Agenda and minutes

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 11 May 2022 (copy enclosed).

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting of Full Council held on 11 May 2022.

DECISION:

That the minutes be signed as a correct record.

An update on actions arising at Council AGM - 11 May 2022 (enclosed).

Members were advised that the Action Sheet detailed responses to the Questions without Notice raised at the last meeting, where responses could not be immediately provided.

(Where a Councillor has a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest the Councillor must declare the interest to the meeting and leave the room without participating in any discussion or making a statement on the item, except where a Councillor is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of dispensation.)

The Leader of the Council declared an interest in relation to agenda items 10 and 18, as they related to the purchase of new properties, and he had the potential to know the parties involved. He would take no part in the discussion and would leave the meeting for consideration of these items.

The following announcements were made:

·         The following officers were welcomed to the meeting – John Leach (the Deputy Chief Executive (Communities)) was in attendance in the absence of the Chief Executive, and John Medler (the new Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer)) was also in attendance.

·         Members were thanked for their continued support towards the Chairman’s fundraising activities for his Chairman’s Charity – he had recently completed a charity cycle ride, and in September would be undertaking a sponsored skydive with some members of the Democratic Services Team. 

The Leader made the following announcements:

The South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (S&ELCP) had won an award at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards recently.  This year’s Awards had the largest number of entries with the S&ELCP winning the Public/Public category award.  The Leader wished to thank all staff who had been instrumental in getting the Partnership into a position to win the award.  He also thanked all those staff not directly involved, but who had continued to undertake their day-to-day roles, providing high quality services to the community.

There were none.

Question to: Councillor Grocock

Question from: Councillor Newton

Subject: Update on trial period using hawks to disperse pigeons in Spalding Town Centre

Councillor Newton requested an update on the trial period for using hawks to disperse pigeons in Spalding Town Centre.  Councillor Grocock advised that over the last two days he had spoken with local media on this issue.  The 12-week trial period had ended on 20 June 2022.  The hawk had been flown twice a day.  He felt that the trial had been successful, and that the company used had reported back in early July stating that there were now fewer pigeons in the town centre.  There had also been many letters from residents who were pleased with the action being taken by the Council. The public would be consulted on their views as to whether to use the hawk for a further period.  Councillor Grocock confirmed that although a hawk had been used, its purpose was only to disrupt the pigeons and that none had been attacked, hurt or killed.

Councillor Newton asked a supplementary question, and asked if the Portfolio Holder would listen to what the public had to say?  The Portfolio Holder responded that he always listened to what the public had to say.  He had consulted with the public on which method to use to address the issue of the pigeons before using the hawk – this method had been the one favoured by the public.

Councilllor Biggadike commented that he fully supported Councillor Grocock’s decision to employ the use of a hawk to disperse the pigeons in Spalding town centre.

Question to: Councillor Porter

Question from: Councillor Brewis

Subject: The continued unfairness of Drainage Board precepts being treated as district expenditure.

Councillor Brewis stated that Drainage Board precepts continued to be treated as district expenditure.  The Authority had raised the unfairness of the current situation with central government – how far had this discussion progressed?  Councillor Porter responded by agreeing totally with Councillor Brewis’s point and stated that the drainage burden should be shared across the whole country, and not just the areas that required land drainage - the whole country benefited from well drained agricultural land.  When, in the past the government had paid a specific grant for drainage to be undertaken, there had been no issues however, with the drawing together of various funding streams into the Local Government Support Grant (LGSG) and then the subsequent withdrawal of the LGSG, affected authorities had been left to pick up this shortfall.  It was a significant bill for SHDC – in fact, without this bill, SHDC would have the second lowest Council Tax in the country.  The authority had been making good progress in its attempts to address the situation when the previous Chancellor had been in post – it was hoped that if he soon became Prime Minister, that this progress could be built on.

Question to: Councillor Gambba-Jones

Question from: Councillor Newton

Subject:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To receive the minutes of the following Committees and Panels:-

a)    Joint meeting of the Performance Monitoring Panel and Policy Development Panel – 4 May 2022

b)    Planning Committee – 18 May 2022

c)    Policy Development Panel – 24 May 2022

d)    Performance Monitoring Panel – 15 June 2022

e)    Planning – 22 June 2022

f)     Licensing Committee - 29 June 2022 

g)    Committee of the Licensing Authority - 29 June 2022

The minutes of the following Committees and Panels were noted:

·         Joint meeting of the Performance Monitoring Panel and Policy Development Panel – 4 May 2022

·         Planning Committee – 18 May 2022

·         Policy Development Panel – 24 May 2022

·         Performance Monitoring Panel – 15 June 2022

·         Planning – 22 June 2022

·         Licensing Committee – 29 June 2022

·         Committee of the Licensing Authority – 29 June 2022

To consider recommendations of the Cabinet in respect of:

·         Acquisition of 18 rented S106 affordable homes in Holbeach, from a developer (Cabinet minute 21/22) (Cabinet agenda item 14 and exempt agenda item 17).

Consideration was given to the report of Cabinet which sought approval for the Cabinet’s recommendations:

Acquisition of 18 rented S106 affordable homes in Holbeach, from a developer

The report was presented by the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Planning.  

·         Members asked that the Portfolio Holder provide an explanation of the process undertaken in making the decision.

·         Members commented that a section of the Cabinet report stated that the developer had indicated that a management company be established for the site – it was important that there was due diligence to ensure that it was managed well in future. 

·         Members commented that it was important to start investing in 3-bedroom, rather than 1-bedroom properties, and that the Authority needed to be in contact with builders as early as possible in the future.

Members advised that there was no requirement for discussion of the information within the exempt appendix, and there was therefore no need for the meeting to go into private session for that item.

DECISION:

1)    To approve the business case and approve the acquisition of 18 affordable homes within Holbeach, for the HRA; and

2)    To delegate to the Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Development) and S151, to agree the contractual matter (including the terms and conditions which may represent a minor variation to the scheme approved in the business case) such as signing the contract/transfer document and other incidental actions that may be required, and approving the associated due diligence and valuation required to purchase the properties, and to identify this scheme as a name scheme in the capital programme, in accordance with the approved budget.

(The Leader left the meeting at the start of consideration of this item and returned following discussion of it).

To receive the current Key Decision Plan (copy enclosed).

Note that the Key Decision Plan attached (dated 20 July 2022) is an updated version to the Plan attached with the agenda published on 19 July 2022).

Consideration was given to the Key Decision Plan.

DECISION:

That the Key Decision Plan be noted.

To seek Council’s approval for revised HR Policies (report of the Assistant Director – Corporate enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Corporate which sought Council’s approval for revised HR Policies.

DECISION:

That the HR policies appended to the report be approved.

To report to Council reasons for urgency relating to a number of Non-Key Decisions, as required by the Council’s Constitution (report of the Assistant Director – Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Governance which reported to Council reasons for urgency relating to a number of Non-Key Decisions, as required by the Council’s Constitution.

DECISION:

That the information contained within the report be noted.

To receive, from political groups, nominations for any changes to Committees and other seats and to consider any proposed changes to the Constitution.

There were none.  However, members were advised that Councillor H Drury had been replaced on the Pre-Application Consultation Group by Councillor R Grocock.

To provide South Holland District Council with an update following the latest meeting of the Health Scrutiny for Lincolnshire Committee (report of Councillor Glynis P Scalese enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of Councillor Scalese in respect of Health Scrutiny for Lincolnshire.

Councillor Scalese raised the issue discussed earlier in the meeting regarding the closure of the GP facility at the Johnson Community Hospital, and commented that this was bad news for patients.  Recruitment to the NHS was currently very poor, and numbers wishing to be trained in certain professions was low.  Incentives to address this were being considered by the relevant bodies.  She also commented on the low number of NHS dentists across the whole of Lincolnshire.

DECISION:

That the report be noted.

There were none.

DECISION:

Under section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public were excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 4 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

To consider recommendations of the Cabinet in respect of:

·         Environmental Crime Enforcement - To consider recommendations in respect of changes to the establishment as a result of the proposed environmental crime enforcement contract (Exempt Cabinet minute 24/22) (Exempt Cabinet agenda item 18)

Consideration was given to the report of Cabinet which sought approval for the Cabinet’s recommendations:

Environmental Crime Enforcement

The report was presented by the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection.

DECISION:

That the recommendations, as detailed in the exempt report be agreed.