor Jackson left the Council meeting.

(6)          Following consideration of the report from the Cabinet Secretary, Councillor D Coleman left the Council meeting.

To consider the recommendation of the Executive from its meeting on 7 November 2016 relating to the application of the necessary order to authorise an extension of the Blackpool Tramway to Blackpool North Station.

The Council received the report from the Executive in relation to the application of the necessary order to authorise an extension of the Blackpool Tramway to Blackpool North Station. 

Members were advised that since the decision at the Council meeting on 29 June 2016 to make an application for a Transport and Works Act Order, the required public notices had been published and there had been a statutory period where representations, supportive comments or objections could be submitted to the Secretary of State.  The Director of Place, in his report, outlined the representations that had been received and advised the Council of proposals to make some minor changes to the draft Order as a result.

Debate then took place on the item.

Motion:  Councillor Campbell proposed (and Councillor O’Hara seconded):

‘To confirm the resolution made at the Council meeting on 29 June 2016 to promote a Transport and Works Act Order under the Transport and Works Act 1992 to authorise an extension of the Blackpool Tramway to Blackpool North Station; and to authorise:

(1)     The Director of Place, after consultation with the Deputy Leader of the Council (Tourism, Economic Growth and Jobs), to take all such steps as required for the Council to promote the Order, including dealing with any objections to the application, entering into agreements or commitments in relation to the Order.

(2)     The corporate seal of the Council being affixed to any documents required to be sealed in connection with the promotion of the Order.’

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.

To consider the recommendations of the Executive from its meeting on 7 November 2016 relating to updating the Council’s constitution and also changes to Committee membership following the appointment of Councillor Benson to the Executive and subsequent Committee changes.

The Council received the report from the Executive in relation to a number of changes to documents within the Council’s constitution that would add clarity and consistency to the Council’s working procedures.  The proposals also contained a recommendation to amend the financial threshold for the key decision criteria in order to allow speedy acquisition of property and land and easier support intervention for small to medium sized businesses.

Members went on to consider proposed changes to appointed persons on committees following a change in Executive membership. 

Motion:  Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Campbell seconded):

‘1.   To agree the revised Petitions Scheme at Appendix 2(a) to the Executive report.

2.    To approve the revised definition for a key decision, as set out in paragraph 5.2.3 in the Executive report.

3.    To agree the amendment to the Executive Procedure Rules set out at paragraph 5.2.5 in the Executive report.

4.    To approve the revised Contracts Procedure Rules at Appendix 2(b) to the Executive report.

5.    To approve the amendment to the Protocol on Member/ Officer Relations as set out at paragraph 5.5.2 in the Executive report and the revised Protocol at Appendix 2(d) to the Executive report.

6.    To agree the appointment of the following Committee Chairmen and Vice Chairmen:

Chairman – Resilient Communities Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Debbie Coleman

Vice Chairman - Planning Committee – Councillor Alistair Humphreys

Vice Chairman – Audit Committee – Councillor Jim Elmes

Vice Chairman – Licensing Committee – Councillor David Collett

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.

To consider the updating of Proper Officer designations and appointments to certain positions in the health sector relating to the North West.

The Council was informed that following the creation of Public Health England North West and the recent changes in Health Protection team staff it was necessary to update arrangements for proper officer designations and appointments to certain positions in the health sector relating to the North West.

Motion:  Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Collett seconded):

‘1.   To confirm the Proper Officers as outlined at paragraph 5.3 of the report, with immediate effect.

2.    That the Director of Governance and Partnerships be authorised to update the Constitution accordingly’.

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.

To consider the reports of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the joint Independent Remuneration Panel in relation to a 12 month review of allowances for Independents Persons (in relation to Standards matters) and Non-Executive Directors of wholly-owned companies.

Members were asked to consider the reports and recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the joint Independent Remuneration Panel in relation to a 12-month review of allowances for Independents Persons (in relation to Standards matters) and Non-Executive Directors of wholly-owned companies.

Motion:  Councillor Blackburn proposed (and Councillor Kirkland seconded):

‘1.   To agree the recommendations from the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel, that in relation to Independent Persons:

(a)      the remuneration be set at £700 per annum with effect from 1 May 2016 (subject also to the agreement of Fylde Borough Council)

(b)      the remuneration be included in the Members Allowances Scheme, without the annual uprate, but reviewed after a period of three years (alongside a review of other allowances within the Scheme), unless circumstances require a review in the meantime.

2.    To agree the recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel, that in relation to non-executive directors of Council wholly-owned companies:

(a)      the remuneration for non-executive chairmen be set at £3,500 per annum and £1,750 for other non-executive directors, with effect from 1 April 2017

(b)      the payments be reviewed in 18 months’ time and that the annual uprate (the National Joint Council for Local Government Pay award) would therefore not apply.

3.    That the Director of Governance and Partnerships be authorised to update the Members’ Allowances Scheme accordingly.’

Motion carried:  The motion was submitted to the Council and carried.