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 either a

(a)   personal interest

(b)   prejudicial interest

(c)    disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI)

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 Baker, D Coleman, Farrell, Hugo, Jackson, O’Hara, Owen, Robertson and Stansfield declared prejudicial interests in agenda item 5 ‘Call-In – Referral to full Council’ as members of the Planning Committee.  Councillors Mrs Callow and Callow declared personal interests in the same item as they lived in the vicinity of Stanley Park Golf course.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 20 July 2020 as a true and correct record.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 July 2020 be signed by the Deputy Mayor as a correct record.

The Mayor announced the sad death on 29 August of former Mayoress Betty Crichton and, on behalf of the Council, expressed condolences to her family.

Members then observed a minute’s silence.

To consider the attached reports to Council from the Corporate, People and Place portfolios and the Combined Fire Authority report.

Members are reminded that:

·         The Lead Executive Member * has up to three minutes to present the report, after which there will be a period of no longer than 25 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 25 minutes for responses from any Cabinet Member * on their area of responsibility at the end of the questions/ comments for each report.

* or Combined Fire Authority representative.

Prior to consideration of the Executive and Combined Fire Authority reports, Dr Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health was invited to address members of the Council in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Dr Rajpura outlined the latest pandemic developments and government guidance, as well as the impact upon the Blackpool locality.  He went on to answer questions from councillors in relation to arrangements that were in place to protect residents including local testing and ‘track and trace’ systems. 

The Executive Lead Members for the meeting then presented reports to the Council on work undertaken in the Corporate, Place and People portfolio areas. The reports covered corporate, strategic and policy issues, together with work being undertaken in transforming services and with partners.   The report from representatives on the Combined Fire Authority was also considered.

Questions, comments and debate were invited from all councillors on each of the report areas and the following members offered written responses to questions raised at the meeting:

1.           Councillor L Williams agreed to provide a written response to Councillor Walsh on the number of hotels and guesthouses that were being leased by the Council, along with details of the financial support for payment of leases/rents to those establishments that had been unable to trade during the national lockdown.

2.           Following comments from Councillor M Scott, Councillor L Williams offered to provide details of the planned structure to support the young people in the Council’s care into apprenticeships.

3.           Councillor Smith offered to provide Councillor Walsh with details of the regulations regarding the compulsory purchase by the Council, of properties that had been problematic/ derelict for over ten years.

4.           Councillor D Scott left the meeting prior to consideration of the report from the Combined Fire Authority representatives.

5.           Having declared prejudicial interests in agenda item 5, Councillors Baker, D Coleman, Farrell, Hugo, Jackson, O’Hara, Owen, Robertson and Stansfield left the meeting prior to consideration of the item.

To consider the referral to Council by the Tourism, Economy and Communities Scrutiny Committee of the Executive Decision EX29/2020 ‘Proposed appropriation and disposal of open space land at Stanley Park Golf Course, Blackpool’.

Members considered the referral from the Tourism, Economy and Communities Scrutiny Committee in respect of the Executive Decision EX29/2020 ‘Proposed appropriation and open space land at Stanley Park Golf Course, Blackpool’. 

Motion 1:  Councillor T Williams proposed (and Councillor Clapham seconded):

‘That the Council refers the item back to the Executive, that it listens to the people of Blackpool and overrides the decision to develop the site in order for the Council to protect and maintain this land for future generations in perpetuity’.

In moving his motion, Councillor T Williams referred to the number of representations that had been received that objected to the development on the site and his reasons for call-in of the item including that he had considered that there had been a lack of consultation on the proposed development and that it should be reserved for open green space. 

A range of views were expressed on the motion.  A number of members supported the proposal to refer the decision back for review, citing that unlike other developments, the land was not historically a campsite and should be protected as an opportunity to develop the site for all users as the proposed development was aimed at tourists rather than the town’s residents.  It was also stated that the current use provided aesthetic green space for the town and the proposed development was not in line with the objectives in the Council’s Green and Blue Strategy or the Council’s climate change declaration to protect the environment.  Concerns were expressed that it would be difficult to change any concept once a planning application had been submitted, that many developers gained planning consent on appeal and that not all members had been involved in considering alternative proposals.

A number of members spoke against the notice of motion, stating that accessibility of the site to residents was currently limited and as such the land was underused by a limited number of people who were golf club members.  It was stated that golf courses were not natural environments and therefore did not support indigenous wildlife, were ineffective at carbon capture and that the developer had planned to plant more trees and commission an environmental survey.  In terms of the Executive decision, it was expressed that it had been necessary to determine appropriation whatever the future outcome on use, that the recent petition included people who were unlikely to use the land, that a diligent tender and decision-making process had been followed and that the planning process would determine the appropriate use of land.  Members also stated that the development would create potential local jobs and opportunities for suppliers in the area.

Prior to voting, five members of the Council requested that the vote on the motion should be recorded.  The voting was as follows:

For the motion:  Councillors Mrs Callow, Callow, Clapham, G Coleman, Cox, Galley, Roberts, Mrs Scott, R Scott, Walsh, T Williams, Wilshaw, Wing - total 13.

Against the motion:  Councillors Benson, Blackburn, Brookes, Burdess, Cain, Campbell, Collett,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.